killed; he was engaged to Miss D----; her wedding things had arrived
just before these troublous times, and the marriage had been postponed.
We heard that Mr. B----, of the 48th, had been shot in the trenches at
Cawnpore; his servant brought in the news. News was also brought that
the Futteyghur people, 160 in number, had been murdered on the parade
ground at Cawnpore, in sight of our people. They were going down the
river in boats, but were stopped and taken to Cawnpore and there blown
from guns. The day was quiet here. They are building a wall up against
our windows to keep off musket shots; it is loop-holed, also, for our
troops in case of necessity. The Fyzabad Rajah has joined the rebels,
and is said to be very near us with his guns. Charlie came early in the
evening.
Thursday, June 18th. I paid my bearer his account, and he went off
to be with Charlie. Major B---- came in several times. All garrison
officers were ordered to their posts this morning, to receive orders
what they are to do when the enemy arrives. The Martinière boys were
brought in. Just before breakfast, the groom brought me seven rupees,
saying he had sold the poor buggy horse. I felt much inclined for
a good cry; I have driven him myself so often. We were obliged to
sell him. Charlie came about half-past 6; one of his Sikhs had taken
an immense quantity of churrus, and become quite frenzied, and then
stabbed another Sikh; they called on him to put down his arms, or he
would be shot, and he threw down his musket with such force that he
broke it in pieces; the other poor man died.
Friday, June 19th. A quiet day. Charlie could not come to see me, as
he was on duty at one of the gates of the Muchee Bawun; there are five
gates, and four officers to each gate. Charlie takes it morning and
evening, while the others are at gun drill. All, nearly, are obliged
to learn the gun drill from some Artillery Sergeant, to be ready if
wanted. Our entrenchments, they say, are now very strong; we have
several mortars, and two 18-pounders are placed at the entrance to the
Cawnpore road. A reconnoitering party went out, and returned in the
evening, saying there was not an enemy to be seen for miles round. This
evening there was a fire seen in Cantonments, but it was accidental;
however, they got an alarm in the night, as several Sowars were seen
riding about; they also had an alarm at the Muchee Bawun. Captain C----
woke them up and said a party of the enemy were coming, but it ended in
nothing.
Saturday, June 20th. Charlie came about half-past 7, and stayed nearly
an hour. After breakfast Dr. P---- read "Guy Mannering" to us while
we worked. I cut out and made a flannel shirt for Charlie, as I could
get no durzie. We are forbidden now to go over to the Residency or the
Begum Kotee, as there is small-pox in both. In the former Mrs. B----
has it, and one of Mrs. B----'s children. Mrs. B---- is removed into
a tent, in all this heat! To-day a letter came from General W---- at
Cawnpore, saying they still held out, but had provisions and ammunition
for only one fortnight longer; that no reinforcements had reached them,
but that their greatest enemy was the sun: more had died from sunstroke
than had been killed by the enemy, and that their greatest consolation
was that they were keeping the enemy from us. It is most distressing
that we cannot send them any troops; but if even we could spare them,
they could never get across the river at Cawnpore, for the enemy have
both sides of it; firing, both musketry and artillery, was heard all
day in the district. The landowners are fighting amongst themselves, to
get back what was taken from them at the annexation. A fire was seen
burning in the district all night.
Sunday, June 21st. Rose at daybreak as usual, and went into the garden
for a breath of air; the heat at night is fearful. Charlie came in at
half-past 7; he is looking better, he is not so exposed at the Muchee
Bawun as he would be here; still, he has never taken off his clothes
at night since he went on guard the week I left Cantonments; he is
always sleeping at some gate or other: but he looks better than could
be expected, and says his appetite has returned. We had service in the
drawing-room--Mr. H---- performed it--for the church is filled with
stores. In the evening, service was performed in Mr. G----'s garden,
the two Padres reading and preaching under a tree; but the heat was so
great I could not go. In the night we had the first fall of rain, and
welcomed it accordingly.
Monday, June 22nd. Rose at daybreak and took the air in the verandah,
as it was raining. However, it cleared in time for Charlie to pay me
his visit. The day passed without a word of news, or any alarm. Dr.
