True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-09-30

A Calcutta correspondent of the Times
furnishes the following details Of the
dreadful tragedy;
Nena Sahib, was well known to the
residents Of Cawnpore. and in prosperous
times was always glad, or appeared glad,
to receive them at his castle, and to &C.
company them on their shooting excur.
sions. He is middle-aged man, dark
complexioned. and but for dishonest
expression, would have been considered
good looking man. The writer has
seen him, and shot in his company
The moment, however, thai he heard Of
the mutiny at Meerut, and had felt the
pulse of the troops al Cawnpore, his mind
was made up. We had refused him his
'righ.s )" he determined to gain them
himself or perish in the attempt. His
first hostile act was committed on the
persons of fugitive ladies and children
from Futtyghur and elsewhere, about
hundred in number. Bithoor is only six
miles above Cawnpore, and as they were
passing the former place on route 10 the
latter, he stopped their boats, brought
them on shore, and remorselessly shot
every one. He then tied their bodies
together, and threw them into the river.
This was Dhoonboopunt Nedajee's de-
claration of war against the British Gov
ernment.
This occurred early in June. The re-
volt brokeout at Cawnpore on the 9TH
No sooner had intimation of it reached
the Nena that he took his guns and joined
the rebels, assuming the command in per-
son. Guns were procured also from
other quarters of large calibre. and with
these he commenced pounding Wheeler's
, intrenchment, TO which with his small
calibre guns, he could not adequately re-
ply. Notwithstanding this, and that in
: the first fortnight he lost about one.third
, of his force, Wheeler's heart never failed
, him. Sally after sally did he make. and
always drove the enemy before him.
Had there not been so great crowd Of
ladies under his charge; he could with
ease have cut his way to Allahabad. At
length, on the 26th Of June, they had but
two days. supply of food left; they had
, no water their ammunition was at its low
est ebb. From being confined 600, in
. number, in barrack originally designed
to contain about 200, and from the bodies
y lying unburied all around them, disease
: in bad form had come among them, and
: was decimatiog their ranks. But the
= heart of the gallant Wheeler rose with
= the crisis On the 26th he was determined
4 to make one last effort-one grand assault
on the enemy'y position, and to take from
y them the necessary supplies. He came
|, on with his halfstarved bands charged the
r. enemy and drove them from their posi-
I ton, but he had no cavalry. The enemy
" had been joined by a second regiment
from Dude, and the two coming upon his
;, Aanks just as he drove the infantry before
- him--coming with proportion Of l9 TO l
,, compelled him to fight his way back
= He himself was MORALLY wounded, and
!, = lost many men in this action, lis result
= = end the death of Wheeler the next day,
- =, dampcd the hopes of the garrison. They
had neither food, water, nor ammunition;
a. to remain there was TO die. In this
os emergency they sent Mr.. Stacy, the de-.
n' ~ putty collector, ON the 9th Of June, 10
=, treat with Nena Sahib, He was received
~ ~ by that victorious leader with great civ
~ ility, The following most favorable con-
0J I ditions were agreed to:-The garrison
'u 81 (iucluding women, children, and camp
= :. followers were 10 be permitted 10 take
rs rs their arms, property, and a lac and a halt
=" y. of rupees with them into country boats
90 provided for their reception, in which they
T were to proceed to AllaEabad. The IN
- genmty Of hell never devised q blacker
q :, scheme of treachery than that deliberately
~ -. planned by the Nena, aud shared in By
!. - all the rebels at Cawnpore, those rebels
!" being Sehoys, who for years had eater
-. our salt. +"
ed Our poor, miserable, half starved
,r- countrymen were conducted faithfully
ret enough to the boaLs-officels, men, womeT
Iht and children-and pushed off into the
he stream in full confidence in the good faitl
md Of these devils; but they had scarcely
he done SO when on asignal given by th,
" I Nena himself guns we're opened upoI
them from the bank, and out Of the forty
his boats they embarked in some were sunk
der Others set on FIRE, and the rest pushe,
at over to the Dude side, where cavalry Il
snt waiting for them, in their eagerness h
at slhy Caffres (in6dels) rode their horse
yht belly deep into the river to meet III
md boats and cut and hack at our unhapp
nj. counirymen and women, who yainl
hat tried 10 escape. Our boat. however, I'd
he tually did manage to run the terrbl
ing gauntlet successfully, and 60 ten .nil'
es- down the river, bu. they were pursue'
bic oyertaken, captured, and brought bas
lat, in triumph 10 the barrackS. where Il
in, men we're all shot, and the women faso
to we'd for a worse fate. ~.
~. - r, ". ~ -t y. "A. ~. 4 Iit =.