The Tiger Of Cawnpore

The capture of a man in Indift empposed to be the Nana Sahib, author of the English mnssncre at Cawnpore in 1857, has omised an interesting review of tha horrible events which marked that holocaust of crime. It has been ed that tho man who snrrendered himself is not Nana Sahib, but somo other enthuniast who deaired out of the notoriety of tlie veritable boost to oreflto for himself a momentary cclebrity. j tion asHUmes fantastie forma, and : ly in tho peraon of tliis half-naked Sepoy the desire for publicity has sunk a3 low ; as it can well stoop. Cawnpore lies on tho aoutli bank of the : Ganges, a thousand miles from the bay of Bengal. In the spring of 1857 three thousand native troops were in barracks ' tlii'i-e, and of Europeans, including ' gliwli soldiers, tliere were a littleovor one j thousaod souls. The native army had ceased to fear. Discipline was lax. j aubordination had been afoot siuce 1845. The Kritish ofiicera, steeped in idleness 1 and false oonfidence, had lost all control j over their men, but still they belioved in the fidelity of the troops. The mind of the Sepoy soldier reeked with religious projudice. Tho fancied insult which had been thrown upon their religión in greasing the cartridges with the fat of the hog had excited in the Hindoo miud an unquenchable hatredwliich it was fouud imi possible to overeóme. Five parts tallow, live parts stearine, and ono part wax wero the ingredients of that compound wliicli will never be forgotten as long as England and India have a common history. : It has been denied by English officers ; connected with the royal laboFatory at Woolwich that hogs' iard formed any part of tho carta dge, but tuis is open to grave doubts, inasmuch as the officer who denied the prescncc of the lard was also unable to testify as to the actual ingrediënt which should have taken its place. The supposed presence of hogs' lard, although without doubt a moving cause of the rebellion, was not the only reason that led up to tho tenible events which followed. There was a man, and his name was Seereek Dhoonda Punth, familiarly known as the Nana Sahib. Bajee Rao, the peishwa of Pooiiah, was the last monarch of the Mahratta dynasties which shared the sovereignty of the Central Highlands. The English dethroned Bajee Rao, conftscated his territories, and then gave hiin a residenco at Bithoor, with a handsome allowanoe of $400,000. The peishwa had no children, and so he adopted the man Seereek Dhoonda Punth. When Bajee Rao died in 1851, the heir put in a claim for the continuance of the pension, wliich was disallowed by England. He sent to London Azimoolah Khan, a cle.ver villain, who llegan lite as a kitmutgar or footman in an Anglo-Iudian family. This fellow, speaking English and French fluently, and sporting diamonds and caslimere shawls without end, beoame not only a " lion," but a great favorite among the aristocratie dames of England. He failed, however, in his suit, and returned to Cawnpore without having secured to the Nana the allowance of oíd Bajee Bao. At this time the Nana was thirty-six years old. He was fat, clean-shaven, with sallow complexion, and features strongly marked. He was a voluptuary of that sensual character which deñes description. l'loasant in manner, he sought all opportunities to make himself familiar and popular with tlie sahibs of i tlie garrison and their families. While tho smile was on his lip, however, the i judgment of tho Enst India Company j against his claim was forever a to his heart. His solé parpóse in life was vengoance on the race that had despised and rojected liis claim. With this for a ! private wrong in the handa of a desperate and cunning adventuror, and the hogs' lartl of the cartndgcs to excite the fanatieism of au enthusiastic people, the beginniug of the end ivas made easy. In January the pe&sants of Bengal were ■ poating, " Evorything is to becorae red," and in Marcli the provinces of the Ganges were recoiving two clmpatties or bannocks of Balt and dough. It was tho fiery cross of India, nnd notifíed men that they shonld be prepared, for " tluit Bomething was in the air." Meanwhile the Europeans at Cawnpore ate, drank uid were merry. The cominanding offioer at this post was Maj.