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No. 390, September 12, 1857.] THE LEADER...
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THE ORIENT. PERSIA. The Shah has placed ...
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IRELAND. Rioth at BuiiFAST. — Tho feuds ...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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The Indian Revolt. As Interesting Docume...
see how the call is answered . 2000 horsemen , formerly in rny army at Mboltan , are now moving on different points , according to order , to help us £ a this difficulty , and every post brings me remonstrances from chiefs as to why they have been forgotten . What fault have they committed , that they are not sent for ? This is really gratifying . It is the heart of a people . It does one good all through . The Peshawurees had often heard that I liad been grateful in getting rewards for my followers after the Mooltan war ; bat they were not prepared to see such a demonstration from the other end of the Soolimanee Mountains . It excites their better
feelings , and will do them good too . All yesterday ¦ was busy fitting out 700 horse and Toot levies ( Mooltanee ) to reinforce Nicholson at Jullundhur . How all the liberality shown to these Mooltanees after the war of 1848-9 is now repaid , in the alacrity with whichi they rush to our side again to help us ! They are now invaluable , and so glad to see me again ; it is quite a pleasure in the midst of this howling wilderness . " The Rev . Ii . S . Polehampton , chaplain at Lucknow , relates an anecdote showing the grave
apprehensions excited in the minds of the most experienced of our Indian officers at the very commencement of the mutiny . One day , after the mutiny of tiie 7 th Irregulars had been put down , early in May , Mr . Polehampton said laughingly to Sir Henry Lawrence , " Why , Sir Henry , you may have some work cat out for you now before you go home . " He answered very gravely , " I can assure you it is no laughing matter . " Colonel Inglis said the same thing to a man avIio was inclined to be too jocular . A . letter from Nagode says : —
" Our Nowgong tale is this : —On the 5 th of June , our men volunteered , company by company , to serve against th « rebels , to revenge the Hon . Company upon them . They were . in the best possible spirits ; they were thanked and praised , and then told the Jhansi news at a parade at three p . m . They were unanimous and enthusiastic in declaration that they -would stand ~ bv us ; bo were the Artillery . The Cavalry were cool , and professed their allegiance , as if it were absurd to ask such a question of such honourable men . " We were very glad to find the three arms show loyalty , and I thanked Grod , who disposes men ' s hearts . On the 8 th , we got news of poor Dunlop ' s death , and heard from Mouraaeeppre that every European at Jhansi was murdered .
On tiie 9 th , the Artillery company said they were anxious to serve against the rebels . We had heard about the 1 st of June of some plot being hatched in the company , had seized four of the most mischievous , dismissed them by a word , and walked them off insianter to Chutterpore as prisoners . We dared not hold a court-martial ; a sudden and successful blow was our only course , and this one told ; the company was quiet , and , rid of its worst , was well inclined . Our own men had all along shown us the utmost good-will , and it was unfeigned , with , the exception of a few-. On the 10 th , all was quiet till at sunset , when the six artillery guns were , as usual , brought on our parade , and our new guards were being marched off to
relieve old ones , when a tall dare-devil Sikh and two others walked forward , loading his piece . He made for the Havildar-Major , a very nice , faithful man , and shot him dead . Mrs . JMawe , Mr . Smalley , and ] VIr . Franks and others saw liim shot . He . fell dead . The three Sikhs then dashed , to the guns . The Artillery sergeant made some attempt to defend Lhem , and several muskets were fired at him , he says . ^ Tone of the gunners stood by him , and so he made off " . One sergeantmajor , as big as Falstaff , did so too . One Sepoy pushed aside a musket that was being fired at him . For some time we had all dined at four , r . M ., as we went early to the lines and to guards to prevent mischief . Wo had < lone dinner , and Dr . Ma we had been urging our making a move , because it was impossible that our men would stand fast after their brothers at Jhansi had icbelled ,
and were still so near . I had said that , great as the danger was , we could not abandon the station without orders ; we could not move until carriage came , and it lvas almost certain that the first mention of collecting carriage would precipitate a revolt . A few days before , I had sent for the Government camels , to see them . They were only eight or nine , and those who wished to mutiny set abroad a story that I Iwul sent for the camels in order to remove the treasure ; it was our danger all along , and tiie rumour warned us that there way a party who intended to mutiny , and to stimulate the courage of BOino and to quicken matters , gave out that , if they delayed , the treasure would bo gone . You may fancy how anxious we were from the 23 rd of -April , when the fires began , till now , one ovont after another adding to the proof that mischief waH being hatched by some . . .
