The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-18 00:00:00

TIIE AA, 3/tit/TYPE,

The foll.wiug are selected 'from priva'a letters
received from Tndia

BENAItES, JUNE 13.
The hut two mails must have conveyed to you
the intelligence cf the mutiny and butchery at
Meetut and Delhi. Since then, from Peshawar to
Benares there is not one station in which the na-
tive troops have not broken out, and the whole
country is in one state of confusion. The zemin-
dare, too, have taken advantage of the times and
have risen, and are pluudering and looting in all
direct:ons. All postal communication has been cut
off, and the telegraph has ceased to work. We
have had no communication wit's Agra for the past
fortnight, and no intelligence can now be had with
Allahabad even. With the rest our time has come.
We have been expecting the outbreak here for the
past three weeks. It came on the 4'h. We got
an express from Azimghur to say that the 17th
Native Infantry had mutinied and plundered the
Treasury, Rifling every European ; but this was
subsequently modified.. Oar hearing this I knew
our time was up, but as I hoped to have 12 hours'
start before the information got out I went and
engaged two garrees, one for Harriet and the other
for Mrs. Captain Dodgson, to send them off at
once.
While these garrees were coming I went off to the
judge to explain why I sent Harriet away, to
guard against future remarks, and to offer myself
for any service that might be ne ded for work so
near at hand. I then went to the commissioner,
to offer a seat in the garree to any female member
of his family. It was accepted for a sister-in law.
After dispatching the ladies I was to go and reside
with Tucker and his family. I bad hardly re-
turned home 10 minutes, when bang, bang went
the cannon—knew all was up. Saw crowds run-
ning for the life. Had my buggy at the door ;
bundled Harriet and our little boy, two guns, a re-
volver, and a pistol and sword into it, and drove to
Mr. Tucker's, the commissioner's. He had never
fired a shot in his life, and bad not a weapon of any
kind in the house, which I knew ; but as his house
was a pukka* one, and capable of defence, I drove
there instead of to the Mint, which was the rendez-
vous. In the house there were Mr. Tucker, Miss
Tucker, four little children, and a sister-iu-laveof Mr.
Tucker, with my guns only. Got them to the ter-
race of the house and covered them up with straw,
and made every preparation we could. In came
Captain Watson with two ladies, but without any
weapon. All this time the cannon were banging
away and a rattle of musketry going on, and the
whole of the Sepoy lines were on fire. Tee rascally
Sepoys were flying in squads past the house, with
terror depicted in their faces, and very many of
them bad thrown away their muskets, accoutre-
ments, &c., and were cutting like fun. eeing this,
and fearing that they might make an attempt at
the house alter the firing had ceased, I determined
to go off to the bridge near my house and try and
make a stand there, so as to stop the Sepoys flying
any more to our side. Got upon Mr. Tucker's
horse and gal!oped off, followed by Mr. Tucker,
having left Captain Watson in charge of the ladies
with my battery of guns. Immediately we came to'
the bridge the Sepoys, instead of coming our way,
made a rush down the sides of the bridge leading
to the banks of the Barrie. There were at the time
50 sowars of the 13th Irregulars stationed opposite
my gate. We leuged of 25 of them to follow t 3
cut off these vagabonds, but not a man would stir
on the plea that it was the collector's hookum
(tirdttr) not to budge from the Treasury, which
was held by 100 Sikhs. The array, however, helped
us to fr ghteu the Sepoys. The runaways decreasing
in numt.er, I swept over the bridge to find (nit how
things were going on at the Mint, where Mrs.
Do4son was, and who had been placed under my
care. Mr. Tucker led this time. " Piug" went a
bullet at him, but missed. I has three shots with
my revolver on the bridge, but just as I came to
the narrow part, just three or four yards before me,
I saw one of these rascally runaways ramming
home a cartridge. Bang went the musket at me ;
but 'twas a bad shot, for instead of hitting me he
slightly wounded the horse. Away we flew, but
midway we came upon 50 sowars of the Irregulars.
One fellow came with a pistol cocked at me, and
said that they had no officers and no commands,
and what were they to do ? I asked them (20) to fol-
low me, but the fellows hesitated, and Mr. Tucker
advised me not to trust myself to them. We left
them and went to the Mint, and met Si European
soldiers, and sent them of to protect the other
ladies. We had hardly been gone 15 minutes when
these 50 sowars bolted, after firing a volley into the
