The morning call., 1891-06-28
MRS. .GRIMWOOD'S
EXPERIENCE.
Story Of The Only Foreign Woman at One
Time in MaHipur.
It Is Told in a. Letter From Mrs. Frank st
Clair Grimwood, the Widow Of an Un-
fortunate Political Agent.

which she gives an account Of the outbreak
in Manipur. She was at that time the only
foreign woman in the place. The letter
which was published in the New York Sun
is as follows:
Long before this reaches you you will
have heard from the newspapers of all that
has taken place in Manipur, and this is only
to give you particulars. Frank must have
told you about the Chief Commissioner COM
ing with $50 men Of the Forty-second Goork-
has. They kept US in the dark as to their
real reasons for coming until they arrived
on March 22d. The chief then had a con-
snltation with Frank and decided to hold a
durbar at once. Word was sent the Ma
harajah to tell him to come and bring all
the Princes with him. Frank had mean
while told me that the Government of India
had decided that the ex-Maharajah was not
to be allowed to return. but that also the
jubraj, the Prince who turned him out in
September, was to be banished for term
of years To- India. This decision was to be
announced in the durbar ana when the
Princes got up TO go, the jubraj was to be
arrested then and there and conveyed out
of the place that day by some of the
Forty-secOnd. For this purpose the steps
to the durbar house were lined with Sepoys
aud the house generally surrounded. The
Maharajah arrived with his followers and
only one OF his brothers out of three with
the excuse that the other two were ill aud
so were unable to be present As the jubraj
was one of these the chief said the durbar
could not be held without him and that he
must be sent for. They delayed four or five
hours, but he would not come. SO there was
no durbar, and tho MahaTajah went away
under the understanding that la WAS IN
come early on the morning Of the 23d and
bring the lubTai. The 23d arrived, but the
rajah did not turn up, as he said the jubrsj
was Ill still and could not come. This went
on the whole day. and in the evening the
chief decided that Frank had better 20 and
see the jubraj, tell him of the decision of
the Government, and try and persuade him
to listen quietly and act in accordance. So
Frank went and stayed two or three hours,
telling him and trying to persuade him to
20, but he said ne would not. and the
Mabarajah refused to give him up.
Frank then told him that the Sepoys
WOULD be sent to get him. However, he
would not give in, so Frank returned ABOUT
7 in the evening and told the chief. A
council OF war was then had. and the plan
of attack for the next day was made.
think we all felt gloomy that night. We all
dined together aud tried TO make things as
jolly as we could, but did not succeed very
well and all went TO bed early.
AT 3 O'Clock, Oh the morning OF the oath,
we all got up. | gave them something to
eat and then they all left Frank, the
Colonel commanding and two officers went
with the reserve. \ young fellow called
Brackenbury led the attack on the palace
Of thu jubrsj. Then the fight began. l was
in the telegraph Office sending off tele-
gram, when bullet came through the win
dow and struck the floor about two inches
FROM WHERE l WAS STANDING.
II then ran out and took up a pos ton with
the chief below the Office, which was made
Of brick, and so was fairly shot-proof.
Bullets were raining over our heads.
have kept several that picked up.
Meanwhile the fight in the palace was
going on. Poor Lieutenant BTacken bury
went the wrong rOld and IRE WAS opened
upon him from three sides. He fell in the
first volley, shot through the ankle. He lay
where he fell. exposed to the enemv'S fire.
and they male the most 0f IL, and fired vol
leys into him. You can picture for yourself
what that means. Once all that morning |
saw Frank He came u get out some more
ammunition; our SepOys were running
short, aud that was about II. At Il O'Clock
some Of tho officers and Frank came back
for something to eat. / was cutting
sandwiches for the others who could
not leave their posts, when bullet
crashed through the window directly
over nv head. They were attacking US ana
were all round the house, SO that the rooms
were unsafe The odds against US were
enormous Frank put their numbers down
as close upon 5000; we had 40 all told. We
managed TO drive them off The house and
divide our forces, half for the raSidencv,
while half remained TO continue the attack
on the palace. Meanwhile Frank and all
the officers went back TO their posts. The
ammunition mean while was getting to an
end, and it was found that all our forces
would be needed at the residency, so word
was sent to call them in. The MauipuriS
got possession Of the wall in front OF the
house and brought out four big guns and
commenced Smelling the house. l think the
horror of those hours will last to the end of
my life. Shells were burning in the TO- ms
overhead. for by this time we were all In
the cellars-that is, Frank, myself, the
chief. the Colonel and TWO civilians on the
chiefs staff The rest were trying to re-
cover the wounded from all directions.
Heavy fire went on for four hours, and
at 7 o'clock the Colonel and the chief de-
cided that terms must lie made 10 save us at
all as We had hardly any ammunition left.
The bugleIs were sent TO sound the cease
fire. but for some time the firing continued.
Ii stopped al last, and the chief sent one of
the officers out with a lettor asking for
terms. The jubraj sent back TO say that If
the chief would come out to the gate he
would come, too, and see what could be
done. Frank advised a retreat to the
heights, a mile and half away, where we
might have held out until relieved, but his
advice was UNDECIDED. So the chief, the
Colonel, Frank. the Secretary and assistant
Commissioner and one officer. all went out.
This was about 8 80 in the evening, and we
had eaten nothing all day. The wounded
were then
ALL BROUGHT TO THE RESIDENCE
And one of the cellars turned into hos
pita. L pray that may never see such
sight again.
There were crowds of them; some
dying. Poor Lieutenant Brackenbury was
the first, shot all over, both legs broken,
both arms, bullets in him all over the place !;
and yet, poor lad. he was alive and per-
fectly conscious the whole time, and in
awful agony. | did what l could TO help
him, but 1t seemed almost impossible to do
anything. In enc corner WAS poor fellow
with his brain shot out on the top of his head
and yet alive. Another with his forehead
gone, and many Others worse. Luckily, L
am rather stTong-minded, aud so | was able
To help in bathing SOME of the wounds and
bandaging them up. After this l went to
get every one something to eat, and we had
a sort of scratch dinner Then | went
round the house. | can't tell you what
felt. All our pretty things broken, the
roofs and walls riddled with bullets, and
shells burst ia all OF them. 1t vas dread
full sight 10 me, AID left II and returned to
III hospital.
Meanwhile about two hours had gone
and was getting anxious about Frank, so
went out In the grounds to try aud see if /
could see anything of them. ] didn't see
them, so / went back to the veranda and
asked one Of the officers to 60 outside the
gate and look for him, and / sat down ut
terly wearied out aHd was doing off in a
chair on the veranda, when suddenly to my
horror the firing began again. At first
thought they had killed Frank and the
others, but bugler came rushing in and
told us they had taken them prisoners, as
they would not listen to the shameful terms
propOsed-Whieh were that we were to give
up our arms / fed down to the cellar
again where the wounded were. The firing
was sometimes awful, and the shells burst
lug In every direction. / got hurt in my
arm; it bled a lot, but wasn't serious
After another two hours we decided we
must retreat, as the house was in danger Of
catching fire. The wounded were got out
as nuipkiV nnQsiblp. fbrpa had disd