“What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be aught towards the general good,
Set honour in one eye, and death i’ the other,
And I will look on both indifferently:
For, let the gods so speed me, as I love
The name of honour more than I fear death.”
JULIUS CAESAR, Act I
Front cover of the first edition
Englishmen not easily frightened, and disregarded first signs of Mutiny – Sir Henry Lawrence came to Oudh – Nana of Bithur nearly rode over me – Troops in Oudh excited by placards – Irregular and regular troops mutiny at Lucknow – Night ride alone to the conflict – An &mute of the citizens suppressed by Captain Carnegie – Residency defences began and indifferently done – Volunteers ought to be better than regular troops when better educated – Military Police mutinied, and were attacked by Thornhill, McRae, and two noble Pathans – Executions did no good, and in my opinion never will
Civil and military officers die at their posts – Nearly shot by refugees from Sitapur massacre – Volunteers sent to rescue Europeans at Sikrora – Captain H. Forbes a good soldier – Civilians drilled, and Captain R. P. Anderson is rebuked for laughing at them – Martinière school boys saved – Captain Radcliffe and volunteer horse – Remember the brave I – The volunteers fine fellows – Kanhpur – Mutineers chase us back to our defences from Chinhat
Confusion within doors and without – Sick and helpless – Nothing to eat from the Commissariat – Thanks for kindness – Get worse health – Everybody makes a noise – Frenzied by glory – The works of nature most charming – Great people will let little folks walk to fame through the Vale of Death – Affairs improve and the defenders are cheerful – Mr. Alexander Bryson, my brother-in-law, a hero, and his wife and children paupers
Sir Henry Lawrence one of the few good men in India – His charity, endurance, and earnest honesty – The garrison of Lucknow preserved by his forethought – May God have mercy on him who tried to do his duty
Stores of English merchants plundered, and private supplies squandered – Cholera, fever, and small-pox – Garland and McGrennan save me – A wretched hospital – Sisters of charity, Polehampton, Barbor, Birch, Gall, Parry, Erith, Alone, and a good soldier’s wife – The Report of the Defence not impartial – Captain McCabe – Under Arrest – A good soldier killed in his fourth sortie – Lieutenant Bonham, gentle, skilful, and devoted – Look out – Processions of the enemy – Jolly companions every one – Bad rhymes, but good verses
The spirit of the garrison fluctuates – Servants despair and run away – Fidelity of Natives inexplicable – Good servants badly treated – Wounded in the Kanhpur battery – Mr. Gubbins unfairly abused – Innes’s garrison saved by civilians – Captain Waterman wounded, and is run after by a frightened man – The famous Redan Battery – The 82nd Foot – Good troops and better officers – Sir John Inglis earned his honours – Kind, gentle, patient, generous woman – Captain Fulton, the ablest man of the garrison, not sufficiently praised
Nature without and within – To the rescue – Casualties at the battle of Futteypoor – The enemy would let no one go near them – Kanhpur – The valiant slow, and cowards fast runners – Bithur twice occupied – A lucky return – Advance to Lucknow – City forced – Enemy drowned – The garrison saved by gallant soldiers – Dear Old England! – An impartial estimate of General Havelock’s services – Brigadier Neill as good as him, and Sir James Outram better than either
Guide Havelock’s heavy guns and wounded – A shameful failure – Nine heroes – First sortie, and a hasty return home – A brave Pandi rewarded – Sepoys behaved well with us, and mutineers would have done better with good leaders – Second sortie more successful – Feeble attempt to open a road to Alum Bagh – Captain Wade – Pickles and preserves the death of Major Haliburton – A house taken, retaken, and not taken – Alum Bagh project abandoned – Volunteer Engineers – First crawl through the mines – First encounter in the bowels of the earth, a Sepoy wounded – Second Adventure, two mortally wounded – Brasyer a good soldier – Sikhs ought to be brought to England and exhibited: an idea for the wise
Champions of the people – A promise to go down to the sea more than fulfilled – The warriors of Oudh see the defences and blow alarming sounds – A Council wants two hundred thousand pounds, and cannot get it – A crockery room and British bayonets – Colonel Furnell – Havelock’s troops, trumps, and smokers – Captain Crommelin – Sir Robert Napier – A great adventure in the mines, two men shot – Familiar talk with the enemy – Greased cartridges provoked a mutiny – Lieutenant Grant – Somebody to be hung – Good news
Mutiny remarkable for deeds of individual daring – A spy from Sir Colin Campbell – Arguments for despatching a European to guide the relieving force – A struggle for life – Proposal to Colonel Napier – Sir James Outram’s reasons for consenting – A painful parting, and an affectionate heart – Disguise – Denied by Friends – A black painting, by General Outram – A brave parting – Captain Hardinge – You WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!
