ALUM a fort rendered famous, during the battles and sieges arising out of the Indian mutiny in 1857, by the indomitable resolution of its defenders. The A. B. ("garden of the lady Alum, or beauty of the soul") was a domain about 4 tn. from the city of Lucknow, near the Cawnpore road. It comprised several buildings, including a palace, a mosque, and an emanbarra or private temple, bounded by a beautiful garden, which was itself in the middle of a park, and the park inclosed by a wall with corner towers. It had belonged to some members of the royal family of Oude; but when the wars of the mutiny had been fairly begun, the A. B. was converted by the rebels into a fort. It was large enough to contain a powerful military force, and might have become a formidable stronghold, if well defended; but it proved powerless against a small British force. In Sept., Outram, Havelock, and Neill crossed the Ganges from Cawnpore, marched rapidly towards Lucknow, and captured the A.. B. on the way. About 300 soldiers were left at the place, with four guns, a number of sick, wounded, and 4000 native camp-followers, under col. M'Intyre; while the three generals proceeded with the main body of their force to Lucknow. It was intended that M'Intyre should soon be relieved or reinforced; but Havelock and Outram, shut up for two months within the res idency at Lucknow, coufd scarcely send even a small note in a quill to the A. B. Not
until the close of Nov. did the British, under Sir Colin Campbell, relieve both Lucknow and the A. B. He brought away all the garrison from the former place, but left Sir James Outram, with 3500 men, to hold the A. B. It was at that time the only spot in the whole province of Oude in the hands of the British; and during the whole winter, Sir James had to defend it against the enemy. On the 12th of Jan., 1858, he was attacked by an armed rabble of sepoys and other malcontents, amounting to 30,000 men. These, however, he completely defeated. They attacked him again with 20,000 men on the 21st of Feb., at a time when his small force was weakened by the absence of a detachment employed in escorting a convoy of provisions and stores from Cawnpore; he, however, met them with the same heroic resolution, and effectually repulsed them. In the next following month, Sir Colin Campbell reconqucred Lucknow; and the garrison at the A. B. was relieved from its perilous isolation. Although only a domain converted tem porarily into a fort, the A. B. must ever occupy a memorable place in military history.