-öen. Sir llugli Wheeler, a soldier of that class which followed those whp liad won their ', sjiurs at Seringapatam. Htj waa arrenty! five years of age, two-thirds of which he had spent under au Indian sun, a man ! ntterly unfitted from his years and lifs anteeedents to deal with the bloody perils of such a time. On the 18th of ; May, Gen. Wheeler telegraphed to the government "Alliswell at Cawnpore." All wa8 far from well. Nana Sahib beI 1 1 ( insolenti He moved his qufwteya f rom Bitlioor to houses in Cawnpore ocoupied by civilians and their families. Tlio treasury oontainiug .L100,000 was put nnder the custody of his body-guard, and it was proposed that the laaien and children flhould bo placed iu Bitlioor pulaco. This waa deediöed. The General migbt havo put tlio mogazino in a state of defense, but was content in his imbocilo way to throw up a mud wall four f eet high around what he was pleased to cali an inti-enchment. Peas mul llour foriucd the bulk of thosupplioH and oven these wero iMufMeient, ' ' What do yuu eall tllnt placo on the plaiu?" said Azimoolidi toa Lieutonaut " Tho Fort of Victory," wa3 tho answer. " No," soid the hyena, " cali it the Fort of Despajr." On .Tune 3 Sir Hugh Wheoler sent tho laat telegraphic diapatch that o-ver reached the outor world. He sent out tvo oflicers and fifty men and said, " Tlus leavos me weak, but I trust to holding my own until more Europeana arrivo, " Tliat night a dranken offleor ñred om a cavalry patrol. Ho explaiaed that his picco hud gone off by mistakc. ïhe Sepoys, prepared for revolt, signiticanüy remarked that their wenpons also might go off by místate before long. Wires liad been cut, mails burned and roads blockaded, and the oorpses of an English lady and gentleman, mui'dered above, turned into the canal thnt traversod Cawnpore. This was the first sight of white blood sbed. On June 4, in the dorkness of the night, thveo reporta of a pistol aiMouüoed that the hour hnd nvrivcd. Native ofticers turned out thoir troops, and notwithstauding the exhortations of the British officers, the rebela marohed to the northwest suburb and captured, without an effort, the tzeasury and the mngazines. The uoxt day was devoted by tlie Enghsh to gathering the reiüliants of the nativo forces. They collected their luggage and furniture and prepared for flight. But flight was not to b(. Tho rebellion had a chief, and tlio chief had a policy. Nana Sahib was about proceediug to Delhi, the head(luarters of the rebelhon, where the fing of the prophot had been unfurled, but Azimoolah persuaded hirn not to be absorbed into the court of the Mogul, but to conquer tho country around Ouwnpore and so commalid tho avenues by which English reinforcements conld arrive. Then when iiossessed of Delhi and Punjaub lio might assurne the CaptainGenernlship of tho rebel armies, and drive the acciu-sed Christian doga forever j from the valley of the Gange3. Azimoolah was suooessful. On Jiuie ö the Xana announced that he would commenoe the attack. Tho Sepoya murdered, robbed and flred cverytliing within their reach in tho uative city. A.3 soon as the mutineers had begun the assault, no Sepoy folt secure of his neck and plunder as 1 long a3 011e Engh'shman remained on i dian soü. Azeeziun, a courtesan of prominence, rodo up and down the linea, harangning the troops. The sitn never before looked 011 so pad a sight as that j crowd of women and children cooped within a smnll spaco and exposed during twenty days and nights to the coneentrnted iiro of thousands of muskets and i a acore of heavy eannon. By the tliird night every door and window had been beaten in. The shell and ball ranged at vül through the naked rooms. Women and children were maagled by grape or round shot or crushed beneath falling briokwork or mutilated by flying splinters. Sir Hugh Wheeler was liolploss. Capt. Moore was in command. No hero ever won liis record of gallant deeds more nobly from tho iield of Hastiligs to tho bloodiest iight of our own times. He was evorywhere. It would be impossiblo in this brief mention to give the names of the héroes who sustained the honor of their country. One by one the cuinum were rendered useless. On tho eighth evening the thatched barrack was in a blaze. A night of horror followed. The guarda crouched silent and watchful, finger on trigger, while the forms of countlesa foea prowled around through tho outer gloom. There were two wells, one supplied the J bcsieged with water, the other was dry. It lay two lmndred yards from the j part. Thithcr every night the slain of the previous day were borne. Within the space of three weeks two hundred and fifty English people were deposited there. On June 18th roinforcements ftrrived at I Cawnpore for the Nana. Ho poured in hot shot, and tho dismay was frightful. On tlie 23d the Nana made an assault with the whole strength of the iasurrection. The English shot down the teams wliich tugged the artülery, btirned the bales, and routed them. That night a party of Sepoys desired to bury the slain, wliich was granted. And now comes the act of treachery, which will cover forevor the memory of i Nana Sahib with an unutterable loathing. 