The property in the fort of Dhamoony was literally nothing. The whole
consisted of some five or six small guns, principally iron, and a
considerable quantity of grain; the produce of which, as well as what
was found in other forts taken during the campaign, was thrown into the
general fund. Here, for a time, a small detachment was left; but they
soon became so sickly, and died so fast, that we were obliged to
dismantle the place, and leave it to the ravages of time.
The poor keeledar was alone detained and held responsible for the
rebellion of his garrison. He was punished in a most exemplary manner by
our government, by being placed on eight rupees per diem, as a prisoner;
quite as much, I should imagine, as he got in a whole month as keeledar
of the fort of Dhamoony. The unbounded liberality of the East India
Company is quite unknown in England, and, indeed, in the more remote
parts even of Hindostan. Their munificence is proverbial among the whole
of the native powers with whom they have ever been concerned. Their
extreme liberality, and their good faith in all treaties, which has
never been tarnished, establish them in India on a rock which no power
can shake. Whatever treaty, whether commercial or political, is entered
into by them, it is as sure as that the sun will rise and the moon will
shine, that its terms will be strictly fulfilled. Whatever may be the
loss of such a treaty or bargain, its stipulations are adhered to to
the very letter. These are principles that have established the
Company's possessions in India on the firmest basis; and, aided by Old
England, she may now defy the combined power of all Europe. Her native
troops are good soldiers, and loyal and faithful subjects; but they
certainly require a little humouring. There are certain indulgences
which must be granted to them: the free exercise of their religious
rites; certain comforts, such as additional clothing, &c., during the
several seasons of the year; and by no means to attempt to induce them
to wear anything that is objected to by their several castes. However
absurd their habits may appear to a person unacquainted with Indian
affairs, they must be, to some extent, sanctioned. I am speaking, of
course, of things reasonable. I do not mean to say that, if a Hindoo
priest fancied himself a greater man than the bishop of Calcutta, his
lordship should resign his office in his favour; but simply that they
should be indulged in every way not inconsistent with prudence and
justice. I am persuaded that two or three millions of native troops
could, in the course of one year, be organized and fit for the field;
and I do not hesitate to affirm that, when headed by brave European
officers, and encouraged by the example of British gallantry, they would
be found equal to any troops in the world. I speak this from my own
experience in India, and from being constantly engaged on active service
with these troops. The Company have ever been justly conscious of the
importance of attending to the different sects of men admitted as
soldiers, selecting those of the higher class of Hindoos for their
infantry, and of the Mahometan castes for their cavalry. Whenever men of
inferior caste have crept in, little rebellions have been traced to that
source. I do not mean to say, that men of an inferior caste are not
equally brave soldiers; but I do maintain, the higher the caste or sect
of the native, the more he may be trusted, and the more likely he will
be to prove himself a faithful subject, as well as a good soldier.
Our division was now directed to proceed against another fort of the
Nagpore rajah's, called Gurrah Mundellah, to which we had to march some
two or three hundred miles, over hill and dale, cutting down mountains
and filling up rivers. Our march was, therefore, of course very tedious.
The government political agent, Major O'Brien, joined us at Jubblepore,
and we proceeded slowly towards the place of our destination. In some
parts of this country we were obliged to cut nearly our whole day's
march through underwood and ravines; and, in some places, such was the
impossibility of ascent over many of the hills, that it took a whole day
to cut a road so as to accomplish the next day's march through this wild
and desolate country; but some of the views in the openings were truly
splendid and beautiful. Everything that could please the eye or delight
the senses was to be found in this spot--the haunt of beasts of prey.
One of these little valleys reminded me of a scene in the "Arabian
Nights' Entertainments;" it was indeed a fairy land, to describe which I
am quite incompetent.
In this valley I arose about the hour of midnight, to view the
enchanting scene. The moon was of unclouded brightness, and far on its
western journey. Close beneath my tent was a clear and sweetly murmuring
stream, in which the moon dipped its silver wings, and its brilliant
rays shed so clear a light through the trees that I could see every
white tent around. Their inmates were all slumbering, lulled by the
gentle moaning of the lofty pine. Hushed was every tongue, calm was
every bosom, save those of one solitary mendicant priest at his midnight
prostrations. His little tinkling bell disturbed the serenity of the
night, and grated on my ear with discordance.
