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    THE INDIAN KEVOLT. ¦ —* ' TDhe fulness o...

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    1203 * ^ —

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  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    The Indian Kevolt. ¦ —* ' Tdhe Fulness O...

    THE INDIAN KEVOLT . ¦ —* ' TDhe fulness of the telegraphic summaries w ' lii-ch we published last week renders the detailed accounts received from India at the commencement of the present week of less interest than , they usually are . One rather startling anecdote , however , did not appear in the telegrams . The Commander-in-Chief was nearly taken prisoner by the rebels on his road from Calcutta to Cawnpore ! "He and his staff , " says the Bombay Times , " appear to hare been proceeding very injudiciously , -without , an escort , when they suddenly csune up with a body of the mutineers

    of the 82 nd Native Infantry . These were mounted on elephants , and were accompanied by seventy-five native troopers . The Commander-in-Chiof , as soon as . he .. observed the enemy , retreated , till he found refuge in a bullock-train some ten miles in the rear . The troopers continued for awhile to hover Tound , and the marvel was Unit this piece of unparalleled rashness should not have terminated fatally . " Had the enemy succeeded in capturing Sir Colin , the rebels would of course hare heen greatly encouraged ; so that it is really not much to the credit of Sir Colin ' s judgment that he should have run so serious a risk .

    Sir Colin Campbell crossed the Jumna in Cawnpore on the 9 th of November , and is stated to have 7 OO 0 men with him , to inarch on Lucknow . Captain Peel , ll . N ., is at Alumbagh Avith a few of his men and sotne 32-pounder guns .

    BEIGADIEa GRANT ' S VICTOlir AT KANOUJ-. The following is the official account of Brigadier Grant ' s victory at Kanouj :- — " This force has achieved another brilliant success , though upon a smaller scale , at Kanouj , on the 23 rd inst . ¦ . ¦ ¦ ' , ¦ ¦ .. ' . ¦ ... ¦¦ . ¦ . ¦ ¦ . " A portion of the forces discomfited by the Cawnpore troops , compose ! apparently , in part at least , of the Delhi fugitives , were making- for Futtehghur as our column was advancing ftom Goorsuhaigunge . Some of their guns were left , in the hurry of their flight , with the Na-wab ' s TehseeldaT at Kanouj ; and these « took possession of .

    " On learning the approach of our column , a body of about tliree hundred of the enemy with five gxms endeavoured to effect an escape towards Oude . Two hundred of the Lancers and Native Cavalry -were sent in pursuit ; and , a smart firing being immediately heard , Brigadier Grant followed with a second squadron of the Lancers , and two guns of Bourchier ' s Battery . The enemy attempted to form on crossing the Kalee Nuddee , and fired on our cavalry . They soon gave way before the guns , when our cavalry at on . ee crossed and followed them up . The fugitives were now hemmed in between the Kalee Nuddee and the Ganges , and but few of them , escaped . Some , both cavalry and Sepoys , were drowned in attempting to swim across the Oanges . Nearly two hundred were cut up , the remainder taking refuge in the fields .

    " We captured their fivo guns , of which two ( a 24-poundei howitzer , and a G-pounder gun ) turned out to be our own . The Cavalry were the loth Irregulars . On our side Lieutenant Watson received a slight injury in the Land , and two Sowars were wounded . The rapidity and tlio completeness of tliis affair will produce the best results on both banks of the Ganges . "

