Chapter I: Preface

In the present volume is given a narrative of the chief events connected with one of the most formidable military Revolts on record. These events—from the first display of insubordination in the beginning of 1857, to the issue of the Royal Proclamation in the later weeks of 1858—form a series full of the romance as well as the wretchedness of war: irrespective of the causes that may have led to them, or the reforms which they suggested. The sudden rising of trained native soldiers in mutiny; the slaughter of officers who to the last moment had trusted them; the sufferings of gently-nurtured women and children, while hurrying wildly over burning sands and through thick jungles; and the heroism displayed amid unspeakable miseries—all tended to give an extraordinary character to this outbreak. Nor is it less interesting to trace the operations by which the difficulties were met. The task was nothing less than that of suppressing insurgency among a native population of nearly two hundred million souls by a small number of British soldiers and civilians, most of whom were at vast distances from the chief region of disaffection, and were grievously deficient in means of transport.

A chronicle of these events reveals also the striking differences between various parts of India. While Behar, Oude, Rohilcund, the Doab, Bundelcund, Malwah, and Rajpootana were rent with anarchy and plunged in misery, the rest of India was comparatively untouched. Most important, too, is it to trace the influence of nation, caste, and creed. Why the Hindoos of the Brahmin and Rajpoot castes rebelled, while those of the lower castes remained faithful; why the Sikhs and Mussulmans of the Punjaub shewed so little sympathy with the insurgents; why the Hindoos of Bengal were so timidly quiet, and those of Hindostan so boldly violent; why the native armies of Madras and Bombay were so tranquil, when that of Bengal was so turbulent?—were questions which it behoved the government to solve, as clues to the character of the governed, and to the changes of discipline needed. It was a time that brought into strong relief the peculiarities of the five chief classes of Europeans in India—Queen’s soldiers, Company’s soldiers, Company’s ‘covenanted’ servants, ‘uncovenanted’ servants, and residents independent of the Company; and it shewed how nobly these classes forgot their differences when the honour of the British name and the safety of India were imperiled.

The history of home affairs during, and in relation to, that period of struggle, has its own points of interest—shewing in what manner, amid the stormy conflicts of party, the nation responded to the call for military aid to India, for pecuniary aid to individual sufferers, and for a great change in the government of that country.

Although the minor results of the Revolt may be visible to a much later date, it is considered that the month of November 1858 would furnish a convenient limit to the present narrative. The government of India had by that time been changed; the change had been publicly proclaimed throughout the length and breadth of that empire; the British army in the east had been so largely augmented as to render the prospects of the insurgents hopeless; the rebel leaders were gradually tendering their submission, under the terms of the Royal Proclamation; the skilled mutinous sepoys had in great proportion been stricken down by battle and privation; the military operations had become little more than a chasing of lawless marauders; and the armed men still at large were mostly dupes of designing leaders, or ruffians whose watchwords were pay and plunder rather than nationality or patriotism.

The remarkable Expeditions to Persia, China, and Japan are briefly noticed towards the close of the volume—on account of the links which connected them with the affairs of India, and of the aspect which they gave to the influence of England in the east.

Every endeavour has been made, by a careful examination of available authorities, to render the narrative a truthful one. It is hoped that the errors are few in number, and that hasty expressions of opinion on disputed points have in general been avoided. The Work is quite distinct from the HISTORY OF THE RUSSIAN WAR, issued by the same Publishers; yet may the two be regarded as companion volumes, relating to the affairs of England in the east—seeing that a few short months only elapsed between the close of the events of 1854-5-6 in Turkey, Russia, and Asia Minor, and the commencement of those of 1856-7-8 in India, Persia, and China.

G. D.

_December 1858._

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Contents

INTRODUCTION.

PAGE INDIA IN 1856: A RETROSPECT, 1 NOTES.—DISTANCES—ORTHOGRAPHY—VOCABULARY, 12, 13

CHAPTER I.

THE ANGLO-INDIAN ARMY AT THE TIME OF THE OUTBREAK, 14 NOTE, 31

CHAPTER II.

SYMPTOMS: CHUPATTIES AND CARTRIDGES, 32

CHAPTER III.

MEERUT, AND THE REBEL-FLIGHT TO DELHI, 48

CHAPTER IV.

DELHI, THE CENTRE OF INDIAN NATIONALITY, 59

CHAPTER V.

