Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-01-15
From the "La Pays of Paris.
Curious, Thrilling Scene at Lucknow.
AUas il a 1r,aM, or a mcrs asui; Ear?
CALCUTTA, Oct. 8, 1857.

RI give you the following account OF an
incident preceding the first relief Of Luck
now in India, as described by the wife of
an English officer of the rescued party'J
On every side, death stared US in the
face; no human skill could avert 1t any
longer. We saw the moment approach,
when we must bid farewell to earth, yet
without feeling that unutterable horror
which must have been experienced by the
unhappy victims at Cawnpore. We were
resolved rather to die than yield, and were
fully persuaded, that, in twenty -four hours,
all would be over. The engineers had
said SO, and all knew the worst. We wo-
men strove to encourage each other, and
to perform the light duties assigned to US,
such as conveying orders to the batteries,
and supplying the men with provisions,
especially cups of coffee, which we prepared
day and night. l had gone out to try and
make myself useful, in company with Jes-
sic Brown, the wife of corporal in my
husband S regiment. Poor Jessie had been
in state Of restless excitement all through
the siege, and had fallen away visibly
within the last few days. A constant
fever consumed her, and her mind wan
dered occasionally, especially that day,
when the recollcctions of home seemed
powerfully present to her.
At last, overcome with fatigue, she
lay down on the ground, wrapped up in
her plaid. sat beside her. promising ="
awaken her when, as she said, "her father
should return from the plowing." She
fell at length into a profound slumber,
motionless, and, apparently brsathless, her
head resting in my lap. myself could
no longer resist the inclination to sleep,in
spite Of the continual roar of the cannon.
Suddenly, l was aroused by wild, un-
earthly scream: close to my ear; my COM
panion stood upright beside me, her arms
raised, ard her head bent forward in the
attitude of listening. A look of intense
delight broke over her countenance, she
grasped my hand, drew me towards her,
and exclaimed, "Dinna yc hear it? dinna
ye hear it? Ay, I'm no dreamin', its the
slogan o The Hiyhlanders! We're saued!
uce're sared.' Then, finging herself on
her knees, she thanked God with passion
ate fervor. l felt utterly bewildered my
English ears heard only the roar Of artil-
lery, and l thought my poor Jessie was wild
still, but she darted to the batteries, and l
heard her cry necessarily to the men,
Courage. courage. bark to the slogan
to the Maegregor, the grandest Of them a.
Here's help at last!' To describe the
effect of these words upon the soldiers,
would be impossible. For moment they
ceased firing, and every soul listened in
intense anxiety. Gradually, however,
there arose murmur Of bitter disappoint-
ment, and the wailing Of the women who
had focked to the spot burst out anew as
the Colonel shook his head Our dull,
lowland ears, heard nothing but the rattle
of the musketry.
A few moments more of this death.like
suspense, Of this agonizing hope, and Jes-
sic, who had sank to the ground, spraug
to her feet, and cried, in voice so loud
and piercing that it was distinctly heard
along the whole line, "Will ye no believe
it moo? The slogan has ceased, indeed,
but the Campbells are comm! Dye hear?
DYE HEAR?' At that momentwe seemed
to hear indeed the voice of God in the dis.
tance, when the pibroch of the Highland
ers brought us tidings of dcliverauce.
That shrill, penetrating, ceaseless sound:
which rose above all other sounds, could
come neither from the advance of the enc
my, nor from the work Of the Sappers.
No, it was indeed the blast of the Scottish
bagpipes-now shrill and harsh, as threat
eniDg vengeance on the foe-thcn,in softer
tones, seeming to promise succor to their
friends in need. Never surely was there
such scene as that which followed. Not
heart in the residency Of Lucknow but
bowed itself before God. All, by one
simultaneous impulse, fell upon theirknees,
and nothing was heard but bursting sobs
aud the murmurcd voice of prayer. Then
all arose, and there rang from thousand
lips q great shout of joy, which resounded
far and wide, and lent new vigor to that
blessed pibroch. To our cheer of "God
save the Queen" they replied by the well
known strain that moves every Scot to
tears, "Should Aud Acquaintance be For.
go.?" After that, nothing made any i'm
preston Oh me l scarcely remember what
followed. Jessie was presented to the
General on his entrance into the fort, and
at the officers banquet her health was
drunk by all present, while the pipers
marched around the table, playing once
more the familiar air Of "Auld Lang
Sync."
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