THE BATTLES AT CAWNPORE.
1857.
Cawnpore stands out written in letters of blood in the annals of
British history, and ranks as one of the bloodiest episodes of the
terrible mutiny in our Indian Empire in 1857. It is chiefly conspicuous
for the inhuman massacre of innocent men and women and the butchery of
little children by the orders of Nana Sahib, that fiend in human form,
who was destined to become the central figure of the mutiny.
He first came into prominence at the investment of Cawnpore, and his
bloodthirstiness chilled the hearts of the brave defenders, yet roused
deep feelings of revenge in those who came to the relief. General
Wheeler was in command at Cawnpore--a brave and tried officer, who
would fight to the last; and, being distrustful of a regiment of Oude
Irregulars, disbanded them and sent for a single company of the 32nd
from Lucknow.
All was quietness at this time--the 3rd of June--at Cawnpore, when news
reached Wheeler that the garrison at Lucknow were in sore straits. He
immediately sent back the company of the 32nd, and, as an additional
reinforcement, ordered a detachment of the 84th to accompany them. This
had the effect of thinning the Cawnpore garrison, which now consisted
of 60 men of the 84th regiment, 70 of the 32nd, and 15 of the Madras
Fusiliers, with a few artillerymen and six guns. Two native regiments
were still within the lines--the 1st and 56th native infantry; but as
a precaution, the General ordered that they should sleep outside the
lines.
The dreaded outbreak came at last, and the first shot was fired on
the morning of the 6th of June. Immediately the defenders rushed to
the entrenchments to repel an expected attack of the rebel cavalry
and infantry, but the first day’s fighting was mostly confined to an
artillery duel.
The enemy were vastly superior as regards big guns, and their shots
proved very destructive to the walls of the barracks. Wheeler’s only
hope was to last out until relief came, but gradually the enemy closed
in, capturing the compounds, bungalows, and other buildings, from which
they poured in a perfect hail of bullets upon the brave defenders.
Captain John Moore, of the 32nd, did yeoman service in checking these
encroachments, and, although wounded in the arm, he sallied out on two
occasions at the head of 25 men and spiked the nearest guns.
The deadly fire of the rebels was not the only danger, for the heat
was so intense that the death-rate among the women and children became
alarming. As soon as they died, their bodies were laid out on the
verandah to await the coming of night, when they were cast into a well.
The rebels, desperate to achieve their end, commenced to fire hot
shells and red-hot shot, which caused a part of the barracks to ignite.
Unfortunately this was the very part where the sick and wounded were
lying. Before anything could be done, about forty poor creatures had
perished in the flames, while the defenders could not quit their posts
in the trenches lest the savage horde would burst in and annihilate the
garrison. The barracks soon became so riddled that they afforded but
little protection, and the women had to burrow in the earth to find
safety for themselves and their children.
Theirs was a terrible plight, with shells screaming over them, and
the foul stench of decaying horses and cattle for ever in their
nostrils. It should be mentioned that the survivors of the garrison at
Futtehghur, which had been abandoned, to the number of 126, men, women
and children, had taken refuge in Cawnpore, where they were lodged in
the assembly rooms. They had escaped in boats down the Ganges, and many
lives had been lost through the rebels firing upon them from the banks.
Little did they dream that a more terrible fate awaited them.
On the eighteenth day of the siege, Nana Sahib sent an old English
lady, named Mrs. Greenway, whom he had captured, to the barracks, to
offer honourable terms of surrender to General Wheeler. These were to
the effect that all Government money should be given up, that the force
should march out under arms with 60 rounds of ammunition to every man,
and that boats, properly victualled, should be in readiness at the
landing-stage on the Ganges, about a mile from the British entrenchment.
These terms were signed, sealed, and ratified on the solemn oath of the
Nana. Hostilities at once ceased, and General Wheeler made preparations
to evacuate the place which he had so gallantly defended against
fearful odds. On the 27th of June, the force, to the number of about
700, marched down to the boats, little thinking of the treachery that
was working in the heart of the Nana. There were nearly 300 women and
children there, and they took their places in the boats.