THE EVENTFUL ESCAPES FROM DELHI, 69

CHAPTER VI.

LUCKNOW AND THE COURT OF OUDE, 82

CHAPTER VII.

SPREAD OF DISAFFECTION IN MAY, 97 NOTES.—INDIAN RAILWAYS—‘HEADMAN’ OF A VILLAGE, 119

CHAPTER VIII.

TREACHERY AND ATROCITIES AT CAWNPORE, 121 NOTE.—NENA SAHIB’S PROCLAMATIONS, 145

CHAPTER IX.

BENGAL AND THE LOWER GANGES: JUNE, 147 NOTES.—THE OUDE ROYAL FAMILY—CASTES AND CREEDS IN THE INDIAN 161, 162 ARMY,

CHAPTER X.

OUDE, ROHILCUND, AND THE DOAB: JUNE, 163

CHAPTER XI.

CENTRAL REGIONS OF INDIA: JUNE, 176

CHAPTER XII.

EVENTS IN THE PUNJAUB AND SINDE, 191 NOTES.—MILITARY DIVISIONS OF INDIA—ARMIES OF INDIA AT THE 208 COMMENCEMENT OF THE MUTINY,

CHAPTER XIII.

PREPARATIONS: CALCUTTA AND LONDON, 210 NOTE, 227

CHAPTER XIV.

THE SIEGE OF DELHI: JUNE AND JULY, 230

CHAPTER XV.

HAVELOCK’S CAMPAIGN: ALLAHABAD TO LUCKNOW, 247

CHAPTER XVI.

THE DINAPOOR MUTINY, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES, 264

CHAPTER XVII.

MINOR MUTINIES: JULY AND AUGUST, 277 NOTE.—THE BRITISH AT THE MILITARY STATIONS, 293

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE SIEGE OF DELHI: FINAL OPERATIONS, 295

CHAPTER XIX.

THE STORY OF THE LUCKNOW RESIDENCY, 316 NOTE.—BRIGADIER INGLIS’S DISPATCH, 336

CHAPTER XX.

MINOR CONFLICTS: SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, 338

CHAPTER XXI.

THE RESCUE AT LUCKNOW, BY SIR COLIN CAMPBELL, 359 NOTE.—CAVANAGH’S ADVENTURE, 371

CHAPTER XXII.

CLOSING EVENTS OF THE YEAR, 374 NOTES.—PROPOSED RE-ORGANISATION OF THE INDIAN ARMY—PROPOSED 386, 387 INQUIRY INTO THE CAUSES OF THE MUTINY,

CHAPTER XXIII.

A SECOND YEAR OF REBELLION, 388

CHAPTER XXIV.

MILITARY OPERATIONS IN FEBRUARY, 398 NOTES.—SIR COLIN CAMPBELL’S ARMY OF OUDE—MOHAMMEDAN REBEL 409, 410 LEADERS,

CHAPTER XXV.

FINAL CONQUEST OF LUCKNOW: MARCH, 412 NOTE.—LUCKNOW PROCLAMATIONS, 427

CHAPTER XXVI.

MINOR EVENTS IN MARCH, 429 NOTES.—‘COVENANTED’ AND ‘UNCOVENANTED’ SERVICE—COLLECTORS AND 443 COLLECTORATES,

CHAPTER XXVII.

DISCUSSIONS ON REBEL PUNISHMENTS, 446 NOTES, 455-461

CHAPTER XXVIII.

MILITARY OPERATIONS IN APRIL, 462 NOTE.—NATIVE POLICE OF INDIA, 480

CHAPTER XXIX.

PROGRESS OF EVENTS IN MAY, 482 NOTE.—TRANSPORT OF TROOPS TO INDIA, 501

CHAPTER XXX.

ROSE’S VICTORIES AT CALPEE AND GWALIOR, 504

CHAPTER XXXI.

STATE OF AFFAIRS AT THE END OF JUNE, 517 NOTE.—QUEEN’S REGIMENTS IN INDIA IN JUNE, 535

CHAPTER XXXII.

GRADUAL PACIFICATION IN THE AUTUMN, 537

CHAPTER XXXIII.

LAST DAYS OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY’S RULE, 561

SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER.

§ 1. THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION, 1856-7, 578

§ 2. THE CHINESE AND JAPANESE EXPEDITIONS, 1856-7-8, 585

§ 3. ENGLISH PROSPECTS IN THE EAST, 604