The Sun. — 1857-09-07 (London, England)

SEALKOTE.  The following is an extract of a letter from Dr. J. H. Butler, 9th Light Cavalry, dated Fort at Sealkote, 7th of July : " From my last letter you will be but little prepared to hear of an outbreak at Sealkote. We had hoped that all was right with our brigade. But, alas! on the night of the Bth of July they laid their plans to rise in mutiny on the following morning, 9tb. At a quarter past 4a. m. I•was called up to see the Sowars, who were in open mutiny, riding about the cantonments shooting all they could of the male sex having an European garb. No intimation from any of the authorities was given us, but we had previously arranged (we were living with another party, Mr. and Mm. Sanders) to have our carriages in readiness in case of an outbreak, and a few things in carpetbags to take with us; this was all done, and we were about to start when Dr. Graham, the superintendent-Surgeon, who had gone before with his daughter, was shot at and died almost immediately on his.daughter's kne9, the buggy was turned round and she came into our compound enclosure, saying the cavalry troopers had possession of the roads, and there was no possibility of getting towards the fort. This would not have been the case had the civil horse not fraternised with the cavalry, for they looked on and did nothing. Almost itniue diately a cavalry trooper, with his carbine pointed, came into the compound and cleared it of our servants and carriages, and brought up the Sepoys of the 46th _Native Infantry to surround the house and masiacre us. We are now a party of 16, 14 Europeans and two natives (female servants). We bolted and barred the doors, and silently awai ed the approach of the murderers. Of the 14 Europeans three only were men, all congregated in the drawing-room, whence the ladies retreated to the bathing-rooms, and then into a small lumber room (in a private part of the house, to which is attached a side door) ; in this room there wore for,unately two small windows, one open, and in the door some grating, which afforded ventilation.  " Tie party of Sepoys brought to the house by the sound of the bugle were now within the house, and had followed us to the bathing room, but at seeing my pistol presented retreated. 'J his enab'ed us t ) make good our retreat to the lumber room, into which we got and fastened, the door with a strong bar of wood. No sooner had we done this this than one of the villains came and fired into the room ; he was fired at by one of the party, but missed ; they then beg-In to plunder after firing promiscuously into every room they came t ), with the hope of killing every one, in the house. We were for nearly six hours kept in a terrible stale of suspense and alarm, expecting everymoment would be our last. At 11 a.m. the chowk,rdar, or watchman, came and brought us some water, and said our only security was in keeping quiet, that the house was bqng plundered. Tae yells were frightful. We heard the Siwars from time to time riding about the compound anxious to get hold of us, but the chowkerdar told them we were gone. •‘ When the mutineers blew up the ma,;az'ne we thought they were blowing up Vie side of our hiding-place, to induce us to come out to massacre tis. Ono thief tried to break in our door, and looked in at the grating ; I took a steady Alm and shot him dead ; this saved us from further molestation from the plunderer 4, deterring others from approaching our biding-place. The watchman came again at two o'clock, and told U 3 the troops were going away, and that iu the evening it would be safe to make our way to the fort, a distance of a mile and a quarter. We were reported killed, and received the beauty congratulations of our friends. At one time, thinking there was no hope, we made over our youngest boy, an infant at the breast to the nativanurse, and she promised to screen him. She took him out under the charge of the watchman, but was unable to leave the compound till we ourselves left. She did not come to the fort that night, but I sent for her the next day, and she brought our babe in safety, -We are anxiously looking for assistance from home. Public news you will seen in the papers. We have been plundered of everything ; property of every description lost-,houses, carriages, furniture, and wearing apparel."