P---- went on with "Guy Mannering," and I worked at Charlie's flannel
shirt. Miss N---- came over in the evening and said Sir M---- J---- and
his two sisters were hourly expected. I had a note from Mrs. R----, at
the Begum Kotee; her baby is very ill with dysentery, and she said the
room was so filled with ladies and children with fever that when the
poor little thing wanted to sleep it could not. She ended the note by
saying she felt her child's illness and her anxiety for her husband's
safety were almost too much for her.
Tuesday, June 23rd. Charlie came as usual; he has been present at two
hangings: the day passed without news, either good or bad.
Wednesday, June 24th. Charlie came late; I was quite proud to show him
his flannel shirt, and sent it for him to try on. I went down with Mrs.
F---- to her go-down (store-room) and saw all her stores in case of a
siege--rice and flour--all in large earthen jars, that reminded one of
the jars the forty thieves were put into, in "Ali Baba." Certain news
reached us to-day that the enemy are closing round us; there are eight
regiments with six guns at Nawab-Gunge, twenty miles from here; it is
said they intend coming here, and encamping in the Dil Koosha.
Thursday, June 25th. Another day without a word of news, good or bad;
even gentlemen begin to croak.
Friday, June 26th. The first news in the morning was good. Mrs. B----
heard of the safety of her husband. I went in, as usual, at 7, to
take my bath, that I might be ready for Charlie; and Miss S---- came
running in with the good news, sent by Sir H. Lawrence, that Delhi
had fallen on the 13th--that Futteyghur, Mynpoorie, and Etawah were
quiet--the telegraph open to Delhi--and the dawk to within twenty miles
of Cawnpore.[6] Glorious news! a salute was fired. Charlie came, but
would not stay; he wanted to take back the news to the Muchee Bawun,
and have the salute fired before ours. We cannot be too thankful! the
insurgents at the best, are cowards; and this news will quite quell all
spirit in them. Charlie had been to gun-drill--all in the garrison have
to learn it. The rest of the day passed as usual, Dr. P---- reading to
us till 4 o'clock dinner; after that I generally lie down till 6 and
then take the air in the Compound--at 8 they generally bring tea and
ices, and then Mr. H---- reads prayers and we all go to our rooms.
[Footnote 6: This was a _ruse_ to deceive the enemy and keep them off a
little longer--which we were not told at the time.]
Saturday, June 27th. It was little Bobby F----'s birthday; he was one
year old. Charlie came at a quarter to 8, and told us Capt. H----'s
murderer had been captured at Allyghur; also that it was reported
the 12th N.I. had mutinied at Jhansi, and killed every one of their
officers; a letter came from Col. W----, at Cawnpore, with a list of
the killed--about half their number; he said that their sufferings had
surpassed anything ever written in history, and that their greatest
enemy had been the sun; many ladies and children had died from it: but
now they had dug underground places and put the women and children in.
Brigadier Jack and his brother had both died from sunstrokes. In the
course of the day came a pencilled letter from a Mr. M---- at Cawnpore,
to his father, Col. M----, here, saying that they were treating with
the enemy; this threw us all into consternation, for we thought
General W---- would have stood out to the last; however, it is said to
be the Rajah of Bhitoor (the Nana), who has commenced the treating with
them. A lac of rupees has been set on his head, if brought in within
a week. I suppose he had heard of this and became frightened, for he
offered General W---- to conduct them all down to Allahabad safely, if
they would lay down their arms and give him a lac of rupees. This Rajah
is a Mahratta, a notedly treacherous race, so that we were very glad to
hear firing had commenced again at Cawnpore;[7] proof that, of course,
Gen. Wheeler would not agree to such a treaty.
[Footnote 7: This must have been the firing into the boats instead.
Poor creatures! we little thought it was the horrid massacre going on.]
