The Press. — London, England, 1858-08-21 00:00:00

WON An Ox lion this hav liv( per but tab and Ftol ger ov( ter reS adt ma wo sio tht Ftn via in Pe ( chi acc wh ter re- du , prc off thi ser to ret wt of mi thi wit V• 11 obi she Sit on Tb ai be Th of on of] SU of sel in Si I 0 bl. T ti it tl p h ii 111 THE PRESS, AUGUST 21, 1858. fittr a I ur t, An Account of the Mutinies in Oudh, and of the Siege of the Luchnow Residency. By Martin R, Gubbins, B.C.S. London : Richard Bentley. Ox many accounts it is to be regretted that Mr. ;übbins's original narrative of the Oudh rebel lion was lost in the Ava. had the MS. reached is country Sul due course," it would not only h i a l ve been plished at . a time when a more 'ively interest attached itself to everything ap pertaining to the heroic defence of Lucknow, but it may fairly be supposed that the wondrous tale would have been told with greater freshness and vivacity. As it is, many portions of the story of the siege h angheavily on hand, and the g eneral reader is irresistibly impelled to yawn over the recital of events that have lost their in terest from frequency of repetition. In some respects, however, Mr. Gubbins enjoys peculiar advantages over all preceding historians of this marvellous episode in the military annals of the world. From his position as financial commis sioner of the province prior to the outbreak of the mutinies, he has been enabled to throw a strong, clear light on many points that were pre viously obscure and confused. He rejoices, also, in a manly, nervous style, such as might be ex pected from a man of his stern and determined :haracter. Unfortunately, however, we cannot accept his explanation of the predisposing causes shich collectively and finally eventuated in this terrible insurrection, nor are we prepared to re-echo his eulogy of the hybrid system intro duced into either regulation or non-reflation provinces by the wisdom or ingenuity of British officials. Our objections to Mr. Gubbins's theories may, perhaps, be advantageously re served as a sequence to the extracts we are about to make from his statements of facts, and thus we magnanimously refrain from prejudicing our readers against the opinions of a writer from whom we happen largely to differ. Mr. Gubbins expresses a very reasonable degree of surprise that an officer of Sir Hugh Wheeler's experience should have made choice of such a miserable position at Cawnpoor, in preference to the magazine : The more the frightful catastrophe which befell the itarupour garrison is contemplated, the more it fills one nth astonishment. All persons who as myself have since visited Cawnpoor. and sorrowfully gazed upon the miser able earth-bank which formed the only defence around the ahot-pierceil barracks, have wondered how an officer of air Hugh Wheeler's known ability could have trusted to arch a place to protect the lives intrusted to is care. The bank was not breast high. The two barracks were cimmended on all sides. Tne treasure, the magazine, the heavy guns were abandoned, without a blow, to the enemy ! This seems marvellous ! At the other end of the station of Cawnpoor stood the magazine by itself: with ravines on one aide of it, and not far from the river's bank on the other. It contained numerous strong buildings, and was aurrounded by a high masonry wall. Every muniment of war was contained in it. The Treasury was near. It seems surprising that this place was not selected as that in which the last British stand should have been made. Sir Hugh had, indeed, meant to destroy the magazine, and an artillery sergeant had orders, in the event of mutiny, ti bl.iw it up ; but the native guard prevented his so doing. The explanation usually offered is to the effect that the old general had such entire confidence in the attachment of the sepovs to their officers, that he never i mag i ne d anyt hi ng worse wou ld happen than their desertion of their colours. The pwibility of their committing such frightful and wholesale murders he never for a moment enter tained, and it is probable that Nana Sahib is chiefly, if not solely, answerable for the awful atrocities perpetrated at that station. Sir Hugh, it must be remembered, had p assed the best years of his lif e i n I n di a, an d , through Lady Wheeler, was connected with several native families of fair standing and influence. He may thus naturally have been led to commit an error of judgment, fruitlessly expiated by patient and heroic en durance. Of Sir Henry Lawrence Mr. Gubbins speaks in the early part of his volume with a certain degree of coolness and reserve. There is no doubt that Sir Henry, from the characteristic kindlineß4 of his disposition, shrunk from an (xbibition of severity that, under the circum "Races, would not only have proved salutary, but i was positively necessary. He could not be induced to order to execution men whose Nit we/ beyond the shadow of a doubt, or even to sanction the demolition of mosques and private buildings which interfered with the defence of the Residency. In less troublous times he was eminently fitted to earn an honourable distinc tion, but in a trying emergency of such an excep tional character a leader was wanted of sterner stuff. llis death, however, was that of a Christian knight, and worth] of the best days of chivalry : It has