The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-06-11
THE MASSACRE OF cAWNPoRE
A Visit to the Scene Of 7 he
BIackeSI Crime in Human
History"

Cawnpore Is a thriving Manufacturing
city Of some l2j, 900 inhabitants. In COM
mercial Importance 1T Is only second TO
Calcutta aud Bombay. 1t furnishes the
railways centeriDg here with more trafhc
than any two or three interior towns put
together. Its greatest notoriety, how-
ever, is associated with its past. Here
was perpetrated what many have called
the blacklist crime in human history"
the horrible Cawnpore massacre.
| shall only review the incidents of this
massacre, which are necessary in
ton with my visitation of the scenes
which it involved.
Early one morning after Chota Hazree
| rode over to the Memorial Church IN
company with a citizen. The Memorial
Church, a. the name implies, is an edI-
fee Of the State religion, erected near the
scene of the memorable resistance of Gen.
Wheeler. The church is a splendid
European-bu built structure, with marble
memorial tablets, exquisite tile floors,
and all the appointments OF a hlgh-foned
house of worship. Indeed, the building
is so modern and elegant, without regard
TO the climate, that In the summer 1t Is
found impossible TO use 1t. Summer
services, by the way, commence at b
o'clock in the morning In this part OF the
country universally.
Just without the church was the IN
trenchment Of 1857, a miserable mud wall
about four feet high, every vestige OF
which has now disappeared. Here 1000
person defended themselves for twenty
two days against the hottest kind OF a
fire from thousands of blood-thirsty pa
gan foes. OF the number 500 were wo-
men and children, and only 40 men. The
sufferings Of these women and children
are almost beyond belief. They had no
shelter except such as their distraught
male protectors could im%provise for them.
The thermometer went up to 40 degrees
in the shade, and the SUM- rays penetra-
ted every part Of the intrenchment.
| Many persisted from sunstroke or disease.
Their food was scarcely sufficient to keep
| them alive. When they wanted water
| they had to risk their lives by venturing
| out to a well, which is still to be seen
here. in plain view of the enemy. Shot
and shell wrought sad mischief until the
9th Of June, when the men ordered a
semi-surrender, chiefly out Of considera-
ton for the dying women and children.
The Mana Sahib, leader of the Sepoy
/ muIlll6GIS, HdQ DlOuIlSC'i " ooiy
conduct the rarty to the Ganges, embark
them, and send them down the river IN
perfect safety.
Accordingly the people who were not
sick emerged from the entrenchment and
confided themselves to the protection of
the treacherous Mana. 1t was understood
the sick should be returned for.
The eager prisoners marched down to
the river. and embarked from the Gate
Chowra Chat. No sooner had they been
loaded upon the boats than hundreds Of
unseen natives opened fire upon them.
Their boats were stranded, and although
they did their best to return the fire and
get off, they could but become easy vic
Tins to this, the foulest instance OF
treachery on record in military history.
Only three men in all that company of
900 escaped death, and but 206 women
and children were left. Among the mas
sacred were a few Americans.
These 2O6 women and children were
then dragged to a building which has
gore down into history as the House of
Massacre. They were crowded into two
small rooms, twenty by ten feet in dlmen-
sions, and kept there until July 10, when
by the order of this same Mana, they
were every one slaughtered. Mana had
heard of Gen. Havelock's advance, and
while he boastcd of the strength to van
qui>h him in battle, he gave orders that
this most shocking deed should be car
ried into execution, lest by any chance a
rescue should be effected. But ever the
cruel Sepoys rebelled at the thought Of
such a crime, and Mana had to hire FIVE
butchers of the city to enter the house
and professionally carry out his will.
This they did, the five men consuming
an hour an a half in taking the 200 lives.
They were paid one rupee per victim, or
in American money, about $50 jointly,
for the bloody deed.
Then by order of Mana the mangled
bodies were dragged to a well in the i'm
mediate vicinity, and cast down, the dy-
ing with the dead, into its crimson waters
fifty feet below.
1t is a matter of regret to every sym.
pathetic traveller to know that this in
human monster Mana soon after disap-
peared, and has never since been heard
from SO that he probably escaped the
punishment he merited.
When Gen. Havelock, the p.ous sold
Ter, at length arrived at Cawnpore, and
repaired 20 this Assembly room, he found
himself Just thirty-six hours too. late.
The floor was still nearly ankle deep with
coagulatlng blood, while shreds Of flesh
and tufts OF hair told Of the barbarous
violence that had been administered.
The cuts on the walls that had been
made with the butchers knives were low
down, showing how the poor victims had
crouched before their assailants. In the
meantime the sick who had been left be-
hind at the intrenchment had also been
slaughtered. There were many other
massacres in the country round about
that were as shocking, but lone that
were so wholesale. | have talked with
men here who saw as mere boys the forms
of European women cut open, a bottle of
gunpowder inserted while they we're still
alive, and hen the whole body blown to
atoms.
How different is the Cawnpore of to-
day. These scenes that were SO bloody
in 1857 are now the fairest spots in
India. Loving hands and an apprecia-
tive government have caused lovely flow
ers to spring up out of the ground that
Was SO drenched with innocent blood, and
marble memorials tell the sad story
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