In three days more, after most tedious marches, we began to inhale the
same atmosphere as our enemy, and we were obliged to approach the
several ghauts with caution. The country that surrounded the large town
and fort against which we were advancing was terrifically wild; and, in
some parts, deep-sunk dells and excavations in the earth told us that
caution alone would insure success. In this fort, we had been given to
understand, a considerable body of the flying Pindarees had been
enlisted, to assist in defending the fort against the English, their
hated enemies. These we were resolved to make an example of;
consequently, a strict investment of the fort was our primary object, to
prevent their escape. For this purpose, Brigadier-General Watson, C.B.,
was dispatched with the cavalry and some few infantry. I accompanied
this party, and we commenced our march in the afternoon, working our way
through rivers, jungles, and over immense hills. A little after dark, on
passing a small hill a little on our left flank, two shots were fired at
us. The general dispatched a company of infantry to reconnoitre the spot
from whence the shots had proceeded. On examination, it proved to be a
small look-out of the enemy. We found several small cots or bedsteads
here, and their fires were still burning; but, after firing their two
shots, they must have immediately fled; and we were extremely obliged to
them for their hint, which reminded us of the necessity for caution.
We had gained information from our spies, that our road lay over a high
ghaut, on which the enemy had a strong piquet; that, when we had
surmounted that ghaut, the road to the fort of Gurrah Mundellah was over
lowlands interspersed with water; and that we should have to cross the
Nerbuddah, where we might expect to be opposed, as that river was wide,
deep, and stony. Acting upon this information, our brave brigadier
accompanied a small party, for the purpose of dislodging this piquet,
without giving them a shot at the whole division. We were a long time
ascending; so that, by the time we got up, the residue of the army were
at the bottom. The enemy heard them by the neighing of the horses and
the confounded clatter of our dragoons' swords, which may be heard for
miles. It would be much more musical if they would tie bells round the
horses' necks, than to tolerate this abominable noise. The moment the
piquet heard them, they fired, their long ginjalls, which kill a mile
off. The first shot wounded a poor grass-cutter of the 8th Native
Cavalry through the leg. At this time our detachment, which was stealing
up the side of the hill, was so close upon the enemy, that they had not
time to fire many more shots. They then ran off, leaving eight or ten of
their ginjalls suspended from branches of trees. At this place were ten
or twelve fires, and about twenty cots. Some of their rice was cooking;
but, for fear they might have poisoned it, we broke the utensils. The
ginjalls we also broke, not being able to carry them with us. We then
descended the hill; when the moon rose, and diffused her bright rays
over the distant plain. The sight was enchanting, in comparison with
prowling about in the pitchy darkness of the night, not knowing the
moment we might be saluted with a pound ball from one of their long
ginjalls. The corn-fields, the crops of which were then in a state of
maturity, looked silvery bright, and it was a great relief to the eye
that had been intensely watching in dreary darkness. Lighted torches, or
fires, could be seen on the distant hills, and those in the intermediate
space were, no doubt, indications to the fort, of our approach.
We halted on the banks of a sweet crystal brook, and drank of its
renovating stream. In about an hour we resumed our march on a tolerably
good road, but crossed by little rippling rills almost every half-mile,
which kept our feet continually damp and cold. We passed through many
rice-fields, and the country seemed fertile and cheerful, but not a man,
or even a solitary hut, could we discover. We at last saw a light,
apparently about a mile ahead of us. As we advanced, the light still
appeared in the same situation. Sometimes we imagined that it was borne
by some of the flying enemy, who had good reasons for keeping that
distance ahead of us; but we soon discovered the fallacious light to be
nothing more than the _ignis fatuus_ on its midnight rambles. Shortly
afterwards we came to a small village, consisting of about twenty huts;
but nothing was to be found here except a few Pariah dogs, and some
wandering cattle. Here we halted for the night, and handed round
biscuits and grog to those who had not had the precaution to provide
themselves with some refreshment. On similar occasions I had formerly
been negligent, and had often suffered the pangs of hunger through my
own neglect; but this evening, foreseeing, from the nature of the
country, that our supplies could not reach us, I had provided myself
with a whole bottle of brandy and a considerable quantity of biscuit,
which went freely round. The morning was very chilly, and we had no
covering; but, notwithstanding this, the weary bodies of the men soon
sank to sleep. My favourite mare had a blanket, which I would not
deprive her of, as she would not drink brandy. Her portion of biscuit
she had. When I awoke, what was my astonishment to see my groom wrapped
up in my mare's blanket, and snoring like a pig, while the poor mare
stood shrivelled up, and looking almost frozen to death. At this piece
of consummate impudence on the part of the groom, I lost my temper,
which nothing could restore but the satisfaction of giving the fellow a
good horsewhipping. Besides this, I made him forfeit one rupee of his
pay to purchase sweetmeats for the mare, to which she was exceedingly
partial. I made the groom feed her himself with this remunerative
luxury, and, to give the poor fellow his due, he did it good-naturedly
enough.
