The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-31 00:00:00

THE MUTINIES IN INDIA.

(FRO3I THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE
" DAILY NEWS.")
BOMBAY, rim 28.
This letter will tell Lyon of sad reverses and
great misfortunes ; but the melancholy nature of
its contents will be relieved by the recital of some
some victories, and the gradual suppression of re-
bellion. Death bas deprived us of men high in
rank, whose loss to military and civil services in
India wi Ibe severely felt. Incapable leaders raised
to greet commands under the system of seniority
have been repleced in every quarter by men of ex-
perteaaa and determination. We may therefore
now hope without piesuruption that, with our
army. strengthened by numerous reinforcements,
energetic measures will be taken finally to punish
the insurgents, and re-establish throughout the
multi y the dimmed prestige of England.
Disorder and confusion—the result of ditaffection
—have unfortunately impeded the ordinary chan-
nels of communication, and the news which is here
brought together must be subject to future revisions
and contradictions.
The painful forebodings with which the position
of Sir _Hugh Wheeler was contemplated, the fears
which were entertained far his safety, surrounded
as he was by an imposing body of rebels, have been
unhappily realised. .Notwithstanding the silence
of the Government respecting :the fate of Cewn-
pore, there seems to be little doubt that the follow-
ing details are substantially correct :—Sir Hugh
Wheeler had succeeded in concentrating in a for-
tified work, expressly raised for the purpose, a
small European force, codsisting of 90 men of her
Majesty's 84th Regiment, 17 men of the Madras
Fusiliers, and a company (the Ist) of the 6th
battalion of artillery—a total of 200 Europeans.
The wives and children of her Majesty's 32d
Foot, numbering upwards of a hundred souls,
were also with `him. Sir G. Parker, Bart., of
the 74th Native Infantry, the magistrate, seems
o }eve been the only officer there. As early
as the 17th of June this small force was attacked
by overwhelming numbers, but the assault, al-
though twice repeated, was suc.essfully repulsed.
not, however, without considerable loss to the Bri-
tish. Messengers seem to have been dispatched
several times to Allahabad to inform, the officerin
command there of the desperate nature of the
English position. One of these messengers arrived,
and to his coming we doubtless owe the statement
mad) in my last letter, that communications were
open with Cawnpore on the 24th of June. Several
officers, according to the information of the mes-
sengers, had already met their death. These were
Lieutenant-Colonel Jack, Lieutenant-Colonel Wil-
liams, of the 56th N. I. • Major Prout, 56th N.I. ;
Major Lindsay, 10th N. T. ; Assistant-Adjutant-
General ; and, Sir G. Parker, Bart.
Between the 24th and 28th of June another as-
sauli must have taken place, for it is said that Sir
Hugh Wheeler was shot through the leg and died
of his wounds, and that the following officers and
others were killed :—Qainn, Eusigns Redman and
Supple, Ist N. I. ; Captain Halliday, 56th N. I. ;
Captain Reynolds and Ensign Prole, 53d N. 1 ;
Lieutenant Smith, Ist N.I. ; Dempster, Cap-
tain Jervis, 56th N. I. ; Chalwin, and Major
Hillersdun, 53d N. I. The rebels had at this time
conferred the supreme command on Nana Sahib, of
Bhitoor, the author of the-massacre perpetrated on
the Futteyghur fugitives, an old, pensioner of the
British Government and the adopted son of Baja-
row, Peishwa, at Poona, where the Mabratta
rule- existed. A reference to Indian history
will show you the treachery of Bakerow, his
unc ,asieg effort to subvert our Government
in the Deccan, and his hatred to everything
British. England gentrously gave him Bhitbor,
and 80 leas of rupees yearly, and allowed him to
keep a small park of artillery. These privileges
were partly extended to Nana Sahib, who was de-,
prived of the pension of 80,000 rupees. He seems
to have inherited all the wiliness of a genuine
Brahmin. He professed delight in Englishsociety,
invited Engli officers to shooting parties at Bhi-
toor, and concealed under these appearances of
friendship a deadly hatred, and more than usual
fete city.
The English force, shorn of its strength by the
de Ati of its officers, received overtures from this
Nana Sahib, on Sunday June 28, and although I
can scarcely believe it possible that Englishmen
eheald so far trust to the faith of a Hmdoo as they
are stAted to have done, the details of the surrender.
are given as follows :—The Nana swore, by tue
oaths usually binding on a Brahmin, that if the
gar, ison would trust him and surrender, their lives
would be spared, and they should be allowed to
embark themselves and treasure (2 lacs of rupees)
on board of boats and depart down the river to
Allahabad. These terms were accepted by the Bri-
tish, and they were accordingly supplied witlab )ats
in which they stowed themselves and embarked
their treasure. They were allowed to push out into
the middle of the btream, when, at a signal from
the Rajah, guns were opened upon them from the
light bank of the Ganges. The people in the boats,
time treacherously assailed, made for the left bank,
where some of them succeeded in landing, but
• death nut them in another s! ape. A body of ca-
valry pieced there for the purpose charged and cut
them to teces. Rumour is silent as to the number
of those who were allowed to take to the boats. I
believe that Nana Sahib saved the lives of the
worsen tnd children that he might have hostages
for his own future safety.
