MUTINY OF THE 60TH NATIVE INFANTRY.

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regiment was first paraded, four guns were unlimbered before them, and the men were threatened that a squadron of Irregular Cavalry on the spot would be ordered to confine every trooper dismounted, and every man was ordered to mount himself as best he could. The horses were at last got off with the assistance of some spare syces from the Artillery. On the whole, the General thought there had been too little systematic arrangement as to what each man was to do to justify his bringing any man of the corps to trial before a General Court-Martial. The three men tried were brought forward as the worst behaved on the occasion, to be made examples of as far as practicable. By the ruse of getting themselves thrown,' the men succeeded in defying authority as far as it was in the power of disarmed men to do.

I send by this post the first proceedings on deserters. Twelve more of the 9th, and nine of the 16th, have since been tried, and of them, two from each corps-old Sepoys-are to be transported for life. Yours truly,

JAMES NOWELL YOUNG,

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL YOUNG,

Deputy Judge-Advocate General.

Judge-Advocate General.

Colonel KEITH YOUNG to his wife.

Camp, Delhi Cantonments, Saturday, 13th June.

I feel very much the anxiety I know you are suffering, and wish to Heaven it were in my power to relieve you by telling you with any certainty when we are to be within the walls of Delhi. That we shall be so soon, and make a triumphant entry, no one in camp doubts for an instant; but the when is not yet settled, and the delay is caused, as I told you before, by a wish to avoid the loss of men that there must necessarily be on our side if we advance to the attack without a breach being made and other necessary preparations. These are all, I believe, going on quietly. The enemy have not attempted to molest us since the terrible lesson they got yesterday, and they have scarcely even fired a gun from the city since.

I told you of the 60th Native Infantry having at last mutinied and fired on their officers, none of whom were hurt, as they escaped into our camp. It seems pretty certain that the

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SEPOYS RETURNING TO THEIR HOMES.

men of this corps have not come into Delhi, but are making off to their homes across country. A party of ten was met by the 9th Lancers yesterday, who cut up eight of them; and a large body was seen higher up crossing the river.

It is the most sensible thing that Sepoys when they mutiny can do, to cut off to their homes, for their situation in Delhi must be anything but an agreeable one, and the addition to their numbers will hardly be an additional source of strength in their present confused state. I told you-did I not?-of the recent quantities of money some of the Sepoys are said to have; and one of the 75th, I think it was, got eighty-eight gold mohurs from one of them the day after the first fight, and yesterday several bags were taken by our men.

It is a pity the Jullunder force has got away unhurt, but I have no doubt their day will come. A report was received to-day of their marching towards Delhi vid Hansi, but whether they will enter Delhi remains to be seen. Should they do so, their numbers, as I before remarked, will add little or nothing to the real strength of the insurgents, cooped up as they are within the walls.

Poor Mrs Chester, how I feel for her! And yet I don't know that it was not a happy release for poor Chester. His life must have been a continual burden to him; and though he bore up manfully and was really wonderfully well considering, yet he must, I think, have sunk eventually under the excitement in which he was living for the time. I told you that his grey horse, 'Sir Walter,' was shot down by the same shot that killed him. Maisey's horse was also killed that day; and Hamilton (Pension Paymaster), who is here acting in the Quartermaster-General's Department, had his horse's leg broken by the same shot that killed Chester.

I suppose you have by this time had at Simla a detailed account of the killed and wounded; of the latter several are at their work again. I saw Colonel Herbert yesterday morning with his regiment apparently none the worse; and Light was at mess last night eating a good dinner. General Reed has bought Chester's other horse, 'Miss Haliday,' but there is very little chance of his ever riding it; he is still confined to his tent, and looking very ill. I went over to him just now to do a little work; he is a poor, infirm old man, and seems as if a puff of wind would carry him away. It was a terrible trip he had down here, and he was sick when he started; I almost wonder at his surviving it.

INTENDED ASSAULT OF 13TH JUNE.

59

Major Martin was at my tent this morning for news; he and his men, with George Hall, are encamped about a mile or two to our left rear, guarding the camp. A large convoy came in this morning, supposed to be in danger last night from a report by Fenwick at Alleepore that the enemy had crossed in force at Bhagput to attack it. No truth whatever in the report. There were rumours

this morning of an attack from the Fort, but none came off.

We are very comfortable, Mactier and I, in our tent. It is not quite so cool as you have it at Simla; but, with the assistance of a tattie, we have nothing to complain of.

A.M., and get ready. but, after an hour or

(Diary) 13th June.-Wake up about 1 Arrangements made apparently for assault; two's delay, decided that it was too late, the pickets not having been withdrawn in time. Most fortunate, I think, that we did not attack, for failure would have been death-and success was not quite certain; and we are not reduced to such a desperate state yet as to risk all. My own idea is-wait till the Sikh corps comes. Very hot day-attack on the heights again; about five, go to Flagstaff. A party of the enemy's Cavalry got round to our left; Congreve very excited about it.