    DELHI . A crore of rupees Las been demanded of the inhabitants of Delhi ns the ransom of the city ; and they have already offered eighty laklis . One of the King ' s sons lms escaped . Our troops , it is stated , have become rather unruly , and , having used their bayonets too freely , are now armed only with stout sticks . A correspondent of the Lahore Chronicle writes : — " Delhi is nearly in ruins from , the eftbet of tlie kcavy artillery fire . The church is riddled with shot holes , and the college and magazine as well . The ground outside the city bears unmistakable marks of the conflict . Hindoo Kao ' a house is a shell , as well as many of the

    houses in Subzee Mundco and Kishen Qungo . The boughs of the trees are lopped oflf , and many ot them are ¦ Wholly felled l > y round shot , and the ground , from the glacia to the ridge , is strewn with shut , grrtpe , and pieces of shell :. largo quantities of treasure arc being daily dug from the walls of houses and tykhanahs . It is expected the amount of prize money will bo very large . The Jltujjur Nawal ) came in two days ago to stand his trial . The city is deserted by the Inhabitants , and at night is silent as a grarc-yard . The Military governor is judiciously strict iu allowing Mo ono to enter without n pu * s .

    I hoar some Europeans , ns well n « natives , havo been creeping into tlio city through a drain or -wntcr-courae , tlio iron bars of which wore broken . They were , soon caught , and will probably bo severely punished . Their object was to loot , no doubt . They say thoro are many Sopoys still liiddon in the city ; if so , they should at once l ) t > shot . When ono hears tho sickening dotaila of the almost incredible cruelties practised by these miscroantu on tho English ladies , women , and children , mercy to tho wrotchos appears , and is , a sin . Such an example should bo mnde of thorn ns would bo handed down to succeeding generations with horror . In Delhi

    . ; . ¦—— - ^^^^^^^ nothing has been done in the way of retribution . The besiegers lost more than the besieged . " JUSCKLLANEOtrS PACTS . The ' Civilian' who ha 3 already addressed the Times from various Indian localities now writes from Allahabad , November 1 st . He states : — " The movable column in its march from Agra to Cawnpore met with no serious opposition , and passed through , to all appearance , a very friendly and well * - cultivated country . Nothing is more surprising than the way in which , amid the crash of empire , the people have this year not only cultivated , but , in many districts , cultivated almost as well and as extensively as ever . Once out of the Googar country , the rebels do not 3 eein to have resumed to the full the desolating habits of their ancestors , and perhaps plunder the people less than do in

    our troops no ^ ; fact , beyond supplying their necessities , the Sepoys have not generally ventured to assume the character of masters and tyrants of the country . The Maliomedan Nawab of Furruckabad has established his ' rule in the IFuttehgbur district . We cut up his posts as we passed , and at one of them to > 6 k three English guns left by the Delhi mutineers when they fled from Cawnpoi ' e . But the cry for aid to Lucknow was so great that it was determined not to attempt to occupy the country through which we passed , and passing we have again abandoned it ; so that , though a junction has been formed by the troops , the communications'between , the upper and lower country are not at all re-established . From Agra to Cawnpore , the toad is quite closed . From Agra upwards and Cawnpore downwards , it is open ; but that there should still be a break is a very great subject of regret and of political

    weakness . . .... I am too recent an arrival to know much of the politics of these parts ; but one thing strikes me strongly , and that is the change in the state of things in regard to Sepoys as we get down country . Down to Cawnpore , it was enough to ascertain that a man was a Sepoy ; we should as soon have thought of sparing a mad dog , to inquire -whether it could be proved that be had bitten any one , as of sparing a Sepoy . The only question was , Sepoy or no Sepoy—and many ingenious devices were resorted to , such as drawing the prisoners up in a line and suddenly shouting ' Attention ! ' wlien all who showed any signs of attention -were-carried . off to the rear . But down here , to our horror and surprise , we see Sepoys of the old stamp coolly walking along the public roads in broad daylight , and find that the Government seem to have taken them under tlieir especial protection . "