never fallen to my lot ( says Mr. Gubbins) to witness such a scene of sorrow. While we were clustered round Sir Henry's bed, the enemy were pouring a heavy musketry fire upon the place; and bullets were striking the outside of the pillars of the verandah in which we were collected. Sir Henry's attenuated frame, and the severe nature of the injury, at once decided the medical men not to at . empt amputation; but it was necessary to stay the bleeding by applying the tourniquet, and the agony which this caused was fearful to behold. It was impossible to avoid sobbing like a child. Sir Henry alluded to his having nominated Major Banks to be his successor; and then earnestly pointed out the worthlessness of all human distinction, recommending all to fix their thoughts upon a better world. He referred to his own success in life, and askew what was it worth then? He enjoined on us particularly to be careful of our ammunition, and often repeated—' Save the ladies." He afterwards continued in much suffering, and lingered until the morning of the 4th, when he expired. So far as relates to the actual events of the siege, Mr. Gubbins affords but little additional information to what has already been laid before the public. His own residence was a highly im portant post, and sustained a terrible and persis tent cannonading, until the arrival of the first relieving force under Generals Outram and Havelock. At the time of Sir henry Lawrence's death, there were nineteen ladies and gentlemen, and thirteen children, enjoying the Financial Commissioner's hospitality, which appears to have been extended to the garrison of the post, and likewise to the native attendants and followers. On the whole, the inmates of " Gubbins house " had reason to congratulate themselves that their lines had not fallen in less pleasant places. If they occasionally longed in vain for a glass of Bass or Allsop, they could plume themselves on their Champagne and Sauterne, and the rare delicacy of a roly-poly pudding :- - - - For some time before the siege our supplies had, how ever, been husbanded. We possessed some supply of bottled beer. This, which was esteemed the greatest luxury during the siege, had ceased for many dap; to be served to the gentlemen, and was reserved for the nursing lathes, of whom there were four among our guests, and for the sick. Ode glass of sherry and two of champagne or of claret was served to the gentlemen, and less to the ladies, at dinner. One glass of light wine, Sauterne, was provided at luncheon. It must be here remarked that sherry soon came to be of higher value than champagne, or the lighter French wines, which could nut be kept after having been once opened. There was a good deal of the latter description of wines in the garrison, and the best never attained a higher price than sixty rupees : the price of sherry rose to above seventy rupees per dozen. Our regular meals had also been diminished from three to two. A cold luncheon only was served, and we made an early dinner at tour. By these timely precautions the supplies which we had were husbanded, and the wants of our nnmerous guests were provided for during the whole siege. Besides, we were often able to render assistance to persons in other garrisons who urgently needed aid, and to the wounded in hospital. After the siege had begun, and the commissariat arrangements got into train, rations were issued of beef or mutton, with flour or rice, and salt, to Europeans, according to a fixed scale. These were made over to my servants and cooked by them, such additions being made to the meal as our store-room afforded. These, however, besides the daily addition of spices, and sugar, were limited to a few canisters of preserved salmon, and a few of carrots, which were produced whenever we invited a friend from any of the other gatrisons to dinner. The party invited did not bring his rations, so that the meal demanded some addition. When the sheep were all used up, beef only was served out in rations, which was usually made into stews, in con sequence of our rarely getting a piece that could be boiled or roasted. At dinner oar chief luxury - were rice puddings, of which two daily appeared on table. The eggs for these were derived from a few poultry which we had managed to pre serve ; and the milk from goats and two cows belonging tf our guests, which were half starved during the siege. Occasionally a plum pudding or jam pudding was made, and always caused great excitement at the dinner-table. The demand for these delicacies was great; and there was often none left for the lady of the house, who generally helped them. One cup of tea was made fur each person at six in the morning, our English maid, Chivers, presiding at the tea-table. Another cup at the ten o'clock breakfast, and another at night. We enjoyed both sager and milk in our tea, a luxury which few possessed besides our garrison : and this often attracted friends. During the blockade, when our upper story was filled with sick and wounded, it was our regular practice to help them first, both at break fast and dinner, before any one else. After they hail been served, the rest partook. As the siege dragged its slow length along, articles of ordinary use became of extraordinary value. Before the end of August, brandy readily fetched 161. per dozen., and finally rose to 21.105. 