CAMP, DELHI Cantonments, Sunday, 14th June.

Your two letters of the 11th and 12th reached me a few minutes ago, and very glad indeed I was to get them, as I hardly expected to see your handwriting again for some time, there being a report in camp that a party of the enemy's Cavalry had got back to Alleepore and stopped our communication. It must, however, be a mistake; but a detachment, with some of the Jheend Raja's troops, has been sent out to see, and if the enemy were actually at Alleepore they will no doubt soon make themselves scarce. It is supposed that there is a party of only about a hundred. It seems very strange to me that, now the country is so disturbed, our dâks continue to come so very regularly; and yesterday Becher told me that the bullock-train came in without meeting any interruption, and bringing property of all kinds. I fancy the Sikh corps, which we understand are on their way down to reinforce us, go a long way in keeping things quiet in the direction where they are marching.

* See Forty-one Years in India, pp. 167-168.

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departure of the Jullunder force.

We still continue to occupy our old position on the Ridge, and the enemy occasionally make faint efforts to dislodge us, always ending in their discomfiture and loss. But it is annoying to think that there seems little prospect now of our entering Delhi until the Sikh corps join us, or until the Bhurtpore, or Jeypore, or other contingents make their appearance; or until there is such a decided schism in Delhi as to show that the two parties are pitted one against the other.

News of a reliable nature came in yesterday to Greathed to the effect that the Hindoos were becoming quite disgusted, finding they were being made complete dupes of by the Mahomedans, who wish to make a religious war of it. Hopes were expressed that the Sappers and Artillery might be brought over to our side. One of the contingents on which we can depend is said to be at Pulwal, about twenty-eight miles from here, but it is a very difficult thing to obtain information from any quarter except from the main road to Lahore and Simla.

We had service in camp this morning, Mr Rotton, the clergyman from Meerut, officiating. There was a very small congregation; he merely read prayers-no sermon.

I am very glad you wrote to Mrs Chester. Yes; I have his watch, jewel-case, &c., all safe, and a large lock of his hair, which Mactier cut off for Mrs Chester. I hope she will come up and stay with you.

George Hall was at church this morning, quite well, as are all his men, he said. Daly is now writing in my tent; and I have seen nearly all the Simla people this morning, or rather those in whom the Simla people are interested-Hodson, Shute, Becher, &c.

(Diary) 14th June.-Service in 2nd Fusiliers' mess, but at home all day. Attack on Metcalfe House, and Cavalry said to have got round left flank.

CAMP, DELHI Cantonments, Monday, 15th June.

I was unavoidably interrupted this morning while writing to you. I had finished the extract of the newsletter when General Barnard came into my tent with an express announcing the departure of a large force from Jullunder (some four thousand) to join us here; and after a long conversation as to the ex

* See page 62.

SHOULD WE WAIT FOR REINFORCEMENTS?

61

pediency of waiting for these troops before making the assault on Delhi, he asked me to go over to Greathed, the GovernorGeneral's Agent, and see what his idea now was on the subject of an immediate assault, which he had hitherto strongly advocated at all risks. His views, however, are now somewhat modified. We then went to talk with General Reed, and had a long conversation as to the advantages or disadvantages of waiting till reinforcements arrive: the result is, if Brigadier Wilson agrees --and I have no doubt he will-that we shall wait quietly in our present position until a larger force is collected. The truth is, poor General Barnard has been so badgered by Greathed and one or two others about him to move on with his present force, that against his own conviction he had determined to do so, and in all human probability the attack, though rather a desperate one considering our limited numbers, would have been successful; but it might have failed from some unlooked-for accident, and then 'Good-bye!' not only to our little force, but to India itself. With the reinforcements now on their way to join us and we reckon they cannot all be here till the 25th or 26th instant-risk of failure would be avoided; and the only thing against the delay is the bad political effect it may have, but this will be put to rights again immediately Delhi falls; and as to other mutineering regiments joining, the only force we are anxious about is that from Bareilly, which has guns with it. But we hear there is every prospect of this force remaining in Rohilkund to watch events; and, besides this, the bridge at Gurmukteesur has been destroyed, which would render their crossing the Ganges a difficult operation.

There must be sufficient European troops now at Cawnpore to keep Oude quiet; and from Agra we hear that all is getting on well, notwithstanding P's croaking.

I have told you all this that you may see exactly how matters stand with us, but you must not say a word about it to any one. The two Generals talked of having a Council of War to discuss the question, but I advised them just to speak quietly to Greathed and Brigadier Wilson, and decide the point of waiting or not waiting themselves. In our present position we are perfectly secure; every effort that the enemy have made to dislodge us has ended in their discomfiture and loss-they have not gained

L