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

THE CONFLAGRATION
cavalry and a horse battery. Twelve miles did they
gallop on ; yet, Kumar Singh could not be found—and
when found at last, he was found in such a strong position
as to make it impossible to distinguish who was the
pursuer and who the pursued ! It was not the Revolu-
tionaries who were frightened at the sight of the foe but
it was the English forces who seemed to have lost their
balance at the sight of the Revolutionaries. Kumar
Singh's army was drawn up in battle array, with their
swords unsheathed and with their guns pointed at the
enemy. One of the English officers engaged in this fight
says, “ It was all we could do to hold our own against
such odds. Immediately our cavalry charged, they stood
and formed square and used to abuse and tell us to come
on.” And, when the English did go on, they received them
with such a hot welcome that many soldiers and even
officers on the side of the English fell dead. The squares
of Kumar’s forces remained impenetrable, and the Eng-
lish were completely thrown on the defensive. After this
engagement, Kumar Singh pursued his march and was
approaching nearer and nearer to the banks of the Ganges!
News of the ill-success of the English pursuing force
reached Azimgarh. The British general, Douglas, started
with five or six more guns and came to their aid. Douglas
had already tasted the sharpness of Kumar’s sword,
and so he came on with circumspect steps as far as the
village Naghai, in pursuit of the Raja. There also the
Raja was quite ready. When the forces were within
striking distance, Kumar Singh led on his veteran band
to face the foe and again ordered them to fight on till
the signal should come, and, dividing the remaining forces
into two parts, he despatched them onwards by two
different routes to the banks of the Ganges. While these
movements were secretly being carried out, the veteran
band kept up a vigorous fight with the enemy, in spite
of the lack of guns to reply to the hot fire of the enemy’s
artillery which was mowing them down like grass. They
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