Sunday, June 28th. The rain had been pouring down all night, the first
regular rain we had had; there had been nothing but a storm before,
and now I was rather disappointed at its coming, for Charlie had
agreed to come at half-past 5 and take me to Mr. I----s' house to get
some things out of a wardrobe we have placed there, and he was to be
back in time for service at 7 at the Muchee Bawun; however, he could
not come, and we could not go to service here in the mess-house on
account of the rain. About 2 we got a slight alarm, hearing that two
guns, some Europeans, 13th Sepoys, and 71st Sikhs, had been ordered
off somewhere; however, it turned out that they had been sent to the
King's palace for all the jewels. Two Nawabs were sent with them (I
forgot to say we have five Nawabs prisoners in the Muchee Bawun), and
they were made to understand that if there were the least disturbance
they would be shot. Some fighting was expected, as there were armed men
in the palace. Charlie came about 3, and stayed an hour. About 6, as we
were going to church, we saw all the party returning, the carts filled
with great boxes, and the golden throne, said to be worth a crore of
rupees! Captain W---- told me some of the crowns were most elegant,
the designs really beautiful, and also some of the necklaces, in one
of which the diamonds are set in rays; one crown is silver set with
amethysts. The King kept his own European jeweller, a man from H----'s
in Calcutta. We set off walking to church, which was held in the Thug
hospital belonging to the Thug goal; it is now the mess-house for all
the infantry and cavalry officers. We had to enter by innumerable
little arches of curious architecture, and up and down lots of steps
and through two quadrangles, and then came in front of what appeared
to be a Musjid,--the whole side open with beautiful arches,--they had
begun service; rows of chairs had been placed for the congregation on
either side of the mess-tables; the reading desk had been brought from
the church. All round appeared to be little dark rooms, in which the
officer's beds had been placed; also the large platform outside was
filled with chairs, and beds were standing about in all directions.
It was a most extraordinary scene; there was an immense congregation,
and the whole place was filled with ladies and gentlemen. Mr. P----
read prayers, and Mr. H---- preached; the poor people at Cawnpore were
prayed for; also Dr. S---- of the 32nd, who is very ill; and all in
hospital, sick and wounded: and then those who had lost relations in
these frightful massacres. It was a most imposing service, and one
could not but feel thankful for having been so mercifully preserved.
Some officers came in late, all booted and spurred,--I fancy from the
party that had just brought in the jewels. We had a thunderstorm during
service, and at the end were rather alarmed at hearing three guns
fired, but it must have been in the district; they are fighting and
quarrelling amongst themselves. It rained when we came out of church,
and was very dark, so I and Miss S---- stumbled on the best way we
could over the steps and uneven ground, hardly knowing which way to
take; it was such a novelty walking to church in India, and especially
under an umbrella. Soon after our return it poured down famously; we
had tea and ices, and then Mr. H---- read prayers, and we retired for
the night.
Monday, June 29th. Sir H. Lawrence and his Staff came while we were
sitting in the garden, to take a survey of Dr. F----'s defences.
Charlie came at 7, and I went with him to Mr. I----s' house, to my
wardrobe. I could not recognise it for our old guard-house, where I had
been so frequently with Charlie on city duty. All the buildings are
thrown down round it; it is in the outer entrenchment. The Compound was
filled with tents with Crannies and their wives; the day passed without
alarm.
Tuesday, June 30th. I rose early, and found Dr.---- all booted and
spurred for service. I then heard a detachment had been ordered off
to meet the enemy, who were five miles off. Three hundred Europeans,
nine guns, and an 8-inch howitzer, and 150 of the 13th N.I., &c., went
out. I sat, as usual, in the garden, till 7, and then went in to bathe
and dress, and be ready for Charlie. However, to my surprise, he never
came, and I sent off a note to the Muchee Bawun asking the reason.
While the servant was gone with it, some came flying back saying our
troops had been surrounded by the mutineers, who were in great numbers,
and that several of our officers had been killed. Just then, to my
horror, came back the note I had sent with a message from Captain F----
that my husband had gone out with the detachment. I never shall forget
that dreadful suspense as the news was brought in that Col. C----,
Capt. S----, Mr. T----, and Mr. B----, of the 32nd were killed. The
latter had always paid us a visit, mornings and evenings. At last
came Dr. P----, saying they were sorely pressed by the enemy, but that
he had seen my husband all right. Soon after came a Sepoy, sent by
Charlie himself, to say he was all safe; and immediately after a 13th
Sepoy, of his own accord, came to tell me he had seen Charlie coming
in on a gun as he was very faint, and that Major B---- was wounded.
