The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-01-16
From the lie Pays, Of Paris.
The Indian Mutinies.
THRILLING ACCOUNT OF THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW.

CALCUTTA, Thursday, October 8, 1857.
give you the following account of tn,
relief of Lucknow, as described by lady
one of the rescued party: On every sid.
death stared US in the f. ce; no human skill
could avert it any longer We saw the mo.
ment 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 to yield,
and were fully persuaded that in twenty -four
hours all would be over. The engineers had
said so, and all knew the worst. The wo-
men strove to encourage each other, and to
perform the light duties which had been as
| signed to us, such as conveying orders to the
batteries and supplying the men with provi-
sions, especially cups of coffee, which we
prepared day and night. l had gone out to
try and make myself useful, in company
with Jessie Brown, the wife Of a corporal in
my husbands regiment. Poor Jessie had
been in a state Of restless excitement all
through the siege, and had fallen away visi-
bly, within the last few days. A constant
fever consumed her, and her mind wandered
occasionally, especially that day, when the
recOllections of home seemed powerfully
present to her. At last, overcome with ia
tigue, she lay down on the ground, wrapped
in her plaid. | sat beside her, promising to
awaken her when, as she said, "her father
should return from the blowing" She fell
at length into profound slumber, notion
less, and. apparently, breathless, 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 |
was aroused by wild, unearthly scream
close to my ear; my companion stood up
right beside me, her arms raised, and her
head bent forward in the attitude Of listen
ing. A look Of intense delight broke over
me towards her, and exclaimed, "Dinna ye
hear it? dinna We hear its Ay, I'm no
dreamn', it's the slogan O. the Highlanders,
We're saved, we're saved" Then, finging
herself on her knees, she thanked God with
passionate fervor. felt utterly bewildered. /.
my English ears heard only the roar Of artil- (
lery, and thought my poor Jessie was still !
raving, but she darted to the batteries. and l !
heard her cry incessantly to the men, "Cou-
rage. courage. hark to the slogan-to the I
MacGregor, the grandest of them a. Here (
is help at last,' To describe the effect of
these words upon the soldiers would be i'm.
possible. For a moment they ceased firing,
and every soul listened in intense anxiety
Gradually, howe yer, thero arose a murmur
of bitter disappointment, 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. i few mo.
meuts more of this death-like suspense, Of
this agonizng hope, and Jessie, who had
sunk on the ground, spraHg to her feet, and
cried, in voice SO clear anc piercing tina, il
ofn -t..fo {
70 believe il moo: The slogan has ceased :
indeed, but the Campbells are comin',- {
Dye hear, dye hear!' At that moment we
seemed indeed to hear the voice of God in I
he distance, when the pibroch Of the High !
anders brought US tidings of deliyerance, for
low there was no longer any doubt Of tn.
act. That shrill, penetrating, --ceaseless
ound, which rose above all other sounds, q
ould come neither from the advance Of the /
nemy, nor from the work of the Sappers.
so, it was indeed the blast Of the Scottish '
'agpipes, now shriil and harsh, as threaten
ng vengeance on the foe, then in softer
ones seeming to promise succor to their
riends in need. Never surely was there
uch a scene as that which followed. Not a
leart in the residency of Lucknow but bow
d itself before God All by one smultane- C
us impulse fell upon their knees, and no. II
hing was heard but bursting sobs and the a
nurmured voice of prayer. Then all arose, c
nd there rang out from thousand lips a
reai shout of JOY which resounded far and
vide, and lent new vigor to that blessed p {
roch. To our cheer Of "God save the
lueen," they replied by the weil-known a
train that moves every Scot to tears, d
Should auld acquaintance be forgot" &c. y
Ifter that nothing else made any impression '
n me. Iscarcely remember what followed q
essie was presented to the General on his c
ntrance into the fort, and at the officers a
banquet her health was drunk by all pre-
ent, while the pipers marched round the ,
able playing once more the familiar air of T
Auld lang syne."