'" Dr . Muwc and I had hardly ended our conversation when we heard several musket shots in the lines . There wan no doubting what they meant . I went to the top of ( he moos-house to reconnoitre , and learn the state of things , und form apian before going to the lines . Kwiirt and TowiiHcnul mounted and galloped straight to the Hugh . Frank h had gone there some time before , and wan Hpenking to Mr . Smalley , und he saw what happened from the first , and rode on" to tell us all . Poor Townfiend y / na only in timo to see his guns in other hands . 1 tried to get men to collect and to make a dash at the
guns with Ewart , who joined me , but no one would move . They were panic-stricken or mutinous . At last , I got a bugler who was too nervous to sound . I blew the ' assembly' several times , but with no effect ; no more joined me than before . One gun leaded with grape had been fired oveT the lines , and I thought another would be fired at me for sounding the bugle . Perhaps they knew it was of little use . At any rate , they did not fire . I pushed across the lines with Ewart , the men trying to force us back ( to save our lives ) . At last , as I saw none would accompany us , and that some of the men were against us , I made Ewart come back with me to tbe mess-house . More than one hundred men must have collected there .
" The Smalleys and Dr . and Mrs . Mawe had for some time occupied the two little sergeants' bungalows , which you may recollect stood on our parade at the left of the lines . The buggy road on to the parade passed between them . They thus got at once , with the two children and their two buggies , to the mess . " The Major and Jackson had meanwhile done their best to get the * men there to attack the mutineers . They would not budge . The Major would insist on our
holding ; the mess , occupying the top . Jackson reasoned him out of this before I got back . A 9-pounder that the rebels brought opposite the mess-house helped his arguments , and we all made off , the old camel carriage and two buggies with us . The fat sergeant-major broke Mr . Smalley ' s buggy in five minutes by entering It . The camel carriage soon upset , and had to be left . The two ladies went on in Dr . Mawe ' s buggy . The Major called out to go to Chutterpore . Dr . Mawe providentially took a road at right angles to the one intended . "
They afterwards arrived at Chuttcrpore , but soon left it , and made their way across country , accompanied by some Sepoys , who , however , showed themselves very lukewarm in their defence . They met with many perils on their journey , and had some encounters with armed natives , ending in the death of some of their party ; bat ultimately the greater number got to various places of refuge . The letter describing this escape is of great length , but is somewhat incoherent , as if the writer had not fully recovered his calmness after the horrible events through which he had passed . Meer Syed Mohunimud , deputy collector and magistrate at Jubbulpore , says in a letter 1 o his son , Syed Abdoollah , now in England : —
" Should this be my last letter , I beg you never to foiget that India cannot have a better ruler than the British Government , or be better . administered than by the East India Company . Faults undoubtedly have been committed , and abuses have existed and do still exist ; but what human institution can boast of being exempt from them ? One thing is certain , and that is the result of these disturbances will be an increased desire on the part of the authorities to remove every cause of complaint , and introduce all the reforms and improvements required by the present system of government . "
No. 390, September 12, 1857.] The Leader...
No . 390 , September 12 , 1857 . ] THE LEADER , 869
The Orient. Persia. The Shah Has Placed ...
THE ORIENT . PERSIA . The Shah has placed his Mohamedan , Christian , and Jewish subjects on a footing of perfect equality . Persons of either religion will in future be permitted to serve the State . Herat is not j'et evacuated . 50 , 000 men are assembled in Khorasan . Mr . Murray was received by the Shah at his summer residence in the mountain- ; . " Sir J . Outram and Staff , " says the Bushire correspondent of the Times , " reached Bushire on the 12 th of Juno from Bagdad , and , on the 14 th , Sheikh Mohsin Khan , Sirhang , deputed to visit him "by the Serk « seckshy Uashi , waited on our General at the Residency . The
day following , the Envoy was received with due honours at the camp , where he was introduced by Sir Jnmes to Brigadier-General Jacob , who succeeds him in command of the Persian expeditionary force . The greatest cordiality existed between all parties , and subsequently a return visit to the Persian camp at Borazguuu was despatched by General Jacob , consisting of Lieutenant-Colonel Trcvolyan , of the Bombay Artillery , and two or three other ollicers . All was quiet at Mohaminerah ; no Persian forces hud returned to that place , wlricb . was still held by the Chuah Chief on behalf of the Shah . Tho Hon . Company ' s sloop Falkland was anchored
abreast the norlhern fort , but the Clive had moved lower down the river for a change of air . The crew of the latter vessel had suffered severely from fever , while that of tho former were comparatively healthy . This is attributable rather to the wretched accommodation for the seamen on board the Clivc than to any otlier apparent causo . The men of the Falkland were in the habit of binding every day , and Heciucd to be on tho bost terms with thu Arabn . iSir James was ordered to India immediately , owing to the disturbed HtaU of the IJcn ^ 'il Pre - sidency , and was further directed to despatch uh many troops as possible to liumhny ; General Jacob was hIho directed to proceed to India without delay . " CHINA . A private letter from Commodoro Koppel to a friend has been published . It contains a capital account ol