I was frightened, thinking Charlie had got a sunstroke. He told me,
afterwards, he had had a most narrow escape, as he was far back in
the retreat. It had proved far different to the expectations of the
morning, for the Native Artillerymen had proved faithless; and, the
enemy being in far greater numbers than our spies had led us to expect,
our little party was almost surrounded, and it was only a wonder any
escaped to tell the tale. The sun also was so overpowering that many
fell down from sheer faintness, without a wound, and were cut to pieces
by the enemy, for few had any horses to return with. The officers had
dismounted to fall in with their men, and the horses disappeared;
either the enemy or the servants made away with them,--poor Charlie's
dear old charger amongst the rest; the poor horse that was shot in
the nose the night of the mutiny. It was a fearful morning, never to
be forgotten, this affair of Chinhut! Another providential escape
for dear Charlie, for which we cannot be sufficiently thankful! The
siege now commenced, the enemy began firing on us as they followed
the retreating party. Our gates were closed, we got a cup of tea and
something for breakfast as best we could, sitting behind the walls to
escape the balls; not that I fancy any of us had very much appetite. At
last the balls came so thick that we were all ordered down into the Tye
Khana (underground room), and kept there. Towards evening the firing
slackened a little, and we sat in the portico to get a little air.
There were twenty-four of us in the house--eleven ladies, six gentlemen
and seven children. Captain W---- was the commandant of our garrison,
which consisted of an officer and some twenty of the 32nd Queen's,
with some Native Pensioners, and a mixed party of men to work the 18
and 9-pounder guns in the garden. At night we purposed sleeping in our
own rooms, but Dr. F---- considered it not safe to do so; we therefore
all stretched our bedding on the floor of the Tye Khana, putting the
children in the centre for the benefit of the punkah. We took it by
turns to watch for an hour.
Wednesday, July 1st.[8] We just managed to get to our rooms and dress,
when the firing got very sharp--round shot and shell; already we began
to distinguish the different sounds as they whizzed past: in the
afternoon the enemy got into a building very near and fired away at
us till evening, when they slackened again. I got a note from dear
Charlie, saying he was all right again I felt so thankful. Shortly
after came Capt. W----, to whom I read it; he begged me to copy it
for Sir Henry as there was more news in it than in any that had been
received from the Muchee Bawun; he also said they had paid 100 rupees
for getting one carried there. I copied it, and he told me that I
should soon see Charlie; and we heard the garrison of the Muchee Bawun
had been ordered to come in that night at half-past 12, evacuating
the fort as silently as possible, and blowing it up. We all expected
they would have to fight every inch of the way in, and were in great
anxiety in consequence; however, we went to bed, and I even slept,
when about half-past 12 we were awoke by the most horrible explosion.
It shattered every bit of glass in the house! There were four doors
to our Tye Khana, half glass, and the concussion covered us with the
glass, and shook one of the doors off its hinges. I believe all of us
thought our last hour was come; each started up with a kind of groan,
for we had been expecting the enemy were mining, as we had fancied we
had each night heard strokes of a pickaxe, about half a dozen at a
time, and then a stoppage as if they feared to make too much noise: the
gentlemen had been down to listen and heard it distinctly, so that when
the explosion came, I certainly expected to go up into the air; and
the inexpressible relief it was to hear Dr. F----, at the head of the
stairs, calling out "It is all right! The whole party are in safe, and
the Muchee Bawun blown up!" No wonder the explosion was so terrific,
there were upwards of 20,000 lbs. of powder, besides a vast quantity of
musket ammunition!
[Footnote 8: Miss Palmer had her leg taken off by a round shot in the
Residency this day, and only survived it twenty-four hours.]
Thursday, July 2nd. The attack on the Bailey Guard Gate and our
Compound was tremendous, and while we were at breakfast we were all
inexpressibly shocked and grieved to hear poor Sir Henry had been
mortally wounded; a shell from the very 8-inch howitzer the enemy had
taken from us at Chinhut, had burst in his room in the Residency, and
given him a fearful wound in his hip! He was brought over into our
verandah, and Mr. H---- administered the Sacrament to him. Sir Henry
then sent for several whom he fancied he had spoken harshly to in their
duty, and begged their forgiveness, and many shed tears to think the
good old man would so soon be taken from us. Our only earthly hope in
this crisis! Sir Henry then appointed Major B---- his successor. The
firing was fearful; the enemy must have discovered from some spies that
Sir Henry was at our house, for the attack on the gate was fearful. We
all gave ourselves up for lost, for we did not then know the cowards
they were, and we expected every moment they would be over our garden
wall; there was no escape for us, if they were once in the garden!
We asked Mr. H---- to read prayers, and I believe every one of us
prepared for the worst; the shots were now coming so thick into the
verandah where Sir Henry was lying, that several officers were wounded,
and he was obliged to be removed into the drawing-room. We gave out
an immense quantity of rag to the poor soldiers, as they passed up
and down from the roof of the house wounded. Towards evening the fire
slackened, but we were not allowed to leave the Tye Khana. At night Mr.
