The breached bastion was found to be a tough piece of masonry, extremely
thick and well put together; so we pegged away at its foundation. At
last some of the stones began to give warning that they were tired of
the fun, and would not stand it any longer--so down they came; and those
on the top, wishing to show their attachment, soon followed, and by the
following day, the breach looked ascendable.
When I went down to the breaching-battery, I saw my old friend, the
Irish sergeant, busy laying a gun. "Well, sergeant," said I, "what do
you think of the breach?"
He replied, "The divel a better within a day's march."
"Do you think we shall get in, sergeant?"
"The divel a fear of that, for there is not a living soul but what our
shells have kilt and destroyed; so that when you are in, you will have
nothing to do but shoot the remainder, and take the place in a moment."
"I am afraid you are too sanguine, sergeant," said I.
"Not at all, your honour: you will not find ten living men in the whole
fort that our shells have not destroyed. If you do, call Paddy Dogan a
spalpeen."
"Well," I answered, "we shall see, sergeant."
"Fait!" said he, "that's more than they will; it would do their dead
eyes good to take a peep at our brave boys getting up the breach."
Here was a general titter at the expense of poor Pat; and he exclaimed,
"Fait! you may laugh, but it's no laughing matter; how would you like
to be kilt yourselves? Answer me that question."
At the back of the breach stood the once splendid palace of its rightful
owner, but now one general mass of ruins. The breach was reported
practicable, and the storming ordered for the following morning, giving
time to knock off all defences behind which the enemy could secrete and
hide themselves, so as to annoy the storming party; but the keeledar of
the fort, seeing his haughty tower tumbling to the ground, his soldiers
falling victims to our shells wherever they showed themselves, and that
several fatal explosions had already occurred during the siege, began to
think seriously of giving up the fort, rather than stand the storm. He
had, indeed, lost a great number of his best men. A messenger was
therefore dispatched from the fort, stating that, if the general would
permit them to march out with their arms and private property, they
would give up the fort. The proposal stood on these grounds: their arms
were not worth ten pounds, and the whole of their property consisted of
what they stood in. Need there be a scruple in granting such a
proposition? Was there anything dishonourable in meeting such a
proposal, if only in mercy for human lives? Certainly not. The breach
was a most difficult one, and there is no question that, if they had
defended it, we should have lost fifty or more men; and it was by no
means clear to me, or any man who knew what a breach was, that our
success would have been at all a certain thing. Our brave and humane
general agreed at once to the terms proposed, much against the will of
some of the Company's officers, who attempted to attach some degree of
blame to his permitting them to march out with their arms. Our general,
however, by his own nice judgment, and the advice of his staff-officers,
some of whom had been years in the Company's army, overruled the
opinions of the firebrand sub in search of promotion, and the following
morning was appointed for their marching out. On viewing the garrison
the next morning, it was found to consist of fifteen hundred fine men,
well armed and equipped; so that we had no reason to regret that we had
not wantonly sacrificed men's lives. The garrison had been originally
two thousand strong, but was now reduced to about fifteen hundred, the
others having been killed and wounded. When we marched down, the gates
of the fort were closed, and the men had manned the ramparts. I was
desired to inform them, that the time for giving the fort up had
expired; and, if not at once complied with, the general must instantly
order the storming-party to proceed, for which purpose they had been
drawn up near the breach. At last the gates were thrown open, and the
keeledar, at the head of his men, marched out in column, with a firm
steady pace. He was a fine-looking man, and, indeed, so were all his
soldiers. Their wounded men were brought out by their comrades on cots.
These poor fellows we begged might be sent to our hospital, for the
purpose of being dressed. On passing the general, the keeledar saluted.
The general coolly returned; they marched out, and we marched in. The
inside of the gate was covered with dead bodies of men, horses,
bullocks, &c.; many of the houses were torn up by the roots, and the
smell was beyond anything dreadful. The palace had been torn to pieces,
and under its gigantic pillars protruded legs and arms of men and women.
