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    No. 417, MABQH 20, 185gj__ T-BE, IiEAPER...

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    Special Lettehs From India.. (From A Mil...

    Baffh was a document superscribed , " Instructions to the ' officer commanding the relieving column . No . time was to be lo $ t , the signal-post at the Alum Baeh was soon rattling about its gaunt and uncouth arms ; in the Residency at Lucknow the telegraphers on the roof were all attentive . Slowly the following words were deciphered , " The Chief will follow ——¦ " Will he ? Then lie is expected , and they are waiting for him before making an advance . Stay , here is something more . " And then word by word the whole sentence was revealed— " The Chief will follow Sir James Outram ' s plan . " There was no mistaking the meaning of this : the Campbell was coming . Outram ' s plan proposed the route via the Dilkhoosha , MartiniereShah Nujeef , Secunder Bagh , and H . M . ' s

    , 32 nd Mess House . A reference to the despatch of the Commander-in-Chief will show that this was exactly the route pursued . By the time the Highlanders who led the advance had gained the Mess House , Sir Colin ' s force had suffered terribly , and the co-operation of Havelock and Outram , the storming by their men of the ' Hern Khana , ' the « Engine-house , ' and the King ' s stables , contributed most essentially to the triumph , of the day . This sortie from the liesidency , which was at first supposed to have been almost a promenade , was in reality a movement of the greatest daring and difficulty , and cleared the road just as the relieving force , faint with toil , exposure , and fighting , was almost brought to a stand-still .

    The annals of the mutiny are becoming monotonous—a sure proof that our own side is steadily successful . It is only rapid alternations of fortune , of victory and defeat , that excite strong interest . The movements of the Commander-iii-Chief still form the principal object of public attention . Following up his successes at Cavnpore , where he swept the board clear of the Gwalior mutineers , he lost not a day ' s time , although he saw that another advance into Oude must be delayed until an adequate force could be assembled ; he marched up to Furruekabad , one of the principal centres of rebellion , a large city , the residence of a Nabob who received a from

    stipend of about 20 , 000 / . per annum our Government , which his ancestor had accepted in exchange for ceded territory . The rebels attempted to contest his passage at a bridge , but in vain . They , -with the Nabob at their head , were driven out of the city on the night of the 2 nd January , leaving their guns in position . It has now become easy to open communications throughout the country between Cawnpore and Delhi . This has been further facilitated by the operations of Colonel Seaton ' s column , which inflicted heavy loss on the rebels above Futtehghur . Portions of Bohilcund have been brought into order by the flying columns detached from Delhi .

    The Goruckpore district has now been reconquered by the Nepaulese army under Jung Bahadoor and a force under Colonel Rowcroft . Jung Bahadoor with his twelve thousand Ghoorkas will soon be joined by Brigadier . General Franks , and when Sir Colin Campbell closes in his communications and passes round the word for a simultaneous advance , this united force will operate on Oude from the east , while Brigadier-General Chamberlain with the Punjab levies , about seven thousand strong , descends through the Bareilly district from the north , and the Coramander-iii-Chief , with a force of at least twenty thousand men , marches straight on Lucknow from Cawnpore . Thus will the Oude rebels be completely hemmed in , for there

    ia no escape on the Nepal side to the north , and they must surrender to the tender mercies of the avenging army , or be cut to pieces . No quarter to the Bengal Sepoys , but let us have some consideration for the old landholders and hereditary subjects of the King of Oude . They can hardly be considered as rebels , and wo have heard of no treacherous atrocities having been committed on the Oudo side of the Ganges since the rebellion began . Central India is rapidly being subdued , and ; restored to tranquillity . The Brigade undor Colonol Stuart ia now at Sohorc , the capital town of tho native stata of Bhopul , whuiso female ruler , the Begum , in spite of her ambitious male relatives and mutinous troops , has remained faithful to us throughout tho troubles of 1857 . A severe example has boon made

    of the Bhopul contingent , nearly two hundred or whom wore tried in three days by drum-head courtsmartial , and shot to death by musketry . Another column from Mhow has dispersed tho largo body of reboU— -chiefly Wilnyntoo or ltohillii freebooters , under a Shahzada of tho Delhi family , at Mundesore—to the fourwinda . These annod rutilnns , descon-- ^ dftnta of-Affghan sottler 3 , 4 nf ^ a . Ltlia (; errit . or icA . 9 . pi 9 . karand Scindlali , soiling thoir swords to tho highest bidder , or plundering on thoir own account . During these Mundqsoro affairs tho cavalry of tho Hyderabad Contingent , under Captain Orr , have oapocially distinguished themselves , over in good humour und good order , and , vying in dash anil daring with tho 14 th Light Dragoons , with whom thoy have tho honour to bo associated .