The moment all were embarked, Nana gave the signal, and a fierce
musketry fire rained upon the trusting and hapless band in the frail
boats. Then ensued a terrible massacre, hundreds being killed without
a chance of defending themselves, while those who sought safety in the
water were shot as soon as they showed themselves. Those in the boat
which contained the gallant Wheeler and his daughter made a gallant
resistance, and actually succeeded in getting down stream, only to be
captured by three of the Nana’s boats and brought back to Cawnpore.
The men were separated from the women, and the Nana ordered them to be
shot by men of the 1st Bengal Infantry.
“No! no!” answered several of the rebels. “We will not shoot Wheeler
Sahib, for he made the name of our regiment great.”
There were others who were ready enough to perpetrate the foul deed.
The women threw themselves upon the breasts of those whom they loved,
and begged to share their fate. They were rudely dragged apart, and
just as the rebels were about to fire, the chaplain asked to be allowed
to read prayers before they died. This was granted, and after he had
read a few prayers, the doomed men clasped hands in a last lingering
good-bye. Crack went the rifles, and in a minute they were all shot
down, while those who were wounded were soon despatched. So ended the
first chapter of the Nana’s treachery.
The women and children, to the number of 122, were taken to the Nana’s
house, and a few days later, along with the fugitives from Futtehghur,
were removed to the assembly rooms.
Such fiendish brutality could not go unpunished, and when tidings of
the massacre reached Britain, Brigadier-General Havelock was ordered to
place himself at the head of a force to march on Cawnpore and Lucknow.
It was not a very pretentious army that left Allahabad on the 7th of
July--some 1300 Europeans; but the presence of 600 men of the 78th
Highlanders in the ranks gave it additional strength. Major Renaud had
been sent on with a small force as advance guard, and Havelock coming
up with him, the united forces encamped at Khaga, about five miles from
Futtehghur. While the camp was being pitched, the enemy, numbering 3500
with 12 guns, was observed, and orders were given for an immediate
action. Captain Maude pushed on his guns to point blank range, and
terrorised the enemy with his fire. Against a combined British advance
the rebels retreated, leaving their guns behind them.
It was almost a bloodless victory, for the British loss was trifling,
while the advantage gained was of immense importance. Worn out with a
long march, Havelock decided to rest, and this gave the rebels time to
take up another defensive position to block the road to Cawnpore.
Havelock resumed his march on the 14th, and came up with the enemy at
Aong. The resistance made was but feeble, and under a galling fire of
round and grape shot they once more retreated to the bridge over the
Pandoo Nuddee, which was the last obstacle on the road to Cawnpore.
What the withering artillery fire failed to do, the bayonets of the
Highlanders accomplished, and, leaving a number of guns and ammunition
behind, the rebels were soon in full retreat to join the Nana’s main
force at Cawnpore.
When the Nana learned of the defeat of his troops, he determined upon
the slaughter of every European in Cawnpore. About four o’clock on
the afternoon of the 15th, the bloody butchery began. The males were
ordered out and immediately shot, but the women refused to move, and
neither threats or persuasions would induce them.
They clung to each other until at last the enraged sepoys discharged
muskets from the windows amongst the poor unfortunates. They then
rushed in with sword and bayonet, and soon the place was a reeking
shambles. Fiercely the maddened brutes slashed and stabbed amongst
the quivering mass. They heeded not the pitiful prayers for mercy,
but killed women and children alike. There were about 150 women and
children in the room, and soon the floor was piled high with bleeding
bodies. The massacre continued for several hours, and at last, thinking
that their work was complete, the murderers of the pure and innocent
desisted.
Next morning it was found that a number had escaped death by hiding
under heaps of bodies, and orders were given to recommence the
butchery. Terrified and mad with suffering, the poor creatures,
drenched with the blood of their countrywomen, seized their children,
and, rushing over the compound, cast themselves into a well, preferring
such a death to excruciating torture at the hands of the Nana’s
myrmidons. That same evening the other mangled bodies were cast into
the well, and the Nana’s bloody work was completed.
Since that dreadful day a mausoleum has been erected over the
well--“Sacred to the perpetual memory of a great company of Christian
people, chiefly women and children. xvi. day of July, MDCCCLVII,” and
guarded by the sublime figure of an angel standing at the cross, to
keep watch and ward for aye o’er Britain’s noble dead.
