Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-11-30

bands would shoot them rather than let
them fall into the hands Of these desper-
ADDE'S. The women within the resi-
dency were kept on the smallest allow
anoe that would maintain life. No op-
portunity Of privacy. The death angel
and the birth angel touched wings as
they passed. Flies. mosquitoes, vermil
In full possession of the place, and these
women in momentary expectation that
the enraged savsges would rush upon
them, in a violence Of which club and
sword and torch and throat cutting
would be the milder forms
Our escort told us again and again OF
the bravery Of these women. They did
not despair. They encouraged the SOL
diery. They waited on the wounded and
dying in the hospital. They gave up
their stockings for holders Of the grape
shot. They solaced each other when
their children died. When a husband
or father fell, such prayers Of sympathy
were offered as only women can offer
They endured without complaint They
prepared their own children for burial
They were inspiration for the men who
stood at their posts fighting till they
dropped
The Guns Of Relief.
Our escort told us that again and
again news had come that Hayelock and
Outram were on the way to fetch these
besieged ones out Of their wretchedness.
They had received letter from Havelock
rolled up In quill and carried in the
mouth Of disguised messenger, letter
telling them he was on the way, but the
next news was that Havelock had been
compelled to retreat. 1t was constant
vaoillation between hope and despair.
But one day they heard the guns Of re-
lief sounding nearer and nearer. Yetall
the houses Of Lucknow were fortresses
filled with armed miscreants, and every
step Of Havelock and his army was con-
tested-fring from housetops, firing
from windows, firing from doorways.
I asked our friend If he thought that
the world famous story Of Scotch lass
in her delirium hearing the Scotch bag
pipes advancing with the Scotch regi-
ment was a true story. He said he did
not know but that is was true. Without
this mans telling me l knew from my
own observation that delirium some
times quickens some Of the faculties,
and l rather think the Scotch lass in her
delirium was the first to hear the bag
pipes. decline to believe that class OF
people who would like to kill all the
poetry Of the world and Danish all the
fine sentiment. They tell US that Whit
tiers poem about Barbara Freitchie was
founded on delusion, and that Long
fellows poems immortalized things that
never occurred. The Scotch lass did
hear the slogan. l almost heard 1t my
self as stood inside the residency while
my escort told Of the coming on Of tho
Seventy eighth highland regiment.
"Were you present when Havelock
came in?" 1 asked, for 1 could suppress
the question no longer. His answer
came:
"I was not at the moment present but
with some other young fellows saw
soldiers dancing while two highland
pipers played, and l said, What is all
| this excitement2 Then we came up and
saw that Havelock was in, and Outram
was in, and the regiments were pouring
| in"
"Show us where they came in, " ex-
claimed, for knew that they did not
enter through the gate Of the residency,
| that being banked up inside to keeptpo
murderers out. Here 1t IS, " answered
my escort Here it is-the embrasure
through which they came" "
We walked up to the spot. 1t is now
broken down pile Of bricks dozen
yards from the gate. Long grass now,
bat then a blood spattered, bullet scar
red opening in the wall.
AS we stood there, although the scene
was 81 years ago, saw them come in
-Havelock pale and sick, but trium-
phant, and Outram, whom all the eques-
trian statues in Calcutta and Europe
cannot TOO granuIy pIesehV'
Deliverance at Last.
"what then happened?" / said to my
escort. "Oh," he said, that is impos'
sible to tell The earth was removed
from the gate, and soon all the army Of
| relief entered, and some Of rs laughed,
and some cried, and some prayed, and
some danced Highlanders so dust COW
| cred and enough blood and wounds on
| their faces to make them unrecogniza-
bic snatched the babes out Of their
I mothers arms and kissed them and
| passed the babies along for other SOL
l diers to kiss, and the wounded men
! crawled out Of the hospital to join in
the cheering, and it was wild jubilee
until, the first excitement passed, the
/ story Of how many Of the advancing ar
| my had been slain on the way began to
have fearful effect, and the story Of sut-
fering that had been endured inside the
! fort. and the announcement to children
| that they were fatherless, and 10 wives
| that they were widows. submerged the
shouts Of joy with wailing Of agony.
but were you not embarrassed by
| the arrival Of Havelock and ], 400 mon
who brought no food with them|' Ho
answered: "Of course wo were put on
smaller rations Immediately in order
that they might share with us, but we
knew that the coming Of this re-enforce-
ment would help US to hold the place
until further relief should come. Had
not this first belief arrived as it did in
day or two at most and perhaps in
any hour the besiegers would have bro
ken In, and our end would have come.
The sepoys had dug six mines under
the residency and would soon have ex'
| ploded all"
After we had obtained few bullets
that had been picked out of the wall
and piece Of a bombshell we walked
aroond the eloquent ruins, and put our
| hands into the scars Of the shattered
masonry and explored the cemetery IN
side the fort where hundreds OF the
dead soldiers await the coming Of the
Lore Of Hosts at the last day, and wo
could endure no more. My nerves were
all s-tremble. and my emotions were
rruns out, and said, LET us 60" /
| Ia .ooy, shs rasidencv at Lucknow the