Soon after daybreak we again got on our way, but found that we were a
much greater distance from the fort than we had been led by our spies to
suppose. We now marched in full preparation to meet the enemy, assured
that they would not lose the fair opportunity of stopping our progress,
which was now afforded them. On our arrival at the spot where we
expected to meet with resistance, to view the wide roaring river, the
Nerbuddah, majestically rolling over its rocky bed, would alone have
been sufficient to stop the progress of soldiers less inured to
difficulties than we were. Had that river been defended, the forcing of
the passage would have cost us dearly in lives. The banks on the
opposite side were bold and abrupt; and the only accessible part for
wheel-carriages was a roadway that had been excavated from the sides of
the river. Had this ford been defended, or the road stopped, our passage
would have been attended with immense difficulty and danger; but we did
not see a single man, and we could form no other conclusion from such
apparent indifference to so advantageous a position, than that they had
occupied, and were resolved to defend, some place which they deemed more
suitable to their purpose. About a mile farther, we saw some unarmed
stragglers on the edge or margin of a wood, peeping at us. I rode after
one of this party, whom, when I came up, I found to be a woman. She
immediately threw herself on her knees, and begged for mercy, saying she
was a poor villager. When she saw that I had not the remotest intention
of injuring her, she afforded me every information I required; stating
that all the soldiers were in the fort and town, and that, until we got
there, we should fall in with none but poor and inoffensive people, who
were leaving the fort for their native homes. With a large party of this
kind we fell in, almost immediately afterwards. They were armed, and
drawn up in battle array; and nothing but the appearance of women and
children among them would have prevented our advance from firing on
them. From the fortunate circumstance that the poor woman with whom I
had fallen in, had informed me that some of the people that did not wish
to serve the rebel rajah had left the fort, the whole of this party was
permitted to pass without molestation, with commendations on their faith
to the British government. They departed, and we proceeded towards the
fort.
About a mile further on, from an eminence we could distinctly see the
town, with its thick and high walls, inside of which was a strong-built
stone fort. With a glass we could see people on the walls and bastions
in great numbers, and guns peeping from the embrasures, of enormous
size. When we were in complete view, they indulged us with a few
sixty-four pounders; so that we were obliged to give them a much wider
field. One of our guides stated that he had been in the fort, as a
mendicant priest, and we had no reason to question his veracity. He
produced a long sketch of the fortifications, strength, number of
troops, &c., that induced some timid ones to make their last wills, and
even impressed the more resolute with the idea that they had not a light
job before them. Guns were new-flinted, pistols reloaded, swords
fresh-pointed, and preparations were busily making on all sides, while
searching for a place called the Home Doongra, which was an eminence
that looked into the fort, at a distance of about two miles from their
centre bastion, and near which we intended to encamp. Whenever the enemy
saw our men collected on this height, they saluted us with long shots
from a gun of enormous size. Several smaller ones were also thrown, and
some of them were well directed. This is easily accounted for. I have
frequently found that, wherever there was good cannonading, the
golundauze gunners had been taught in the Company's army. I have no
doubt that many of our native gunners enter the Company's service in
those situations, as a preparatory step to entering the service of a
native prince or rajah in the same capacity. The gunners are the only
class of men in the service of these rajahs that are regularly paid. In
the Company's army, a sepoy, or other servant, can always leave, by
expressing his disinclination to continue in the service; and this great
indulgence is very often taken advantage of by well-drilled men, who
have been taught all the minutiae of military evolutions, and are
probably proficients in gunnery. It is not an uncommon thing in native
armies, for persons of this description to get fifty or sixty rupees
per month, when other soldiers are glad to get four. In this fort were
three or four men, who had, in the manner I have described, acquired a
complete knowledge of gunnery, and were good shots. These men are so
highly extolled among their caste, that they will madly throw themselves
upon the bayonet, rather than desert the gun which they command. Two of
the golundauze in this fort were killed during the siege; the other
returned to his home, which was Allahabad.
