Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-26


eial- Gazette reporter yesterday by Mr..
william Bentley, Of 9lO Duquesne
vsy, This gentleman Is one of the
few surviving European officers who
Witnessed the blood-curdling terrors Of
the Sepoy mutiny in India in 1857 and
1858. 81 was q lieutenant attached
to the corps Of engineers in the
Bengal army" he continued. :" We
we're stationed at Meerut. II
was the 10th Of May, 1857 that the
uprisipg Of the Sepoys occurred there.
That was Sunday evening. | saddlsd
nv horse to 90 and SEQ friend who
was an officerAof one of the native regi-
merts OF the infantry. The Sspoys in
this regiment belonged TO the disafIected
troops, but were not suspected. or
course had no suspicion. had just
arrived ct my friends bungalow when
the natives broke open the stores Of arms
and began the slaughter Of officers, who
had iust arrived from their quarters.
zach was killed on sight. One whom
I spoke with few moments before was
Colonel Finnis, the brother Of the then
Lord Mayor of London. My friend
told me to look sharp and save my life.
I at once galloped of. The natives,
however, saw me and gave chase, but |
escaped with only bullet in my leg. |
took refuge with the officers OF
the Sixth carbinser regiment, aud
when they turned out on parade
shortly afterward was requested to
stay in their lines. l stayed there
all night. The massacre of the off,
GERS and their ladies continued through
out the night, and the scenes among
the killed and wounded were frightful
beyond description. For instance, on
the stage of the Theatre at Meerut |
counted thirty-siI corpses. The fol-
lowing morning returned to my regu-
lar quarters. All the dead were
brought on artillery wagons. At this
time the Bengal army consisted of
%, 698 Europeans and 1868 natives.
"Those were nothing in comparison
with the scenes ct Cawnpors-swful
scenes, which at this long distance OF
time am quite unable to wholly ban
ish from my mind when it reverts to
that country and time. 1t was here
that by orders Of Mana Sshib Briga-
dier-G eneral Wheeler and his brave sol
diers were slaughtered liz trenches and
fred upon by masked batteries. The
Mana put to death all the women found
in the town after cutting their feet off
and subjectiDg them to other outrages.
"Niss Wheeler, the lovely daughter
Of the General, rather than submit to
the gross violence, leaped into deep
we'll. The Mana at once seized upon
this horrible idea, and as fast as the
European ladies were massacred their
bodies we're flung into this well. At
the edge of this famous We'll OF Gavin
pore I stood within q week after it
was filled with its human contents.
The stencil arising from it was some
thing that is sickening even to think Of
now. Over that site now rises one OF
the most magnificent pieces of archl-
lecture to be seen in all India. 1t is
fine octsgon marble building around
the well, without a roof, and enclosing
an elaborate tomb. IL is near the
theatre and close to the bank Of the
finest canal in the world, the Ganges.
Neutrality-suspicious. have also been laid
out around the scene Of the massacre
and beautiful church erected.
Children's brains were dashed out
against the walls of buildings. When
reached Cawnpore the well was guard
ed and rallied in. On the walls of build
ings we saw signs Of fearful slaughter.
There were tatters Of clothing, clumps
of hair clotted thick with blood, while
the slaughter-house was smesred with
blood and flesh. Thirty pairs of feet
were found in one place. The two days
of the massacre, out Of 900 Europeans
at least two thirds were butchered, and
in September 200 more were msssacred.
aIn the fearful retribution which fol-
lowed I saw the mutineers strapped to
the mouths of cannon and blown to
pieces others were hanged anywhere
scores of them were bsheaded, and
others shot down with volleys of mus
kerry.
~ have seen the Mana, too. Before
The mutiny he was one Of the best men
at our mess; after the rebellion he es-
capped, and we bad several chases aitof
him. 1t was thought that he was hidden
in the Nepaul hills, and | have good
reason to believe that he died in the
Jungle.
AT the siege and capture Of Delhi
was present and formed one OF the
party to blow open the Cashmere Gate,
when Lieutenant Howe, Sergeant Car
michael, and two others were killed. |
assisted to carry out Of the ditch where
be fell MORALLY wounded the brave
and good John Nicholson under heavy
fire from the walls aud bastions Of the
city.
" At the capture Of Lucknow | was
employed on the engineers staff, and,
with Lieutenants Donald Mcneil aud
Vincent Eyre, of the artillery, | dis
covered aud rescued two Of orr ladies
from the custody Of one Of the rebels,
who had them closely confined in very
small room. In the Rohilcund cam
psign and battle and capture Of Bareilly,
where we fought under Clyde from 5
A. NJ. till sunset, we lost more brave
men by sunstrokes than by casualties.
After the action the men biyouacksd on
the field and sank exhausted. Many
were found to have fallen asleep in the
very act of raising the food provided
for them to their mouths. Scores and
hundreds were found dead in the morn.
ing"
Mr.. Bentley, who is. a professional
translator Of foreign languages at pres
emit, possesses Q British civil-servics
medal, with clasps, for his services in
India in 1857.
A nhysioloeist saws that {" no mans