    Sir Robert . Hamilton is now at Indore , the capital of Holkar ' s dominions , where he strengthens the hands of his former pupil . Three of Holkar ' s Regular Infantry regiments have been disarmed , and the ringleaders in the mutiny and attack on the Residency at Indore executed . Young Sciudiah , the Itajah of Gwalior , is at Agra , where it is said he is to have a meeting with Sir Colin Campbell , and concert a . plan for joining with all his available troops in tiie invasion of O _ ude . No one seems exactly to know where Sir Colin is at present , but the best information states that he is pushing towards Bareilly , where Khan Bahadoor Khan , the rebel chieftain who has failed in gaining the confidence of the mutinous Sepoys or of the local

    swash-bucklers , most of whom are supposed to have moved off into Oude , is posted with a very small force of his own immediate adherents , prepared to die , for it is said he keeps an ounce of opium in his pocket to be swallowed the moment he is taken prisoner , if he fails to find a more honourable death in the field . It is impossible to predict whether Brigadier-General Chamberlain or Sir Colin Campbell will have the easy task of disposing of this worthy . As soon as Bareilly is in our hands the Commander-in-Chief will probably , as I have just stated ,, come down to Agra , have a few friendly words with Suindiuh , and then corameiue the final combination which is to take the whole armed

    population of Oude like fishes in a net . The roads are being rapidly opened , papers arrive from Lahore at Calcutta as rapidly as before the rebellion ; the Agra journals reach Calcutta in six days ; in a few days telegraphic communication will be perfect between Calcutta and Peshawur . No one knows where the Nana Sahib is . The last report is that he still preserves eight or ten thousand men round his standard , and that he is marching through the petty rajahs' states to the north of the Jubbulpore district towards Saugor . And it is true that the natural course of the Nana Sahib , the pretender to the musnudof the Peisliwns , is towards the Mahratta provinces , where if lie could arrive , surrounded by a sufficiently imposing force , he might raise a large tract of country and give us infinite trouble . But even if the report of his progress ba true , he is not likely to advance very far unmolested . There are several forties in motion which could

    scarcely fail to hear of his movements , and . which could easily be brought to bear upon him . Meanwhile there are not wanting occasional symptoms to show how little was required , and how little is even now required , to raise tUe ( lame of revolt in the Deccan , and to show that tho rebellion , wherever it does break out , always assumes tho same character , that of a war of extermination against the European strangers . The Nagpore Irregular force , governed by traditional influences , which I have endeavoured to explain in some of my former letters , has , from the commencement of tho rebellion , done good and loyal service to the state . One corps alone , the Irregular Cavalry regiment , was tainted with a conspiracy in which nearly all of its

    native officers and at least fifty of the men were engaged . The conspiracy , in consequence of the regiment being ordered to march , exploded prematurely and failed signally . The native officers wore hanged , and the troopers disarmed in Juno lust . The rising of several of tho wild jungle chieftains in the Sumbhulpore district , on the eastern frontier of tho Kaepore district of the Nagporo province , called imperatively for assistance from N " agpore , for the Raepore district belongs in great part to wild zemindars of tho same character and habits as those of Sumbhulpore , and a vory short neglect to strengthen tho important central town of Jtaepore would have tempted them to follow tho example of their neighbours and brotliron . Ono of them , a notoriously

    turbulent charactor , Narrain Sing , of . Sonakhan , trusting in the impenetrable charactor of his little do . main , which lies entirely amid hills and jungles , and maddened by the reports of the downfal of jtho Company ' s Raj , did raiso tho standard of revolt early in tho month of October , began to collect armed men , to stockade the passes into tho hills , and to distribute rebellious proclamations among the surrounding chieftains . Fortunately there was at lUeporo an officer , Lieutenant ; Charles Elliot , but littlo known us yet , whoso atom and lofty determination to support thu dignity and authority ot Government has not been surpassed by any ono

    . during tho past eventful year . Ho at onca sent olrii party of fifty troopers under ono of his assistants , Lieutenant Lucio Smith , who proved quite equal to tho charge . Marching by night and making jfe r & 8 ( Ljl m . l ' . ! ffii i la ? pounced upon Narrain Slngjn his '" ldlrT" * tlio luisbraflo ratib'lo whom lIcT ~ ha " u collected Hod into tho jungles after firing half a dozen shots from their matchlocks ; Narrain Sing was tied on a horse buhind a trooper , and tho gallant litllo party wns half way down tho pass from thu Sonakhan country boforo morning dawned . Narrain Sing was brought into Raopore , tried , and hanged . This prompt example iiad an electrical effect ; tho