Europeans we had just left. Gallopped back as fast
as we could to our dear ones. Toe firing had by
this time ceased, and thinking the worst was over,
I put off my sword, &c., and ordered dinner.
Hardly had a dish reached. the table when bang,
bang went the guns again—this time at the Sikhs,
who had joined the 37th. The same scene of flying
Sepoys ; for you must know we had two 4-pounders
pounding the rascals with grape, which they could
not sand. Shortly after, in came Colonel Gordon
with 30 European soldiers, and carried us off to the
Mint. It was a fearful time, and enough to sober
ono for life ; such a scene met us at the Mint,
which was choked with refugees, Every one had
some one to inquire for, but no one could say where
any one was. It was a long and anxious night.
With dawn more courage was plucked up. The
psn.ic among the mutineers, however, had been so
great that not a man could be heard of, and even
the thieves and budmashes had mizzled ; for, not-
withstanding every bungalow bad been left to take
care of itself, not a pin had been stolen, or even a
thatch burnt. Every refugee was busy in remov-
ing valuables, and all got something. Our treasury
ve...s safe. The treasure was removed by 12 o'cl ,CIC
at nooe to the Ar illery Barracks, but tot a man
budged out for the next 24 hours ; yet the fear end
funk bad been so wholesome that all our property
remained untouched. On Saturday, seeing all
quirt, we determined to spend the day at home, but
all of us returned to the nut at night. How
-long
these things are to last God knows. I see no chance
of any amendment, but must hold on till more Eu-
ropean soldiers come in, and the weather less hot-
-100 deg. indoors.
We had long known that the 37th were mutinous,
but were waiting for more soldiers to disarm them.
Tee mutiny at Azimghur, however, precipitated
matters. On the news reaching us, a p trade was
ordered for the evening. The hour came ; the fel-
lows smelt a rat. Instead of obeying order s, they
(the 37th N. 1.) began popping at the soldiers. The
Britishers went at them. The blackies retreated
into their lines, and frtm that shelter kept up
firing. The 4-pounders were th,n brought to play,
and graped them. The lines were th-n set fire to
to drive them out, which was done. All this time
the Sikha stood spectators, drawn up in open pa-
rade. They then wavered, first attempted to mur-
der their commandant, Col. Gordon, who was saved
by one of his own men, who received the ball in
his arm, and was immediately removed to the
Mint. The Sikhs then sent a volley at the gun-
ners, who wheeled their guns tonna and hammered
them with grape ; they were mowed down like
rotten carrots, and bolted like the 37th. Mean-
while Captain Guie, in command of the 13th Irre-
gulars, called upon his troopers to charge, and went
off at a gallop. Not a men stirred. Capt. Guise
was shot by the 37th, and it is said had his head.
split open afterwards by some of his own troopers.
Two other officers of the 37th, young-tern of only
16 and 18, were desperately wounded ; one given
up since. A third was wounded severely. Ten or
12 rank and file were killed and wounded, of whom
we have buried three.
It was a providential thing that we took the in-
itiative, for otherwise they would have risen at
night, as afterwards discovered, and perhaps very
few of us would have been alive to tell the tale.
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
foresight which saved us.
Since our mutiny the Sikhs at Jaunpore muti-
nied, and deliberately shot their elmmanding offi-
cer. Only five minutes before they were shaking
hands with the European residents and swearing to
defend them with their lives. The residents were
congregated at the collector's office. Besides, Cup-
page, the joint magistrate, was murdered, 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 escaped to a factory whence they
were rescued by a party of volunteers, accompa-
nied with 25 soldiers Fent from here. The com-
mandant'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 subse-
quently roe at 9 o'clock at night, and have mur-
dered nearly every one of their officers. They
were at mess. The house was surrounded and
every one of them butchered. Every other raw,
woman, and child out of the feat have been moat
cruelly butchered. The fort is besieged, the britdgor
of boats broken up, and every boat burn
__ W_e
sent out of the way. (Since contradicted.)
They have
have sent detachments to the fort.
got in and will hold it now. Thed last detach
ment of 50 were newly murdere They were
attacked by more than 1,000 ; fortunately, a
steamer was present, and ferried them into the
fort, but to do this she was obliged to leave her
flat behind. During her absence the flat was
boarded by 200 miscreants. The passengers took

