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

THE CONFLAGRATION
troops and feudatories had joined Sir Colin ; so also in
the south, Sir Huge Rose had on his side the help of the
princes of Hyderabad, Bhopal, and other states. He had,
in addition, got the valuable assistance of the troops of
Madras and Bombay and the Hyderabad contingent. To
mention specially that the Indian troops had joined Sir
Hugh Rose is unnecessary. For, to mention that Sir Hugh
Rose was successful would imply the first proposition.
For the English to obtain a victory, of themselves, is as
impossible as the most impossible thing in the world. The
traitorous Indian troops thus collected together for con-
quering the southern parts were divided into two divisions.
One was under the command of Brigadier Whitlock who
was to start from Jubbulpore and, subduing the provinces
on the way, was eventually to join Sir Hugh Rose. The
other was under Sir Huge Rose himself. As soon as
Whitlock started from Jubbulpore, Sir Hugh was also to
start from Mhow ; he was to advance through Jhansi on
Kalpi. According to the plan of campaign, Sir Huge
started from Mhow on the 6th of January 1858 and, after
a fight, he captured the fort of Raigarh. From thence, he
advanced to Sagar, released the prisoners kept there by
the Revolutionaries, advanced further south, reducing
various positions of the enemy on the way, captured Bana-
pur on the 10th of March, and reconquered the famous
fort of Chanderi. On the 20th of March, the triumphant
English army encamped about fourteen miles from Jhansi.
By these many struggles, bands of Revolutionaries dis-
tributed all over the country from the banks of the Nar-
bada upwards, now crowded into Jhansi ; and that is
why Sir Hugh advanced. with great dispatch on Jhansi
to reduce this stronghold of the Revolutionaries. But
Lord Canning and Sir Colin both issued orders to Sir
Hugh first to relieve the Raja of Charkhari who was being
besieged by Tatia. This order, if he obeyed it, would
have spoiled Sir Hugh's plan of reducing Jhansi. What
was he to do ? He could neither disobey nor find his way
to obey the orders. As, in these trying circumstances,
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