Part 4

Monday, July 6th. The insurgents filled J----s' house, and kept firing into our Compound; we fired a number of shrapnell into the house, without dislodging them. We fancied they must be getting short of ammunition, for they fired all sorts of strange missiles--such as nails, pieces of ramrod, &c.

Tuesday, July 7th. Charlie came, after breakfast, and told me that a sortie was to be made into J----s' house; this was done between 1 and 2 P.M.--two officers and some men of the 32nd and Mr. G---- and some of our Sikhs--a hole was made through the wall of the Brigade Mess, opposite J----s' house, an 18-pounder firing down our lane all the time to distract the enemy's attention. A rush was then made, and every Native in the house killed--numbering some thirty or forty. In the afternoon we had the first really heavy fall of rain, and the enemy's fire slackened in consequence. Poor Captain F---- this night had one leg taken off, and the other shattered, by a round shot, while sitting on the roof of the Brigade Mess! Mr. H---- saw him after the amputation had taken place, and said he was very composed. Mr. O---- died from his wound received at the Redan battery.

Wednesday, July 8th. Poor Mr. P---- was hit in the body by a musket shot; fortunately, the ball made a circuit round the body, instead of touching any vital part: he received the wound in the hospital. The firing was very sharp. I felt quite knocked up, after my morning duties. Charlie came, after dinner, and sat about an hour; he then went over to the hospital to see poor Captain F----. He found him insensible and very restless, and the doctors said he was not going on well; about 9 o'clock he died. He and Mr. O----, and two others, were buried in the same grave; the funerals are always at night, as the fire then slackens a little. Sometimes, Mr. P---- and Mr. H---- have had to dig the graves themselves! Soon after we lay down for the night, we were aroused by an alarm; it was false, and had been caused by a soldier dreaming: but, towards the morning, we were alarmed again by the enemy making an attack on our gate. We all got up and prepared, in case we had to run to the Begum Kotee, for there had been a hole dug in the wall opposite one of our doors for us to escape by in case the enemy should pass the gate.

Thursday, July 9th. I rose and made the early tea for the whole party as Mrs. A---- was ill, and while engaged in it an order came down for bottles of hot water, Mr. D---- being taken with cholera; after breakfast he appeared better, but it did not last. About noon Mr. H---- administered the Sacrament to him, and at 1 o'clock he died. Mrs. D---- seemed wonderfully calm. After making tea in the evening I went and lay down on my bedding in the Tye Khana, feeling tired out, and fell so fast asleep, that they all came down and had prayers without my knowing anything about it.

Friday, July 10th. We were ordered to sit upstairs as much as possible, as the Tye Khana and Go-downs were considered unhealthy; fortunately, the firing was so slack, that we could sit at the front door. It was quite delightful to have a little cessation from the constant noise. Mrs. D---- joined us, and seemed quite calm and cheerful. Charlie brought over six bottles of mustard, as we had very little and it was in great demand in cases of cholera; in the afternoon he came and chatted with me. Mr. H---- had only one funeral this evening.

Saturday, July 11th. There had been an alarm in the night, but I had heard nothing of it. I rose and made the early tea; and while carrying a cup to Mrs. F----, slipped down some steps and sprained my ancle: it became so painful that Dr. P---- recommended my fomenting it with hot water, and laying it up--so I was unfortunately _hors de combat_. Charlie sold poor Capt. F----s' property, and made 500 rupees of a box of second-hand clothes, such a great demand was there for them; he afterwards brought me a box of his papers and rings, which I locked up for his poor sister, in case I should ever be able to give it to her. Very slack firing all day; the enemy occasionally fired pieces of wood shaped liked nine-pins, and bound with iron. There was a report that the Nana was this day coming to join the rebels. There were five funerals this evening.

Sunday, July 12th. We had slept in the dining-room for the first time--but the mosquitoes were fearful--as the punkah was too heavy to be of any good. About half-past 10, Charlie came and stayed to prayers; at 12 Dr. F---- made us all again dine in the Tye Khana, as the dinner upstairs brought such swarms of flies. In the evening the ladies sat under the portico and sang very prettily; Capt. W---- joining them just as they had sung one verse of the evening hymn: the enemy commenced firing so sharply that there was a call to arms, and the gentlemen all rushed off to their posts. The attack was first on Mr. G----s' house, and then came round to ours; we went to bed, but the firing was so loud and the mosquitoes so lively that we slept but little; in fact, we all wished ourselves down in the Tye Khana again.

Monday, July 13th. Rose, feeling wretched. My face is becoming covered with boils, but hardly any one is without them now. The firing still very sharp; a European soldier was wounded in the corner of our verandah. The enemy were said to be again in J----s' house; a Native was shot dead, coming from the Begum Kotee to our kitchen: altogether, eight were hit in our Compound during the day. Charlie could not come till the evening, and then stayed only a few minutes. Mrs. T---- very ill, with the small-pox, at the Begum Kotee.

Tuesday, July 14th. Dear J----'s birthday. I had slept soundly, though the firing had been very sharp all night. The 17th N.I. were seen with their colours amongst the rebels; there were all kinds of reports of relief--none true! Charlie came over about dinner time, and sat some time, but I could not offer him any: I drank J----'s health in sherry. An attack was expected at night, and all preparations were made; we ladies were sent down to the Tye Khana to sleep. The rebels had placed an 18-pounder in position for our house; however, the ammunition for the gun was blown up, and we passed a quiet night, with the exception of a skirmish with the punkah coolies.

