The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-10-17
THE WAR IN INDIA.

Our nmlteO space mas not aN0WcQ US !
give from fortnight to fortnight, (as the In
dia mail arrives in Europe,) the details {
the progress of the rebellion, and the opera
tions Of the English army in that quarter
quellit; but as the war is daily assuming
more importance, and is beginning to occu
Py more and more of public attention in thi
country as well as in Europe, We have ia
ken the pains to throw together from len.
article in a late number of Blackwood's Mag
azne, and late English papers, brief bu
connected history of the war from its com
mencement down to the latest intelligence
from that quarter.
ORIGIN OF THE MCTIsY.
In January last, classic (or workman,
attached to the magazine at DUN Dunn (the
artillery station near Calcutta,) being refused
a draught Of water by Sepoy of the End
Native Infantry on the ground of caste, re-
piled, You will soon lose your caste, as
you will have to bite cartridges covered with
the fat of pigs and cows" At this place
there is depot of msketry, where the ma
tive soldiers are instructed in the use OF the
Enfield rifle. The cartridge for this weapon
is made of thinner and tougher paper than
the old one, and requires to be creased on
the ball. The above remark having reached
the ears OF the cOmmandant, he inquired
and found the new cartridge was regarded
with general suspicion. The native com
missiOned officers stated, but in a manner
perfectly respectful, that the mixture used
in greasing the ball was open to objection,
and suggested the employment of wax and
oil. They were assured the grea,e was COM
posed OF mutton fat and wax; but they re-
piled, that report to the contrary had
spread throughout India, and that if they
touched it, their friends would not believe
the explanation, and would refuse to eat
with them. The matter was Immediately
reported TO Government General Hearsay
rcmarking, that though totally groundless,
it would be most difficult to eradicate the
impression from the minds of the native SOL
diers, who are always suspiciously disposed
when any change of this sort affecting them
selves is introduced" Orders wer, prompt
ly issued to allow the Sepoys to obtain the
ingredients FROM the bazar, and grease the
bullets themselves, IS the native officers had
suggested.
FIRST DIsAFFECTIoN QrELLED.
Still the objection was not removed, and
though on parade the men answered IN
respectful and soldierlike manner, several
incendiary fires attested the presence Of
mischievous spirit in the ranks.
On the 9Th February information was Civ
en- by Sepoy of plot to rise upon the Of
ficers and fire the ,antonment. Two days
after, this was confirmed by a jeInadar OF
the 3ith regiment. No names, however,
were divuiged by either, though they had
attended a meeting of three hundred Sepoys,
held, they stated, On the parade ground at'
ter eight o'clock roilcail, without the slight
est knowledge or suspicion on the part Of
any European officer. The General haran-
gued the brigade on the absurdlty of sup
posing that Government wished to make
them Christians by q trick, when they wod
not be admitted to our religion without
full and intelligent conviction Of the truths
of the Book" The address appeared to
DO --ou -~aa..~a tho ill-fcelinC however
continued, and it was soon discovered that
a messenger had been sent from one Of the
regiments to Berhanpore and Dinapore.-
The former station was garriSoned by the
18th regiment which up to the middle Of
February had exhibited no sort Of uneasi-
ness. On the 25th of that month, a havil
dar's guard from the 3ith arrived at Ber-
haIupore, and relieved by the 18th. The
The very next day the 18th refused to re-
ceive their cartridges, though they were old
ones made up by another native corps year
before. EXpostu.ation and warnings OF the
severe punishment to which the men expose
themselves by their refusal to obey their Of
fcers were made in vain. The Sepoys tu-
mul,uously seized their arms The artillery
and cavalry were called out, but again with
drawn, and the affair terminated without
bloodshed.
The regiment subsequently sent in a Pc
titoa acknowledging that they had commit
ted great crime through the advice of
wicked men, and Offering TO become gen
eral service" regiment if their first fault
might be pardoned But the GovernorGen-
eral had determined that such an act of
"open and defiant mutiny" should be pun
ished by disbandment; and as there was no
doubt the seeds Of the INSTRUMENTATION ere
sown from Barrackpore, the sentence was
ordered TO be carried into execution at that
station, in the presence OF the regiments
whom it was sought by this warning to re-
strain from revolt. Reasoning after the
event, it would certainly appear to have
been a sounder policy to have accepted {
offer Of the repentant regiment, and IN place
of reducing one thousand men OF varying
degrees Of guilt to indiscriminate want, to
have endeavoured to execute the rngleaders
and send the remainder to Burmah or China.
NEW OUTBREAk.
The scene now suddenly shifts to the op
posite side of the Presidency, where the
controversy is conducted on both sides in
far more summary spirit. The pensoned
descendants of the Great Mogul have been
permitted to reside with titular sovereign
ty, not in the ancient capital of their en-
pire, which has long been in ruins but in a
new city of Delhi, fortified by British engi-
neers and containing ordnance stores and
treasure to a considerable amount, the pro-
perty Of our Government. To crafty the
Mussulman feeling, the custody of this i'm
portant fortress and station has of late years
been confded wholly to native garrison,
which in May last consisted of the 3Sth,
oath, and 74th regiments, with company
of foot artillery. Forty miles northeast OF
Delhi, and therefore on the other side of the
Jumna, is the large military cantonment of
Meerut, where were stationed H.M. 9th
Dragon Guards (Carbineers,) battalion
of the Goth Rifles, a light tield-battery, and
party of European horse artillery, with the
following native cOrps-viz, Sd Light Cav
airy, 1lth and goth regiments of infantry,
and some Sappers and Miners. A depot of
rifle instruction had been opened also in this
station; and while the Governor-General
was consoling himself with the hope that
the cartridge question was finally disposed
of by the proceedings we have narrated, it
suddenly appears in more aggravated form
at Meerut.
No account has been sent home of the
initiatory stages Of this dispute. The Off
cial narrative opens with the abrupt intma-
ton that eighty five troopers of the 3rd
Light Cavalry had been tried by court-mar.
tial for refusing to use their cartridges.
There is no account of any explanations
being addressed to re Sepoys, such as we re
attempted at Dunn Dunn and Barrackpore'-
The date also of the mutinous act is want
inn. Il uas nrohahly however subsequent