Capítulo 24: Chapter 23: Decimating British scattered small Outposts

With the main British force in Secunderabad destroyed, General Ali Rahman called his senior officers to discuss the next phase of the operation. The soldiers, still bloodied from the night's battle, gathered around their leader, ready for the next task.

General Ali Rahman looked over his officers with calm authority. His voice was steady as he spoke.

"The British in Secunderabad are finished, but we cannot rest on this victory alone. We must ensure that every British outpost, every small cantonment in Hyderabad and the nearby Madras region is neutralized before they can regroup and retaliate."

He looked specifically at General Devendra Pratap Singh, the cavalry commander, and Major Qasim, the guerrilla leader.

"You two will lead the charge. The smaller British garrisons are scattered and isolated. They are vulnerable. Your task is to hit them swiftly and decisively."

General Devendra Pratap Singh saluted, a gleam of determination in his eyes.

"Consider it done, sir. The cavalry will move out immediately. We'll hit their outposts hard and fast. They won't know what hit them."

Major Qasim nodded, understanding the importance of this mission.

"My guerrilla units will ensure that no British reinforcements from these outposts can reach Secunderabad. We'll cut off their communication and eliminate any resistance they try to muster."

Within an hour of General Rahman's orders, General Devendra Pratap Singh led his elite cavalry units to the smaller British cantonments scattered across the Hyderabad and Madras regions. The plan was simple but ruthless—swift strikes to wipe out any British presence before they could regroup or call for reinforcements.

The cavalry moved like a whirlwind through the night, their hooves pounding the earth as they raced from one outpost to the next. The element of surprise was still on their side. The British, having been shaken by the loss at Secunderabad, had no idea that further attacks were coming.

At each small cantonment, the British troops were caught completely off guard. The cavalry charged in with precision, using their speed and mobility to quickly surround and overwhelm the garrisons. The British had little time to mount a defense, and many of the outposts were overrun within minutes.

General Devendra Pratap Singh, at the head of the cavalry, personally led the charge at the largest of these outposts. His sword flashed in the moonlight as he cut through British soldiers who tried to defend their positions. His men followed, striking down anyone who dared stand in their way.

"No mercy for those who don't surrender!" Singh shouted. "We leave no chance for retaliation!"

By dawn, five smaller British outposts in the Hyderabad region and three outposts in the Madras region were completely destroyed. The cavalry suffered minimal casualties, thanks to their speed and the element of surprise.

While the cavalry struck at the cantonments, Major Qasim's guerrilla forces were busy sabotaging British communication lines and supply routes throughout the region. These elite soldiers, trained in stealth and guerrilla tactics, moved under the cover of darkness, cutting telegraph wires and destroying supply depots to ensure the British could not regroup or call for reinforcements from other regions.

Major Qasim had his men plant explosives at key supply depots. The explosions tore through British ammunition stockpiles, leaving them short on both weapons and food supplies.

"Without their supplies, they'll starve," Qasim muttered as he watched one of the British depots go up in flames.

His men also ambushed any small British patrols they encountered, ensuring that no messages could reach the outside. These guerrilla strikes crippled the British logistics, further isolating their forces in the region.

"We've cut their throats without them even knowing it," one of Qasim's lieutenants remarked after a successful ambush.

The British response to the attacks on their outposts was one of confusion and desperation. With their communication lines cut and their forces scattered, the officers in charge of the smaller cantonments struggled to understand what was happening.

At the outpost near Secunderabad, Captain James Hamilton, who was in command, was awakened by the sound of gunfire and explosions. Rushing out of his quarters, he could barely believe what he saw—his men were being slaughtered by the Nizam's cavalry, and there was no way to call for reinforcements.

"Get to the telegraph! Send for help!" he shouted, but by the time his order was given, the telegraph lines had already been cut.

Moments later, Hamilton was struck down by a cavalryman, his command falling with him.

British officers who tried to organize defenses at other outposts were similarly overwhelmed. Without communication, and with many of their men either killed or captured, they had no way to regroup. Some outposts attempted to flee, but they were swiftly caught by the Nizam's forces.

As the news of the victory at Secunderabad spread, and now with the additional strikes on British outposts, the public in Hyderabad and the surrounding regions began to understand the full scale of what was happening. At first, the people were unsure who was behind the attacks on the British. Some thought it might be a rogue faction, or perhaps even a foreign invasion.

Whispers spread through the streets, as civilians who had been woken by the sounds of cannon fire and gunshots tried to piece together what was happening.

"Who's attacking the British? Is it the Nizam?" a shopkeeper asked as he hurried to the safety of his home.

"It can't be… the Nizam is still young, he wouldn't dare," replied his wife.

But as the victory chants of the Nizam's soldiers grew louder, the people began to realize that this was not a simple skirmish—it was a full-scale rebellion. The Nizam had taken a stand against the British, and he was winning.

"It's true! The Nizam is fighting the British! He's striking back!" cried a young man, rushing through the streets to spread the news.

"We might be free of the British at last!" shouted another.

With the British forces in the Hyderabad and nearby Madras regions in disarray, General Rahman's strategy had worked flawlessly. The Nizam's forces now controlled the region, and any chance of a British retaliation had been effectively eliminated.