The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-27 00:00:00

THE INDIAN MUTINIES.

MEERUT.
" MEERUT, Juno 26.
"Our great safety lies with the Sikhs and
Ghoorkas. The mutineers in Delhi came 'out the
other day to fight, and some hundred of them,
seeing a party of Sikhs cooking, threw aside their
arms and said 'Come to us—we are your brothers.'
Tha Sikhs said nothing, but when the mutineers
came up killed every one. The Ghoorkas have
behaved like Englishmen. When they advanced
to the charge the mutineers called out, We respect
yon—come to us.' We are coming,' said the
Ghoorkas, and they did come. They fought like
devils. We have lost many men, I regret to say. We
have fortified ourselves here, and are exeecting an
attack from about 2,000 mutineers. We have here
about 700 men to guard the place, and shall meet
them just outside the station with about 300 or 400
men—all we can spare, as we have barracks and
many women to protect. We are ready, and have
always been day and night. Pickets out on all
Bides—guns, &c., and cavalry, as many as we have.
We lie down ready for an alarm. When Delhi is
taken head-quarters will be here. Two moveable
columns will be formed here, as troops are assem-
bling down the country. However, in the field we
can easily thrash them. The walls of Delhi alone
have kept them alive and together. Our bayonets
are all powerful ; it seems as if nothing could stand
against them. In spite of the times we still drive
out every evening on the course ; but it will be
some time before any one (except a man well
mounted and armed) will be able to travel at all.
There have been schemes for volunteers here going
out, in which I Have joined, of course, but in vain.
The General here is so awful cautious. lam on
picket duty every other night and twice a-week for
24 hours, day and night. The men are on duty
every night, and are hard worked ; horses saddled
day and night in case of an attack. We have some
of the 60th Rifles and Artillery recruits, who,
though not drilled, are stanch fighters, and some of
them old soldiers. We have our orders in case of
an attack, and each one knows his position, and can
reach it in a minute. We have a very formidable
little place here, with bastions, &c., complete, heavy
and light guns, and 100 volunteers to man the walls.
They little expect how we are prepared for them if
they do come. My belief is they will go to Delhi ;
but if no', as I sad before, we shall not wait for
them, but go out to meet them, while they will ex-
pect us crowded in our fortifications. They must
be different from all the other mntineers, and we
very different from all the other English, if we do
not give them a thorough beating, and perhaps get
their treasure (8 lees of rupees). The fortifications
must only ba our last resource, as they are too small
to hold every one. The natives in the bazaar (• he
wont characters we have) are as humble and quiet
now as possible, and seemed terrified at us. We
have hung and flogged so many that they see they
cannot commit atrocities unpunished. The mail
goes such a roundabout way from here (the ordinary
route not being open) that I must send this off at
once. The country is all up."

