2nd September.—Sounds of mining heard near the slaughter-house. This was quite a new direction for the enemy to commence this work at; but it had not yet been ascertained for a certainty, and appeared most unlikely. Last night three men of Her Majesty's 32nd Regiment died in hospital.
About 9A.M.this morning a mine of the enemy was discovered within thirty feet of Captain Saunders' post: they came up to a well, and, not knowing what it was, made a hole in the surface; when the smoke from their lamp became apparent. A countermine was immediately commenced and run out sixteen feet, and within two feet of the enemy; it was quickly loaded and tamped for about fourteen feet, and the head of their gallery was blown in. Their miners were heard at work when the hose of our mine was ignited; and it was believed they must have sustained some loss. Another of the enemy's mines was also discovered this morning,coming for the centre of the brigade mess-house; but we had a shaft and gallery ready to frustrate their efforts. One of the sepoys of the 13th Regiment Native Infantry was severely wounded this morning while standing sentry. We had a heavy cannonade from the enemy in the afternoon, and some alteration was made in the position of some of their guns on the Cawnpore side of our position. The advance of a month's pay, which had been offered to all natives, was declined by the 13th, 48th, and 71st, and pensioners, and only four rupees each was received by the Seikh Cavalry, as all preferred to receive it in arrears hereafter. This spoke volumes for their faithfulness.
This evening a very sad event occurred. Lieut. Birch, of the 59th Regiment Native Infantry, attached to the Engineer department, went out at dusk, accompanied by four other officers, to explore some old ruins quite close to the north side of our position, in order to see if there were any traces of mining. The work had been most satisfactorily performed, and the party were returning, when a sentry of the 32nd Regiment, who, unfortunately,had not received the caution that a party was going out and to be careful not to fire, seeing objects moving in the dark outside our limits, fired his musket; lamentable to relate, it took effect, and the bullet passed through the lower part of the belly of Lieutenant Birch, who died two hours after. He was a gallant and efficient officer, and had only been married six months. His loss was greatly deplored by the garrison. Our miners were all hard at work all day, countermining the enemy, who still persevered in their efforts to blow us up.