The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-30 00:00:00

THE CA.WNPORE MASSACRES.

The following is an extract from a letter from an
officer in one of the Queen's Regiments belonging
to General Havelock's moveable column :
it . . . I was directed to the house where
all the poor miserable ladies had been murdered
It was alongside the Cawnpore hotel, where the
Nana lived. I never was more horrified ! The
place was one mass of blood. lam not exaggerating
when I tell you that the soles of my boots were
more than c-vered with the blood of these poor
wretched creatures. Portions of their dresses,
collars, children's socks, and ladies' round hats lay
about, saturated with their bloods ; and in the
sword-cuts on the wooden pillars of the room long
dark hair was carried by the edge of the weapon,
and there hung their tresses—a most painful sight
I have often wished since that I had never been
there, but sometimes wish that every soldier was
taken there that he might witness the barbarities
our poor countrywomen had suffered. Their bodies
were aft' rwards dragged out and thrown down a
well outside the building, where their limbs were
to be seen sticking out in a mass of gory confusion.
Their blood cries for vengeance, and should it be
granted us to have it, 1 only wish I may have the
administration of it.
" I picked up a mutilated Prayer Book. It had
lost the cover, but on the flyleaf is written, For
dearest Mama, from her affectionate Tom. June,
1845.' It appears to me to have been opened at
page 36, in the Llany, where I have but little
doubt those poor dear creatures sought and found
consolation in that beautiful supplication. It is
here sprinkled with blood. Tue book has lost some
pages at the end and terminates with the 47th
Psalm, in which David thanks the Almighty for
his signal victories over his enemies, die.
"July 21.

" Those poor ladies were massacred on the 15th,
after we had thrashed the blackguards at the
bridge. The collector who gave the order for
their death was taken prisoner the day before
yesterday, and now hangs from a branch about
200 yards off the roadside. His death was, acci-
dentally, a most painful one, for the rope was badly
adjusted, and when he dropped the noose closed
over his jaw. His hands then got loose, and he
caught hold of the rope and struggled to get tree ;
but two men took bold of his legs and jerked his
body until his neck broke. This seems to me the
just reward he should have got on earth for his
barbarity."

The following is from an officer on General Neill's
staff at Cawupore
"Cawnpore, Aug. 1.
"I believe I am at present the only one in the
whole army who knows the fate of each individual
of the unfortunate Futtyghur community,-1. mean
the officers and civilians. I give a list to you, as
it may be useful. The Nawah of Futtyghur has
taken up arms against us. To begin with the 10th
Native Infantry :
" Colonel and Mrs. Smith, both reached this
station in a boat just in time to form part of the
awful massacre in that detestable house on the 15th
of July. I had bAter premise that three country-
boat-loads of people left Futtyghur at miduight
of the 10th or 11th, or 12th of July, and that two
of those boats were blown into the shore by a head
wind on the next morniig, and the third being well
out in the stream managed to escape showers of
round shot, Sic., and came on to near Bithoor,
where they fell into tha hands of the Nana's son,
yg Theu r wretchespeo p
and the Europeans were all seat in here imme-
dthiaeteX•tt staeeked and killed
poys of the 41st
ewwe rheothaet
Native Infantry and Irregular Cavalry, wish ar-
tillery on one bank and villagers with matchlocks
on the other. Major Munro was killed with a
round shot near 13ithoor. Major Phillott was
drowned at Singhee Rampore (the place where the
two boats were driven on to the hank).
" Captain Bignell went off with some Sepoys of
his min:Lent, who promised to protect him, and his