H---- came and read prayers again, and then we (ladies and children)
lay down on the floor without undressing.
Friday, July 3rd. When we awoke we found all the servants had deserted
excepting my Kitmagar and Mrs. B----'s, and one or two Ayahs. The
F----'s had not one servant left, so we were obliged to get up and act
as servants ourselves, and do everything, excepting the cooking, even
to washing plates and dishes; and perhaps it was a good thing, for it
kept us from dwelling on our misery. Dear Charlie came to see me in the
afternoon, and brought a jug of milk for the poor children. I was glad
to hear he had had a good luncheon, for the day before when he came
he said he had had nothing for some days but dal (peas) and rice; we
happened to be at dinner, and I gave him a piece of meat, but he seemed
too much done up to eat it, and actually carried it away in a piece of
paper to some other gentleman who could get none. No arrangements have
been made for messing at present, and no one can tell where to get
anything.
Saturday, July 4th. Firing had been going on all night, and it
continued all day, but we were so engaged in kitchen duties we scarcely
noticed it. Poor Sir Henry died in the morning; he had been in great
agony from his wound! He was buried with the rest at night, but even
he did not have a separate grave; each corpse is sewn up in its own
bedding, and those who have died during the day are put into the same
grave at night.
Sunday, July 5th. The firing was incessant, and after breakfast Mr.
H---- arranged all our duties, for up to this time they had been rather
unequally performed; after that we had service in the Tye Khana, and
the Holy Sacrament was administered. I so wished dear Charlie could
have been present, it seemed so solemn and yet so comforting while the
firing was going on around us!--nothing else occurred worth noting.
Monday, July 6th. The insurgents filled J----s' house, and kept firing
into our Compound; we fired a number of shrapnell into the house,
without dislodging them. We fancied they must be getting short of
ammunition, for they fired all sorts of strange missiles--such as
nails, pieces of ramrod, &c.
Tuesday, July 7th. Charlie came, after breakfast, and told me that a
sortie was to be made into J----s' house; this was done between 1 and
2 P.M.--two officers and some men of the 32nd and Mr. G---- and some
of our Sikhs--a hole was made through the wall of the Brigade Mess,
opposite J----s' house, an 18-pounder firing down our lane all the time
to distract the enemy's attention. A rush was then made, and every
Native in the house killed--numbering some thirty or forty. In the
afternoon we had the first really heavy fall of rain, and the enemy's
fire slackened in consequence. Poor Captain F---- this night had one
leg taken off, and the other shattered, by a round shot, while sitting
on the roof of the Brigade Mess! Mr. H---- saw him after the amputation
had taken place, and said he was very composed. Mr. O---- died from his
wound received at the Redan battery.
Wednesday, July 8th. Poor Mr. P---- was hit in the body by a musket
shot; fortunately, the ball made a circuit round the body, instead
of touching any vital part: he received the wound in the hospital.
The firing was very sharp. I felt quite knocked up, after my morning
duties. Charlie came, after dinner, and sat about an hour; he then went
over to the hospital to see poor Captain F----. He found him insensible
and very restless, and the doctors said he was not going on well; about
9 o'clock he died. He and Mr. O----, and two others, were buried in
the same grave; the funerals are always at night, as the fire then
slackens a little. Sometimes, Mr. P---- and Mr. H---- have had to dig
the graves themselves! Soon after we lay down for the night, we were
aroused by an alarm; it was false, and had been caused by a soldier
dreaming: but, towards the morning, we were alarmed again by the enemy
making an attack on our gate. We all got up and prepared, in case we
had to run to the Begum Kotee, for there had been a hole dug in the
wall opposite one of our doors for us to escape by in case the enemy
should pass the gate.
Thursday, July 9th. I rose and made the early tea for the whole party
as Mrs. A---- was ill, and while engaged in it an order came down
for bottles of hot water, Mr. D---- being taken with cholera; after
breakfast he appeared better, but it did not last. About noon Mr. H----
administered the Sacrament to him, and at 1 o'clock he died. Mrs. D----
seemed wonderfully calm. After making tea in the evening I went and lay
down on my bedding in the Tye Khana, feeling tired out, and fell so
fast asleep, that they all came down and had prayers without my knowing
anything about it.