The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-12-12

''Mr. Lee, what is this2" I said to our
escort as the carriage halted by an
embankment. Here" he said, sis the
entrenchment were the Christians OF
Cawnpore took refuge. 1t is the re-
mains of wall which at the time Of
the mutiny was only four feet high,
behind which, with no shelter from the
sun, the heat at 1870 degrees, 440 men
and $50 women and children dwelt near
ly month. A handful of flour and
split peas was the daily ration, and only
two wells near by, the one in which
they buried their dead, because they
had no time to bury them in the earth,
and the other we'll the focus on which
the artillery of the enemy played, SO
that it was choice between death by
thirst and death by bullet or shell.
Ten thousand yelling Hindoos outside
this frail wall and 1000 suffering, dy-
ing people inside. In addition to the
army of the Hindoos and Moslems, an
invisible army of sickness swooped
upon them. Some went raving mad
under exposure; Others dropped under
apoplexy. A starving, mutilated, fe-
vered, sunstruck, ghastly group, wait
ing to die. Why did not the heather
dash down those mud walls and the
10000 annihilate the now less than
1000? 1t was because they seemed SUI
pernaturally defended.
Mana Sahib resolved to celebrate an
anniversary. The 23d of June, 1857,
would be one hundred years since the
battle of Plassy, when under Lord
Give, India surrendered to England.
That day the last European in Gavin
pore was to be slaughtered. Other an
niversaries have been celebrated with
wine, this was to be celebrated with
blood. Other anniversaries have been
adorned with garlands; this with drawn
swords. Others have been kept with
songs; this with execrations. Others
with the dance of the gay; this with
the dance of death. The infantry and
cavalry and artillery of Mana Sahib
made on that day one grand assault.
but the few guns of the English and
Scotch put to flight these Hindoo tigers.
The courage of fiends broke against
that mud wall as the waves of the sea
against lighthouse. The cavalry
horses returned full run, without their
riders. The Lord looked out from the
heavens, and ON that anniversary day
gave the victory to His people.
Therefore Mana Sahib must try some
other plan. Standing in a field not far
from the intrenchment of the English
was native Christian woman, Ja-
cobee by name, holding high up in her
hand a letter 1t was evidently COM
munication from the enemy, and Gen.
| Wheeler ordered the woman brought
in. She handed hima proposed treaty.
If Gen. Wheeler and his men would
give up their weapons, Mana Sahib
would conduct them into safety; they
could march out unmolested, the men,
women and children; they could go
down tomorrow to the Ganges, where
they would find boats to take them in
peace to Allahabad.
There was some opposition to signing
this treaty, but Gen. Wheelers wife
told him he could trust the natives and
SO he signed the treaty There was
great joy in the intrenchment that
night, Without molestation they went
out and got plenty of water to drink,
and water for good wash The hun
ger and thirst and exposure from the
consuming sun, with the thermometer
from 100 to 14O, would cease. Mothers
rejoiced at the prospect of saving their
children. The young ladies of the in
trenchment would escape the wild
beasts in human form. On the morrow,
true to the promise, carts were ready
to transport those who were too much
exhausted to walk.
"Get in the carriage" said Mr.. Lee,
land we will ride to the banks of the
Ganges, for which the liberated com
batants and non-combatants started
from this place." On our way Mr.. Lee
pointed out monument over the burial
place which was opened for Gen
Wheeler's intrenchment, and well into
which every night the dead had beer
dropped. Around it is curious memo
rial. There are five crosses, one al
each corner of the garden, and one al
the center, from which inscription
to-day read my text. Riding on, we
came to the Memorial church built tt
the memory of those fallen in Gavin
pore. The walls are covered with tab
let's and epitaphs. / copied two Oh
three of the inscriptions. 'These are
they who came out of great tribula
tion;" also, "fhe dead shall be raised
incorruptible;" also, SIN the world W
shall have tribulation, but be of gooC
cheer; have overcome the world;'
also, "The Lord gave; the Lord hatl
taken away" also, "Come unto Me al
We that labor and are heavy laden"
sect into the carriage, y said Mr.. Lee
and we rode on to the Ganges and go
out at Hindoo temple standing on The
banks. "Now," said Mr.. Lee, "here il
the place to which Gen.. Wheeler anC
his people came under the escort O
Mana Sahib." went down the step
to the margin of the river. Down thes,
steps went Gen. Wheeler and the men
women and children under his care
They stood on the side Of the steps
and Mana Sahib and his staff stood OF
the other side. AS the women wer,
getting into the boats Mana Sahib oh
jected that only the aged and infrn
women and children should go on boar'
the boats. The young and attractiv,
women were kept out, Twenty-eigh
boats were filled with men, women ant
children and floated out into the river
Each boat contained ten armed natives
Then three boats fastened togethe
were broughtu up, and Gen. Wheeler an,