This fort of the Nagpore rajah had rebelled. The rajah himself had
violated his treaty, and broken off his alliance with the Company. The
inhabitants of this fortress, a short period before we encamped before
it, had been summoned to evince their loyalty to the Company, to which
they readily consented. For this purpose, a small force consisting of
one regiment of Native Infantry, and some part of the 8th regiment of
Bengal Native Cavalry, under the command of Major O'Brien, of the latter
corps (then political agent for the arrangement of the country belonging
to the rebel and treacherous rajah of Nagpore), marched to occupy the
fort of Mundellah, which the governor had consented to give up. As soon,
however, as the garrison saw the detachment (a mere handful of men)
under the major, within gunshot of the fort, they fired on the party,
who were, of course, obliged to make a precipitate retreat.
Before this affair of Major O'Brien's, the moment the treacherous
intentions of the rajah had been detected, the British resident of
Nagpore ordered his person to be seized. For this purpose, Captain
Brown, of the Bengal Native Infantry, was dispatched, with troops, to
seize him. On the approach of this force, the rajah flew to his zenanah,
and sought protection amongst his concubines. At any other time, and
under any other circumstances, respect would have been shown to this
_sanctum_ of illicit pleasure; but, under the present circumstances of
the case, delicacy was quite out of the question, and the party rushed
in and seized him. The women in the zenanah, in their impotent rage,
flew at Captain Brown, who came off minus a considerable quantity of
skin from his face, of some hair from his head and whiskers, and of one
wing of his military full-dress coat; but he succeeded in securing his
man, and dragging him from his screaming women. The rajah, being now a
prisoner, was, a short time after this, sent under a strong escort
towards the frontiers of our provinces, under the special charge of
Captain Brown; but he escaped from him in the following extraordinary
manner. I believe he was not disgraced by having his person fettered, or
divested of its treasures; but he was permitted to be at large in his
tent. His seemingly placid and penitential manner lulled his captors
into the belief that he bitterly lamented his former treachery; but, had
their vigilance been ever so exemplary, his escape would have been
accomplished, for a conspiracy was formed--no doubt with a view to
gain--by some sepoys of his guard, and of those forming his escort, to
facilitate his escape under cover of the night. The conspirators so
managed, as to get on sentry at the same time, or relieve each other;
but the officer on the night-duty had positive orders to see the rajah,
and did see him, every relief, which I believed was hourly. He had, in
the course of the day, feigned ill, and wrapped himself up in his
bed-covering; and the officer was naturally satisfied on seeing him, as
he supposed, as usual, enveloped in his bed-clothes; but the cunning
rajah, instead of being penitent for his crimes, had, under the garb of
sickness, actually planned and made his escape: and several of our
native soldiers (the conspirators) had flown with him. Some time after
he was gone, they discovered that the object whom the officer of the
night supposed to be the sick rajah wrapped up in his bed-clothes, was
nothing more than a large pillow. When the last officer went his rounds,
he was satisfied, from appearances, that his charge was secure. This
hint ought to be a warning to young soldiers, not to trust to others
what they ought to do themselves. The neglect of the inferior officer
fell upon the commanding officer in charge, and he was brought to
general court martial, but acquitted, on the ground of the conspiracy of
his detachment. There could have been no necessity for such a trial, had
the visiting officer detected the escape at the prescribed time of his
visiting, and not been satisfied with the appearance instead of the
reality. What could be expected from such a character--from one who had
planned the destruction of those very people who so basely aided and
abetted his escape? Of the sepoys who thus broke their allegiance to the
government, all who were taken suffered the heavy penalty of their
crime--death. This should ever be the result of conspiracy. There can be
no question that the rajah had bribed them with some valuable jewels at
the time, or held out to these infatuated and mercenary traitors golden
promises of future aggrandizement. His escape was in the very heart of
his own country; but who would admit a traitor? He could not procure an
asylum, even in the midst of his own territory. He was hunted from fort
to fort, and literally from door to door, execrated and despised; and he
was, at last, found dead somewhere in Scindia's country--the just reward
of his unprovoked, treasonable, and treacherous conduct. He justly
forfeited his throne, and merited his fall.