1 The English had determined to die, and ; fought with a desporation that never was exceeded. Among tho rebels, disgust and disaffeetion gained ground from huur , to hour. On the evening of tho 23d, Azimoolah called npon a Mir.. Jacobi, a prisoner held ataransom oí L40,000, and directed her to proceed to Sir Hugh Wlieoler with the proposition that all who were wiUing to lay down tlieir arme should receive a safe passage to Allahabad. The offer was uuhappily aecepted. In another week they would be waslied out of iheir defeuses by the annual flood. Their stores had dwiudled to less than a (luart per lioail of alniost urteatable native food. The choice was between death and capitulation. That evening a council of mulder was held in the tent of the Nana. Only five or six advisers were present, but : they knew fo what they had been S'im; moned. In the morning Azimoolah walked np to within a short distance of the British outpoite, and to hini went forth Moore and Wliiting and Postmaster, Roche. The fortifications were to be given np. Tiie troops, such as were left, were to oarry sixty rounds of ammunition each. Carriages would convey the wounded, the women and children and boats, victualled with flour, would be ready at the landing. Can we imagine whnt paseed in that night ? Hoolass Hiugh puntea down tho rivcr during the niglit somc two dozen barges, which were co erad witli roofB of tlmtch. The Suttee Chowra Ghaut is the landing-place; a mile from tho intrenehmcnt. At two honra bef ore daybreak, by the Nana's orders, five gillis and as many hundtpd picked aHHiissiiis were placed in ambuah near au oíd temple on tli( bank of the river. At an early hour all Cawnpore was aetix. INIoore went about from group to gronp and impressed upon all tho necessity of pushing off a soon a,s all were on board and making tot the opposite Bhore. On elepliauts, in palanquins, they set out on the dtisky road to death. Lady Wheeler liad given her ayah a bag of rn. ; pees for lier fídelity. A Sepoy slxshed i her shouUliT and fcook her In asure. But ■ . whyo on witb the sickening details ? On Eeaomng the water a Imglc waa soiinded. It was tho sigr.al. The nativo rowers ' leaped into the water, the Sepoys - opened fire on the boate, which the Ens glish returned, but in onother moment the roof of every boat was in a fíame of death, ignited by red-hot charcoal. Then commencod tho slauglíter. A trooper rode to the Nana to teil liim all was goiug well. Nana direoted to keep the women alive, but kül the males. Tho order was carried out. Tho women were returned j guarded by Sepoys, each of whom claimed a fair English girl as his aliare of j tho loot. Four KiipliHlimen vuooeedad byswimmicganfifloating in eseaping the búllete of tUe nmrderers, and by degrees i lartded at tío éstate of Divibijah Singh. These were Thompson, Delafooso, private Murphy and gunner Sullivan. Thoy were saved, and lived to tel] the story as we teil it now. On June 28, the prison list numbered sixty sahibs, tweaty-fivo mem-sahibn, or females, and fonv children. The men were seatod on j the grouiid and ordered to be shot. Then Dr. Boyos' wife ran in, and sat down behind her husband, eaying, " If he mnst dio í will die witli him."' Then (he othet mem-aahibs run in Kaying "We also will die with our husbnnda," wharcupon the Nuna ordered themto be pulled foreibly away, all exoept tlie doctor's wife, who remained with her husband. Then the sahibs shook hands all around, and tho Sepoys fircd. They were not all killed, ao 'the Sepoys went in and finished them off with swords. This was from the evidence of a native On July 1, the rernaining prisonei-3 were removed to a small building between the ülack City and the Ganges. Jn India I it is known as the, ' ' House of the Ladies, " I and in England as the ' ' House of tho Massacro." Here for a fortnight were penned 206 persons of Europeau extraction. The placo wnn so confmed, and the numbor of captives diminished so fast, that tho Nana began to fear he woiüd have no hostages to próvido against a reverse. Jleanwhile, Gen. Hnvelock was moving northward from Allahabad. Tho Nana took up a position to meet him twenty-two miles south of Cawnpoi-e. The battle commenced at nine. At four in the aftornoon tho newa of defeat had rcached the Tiger. He ordered the prisoners to prepare ftr death. Five Sepoys wero bidden to fall on. They entered the house. Their knives broke I off at the handles. They procured othera, and re-entered. By the time j darkness had closed in, the men camc ! out and locked up the house for the night, but the groaning continued till morning. We all know how the Xana attempted to make a stand against Havelock, how he fled into the morasses and how, in all probability, he died a quiet death which we must all regret, and over the well whore those brave hearts lie stilled forever, rises a ChriRtian temple of honor that should last forever. Ne:ir to it is an inclosnre which marks the boundariea of the " House of the Ladien." So revolting a tale of blood and treacherv does not often, happily, lisgi-ace