Courage chilled in the water – A shivering matchlockman – Examined by a native officer – Too much light, and dangerous jostling – A watchman’s challenge – No one talks of the English! – Everything wrong in the dark – A walk round the enemy – A gallant guide frightened – An old cultivator, and a young one – The dogs bark – Skinned toes – Hide and go seek – A young woman’s thigh squeezed in the dark – A careless Sepoy guard questioned by its enemy – Alum Bagh avoided – A dreadful surprise – Sepoys tell us the way to a swamp, and we go into it – A fatiguing struggle to keep two heads above water – An angry man – Passing between two fires – Villagers flying for safety – A topographical sketch on the sands all wrong – A sleeper disturbed
A British picquet surprised – Goldie, and brandy – Dick and his pony – Lieut. Vaughan puzzled – Dialogue with Sir Colin Campbell – A useful note of recommendation – Thanks to the Almighty and to the guide – Modern heroes better than old ones – Arrival announced to Residency – Knights of chivalry and the ladies – A hearty meal and a strange story, in good company – What Sir Colin Campbell is like – An attempt to see a Review from the back of a horse – Advance to the Alum Bagh, and a little battle – An unintelligible telegram – Advance to the Martinière College – A dangerous look at a bridge – A bonfire for the Residency – The grave of Claude Martin – The enemy wide-awake, and Sir Colin asleep
Sir Colin’s look at Lucknow – A new route proposed – A dangerous passage passed – Saved a wounded soldier – Chivalry of Lord Seymour – In at the roof Highlanders! – Assault on the Sikandarbagh – Captains Cooper and Burroughs – The 53rd Foot would go in – Frightful slaughter – Colonel Ewart and the enemy’s damned colours – The Shah Najaf Mausoleum – Peel and Middleton knock for admittance – First assault repulsed – Major Alison – Captured by Adrian Hope – A glorious old soldier surrounded by his fine staff – General Mansfield
Naval Brigades’ missives to the enemy – The D. D. Bungalows – Ordered to be shot as a spy! – A false colour cut down by Peel – Attack on the Mess House, Observatory, and Moti Mahal Palace – The gallant Worseley of the 90th Foot – Abused by Sir Colin Campbell for a Hibernicism – Worseley and the British banner – A dangerous run to Sir James Outram – A hearty welcome home – Race back to Sir Colin – An unexpected introduction, and a glorious meeting of the Chiefs Outram, Havelock and Campbell – Grand objects of my escape effected – Generous reception by my comrades – A mean reward – Retreat to Kanhpur – General Wyndham surprised by men on a dog-cart – Reception of the Lucknow refugees at Calcutta
The dark side of the picture – Europeans, Christians, and servants murdered – Captain Savory – Citizens plundered – Maulavi Ahmud-oola interferes and is disgraced – Election of a King – Appointment of Commanders – Civil officers – 100,000 assailants – Efforts made to obtain money – Jealousy in the Palace – False reports – The Nana – Havelock’s progress – Captives slaughtered – Mutineers pray to be led to Kanhpur – Subterranean passages to the granaries of the city – Envoy to Delhi Emperor – Havelock’s advance to Lucknow – Citizens excited by proclamations – Retreat of the enemy, and panic – Maulavi all-powerful – Relief by Sir Colin Campbell, and rejoicing thereat
Sir James Outram at the Alum Bagh – Great rejoicing at the departure of the Heroes of Lucknow – An Army of Donkies led into danger by a King of Monkeys – Sir Colin Campbell’s host – Journey from Calcutta with a gentle jeweller and a cunning gold digger – The great William Howard Russell and his wicked mare – Sir Hugh Rose did well – Siege of Lucknow – Ordered to be shot for going over to the enemy – A dangerous development disliked by Adrian Hope – Sir James Outram across the river – The Martinière captured – The gallant Anson – Jang Bahadur and his odoriferous Goorkhas – Begum’s Palace captured – Captain Macbean’s eleven heads – A terrible storm in the Kaisarbagh – My good guide Kunoujee Lal