We took up our quarters for the night in a small tope of trees, near the
Home Doongra, the eminence which I have before spoken of. The night
being sultry and hot, I slept on the outside of my tent. Close to my
feet ran a little rippling stream, the banks of which were thick and
bushy. I had not reclined long on my couch, before I heard a rustling
noise among the bushes, and the cries of so many animals, that I began
to think I was in rather a dangerous neighbourhood, and got my pistols
ready, in case a tiger or other beast of prey should have taken a fancy
to the body of the baggage-master, in preference to that of some more
comely person. I listened attentively for a considerable time, when I
heard imitations of the sounds of birds. I then knew I was in the
vicinity of thieves, and kept my pistol on the cock. At last, I
distinctly heard a low voice say, "He wakes--squat down." I instantly
jumped off my cot, and ran towards the place; but they were off, and,
from the darkness of the night, I could not see them, or they were so
close it was quite impossible they could have escaped. From the noise
they made in scampering off, there must have been some five or six of
them. I should have changed my quarters after this, but the moon at this
time stole from behind a cloud, and illumined all around, and I slept
peaceably till the morning dawned. We then commenced our reconnoitring,
during which we were frequently saluted with a sixty-four pounder, but
escaped unhurt.
The remainder of the division arrived this morning, and in the course of
the day we completely invested the town and fort. We took up our
position on the east side of the fort, having the river Nerbuddah, with
a large village and tope of trees, in our front, which completely
screened us from view. The information brought into camp by the spy
spoken of, with his plans and drawings of the fort, were found, on a
minute examination, to be utterly false. It turned out that he had never
been near the fort, but loitered about in the woods and villages in its
vicinity, and there gained the information from which he drew his plans.
The integrity and faith of this native had been such, that his master
would have trusted his life on his veracity. For the long period of more
than twenty years had this spy borne the toils and risks of his perilous
occupation, without once having been detected in a falsehood; but his
grey hairs were now, at a late period of his life, disgraced. For his
long services, however, he was pensioned off, and placed in a solitary
hut in his old age, to repent of this one act of deception. He confessed
that his old tottering frame had refused to bear him as heretofore, and
that fear had caused him to commit this his first transgression.
We had gained unquestionable information that a large body of our old
friends, the Pindarees, had found an asylum in this fort, to the number
of five hundred men, to assist in its defence. The place was so closely
invested by us, that a man could not possibly escape; and we, one and
all, were determined to chastise the garrison for their base treachery,
and the Pindarees for their impudence. Although this town and fort
occupied more than three miles in circumference, yet, at night, such was
our care of their precious inmates, we formed a complete and close chain
of sentinels around the whole of the space; and every quarter of a mile
we had posted strong mounted and dismounted piquets, whose horses were
constantly on the bit. The primary object of our brave general was to
avoid any unnecessary effusion of blood; and, consequently, mercy was
tendered to the occupants of the fort, provided they would give it up.
Every base stratagem was resorted to, as usual, to gain time to
reinforce and strengthen the fort, under the plea of taking time to
think of the proffered terms of reconciliation. All this while we could
see every hand employed in building new fortifications, under the
delusion that our guns were only intended to intimidate them into
compliance. They were confirmed in this opinion, not only by the
predictions of their priests, but from the supposed impossibility of
getting any guns of a large size over the gigantic mountains we had
traversed; and, indeed, to view the lofty mountains, to use the words of
the natives, "It was difficult for the sharp-eyed hawk to find his way
over such precipices, for they were as stupendous as the midnight moon,
or the morning light peeping from the newly-lighted chambers of the
East." This delusion lulled them into fancied security, and their
hardened hearts became steeled to the advice of reason, and our offers
of compassion in favour of their mothers, wives, and babes. We soon
convinced them that our guns were not so much to be despised as they
imagined; but, before we opened our batteries on them, one effort more
was made by us to prevent the destruction of life, by another offer of
mercy, accompanied by the most earnest entreaties that, if their own
hearts still continued hardened and obdurate, and they were resolved to
resist the dictates of reason, they would, at least, not imbrue their
hands in the blood of their families. These messages of mercy were
treated with contempt, and spurned with indignation. Every effort that
the feeling mind could suggest, or humanity dictate, was resorted to, to
induce these deluded people to listen to our proposals; and every kind
of forbearance was shown to them, up to the last moment. On the
following morning our guns opened, which drove their priests early to
the temple, to solicit protection and aid from the dumb objects of their
idolatrous worship. The warrior was now seen putting on his coat of
mail; all was bustle, consternation, and confusion. When our cannonading
commenced, the birds, scared, soon got on the rapid wing, and sought
shelter in the distant woods, and the deer fled with the quickness of
lightning across the plain, bending their way towards the dreary forest.
