Glasgow Courier. — 1857-09-08 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

MAY 31.—it is a week since I began this letter, which I have been keeping in the hope of being able to wind It up with some better news, but to-day I must send it off. lam sorry to say that here we are just as we were a week ago—people all in the barracks all night, and nearly all day. They have surrounded it with a trench and earthen parapet, and have made all as ready as they can for a row here. In the meanwhile the &pop of every regiment here declare they are true to their salt, and ask what has come to all the Sahibs in the station that they are in such fear. We native infantry officers ahow them we trust them by sleeping in their lines every night, and we hare no proof whatever that they have ever intended to mutiny; but still, how is it possible to say what they may do, when, in addition to what I told you in my last letter, we know that two native infantry regiments at Ferozepore have mutinied, and been fired Into and cut up by her Majesty's 61st, the artillery, and 10th (the last, natives, behaved well), while at Lahore three native regiments have been disarmed, and do duty without arms ? In my last letter I told you that the 9th Regiment of Native Infantry at Allygliur and two other small stations between this apd Meerut and Delhi were firm; but they have mutinied, though without committing Ilny of the Delhi and Meerut atrocities. In one or two of the places they have quietly taken the treasure, and in the others gone off without even doing that, simply telling their officers that they would stay no longer. By far the worst news for us has, however, come in this morning by telegrsph from Lucknow, viz., that all the native regiments there, except the cavalry, have risen, and the Brigadier . . . . and three other officers murdered. All the other regiments now in Onde are, I •m afraid, certain to go, and, with the Irregular regiments lately raised, there will be a tremendous force. After this, if the regiments here stand firm to their officers it will be a miracle. lam sorry now that I did not send this via Calcutta. I kept it, hoping to give you the latest news, and now I fear these rascals from Oude may be on the road and stop the carts. lam still sanguine; but since the English have been in India, except perhaps in the ' Blackhole' time, there can be no doubt that our power bas never been in such danger. In the retreat from Cabul things looked bad enough, and after the battle of Ferozeshah people thought the Sikhs would be in Calcutta, but then, and always hitherto, we have been fighting against open enemies; now we cannot tell who are friends or who are enemies, and the worst among the latter are the very men we have been giving arms to, and teaching them how Louse them. If I were in an European corps now I should be glad indeed to have a row with these rascals, and pay them off for Delhi and Meerut; but no officer can look forward with any degree of pleasure to a struggle with men whom he lately commanded, and took a pride in, and implicitly trusted. Thank Heaven lam not one of the croskers here, and have never been troubled with the nervousness some people have shown, but I feel utterly disgusted with the whole army, and I only wish that 1 might get orders to go out with my regiment or alone with my company against some of these people, so that we could put the men to the test, and see whether they really mean to stick to us or not, and end this state of suspense. I must leave off now, and send this. If there is a row here you may be sure I will stick to my company as long as we have any chance of their obeying us. I would give a great deal to see you all again, but I would give ten times as much to have a fair fight with these Lucknow or any other mutineers, and our own regiment standing to us firmly, so that we might keep our good name amid all the disgrace the Bengal army has now fallen into,'