१८५७ का स्वातन्त्र्य समर (वीर विनायक दामोदर सावरकर - अंग्रेजों द्वारा छपने से पूर्व प्रतिबन्धित महाग्रन्थ)

THE CONFLAGRATION
English rose vigorously to repel the attack. When the
English army would have been decoyed near the fort in
pursuit of the Sepoys, the Revolutionary guns would at
once open a tremendous fire. With these tactics, the
Revolutionaries so often deceived the English and killed
so many of their number that Brigadier Wilson had to
issue a special order that on no account was a pursuit
of the Sepoys to be attempted. As the English numbers
began to dwindle by this new ruse of the Revolutionaries,
their commander's eyes were turned towards the expected
siege-train from the Panjab. All means of communication
in North Hindusthan—telegraphs, railways, and posts—
were completely destroyed, and the English army at Delhi
was as much besieged as the Revolutionaries. The Eng-
lish had no adequate knowledge as to what was going on
in the south of Delhi, or as to where the army sent from
Calcutta had arrived, or as to the state of affairs in the
towns of Lucknow, Cawnpore, Benares, and other places.
A month after Sir Hugh Wheeler was killed, the English
army at Delhi got ‘reliable’ information that he was
hastening to come to their help! There was no hope of
getting any reinforcements from Calcutta and the whole
strain fell upon the Panjab. Sir John Lawrence had borne
his burden well and had often sent reinforcements of Eng-
lish as well as Sikh soldiers. This time, too, he did not
refuse the new request for a siege-train and more rein-
forcements but sent two thousand troops under the com-
mand of Nicholson. When the news of the arrival of this
army reached the English camp at Delhi, every face
beamed with joy, hope, and encouragement. The fact
that Nicholson was the commander encouraged them more
than that two thousand soldiers were coming. A leader
like Nicholson is worth thousands of soldiers! In the
dispirited English ranks, everyone would say, “ Now that
Nicholson is coming, there is no doubt about the victory!”
As the acquisition of good leaders removed the doubts as
to victory in the English camp, so the lack of good leaders
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