    Byrapersaud , the great banker at Benares , with his Jemadar and eight Hurkarus , have been tried at Jaunpore for carrying oa treasonable correspondence with the insurgents in Oude . They were all condemned to be hung . The bauker offered four lakhs for his life ; but of course he Was not listened to . We read in the daily papers : — " A collection of rules for preserving health has been drawn up for the use of the East India Company ' s service , by Dr . James Harrison , and issued to the troops by Sir Colin Campbell . The chief points insisted on are

    the necessity of keeping the head lightly covered from the rays of the sun and the fall of tlie dew , and the advantages of ventilation , dry clothes , bedding , and frequent bathing . Animal food is not so necessary in hot climates as in cold , and the use of vegetables and fruits indispensable to tho preservation of health . ; moderate exercise , with a due amount of repose , and not dramdrinking , are the proper remedies for the debility induced by a -warm climate . These simple rules are applied to the peculiar circumstances in which the troops in India are placed . "

    The official despatch from General "Wilson , describing the capture of Delhi , and containing the thank s of thq commander to the persons who chiefly distinguished themselves , has been published . It does not , however , present any noticeable features . : " General ; llavelock , in ono of tho new despatches , " says the Morning Star , " modestly tells the story of liis junction with tho garrison of Lucknow , and he romnrks that , to form a notion of the obstacles overcome in cflecting relief , a reference must bo made to tho events that are known to have occurred at liuenos Ayres and Suragoasa ; for bis advance to the llcsidency was through

    streeta of flat-roofed houses , each forming a separate fortress , lie states that tho number of those who fell into the hands of a merciless foe in this operation was four hundred and sixty-four , ollicera and men ; and General Outran * , ho writes , hud received a flesh wouud , but that nothing could subdue his spirit , and , though faint from loss of blood , he kept ou his horse and only dismounted at tho gate of the Kcsklunoy . This despatch of General llavelock is dated from tho Lucknow llcsidoncy , 30 th September , and was received by telegraph from Cawnpore ; but by what means it was convoyod from Lucknow to Cawnporo ia not stated . "

    AX INCiniCNf Of TUB INDIAN MUTLNY . ( Extractfrom « , Private J , cUer , ~ ) Sliikarpore , Oth October . —We havo had ft jolly scrimmage litre , dour S . It began thus : —On ( Sep tember 211-24 , ut about twelve or lmlf-pnat a . m ., Lloyd and Millar ( Robert Millar , Aasiataut-Surgeon ol what was the 11 th N . I . Bombay ) - \ vcro awoko by the report of guns firing in camp . They wore sound asleep at tho commencement of tho firing , having sat up Into ,

    as Lloyd only slept in Millar ' s house that night , as his kliit had gone on in anticipation of his march at two a . m . in charge of two of the guns on Sukkeer . Gowind ( a driver ) went to call them , and on the way down they thought it might be a mere trap into which they were being led , but also felt that if the mutiny were a general one , half an hour of existence -would be a matter of little moment . I give you these accounts partly from what I saw , and also my gleanings from those present . After the fight , and from some good letters that were shown me -with full details , these two went to Captain Murray ' s , but found him out , and concluded he had gone to the guns , and therefore went in that direction . While going , they heard the rolling of -wheels , and were tlien sure that tlie drivers had joined , and that they had harnessed the horses to the guns , and were going to attack the bungalows . However , to their great delight , it was only Mrs . Munro ' s carriage . On going towards the guns , Lloyd saved Millar ' s life ; for , never doubting , as they had never heard the guns , that the 16 th were in the square , Millar was going straight , when Llo yd called out , "No , no—don ' t go there ! " The words were hardly out of his mouth , and they out of the line of fire , -when the space between the gun-shed and the barrack iras swept by a shower of canister . On going behind the barracks , the men of the artillery rushed towards them . They could not see the expression , of their faces , for it was dark , and they both thought they were about to be

    made prisoners .- However , such was not the case . They were most glad to see them , and nothing could have been greater than their care and kindness to them the rest of the night , some leading Lloyd by the hand through the dark barrack-room , and tlie others never leaving Millar for a moment , who asked the subahdar-niojor and the jemadar how many men there were , and tiiey said " About four or five" ( there were really about twenty ) . ' Millar called out , " What ! only those ? And shall \ ve allow them to keep the guns ? " They replied , " Wait a little . " Then they arranged theix few muskets , and still fewer cartridges . Millar with his own hands helped to unfasten tlieir white belts , and before they began to shoot , he promised them , from his own funds , thirty