* Pukka, means solid masonry--brick built, and stone
roofed.

to flight in the jolly-boats, and were picked up
the next morning by the steamer.
My last letter, received from Lucknow, was
dated the 3d. of June. The whole of the i,a ive
troops there bad mutinied and had ben idned by
the cavalry. The whole country has ri en as one
man. The residency is besieged. The besieged
are hopeful, and expect to hold out till reinforce-
'news arrive. They have been suffering for many
months Her Majesty's 32d are there, and Sir H.
Lawrence is the best man iu India they could have
for the emergency. But yet the numbers are few,
and a hostile and fanatic people are to be dreaded.
G .d grant that they may hold out—otherwise fear-
ful will be the butchery. They have nigh upon 200
ladies in the re4idency.
Cawnpore is iu a most ticklish state. They have
but 500 Europeans, if so many, with some artil-
lery. They have intrenched themselves. So long
as the telegraphic communication was open the
most urgent and repeated calls for reinforcements
were being male. We had not any to give. We
supplied 100 by denuding ourselves. At the out-
break here we had hardly 150 men on the
parade-ground. Since then more have been arriv-
ing, 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
bhortly be stacked with 1,000 men.
Agra bad three native regiments and one Euro-
pean. A portion of the Sepoys were sent to Mut-
tra to guard the treasure. These rascals sent for
another company from Agra and then "looted"
the Tre tsury. Seeing this the remaining portion
of the Sepoys at Agra were disarmed, but what
matter ? their comrades have got the plunder for
them. Since then all communication with Agra
has been cut off.
The Ghoorkas at Simla have quietly taken pos-
session of the station and the treasury ; ditto Kus-
sowlee. All the ladies made a clean bolt to
Dughshai, poor things, and have taken shelter in
the barracks. The tro )ps have all moved down to
Delhi. Some of them ran down khuds*, and after
20 hours' continual march, reached Dughshai.
Others, on foot and in every conceivable way,..
made their way to the same place with only what
they had on their backs.
Here we are banging every day and the gibbet is
in full work. We must deciminate the half of the
population before we can get our prestige tack.
Next year will be a year of famine, I anticipate.
Plague and pestilence follow. Every one, from
the ryot to the zemindar, is plund,ring and mur-
dering, and if this state of things laet where will be
the harvest ?
I am afraid that from scarcity this city will be
bard to hold. The roads are all closed and there
is no income of grain. Taking our own division
only, Jaunpore, Azimghur, and• Gonuhpore are
empty and burnt to the ground, but one official
place ; Allahabad is a heap of rums, and not one
village bet is oat on a marauding expedition."
The following letter is from the wife of Lieuten-
ant C. Tucker, late of the 15th Irregular Cavalry.
This gallant young officer was the only one belong-
ing to the 15th Irregular Cavalry whose lie was
spared. The last accounts brought the tidings
that he was safe at Benares, restored to his wife
and child, but suffering from fever, consequent
upon the perils which for 17 days be had under
gone :

