The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-23
The SEPOY HUT|AY
AND REBELLION.
Thrilling Account of the Massacre
at Cawnp0re and Its
- Retributi0n.
STORY OF AN EYE WITNESS
The DeviIish Work of Mana Sahib.
Women and Children Starved as
Priso ners for Days and Finally
InsuIted, Massacred, Cut TO
Pieces and Thrown in Well.
Executions of the Miscreants.

( of the horrors of the Indian mutiny
\ + and rebellion, il was shown where
"the human slaughter-house" had
11been discovered late in the evening
after the battle of Cawnpore. At the time
of the discovery was lying under tree in
a high fever. l had been for thirteen hours
exposed to the overD0wering heat of trOp-
zeal sun in the month Of July. during
which time l had been in constant action
with my half battery of guns. over hot
plains, poor roads, through topes and over
deep, muddy paddy-Or rice-felds. These
fatigues, and the fever resulting from a
recent wound, completely Frustrated me.
and / was not able to visit 'the slaughter
house" that night. Early the next morning,
being somewhat refreshed and strengthened
By night of unbrOken rest, | started to
visit the scene where the wholesale murders
had taken place. What horrible sight met
the eyel
Nature itself had dispensed its gifts with
lavish hand. The bungalow, or slaughter
house." stood within q peaceful looking.
outrageous grove of mango and tamarlnd
trees. with an open frontage facing the
sacred and famous river of the HindOo, the
Gan ges. with its smooth walks and beauti-
ful, grassy sioping banks, leading down
10 the margin of the river. The building
was oblong in shape. some sixty by eighty
feet in size, one story high, with We
randa running entirely around it, and
having q corridor or hall running directly
through the center from north to south.
This hall opened into six rooms, three on
the east and three ON the west side. and in
these rooms the unfortunate women and
children. captured By the cruel Mana Sahib,
after the foolish treaty made by the unfOr-
tunate and confiding General Wheeler with
Mana. were placed. At the time of my
visit all nature seemed peaceful and beauti-
full to wonderful degree. There were the
grand. wide-spreadng, Tricky leaved,
VIVID GREEN TREES,
Heavily laden with their luscious, splendid
parti-co!ored fruits. the mango and the
: tamarind; the morning breeze gently "huz-
zing''-an Indian term-through the closely
crowded branches and leaves of the sur
rounding grove, the great and beautiful
river flowing close by, its deep and pellucid
waters glin[ing in the morning sunlight,
and throwing back with reflected Splendor
brilliant scintillationS from every curl OF its
miniature waves-and there stood the
bungalow, handsome to look at, with its
green painted, cool looking jalousies, its
imitation marble balusters and pillars. but
its associations in the mind called up scenes
of dread, horror and Sc0urge. l walked
toward the south entrance where | knew
the mangled remains of the poor women and
childr,n had been d,agg,d through before
h were thrown into The dreadful well.
This well was distan. from the bungalow
sJme twenty-five or thirty PAGES, and lead
ing to it was grayeied walk. Over this
gravel the coIpes of the murdered victims
were dragged to be thrown into the well,
ard the hlood-soaked trail too surely lndl-
Gated the route and the disposition OF the
bodies. followed the trail of blood to the
edge of the WE'LL and never shall l forget
tie horrifying, sickenins sight which pre-
scented itself. The white. narrow, granite
coping of the mouth of the we'll was COM
pletely besmeared with coagulated blood.
the grass all around, for distance of sew
eral yards, being trampled down and stained
with gore, which had 0ozed from the gaping
g wounds in the bodies as they were flung
upon the sward. each in its turn 10 be hurled
INTO the well by the fiendS who
had wrought the diabolical work. l
tried to look down into the depths
of the well, but all was dark, and my
(native artilleryman) to light the candle in
the lantern. with which l had provided him
before starting, and to lower it down the
shaft. This he effected by fastening it to
some eight or ten feet of trace rope, and
that objects began to take shape 10 the eye,
and the mind could grasp the horrible sight
that met the vision, what was seen Is be-
yond the power of man to describe. The
memories of that moment will cling to me
UNTIL THE END OF LIFE.
. On one side of the little circular space
could be seen the wounded and mangled
of an and children In another
portion Of the rounded space were the sew
cred arms, legs, feet, heads and scarifed
busts of other women and children. Fresh
horrors were to be seen IN every spot upon
- hich the eye rested too dreadful to dwell
upon. And all of these murders had been
done by the tulwars in the hands of the
Fifth Bengal Light Cavalry, or Suwars, and
by Orde' of the cruel, cUwardly and re-
lentless Mana Sick at heart | retraced
my steps to the south entrance to the
bungalow. and as placed my foot upon the
first of the steps leading up on to the veran-
da Observed to my right nearly hidden by
the long grass, the upper portions OF the
form of a female child and the right arm of
a woman, both Of which were feaIfully
mutilated by the teeth of the beastly, howl
pearances the poor remains had been
cut in pieces in the general slaugh.
fer, thrown out upon the sward anf
there neglected in the excitement oil
the moment i ordered the "gullendauZ,
to have them buried, which order he hat
carried into effect as soon as possible
Meanwhile, l passed within the corridor
where l found the white ''chunammed'
floor strewn with long locks of hair, in some
instances the hair still cinging to portion:
of the scalp and bone Of the skull, WHERE
: the mdrderons tulwar had cut through
like razor. Portions OF the dresses OF the
women lay scattered around, some of the
pieces containing the flesh of the body that
had been covered by them, and which
had been sliced off by the keen-edged tu
wars used 10 the massacre. AT the n0Tti
end OF the corridor | observed poor lit.
shoe, with the sole turned toward me.
stepped forward and picked it up, and i'm
.agine my horror when found it contained
the little foot of the wparer to which thu
lower portion OF the leg Of the child was at
tached. 1t had evidently been severed by 6
blow with the dreadful tulwar, in the
hands OF cowardly rufiian, who, summoned
by his
MURDERoUs CoNFREREs,
Had no one TO oppose him but poor, terrified
women and helpless children.
/ entered the first room off the corridor to
the south and west of the building, where it
: was known thssthe brave ana NOBLE MISS
Wheeler daughter of the poor, trusting
General, had been confined a close prisoner
before being murdered. There were tire,
other ladies who were confined as prisoner:
in the same room with her, fact that was
easily ascertained by the pencil writings or
the walls. Apparently the poor creature:
in this room were the last ones murdered
for their writings-which | give below-de
scribe the heart-rending screams and sup
plicatiOns for mercy uttered by the unfOrtu
nate beings in the other rooms where thu
murders were being done. am not ade
quate TO describe the scenes which mus
haze transpired in this room. will, there
fore, simply copy from my diary such notes
as were written on the spot aud at the
moment.
The diary reads: AS l entered my RICH
foot slipped from underneath me, l having
stepped in "a small pool of half-dried bloc.
at the door. Heavy stains of blood covered
the. floor, together with pieces Of women'S
Clothing. Pieces of a broken and blood
stained tulwar lay scattered around.
Marks of bloody fingers were on the wall
as If some creature had been Blind,
grasping at something to save them
selves from failing. On the nortl
wall was written: The brute Mana was
here. He made dre-l Uhe other letters
contained in the blank were obliterated BY
bloody finger marks proposals. The rene
gade, La Martinier Jr., was with him.
spat on the ground between us and told hin