the boat fi ght in the Chinese waters on the 1 st of June . We read : — " The shallow water obliged the Hong- Kong to ground , when she would otherwise have been in front of everything ; but when she grounded I led on the boats in my gig ; but , as the tide was rising , the Hong-Kong kept following us as fast as she could . The first division of the Chinese fleet were simultaneousl y attacked by about 1900 men , spread over a large surface , and soon gave way ; but I did not take up more than quarter of that number to attack their second division , - which was three miles higher up the river , in a well selected place , and evidently the elite of their fleet . They numbered exactly twenty in one compact row ; they mounted from
ten to fourteen guns each , two of them in stern and bow being heavy 32-pounders . I saw that I had all the Raleigh ' s boats well up , and determined to push on . They fired occasional shots , as if to ascertain our exact distance , but did not open their heaviest fire until we were within six hundred yards , and then I soon saw how impossible it would be to force our way until I had reinforcements . Nearly the first poor fellow whose head was knocked off was an amateur—Major Kearney . I had known him many years . We cheered , and I tried to get on , when a shot struck my ljoat right amidships , cut one man in two , and took off the arm of another . Prince Victor , who was with me , jumped forward to bind the man's arm up with his neckcloth . While he
was doing so , another round shot passed through both sides of the boat , wounding two others of the crew . The boat was filling with water , and I got on one of the seats to keep my legs out of the water , and just as I stepped up a third round-shot went through both sides of the boat , not more than one inch below the seat on which I was standing . Many of our boats had now got huddled together , the oars of most being shot away . A boat of the Calcutta being nearest , we got in , pulling our wounded men with us . My dog ' Mike' refusing to leave the dead body of the man who liad been his favourite , we were obliged to leave him . I- then gave the order to retire on the Hong-Kong , and reform abreast of her . While we were going down a shot cut away all the oars on one side . I
called to Lieutenant Graham to get his boat ready , as I would hoist my broad pendant and lead the next attack in . his boat . I had no sooner spoken than a shot disabled his boat , wounding him and killing and wounding four others . I saw Graham one mass of blood , but it was f rom a marine who stood next to him , and part of whose skull was forced three inches into another man ' s shoulder . When I reached the Hong-Kong the whole of the enemy's fire appeared to be centred upon her . She was hulled twelve times in a few minutes ; her deck was covered with the wounded who had been brought on board from the boats . I was looking at them when a round shot cut down a marine , and he fell among them . From the paddle-box I saw that our heavy tiring was
now bringing up a strong reinforcement . The account of my having been obliged to retire had reached them , and they were pulling up like mad . The Hong-Kong had floated and grounded again . I ordered a bit of blue bunting to be got ready to represent my broad pendant ; I called out , ' Let us try the row-boats once more , boys , ' and went over the side into our cutter ( the Raleigh ' s ) " , in which was Tumour , the faithful Spurrier bringing the bit of blue flag . At this moment there arose from the boats , as if every man took it up at tho same instant , one of those Britirfh cheers so full of meaning that I knew at once that it was all up with John Chinaman . They might siuk twenty boats , but there were thirty others who would go ahead all the faster . Ou we ' went . It was indeed a lovely and exciting sight . I saw the
move among the junks . They were breaking ground and moving ofT , the outermost first . This manoeuvre they performed in beautiful order . They never ceased to fire . Three more cheers , and then commenced an exciting cba . se for seven miles . As our shot told on them they ran on shore , and their crews forsook them . Seventeen were come up with and captured this way , three only escaped . It was in this last chase that my poor Spurrier was shot down by my side . I saw lm bowels , protrude as he lay in the bottom of the boat holding my hand . lie asked me if I thought there was any liopc . 1 could only aay , ' Where there is life there is hope ; ' but I hud none . Strange to say , the good Crawford sewed liim up , « nd the Admiral' . ! last letter from Hong-Kong slates that Spurrier hoped to return to his duty in a few days . "
Ireland. Rioth At Buiifast. — Tho Feuds ...
IRELAND . Rioth at BuiiFAST . — Tho feuds of the Protestants and Komau Catholics at lielfnst , and the determination of the former to preach in the strecta , have led to Home disgraceful riots , during which it was found necessary to lire on the people , On Sunday morning , a placard was posted iti the principal thoroughfares and conspicuous places of tin ; town , calling < in tlio Papists to put tlown open-air preaching ; denouncing the ' low and ru Manly fanaticism of the Protestants , who wuni accused of provoking a ( munol for tho purpose , of nhcddinK Uoiium Catholic blood ; and exhorting thu Papists to ' defend their rights an loyal subjects and peacenik * < : itizcns . ' Thu Uomau Catholic [ iric . it . s during tho day rcimeatod their congregations to keep within doors : this request , however , was not fulOHcd . Large crowds of men gathered in front of
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 12, 1857, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_12091857/page/5/
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