Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-11-18

the Havelocks and many more, lay cooped
up and surrounded by fierce and merci.
less army of mutineers. When Sir Colin
had reached the outskirts of Lucknow it
became of the utmost Importance to com.
municate with him. 1t was therefore nec-
essary to find some member of the little
garrison at the Residency who would
encounter the risk who would, that is to
say, undertake to pierce the serried lines
OF the enemy, and carry information TO the
Commander-in-C Chief, knowing that dis
covery meant death, and knowing also that,
since disguise was Indispensable, the death
which must follow exposure must be the
ignominious death Of spy. We will now
quote from Colonel Malleson's account of
what followed "To ask man to dare
"this risk was, every one felt, impossible.
But every one felt, at the same time,
"that it was risk which it was most de.
"sirable should be undertaken. Such was
the common thought such the whisper
" of the Garrison. 1t has often been found
that the occasion produces the man. 1t
produced him, even in this, when the
"risks of death were numerous, and when
"the death would be an ignominious
death. A clerk in one of the civil Of
i" fees, by name Thomas Henry Kava-
"nagh, caused General Outram to be
Informed that he was prepared to ira
'verse in disguise the hostile lines, and to
convey letter to the Commander.in-
"Chief in his camp near Banni. Mr..
"Kavanagh's offer was the more heroic,
inasmuch az, of all the Garrison, he was
perhaps the most difficult man to dis.
"guise. Tall, taller than the ordinary
run of natives, he was very fair
" fair of freckly fairness-and his hair
"glittered as gold. But, perfectly cog.
"nizant of these drawbacks to disguise,
"Mr. kavanagh offered himself General
"Outram loved gallant deed but, brave
" as he was, and loving bravery in others,
she yet shrank from exposing man
blindly to the consequences of such a
deed as that which Kavanagh proposed
" He told him frankly the risk he ran, the
almost certain fate that would befsll
"him. But Kavanagh had made up his
mind. Dangers there were, he knew.
But, having in view the all important
consequences of his mission, he would
brave them" And he did. He chose
the disguise of Badmash, a native
swashbuckler," or military adventurer,
of whom there were swarms in the ranks
OF the rebels. He stained his face, neck
and arms with lampblack and oil. Then,
accompanied by a faithful native spy, he
set out on his perilous expedition. 1t
would be difficult to exsggerate the dangers
and difficulties of such an enterprise. The
mutineers swarmed everywhere on the
road, and they were keenly vigilant.
Nothing but the most steadfast intrepidity
and neverfailing presence of mind and
GOODNESS could have crowned the
journey with success. But young Kav
anagh had not relied without reason upon
himself, and after numerous narrow escapes
he stood before Sir Colin Campbell, and
delivered to him General Outram's letter.
This letter, conveying information as to
the best means Of making the attack upon
Lucknow, proved of the very highest i'm
portance in the sequel, and Ksvansgh was
most properly awarded the high distinction
of the Victoria Cross for feat of gallantry
requiring infinitely greater resolution and
capacity than are needed to head charge
or lead storming party. MIR. Kavanagh
subsequently,, in response to urgent solici.
tations, wrote an account of his Journey
under the title of 'How Won the Vic.
"toria Cross" HIS act was Justly regarded
as one of unprecedented bravery and skill,
st time when heroism was the rule and
not the exception in the Anglo. Indian
army and now, after the lapse of five. and
twenty years, the mere recital of such a
deed kindles admiration and respect for
the doer of it.