The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-22 00:00:00

LETTERS FROM INDIA.

Many are the details given in private letters pain-
fully interesting of the escapes of our countrymen
and women. Two squadrons of cavalry, detached
from Bowgous; to Mynpore, under Captain Hayes,
marked themselves by such a cowardly massacre of
their officers as rivalled that at Meerut. These two
hundred men had been sent out to open the road
between Mynpore and Alleygurh. Captain Carey
writes :

When we had cantered up to within about fifty yards
of them one or two of the native officers rode out to meet
us, and said in a low voice, " Fly, Sahibs, fly." Upon
this poor Hayes said to me, as we wheeled round our horses,
" Well, we must now fly for our lives," and away we went
with the two troops after us like demons, yelling and
sending the bullets from their carbines flying all round
us. Thank God neither I nor my horse was hit. Hayes
was riding ou the side nearest the troopers, and before
we hal gone many yards I saw a native officer go up
alongside of him, and with one blow cut him from his
saddle. It was the work of an instant, and took much
less time than I have to relate it. On they all came
shouting after me, and every now and then " ping "
came a ball near me. Indeed, I thought my moments
were numbered, but as I neared the road at the end of
the maiden a ditch presented itself. It was but a moment
I thought, dug my spurs hard in, and the mare flew
over it, though she nearly fell on the other side ; for-
tunately, I recovered her, and in another moment I was
leaving all behind but two sowers, who followed me and
poor Haye's horse tearing on after me. On seeing this I
put my pistol into my bolster, having reserved my file
until a man was actually upon me, and took a pull at the
mare, as I had still a long ride for it, anti knew my
riding must now stand me a good turn ; so I raised the
mare as much as I could, keeping those fiends about
100 yards in rear, and they, I suppose, seeing I was
taking it easy, and not urging my horse, but merely
turning round every now and then to watch them, pulled
up, after chasing me two good miles. Never did I know
a happier moment, and most fervently did I thank God
for saving my life. Hayes's Arab came dashing along,
and passed me ; I still oontinned to ride on at a strong
pace, fearful of being taken and murdered by some who
had taken a short out unknown to me. Thus up to the
sixth mile from home did I continue to fly, when, finding
my mare completely done, and meeting one of our sower&
T immediately stopped him, jumped up behind, and
ordered him to haste back to Mynpore. After going
about a mile on this beast we came up to Hayes's
horse, which had been caught, so on him riPtrang, and
he bore me back safely to cantonments. It was, indeed,
a ride for life or death.
An officer escaping from Neemuch writes :

We started on foot with only three rupees and the
clothes we had on. I had Mrs. Laurie by one hand and a
child on my other arm. We had hardly proceeded a mile
when we heard a party of cavalry coining in pursuit of us;
we all lay down quietly on the ground and they passed
without discovering us. We then left the road, and eon-
tinned wandering about in the jungle till daybreak, and we
succeeded in reaching our destination by eight a.m. We
had been there three or four hours when news was brought
us that the whole of the mutineers were coming to Jawnd
with the intention of killing all the Feringhees who had
escaped from Neemuch. There was, therefore, no other
alternative than for as to start again, and at haltpast ten
at night we arrived at a place twenty miles from Jawud,
called Deegur, where we remained for two days to ascertain
whether the mutineers really were in pursuit of us or not.
Finding they had struck off to Delhi we returned to•this
place, and soon after a letter arrived from Jenioniah say-
ing, that the Mehidpore Contingent, 1,500 strong, com-
posed of infantry, artillery, and cavalry, had mutinied and
killed their officers and were marching to attack ns. We,
therefore (twenty.four officers), shut ourselves up in the
fort here, determined not to allow ourselves to fall alive
into their hands, but yesterday, I am thankful to say, we
received information that they had given up the idea of
coming here and had gone in the ditection of Delhi, and
the only thing we have fear now is lest the surrounding
country should rise against us; but everything depends
on the capture of Delhi.
An officer at Snares thus sums up the.position of
affairs there :

The whole country has risen as one man. The reel,
dency is besieged. The besieged are hopeful, and expect
to hold out till reinforcements arrive. They have been
suffering for many months. Her Majesty'S 32nd are
there, and Sir H. Lawrence is the best man in India they
could have for the emergency. Butyet the numbers are
few, and a hostile aril fanatic people are to be dreaded.
God grant that they may hold out—otherwise fearful will
be the butchery. They have nigh upon 200 ladies in the
residency.
Cawnpore is in a most ticklish state. They have but 500
Europeans, if so many, with some artillery. They have
intrenched themselves. So Icng as the telegraphic com-
munication was open the most urgent and repeated calls for
reinforcements were being made. We had not any to give.
We supplied 100 by denuding ourselves. At the outbreak
here we had hardly 150 men on the parade-ground. Since
then more have been arriving, which we have sent on to
Allahabad. A steamer with 350 is expected to-day or to-
morrow, but it goes up straight to Allahabad, which will
shortly be stocked with 1,000 men.
Agra had three native regiments and one European. A
portion of the acme were sent to Muttra to guard the
treasure. These rascals sent for another company from
Agra and then " looted " the treasury. Seeing
.this the
remaining Porticos of the sepoys at Agra were disarmed,

