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tresses of hair—dresses covered -with blood—here and there a -workbox or bonnet ! " All the bodies are in a well . I hope we shall be able to bury them , and pay the last honour to their remains . The few that are still living are all more or less ill , and dreadfully weak . You may imagine their delight on seeing us . They were all along in a dreadful state of mind , as they were afraid that their servants might be tempted to betray them ; but , for once , these natives did not . Ought they not to be rewarded ? To our great regret we heard yesterday that Sir H . Lawrence died about a week ago . We go on to-morrow to Lucknow , which is about fifty miles from Cawnpore .
"We cross the river Ganges to Oonao , after first taking an entrenched position which the enemy occupy at Bhitoor , about three miles up this bank of the Ganges . This is the Nena ' s own village ; he is entrenched with twenty-four guns , of which we shall make short work to-morrow , and then go on direct to Lucknow , which we hope to reach in three days ; The barracks which were occupied by Sir H . Wheeler are regularly riddled with shot , so you may imagine how well he held out . Brigadier-General Neil ! is coming to us with another column of 1000 men from Allahabad ; he had already left , or will leave immediately ; we are all very sorry he is not with us . "
Another letter dated Cawnpore says : — " The heading of this will show you that we were the ¦ victors in yesterday's fight ; the enemy numbered about 7000 , with " about 1000 cavalry . Their guns were three 24-pounders , two 12-pounders , and two 9-pounders , besides some horse artillery , which they took off , as we lad no cavalry to pursue them . We marched twelve miles in the morning , and encamped nine miles from Cawnpore . At two p . m . the fighting part of the force . again advanced , leaving the baggage with a guard at the camp . "We heard that the enemy had thrown up an entrenchment across the road , so , instead of advancing straight upon their guns , -we obliqued to the rigbt , when about three-quarters of a mile from , them , for the
purpose of taking them in flank , a mancBuvre that saved us some hundreds of lives . Soon after we left the road they found us out , and did a good deal of execution with shot and shell before we returned their fire , as we had determined not to commence till within eight hundred yards . It was rather unpleasant , progressing slowly , as we did , through very heavy marsh , and ploughed land ; but when we got within range , which we did in about a quarter of an hour , we soon silenced their heavy guns , viz ., the two 24-pounders and two 12-pounders , which had worried us so much in the entrenchment across the road , and , the whole line advancing , we soon drove every man away from them . As we got into their battery tbey commenced firing upon us with two 9-pounders , concealed
In a village in front , and I took up my three guns to silence them with the 84 th , while the other guns and regiments wheeled off to the right , and peppered the retreating infantry . We then all came back to the main road , as both men and cattle were tired , having marched about twenty-three miles since morning , and over some very bad ground . This ended the first part of the business ; we had carried the enemy ' s position and taken six of their best guns , but they still had one 24-pounder about one mile and a balf nearer to Cawnpore , and the horse artillery . The 24-pounder was taken by the 78 th
Highlanders and 64 th , our leading guns advancing to help them , and although the 64 th were a good deal cut up with the grape , as the rebels fought to the last in this action , and their firing was undoubtedly excellent ( though it rarely is so ) , the enemy were ultimately driven right away into Cawnpore and througli it ; a few parting shots being administered to the cavalry , who , during the whole time , had been , harassing us on our flanks and towards the rear , though always repulsed . This was the battle of Cawnpore . I did not get touched , but the killed and wounded are about one in fifteen oi our whole force .
41 We had two fights on the 15 th , ono in tlie morning and ono in the evening , capturing three light guns in the morning , and two heavy guns in the evening . " The JLafiore Chronicle of July 15 th supplies the subjoined account of the mutiny at Barclay : — " All three arms , artillery , cavalry , and infantry , joined in the insurrection . Against such numbers the small band of Europeans could do nothing , and it would have been folly to have attempted approaching the insurgents , they therefore turned their horses' heads towards Nineo Tal , seventy-four miles distant , and after a long , hot , and tedious march of twenty-four hours , with one hour ' s reat , they arrived safely without having met any opposition on the road . Enormitios have been
cornfact of this offering having been spontaneously madebv this small detachment at an out-of-the-way and remote station , speaks volumes for the generous , charitable and benevolent spirit actuating the subscribers . It proves that there exists in the Madras army a feeling which revolts at the actions and unheard-of atrocities com mitted by the Bengal mutineers . " A very interesting account of the interior of Delhi in May and June , by a native , has been vuh lished in the Lahore Chronicle . We here read-
" I reached Delhi on the 21 st May , 1857 , and staved there till the 23 rd June . On my arrival there I saw five Infantry Eegiments and the Sowars of the 3 rd Cavalry , who were stationed at Mohtab-ba « h and Sa limgurh . The Sepoys were so much afraid of the Enjr lish forces that they looked quite pale . The cavalry mutineers had a little spirit , and were wishing to co to Meerut for a fight ; but the footmen did not agree with them , saying , ' We are hardly sufficient to cuard Delhi ; how can we go to Meerut ? ' I will give you a small description of the oppression committed by Sepoys in Delhi . . *
" They plundered every rich house and shop in the city . They took every horse they found in the stables of the citizens . They killed a number of poor shopkeepers for asking the proper prices for their things they abuse the respectable men of Delhi in their presence . The guard of Jumna-bridge ' looted' the passengers crossing it . On the 11 th of May , the magazine was blown up , which did great damage to the adjacent houses , and killed about five hundred passengers walking in different streets . The bullets fell in the house 3 of people to such a degree , that some children picked up two pounds and some four pounds of them from the yards of their houses ; afterwards , the mutineers , together with the low people of the city , entered the magazine compound , and began to plunder weapons , accoutrements , gun-caps , &c .
