Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-04-18

general in command, with look of un-
shaken courage, bowed as he took his sta
ton, and calmly awaited The reading of his
sentence. 9f
The deputy judge-advocate was desired
to read out an account of the proceedings
OF the general court martial held at c.
on the prisoner. Dewallah Surhat, lately
commanding the auxiliary native field
force, charged with having, on the night
of the 18th Of October, ISL, willingly
| and treacherously betrayed the British for
ces, with whom he was apparently acting
as all ally, and thereby, &c.
While the proceedings were being read,
the prisoner was much agtated whenever
the treason he had been guilty of was al
! luded to. He evidently was much panied.
The convulsive movements of his counte-
nance showed how acutelv he felt
| his position; but when the whole trial had
been recited, when the verdict of "guilty''
was pronounced, he seemed suddenly to re-
cover his immoblity. When the sentence
of death was read out he did not quail in
the slightest degree; and finally when the
be blOwn from gun" he looked with an
almost triumphant glance on his late friends
who stood horror-stricken around him.
The general was perfectly overcome
His former friends and brother officers
shuddered with dread at his coming fate:
for though the sentence was strictly just.
yet many who had never seen this mode of
execution, drew back with terror and dis
gust. Surhai was the calmest man on that
field as he wheeled back into line prepare
tory to the dreadful scene.
We took open order, and the prisoner
marched along the line, and up again be-
tween the ranks. He was then taken to a
spot some hundred yards in front of our
centre. No coffin was there to receive his
remains, as | had previously seen at mill
tary executions,-no friends to take his
body away after his doom was completed,
so clearly was it foreseen that his ami
hilation would be complete, his whole frame
scattered to the winds, the morsels left in
all directions for the beasts and birds Of
prey.
The troops were now 'told off in three
divisions, the, wings wheeled up, the
artillery brought into the centre; thus, as it
were, reforming hollow square, except
on the side on which the prisoner stood. A
single gun was now brought up, turned
round and unlinked The drivers willing
ly trotted away in the rear. The prisoner
was then desired to advance; he did 50
within pace Of the muzzle. The deputy
provost marshal produced a cord with which
to bind him to the gun. For the first time
Surhat seemed shaken. He made special
request that he might not be tied down.
The general was solicited, and consented
that it should not be so. The prisoner
turned him a look Of the sincerest and most
heartfelt gratitude, shook hands after the
European manner with the provost mar
shall, and after receiving his directions,
agitatedly given, walked boldly up to the
cannon, and pressing his body against the
muzzle, threw his arms around the gun it.
self, gave one last glance, and stopped his
head down to the peace. At the same in
slant a signal was given, the ready lighted
match was applied to the touch-hole,a flash
Of fire, a volume of smoke ,a-roaring sound
re-echoed from the neighboring hills, and
all was over.
A few drops of blood, few scattered
remnants, scarcely recognized as having
belonged to humanity, were all that now
remained of the once proud, the generous,
the brave chieltain, who by thus choosing
a doom which brought total earthly annih-
lation seemed determined to leave behind
him no record Of the base-fallen chief
the hated name oftraitor!