Meanwhile, Havelock’s troops, unaware of the foul deed which had been
enacted within the walls of the city, moved rapidly on, and on the
16th halted at the village of Maharajpoor, before engaging the Nana,
who was posted in a strong position about two miles off at the village
of Aherwa. He had cut up and rendered impassable both roads, and his
heavy guns, seven in number, were disposed along his position, which
consisted of a series of villages. Behind were the infantry, composed
of the mutineers and his own armed followers, numbering in all about
5000.
General Havelock quickly grasped the situation, and decided upon
a flanking movement. The column, therefore, after a short frontal
advance, veered off to the right, and circled round the enemy’s
left. The Nana, observing this move, sent a large body of horse to
the left, and at once opened fire upon the British column with all
his guns. Still Havelock achieved his object, and turned the enemy’s
left. Forming into line, the British guns were soon playing upon
the batteries, while the infantry, covered by a wing of the Madras
Fusiliers as skirmishers, advanced in direct _échelon_ of regiments
from the right.
Then came the moment for the Highlanders, as three guns of the enemy
were strongly posted behind a lofty eminence, and these had to be
taken. Under Colonel Hamilton, the 78th moved forward under a steady
fire. They reached the guns and charged with fixed bayonets, but the
enemy broke and fled. Meanwhile the 64th and 84th regiments had not
been idle, engaging the enemy hotly on the left, and capturing two
guns. General Havelock now re-formed his force on account of the
retreat of Nana Sahib to a new position to the rear of his first and
nearer Cawnpore. The British infantry changed line to the front and
rear while the guns were brought up.
While this was being done, the Nana, despatching his cavalry to the
rear of the British force, attacked from this point. They charged
fiercely, but the British volleys were too much for them, and they
withdrew. In the van the fighting was stubborn, and the rebel infantry
seemed to be in disorderly retreat when a reserve 24-pounder came to
the rescue, and played considerable havoc amongst the British lines.
The infantry once more rallied, and the cavalry rejoined the Nana’s
forces. It was imperative that the 24-pounder should be silenced, as
the Madras Fusiliers, the 64th, 78th, and 84th, formed in line, were
losing heavily. The rebel skirmishers were becoming bolder and, getting
within range, poured a heavy musketry fire upon the stolid British
ranks. To make matters worse, the tired oxen could not bring up the
guns over the rough road.
The General gave orders for another steady advance. It seemed madness
to go forward amid such a storm of shot and shell, but Havelock knew
his men.
“No firing, 64th and 78th. Trust to the bayonet, and remember that I am
with you.”
These words inspired the men with a fresh courage, so, with a ringing
cheer, they dashed forward. Steadily they advanced, the enemy sending
round shot into the ranks up to 300 yards’ range, and then poured a
perfect fusilade of grape. The 64th were directly in line of the gun,
and suffered severely, but when the order to “Charge!” came, each man
bounded forward.
The rebels did not wait for the bayonet, but broke and fled, with the
British in pursuit, showing no mercy to the fugitives. The Nana’s
forces were now in total confusion, and retired upon Cawnpore. The
British guns were now up, and a heavy fire was opened upon the
retreating host. The battle was over, and the tired troops halted for
the night, while the wounded were attended and the dead interred. The
British loss was found to be about 100 killed and wounded, which does
not say much for the rebel fire, seeing that they had practically
target shooting for a considerable time. The enemy’s loss was severe,
as the dead and dying strewed the road to Cawnpore.
Hardly had the troops settled down to rest when a tremendous explosion
shook the earth. Nana Sahib, recognising his defeat, had blown up the
Cawnpore magazine, and abandoned the place, with which his name will be
for ever darkly associated.
Next day Havelock’s force entered Cawnpore, to find that they were too
late; a glance at the blood-bespattered room and the ghastly sight of
the mangled bodies in the well spoke all too plainly of the fearful
carnage. It was to find this that the brave force had marched 126
miles, defeated the enemy four times, and captured 24 guns. Little
wonder that the brave soldiers were maddened by such a spectacle;
little wonder that they swore terrible oaths of vengeance.
“I wept,” wrote one of the officers of the 78th, “when I looked into
the room where the massacre had taken place, and saw the blood on the
floor and walls, portions of clothing, and shreds of hair which had
been torn from the innocent heads of our women and children. And I was
not the only one to weep, for I saw old and hardened soldiers, who had
endured the carnage of many a battlefield without a tremor, with tears
running down their tanned cheeks.”