The enemy returned our fire, and hoisted their colours as a proof of
earnest and total defiance of our power. We had not as yet completed our
shelling-batteries, and therefore, before these magazines of death were
finished, we once more called upon the inmates of the fort to send their
families out, with an assurance that we would guarantee their protection
and safety; that they should have a safeguard to whatever part of the
country they wished to proceed; and that they should not be deprived of
any of their private property. We could not make up our minds to fight
against women and children. Our humane general begged most earnestly,
that this, his last entreaty, might be attended to, as he should, on
their refusal, commence his shelling, which would bereave them of many
of those dear objects whom he now, for the last time, gave them an
opportunity to save. A certain time was given for an answer. They knew
that the guarantee proffered for the safety of their families was
inviolable. On this point they were fully satisfied, and our continued
solicitations at length melted their hearts. They consented; and the
following morning, at ten o'clock, was fixed for their coming out. At
this prospect we all felt much delighted, for it deadens the heart of a
brave man to hear the cries and wailings of inoffensive women and
innocent children. Every bosom panted at the happy event, as some great
calamity removed from our own hearts.
In the morning, the sun rose in all his majesty, and his bright beams
seemed to shine with approbation on our act of mercy. We had selected a
large mango tope as the place of rendezvous. The appointed hour arrived,
and we were delighted to see an immense number of people issuing from
the fort, and bending their slow and gloomy steps towards the tope. It
seemed like some funeral procession following some dear relative to the
tomb. Some wept aloud and some in silence; some pressed their little
offspring to their anguished bosoms; and others cast a lingering eye on
the distant tower, where stood the objects of their love. Yet there
seemed a confidence of safety beaming from every eye. A few men
accompanied them, but without arms; and the bastion and walls were lined
with soldiers, to witness the scene. There came grey-headed mothers,
young wives, and numbers of children, from ten and twelve years old, to
the fondling at the mother's breast. What a group of mortal creatures
rescued from the tomb of destruction! The total number was about one
thousand. Some of the women were truly beautiful, and very elegantly
attired. Having made known their places of abode, they were dispatched
under a safeguard. The procession moved slowly on. At about four hundred
yards from the fort, the eyes of most of the party were turned towards
the objects of their love, whom they were about to leave in danger; and
many did bid farewell, and for the last time--for many of their husbands
fell victims to their infatuated and blindfold zeal. When they had
proceeded about a mile from the fort, we gave the enemy three cheers,
testifying that we had strictly fulfilled the duties of the trust
confided to us. The garrison returned our cheers; and, having now
performed the duties of humanity, our next duty was due to our country.
In mercy to their families we did not commence shelling till the doleful
sounds could not reach their ears. We opened them about noon, and our
first shell fell about midway, which created a shout on the part of the
enemy; but the next started them from their hiding-places, and they
could be seen running in all directions.
Having thrown about a dozen, the rajah mounted the shawbroodge (king's
bastion) attended in state, to see the fun. We could recognise him by
his glittering chattah (state umbrella). In the bastion I suppose there
could not be less than twenty or thirty persons, nor could the distance
be less than a mile and a half. The captain of the artillery, determined
to regain his credit for his first bad shot, laid on a special one for
the bastion, and, wonderful to say, it lodged on its very top. In an
instant, even before the smoke cleared, the state chattah and every soul
disappeared, and the shouting in our batteries was terrific. Not a word
was returned from the fort; all seemed gloom and despair; and
self-preservation seemed to be thought of most by them, from the general
movement of the garrison. When the effect of the shell was seen, an
Irish sergeant of the artillery bellowed out, "By my conscience,
captain, but that was after picking some of their teeth for them, for I
saw one of the spalpeens scratching his head," The captain replied, "You
must have capital eyes, sergeant, to see a man scratch his head at this
distance."
"By the powers, your honour, I did see it, because I happened to be
looking at the very time, or I should not perhaps have seen him."
"Well, sergeant, I have no reason to doubt your word; will you try a
shell?"
"I should have no objection, but I have no chance of driving them away,
because they are all gone; but I should like to try one, and see if I
could hit something."
He fired, and immediately cried out, "By St. Patrick, but that's amongst
them, if they should happen to be there." This blunder caused a general
laugh at poor Paddy's expense, who seemed a little nettled, and
peevishly replied, "Fait! you may laugh, but that's more than those will
who were kilt by that shell just now."