Naval guns and Lieutenant Young – A woman’s appeal of no avail – Assault led by Captain Da Costa – Da Costa killed – Impromptu seizure of the Kaisarbagh – British pluck under a steam engine – A Christian captive released – My plunder – The Palace sacked – The famed Residency captured – Reflections therein – Horse wounded – A frightened family saved from drowning – Captured an English gun – Sack of the City begun – Mrs. Orr and Miss Jackson rescued – Captain F. Middleton and Lord Clinton are shown some “fun” – Sir James Outram disapproved of the sport – The Maulavi attacked by, and escaped from, Sir Edward Lugard – Murder of the Prime Minister – The last fight for the City
Ancient and modern Oudh – The City deserted – The Goorkhas carried away all the rags – Citizens returned and were plundered – Fell from the top of a house – Streets cleared of the dead – Talukdars of Oudh – General Walpole buried Adrian Hope at Ruiya – An awful fall down a well – Another fall from a dog-cart – Belief in a a good destiny useful – Nawab Mosim-ood-dowlah, uncle of the Ex-King of Oudh – New fortifications, and the demolition of the City – Greedy Prize Agents – Colonel Abbott and his embellishments – Administrative Reforms by Sir Robert Montgomery: and Mr. George Campbell – Sir Hope Grant at Nawabganj – Volunteered to go over to the enemy to explain the pacific intentions of Government
The City – Ordered to Maliabad – Troops without ammunition – An angry officer – Police posted at Rahimabad and surrounded by the enemy – Attacked and defeated by Lieutenant Ffrench – Police re- warded for gallant defence – A brave native collector – The enemy frightened by a road – Agriculture unaffected by the war – Land- holders assembled for sports at Rahimabad – Talukdars backward – Policy to Talukdars reversed – People should be taxed – Oudh Military Police – Town of Sandela attacked by Captain Dawson – Prince Firuzshah, of Delhi, with 600 cavalry, defeated by fifty Sikhs
Captain Dawson’s assault on the City – Spirited conduct of Military Police – An Irishman’s honour proved by surrendering to the enemy – The leader’s charger captured – A loyal Talukdar hastens the retreat of Prince Firuzshah – Chowdry Hashmat Ali left in Sandela with 700 matchlock-men – Return to Munched – Thanks for ow victory – Revenue settlements – Dawson reinforced – Troops remove to Sandela – A hasty assault repulsed – Wounded in two places – Bharat Singh Talukdar – Removed to Lucknow – Dawson besieged in Sandela – Relieved by Brigadier Sir George Barker, who gained a signal victory
Engineer Hospitality – Banquet to commemorate the Relief of Lucknow by Outram and Havelock – Col. Bulwer going to the war – Fort of Seelimpoor surprised by Bulwer, and Simon Martin – The people unfriendly – The monster Munsub Ali – The courage of a loyal native severely tried – His revenge at Seelimpoor – A hot ride through neutral ground, – Night incursions of the enemy – Return to Lucknow to meet my family – Beni Madhu, and Colonel Bulwer’s three victories – Ordered to Sandela – Forts dismantled, and Chiefs humbled – An old man, with an old retrospect
Operations for the complete conquest of Oudh begun – Reconnaissance – Fort of Birwa – The “ould Eighty-eight” won’t stay behind – Gallant assault of the Rifles, the Sikhs, and the “wild Irish” – A flock of geese overpowered by the 88th – Assault on the centre building and slaughter of the rebels – Moral effect of the capture – Narpat Singh prepares his fort for resistance – Advance of Brigadiers Hale and Barker to attack him – Fort evacuated – Colonel Seymour’s pursuit – Walpole and the Ghost of Adrian Hope – Return to Lucknow
Fort of Mithauli and its infamous Chief – Heroic death of Captain P. Orr – Ordered to Nawabganj-Burabunkee – The enemy frightened – A fortunate General terrifies Beni Madhu from his Fort – Beni Madhu puzzled – Major Gall’s attempt to escape with a despatch – Beni Madhu’s defeat and invisible flight – No more fighting – Wonderful escape of Prince Firuzshah – Lord Clyde and the end of the War – Adieu!
This collection transcribed by Chris Gage