No mercy was shown to the rebels who were caught. First of all they
were compelled to clean up a portion of the blood-stained floor, and as
to touch blood is abhorrent to the high-caste natives (they thinking
that by doing so they are doomed to perdition), this was a terrible
punishment. They were then hanged, and Brigadier Neill, who had now
command at Cawnpore, was successful in sending many to their just doom.
Large numbers of the enemy still hung about in the vicinity of
Cawnpore, and the troops made several successful sorties. The Nana
had wisely quitted the field, and had taken refuge in his palace at
Bithoor, where he was strongly supported. The skirmishing bands of
mutineers which molested the Cawnpore garrison were gradually driven
back, and must have suffered severely. An incident, gruesome it may be,
is related of a stalwart Highlander, who had taken part in one of the
skirmishes. He was discovered standing musing and gazing intently upon
two headless corpses which lay upon the ground.
“What’s troubling you, my man?” said an officer who chanced to be near.
“Lo’d, sir, I sliced aff baith their heads, and noo I dinna ken the ane
fae the ither, so I doot I’ll need tae lat them lie as they are”; and,
as if playing football, he kicked the heads aside.
There were others who put notches on their guns--a notch for every
rebel they killed.
Knowing what their fate would be if they were taken prisoner, the
mutineers gradually fell back to join the Nana’s main force. It was
Havelock’s intention to march immediately to the relief of Lucknow, but
his force was sadly in need of rest. At last, all was in readiness, and
on the 25th of July he set out at the head of his small band of 1500
men to give battle to countless thousands. Henceforward the stirring
scenes of the mutiny were transferred to other fields than Cawnpore.
But Cawnpore was destined to undergo another siege, as the Gwalior
contingent of rebels, an inactive plundering and blood-thirsty band,
had determined to strike a blow at the city which had been the scene
of such terrible massacres. Havelock had relieved Lucknow at this
time, and Sir Colin Campbell had gone to the rescue of the force that
had to remain shut up there. Fortunately they delayed their projected
attack until Campbell had forced an entrance to Lucknow, but when they
appeared in large numbers before Cawnpore, on the 26th of November, the
position of the weakened garrison in the city was a perilous one.
The rebels drew up at the Pandoo Nuddee, a few miles from Cawnpore. The
forts which had previously been used in repelling the Nana’s attacks
were strengthened, and General Wyndham, who had won glory at the Redan
in the Crimea, felt confident of holding the mutineers at bay until Sir
Colin Campbell returned with Havelock from Lucknow. When the enemy were
sighted at the Pandoo Nuddee, he determined to show them that he did
not require to act upon the defensive, but that, if occasion presented
itself, he could also attack.
He determined to have the first blow, but it is feared that the bold
and intrepid General vastly underestimated the enemy’s strength. He
marched out to check the rebels at the head of about 2000 men, composed
of the 64th, 82nd, and 88th regiments, along with a section of the
34th. He came up with the enemy, and at once opened fire, which was
smartly returned by the insurgents from guns which were judiciously
posted, and which commanded the British position.
Wyndham saw that he had a superior force arrayed against him, but,
trusting to the valour of his men, he renewed the attack. Against the
odds the sterling prowess of the British soldier had good effect, and
the enemy, menaced with the bayonet, fell back in the direction of
their guns, leaving a number of killed and wounded on the field. The
pursuit was kept up for a short distance, and resistance was offered by
the rebel cavalry, who repeatedly charged to protect their retreating
infantry. These half-hearted charges were easily repulsed by steady
volleying from our ranks, which emptied several saddles. The cavalry,
however, undoubtedly saved the infantry, which stood in danger of being
cut up by Wyndham’s infuriated troops.
The gallantry of the little band of the 34th deserves high
commendation. They threw themselves into squares to deal with the
cavalry, and did terrible execution in the ranks. It was during the
fight with the cavalry that Captain Day of the 88th, who had fought in
all the battles of the Crimea, was struck by a musket ball and fell
into a well, from which his body was never recovered.
