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    __g92 THE LEADE1 J^ B^ SBpraMBEA 19, 185...

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    The Indian He Volt. Ver-S Important News...

    * resse 3 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-rnorrow to Lncknow , 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 Lena ' 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 N " eill 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 7 O 00 , with about 1000 cavalry . Their guns were three 24-pounders , two 12-pounder 3 , and two 9-pounders , besides some horse artillery , which they took off , as we had 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 right , when about three-quarters of a mile from them , for the

    purpose of taking them in flank , a manoeuvre 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 vards . It -was rather tin pleasant , progressing slowly , as vpe did , through very heavy marsh and ploughed land ; but Tvhen 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 liad 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 they 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 half neater 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 ¦ np 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 through it ; a few parting shot 3 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 , hut the killed and wounded are about one in iiftoen of onr whole force .

    " W « had two fights on the 15 th , one in the morning and one in the evening , capturing three light guns in the morning , and two heavy guns in the evening . " The Lahore Chronicle of July 15 th supplies the . subjoined account of the mutiny at Bareilly : — " 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 tho insurgents , they therefore turned tlioir horses' heads towards Ninee Tal , eeventy-four miles distant , and after a long , hot , and tedious march of twenty-four hours , with one hour ' s rest , they arrived safely without having mot any opposition on the road . Enormitios have been

    committed at Bareilly amongst tho European inhabitants rivalling , if not excelling , in atrocity the dark deeds of Mcerut and Delhi . Tho ' arch fiend' amongst the insurgents was the Artillery Subadar , who constituted himself Brigadior-Gcneral of tho force , raised tho Green Flag ? , and directed the plunder and destruction « f cantonments , which by nightfall had been fully accomplished by hia villanoua band ; for all that remained thoro of Bareilly was a hoap 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 , men , woman , and children , every European and Christian that could bo found , were massacred with groat barbarity . One khan . Bnhndoor

    Khan , a pensioner , ' set himself up as Shah of Eohilcund , and he , who 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 deputy 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 th « 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 a t Gwalior ar e contained in a letter from Agra , dated Jane 19 th : —¦

    " The rumour of mutiny at Gwalior has proved but too true . Several officers and men have been killed , but such as could escape from Morar towards the Rajah ' s cantonment were saved , and have come in to 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 tie 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 , ' Kha .-min , 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 quietty loading . He roused his servant at

    once , and escaped behind his house . Two shots weie fired at liira , 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 . "

    From Benares , 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 banker 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 tho disaffected characters , and having made away with those I named by treachery or night attack , were to ' polish off' all tho rest of us . Tho

    banker was mentioned byname as the person from whom they were to get funds , and in his house somo two hundred swords , guns , & c , were found . Gubbins is trying to get somo further information out of these prisoners , but I foar they will not ' poach . ' Tho banker actually offered the Darogah a Government promissory note for Ra . 10 , 000 , if he -would allow him to escape . Tho Darogah played him a pretty trick : he told the banker he could not trust him , and ' that ho must sign the note , which ho did , and was then taken away , note and all , to Gubbina . I fancy all four will ornament the gallows in a day or two . "

    Wo read in the Daily News : — " A letter which has been received by Messrs Arbuthnot and Co ., of Madras , who are treasurers for the fund collected there for tho north-west sufferers , is accompanied by a donation of fifty-six rupees , subscribed by a small detachment , consisting of two native afllcora fifteen non-commissioned officers , and one hundred men of tho 21 at Madras Infantry , stationed at Coiinhntore , under tho command of a Europoan officer . Setting aside tho amount of tho subscription ( which ia extremely handsome considering the means of tho subscribers made , too , at a time whon tho men are receiving compensation from government on account of tho excessive dearnoss of grain and provisions of all kinda ) , tho very

    Tact of this offering having been spontaneously made bv 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 pro ™ that there exists in the Madras army a feeline whir * revolts at the actions and unheard-of atrocities committed by the Bengal mutineers . " ^^• - er < r 3 nterc ; st T ing acco ™ t of the interi or of Delhi in May and June , by a native , has been published in the Lahore C / ironiele . We here read : — " I reached Delhi on the 21 st May , 1857 , and staved there tin the 23 rd June . On nny Lrival there ?

    , ^ five Infantry Regiments and the Sowars of the 3 rd Cavalry , -who were stationed at Mohtab-bagh and Salimgurh . The Sepoys were so much afraid of the English 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 guard Delhi ; how can we go to Meerut ? I will give you a small description of the oppression committed by Senovs 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 wnlking in different streets . The bullets fell in the houses 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 * loot' continued for three days ; each Sepcy took three or four muskets , and as many swords and bayonets as he could . The calassies filled their houses with fine blacksmiths' tools , weapons , and gun-caps , which they sell by degrees at the rate of two seers per rupee . The copper sheets - \ vera 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 tlian 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 my 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 Iiave confined themselves to their houses

    " The princes are made officers to the roj'al 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 , and 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 buttle 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 frionda .

    " On the night of tho 30 th June , at the Hiudun bridge , tho mutineers were quite out of senses ; a good many of them threw their muskets and swords in tho wells , and scatteiing on the road , ran 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 sumo night , because the Sepoys did not return to the city till noxt morning , and many of thorn disappeared forever ; they were plundered and beaten by Goojurs , and did not bring a farthing back with them .

    " Tho old King is very seldom obeyed ; but tho princes never arc . The soldiers never mind their reg imental bugle ; diaobey their officers , and neglect their duty ; they are never mustered , and never dressed in uiiilurin . The noblemen and Begums , together with tho princes , regret for the loss of their joyful days . They consider the arrival of mutineers at Delhi a sudden misfortune for them . Tho princes cannot understand the Sispoys without an interpreter . Tho shells have destroyed luts ° houses in the city ; and in tho fort tin ; nmrblo of the King ' s private liull is broken to pieces . Hi * Mnj « 'sty w very much alarmed when a shell is burst in the ea ^ m and tho princes show his Majesty the pieces of it . The Governor-Qcnoral and Council of Imlin l » lV 0 stated , in a long despatch to tho Court of D irectors of tho East India Company , their reasons for oiirin" - ing the liberty of tho press . Tliey remark : — " Tho intorost which matter published in Mi'tf ' ^ newspapers excites even in foreign naitivo courts is , V "

    __G92 The Leade1 J^ B^ Sbprambea 19, 185...

    __ g 92 THE LEADE 1 J ^ B ^ SBpraMBEA 19 , 1857 .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 19, 1857, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19091857/page/4/