" Benare3, June 27.
" I will tell you all about Charlie as it happened,
as I know you will like to hear every particular.
On the even'ng of the day I sent off your letters
(my birthday, the 14th) one of the coolies I had
sent with a letter to Sultanpore, returnel with
and one of our grooms with him, saying that ou
the 9th the tro Ts at Sultanpore had mutinied,
that Colonel Fisher, Captain Gibbings, and
others had been killed, but that Charlie had
escape 1 ; but the groom did not know where
he had gone. You can fancy what a terrible
state I was in. Mr. H. Tucker directly sent out
in the Sultanpore direction, offering 1001. to who-
ever would bring Lim in. However, we could
hear nothing of him till the following Wednesday
evening, when a man brought in a letter from him,
saying that he and others were safe under the pro-
tecti in of a native gentleman about 14 mica from
SuPanpore. A large party of natives, with ele-
phants, were sent out next day to bring them in
here. They arrived safely yes,erday morning. It
was at first proposed to send Engli,h gentlemen
and soldiers for tliNn, and Charlie's brother in-
tended going too ; but it was thought that Euro-
peans would have attracted too much attention,
and that the people in Oule would rise and cut
them off, which most probably would have been
the case had they gone, so all the most trustworthy
natives were selected instead.
" I will now give you Charlie's own account of
h's escape. On the Sunday before the mutiny at
Sultanpore (which was on the Tuesday morning)
Charlie went out some dis*acce to meet the wing
of his regiment which he commanded at Seetapore,
and which was inclined to mutiny, to see if he
could pacify the men ; and he apparently did so,
and brought them, with the second in command,
into Sultanpore on the Monday night late. About
8 o'clock on the Tuesday morning poor Col. Fisher,
while out, was shot through the body by the native
police. Charlie directly went to him, and, after
much trouble, persuaded some of the nym to get
hint into a dooly. He said he was dying ; but
Charlie took out the ball, and gave him some water.
He then tried to persuade the regiment to come near
their Col-nel, but no one would obey any order.
They were all under some trees near our house.
A party of them then made a ‘rush at Captain
Gibbings, who was on 11:)rseback at a little distance,
and killed him ; and then the men shouted to
Charlie to go away.
" Ho found it was all over then, and so rode off.
Three men rode after him about a mile, and then
returned. He thinks they must have wished to
spare him, as they could ea:dly have done anything
they liked ; but he was, I believe, a great favourite'
with the wing he commanded at Seetapore.
"He to le some distance, and then got into a
jungle, where he st tyed a great part of the day ; but
he had first gone into a village, with one of his
grooms who had got his mare, and who said he
would take care of him, but Charlie found out that
he meant to b tray him ; s ) he rode off.
Only fancy how dreadful it was for him to be
wandering about in the heat of the day, not know-
ing where 'to go ; and getting people to give him
water to drink at wells, and at la,t thinking it out
of little streams, he was so terribly thirsty. At last,
about :our o'clock in the afternoon, he asked a mast
whom he saw for some water, and also if he could
protect him, for he and his horse were both gettinc,
knocke up. The man said he would, and tool':
him into his village and afterwards to his mast,-r,
who lived in a native fort, and who was the prin.
cipal person in the place ; and there Charlie stated
until the party from here went to fetch him. His
escape was most provident,al, for he did nut know
the people about there. Soon after he had reached
the native's house four others from Sultanpore ar-
rived ; but one of them knew the way to the per-
son who took Charlie in. He must be a noble-
hearted native, for when we took Oude it half
ruined h'in. He is to have quantities of presents
from Charlie, St. George, Henry, and 1 believe
from G-Jvernment.
" The ladies from Sultanpore all escaped. Only
four people were killed there—namely, Colonel
Fisher, Captain Gibiiiugs, Mr. Block, and Mr. Stro-
g,in ; the latter was one of those who were married
when we were there. lam very sorry for his wife.
Mr. Block was the only other married man of the
four. All the houses in Sultanpore were burnt by
the mutineers. They stole two or three boxes out
of our house first, the groom sai 1, and then burnt
it, so we have lost everything, except what I hap-
pened to have with me here and the carriage and
horses, which had taken away some of the ladies,
and the horse that Charlie was riding, which was
the Arab that was bought originally for me when
we first came to the. country At any other time I
should have been deeply grieved, but now that
Charlie has been spared, when so many have been
murdered, I can only feel most thankful to the Pro-
vidence that has watched over him and all of us in
hose tetrad() times."

* Khuas are deep hollows, the bottoms of precipitou
mountain slopes.

more appeared on the
PROFESSOR ANDERSON AT nicEeLYcßum.—Last night
the " Wizard of the North" v._
the Lyceum Theatre.
scene of his former triump-s
not lost any of their attrac- 1
" Magic and Mystery
lions, for the house was crowded.
aTtnhaeg
stage
was
a l veryon,
handsomely fitted up, rep . ti
glittering apparatus employed
wherein was disrlaye,l the
by the " wizard" in his various conjurations. The tricks
Exhibited were executed with his accustomed adroitness,
and though none of them were remarkably novel, they
were received with hearty applause, and the wonder at
the extraordinary transformations has not been dimi-
nished by repetition.
OVER-HOUSE TELEGRAPH BETWEEN LONDON-WALL
AND CORNHILL.—There may now be seen outstretched
over the thronged City thoroughfares from London-wail
across Throginorton-btreet and Broad-street and Corn-
hill, a thin wire extended horizontally through the air.
It id the first attempt of the kind made in the metropolis
for the establishment of house-to-house telegraphs. It
runs from the establishment of Mew,. Waterlow, the
well-known stationers, in Land,n.wall to their esta',-
lishment in Birehin-lane, Cornh,ll, and is used to
fscilitate the transaction of their business. The wire is
of steel, N 0.16 guage, and one-third of a mile in length,
and has Bost, with alt the apparatus, about 401.1
idNiear:
Sydney Waterlow, who has carried out the nohvoksv
Prat
has done so with the further view of showing
In
rnapr y
tinily as well as economically the same Police and fire
adopted in connexion with a plan of p
o
telegraphs throughout the metropolis. be
s