River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-06-18
FIGHTING THE SEP0YS.
Survivor Of the Indian Mutiny Tells How He
Fought His Way Through India and Was
Shnt I'm in RAIea a.lierad lueknna1

There is an entry in the books of the
insane department at Blockley which
reads: FEB. 26, 1884, admitted; trans
ferred to insane department Sept. 5,
1884; James L. Dockrey. aged As
years; nativity, New York; occupa-
ton, teacher; social state, widoweri
diagnosis and here there is
blank, which was yesterday filled up
by DIR. Richardson verbally by the sim
gle word ''dementa This Is spe-
cies of partial or temporary insanity,
which. In the case of james Dockrey,
takes the form of almost total oblivion
regarding comparative recent events,
while his memory of circumstances
which occurred prior to his present
utlliction seems to be nearly il not
thoroughly unimpaired.
james +. Dockrey has history
which, without any hesitation and
with but one misstatement, he related
Yesterday afternoon as he sat in DIR.
Richardson's Office, on the third floor
of the mems wing of the insane de-
partment. A short, broad-shouldered
man of powerful build, somewhat fall
len away from prOtracted confinement,
very intelligent face, covered with a
stubby iron-gray beard, straight hair
of The same cclor, brushed away from
the face and cut straight around, as if
in the old-faShoned nautical manner
by means of a basin, and pair of
gray eyes which, but for weakness of
the lids, rendering them somewhat
bloodshot. would have been very mild
and intelligent.
''In 1886, when the terrible mutiny
of the Sepoys broke out in India, said
he, II was in Australia, near the town
of Melbourne. The news came to us
of the horrible deeds of the brutal
blacks, and my blood boiled to go and
fight against them. Although | was
born in America, my father was a
Scotchman from the city of Aberdeen
and my mother an Irishwoman, so l
not only had lighting blood in me, but
could almost think they were my own
fellow-country people the SepOys were
mascereing. | had been in India sew
eral times, and could speak one or two
of the dialects quite lluently. | there
fore shipped ON trader for Bombay
on the condition that | should leave
the ship when | arrived. A. soon rs
got ashore joined the Volunteer
naval brigade, under the command of
an officer named Stewart. We
marched through the peninsula toward
Calcutta. But before we got there
many time we thought we never
should arrive. The volunteer naval
brigade was part of the army under Sir
Henry IIavelock, and it would be no
news to tell you how that army was
cut to pieces and decimated long be-
fore it reached the coast.
1--WE literally fought our way
through the country, leaving thousands
of our men, women and children on
the road, killed by the most cruel and
cunning enemy in the world. The
sights | saw during that terrible march
will never be eradicated from my
memory. Delicate women staked
alive and their limbs torn from their
bodies while still living, children tied
by the feet to two animals and then
torn in halves the horrible atrocities
are still fresh in the minds of many
who were but children then, and ii is
not SO long ago but that most adults
remember the story We came hand
to nand several times with the black
devils, at kootapoor and at Shanghai
and ROdar, and then at Cawnpore,
until, on the 18th of October, 1857, we
reached Lucknow. There we were
nearly overpowered, for there were
only few of us left. We had to fight
our way through the streets of Luck
now, keeping together and holding
our own as well as we could. You
must remember that, although these
Sepoys were more than half savages,
they had had the advantage of mill
itary training under European officers.
So we had to keep our eyes very wide
open when lighting against well-arm-
ed, well-traned forces far outnumber-
ing us and combining the European
with eastern war tacties.s Besides,
they were natives, and could
stand the terrible climate better
than we.
well, we managed to fight our way
through them till we reached the res
idency, where we found a weary and
horrible resting-place for nearly a
month. Men and women were there
already. The place was ill-adapted
for barricade, but they had made it
comparatively secure for so long us
the ammunition held out. Day after
day passed away, and watchful
sentrics, carefully saving their powder
and bullets, would only use them to
pick off some too Jealous Sepoy who
seemed to be inclined to creep too
near to our barbados. At night we
would count our dead-for the priva-
ton and horrible atmosphere killed
some nearly every day-and burned
| them IN the yard as far from the build
u ,.-lN
cial precaution was taken to guard
against the expected ineendiary of the
blacks or possible assault on our en-
fcebled garrison.
81 think | will never forget the JOY
with which we poor, starving, besieged
/ folk heard the distant sounds of the
Highland bagpipes, nor the shout
which burst upon the pestilence-thick-
ened air when the British red-coats
rushed along through the streets of
Lucknow yelling with the rage of
avengers, and released us from our
| prison. | seem to have gotten mixed
/ up somewhere there, and | guess near
/ " all of us did, for we were half mad
with starvation and constant watch
| ing Anyhow, | was taken to Calcut-
/ TIA to recuperate nv health, and as the
mutiny was suppressed shortly after
that, and | was only a volunteer.
/ thought I'd had enough of soldering
I for time, and gave up the army.
went to Bombay when my health was
! better and remained in business for
some time, but l had a roaming spirit
and had to take to my old calling-the
sea-again at the end of ABOUT a year. y
MIR Dockrey, IN answer to ques-
ton if he considered the sea his pro-
fcssion, said:
No, sir am by profession cler-
gyman. | have beer so much on the
sea though, that perhaps | know more
of it than anything else"
"Do you remember how you came
here?'
mo. sir. All know is that it must
have been near the Fourth of July, for
| remember to have heard the boom
ing of guns, and on inquiring what
| they were firing for was told the date.
After that | remember nothing till
I found myself here. ] have wife
/ living somewhere in Canada, but |
can not remember where.
/ DR.. Richardson sand that Mr.. Dock
rey's case was most satisfactory. He
is very considerably improved since
| his admission. He is a Freemason and
an Odd-Fellow. and his last question
/ to the reporter before saving good-b by
/ Xyas.