Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-31
CREASED CARTRIDGES.
Singular Origin of the Revolt in India.

ceptable the following narrative Of its origin
and progress:
The first symptoms of dissatisfaction in the
Bengal army appears to have displayed them
selves in the month of anuary. They appeared
at first in the nineteenth native regiment at
the military station of Berhambore, O hundred
miles or more north of Calcutta, and close to
Moorshedabsd, the former capital Of Bengal
The men Of the regiment complained that the
greese supplied for greasing the cartridges for a
new rifle, with which the regiment had been
lately armed, was animal fat, which they could
not touch without danger TO their caste. As
soon as this dissatisfaction was brought TO the
notice Of the Goyernor-G G. eneral, orders were is
sued and telegraphed to all the stations in Up
per India, in which like uneasiness had shown
itself, that no more creased cartridges should
be issued, but that the men should be allowed
to purchase their own grease in the Bazars.
An idea, however, appears to have spread that
the Government had some covert intentions in
the matter, and the men continued so unruly
that Col. Mitchell, the commander of the station,
resolved to disarm them. To his order to lay
down their arms, backed, as it was, by the Eu-
ropean troops at the station they finally yielded
but only on condition that the artillery which
had been pointed at them should first be with
drawn.
Colonel Mitchell was thought to have been too
moderate 1t was said, that rather than con-
cede hair, he should have blown the regiment
q
pie Of this regment by disbanding it. The
pay OF the sepOys is il seems, seven rupes (abOut
three dollars and a half a month, very high
pay compared with the current rate Of wages.
Nor is 1t exactly true, as commonly stated, that
the sepOy cannot hope to rise above the ranks
There are, in fact, in the native armies two
grades OF commissioned officers filled by natives
the Jemadah aud the Soobadah, one of zach
grade TO every company and as each regiment
mas Soobadah ma ajOr, there are in each regi-
ment twenty-one commissioned native officers
The pay Ofthe SOObadah is $50 rupes (about S75)
month, equal In amount to an ensign, and,
taxing relative expense into account e1uiva-
lent, for all purposes of laying up money, to the
pay of major or lieutenant-cOlonel. There is
besides, the chance which the native officers
have Of obtaining the title Of Bahadoor % The
Brave" or " The Noble, and being admitted
to the Order of Merit of British India not
mere empty honor, but carrying a pension
along with it. As in the Bengal army, promo
ton, 50 far as the natives are concerned, goes
by seniority, each sepOy may expect to attain
to the honOrs and emoluments OF Bahedoor
The ranks are not filled by levy or inpressment
but by voluntary enlistment, and as 10 recruits
of which there have always been plenty Offering
arc received beyond certain age, the disband
ment not only deprived all the native officers
and older soldiers Of their present position, but
would cut of all chance of ever regaining it,
In furtherance of the plan of disbandment
the 18TH regiment was marched to Barrack-
pore, near Calcutta. Since the removal of the
artillery hesdquarter to Meerut in Upper India
In lo4Z, the Queen 8 troops in Calcutta and the
nelghbOrhOOd had been reduced to a regiment
or less. That was the case at this moment,
while at BarrackpOre there were some ). 900 ma
tive troops OF these, two or three regiments
1t was thought could be depended ON, but as
some OF the Barrackpore troops, particularly
the 34th regiment, were, understood to syInpa-
thiZe with the 10Th, in order to make ali sure
the dlsoandment was delayed till the Queens
regiment was brought from Burmah and parts
OF other regiments called in. On the Both of
March, the troops were drawn up on parade
the Queens regiments with the cavalry and ar
uilery on one side and the native troops the
other. The 18th which had been halted out
side, was then marched in between them and
dIsbanded- But this example did not produce
the effect expected, and it became necessary
soon after to disband the 34th regiment also
But neither did this example have the expected
effect The same dissatisfaction with the
creased cartridges began to show itself at other
stations, and particularly at the distant station
OF Meerut, about forty miles from Delhi, and
the headquarters Of the artillery. The lines at
meerut cover large space of ground divided
Into TWO parts, one Tor the native the other for
the European troops. At the commencement of
May there were in the European lines about
Z2O0 men The native force consisted of the
Sd Light Cavalry, and the Ilth and 2Oth regi-
ments Of y ative Infantry.
Among the men Of the cavalry corps the
question OF the creased cartridges was freely
agltated, OF which the result was that eighty
nVe men OF the corps, refused to handle the
cartridges, were tried by court-martial and
sentenced to various terms of Imprisonment
with hard labor. On the nineteenth of NAV.
their sentences were read out on the parade
and the offenders marched off to jail Up to
TINS tune, the dissatisfaction had chiefly shown
itself by inccndiary fires, Of which there had
been one or more within the lines eyery nipht
On the afternoon Of the 10th, while many Of the
Europeans were at Church-for il was SUNDAY
the men OF the two native regiments, the ii tn
and the ZOth, as If by previous concert assem-
bled In tumultuOus bodies on the parade-ground.
Several OF the officers hurried from their quar-
ters 70 endeavor to pacify them, among others
Colonel Ferries OF the 1lth, who was shot down
while addressing party of the 10Th At this
moment, the troopers of the Sd Native Infantry
sprang out Of their uarters TO Join the insurgent
Infantry. The whole body, now thorou ghly
excited, rushed through the native part of the
cantonment, every officers house was fred and
every Engiish man, woman or child that fell in
then way, was pitilessly massacred. Many
however, succeeded in making their escape To
the European lines '.-r-
meanwhile, the European troops were called
out and marched against the native lines. But
tney were too late 10 save life or property, and
'oAS AoiA4nB' Ae reYOlteES enecteu their De
oy nylng, unpursued, to the open country.
some oil them, probably most of them, made
their way to Delhi, distant about 40 miles The
garrison OF this important city, where there
were very large arsenAls consisted SOLELY of
,hree native regiments, with a company of ma
ave artillery. On the arrival of the mutineers.
InLAhtfy ran at once 10 arms, and forced the
aruilery " join them-the latter, il is said.
suPulating Tor the safety Of their officers, who
eScaPed 10 Meerut. The infantry murdered
.nelr own omeers, and then began to run riot
through the city. They took possession of the
fort the palace Of the titular King of Delhi.
and OF the eivi! station, numbering all the I'm,
roPesns tney could lay their hands on, to the
number of l20-all the Europeans in the citv
except twelve or fifteen, escaped.
The great magazine of the arsenal was saved
from falling into their hands by the galantry
OF Lieut. Willoughby, who blew it up, and
many OF the mutineers along with it, He es
capped the effect Of the explosion and arrived
though much burnt, at Meerut. The mutin
eers seized the Bank of Delhi, in which wer,
SloO 900 In specie but, while repudiatipg IN,