The sight was truly horrifying, and I will hasten over it as fast as
possible. In the centre of the fort was found the old Armenian governor,
who had, during the siege, been confined in a cell, and almost starved
to death. I never in my life saw such a picture of woe as this poor
creature. He was about sixty years of age; his hair quite white. He was
the son of an Armenian by a native woman, and, consequently, of fair
complexion, which his confinement caused to look cadaverous. You could
almost have laid your finger in the furrows of his careworn cheek, and
his little black eyes were sunk deep into his head. He was permitted to
join his family, which had been sent to a small village during the
siege.
The fort presented one mass of desolation and poverty, the old garrison
having taken care of everything of value before they sold it. I had been
appointed, on this occasion, prize-agent for the staff of the army, and
commenced my search. It was rumoured that Jean Baptiste had in this fort
secreted thirty lacs of rupees, which we were resolved to find, if
possible. We dug up large pigs of lead, bars of iron, sheets of copper,
pits of grain, vats of ghee (a kind of butter), but no money. If
perseverance could discover this hidden treasure, we were resolved to
find it. After digging above twenty feet, and working our way under the
palace, we discovered a dungeon, or cell. Into this we descended, at the
risk of treading on reptiles. From this dungeon we traced several rooms
or cells, no doubt formerly the prisons of some captive beauties, till
they were reconciled to an illicit intercourse with their tyrants.
Searching every hole, and digging in every corner, we came at last to a
kind of wall, newly built up, through the top of which we could see a
door. This wall and door we soon forced to obedience, and we entered a
large room, recently cleaned and whitewashed. In the centre of this room
was a trap-door, with a large lock. Our hearts beat high with
expectation; but what was our surprise, when we found this tomb
contained the body of some poor murdered person, who had been buried
here! Thus ended our search; and the whole captured property sold for
fifteen hundred rupees, which we were obliged to hand over to Scindia
some time afterwards. Our next duty was to commit the dead to the earth.
In the performance of this unpleasant task, I had to follow one of the
Company's artillery to his last home. Observing one of the funeral party
lagging behind the rest, I asked him why he did not keep up. He
answered, that "He had had a great big fight with the deceased a short
time before he went dead, and he did not think the man had forgiven
him." "Poh! poh!" replied I, "the man cannot hurt you now he is
dead."--"Och, fait!" said he, "I beg your honour's pardon. I once knew
a man that was as dead as Barney Flynn's great-grandmother, come to
life; besides, the deceased said he would never rest, dead or no dead,
till he gave me a great big bating; and I should not like to provoke
him."--"Do not talk such nonsense to me," said I.--"Nonsense! your
honour; it's no such thing at all, at all; he was a mighty cunning chap
when alive, and who knows what he has learned since he went dead?" All I
could say I could not induce this man to approach till the corpse was
lowered into the grave, and that half filled, when he at last ventured
to look in, and said, "Fait! I believe you are snug enough now,
joy."--"Throw in a piece of earth as a signal that you part friends,"
said one of the men; but Paddy quickly replied, "No, no; that would be
striking the first blow;" and he went away immediately, no doubt full of
apprehensions that he should some time or other receive a nocturnal
visit from his comrade, who now slumbered in peace, secure in the cold
grave from war's alarms. So much for superstition!
Having buried our dead, we left one regiment of native infantry till
Scindia should send a more loyal garrison. We were afterwards given to
understand, that his highness was not at all obliged to us for knocking
his fort to pieces. We then turned towards home, and in a few days
reached Saugar to rest our weary limbs.
After the toils of war, and seeing no prospect of having anything more
to do, I obtained permission to visit my wife at Cawnpore, some four
hundred miles from Saugar. This was readily granted: I reached Cawnpore
in the space of fourteen days; and, in the embraces of an affectionate
wife, I forgot, for a time, the "pride, pomp, and circumstance of
glorious war." I remained in Cawnpore about eight or ten days, and the
place was at that time the seat of festivity and splendour. Dinners,
balls, and routs, followed each other in quick succession, so that, at
the end of the ten days, I was completely exhausted by dissipation. On
the eleventh day, I again bent my way to Saugar, to join the division.