    rupees for every man they should shoot , and , in tlie excitement of the moment , increased the promise to fifty riipees , ; which lie actually paid ! Just like Millar—a fellow that would risk anything in . a moment of service . He ( Millar ) then said to the subahdar , "Subahdar , lend me the . pair of pistols which I came to your house to-day to see—the present of Mr . Erere—and 1 will go in and try to shoot them . " The subahdar replied that they had no ammunition ; so they had to wait . Lloyd and Millar were among the artillery for three-quarters of an hour before any one joined them , and daring all that time tlie men were saying , " But where is tlie captain- sahib ?" As they did not fcnow , they replied , " He will be here directly . " It afterwards appeared that he had gone to ¦

    Colonel Macdoxurall , who had directed Mm ' to ' go and hurry up the 16 th . Well , about the end of the threequnrters of an hour , Montgomery ( of the police ) came up , and said , " Where is Murray and the lGtli ? " They replied they did not know . During all this time tho iiring was going-on from the big guns and the muskets of the very few loyal men , who had a small number of cartridges . Millar then said : " I-will tell you \ rhat it is , Montgomery . If this goes on , and no one comes quickly , these men -will think we are not worth fighting for , and join tho mutineers . Let us tempt them to discharge all their guns , and then wo will charge them and seize thetn . " He answered , " I will ; and I will go and get my rural police . " He had only his mounted men with him , and did not think it safe to dismount thorn . He then left

    Millar , wlio did not meet him again till tho end of the fight . Millar told me that some time after ( how long he couldn ' t say , for ho was very anxious , and the time naturally appeared long ) Murray oamo up with a lot of tho 16 th , under Yongo .- Ho then desired thetn to take ' oft' their enp covers ( this was Lloyd ' s suggoatkm ) , and Millar , seizing ono of tho rnuBket * , woe one of the very earliest , if not the ilrst mail , in the barrackd . H « then got Yongo ( who was in siok quarters from fever , * nd so weak he could hardly stand ) to doaira his men . to load as fast as they could for him ( Millar ) , ami he would lire , lie desired tho Jcrnadar of Artillery to do tho same , and thus tlioy went on to the end of tho light . Millar ' s fingers wore all burnt from the friction of tho hot rnusUeta , and his slioulders black and bluo from firing 1 - —and lots of us can swear ho was nearest tha

    guns , not more than thirty pac <® while attacking thorn , and they vomiting fortu snowora of grapo , ami firing round shot , bo tliat the verandah over our howls was often struck by round ! flhot , and shattered by grape , whllo tho ince «« ftT ) t fire ho kept up from the last aroli trixs ho annoying to the enemy , that they directed their chief lire upon it . There- was an artilleryman who Htood close to Millar all the tJmo ( whom ho ha « most strongly recommended to Murray for promotion ) who kept Buying

    to him , " ( Jonio uloiitf , air , and v « will fleizo it ; " but he pullud him buck , saying , "No , 1 can « o . e thesy arc hiding their port flro . " Attluit instant the gun ll / islied in thoir fnco . i , and tho < rnni . sl . nr pattered ngainwt the verumluh whero they stood . Millar was against the " Ceu . ic firing , " as ho suid ho wnn fnif ; tho men only ran out of cover then and thud nt us , and ouronly olianco vv «« to try and hit them , to prevent them firing , until wo could ascertain when wu could ni . ih in and cut ( . liem down . Ho alao wftiitod JLloyrt to send tho men to oreop behind

    1203 * ^ —

    1203 * ^ —

    No . 404 , December 19 , 1857 . ] TH E L . E A P E ft .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 19, 1857, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19121857/page/3/