    Zemindars began to see that the Company ' s Raj was not quite extinct , and the waverers among them began to render assistance to Charles Elliot by alt the means in their power , giving him intelligence of the movements of the rebels and plunderers , and storing supplies for the troops who were now on their road from Nagpore . No Europeans , not even any Madras Sepoys , could be spared from Nagpore ; all that could be sent were the Irregular Cavalry regiment , weeded of the known conspirators , supplied with " a completely new set of native officers , and with their arms of course restored , and the native Horse Battery of the Irregular force with six guns . The result has shown that disaffected or suspected troops are always much more likely to behave well when sent out into active duty in the field than , when left to brood over their discontent in

    cantonments , and exposed to hear all the false reports which circulate in large towns in a period of popular excitement . The cavalry have behaved uniformly well since they arrived at Riepore . A squadron of the regiment at Sumbhulpore has been engaged with the rebels , and cut up fifty-three of them . Their commandant , Captain Wood , sabred three men himself , and -was wounded in the arm with an arrow . Another squadron marched in November to the north of the Itaepore district , and has been engaged Avith the enemy several times , always doing good service . Both of these detachments have , of course , been opposed only to a most despicable enemy—the wild jungle Gonds , armed with swords , bows and arrows , and a few matchlocks ; but the numbers

    whom they have on more than one occasion attacked and dispersed have been very great , and the great point of importance is the uniform good conduct and cheerful obedience of the Nagpore Irregulars . But there are black sheep in every flock , and the men of the 3 rd Nagpore Infantry Regiment stationed at Itaepore had given many reasons for great anxiety to Lieutenant Charles Elliot , the Deputy Commissioner iii charge of the district . - It had come to his knowledge that some of the Sepoys had been in communication with some of the emissaries of Narrain Sing of Sonakhan , when that rebel ' s movements formed the great danger of the district . Evidence sufficient to convict any of them could not be obtained , but an inquiry was made into the

    conduct of a Naigue , or corporal , of the regiment , named Shumsher Bahadoor , and although he was released for want of direct proof of his guilt , the scoundrel thought himself no longer safe at liaepore , and deserted on the night of his release from confinement . He went off to Narrain Sing , but managed to keep out of the way when that rebel was captured . Ugly rumours were heard occasionally , but still the regiment behaved well . As soon as the Irregular Cavalry arrived , the infantry regiment was divided into three detachments , two of which were sent into the field , while one remained to perform the station duties of Raepore . All went on well , though Charles Elliot never ceased to implore and importune the authorities to strengthen . his hands with a reliable

    force . Ho pointed out that the Irregular , troops were doing good service and ought to be well supported ; that , on tho other hand , they could not be implicitly trusted , and had on several occasions given grounds for suspicion , and that therefore they ought to be checked and balanced by troops of another description . His requisitions were not attended to ; there was a great scarcity of troops at Nagpore , it is true , especially of Europeans , but still his representations did not carry the weight which they deserved . No serious efforts were made to strengthen his hands , no application was made ti > the Madras or to tho Supreme Government for troops to render Itaepore secure . On the contrary , Mr . Plowden , the

    Commissioner of Nagporo , declared to the Madras Government that he had no anxiety for the safety of tho Nagpore province , an 1 requested , that tho province might not be included in the proposed field of operations of a strong division on-lured to assoiuble at Nagporo undor General Whitlouk " for service in the province of Nagporo and in tlie Saugor and Norbudda territory . " Tho words " province of Nagporo " were therefore officially , at Mr . Howdon ' u request , ordered by tho Governor of Madras to bo struck out of General Whitlock ' s programme . Did you ever hoar of such frivolous trifling , in absolute contempt of tlio earnust requisitions of a brave and Uigh-apirito . 1 olficial such as Lieutenant Charles Elliot was well known to bo ?

    At last tho storm broko which Elliot had foreseon and endeavoured to guard against . A party of fifteen men under a Huvildar , of tho Homo Battery , hud arrivod from Nagporo at llaopore on tho 15 th J * - TTuTu 3 iv ^ VlTroTT | tiroin" \ VGrQ ~ luul boon on luavo at Lucknow oarly in last year , and had from tho first been auapeotod . On thu nigliC of tho 19 th tho sorgeant-major of tho UrJ Nagporo Infantry , named Sid well , was attacked by tho men of tho llorau Buttery , accompanied by two Supoys of tlio infantry and two L ' . iscara ' or pioneers attached to tho regiment , and murdered . They out him to pieces

    No. 417, Mabqh 20, 185gj__ T-Be, Iieaper...

    No . 417 , MABQH 20 , 185 gj __ T-BE , IiEAPER . 271

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 20, 1858, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_20031858/page/7/