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advances against Government ' paper- ot bills liavingmore than thirty days to run . '' A letter from a native who lias been in Delhi gives a fearful account of the state of things there . Ijarge bodies of the rebels are said to be deserting ; the commanding officers are opposing each other ; t 3 ie streets are filled with the wounded ; and the bazaars are intolerable . In the neighbourhood of Agra there has been a fight between the militia and the collectors of revenue . The latter are said to have appropriated the Government taxes to their own use and that of the so-called King of Delhi . In . the encounter with the militia , they were defeated , and several were captured or killed .
The Quintals are perfectly quiet , and are engaged in agriculture . Major Has « U , of the 48 th Native Infantry , has , by the authority of Government , departed tor Assam , in oi-cler to raise soldiers there . Symptoms of an outbreak , however , have shown themselves in that country . The Englishman mentions that , on the withdrawal of the British from the district of Goruckpore , the standard of the Prophet was planted , and the place taken possession of in the name of the King of Oude . A Benares letter of the 24 th ult . informs the same journal that aa engagement between the Ghoorkas from Goruckpore and a body of Mussulmans took place north of Azimghur on the 19 th . Three hundred were killed and wounded , after a severe contest .
The Gwaliov Contingent is now positively stated to have deposed the Maharajah Suindia , and to have placed a prince of the Delhi family on the tlirone . The aspect of the . Mussulmans at Calcutta during the Mohurrum was so threatening that volunteers were stationed at the public places with guns . No . , disturbance , however , ensued , though the Mahometans were allowed their usual precessions . Bir Jamus Outram has resolved to leave the uncontrolled , con trol of the measures adopted for the relief of Luck now in the hands- of General Havelock . In their sally from the fort , the besieged sprang a mine under a battery of the assailants , and inflicted on them a severe loss . The mutineers have entrenched , themselves on the bank of . the Ganges opposite Cawnpore , and are provided -with heavy guns .
We find the subjoined statement in the leading columns of . the Morning Star , but do not , of course , commit ourselves either to its accuracy or the reverse : — " None of the Indian newspapers which have come to hand mako mention of the continued anxiety that existed at Madras . One fact , however , we may here state , though wo receive it only by private advices , but of its truth there can be uo doubt . A hasty message was received at Madras in tlie middle of one night before the departure of the mail , and the consequence was that , early in the morning , two hundred : and forty men of the Queen ' s -iUrcl Regiment , accompanied with two guns and horse artillery , started for Yellore , the place where mutiny had to be suppressed fifty years ago . The probability is that the services of this force were needed , not to suppress military disorder , but to awe a multitude of people of nn insurrectionary disposition . "
Instructions have been drawn up by the Governor-General and Council relative to the treatment of mutineers , deserters , and other persons concerned in the recent and present disturbances . " In these instructions we read : — " Lest measures of extreme severity should be too hastily resorted to , or carried too far , his Lordship in Council thinks it right to issue detailed instructions on this subject , hy which all civil officers will be guided iu the exerci . se of their powers in the cases of mutineers , deserters , and rebels . " There is reason to believe that in some even of those native ivgimcnts whose revolt has boon stained by the most Himguinary atrocities , some men mny have distinguished themselves from the mass by protecting nn officer . In some such cases men of very guilty regiments possess certificates in their favour from ollicevs of their regiments ; but thore may bo others equally deserving of clemency who are without any such ready menus of clearing themselves from the presumptive evidence of their deep Ku ilt . " Whero the number of men guilty of what it is impossible to pardon is so great , the Government will gladly scizo every opportunity of reducing the work of retribution before it , by giving a freo pardon to all who can show that they have a claim to mercy on this ground , provided they have not been guilty of any heinous crinio against person or property , or aided or abetted others in tho commission of such crime .
any It is understood that iu regiments which mutinied , anil lor the most part went over to the rebels , - without Jn-nrdering their officers or committing any othor sanguinary outrage , there wcro in on who appeared to Iwive » au no heart in tho revolt , though they failed in their "uty as HoldieiH , and who luivo evinced tliuir peaceable "" position , and their want of sympathy with those who ftro now armed in open rebellion aguinst tho Government , by dispersing to their villages when tho regiment oroke up , j , nixiUg quietly with tho rural population .