My affectionate little partner accompanied me some miles on the road,
and would willingly have followed me to the field; but there are scenes
even on the line of march that must ever offend the eye of delicacy; and
I have always condemned the folly of those wives who have followed their
husbands to the field of battle. However ardent may be the affections of
such wives, the very act attaches to them want of delicacy: but what
will not woman do for the man she loves; she will even share with him
the cup of dishonour, and linger in his sight a short moment ere he is
plunged into eternity, to satisfy the offended laws of his country. Pity
it is either that women love so much, or that men deserve their love so
little! Dearly as I loved my wife, I could not expose her to the scenes
incident to an Indian encampment.
Having bidden her farewell, I started at speed, that I might not see her
again; yet I could not help stealing another last look, when I saw her
head was still turned towards me. I, would sooner go through the toils
of a campaign than suffer the heaviness I always experience at parting
with my family; but duty was my passport, and surmounted every
difficulty and obstacle, and in thirteen days I reached Saugar; but,
from being exposed to incessant rain, and afterwards to the scorching
sun, I had sown the seeds of a disease which nearly cost me my life,
though it was some time before it burst forth. It was supposed that the
division of the army to which I was attached, would be continued at this
station, for the purpose of watching the new-conquered provinces of
Saugar and Candish; so we began to build huts or asylums against the
winter, and we agreed to send for our wives--for what is man's life
debarred the pleasure of female society? Men are little better than
monsters without it. Wherever modest women are, there will always be a
becoming decorum and decency; but men, when long estranged from their
society, dwindle into gross habits; and the hilarity of an immodest
song, and the cup of inebriety, form their pleasures, and the summit of
their felicity. Our wives having been invited to join us, mine was the
first to set the example; and, although the journey was attended with
considerable danger, she reached me in four days, at the fort of Huttra,
whither I had proceeded to meet her. This personal risk, on her part, to
join me, could not but gratify my feelings and increase my love. In the
course of a month, ten ladies had arrived, and the little station was
the gayest of the gay. We generally met every day, either at dinner,
ball, or supper, and our hearts were as light as our pockets.
While we were at this station, there was a large monkey that was a
general nuisance, from the numerous robberies which he committed under
the dark mantle of night. He would pounce into shops, and would run off
with silks, satins, silver, gold, and indeed anything within his reach.
On one of these excursions, having taken a fancy to a shawl, he rushed
into the shop and grasped it; but the shawl being rather heavy and long,
it retarded his progress, and the master of the shop seized him by the
tail. He held fast, the monkey pulled; he called for help, the monkey
screamed; he kicked, the monkey bit. At last the owner of the shawl
seized the animal's tail with his grinders, and poor Jacko went off with
his prize, but minus some six inches of his tail. By the blood they
traced his steps to an old dilapidated mosque, where he was shot. Here
were found the spoils of many a midnight ramble, and which many an
honest neighbour laid under the stigma of having stolen. Such was the
power of this monkey, that he would have mastered many a man. These
animals, in India, I think are very sagacious and cunning, being petted
and fed by men, and frequently living in the houses of the Hindoos. I
recollect a young man, a cadet, who was proceeding up the river, and was
not accustomed to these creatures, incautiously shot one of the older
gentlemen out of several whom he saw. Even amongst these animals age is
honourable; they one, and all sallied out upon him, and he took to his
heels fast, throwing away his pouch, which was full of balls, shot, &c.
These they seized, and still pursued him, until he parted with his
shot-belt, and at last threw away his gun. As soon as they saw him
unarmed, they bit him terribly, and he escaped merely with life. The
boats to which he belonged were fortunately not far distant from him,
and from these a party was formed, who sallied out against his pursuers.
The first sight that presented itself was about a dozen hoary gentlemen
examining the contents of the shot-belt and pouch. Seeing themselves
overpowered, they wisely ran into the adjoining woods, taking with them
the pouch and shot-belt. The gun they declined having anything to do
with. I would caution young men proceeding up the river, to steer clear
of these artful and mischievous creatures.
