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

KUMAR SINGH AND AMAR SINGH
himself to march on this ‘ rebel ’ chief in all haste.
Lord Mark Kerr, well known in the Crimean campaigns
and well experienced in Indian military matters, marched
off at once with five hundred men and eight guns and
arrived within eight miles of Azimgarh. After a little rest,
he started onwards on the morning of the 6th of April.
At about six o'clock in the morning, he learnt that
Kumar Singh's men had been watching his progress. But
pretending ignorance of this fact, he ordered his army to
advance in readiness and at once commenced the attack
on Kumar's left flank. No sooner did the English com-
mence the attack than Kumar's left began a veritable
shower of bullets on the enemy. On that day, the old
Kumar was seen fighting lightning-like in the thick of
the battle, seated on his favourite white horse. Knowing
full well that the strength of his army was not so much
in their number which was simply swelled as a threat to
the enemy by allowing all sorts of camp-followers to enter
the fighting ranks, Kumar Singh solely relied upon his
own skill and courage and intrepidity.
He spread out his force to attack Lord Mark Kerr on his
flanks. The guns of the enemy were vomiting fire upon
him and he had no guns to silence them, still did he suc-
ceed in bringing his army right to the rear of Lord Mark!
This movement upset the plan of the enemy so totally that
their guns had to fall back ; and this was the signal for
the Revolutionaries to rush forward with a triumphant
war-cry. Kumar Singh had, by this time, tightened his
grip on the English rear so firmly that the English ele-
phants began to run amock, the conductors on them lost
all hope of life and clung round their necks with both
hands, and the servants and all began to run wheresoever
they found a way. Yet Mark Kerr said “Let us hold on
for a while—victory might still be ours !” He had cap-
tured some houses on the Revolutionaries’ front, while
they had totally routed his rear.
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