While the shades of evening were falling over the blood-stained field,
General Wyndham ordered the troops to fall back. This they were nothing
loth to do, as they had had a hard day’s fighting, and were glad to
encamp for the night on the Jewee plain. The camp was well situated,
having a thick covering of trees and brushwood in the direction of the
enemy, a brick kiln on one side, with the city in the rear to fall back
upon if occasion should arise. Meanwhile the rebels had not been idle,
and having made sure that the British had given up the pursuit, they
also halted and commenced to beat up reinforcements.
In the early morning they advanced upon the British position to the
number of 14,000 infantry and cavalry, with no fewer than 40 guns.
General Wyndham, no doubt imagining that if the worst came to the worst
he had the city to fall back upon, stuck to his guns when the enemy’s
fire began. There was a perfect hail of shot amongst the brushwood,
and the rebel gunners had so accurate a range as to throw the British
troops into confusion at certain parts. Officers gave orders and then
contradicted them, the result being that Wyndham had no plan of attack
or defence. Men were falling rapidly, and the rebel infantry, under the
cover of their big guns, prepared to advance. There was nothing for
it but to retire, and so hurried was the retreat that the tents and
baggage had to be left behind while the troops took refuge behind the
entrenchments.
This success made the rebels bolder, so that on the 28th, after
forming a junction with Nana Sahib’s troops, they prepared to attack
the entrenchments. They quickly captured the bungalows, and partially
demolished houses in the vicinity, and practically succeeded in
surrounding the British position on every side save that which fronted
the river. This advantage was not gained without severe loss, for
the fire of the British was most effective. Still, it was an immense
advantage, and for a time it appeared as if the whole force would be
annihilated. The mutineers opened fire from their left and centre
with light and heavy guns, driving in our outposts to within a short
distance of our own guns. Inch by inch the ground was stubbornly
contested, and certainly there was no lack of courage displayed by the
defenders. The assembly rooms, with all their contents, consisting
of 11,000 rounds of ball cartridge, the mess plate of four Queen’s
regiments, along with the trophies of the 34th, and an immense quantity
of private property, fell into the hands of the rebels. Elated with
success, and gloating over the prospect of a second massacre, they
attacked with greater vigour than had ever been displayed in previous
engagements. There were many brave deeds that day, and one deserves
special notice.
A party of the 64th regiment, only thirty strong, under Captain Wright,
held the Baptist Chapel and old burial ground. Finding he was being
surrounded, he opened out, and, skirmishing, kept the sepoys at bay.
The gallant captain noticed a wing of the 64th marching out, 250
strong, to capture four guns which had done great damage to the British
left. Captain Wright dashed forward to act as advance guard to his
comrades, and the 64th, without pausing to count the cost, plunged in
and spiked three before the gunners had recovered from their surprise.
Although vastly outnumbered, the 64th did great execution with the
bayonet, and this was the first real check the enemy had received
that day. Unfortunately, Captain Mackinnon and Lieutenant Gordon were
captured by the rebels, and, although wounded, were murdered in cold
blood.
The sailors and rifles came up and captured three 18-pounders and two
mortars. This check on the enemy proved the salvation of Cawnpore, for
it compelled the enemy to slacken fire. The defenders settled down to
a night’s fighting, but ere the daylight died, resounding cheers rang
through Cawnpore, for deliverance had come, in the shape of Sir Colin
Campbell, who had heard the roar of the guns and had pushed on with
all speed. The old campaigner took in the situation at a glance, and,
assuming command, he at once saw to the safety of his own troops, who
rested during the night.
Next morning the rebels opened a cross fire from flanks and centre,
which was replied to from our guns in the entrenchments. The sick and
wounded from Lucknow, along with the women and children, were safely
sheltered, but next day the rebel cannon playing upon the hospital did
some damage. Sir Colin was plainly biding his time, and meanwhile,
he had sent the invalids and women and children to Allahabad. The
93rd Highlanders did noble service in spiking the guns and repelling
assaults. On the morning of 6th December every battery and gun was
trained upon the enemy’s positions in the town, and all day long a
storm of shot and shell raged over the town.
Next day saw the rebels evacuate the town, but if they bargained to
escape, they were wrong, for Sir Colin drove home the blow, and such
regiments as the Black Watch and the 93rd did fearful execution amongst
the flying cowards along the Calpee road. Sir James Hope Grant pursued
them further, and administered the _coup de grace_, for the Gwalior
contingent was nevermore heard of, and, thanks to Sir Colin Campbell,
Cawnpore was once more saved.