New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-13
SCENES IN THE MUTINY.
SKETCHED IN HOT BLOOD ON THE VERY
FIELD or BATTLE.
OLD TALES RrTOLD BY MEN WHO WERE THEM
SELVES \ PART THEREOF.

u
SELVES PART THEREOF.
Seldom Is 4 more interesting rehearsal of famil-
lar history made than may find in book just
issued from the Government press at Calcutta.
II consists Of selections from the letters as
patches and other official papers OF the military
department of the Indian Government TOT tue
years 1851 and 1855. No facts OF startiihs III
tcrest are revealed. but scene and events OF the
Sepov mutiny are described with impressive force
bv the very men who saw and acted in them, ana
Who wrote of them at the time and on the spot
These narratives are admirably summarized by
the editor in the Introduction. Ihere IS LOT en-
ample General Hearsey's personal account OF 'he
firing of the first shot in the awful CONNECT IL
was General Hearsey who in January. 1851, hrst
repor ed TO the Government that an lll-teellnS was
Incoming prevalent amOng the troops on account
of stories they had heard about the grease used on
their cartridges He relates. in his of1cial report
of the actual outbreak. that he heard that one
Mungul Pandy. a Sepoy, was behaving bady. he
thereupon rode to the parade ground and saw
Mungu Pandy strding up and down and vehe-
mently calling upon his comrades 10 JOIN MN 10
defend and die for their religion and caste. Inc
General Immediately rode toward the quarter
Guard accompanied by his two sons ana MAJOR
Ross the assistant adjytant-generaL He heard
an omcer shout out to him. " His muskHt Is load
cd 4" and replied Damn his musket on reach
ing the guard. he ordered them to follow MN Inc
M tive officers said HE is loaded and he VIII shoot
us " II again" writes General Hearsey shakifs
nv revolver and pointing II partly to"aru MIN
sharply repeated the order. The 1emadar looked
.sLarce at me and replied. The men of the guard
ra nutting caps on the nipples. SAID IN Il COM
handing and peremptory voice, BE quick and fol-
Lou, me, and rode out in front toward the mutt
roor The guard followed. my aide-de-carip on
borseback close to the jemadar armed win MS re-
volvers; my other son also close 10 the hatiVe
officer similarly armed. Major Ross in rear OF my
self As We approached the mutineer we quick
en.d our pace My son. Captain }. Hearsey, called
20 me rather he is taking aim at you look out
sharp' | replied If | fall. John rush upon MIN
and nut him to death. Immediately after the
r,uttneer fired and the whistle of the bullet was
-, 10. tho guard Then they saw Mungul
p,ndv fall to the ground. At the last moment
no had turned the muzzle to his breast and dis
,r,,el II by the pressure of his foot. II bid
tb. men 20 quietly their lines. and they did 50,
Immediately obeying my orders So closed the
first important episode in the Indian Mutiny, and
the action of the fine old soldier riding forward TO
conture the fanatic was the first of many heroic
deeds
\ little later the native troops at Meerut refused
IN accent the. offensive cartridges They were
tried for INSTRUMENTATION. and eighty-hve OF the
ringleaders were convicted and sentenced to ten
years penal servtude. Thereupon parade was
held of all the forces In Meerut, and the hndins
and sentence of the court read to the men. The
uniform; and for more than an hour the troops
stood motionless their nerves at the highest ten
sion while the letters were slowly hammered on
the ankles their guilty comrades by the artillery
smith As each cuprit was marched forward he
loudly called on his comrades to rescue him. No
response came from the ranks. When the cere-
,nonv was finished the prisoners were marched
down the line, and sent direct to the lail Inc
parade dissolved, and General Hewitt re-
ported to Army Headquarters that THE majority
of the prisoners seemed to feel acutely the degrada
ton to which their folly and INSTRUMENTATION had
brought them The remainder of the native troops
are behaving steady and soldierlike.
But they did not long remain STEADY and SOL
dierlike." on a Sunday evening, when the Eng
lishmen at church and unarmed, they broke
into open mutiny The Sd Cavalry began IT..
Waving their sabres over their heads. they gal
loped the prison. broke into the cells ana quick
~ set their comrades at liberty Meanwhile the
infantry regiments showed symptoms OF mutiny
and the officers, rushing to their respective lines,
tried to allay the excitement, but in vain Colonel
Finnis fine soldier, beloved by officers ana men.
while imporing his regiment, the llth. TO be
faithful. fell riddled by volley of the Dth Native
Infantry. Then half mad with excitement, and
aided by the of the city. the Sepoys began
the work of pillage and murder. Soon however.
the cry was raised Quick brother. quick-Delh!
Delhi,' and the mutineers fed along the road to
the Moghul capital.
Bada hur Shah. the King of Delhi. was then
an old and feeble man. and was panic-stricken by
the entrance of the rebeous Sepoys into his city.
on hearing the iiproar of the troopers he sent an
attendant to ascertain who were creating a dis-
turbance. The servant returned and informed MS
royal master that they troopers from Meerut
who had resolved fighting for the faith anu
killing the white men. The King Immediately
dispatched a message to Captain Douglas ,he eo
mandant of the palace guards, who said ne "ouu
descend to the courtyard and speak TO the uoop
ers But the King laid hold of his hand ana saiu'
II won't let you go: they are murue'e'',
might xii you also" Captain Douglas OH 'ea' -"
ire King received a message from Mr.. fraser inc
Commissioner OF Delhi. asking him 10 mee' nm
the Calcutta Gate which faced the river no' . an
the bridge of boats. Arriving there he iou'I -
Sir Tbeophilus Metcalfe. the Resident al peihi
Mr. eraser the Commissioners. and Mr. Hutchin-
son the Collector had preceded him But they
81, - Zoo late. the mutineers had crossed the
htdge and the gate was in their possession Fraser
a,,ennted to reason with the troopers but In vain
and the surging multitude closed upon the tnree