" The ' lootcontinued for three days ; each Sepoy took three or four muskets , and as many swords and bayonets as he could . The calassies filled their houses with line blacksmiths' tools , weapons , and gun-caps , which they sell by degrees at the rate of two seers per rupee . The copper sheets were sold at three seers per rupee . In these successful days , the highest price of a musket was eight annas ; however , the people feared to buy it : a fine English sword was dear for four annas , and one anna was too much for a good bayonet . " Pouches and belts were so common that the owners
could not get anything for this booty of theirs . The gunpowder which was kept at Mujnoos Tila , more than half of it was plundered by Goojurs and countrymen , and the rest was brought to the city . Since the day of my arrival till the day of mj r departure , I never found the bazaar opened , except a few poor shops . The shopkeepers and the citizens are extremely sorry for losing their safety , and curse the mutineers from morning to evening . Poor people and workmen starve , and widows cry in their huts . Respectable English servants have confined themselves to their houses . ....
" The princes are made officers to the royal armythousands of pities for the poor luxurious princes . They are sometimes compelled to go out of the door of the city , in the heat of the sun : their hearts palpitate from the firing of muskets and guns . Unfortunately they do not know how to command an army ; their forces laugh at their imperfections , an < l abuse them for their bad arrangements . The King sends sweetmeats for the forces in the field , and the guard at the door of the city plunder it like the property of an enemy . The bravery of the royal troops deserves every praise ; they are very clever indeed ; when they wish to leave the field of battle they tie a piece of rag on their leg , and pretend to have been wounded , and come into the city lame and groaning , accompanied by their friends .
once , and escaped behind his house . Two shots were fired at him , but did not tell . He then made toward the bed of the river , and escaped among the ravines , four shots again whizzing over his head and that of his khansamah . Happily , none told . Consternation became general at this time , and the Christian portion of the place , man , woman , and child , -were flying in all directions towards the Rajah ' s . Another rumour has reached us that the Maharajah is not killed . He was bent upon going down upon the insurgents , but the Baie would not allow him , saying that he was sure to be killed , and , as he has no legitimate issue , the estate would be confiscated , and he and his wife , her daughter , ruined . She advised him , therefore , to send the minister Dhunker Rae , who is said to have been killed . The mutineers are gone towards Jhansie—some say towards Oojen . We have no official report , " but are glad they have not visited us . "
Khan , a pensioner , ' set up as - cund , and he , wbo but a few hours before might be seen courting the smiles of every civilian , issued an edict for the destruction of every European , which -was too readily carried out by the ruthless fanatics about him ; his first victims being two judges , two doctors , and two ifeputy magistrates , the very men amongst whom this brute was constantly associating . He offered rewards also for the heads of all those who had escaped ! The doom that now hangs over Delhi should fall upon Bareilly : such a sink of iniquity deserves to be levelled to the ground ; it has long been the abode of the worst scoundrels in India , and its recent atrocities will add to its infamy , marking it , if allowed to exist , a very hell upon earth . " Some particulars of the rising at Gwalior are contained in a letter from Agra , dated June 19 th : — -
" The rumour of mutiny at Gwalior lias proved but too true . Several officers and men have been killed , but such as could escape from TMorar towards the Rajah's cantonment were saved , and have come into Agra . There is an on dit that the Rajah has been murdered for siding with us , and . Beja Baie raised to the musnud . The mischief began on the parade ground . Some officers -were here shot at , and others escaped , but this did not satisfy the mutineers ; they made towards the "bungalow of the Brigadier , called him out vociferously , and sent in shots after him on his non-appearance . He was miraculously saved , however , for , as he attempted to escape out of his closet , a Sepoy is said to have laid hold of his hands ; and to have quietly cut out of the compound in the dark
towards the ravines . Here is one instance of the fidelity of some of the Sepoys , and goes much In . defence of the Lieutenant-Governor ' s proclamation ; for it is not wise to destroy the grateful with the ungrateful- The insurgents , however , on not finding Brigadier Ramsay , ransacked the whole of his property , and then set fire to his bungalow . And this is not the only instance of a Sepoy ' s fidelity . There was another officer who was roused by his guard at ten . p . m ., and out of the nine that were in his compound , one is said quietly to have gone up to him and said , ' Xhamin , bhago , sub bigurgaya . ' Thi 3 Sepoy had just moved off when the rest came up in a body , saying , ' Houses are on fire ; shall we load ? ' The officer observed that it was folly to load muskets to put out a fire . On this they retired , and the officer into his bungalow , whence , through a window of his closet , he descried the whole of the guard quietly loading . He roused his servant at