799 per bottle. Beer and sherry were priced alike at 71. per dozen, and cigars from 2s. to ss. each. A small tin of soup was not too dear at 2/. 58., and a canister of sporting gunpowder found cus tomers at 1/. 128., while a flannel-shirt could only be had as a particular favour for 3/. 12s. Of the faithful few among the many faithless, no one name is more frequently or favourably mentioned than that of " Ungud," the cosaid or native messenger, who, for some time, was the only medium of communication between the be leaguered garrison and the outer world. At the imminent risk of his life, this brave and loyal old pensioner repeatedly carried messages from the Residency to Cawnpoor or to the British camp, and, on his return, cheered the drooping spints of the heroic little band by tidings of approach ing deliverance. It is gratifying to learn that his distinguished services were afterwards libe rally rewarded, and that there is at least one na tive who cannot complain of the mean, niggardly gratitude of the Feringhees :- It is impossible (writes ➢lr. Gabbing) to overvalue the importance of these visits of Ungud. Again he came, as will presently be related, when hope deferred bad made the heart sick; when Europeans doubted; when desertion of natives had become more numerous, and yet more were imminent: and again the certainty of approaching succour revived and refreshed us, and reanimated the languishing fidelity of our native friends. Nor could any picture more characteristic of the siege be presented, than one which should represent Ungud just after one of his midnight entranced, recounting to our eagerly•listening ears the events which he had witnessed. The low mom on the ground fluor, with a single light carefully screened on the outer side, lest it should attract the bullets of the enemy ; the anxious faces of the men who crowded round and lid tened with breathless attention to question and answer; the exclamation of joy as pieces of good tidings were given out, and laughter at some of Ungud's jeers upon the enemy. More retired, would be shown the indistinct forms of the women in their eight attire, who had been attracted from their rooms in hopes of catching early some part of the good news which had come iu. The animated and intelligent face of our messenger, as he assured us of the near approach of help, occupies the foreground. All these together Corm a scene which must live as long as life remains in the memory of us all. We have already intimated that this narrative of the ever-memorable defence of the Lucknow Residency lacks warmth and vivacity, like all twice-told tales, and yet there are occasions which still call into play the natural feelings of the man. In describing the first relief of the garrison our author becomes inspired as the kindling recollections rise fresh in his memory, and he portrays the touching scene in truly graphic style : The Bailey Guard-gate, then riddled with balls and broken, was barricaded, and a bank of earth having been thrown up on the inside, it could nut be opened for some minutes, until the earth was cleared away. Generals Outram and Havelock and their staff, and many of the soldiers, entered by the embrasure. Ere long, however, the gates were thrown open, and the stream of soldiers entered, heated, worn, and dusty ; yet they looked robust and healthy, contrasted with the rums and faces within. Nothing could exceed their enthusiasm. The Highlanders stopped every one they met, and with repeated questions and exclamations of "Are you one of them ? " "God bless you! " " We thought to have found only your bones," bore them back towards Dr. Fayrer's house, into which the General had entered. Here a scene of thrilling interest presented itself. The lathes of that garrison, with their children, had assembled in the most intense anxiety and excitement under the porch outside, when the Highlanders approached. Rushing forward, the rough and bearded warriors shook the ladies by the hand, amidst loud and repeated gratulations. They took the children up in their arms, and fondly caressing them, passed them from one to another to be caressed in turn ; and then, when the IBA burst of enthusiasm and excitement was over, they mourn fully turned to speak among themselves of the heavy Icsa nhich they had suffered, and to inquire the names of the numerous comrades who had fallen on the way. But the most valuable portion of this very readable volume a volume, moreover, illus trated by a few excellent engravings—are the chapters relating to the causes of the mutiny and the previous condition of Oudh. Mr. Gubbins laughs to scorn the idea that the rebellion was the result of a Mahommedan con spiracy, and in the ordinary acceptation of that word he is perhaps right. But it is beyond all denial that for many years past the Delhi Mahommedans have been engaged in intrigues hostile to British supremacy, though conscious of their inability to act so long as the Oudh family remained true to their alliance with the English Government, and the Ilindoo population continued faithfid, or at least sub missive. This opportunity, however, was at hand when, in an evil hour, the annexation of Oudh was perpetrated, and Sheeahs and Soonees *AMC united by the baud of a common grie rAerlogiir. ...sonwor.... I