We could distinctly hear the moanings of the wounded; and sad must have
been the fate of those poor fellows whose gaping wounds were left
bleeding, the shattered bones protruding through the lacerated flesh.
The very idea makes the sympathetic mind shudder; but the hearts of
these unfortunate creatures were as impenetrable as the stubborn rock on
which their fort was erected. Yet, this very fact serves but to increase
our sorrow for their benighted souls, influenced and guided by some
hypocritical priest or mendicant impostor, who leads them blindfold to
destruction.
The firing from the fort was good and steady, and some of their long
shots would have been no disgrace to a European gunner. I was, during
this siege, as before, baggage-master and acting aid-de-camp to
Brigadier-General Watson, C.B., who invested this fort in person, and
saw hourly the operations carried on under his own eye, being constantly
riding round the chain of posts, or in the breaching and other
batteries, always seeing things done, and strictly watching the progress
of the siege.
Our principal breaching-battery was on the east side of the fort,
keeping the pure stream of the sweet Nerbuddah running between ourselves
and the foe. Many of the enemy, when sipping of its crystal water, were
killed in the attempt to moisten their parched lips. I have more than
once nearly quarrelled with my brother officers on the following
subject, nor can I ever reconcile to my bosom, that the act is fair or
right. The question to which I alluded is this, whether it is fair that
I should secrete myself in a hole, or behind a wall, with a rifle, and
thus, unseen, shoot every poor creature who shows his nose, without my
own person being in the slightest danger. It is true, it is an enemy
whom you thus treat, but I do consider the act of placing one's self in
security, and from the hiding-place dealing out death, treads close upon
the heels of cowardice, if it does not come under the designation of
actual murder. Give me man to man, and sword to sword. I hate unfairness
in anything; and I do not think this practice, though often adopted,
will stand the test of scrutiny in the eye of justice.
We breached a corner bastion of the town, the base of which ran down
into the river, on the banks of which we could approach the breach out
of sight, and pounce upon it unobserved, and out of the reach of their
cannon and small arms. All was impatience to get to work. The breach
seemed fit for storming. Various were the opinions of the impetuous
soldiers relative to its practicability. Some said they could ride up
it, others that they could drive a gig up. Thus went round the
thoughtless opinions of rash youth, ever willing to run headstrong into
danger; but our prudent engineer, Captain Tickell, smiled on their hasty
opinions, and sarcastically replied, "Whenever you do storm, rest
assured you will not find the ascent of that breach a light job. To
satisfy myself," he continued, "I will go. It is better to sacrifice one
life than a hundred." Saying this, he immediately crossed the river,
about a quarter of a mile lower down, and stole along the banks of the
Nerbuddah unobserved, having given previous instructions to the whole of
the batteries to keep their fire for the top of the breach, should he be
attacked. He seemed to ascend with difficulty. Every heart trembled for
his safety, for he was a brave officer, and one of our best engineers.
He at last mounted the summit of the breach, and waved his hat. At that
moment several of the enemy rushed out, but he jumped down the breach.
They came to the very verge of it; but no sooner were their bodies seen,
and the engineer safe from its top, than the whole of our guns, with
shot and shells, were opened, and those who rushed out for his
destruction met their own. Not one of them returned to tell the tale.
On the return of the engineer to the battery, he said nothing to any
one, having been before much annoyed by the speculative opinions of
those who stood about him. He, however, after his return, altered the
direction of the firing of the breaching-battery to a large tree which
had been shot down, and which must necessarily impede our ascent. This,
he afterwards said, completely blocked up the footing of the breach;
and, had we stormed according to the opinions and ardent wishes of many
of the inexperienced, we must have suffered considerably in the loss of
lives. He afterwards said, that he thought it a providential thing that
such opinions, however foolish, had been expressed, for it was the cause
of his being able to remedy an evil he could not for a moment have
foreseen. On the contrary, it had before been his opinion, that the
fallen tree would have facilitated our progress rather than impeded it.
He thought we should be able to storm in the afternoon. A howitzer was
immediately laid for the removal of this obstacle, and the shell fired
from it lodged in the very centre of the rooty part of the tree, and
when it burst blew it to pieces. This drew upon the artillery-officer
who laid it the eulogiums of the spectators. Amongst the number was the
Irish sergeant, who cried out, "By the powers, captain, but that's what
I call a moving shot."
"Yes," replied the captain, "a remover, certainly, for I see the stump
of the tree is gone. I wish you would remove the other large bough that
hangs on the side of the bastion."