In the midst of all our gaiety our little division was again put in
requisition, to proceed against the strong hill-fort of Asseerghur, some
three hundred miles from Saugar. The monsoons or rains had commenced,
and this sudden news distressed all the ladies exceedingly; but no
faint-hearted husband shammed sick to remain behind. In two or three
days we bade farewell to our fair spouses, and bent our way towards
Asseerghur. The weather was intensely hot, so much so, that in a large
double pool-tent, with tatties, or mats, suspended all round, made of
grass, and continually kept wet, the glass stood at mid-day, at 120 and
130, and, after a shower of rain, the earth was like a hotbed.
Notwithstanding this, we were obliged to proceed by forced marches, to
reach Asseerghur as soon as possible. Our force was not very large, but
our battering-train was considerable. The country in the immediate
vicinity of this fort is barren and desolate, infested with wild beasts
of every description, and many of our smaller cattle were carried away
at night by them. The forces of the other two Presidencies, Madras and
Bombay, had arrived before us, leaving a space for the Bengal division;
and a most dreary and barren spot it was. The earth was dried and
parched up, and nothing like vegetation could be seen except some
prickly bushes. Not a leaf or blade of grass condescended to smile upon
this spot. It was about a mile and a half from the fort, the gigantic
sides of which seemed, even at this distance, to hang over us. They were
really terrific even to look at; and, how we were to ascend such a
precipice would puzzle a wiser head than mine. We that morning
breakfasted with Major-General Doveton, commanding the whole of the
forces before Asseerghur; but, not having the least fancy to their
insipid dried fish and meats, we saved our appetites for our Bengal
luxuries, and made a hearty second breakfast on our return to our tents.
[Illustration: MADRAS, BENGAL AND BOMBAY NATIVE TROOPS OF SHIPP'S DAY.
From a Sketch taken at the time by the Earl of MUNSTER.]
The fort had been the property of Scindia, who had agreed to cede it to
the Company for some equivalent; but the governor had the impudence to
refuse to obey the orders of his master and the summons of the Company,
and to fire on the troops of both whenever they passed. This fellow
trusted, no doubt, to the supposed impracticability of the fort, and
therefore came to the resolution of keeping possession of it for
himself. The great natural strength of this hill seemed to defy the
combined power of the world. Human art and labour had also added to its
strength. The idea of ever being able to ascend such a place seemed
absurd and romantic, and to effect a breach would have been equally
impracticable. To mine it was beyond the power of human skill. From its
base to its summit was about two miles high, and, on a perpendicular
rock, from a hundred and fifty to two hundred feet high, stood strong
fortifications, with some very heavy cannon and ginjalls. In the centre
stood their grand mosque, with its two sharp spires pricking holes in
the clouds. At a considerable distance from this temple was a large
sheet of water, fed by a beautiful spring; and the troops could shelter
themselves from our shells in excavated rocks. The fort was about two
miles long, by three-quarters broad. On the south side was their
cuttrah, or walled town, and at the principal entrance above the town
innumerable underworks and bastions had been erected for its defence.
When the sun shed its bright beams on its gigantic and variegated sides,
it was truly beautiful. On the following morning I rose early to
accompany the general, who commenced his inspection of the spots pointed
out for our batteries. The top of the fort seemed entombed in the
slumbering clouds, and it was some time before they dispersed. The
position pointed out by the engineer, was upon a hill about two-thirds
of the way up the ascent to the perpendicular rock, and then our guns
were so elevated that we were obliged to sink the trail in the ground,
and, having but little or no room to recoil, they were much injured, and
we could do but little, if any good, except by knocking off the
defences. Indeed, success seemed out of the question, and the only
prospect we could foresee was to shell them into obedience. Our
shelling, therefore, went on systematically, and with great vigour.
One night, having dined with an officer of the Madras army, during the
time that we were before this place, and partaken rather too freely of
the Tuscan grape, I started towards home on my favourite mare, whose
speed not a horse in camp could equal, and lost my way. There was a
considerable space between the camp where I dined, and our own
encampment, the lights of which I thought I was standing fair for; but,
after riding a much greater distance than that between the two
encampments, and being in a thick jungle infested with tigers, I began
to reflect seriously on my situation, and for a moment I paused to
consider, under such circumstances, what was best to be done. How
short-sighted is mortal man! That brief moment had nearly been my last!
