Keowee Courier

MUTINY AT ALLAHABAD.

We were told off on our guard, and had laid ourselves down on our beds (those who were not on watch,) when, about half-past nine, we heard firing in the station, and on the alarm bugle being sounded we ran up to the ramparts in breathless silence. The firing grew heavier, and we all thought that the insurgents had entered the station, and were being beaten off by the regiment. So steady was the musketry, regular the firing; on, on it continued, volley after volley. 'Oh,' we all said, 'those gallant sepoys are beating off the rebels,' for the firing grew fainter in the distance, as if they were driving a force out of the station. But before long the sad truth was known. Herwood rode in, bringing the tidings that the wretched sepoys had risen; had seized his guns, and had marched them up to the station. He had escaped, and had run up to poor Alexander's camp, who jumped on his horse and rode up toward the lines, with as many of his men as could be got ready: he had been caught in an ambush by a body of sepoys lying in wait in an empty tank, and had been killed by a musket being placed to his side, blowing out his heart. His body was brought in later in the night, and I gave his hand a last shake, and shed tears over his bed. The officers were at mess when the wretches sounded the alarm bugle to bring them to parade, and shot them down right and left! Wretched murderers, may they receive their reward! Nine poor little ensigns doing duty with the regiment were bayoneted to death in the mess room, and three of the officers who escaped heard their cries as they passed! Poor boys, who had never given offence to any native, nor caused dissatisfaction to the sepoys. Five officers were shot belonging to the regiment, besides the nine poor boys. Rich and I, with the sergeant-major, in all 17 military men, many merchants, and others were most cruelly butchered—in all fifty Europeans fell that night by the hands of the murderous sepoys! The treasury was plundered, the prisoners released from gaol, and the work of destruction commenced. The whole station was destroyed, house after house plundered and fired. What a night! Each moment we expected the five Sikhs would turn on us, and then! * * But the Almighty mercifully decreed otherwise. We disarmed the 6th guard at the main gate, and found the villains with loaded and capped muskets ready to turn out!—What an escape we had! Five officers came in, all having escaped in a wonderful manner—three naked, having had to swim the Ganges. We were all night under arms, and in the morning lay down on our cots sad and weary, each moment expecting to be called up. The streets of the city are about half a mile from the fort, and during the five following days troops of the rioters were to be seen rushing from place to place plundering and burning. Day and night we manned the ramparts in the hot, blazing sun, and day and night the guns and mortars belched forth, throwing shell and grape shot, tearing down houses and scattering the demons wherever they were seen.