"I will try, if your honour pleases; but I should rather see your honour
do it, to finish the work you are just after completing, and I will try
and do the rest."
Thus went round the merry joke, and we were all laughing heartily at
poor Pat's bulls and drollery, when a whisper was heard running the
lines, "Fall in, storming-party!" On went the pointed bayonet; in went
the new flint. Everybody was busy in an instant, and naught was heard
save the hammering of flints and the fixing of bayonets. This was about
three o'clock in the afternoon. We crossed the Nerbuddah, and marched
along the bed of the river to our other breaching-battery, and there
rendezvoused for a time, till all was ready.
The gallant general on whose staff I had acted had volunteered to lead
the storming-party in person, as it was supposed we had a sharp job
before us. I, as part of his staff, did not of course remain behind, but
had the honour to participate with the general in the toils and glory of
the day. Our situations, I assure the reader, were no sinecures; for we
fought and fagged hard for nearly three hours.
About four o'clock the party moved on, led by the brave general and his
suite. The storming-party consisted of two companies of the Bengal 14th
regiment Native Infantry, supported by the 13th regiment. We stole
slowly on along the bank, every tongue as still as the midnight thief.
About ten or twenty paces before we got to the breach, the column was
visible to a projecting bastion of the fort, from which a strong party
of Arabs was dispatched, to stay our progress and oppose our entrance.
These for a considerable time disputed our entry, but our brave native
troops, inspired by the cheering of their gallant leader, soon beat them
from their posts. They then took possession of some huts that had
escaped being burnt, and fired through loop-holes; but they soon burnt
themselves out, by setting fire, either by intention or accident, to
these huts. This for a moment stopped our further progress, as we could
not pass the flaming huts. Here we lost some few men; and, seeing that
the destruction of numbers of our brave sepoys was inevitable, if we
remained long in this position, we rushed through the flames, and on the
opposite side found a large body of men drawn up to oppose us. For a
short time the struggle was hard; but our brave little general soon gave
the word, "Charge!" It was then that the butchery commenced. For a time
our brave opponents would not give way, but rushed upon the bayonet's
point, and fought sword in hand; but, when they did begin to run, the
carnage was truly dreadful. I saw one grey-headed old Arab,
notwithstanding that he had two bayonets through his body, and was lying
on his back, cutting away in a most resolute and heroic manner. The
third wound which he received was a shot through his head, which settled
him. We followed close on the heels of the fugitives, who fell in all
directions. They branched off towards the left, in the hope of getting
off in that quarter, but we had previously sent a strong party of
infantry and cavalry to prevent their escape. They were now completely
hemmed in, and fight they must, or die. They did fight, and I never saw
men fall so fast. They were in such numbers that every shot told.
Hundreds of them threw down their arms and took to the water. These were
for the most part drowned, and those who reached the opposite shore were
made prisoners; but these were comparatively few to the number who met a
watery grave. Some few escaped into the fort; and others threw down
their arms, and begged for mercy.
In a deep ravine were about a hundred women and children. These poor
creatures had been detained as corn-grinders, and our shells,
unfortunately, had made sad destruction amongst them. Many of their
children had their legs and arms shot off, and I saw one with its
entrails protruding, a ball having gone completely through its body. We
left a guard over this wretched party, to prevent them from being fired
on. At this point we were exposed to a smart fire from the fort, which
took off our attention from these women, and we pushed on, and in an
hour had completely cleared the town of its fighting men. The fire from
the fort became warmer; and it was therefore requisite that we should
maintain what we had got, for night now began to cast a gloom on the
scene below. It was now necessary to establish ourselves for the night,
under cover from the shots of the fort; which we did by occupying
temples and other buildings, as also the principal entrances to the
main streets. In a couple of hours we were secure and safe, and not a
single shot was fired. All was calm and quiet, save the distressing
moanings of the wounded and the dying, whose cries and groans were truly
touching to the heart. We grieved that we could not relieve them; but
all that we could do was to take care that none of our troops or
followers ventured to add to, or aggravate their pains, by rifling their
persons, or by any taunting triumph. It would have been a mercy to have
hidden from the human eye such a sight as was then before us, and we
hailed with joy the closing of day, which shut from our view the
distorted features of dying men, and the gushing streams of the wounded.
The night set in, in dreary darkness, and the clouds seemed thick and
gloomy; and in an instant all was hidden from short-sighted man, and
seen alone to Him to whose care and protection we will leave the
sufferers.
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