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

THE CONFLAGRATION
and other places, was advancing upwards towards Oudh.
In order to repair the loss of prestige caused by the recent
defeats and to regain the authority till recently maintained
in that part of eastern Oudh, the Lucknow Durbar sent
Gaffoor Beg, who was chief of the artillery under Wajid
Ali Shah, to drive back Franks. But in the important
battle of Sultanpur which took place on the 3rd of Febru-
ary he was defeated and, at the end of that month, there
was no enemy left for the army of General Franks to
encounter with in those parts.
All these armies were approaching Lucknow to join Sir
Colin. General Franks turned towards Daurara with the
intention of taking the fort there ; but, as the defenders
of the fort maintained the fight in spite of the loss of their
guns, General Franks had to acknowlege his defeat and
retire. As a matter of fact, Franks had engaged in many
a battle and been successful in most ; nor could any harm
have come through this small and unexpected defeat. But
discipline and responsibility were maintained so well and
vigorously in the English army at that time that, in spite
of the innumerable victories of Franks, Sir Colin struck
his name out from the list of the officers who were to
command the English divisions in the important battle
that was soon to take place.
Now, the several portions of the British army advancing
on Lucknow began to approach nearer and nearer to one
another. While Sir Colin’s huge army starting from
Cawnpore was approaching from the west, the armies
of Franks and Jung Bahadur were advancing from
the east. Before the 11th of March, these two
armies met together and their swords were out to
massacre the “ sinful ” city.
Sinful ? Not sinful but only unfortunate ! While the
swords of fellow-countrymen and foreigners were smiting
hard, was Lucknow doing anything to meet them ? Since
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