- In the meanwhile active preparations had been-
made at Allababad for the relief of our countrymen,
and the imposing forces were assembled for that
purpose. Colonel Neill succeeded in pacifying the
town. He recovered a great part of the stolen pro=
party and furniture by issuing a proclamation in
which severe punishment was awarded to all per-
sons fouad in possession of ie. Dacoits or gangs of
thieves in the neighbourhood were dispersed, and
all that were caught hanged. On the lst of July
A column of Madras Fusiliers and Sikhs, under
Major Renaud, started on their way to Cawn-
pot e, to clear the road, a steamer, with 100
Fusiliers and two guns, keeping abreast of the
force and protecting it. A body of Irregular Horse
at the same time scoured the villages on the lefr,
and reported them empty and the zemiudars absent.
Major Renaud drove all partial opposition before
hint, captured several Sepoys of the 6th N. 1., who
paid the penalty of their lives, and then made his
way as far as Tillage on the 9th. On the 3413ri-
gedier-General Havelock reached Allahabad from
Beaares, and proceeded on the 7th to join Major
Renaud,' by forced marche'. He had with him
about 1,300 men of her Majesty's 84th and 616,
the 13th Irregular Horse, and the remnant of Oude
Irregulars. On the 11th he reached Koh, and on
the 13th joined Major Renaud at daybreak, within
tour miles of Futteypore. Major Renaud had
marched 19 miles during the night, and General
Havelock 24. A detachment thrown forward to-
wards Futteypore with orders for Colonel Tytler to
reconnoitre, was met by_tha enemy, who marched
forthwith to action. General Havelock would have
,declined this engagement and given rest t:) his
'troops, but he. was compelled to fight, ani therefore
prepared to give the enemy a w:am receptioe. The
rebels came out with a three• of the ee inf Antry regi-
ments, two of cavalry, and two bate ries of field
pieces.- General Havelock advanced with eight
guns in the centre, under Capt. Maude, R. A.,
forming the whole of his infantry in quarter dist-
ance column in suppoit. The action was opened by
the artillery, " which completely electrified t'ee
enemy." They fled, and were putaued. •arddst
gai-deas and enclosures into and through the streets
of Futteypore ; their guns and ammunition being
abandoned one after the other. Such was the panic
that no resistance seems to have been made. Not
an English soldier was killed, and the only deaths
we had to deplore were those of seven men of the
64th, and more of the 780 from sunstroke. The
conduct of the troops, in supporting the fatigue of
a long march and enduring the heat of a terrible
sue, was admirable. The enemy lost 11 guns.
Speedy advantage was taken the victory, and
at, immediate advance made on Cawnpore.
On. the 15th tit° rebels were again encountered,
seN
early handl, d, and deprived of t gun.. Tuey
fle d after this defeat and the loss of many lives, and
w 4 ?e met a third time on the 17th—about 10,001) in -
ne tuber, attacked and routed by General Havelock.
TI ey lost six annaws,andflel, abandoning the bla_k-
ened ruins of cpore, which were re-occupied.
imto
Not a trace of the rcittrtate Wheeler or his men
was fowl& They had all ; but still
more terrible to relate, the
wr,,ehe's had laid the it
clutches on the d folic less
N few, r tan 210 uffhtte' andalseortiiV c;l'ilthe";
et ildretawera sold by_ public auction 'ye? an"
bloodn
Tel -streets
of Cawnpore and afterwards raessa,zed.
of English wives and children cries forrevene ont he
relentless enemy, who has outraged every s„tinmit
of humanity and honour. Nana Sahib, retteatinr,
to Bhitpoor with the remnant of the rebels, is s, ill
et la ge. Should not a price be set upon his lima?
- Three officers, who escaped from the first massacre,
Cawnp ()t
were caught at some distance fi it
.d: iven back thither at the point of the bayonet, and
ge-
two of them blown from gull.. In the laet eng
nest the 78th Highlanders lost two men killed and
14 wounded. One of the latter, Sergeant Tullo;:.h,
irsinee dead.
`From -Cawnpore General Havelock will doubtless
proceed to relieve Lucknow, which still hell out on
the 18th or 19th of July.
The movements of General Havelock will be
- senrred in the rear by the despa`hli of fresh troops
mently arrived at Calcutta. IlerMajesty's steamer
Simoom, with her Majesty's sth Fusiliers, -from
Mauritius, reached Calcutta on the 4th of July,
hmving left the 37th in place of the Fusiliers. Her