I had laid the reins of my mare over her neck, when in an instant she
gathered herself up, snorted, and wheeled right round. Fortunately for
me, I seized the mane, and, in an instant after, I saw, squatted down
and crouching to the ground, a huge tiger. To have run from him would
have been inevitable destruction. I therefore wheeled my mare round, and
pressed her on towards him, but she would not approach him. I had a pair
of loaded pistols in my holster-pipes. One of these I drew out,
resolving, however, not to throw away my fire. While endeavouring to
spur my mare on, and making all the noise I could, the ferocious animal
slunk off, to the great joy of both my mare and myself, and I was not
long before I reached my own tent.
I had some recollection of the place where this happened, as I always
made a point of making myself acquainted with the localities of the
encampment and its vicinity; so early the following morning I rode
towards the spot, which was not far from the road, and where I found
that the said tiger had feasted on a more delicious morsel--a nice
little ghinee (a small cow).
I would recommend to those who may chance to get into the vicinity of
such bad neighbours, never to run from them, but, if sufficient courage
can possibly be mustered, to run at them, or to stand and stare them
full in the face. A captain in the Company's service once told me, when
speaking of these savage beasts, that he was out shooting in some part
near Loodianah alone, and he had just discharged his last barrel at some
wild ducks, when a large tiger made his appearance. He had not time to
load again, but, for a time, stood his ground. He stared--the tiger
grinned, but did not seem inclined to come to the scratch. This said
captain, being a funny fellow, at last thought of a stratagem that was
likely to put his grinning neighbour to flight, which was by turning his
back to the animal, looking at him through his legs, and thus running
off backwards. He positively declared that, the moment the tiger saw
this strange metamorphosis, he took to his heels, and was out of sight
in an instant. I will not vouch for the verity of this tale, but I have
heard, since my arrival in England, that the same trick was actually
played on a savage mastiff belonging to a tan-yard, that would not
permit a stranger near the premises without tearing him to pieces, but
the moment he saw this curious figure he took refuge in a drying-house,
and for some time after on the least noise he would hide himself,
thinking, no doubt, it was his friend with his head between his legs
again. The reason on account of which I cannot take upon myself to vouch
for the veracity of my friend the captain, is this: I once tiffed in
company where this brave son of Mars was one of the party. The
conversation turned on the privations which soldiers and sailors are
frequently called on to endure. Some of the company said that, in the
course of their services, they had not tasted food for three days; some
mentioned a longer period. I said I did not believe that the system
could be sustained for more than seven days, if so long, without food or
some kind of sustenance. The captain, however, thought otherwise; and,
begging my pardon most politely, he protested that he had often, when in
the West Indies, lived himself for weeks without food; and that once,
for six months, he had nothing to eat but Cayenne pepper! This was
likely to be a hot man in dispute, so we left him in possession of the
field as well as of his story; and this is the reason why I would not
take upon me to vouch for the authenticity of his tiger adventure.
A few days after we had commenced the siege against this strong fort,
General Watson, commanding the Bengal division, came into my tent, and,
by the smile on his countenance, I could see he was much pleased. At
last he said, "Shipp, I have got some good news for you, which I am sure
will please you much." I replied, "General, good news is acceptable at
all times; what is it?"--"I have at last obtained permission," said the
general, "to lead in person my own column to the storm; and I am sure
you and Knollis will support me with your lives." I replied, "Whenever
my duty calls me, Sir, my life will be willingly risked in the service
of my country."--"I know it," said the general; "and, ere this day week,
I hope to plant Old England's banner higher on the tower of glory than
it ever has been. This fortification is, I believe, the highest in the
world, some fifteen hundred feet above the level of the plain." Some
short time after this the fort was surrendered, and the gallant general,
fortunately, still lives in the bosom of domestic bliss in his native
land. I say "fortunately," because, after the surrender of this strong
and impregnable fortress, it was deemed, by one and all, that it was
beyond the power of mortal ascent, and our beloved general must
infallibly have fallen a victim to his zeal. Many deeds of high daring
had marked the long and glorious career of this respected officer. He
had been in one corps (the 14th regiment) as subaltern and commander,
for the long period of three-and-thirty or four-and-thirty years,
without being a day absent from his duty; and he was universally beloved
for his urbanity and affability of manners. I should justly be accused
of ingratitude did I not take this opportunity of returning him my most
heartfelt thanks for his uniform generosity and disinterested friendship
to me, displayed on numberless occasions.