but what matter? their comrades have got the plunder
for them. Since then ei communication with Agra has

been cut off.
The Ohoorkas at Simla have quietly taken ion of
the station and the treasury ; ditto KussowregiAll the
ladies made a clean bolt to Dughshai, poor things, and
have taken shelter in the barracks. The troops have all
moved down to Delhi. Some of them ran down khuds,
and, after twenty hours' continual march, reached Dugh-
shai. Others, on foot and in every conceivable way, made
their way to the 'Jame place with only what they had on
their backs.
Here we are hanging every day and the gibbet is in full
work. We must decimate the half of the population before
we can get our prestige back.
Next year will be a year of famine, I antioipate. Plague
and pestilence follow. Every one, from the ryot to the
zemindar, is plundering and murdering, and if this state of
things last where will be the harvest?
lam afraid that from scarcity this city-will be hard to
held. The roads are all closed, and there is no income of
grain.
Another correspondent, detailing the mutiny at
Benares, gives a lively description of the affair, and
at the same time shows how contagious is the spirit
of revolt. At Benares, the Sikhs were relied on as
a good balance to the sepoys. The result shows
how little they too were trustworthy :

We had long known that the 37th were mutinous, bat
were waiting for more soldiers to disarm them. The
mutiny at Azimghur, however, precipitated matters. On
the news reaching us, a parade was ordered for the even
ing. The hour came—the fellows smelt a rat. Instead
of obeying orders, they began popping at the soldiers (viz.,
the 37th Native Infantry did). The Britishers went at
them. The blackies retreated into their lines, and from
hat shelter kept up firing. The 4 pounders were then
brought to play, and graped them. The lines were then
set fire to to drive them out, which was done. All this
time the Sikhs stood spectators, drawn up in open ?made.
They then wavered ; first attempted to murder their com-
mandant, Colonel Gordon, who was saved by ono of his
own men, who received the bail in his arm and was imme-
diately removed to the Mint. The Sikhs then sent a
volley at the gunners, who wheeled their guns round and
hammered them wild grape; they were mowed down like
rotten carrots, and bolted like the 37th. Meanwhile Cap-
tain Guise, in command of the 13th Irregulars, called
upon his troopers to charge, and went off at a gallop. Not
man stirred. Captain Guise was shot by the 37th, and
it is said had his head split open afterwards by some of
hie own troopers. Two other officers of the 37th, young-
sters of only sixteen and eighteen, were desperately
wounded; one given up since. A third was wounded
severely. Ten or twelve rank and file were killed and
wounded, of whom we have buried three.
It was a providential thing that we took the initiative,
for otherwise they would have risen at night, as afterwards
discovered, and perhaps very few of us would have been
alive to tell the tide. God has indeed been gracious to us,
and by visible signs shown His presence and protection
to us. It is said the whole thing was precipitated, but if
so, it only shows that it was not man's judgment or fore-
sight which saved us.
Since our mutiny the Sikhs at Jaunpore mutinied, and
deliberately shot their commanding officer. Only five
minutes before they were shaking hands with the Euro-
pean residents, and swearing to defend them with their
lives. The residents were congregated at the collector's
office. Besides, Cuppage, the joint magistrate, was mur-
dered, and Threspland and his wife. These two latter
were shot before a peon of mine. He says they fell on
their knees, pleading for life ; the reply was a volley, which
put an end to their existence. There were children, too,
but no one knows what has become of them. The rest
eseaped to a factory, whence they were rescued by a party
of volunteers, accompanied with twenty-five soldiers sent
from here. The commandant's wife died through fright
at the factory, and was buried there. The other murdered
ones lie at Jaunpore, unburied.
The 6th Native Infantry at Allahabad subsequently rose
at nine o'clock at night, and have murdered nearly every
one of their officers. They were at meas. The house
was surrounded and every one of them butchered. Every
other man, woman, and child out of the fort have been
moat cruelly butchered.

- -
Dr. Batson, the late surgeon of the 74th Bengal
Native Infantry, and now with the force before
Delhi, in the account of his escape from
Delhi, gives us a " horrible and heartrending " de-
scription of his sufferings. It will he seen from his
account that the Mahomedans murder the British
upon every opportunity. After detailing the first
movement of the mutineers at Delhi, he continues:—
I rushed across the parade ground, and was fired at twice
by the sepoys. I got as fur as the garden near the canal,
when I was seized by some villagers and deprived of every
particle of clothes. I proceeded, naked as I was born,
towards Kurnaul, in the hope that I might overtake the
officers and ladies who had fled in that direction, but before
I had proceeded a mile I saw two sowers, who had evidently
failed in overtaking their officers. They rode up to me
with drawn swords, and exclaimed, " Ferunges ! by ! mare,
/taro!" I threw myself in a supplicating position, and,
being intimate with the Mahomedan religion, and speaking
the Hindostani, I commenced uttering the most profound
praises in behalf of their prophet Mahomet, and begged
they would spare my life if they believed that Iman
Mendheo would come to judge the 'world. I made every
moral appeal to them (atter escaping the fist cut they
made at my throat, which I did by falling down—they,