Tho following letter is from an officer at
Beiares

" BENARES, JUNE 22.
" On-Thursday, June 4, about midday, our au-
thorities received intelligence of the meeting at
Azimgbur, and resolved in consequence to be be-
fore ha,nd with our Sepoys and disarm them filet
aft€ rnoon. Our European force consisted of a few
coerpanies of her Majesty's 10th, a very few of the
Mat Iran Fusileers (who had arrived most oppor-
tunely that very day, under Col. Neill), and three
9-pounders with about 20 gunners. The Sikhs,
under Col. Gordon, were believed to be stanch, as
also the 13th Irregular Cavalry, under the unfortu-
nate Captain Guise. The above regiments were
acc rdtugly drawn up in front of the 37th Native
Inf intry, with the view of intimidating the latter
into submissiveness. In reality, however, as the
event proved, these two native corps—viz., the
Sikhs and the 13,h Irregulars, were as much in
need of being disarmed as the 37th, and the con-
scieusness of this no doubt encouraged the 37th to
act as they did. The 37th were drawn up in front
of their lines, with the cannon pointed at them.
The Europeans were drawn up within musket
range, and the Sikhs and Irregular Cavalry within
sight.
It is not wonderful that such deadly prepara-
tions should have filled the Sepoys with alarm and
disaffection, even suppo4ing them. to have remained
up to that moment true to their colours. Although
ne doubt, in the 37th there were many disafneted
Bpi] its, yet I believe that the regiment as a whole
was sound, and that the di.arming might have been
effected in perfect peace and quietness, bad it been
gone about in a less abrupt and threatening manner.
But Providence often turns our mistakes still more
signally than our wisest measures to our advantage,
and so it was on the 4th June ; for there can be no
doubt that our safety depended on the dispersion
and panic of these rase Sepoys ; and even if
some geed men and true' were involved in the
fate of their fellows, the sacrifice was an inevitable
one in an emergency like the present. Therefore, I
say, although the sepoys might have been quietly
disbanded, t')e m;stake that provoked a row was a
most fortunate one. Well, then, on seeing them-
Belt es hemmed in with musketry and artillery, the
Sepoys (many of them, no doubt, with a guilty
conscience) naturally suspected that they were to
be blown to pieces, and all the assurances of their
officers proved ineffectual to keep them composed.
'Lucy were ordered to put their muskets into the
little stone buildings called kotes or bells of arms.
The majority of their number obeyed at once, and
European soldiers were then marched towards the
bells of arms with the view of securing them from any
attempt the:sepoys might make to recoverthem. But
the sepoys were beforehand with them, and- making
a sudden rush at the bells of arms recovered their
muskets and fired at once upon their own officers
and upon the advancing Europeans, retiring
at the same time within their lines, and thence
keeping up a brisk fire upon the Europeans.
Up to this time, however, no officer had been hit.
The Sepoys of the 37th ensconced themselves for
the most part behind their huts, some of them be-
hind the bells of arms. The majority of their offi-
cert. bad fallen back at once upon the European
column. Major Barrett, however, indignant at the
was in which what he believed to he good Sepoys
had been dealt with, resolved to share their fate,
and, along with the European sergeant-major, re-
mained exposed to the fire opened from the half-
battery, as also from the Europ3an musketry upon
the huts. But the Sepoys' worst blood was up,
and several of their number fired upon km. others
attacking him with their fixed bayonets. He was
compelled to fly for his life, and a guard of faith-
ful fiepoys (principally of the Grenadier ,mpany),
having formed round his person, conducted him in
sate _y to his bungalow in the cantonments. The
sergeant-major was also saved. In the meantime.
Capt. Guise, 13th Irregulars, was only leaving his
bungalow, and rashly attempted to reach the parade
ground, where his troop was drawn up, by riding
tbs.(' ugh the lines of the 37th. His chest was posi-
tively riddled with bullets, in the attempt. Of
cow se, his death was instantaneous.
" The Sepoys still kept up a smart fire upon the
scanty Europeans, who were labouring uuder the
great disadvantage of having to deal with an enemy
effectually secured behind their huts from observa-
tion. The officers of the 37th were posted with the
European musketry, and were exposed to a smart
fire. Several privates were knocked over within 5
yards of me, and yet not a single officer got touched.
For about 20 minutes we remained under th;s fire ;
but our brave fellows began to drop off rather fast,
and it was resolved to charge the buts. As a pre-
liminary to this a party was despatched to set them
on lire ; and in the meantime we officers of the 37th
retired and took our place beside the Sikhs, who,
we understood, were to take pact in the charge.
They form an irregular corps, and have only two
officers attached to them—viz., a Coumandaet
- (Co . Gordon) an !an Adju'ant. As both of these
wale mounted thew was need of our services in the
• ranks.

" Here I remained for about ten minutes, in the
rancienfatigarydeex,pec tat ion of the charge being ordered.
acre" the o;radal"' Capt. Dolgson, then galloped
the head ground, and, placing, himself at
of the l'lrregular Cavalry, informed them
that their co
killei, and that hnel"t' Captain Guise, had been
,cl. been sent by Brigadier like-
sonby to supply his
They flashed their sw3Fls
iu reply, giving velibt:te:t.
rant mur, which struck
scar
same time, to a lo,v
slmewhat equivocal.
Cwt. Dodgson had scarce, asfice,,,e. d addressing them
when. one of their number
-ed upon him withi a
pist6l. The bullet only graziv
tetrletetli
elbow of hi.s.
sword arm, just at that point
passing over a proce;s of bone is s.O e nln A r nerto
emllY itr't 1
63 to have gained for that piece of bone the '
manic) of 'funny bone.' The consequence weraelno9ll
plete paralysis of the hand and arm ; Ws wx,:itid
dropped powerless across his saddle, and th .1 rasal
who had fired the shot rushed upon him to cut him
down, lint another of the troop interfered to re,cac
Lim, and being well mountel he succeeded 'in
ego' ping from the melee.
" But while all this had been going on Iliad had
Vu•ething else to do than watch the conduct of the
etulars. Just as they were flashing their sabres
1u leoly to Captain D d '
o gson a short address I was
horrifild by
straight forward noticingardu about a dozen of the Sikhs fire
paonndt
firing
e European soldiers, who
were still kneeling
uie rg into the 37111. the
half-dozenface,
of their muskbts
we: e staling me in the
of bullets came whizzino, intoand a whole. tempest
through my forage cap and
set me. Two passed
my hair on fire,
three passed through my trouser?, one just graz'ng