The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-11-02
midas FIERCE REBELS.
PRESENT OUTBREAK RECALLS THE
TeRRoRS OF THE REVoLToF 1857.

The present rebellion IN India re.
calls wildly to mind the horrors of the
great Sepoy instruction. British
officers who have grown gray in the
service OF their country and who have
been through many hard campaions
declare that the sufferings of the Gar.
rlsons in the besieged Indian cities in
1913 nave never been equalled in
the warfare of this generation.
Inc spark that fired the hearts of
the Sepoys and actually caused the
mutlny was seemingly trivial. but it
reused smouldering hatred. There
had been many grievances for the ma
yves to brood over since the English
had established their dominion in
INDIA by the conquest of Bengal in
llol-Just century beforehand had
ny the progressive action of continued
encroachment spread their paramount
rule over the whole country. Religions
preludices grew bitter, and fanatics
were assured of victory by prophecies.
SAID to have been of ancient date
ioretelling the downfall of England's
power at the end of n hundred wears of
supremacy
Inc old infantry musket- the
Brown Bess-had been condemned
and an improved firearm. with riAed
barrels, adopted in its place. Lubrica-
ton of the cartridges was necessary in
loading this weapon. Intense excite
neht was caused among the Sepoys by
the spreading of the story that the new
cartridges were creased with the fat of
the detested swine of the Mohammedan
and of the venerated COW of the Hindoo
AS the Sepoys bit off the ends of their
cartridges this idea was abominable TO
them. The report was originally pro-
mulgated In the military station of
Dum-Dum, eight miles from Calcutta
a low caste Lascar in the canton
ment asked n high caste Sepov for n
drink of water from his lotah The
Brahmln refused, on the score of caste
The Lascar tauntingly replied that
caste would soon be abolished. ms Sc
poys were to be contlminatcd bv cart
ridges smeared with beef fat and hogs
lard.
In an incredibly short time every
Sepoy had heard about the greased
cartridges. Animosities had already
been aroused by recent government
measures to curb polygamy and re
move the restraint on remarrioue of
WIDOWS. Although official deniaIs of
the grease story were made. they
proved without effect. A native reoi-
ment at Berhampore refused to take
the blank ammunition provided for n
parade, asserting that the paper of the
cartridges had been creased. The
regiment was disbauded and the preot
mutIny followed. At the outset. tele-
graph stations were burned. burning |
arrows shot into the matched roofs of |
the officers bungalows, and calls to |
natives were spread broadcast. urging |
them to resist the sacrilegious en-.
croachments of the British.
30 little concert and Arrangement
were there that while the revolt was
general IN one portion of the great
struggling contonment and Sepoys
were butchering their officers. in an
other section they were saluting them
as though nothing had happened
Wives, left without protection while
their husbands were striving 10 do
their duty as soldiers, were cut to
pieces In their burning homes, often
after their little ones had persisted be-
tore their eyes. A few delicate np
llsh ladies' were led to places of safety.
with dark horse cloths over them to-
conceal their white garments in the
glare of the burning station, aud passed
n night of sleepless horror i'm n ruined
temple or under trees
Dawn found the English BUNGALOWS
Quilted aud destroyed. Mano,ed
corpses Uttered the wavside. The
Sepoys had departed. More than
1000 of them had made their wav IN
Delhi. The bodies were collected
and laid out in the theatre. where
mimic tragedy was TO have been per
formed that evening. Many of those
who had participated in the massacre
were IN the bazairs of the town. but
little effort was made to punish .,v
Of them. {
The mutineers from Meerut. aided
by the Sepoys already in Delhi. began
a massacre OF the Europeans i'm the ,
MoRul's capital. The bank was Mt
tackled and plundered Mr.. Beres-
ford, manager of the bank. took re-
luge with his wife and family on the
roof Of one of the outbuildinpa For 7
some time they stood Mt bav. he with {
q sword In his hand. his couraoeous
helpmate with spear. They de. {
tended the gorge Of the staircase. until =
the assaiIants, seeing no hope ofcleor- q
ing the passage, retired to scale the S
walls in the rear Of the house. II I
related 10y an eyewitness that one mn, J
Tell dead, pierced by the lady's spear
lhey were oyerpoweren and killed !
md the bank was Quilted from floor 10 !
roof
The revolt spread rapidly. News
was taken from station TO station that g
Inc Sepoys had conquered the Eng
ish at Mecrut aud proclaimed the
Mognl Emperor at Delhi There WINS -,
desperate fighting ON every side. mar +,
.icuIarly i'm the northwest provinces
Jawnpore fell into the hands OF the
and General Havelock
pushed ON to recover this important
position. The cruelties Of the Mana
7ahib and his followers had created n j.
thrill Of awe in the hearts Of the u
Europeans. Stories Of plumber and Z
-apine came from every quarter a
havelock found the air through which
ne had TO pass in towns tainted from !
bodies upon which the a
oathsome pig Of the country feasted
I'll