It ; is- desirable to treat , such' rnen with all reasonable leniency . " No native officer or soldier , "belonging : to a regiment which has not mutinied ,, is to be punished by tbe ; civil power as a mere deserter , unless he be found or . apprenendedwith arms ; in hLs possession . Every mutineer or deserter-who may be taken before or apprehended by the civil authorities ^ , and who may be found to belong to a . regiment which killed any European officer ,, or . other European , or committed any other sanguinary
outrage , may be tried and punished by the civil power ; If the prisoner can show that he was not present at the murdeF or other outrage , or , if present , that he did his utmost to prevent it , full particulars of the case should be reported to Government-in the Military Department before the sentence , whatever it be , is carried into effeet . The Governor-General in Council is anxious to prevent measures of extreme severity being unnecessarily resorted to , or carried to excess , or applied without due discrimination , in regard to acts of rebellion committed by persons not . mutineers . "
Lord Canning has refused to accede to a petition requesting him to establish martial law . Some official particulars have been communicated from Calcutta ( September 9 th ) to the East India House . They run thus : ¦—" GENERAL HAVTSI . OCk ' s COLUMN AND LCCKNOW . " General Havelock was still at : Gawnpore £ at the date of the despatch ] , waiting for reinforcements , and Lucknow still unrelieved . Tho 90 th Regiment , about half tho Fusiliers , and a 9-pound battery , in . all 1270 men , were at Allahabad on the 3 rd or 4 th . Six
hundred infantry and the battery were immediately pushed towards Cawnpore , and General Outram was to follow with the remainder of the iufantry on the night of the 5 tli inst . He expects to join Havelock on the lltli or 12 th , and has- directed the latter to have everything ready for crossing the river on his arrival . Meanwhile , we have intelligence from Lucknow up to tbe 2 nd inst ., when the garrison were in good spirits , and ' sufficiently provided with food . They had recently repulsed a determined assault , and had disabled the only heavy guns belonging to the assailants . " The garrison have been told to hold out to extremity , and were now confident that they will be relieved about the middle of this month .
" BENGAL AND BEHAE . " The Eewah troops detached , as reported in last message , to intercept the Dinapore mutineers , were not in time to arrest their progress ; the latter crossed the Tonse River about the 2 Gtli ult ., after some detention by high floods , ' and their inarch has been marked by plunder . They give out that they are going to Delhi . The rebel Kooer Singh fled fromKolitas about the 27 th or 28 th ultimo , and sought refuge in the Rewah Territory . The Rajah warned him off , whereupon most of his Sepoy adherents deserted him . A column , consisting of a wing of tbe 53 rd Queen ' s , 27 th Madras Native Infantry , and some guns , left Ilaneegunge on the 27 th ultimo , and will clear the Trunk Road . The Nepaul Durbar : has given 1000 Ghoorkas to aid in the occupation of Cbumparun and the districts on the left bank of the Ganges , which are endangered by the abandonment of Goruckpore by the civil ofiicers . It is thought that the force stated , which left Katmandoo on the 13 th or 1-lth ult ., will suffice to restore order in those districts .
" deliii . " Our latest accounts from Delhi extend to the 2 Gth ult . The Punjab reinforcements mentioned in last message reached camp on the 1-lth ult ., and more recently an auxiliary force of about 2 C 00 men from Cashmere has marched to join the force . It is expected to do good service . " A new siege train from Ferozcpovo is expected by the end of August , and the Chief Commissioner of tho Punjab calculates that by tbe middle of this month the force before Delhi will bo little short of 15 , 000 men . This estimate may bo somewhat too high . There has been the usual skirmishing , with the same result . On tho 12 th nil ., a ¦ battery which was troublesome was taken , and on . the 2 / Jth , Brigadier Nicholson attacked the insurgents , who wcro trying , in a largo body , to get to our rear , entirely defeated and routed them , and took 12 guns , with all the ammunition , cquiptigo , and baggage of the enemy .
" Tho troops arc in good health and spirits . Wounded doing well . Supplies abundant . It is said that some overtures have been made by , or on behalf of , the King . They will not be entertained . The garrison have beou levying contributions in tho neighbourhood of Agra aud tho North-We stern Provinces . " AGUA . " Latest intelligence from Agra to tho 25 th' August . All still in the fort , and general'health good . Nothing particular had occurred , except au expedition to
Futtchporo Sikri , and another to llattcrass , which latter defeated the insurgents , but was not strong enough to rooecupy Allyghur . The Fumickulmd Newab is said to bo on tho road between that place and Cawnpore with three regimunts of mutinous infantry and one of cavalry . IIo will be dealt with by General llavelbek'n column , after the relief of Luoknow . On tlio deserting of ( JSoruekporu by the civil unicorn , a Chockedar from Oudti took possession . Anarchy and confusion in tho district , and Chumparun consequently in uotuo danger ,
as mentioned elsewhere . Azimgar and Jaurrpore have been occupied ; by the Ghoorkas , who marched from Goruckpore with the civil officers .
