The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-06 00:00:00

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AN ESCAPE FROM DELHI.

Th e following is the copy of a letter from an officer
of the 38th Native Infantry :
"Monday morning came, and the whole brigade
paraded to hear the sentence read of the Birraek-
pore courts-martial. About 8 o'clock the 54th
were under arms and, marching to the city with
two guns of Captain Da Teissier's battery. The
mutineers from Meerut was then crossing the bridge
of boats. The 33th and 74th had not long been
under arms when news reached us that the 54th
refuaod to fire ; that Colonel Ripley and others
of their officers had teen shot or cut down.
We then moved down the Artillery parade ground,
where were De Teissier's guns and some companies
of the 74th. Thence we moved to the Flagstaff
Tower, where the midday . gun fires, and formed
line along the*high ground. Proctor (38) had gone
down to the Cashmere-gste, whore he was subal-
tern officer of the-main guard for that week (after-
wards saved). We remained at the tower all day ;
the ladieS and residenes, some in carriages, some
walking, gradually flocked there. Dr. Stewart had
marvellously escaped from the city, and told us of
the fate of Col. Ripley, who was not dead, but re.
moved to the Artillery quarter-guard, mortally
wounded. It was so inexplicable to us why troops
from Meerut did not arrive,—looking towards the
city, we saw fires blazing, and heard the firing of
heavy guns, which left us in uncertainty as to what
was taking place. Dr. Batson volunteered to dis-
guise as a native and make his way to Meerut ; the
Brigadier accepted his services. He took a sor-
rowful leave of his wife, and we have never beard
a word of him since. (Since safe.) Men rode in
from the main 'ioturd and told us the troops would
do nothing. Later I offered to go ; Gibralar '
was fresh, though he, like us, had had no food all
day. I hammered along, and got inside the gate
—you remember th3re are twe, the entering one
was open ; ttie inner one, citywarde, was closed.
Our men, composing the guard and companies of
the 64th and 74th hung about in knots ; two guns
were in position, po4fting to the gate ; a large knot
of officers stood on the slope going up to the main
I guard. I saw Proctor, Dr. Wood, Hyslop, Smith
(74th), Reveley, Osborne, C. pt. Gordon Butler,
Angelo Elton, and some others. Above was a
group of ladies—the Forrests, Mrs. Ironson, Ful-
ler, Forster, &c. While I was there tha magazine
blew up, it sent us hurry-scurry in every direction,
for fear of the falling fragments, but no one was
hurt. The saddest sight yet remained. By the
gate, side by side, and coveted by pretty
ladies' dresses taken from some house, as if in
mockery, lay the badies of poor Captain Smith,
Burl o wes, Ed wardes, and Wa• erfield, and the
Quartermaster-Sergeant, some lying calm as shot_
dead, and others with an expression of p,,in and
mutilated by bayonets and tulwara (5w0rd5).7.0113.1
had no business in the main guard
the men, and soon after rode back
(tsoeatwh7tower.
p sister to
I could not look poor Miss W--
; she had-. cetre in
Captain Burrowes) in the
the carriage with Mrs. H;-- and s 11----. It
was thourfht to make a stand at the tower, and the
service ammunition was brought up from the lines,
but we had only 19 Europeans, drummers, Sre.,
besides officers, that we could count upon. The
Sepoys soon showed the spirA which animated
them by firing on Captain De Tessier, fortunately
only killing his hone. The sun was going down