September 25th.—A very unquiet night. Twoalarms, one at 1·30A.M.and another at 4A.M.The whole garrison were under arms nearly the whole night. A very great disturbance in the city, in the direction of Mr. Gubbins's post especially. To the very great regret of the garrison, Captain Radcliffe of the 7th Light Cavalry was dangerously wounded while in command of the Cawnpore battery. About 10A.M.a messenger came in bringing in a letter of the 16th instant from General Outram, dated Cawnpore, announcing his being about to cross over to this side of the Ganges, and march on to Lucknow. The messenger could give no account of our force, beyond its having reached the outskirts of the city.
About 11A.M.nearly all sound of firing had ceased, but increased agitation was visible among the people in the town, in which two large fires were seen. An hour later, the sound of musketry and the smoke of guns was distinctly perceived within the limits of the city. All the garrison was on the alert, and the excitement amongst many of the officers and soldiers was quite painful towitness. At 1·30P.M.many of the people of the city commenced leaving, with bundles of clothes, &c. on their heads, and took the direction of cantonments across the different bridges. At 2P.M.armed men and sepoys commenced to follow them, accompanied by large bodies of Irregular Cavalry. Every gun and mortar that could be brought to bear on the evidently retreating enemy, was fired as fast as possible, for at least an hour and a half. The enemy's bridge of boats had evidently been destroyed and broken away, for many were seen swimming across the river, most of them cavalry with their horses' bridles in their hands. Strange to relate, during all this apparent panic, the guns of the enemy in position all round us kept up a heavy cannonade, and the matchlockmen or riflemen never ceased firing from their respective loopholes.
At 4P.M.report was made that some officers dressed in shooting coats and solah caps, a regiment of Europeans in blue pantaloons and shirts, and a bullock battery were seen near Mr. Martin's house and the Motee Muhal. At 5P.M.volleys ofmusketry, rapidly growing louder, were heard in the city. But soon the firing of a minié ball over our heads gave notice of the still nearer approach of our friends; of whom as yet little or nothing had been seen, though the enemy were to be seen firing heavily on them from many of the roofs of the houses. Five minutes later, and our troops were seen fighting their way through one of the principal streets; and though men fell at almost every step, yet nothing could withstand the headlong gallantry of our reinforcements. Once fairlySEEN, all our doubts and fears regarding; them were ended: and then the garrison's long pent-up feelings of anxiety and suspense burst forth in a succession of deafening cheers; from every pit, trench and battery—from behind the sandbags piled on shattered houses—from every post still held by a few gallant spirits, rose cheer on cheer—even from the hospital! Many of the wounded crawled forth to join in that glad shout of welcome to those who had so bravely come to our assistance. It was a moment never to be forgotten.
Soon all the rear-guard and heavy guns were inside our position; and then ensued a scene which baffles description. For eighty-seven days the Lucknow garrison had lived in utter ignorance of all that had taken place outside. Wives who had long mourned their husbands as dead, were again restored to them; others, fondly looking forward to glad meetings with those near and dear to them, now for the first time learnt that they were alone. On all sides eager inquiries for relations and friends were made. Alas! in too many instances the answer was a painful one.
The force under the command of General Sir James Outram, G.C.B., came to our assistance at a heavy sacrifice to themselves. Of 2600 who left Cawnpore, nearly one-third was either killed or wounded in forcing their way through the city: indeed, the losses were so heavy that they could effect nothing towards our relief; as the enemy were in overpowering force, and the position having been extended, in order to accommodate as far as possible our great increase in numbers, and the guns thatwere in our vicinity having been captured at considerable loss to ourselves, we remained on three-quarter rations, as closely besieged as before, until the 22nd November; when the garrison were finally relieved by the army under the Commander-in-Chief.
Onthe evening of the 30th May, about 9 o'clock, shots were heard at Moodkeepore (the cavalry station), in the direction of the infantry lines in Lucknow. The 7th Cavalry, consisting of about 150 sabres, immediately were turned out by their officers, and placed in three troops. On wheeling into line, about 30 men rushed out of the ranks, and rode furiously towards cantonments: they were not seen again. The corps advanced towards the race-course, towards the Residency, at a canter, which place they reached about half-past 9 or a quarter to 10. The regiment received orders to patrol round the Residency, and in the rear of Colonel Halford's house, which was done accordingly, and they afterwards formed up in rear of the lines stationed on the city road.
About 11 o'clock the 7th Cavalry marched down to the Baillie Guard, patrolled towards Muchee Bhawun,and, finding all safe, returnedviâthe stone bridge through Mukka Gunge, warned all on duty at the elephant sheds to be on the alert, and reached the Residency in cantonments about 2 in the morning. At 3 o'clock the 4th troop arrived from Chinahut, under the command of Captain T. Boileau. At a quarter after gunfire the cavalry marched off with the two artillery guns from the Residency, and took up a position on the right of the line on the 32nd parade ground. The 7th were directed to move towards Moodkeepore, which place was reported to have fallen into the hands of the mutineers. The corps advanced at a canter, and on reaching the plain close to the race-course, a large body of armed infantry, amounting to some 1000 men, were seen advancing in skirmishing order towards the cavalry. The report was, as regarded Moodkeepore, too true, for the Standard Guard was looted, public and private property destroyed, and the 2nd Squadron standard was actually seized from the hands of the jemadar in charge, and dashed to pieces.
Lieutenant Raleigh, who had lately joined the corps, was brutally murdered at 5A.M.in front of the first troop lines. This officer was sick, and unable to join the regiment the night before when ordered out. The officer commanding ordered his men to form line to the front, which was done rather sullenly; but on his ordering the line to take ground to the right, a number of men broke out from the ranks, crying out that theywouldcharge, as their children, etc., were being murdered;they rode away towards the mutineers, having been beckoned to come over by a leader riding a horse and bearing a standard. Some thirty-five or forty men left their officers. At this time an officer was sent back towards cantonments to request Sir Henry Lawrence to send up some guns, as the small body of cavalry that were left alone in front of the insurgents were in danger of being driven back.
The guns soon afterwards came up, and after a few rounds dispersed the enemy. The 7th Cavalry, in concert with the Irregulars, followed up the retreating mutineers, killed one or two, and sent in some ten or twelve prisoners. The corps returned to Moodkeepore about 10 o'clock, and marched into cantonments in the evening, and took up a position on the right of the line. Some 105 men remained with their officers up to the 12th June, on which date, by authority, they were given two months' pay, and allowed a furlough to their homes till the 15th October. The men remaining after the mutiny behaved admirably in quarters, and when told they were to go to their homes obeyed the order, quietly lodging their arms, and moving quietly homewards. The horses of the corps were marched down to the Residency at noon of the 12th, and in the evening the European and native officers, with the standards, repaired to the Baillie Guard, opposite to which the cavalry horses were ordered to be picketed.