" NATIVE STATES . "The mutineers of the Gwalior Contingent , joined by those from Indore andMhow , reckoned at 4500 infantry 900 cavalry , and 30 guns , are still believed to be-at Gwalior ; held in cheeky it is reported , by Scindia . " Tlie Political Agent , Major Macpherson , writing from Agra on the 7 th ulfc ., expresses a confident belief in his loyal and friendly attachment to us . The peace of Bhopal is imperilled by the open mutiny of the Contingent . All the Bundelcund chiefs continue to behave
well , as also the Newab of Jowooh and the petty States of Dharj Dewass , &c , none having openly revolted except Anijhera . In Rajpootana , native chiefs quiet and apparently true . The conduct of tlie Nizam's Government at Hyderabad' admirable . Mohurrum Festival passed : off without any commotion or disturbance whatever . Puttialla and all tbe Sutlej chiefs continue in active and zealous co-operation . Gholab Singh , oi Cashmere , died ' on . the 2 nd of August : his successor is , as he vyas , our staunch adherent .
" PUNJAB . " Intelligence from the Punjab is to the 15 th of August . Punjab and Cis-Sutlej-States quite tranquil Large local levies are being raised to supply the place of the reinforcements gone to Delhi . Gbolab Singh , of Cashmere , before his death , promised seventy-five lakhs to the Six per Cent . Loan , and about twenty were , expected in Cis-Sutlej . It will probably draw nearly . a crore , which is the estimated want . The disarmed 26 th . Native Infantry at Lahore murdered their
commanding otneer on the 30 th of July , and broke away from the cantonments . Tlie troops sent in pursuit took the wrong road , but . the mutineers were followed - by the police and the people of the country , and in the first days of August were either destroyed or captured , and executed ; . hardly a man has escaped . Fugitives of . the 55 tli Native Infantry at Peshawur have been seized , and similarly dealt with . These vigorous measures will probably deter others from similar attempts . " G . F . Edmonstone , " Secretary to the Government of India . "
A supplement to the London Gazette of Friday week contains several official despatches- from the various officers now employed against the mutineers , received from time to time at the East India House . They have reference to the earlier days of the insurrection , and describe the several incidents with which , we are unhappily too familiar .
THE CAWNPOKE MASSACRE . A very interesting narrative of the dreadful events at Cawnpore is thus given by a native Indian woman : — " On the 3 rd of May (?) , all the Native Infantry and Cavalry regiments at Cawnpore mutinied and ran off to loot tbe treasury , all of which they took ; they then burnt the collector ' s house , and then proceeded to Kuleanpore , seven miles from Cawnpore , and encamped there . At this place , the Nena Sahib met them , and said to the mutineers , ' You receive seven rupees from the British Government ; I will give you fourteen rupees ; don't go to Delhi ; stay here , and your name will be great . Kill all the English in Cawnpore first , and I will give you each a golden bracelet . ' On hearing this all the mutineers agreed to the terms of the Nena . The mutineers made a Subabdar of
the 1 st Regiment General , and ho again made all the Havildars and N " aicks captains , lieutenants , and ensigns . The Nena said , c I will supply you all with food . ' On the following day , tho Nona , with the above regiments , proceeded to Cawnpore , looted all tbe residents' houses , and then set lire to them . The residents were in tho entrenchment ; those who did not go there were murdered , together with the drummers and native Christians . It was tho intention of some of' tho officers to blow up the magazine , and'for this purpose they proceeded into tho station . When they reached the canal all the regiments fired on the party , killed one officer , adjutant of 2 nd Cavalry , and the rest escaped to tho entrenchment for their lives . They unfortunately left a gun behind
them , - which they bad taken from the entrenchment . On the party reaching the camp , fire was opened on tho English people by the mutineers , and cannon were pi need on tho three sides of tho entrenchment . On tho canal sido a 21-pounder , on the hospital side an 18-pounder , on the third . side , near Stibada ( ? ) , two l' 2-pounder » were placed . Thero were- six guns inside the entrenchment ; only ( T-pounders . The guns of the entrenchment only lircd twenty-four hours , being injured by the heavy shot of the enemy . The mutineers iired day and night for twenty-two days . Nearly all tho English peoplo died from wounds from cannon halls , musket balls , liungor land thirst , and coup de soldi Nearly all tho hlieostoes were killed by cannon balls . Tho chief well being outside tlio entrenchment thopooplo got very little water to drink except . what tho soldiers drew for them under fire of tho yuiiB . After ten days a nh «» ll bur . it on tlio roof of the pucka-house in tho entrenchment , which Hot tho building on the . All the good clothes and other articlos of the soldiers and cliiidrun were burnt , for which reason they were reduced to the greatest atrnits , and
Untitled Article
3 STo , 395 j OctqberJLT , 1857 . ] T H E LEAD E B . ___^ ' W l
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 17, 1857, page 987, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2214/page/3/
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