Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-05-24
BLOWN FROM A CANNON.
THE HORRIBLE EXECUTION OF TWO
MuTINoUs SEPOYS.

-
"Reminiscences "' ''o
England's Rule In the indiap E"P're'
Tho Metbod Was Substituted for Hang
90 .ho prahmin.
LUZ
In the spring OF 1857 was quartered Win
my troop at Sealkote, IN the funJaup'"ioh
IN sight Of the snow capped liinaiayan
mountains, lying beyond the fortress OF
.Jumrood The garrison at Sealkote con
sisted of troop OF horse artillery, pat
terry of field artillery belonging TO the has,
India company's service, the F1fty-seconu
foot and the Sixth dragon guards OF her
Britannia majesty's forces, and two regi
ments of Sepoys
In the early part OF June the European
portion OF the Sealkote garrison Was Vi
dered to join force that had been organ
lied under the command OF Brig Ten
Chamberlain, to be called The Puhgaup
Movable Column" its object beng 10 hoio
in check the large force OF Sepoys quartered
in the Punjaub and prevent them from
marching to Delhi we joined that coiuiiih
at Annurkullee, the old cantonmeht OF the
khalsa army under hunJeet Singh.
There were five regiments OF Sepoys anu
two of native cavalry then CHARTERED tnere'
and shortly after our ARRIVAL some oihhs
who had been enlisted in one OF the Sepoy
regiments gave Information that the hatiVe
officers were melting the men TO mutihy ana
to march to Delhi. An Investigation was
ordered, and it was found that two OF the
officers had deserted. They were captured
by some OF Iodsou's Guide corps ana
brought back to the cantonment, ana zen.
Chamberlain ordered a drum head court
| martial to assemble for their trial. Ihey
| were convicted of melting to mutiny ana
desertion and sentenced to be hanged.
| 1t WIS conclusively proved before the
court by men from their own regiment
| both Hindoos, Mussulmans ana Sikhs-
that they had assembled the men and
urged them to murder their officers ana
march to Delhi.
FINDING OF THE COURT MARTIAL
| The finding and sentence of the court
were approved by Gen. Chamberlain, who
issued an order, the reading of which was
about as follows: "The findings and SEN
tence Of the court martial, of which Lieut.
Col Campbell is president, are approved,
but to show to the natives OF India that
the British government has no intention
or desire to interfere with the preJudlces
of caste, the sc 1tence of the COURTS changed
| from. that OF being hung to being blown
from the mouth OF cannon, and the SEN
tence as modified Will be carried out at sun
rise tomorrow morning under the orders
of the officer commanding the garrison
The PunJaub movable column ana the
garrison will be paraded an hour before
sunrise to see the sentence carried into
effect"
The officer commanding the garrison di-
rected the officer commanding the artillery
to detail two guns to execute the sentence,
and the two right guns of my troop were
detailed for that duty. The troops were
paraded as directed, ana formed IN three
sides OF hollow square, the two guns
from which the culprits were to be blown
being at the base OF the square; on the left
| came the remaining four guns or the troop,
the battery of field artillery, the guns being
placed i'll echelon, 50 that If necessary they
could sweep the right hand side OF the
square. Next came the sixth Carblneers,
her majesty's Fifty-second foot, and a
squadron of Hodson's horse; on the right
were stationed the native troops, two regi-
ments of cavalry, and five of infantry, and
as 1t was not known but that there might
be some attempt at rescue, the guns of
the artillery were loaded, double shotted
with grape and the cavalry and infantry
had their carbines and muskets loaded.
Soon was heard band playing the Dead
March," and the procession appeared The
| prisoners marched up to the front of the
two guns at the base of the square, their
irons were struck from them, and the pro
ceedings, findings and sentence of the
court, together with the approval and
change of sentence by the commanding
general, were read by the interpreter of
one of the native regiments, in English and
Persian. The interpreter was an English
officer, one being attached to each Sepoy
regiment
THE SENTENCE CARRIED OUT.
The commanding officer then gave the
order to the lieutenant commanding the
two guns to carry out the sentence He
directed the prisoners to place themselves
with their backs to the muzzle of the guns.
Standing up against each was thin plank
about six feet long, against which they
placed themselves, the guns having pre-
viously been loaded with the usual service
blank charge of powder. A rope was then
passed around their bodies, the gunners
having been cautioned that it was to be
done without in any manner touching
their bodies, as to be touched by the hands
of an infidel was, in their eyes, worse than
DEATH The culprts were attended by lot
of Brahmin priests, who kept ON chanting
something, in which the prisoners joined
until the fastening was finished, when they
were told to withdraw, and the officer gave
the command to light port fires, and ther
the command to fro Roth a. bas 80,