New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-18

has assumed will we imagine, render acceptable
the following narrative Of its origin and progress:
The first symptoms of dissatisfaction in the
Bengal army appear to have displayed themselves
in the month of January. They appeared at first
in the 10Th native regiment at the military sta
ton of Berhampore hundred miles or more north
of Calcutta and close to MOOrshedabad, the former
capital of Bengal The men of this regiment COM
planned that the grease supplied for greasing
the cartridges for 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 Governor. General,
orders were issued and telegraphed to all the sta.
lions in Upper India, in which like uneasness 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 Gov
ernment had some covert intentions in the matter,
and the men continued so unruly that Col. Mitchell,
the commander of the station, resolved to dis&rm
them. To his order to lay down their arms, backed
as it was by the European troops at the station,
they finally yielded, but only on condition that the
artillery which had been pointed at them should
first be with 1rawn.
Colonel Mitchell was thought to have been too
moderate. 1t was said that rather than concede
hair, he should have blown the regiment to pieces,
and it was resolved to make an example of this
regiment by disbanding it. The pay of the sePoys
is it seems, seven rupees about three dollars aud
half month, very high pay compared with the
current rate of wages. Nor is it 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
filed by natives, the Jemadah and the Soobadah,
one of each grade to every company aud as each
regiment has Soobadah major, there are in each
regiment twenty.One commissioned native Offices
The pay of Soobadah is $50 rupees (abOut 500
month. equal in amount to that of an ensign, and,
taking relative expenses into account equivalent,
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 the Bahsdoor, The Brave" or The
Noble" and of being ADMITTED to the 'Order Of
Merit of British India" not mere empty honor,
but carrying pension along with it. AS, in the
Bengal army, promotion, so far as the natives are
concerned goes by seniority, each sepOy may ex-
pect TO attain to the honors and emOluments OF
Bshadoor. The ranks are not filled by levy or i'm
pressment but by voluntary enlistment, and as no
recruits, of which there have always been plenty
offering, are received beyond certain age the
disarmament not only deprived all the native officers
and older soldiers of their present position, but
would cut off all chance Of ever regainlg it.
In furtherance of the plan Of disbandment, the
| 10Th regiment was marched to Barrackpore,
near Calcutta. Since the removal of the artillery
headquarters to Meerut in Upper India in lol3 the
| Queens troops in Calcutta and the neighboThoo
had been reduced to a regiment or less. That was
the case at this moment while at Barrackpore there
were SEINE 5000 native troops. OF these two or
| three regiments it was thought could be depended
on but as some Of the BarrackpOre troops, partic-
ulaIly the saith regiment, were understood to SYM
pathize with the 10Th, in order to make all sure,
the disbandment was delayed till Queens regi-
ment had been brought from Burmah and parts of
| other regiments called in. On the 30th Of March,
| the troops were drawn up on parade, the Queen $
regiments with the cavalry AID artillery occupying
one side, and the native troops the other. The
| 18th, which had been halted outside 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
| saith regiment also. But neither did this new
example have the expected effect. The same dis
satisfaction with the greased cartridges began to
show itself at other stations, and particular i'll the
distant station of Meerut, about forty miles from
Delhi and the headquarters Of the artillery. The
lines at Meerut cover n large space of ground
divided into two parts, one for the native,