The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-09-19
The Massacre at C.wnpore.


Calcutta correspondent of the Times furnishes
the following details OF the dreadful tragedy
| hena Sahib was well known to the residents o
Cawnpore, and in prosperous times was alwayl
glad or appeared glad. TO receive them at hts cas-
Tie, and to accompany them on their shooting ex
cursons. He Is mhitlle aged man. dark complex
loned, and, but for dishonest expression, would
have been considered goodlooking man. The
| writer has seen hun, aud shot in his company
| the moment, however, tlat he heard of the mu-
tiny at Meerut and had felt the pulse of the troops
u Cawnpore. his mind made up We had re-
fused him his rights" he determined to gain them
himself or perish in the attempt. His first hostile
act was committed the persons of fugitive la
lies aud children from Futtyghur and eisew here;
ibJnt hundred in number. Bithoor is only six
miles above CswEpore, aud they were passing
tie Former place route to the latter, he stopped
their boats. brought them shore. and renlurse-
iessly shot every one. He then tied their bodies
together, and threw them into the river. This wa
OhoondoopuDts declaration of war against the
British Government. IS
This occurred early in june The revolt broke
out at Cawnpore on the 5th. No sooner had infoI-
nation OF 1t reached NeDa than he took his gun
and Joined the rebels. assuming the command III
person. Guns were procured also from other quar-
tcrs OF large calire, and with these he commenced
pounding heelers entrenchment, to which with
MS small calibre guns, he could not adequately re
,iy. Notwithstanding this, and that in the first
fortnight he lost about one third of his force
Wheeiers heart never failed him. Sally after sally
iia he make, and always drove THE enemy before
ann Had there not been so great n crowd OF
ladies' under his charge. he could with ease have
eut his way to Atiahabah. At length, on the 18th
81 June, they had but two days supply of food
w'', 'hey had no water; their ammunition WAS AT
US lowest ebb. From being confined 600 in num-
Der, in a barrack originally designed To contain
'oout lpo, ana from the bodies lying unburied all
touhd them. disease in n bad form had came among
thsii' ami was decimating their ranks But III,
heart OF the gallant Wheeler rose with the crisis
| III the Zfth lie uetnruinad ta
| iHort-one grand assault on the enemys positjnu
ana TO take from them the necessary sn,,n,ies II,
! came on with his hafstaryed band charged thu
| nemV and drove them from their position bnt h,
had noe avalry ~ fi' D"' h'
Tue oheAis mad been joined by second regimen,
uoii 3uue, ana the two coming upon his fauks JUS
as he drove the infantry before hm-coming witt
| proportion of II to l-compelled him IN 6ght hi
| way back. lie himself was mortaly wouodeJ on,
| iost many men in this action. Its result and RI,
| ieath OF " heeler the next day. damned the bone,
oi the garrison They had neither food water, nor
| ammunition; to remain there was to die In thi.
| emergency they sent Mr. Stacy the deputy COLE.
tor, on the 9th of June to treat with Nena Sahib
| He WAS received by that victorious leader witt
| great ciElity. The following most favorable con
| tltl0h5 were agreed to: The garrison Gucudjnn
children, and camp followers,} were to he permit
ted to take their arms. property, and lac and II
half of rupees with them into country boats proy
led for their reception, in which they were to pro
| ceed to Aliahabad. The ingenuity of hell never
| levised a blacker scheme of treachery than tha
| deliberately planned by Nena. and shared in l.,
tI the rebels at Cawnpore, and those rebels beiu.
| Sepoys, who, for years had eaten our salt.
| our poor, miserable, half starved countrvmei
| were conducted faithfully enough to the boats
Ulcers, men. women and children-ani pushed of
nto the stream i'll full confidence in the good faith
! 4 these devils; but they had scarcely done &c
when, on signal given by the Meme himself gun,
| we're opened upon them from the bank, and ost o
| he forty boats they were embarked in some wer,
SUNK, others set on fire. and the rest pushed over
20 the Ode side, where cavalry in waiting for them
| IN their eagerness to slsy Caffras Gnfidesl rode
their horses belly deep into the river to meet the
| boats and cut aud hack at unhappy country
| men and women, who yainly tried to escape. One
poat, however. actually did manage to run the
terrible gauntlet successfully, and got ten miles
Town the river, but they pursued. overtak eli
captured, and brought back in triumph to the bar.
| racks, where the men were all shot, and the wo-
men reserved for worse fate