tetra to tO Rita
CAMPBELL AND OUTRA.71.
28th March.
Sin—I assure you I do not intend to offer any sort of apology for the very singular conduct of Sir Colin Campbell towards Sir James Outram as de- tailed in your journal of this date. I, however, beg leave to explain that Sir James Outram has no claims to that great merit which the public of this country seems inclined to give him for the success of his operations in the command of the force stationed at the Alumbagh.
Sir James Outram was placed in that command simply because he knew the people of Oude, and all our relations with them, better than any other officers now in laths, and for no other reason whatever.
He has his spies in the city of Lucknow by hundreds, if not by thousands, and nothing is decided upon by the rebels which is not instantly communi- cated to Sir James. Thus the force was always found prepared for the at- tacks made by the mutineers because the time of these attacks was well known hours before they were made. In like manner it is easy to under- stand that Sir James was much indebted to others for the information which he conveyed to Sir Colin Campbell, and the latter officer knowing it to be second-hand did not place the same value upon it as he might otherwise have done.
All through this contest in India we have been fully in possession of the plans of the rebels without their being able to learn anything of our move- ments.
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