From Benare ? , the subjoined intelligence is published in the Calcutta Englishman : — " A plot was discovered at Benares , and three of the worst characters in the town , and a bunker -with eight lakhs of rupees , apprehended . Letters of a highly treasonable nature were discovered ; they purported to be from ' a certain great one , ' and called on the inhabitants to rise and destroy Messrs . Tucker , Gubbins , Lind , and all Europeans . The plnn was , that these three were to raise the disaffected characters , and having made away with those I named by treachery or night attack , were to ' polish off' all the rest of us . The
" On the night of the 30 th June , at tho Ilimlun bridge , tho mutineers were quite out of senses ; a good many of them threw their muskets and swords in the wells , and scattering ou the road , run ' towards villages and jungles , as they thought themselves to have been pursued by English soldiers . Had the English forces taken them , they could have taken Delhi the same night , because tho Sepoys did not return to the city till next morning , and many of them disappeared for ever ; they were plundered and beaten by Goojurs , and did not bring a fartliing back with them . t
banker was mentioned by name as tho person from whom they wore to get funds , and in his house some two hundred swords , guns , &c , were found . Gubbins is trying to get aomo further information out of these prisoners , but I fear they will not *¦ peach . ' The banker actually offered the Darogah a Government promissory note for Ka . 10 , 000 , if ho would allow him to escape . Tho Darogah played him a pretty trick : he told the banker he could not trust him , and that he must sign tho note , which ho did , and was then taken away , notes and all , to Gubbins . I fancy all four will ornament tho gallows in a day or two . "
" The old King is very seldom obeyed ; but hoprmccs never are . The soldiers never mind their regimental bugle ; diaohcy their officers , and neglect their duty ; they are never mustered , and never dressed in uniform . Tho noblomcn and Begums , together with tho prince ? , regret for tlie loss of their joyful days . They courier the arrival of mutineers at Delhi u sudden misfortune tor them . The princes cannot understand the Sepoys wituout an interpreter . Tho Hhella have destroyed lots oi houses in tlie city ; and in the fort the marble ot t King ' s private hall is broken to pieces . Hi * M"J l ! hI > . very much alarmed when n hIiuII is burst in tho ^ ast , and the princes show his Majesty the pieces of it .
We read in the Daily News : — " A letter which has been received by Messrs Arbuthnot and Co ., of Madras , who aro treasurers for the fund collected there for tho north-west sufferers , is accompaniod by a donation of fifty-six rupees , subscribed by a small detachment , consisting of two native officers fifteen non-commissioned oflicors , and ono hundred men of tho 21 st Madras Infantry , stationed at Coimbatoro under tho command of a European officer . Setting aside the amount of tho subscription ( which is extremely handaoino considering tho means of tho subscribers mado , too , at a timo when the men oto receiving compensation from government on account of tho excessive doarncaa of grain and provisions of all kinds ) , the very
The Governor-General and Council of India liftto stated , iu a long despatch to the Court of Director of the East India Coimpunj ' , their reasons for cuituu ing tho liberty of the press . They remiirk : — " Tho interest whioh matter published in J '; ^" newspapers excites even in foreign native courts is , l
mitted at Bareilly amongst tlio European inhabitants rivalling , if not excelling , in atrocity tho dark deeds of Meerut and Delhi . The ' arch fiend' amongst the insurgents "was tho Artillery Subadar , who constituted himsolf Brigadier-General of the force , raised tho Green Flag , and directed the plunder and destruction of can - tonments , which by nightfall had been fully accomplished by his villanous band ; for all that remained there of Bareilly was a heap of smouldering ashes . The city of Bareilly , unless destroyed , will stand as a lasting reproach upon our name . It was hero tho greatest cruelties were committed , mon , women , and children , every European and Christina that could bo found , were massacred with groat barbarity . Ono khan , Buluuloor
Untitled Article
? himself Shah of Rohil 892 THE LEADER . [ No . 391 , September 19 , 1857 .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 19, 1857, page 892, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2210/page/4/
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