After shelling almost incessantly for several days, a great number of
the men in the fort were killed in going for water, which was about a
hundred yards from their hiding-places, and these became so offensive
that the garrison persuaded the keeledar to give up the fort as a
hopeless business. To this the keeledar, who was a most dastardly
coward, readily consented; for which purpose he dispatched a messenger
to say, that if he would cease shelling he would come to some amicable
arrangement. Our officers, foreseeing the total impossibility of our
success, complied in some slight degree, stipulating that they would
cease firing for a few hours. This was calculated to impress the
garrison with a conviction, that a further resistance on their part in
withholding the fort, would be only seeking their own destruction, and
imbruing their hands in their own blood; and that, as the English were
now inclined to be merciful, under the supposition that the garrison had
been seduced to disaffection by some artful rebel, it would be better
for them at once to surrender. The message returned by our commander was
that if they were sincere in their wish to give up the fort
unconditionally, firing for the present, from the shelling-batteries
only, would cease; and that, if the terms were not accepted, they would
re-commence with redoubled force. It was further agreed that one more
parley would be attended to. The messenger departed, and orders were
dispatched to the shelling-batteries to cease till further orders.
Natives, speaking of the height of this place, say that "none but the
crafty hawk, high lingering over his prey, or the morning lark, sweetly
soaring and singing over its young, could ever see the inside of
Asseerghur."
Some few days before our arrival, the cuttrah had been stormed and taken
by a division of the Bombay army, under the command of Colonel Frazer,
of the Royal Scots; but they found the detention of their little
conquered town warm work, it being so completely commanded, that every
street could be raked by the firing from the fort. Some part of the
upper-works of the fort were within three hundred yards of the town. Our
soldiers were obliged, therefore, to seek shelter in the temples and
huts. If they had not had the opportunity of retiring to these places,
the town would not have been tenable. Those who were obliged, in the
course of duty, to run from one place to another, had, the moment they
were observed, a hundred shots at them. The enemy, with some reason,
conceived that this occupation of the town was but a preparatory step to
an entry by escalade into their fort. They, therefore, had a strong
party constantly on the look-out for the opportunity of destroying all
whom they could attack, either by surprise or stratagem. Soldiers are
prone to look about them, and many of them will, in spite of all risks,
go in search of plunder. Some of our troops, on this occasion, paid
dearly for their disobedience of orders and violation of military laws.
The principal post held by our troops in this town, was a large mosque
or temple, of which the officers occupied one side, and the soldiers the
other. One by one the men stole off in search of plunder. The enemy,
having observed this, rushed on the remaining few, and the brave colonel
was killed in defending himself against unequal numbers. On the return
of these soldiers to their deserted post, what must have been their
mortification and panic to find their brave colonel butchered, through
their neglect and disobedience of all orders, and their poor wounded
comrades, who but an hour before had shared with them in glory,
weltering in their blood! What could have equalled their anguish, if
their minds had not sunk below the ebb of feeling? Young soldiers, let
this be a warning to you. It is but one instance, out of a great number
within my own knowledge, of the fatal effects of breach of discipline.
Whatever may be your prospect of gain, never be seduced to leave your
post. You are, by such transgression, guilty of three prominent offences
against the Articles of War: leaving your post before an enemy--death;
abandoning your officer--death; plundering--death. There is scarcely a
section in the Articles of War that does not touch this crime.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]