Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-03-07
Besieged By Mutineers.


OF bengal, when the terrible Indian mu-
tiny delivered its first blow. There were.
uprisin.:s and mutnics at various other
places before any ono Il, Sultanpcor be-
came seriously alarmed The faitf which
the British had in the native soltlicry
would have been sublime had il not been
blind. The English were in India as in
vadcrs and dcSpots. They had nivcn the
people cause To hate them and hunger
for their lives. The natives were Il hun
drcd to one. Princas had been de
tlroncd, social customs overturned, and
every l;n%lisnman was regarded rs stand
ing between the natives and their heaven.
The English knew all this, AMI vet they
had that blind faith which entails de-
strnction. Because no rebellion had
taken place, because the natives were
scrvilc ana cringing, all argued that the
outbreaks were caused by few malcun.
tents and would amount to naught.
Tn"rc were three Americans of us at
SutinnoOI. We had been hunting in
the o,!Ic territory, and had been in Sui
tnnpoI: Tor about three weeks to rest and
rian another trip. We occupied Il bun"a.
low together aud had several native ser
wants. Some Of these were related to
some al the nativ: police and la members
OF the Thirteenth Bengal Cavalry. who
Sar;-orcd the place. There were not
over fifty white person, altogether at the
station. and thrcc-fourihs OF these wrrc
women and children. On Sunday. the
eth a.: jus of that memorable year. |
WA lying IN my hammu. X in the shade
al tnr Bungalow. Ny herl wa, toward
and "i''Iu two fccS nj thick hctl.c
running ai"r% tn, west side OF the hou,...
;a'i hr.u rc-iing for M hour. when
tire. ~ four natives crcpi up on the
o.ncr side Of the hedge and entered info
con ycrs"tion, every wor, OF which
caught. II was announced that the rank
ana i.c wcr" to mutiny within day or
Two and the programme WIS so carefully
laid i'ia' certain men had been detailed To
shoot certain officers, and certain plundcr
was l" go TO certain individuals.
The talk continued for full hour. and
when The conspir,torS withdrew no sane
man could doubt what was 10 follow.
The tax collector nj the district was IL
clIEli @ihc"r named Stro%an. and he occu
pied bungalow not over twenty wards
away. After waiting for !: couple of
hoHr: ] strollcd over there, and when op.
pprtuniiy presented itself told him what
had heard. He had ii wife and two
children, and he WAS rs par us death
when had finished my Story. He went
al once 10 see Colonel Fisher who was in
command OF the post, that individual not
only treated hi communication with con-
tempt hut sent an insulting message 10
me. Ii WAS to the effect thal he wanted
no interference in military affairs by any
Yankees. He mtimutcl to Sirogan tlnri
] WIS probably half drunk, and declared
tla, hc w;s ready la stake his life on the
Loyalty oi his men. This di, not uuict
the collector, however. Wien lie re-
turned nc began packin" up lis valu-
able. and tina, night he made nm excuse
to "'i his family nearer TIL" barracks
On Sunday evening Our native servant,
were us scrvilc lis dogs. On Monday
morning their bearing was full of impu-
dencc. All noticed it and ali were salts
iicd that the mutiny WAS close Mt hand.
We !ml canvasscd the matter over to see
what we should do. If the garrison re-
bellci the odds were fifty 10 one in their
favor. If they elected To slaughter every
white person nothing could prevent
them While they knew us to be Amer
leans, we were 'lerrnghecs. and that
was enough. They would kill us even
for the sake OF plumber. We decided
that we stood nc show ut the station. and
that we must take care OF ourselves.
Had VIC started oil on the highway for
t-.,,1., Ial. IL
pushed or followed. 1t was finally
concluded that we should retreat
to an old ruin about five miles away
spo: VIC had visited the week before
anu there wait for the cloud TO blow owe,
or he worst to come. Early Monday
morning, or pretonce that we were
gong to make surveys and excavations
for the benefit of history, we secured q
cart, loaded it with provisions. arms and
ammunition. and started OF. each of us
mounted on horseback We closed III
the bungalow and took our servants with
us. They seemed very willing TO 30
but We soon discovered the cause. On
Afor'!ay night all deserted. taking oul
three horses along. They wanted us on
Of The way when the mu.iny opened
that the garrison might be .wcakcncc
Just SO much. When through wit,
those at the station, they would COM
and finish rs. We had not unpackcd tin,
cart before they left, and they were
therefore. ill Ignorance Of its contents.
Ou: first move on Tuesday mornin.
was to select n place for defence. TIL
ruins were those OF large temple AN,
outbuildings, covering about fo;Ir acre
of ground. About the centre of thi
sracs was thickct, with a fine sprin
OF water. From this thickct vas ope
ground in every direction for hal
muskct shot. Most of the blocks g
stone were OF a uniform size, and III
three of lis could handle them. Bvnoo
we had enclosed circular space thirt
feet across and five feet high, and ha
placed all our stuff within it. The after
noon we spent in filling the intorstices i
the wall to make it bullet proof, and i
covering in portion Of it. Before nigh
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