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

THE CONFLAGRATION
for any adventure however difficult, Kumar Singh became
ready to put into execution the daring scheme which he
had set his heart upon, and ordered his newly selected
veteran band to stand on the bridge of the Tanu river.
For, it was by this little bridge that a British general,
named Lugard, was marching ahead to relieve the English
forces at Azimgarh. Lugard first, and most naturally,
thought that the object of this Revolutionary band in
contesting the passage of the bridge was simply to pre-
serve the grip of the Revolutionaries on the city of Azim-
garh. "But," says Malleson, "the wily chieftain had
matured plans far deeper than even those about him
could fathom." This unfathomable plan of the wily
chieftain was to deceive the enemy by a false show of
holding Azimgarh at any cost, to fix their whole attention
there on that spot and, while they were thus completely
beguiled there, to march off straight on to Jagadishpur.
This scheme was matchless in its military wisdom. To
march off from Azimgarh to Ghazipur, thence to jump
into the Ganges, to cross it, to press on, and to reconquer
Jagadishpur—all this in spite of the pursuing force of
Lugard at the rear and in the face of the deluded English
force of Arrah in front ! It was for the execution of this
very bold plan that he ordered his veteran band to guard
the bridge of the river Tanu. His orders to those veterans
were to hold the bridge against the attacks of Lugard till
the other division of his forces had time to leave Azimgarh
and escaping the vigilance of the English, to take the road
leading to Ghazipur. If once he reached Ghazipur and
crossed the Ganges, the lion would be back again into his
native forests of Jagadishpur, and the English must re-
enact the whole drama right anew, as all that they had
done during the previous twelve months would be as if
not done at all.
But to succeed in all these plans depends upon your
bravery, O soldiers on the bridge of the Tanu ! You
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