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

THE CONFLAGRATION
immediately after crossing the Jumna. He did not want
to annoy Wyndham until news came that Sir Colin had
begun to engage in the fight at Lucknow. When that
news did reach him, he advanced on Sheorajpur, occupying
important positions on the way. About the 19th of No-
vember, Tatia, by these clever tactics, was able to cut off
all supplies from the British army. Meanwhile, the
famous commander of the English forces was certainly
not idle at Cawnpore. The stream of the English army
flowing from Calcutta was stopped at Cawnpore, and
Carthew was sent with a division to establish himself on
the road to Kalpi. Wyndham coolly awaited Tatia's
movements. Would Tatia go on to Ayodhya to cut off
the rear of Sir Colin's battalions or would he attack him
in Cawnpore itself ?
But Wyndham was not a commander who would wait for
ever. His daring nature ever pressed him forward. More-
over, he thoroughly believed in the superstition that Eng-
lish troops were superior not only to Indian troops but
all Asiatic troops in general and that the best means of
defeating Asiatics was to attack them boldly on the front
with one heavy charge. " Strong though you may be, the
least hesitation on your part to attack, the least delay,
and the Asiatic becomes proud and conscious of power,
and becomes aggressive. Thus, even if you are weak,
hesitate not, but charge boldly with one united charge,
and the Asiatics would be bewildered and fly before you
through mere fright." Such was the thorough belief of
the English and, out of the many occasions on which they
had acted on this belief, they had been successful on most.
It was considered, therefore, quite a rule well-established
by experiment, that it was not proportion of numbers but
bluff and bullying that was the sure road to victory ;
hence, the advisability of a handful of European troops
charging a large mass of Asiatics straight like an arrow !
Every English soldier coming out to India was made to
learn this rule by heart and every English historian who
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