Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-07
The Siege of Lucknow.

The Siege of Lucknow.
Inc siege OF Lucknow was somewhat diff
fefent. When the mutiny broke out Sir
Henry Lawrence, the governor. concen-
trated his small force of British soldiers,
win eleven women and seven children, in
MS residence, which stood in the center of
a park of sixty acres. 1t was a preten-
fious stone building, with a superb nortico
ana massive walls, and protected by deep
V~erandas of stone. Anticipating trouble.
ne mad collected provisions and ammuni-
tlon and was quite well prepared for a siege
although the little force around him was
attacked by more than B 10000 merciless
bloodthirsty fanatics. The situation was
very much as 1t was at Peking, only worse,
and the terrific fire that was kept IN nv
the Sepoys may be judged by the battered
stump of an old tree, which still stands
before the ruins of the residency. Although
about three feet in diameter, it was actuaI-
ly cut down by bullets.
On the second day of the siege. while
Sir Henry La wrence was instructing Cam
tain Wilson, one of his aids, as to the
u~lstrlpution or rations, a shell entered his
apartment, exploded at his side and gave
him a mortal wound. With perfect cool
ness and calm fortitude he appointed Ma ior
Banks his successor, instructed him i'm de-
,ali as 10 the conduct of the defense, ex-
horted the soldiers of the garrison TO their
duty, pledged them never to treat with the
rebels. and under no circumstances to s,,r-
fehder. He gave orders that he should be
'u'iNd WtIiOut any luSS, ike a British
soldier and that the only epitaph upon his
tombstone should be-: 80
Here lies Henry Lawrence, Who Tried
20 90 His Duty; May God Have Mercy Upon
He dice upon the Fourth Of July 1rnon
the 18TH Major Banks, his successor in com
mand, was killed and the AUTHORITY do
vowed upon Captain Inglis, whose widow.
lhe last survivor of the siege, died in Lon
don February 4, 1904 The deaths ayeras ed
from hfteen to twenty daily, and most of
the people were killed by an African sharp
shooter who occupied "a commandinp most
nred through the windows of the residen-
cy without ever missing his victim. The
soldiers called him Bob the Nailer.' The
latter part of August he was finally killed
but not until after he had shot dozens of
men, women ana children among the be-
sic ged. In order To- prOtect themselves from
his MS shots and those from other directions
caded, which shut oatAan the air and ven
tia ton. and tile heat R.came almost intoI-
cradle. A plague of flies set in which was
children frequently became frantic and hys-
terical.
The Relief Of Lucknow.
On the 9th of September a faithful native
brought the first news that a relieving force
under Sir Henry Havelock and General
James Outram was nesring Lucknow. On
the 18th Haveloek fought his way through
the stfeetS Oh Tie city sWlfch We're packed
with armed rebels, and on the 18th succeed
ed In reaching the residsncy. But, although
the relief was welcome and the suffefings
of the besieged were fortthe moment forgot
ten, it was considered fmpracticable to at
tempt an evacuation because the whole par
ty would have been massacred If they had
left the walls. a Young Irish clerk in the
civil service, named James Kavanagh, un-
dertook to carry a message to Sir Colin
Campbell and succeeded in passing through
the lines of tie enemy. On the 10th of No
vember Campbell fought his way through
the streets with $3.50 men, and the relief of
Lucknow was finally effected.
A few days later Sir Henry Havelock, the
hero of the first relief. died from an attack
of dysenters from which he had long been