Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-02-07

conCIuucu tnat we SnOulu retrcat
to an old ruin about five miles away
a spot we had visited the week before
and there wait for the cloud to blow over
or the worst to come. Early Monday
morning, on pretence that we were
going to make surveys and excavations
for the benefit of history, we secured a
cart, loaded it with provisions, arms and
ammunition, and started of, each of us
mounted on horseback. We closed up
the bungalow and took our servants with
us. They seemed very willing to 60,
but we soon discovered the cause. On
Monday night all deserted, taking our
three horses along. They wanted us out
of the way when the mutiny opened,
that the garrison might be weakened
just SO much. When through with
those at the station, they would come
and finish us. We had not unpacked the
cart before they left, and they were,
there fore. in ignorance of its contents.
Our first move ON Tuesday morning
was to select place for defence. The
ruins were those of a large temple and
, outbuildings, covering about four acres
of ground. About the centre of this
space was thicket, with a fine spring
of water. From this thicket was open
ground in every direction for b,lf
musket shot. Most of the blocks of
stone were of uniform size, and the
three of us could handle them. By noon
we had enclosed circular space thirty
feet across and five feet high, and had
placed all our stuff within it. The after
noon we spent in filing the interstices in
the wall to make it bullet proof, and in
covering in portion of it. Before night
we had fort which we believed we
could defend against hundred natives.
There was no doorway to it, and we
should have only the top of the wall to
guard.
Once or twice during the afternoon we
heard the reports of carbines on the high
way, half mile to our left, and had no
doubt that the mutiny had occurred as
planned. We did not, however, deem it
prudent to leave our work to investigate,
and it was we'll we did not. The out
break occurred early in the forenoon, just
as planned, and the Colonel was the first
victim. He was shot down by some of
the native officers of the cavalry, and he
had no sooner fallen than they turned
upon their English Captain. Strogan was
the third man killed. He was shot in
front of his own bungalow, as was also
another civil officer who was with him.
The anxiety of the mutineers to secure
plumber permitted the women and chill
dren to find place of safety, and all
eventually escaped to Bella, and from
thence to Cawnpoor. 1t was toward even
ing of Tuesday before squad set out in
search Of us. Our servants were anxious
to see us murdered, for the sake of the
''loot" to be divided. About dark, while
we were wondering if one of us had not
better 60 out after information, we heard
voice calling us, and recognized it as
that of my syce or groom. We climbed
out of our fort and went to the edge of
the thicket and answered him, and he
soon appeared. Matters had changed.
The slave had exchanged places with the
master. The fellow was as cool and i'm
pudent as you pleased. When we asked
what had become of the horses, he
promptly acknowledged to having stolen
mine, and further informed me that /
ought to be very thankful that he had not
taken my life as well. He informed us of
all that had occurred at the barracks, and
stated that party had come out to make
terms with us. Being that we were
Americans, and had had nothing to do
with their oppression, they did not thirst
for our blood. If we would surrender
everything we had we could go where we
pleased. If not they would kill us and
take what they wanted.
We very soon sent the fellow away
with an answer. If we escaped from
this gang it would be to fall into the
hands of another. We should be de-
fenceless and penniless, and what could
we do? We told him we had decided to
fight it out, and as soon as he disap-
peared we returned to the fort. The
two other members of the party were
Henry Wilds and George Fisher. We
had then been in India together for
year, and had stood back to back in
many tight places. Wilds was typical
Yankee, good-natured but courageous,
and his long arms had the strength of