Wednesday, July 15th. Charlie came soon after breakfast, and told me the narrow escape he had had, from the careless firing of a 9-pounder by a sergeant who had been instructed by an artillery officer to fire shrapnell into J----s' house; he fired one into Capt. C----'s quarters, which Charlie had only a minute before vacated; he had been dressing on the very spot where the shrapnell burst. There was very little firing during the day, but Lieut. L---- was shot on the roof of Mr. G----s' house; Capt. F---- came for Dr. F----; they could not find the ball, but fancied it had touched the spine, as all the lower part of the body was paralysed. Our party sat in the verandah, singing songs and glees. It made me feel quite melancholy, for the round shots were whizzing overhead, and no one could tell but that the next might bring death with it!

Thursday, July 16th. We heard that our troops had had a fight with the insurgents at Futtehpore, who had come from Cawnpore to meet them, and that we had taken four guns. No one knows if this be true, but it is possible, and that our troops are waiting there for reinforcements. Mrs. T---- died of small-pox. The heat and flies were dreadful; in the evening Mr. H---- had five funerals, one, poor Mrs. T----. He said he had had a most narrow escape; going to the churchyard, a shot struck the ground directly between the two dhoolies carried in front of him, and covered them with earth! That night I rebelled against watching; we had had quite a fight about it during the day.

Friday, July 17th. The enemy had an 18-pounder in position to fire on an angle of our house. Mrs. S----'s eldest child died of cholera. Dear Charlie paid me his daily visit. The firing was rather slack; the heat during the day was so intense, that the soldiers were allowed to lie down in the drawing-room. Mr. H---- had three funerals this night;--Lieut. A----, of the Artillery and Captain B----, were both wounded by a mortar that the former was superintending the loading of. Lieut. B----, Artillery, was wounded yesterday. About 11 P.M. we were aroused by a very sharp firing,--an attempt made again at the Bailey Guard Gate, but was unsuccessful; still I got up and prepared for a rush to the top of the house, as they say that is our safest place if the enemy get in; the gentlemen can defend us up there.

Saturday, July 18th. I will write exactly my employment this day to show how each day is passed. I arose a little before 6, and made tea for all the party; then, with Mrs. A----'s assistance, gave out the rations for the day--ottah, rice, sugar, sago, arrowroot, &c., &c. While doing this a 6-pound shot came through the verandah above, broke down some plaster and bricks, and fell at our feet; Mrs. B---- and some children had a very narrow escape; they were sitting in the verandah at the time, but no one was hurt. I then rushed at the Bheestie (the water-carrier), who was passing, and made him fill a tin can with water for me, which I forthwith "lugged" upstairs and bathed and dressed; it was about half-past 8 when I was ready, so I went to the front door to get a breath of air; at 9 down again to make tea for the breakfast, which consisted of a small piece of roast mutton, chupattees, rice, and jam. I then worked on some of Charlie's garments till nearly dinner time--4 P.M.--when I felt very poorly, but it passed off.

Sunday, July 19th. The firing was very sharp; there had been an attack during the night. Early in the morning two round shots came into the long room through the drawing-room, and yesterday while the ladies were sitting in the long room a 9-pound shot came in through the drawing-room and slanted through a side door--breaking down the door-post and covering several of them with dust. Charlie came in, in time for prayers, which Mr. H---- read at 12 in the entrance hall; we had been kept down in the Tye Khana till then: by dinner time I became very ill. Charlie had given me a piece of ration biscuit, so I had that with a glass of port wine, instead of dinner. This afternoon an 18-pounder came into the drawing-room; we were all sent down to the Tye Khana in a great hurry. It was after dinner this day that Captain W---- gave us the particulars of the Cawnpore massacre. He said it was Thursday, June 25th, when they began to treat; the Nana required that they should leave everything--arms, ammunition, &c.--and he would provide them boats; some lady in a dhoolie was carried over to the Nana--it is thought to have been Lady W----. On Friday lots of hackeries were sent down to the entrenchments to convey the party to the boats, but were returned, and on Saturday a lot of elephants were sent instead and the party mounted them; the sick, and ladies who could not travel this way, were sent in dhoolies, and the whole party was escorted by the Nana's force to a Ghaut about a mile from the entrenchments, where the boats were waiting. However, it was discovered that there were neither cars nor ropes to the boats, or boatmen; nevertheless, they were told to get in and drop down the stream; and two boats filled and got ahead of the others: the remaining eight were loading when a battery, masked behind some trees, opened fire on them, and the Sepoys rushed down and bayonetted the women and children--selecting fifteen or eighteen of the young ladies and taking them off to their camp! The two boats that had gone ahead were first fired into from the opposite bank of the river and sunk. At this juncture, they say, some of the 56th N.I. rushed to their rescue and a few escaped. I had been so ill in the morning that I had been obliged to have Dr. F---- to attend me,--and I was better towards evening, when the pain came on so violently I fancied I had cholera coming on. Dr. F---- gave me another dose of opium, but I was very ill all night and fainted away; they called Dr. F---- to me, and he dosed me again and ordered a mustard poultice, I went up and lay down in Mrs. H----'s room--the only safe one upstairs.

Monday, July 20th. Towards morning the round shot began flying about thickly--two 18-pounders came into Mr. H----'s room while he was dressing; they came in high, and covered him with a cloud of dust: the bricks and mortar fell thick around him, but he escaped unhurt. Soon the attack became tremendous all around us: round shot flying in all directions; musketry on the roof of our house incessant. Strange to say, I never winced or closed my ears; however, I and Miss S----, who was kindly fanning me, decided we had better go down to the Tye Khana. Breakfast, however, all were too much engaged to come to. The attack lasted more than four hours; and they say, at the least, we were surrounded by 4,000; six of their guns were pointed at our house. About half-past 12, Dr. F---- called down to us that it was all right; and one by one the gentlemen came down to breakfast. They said the enemy had been beaten back, with great slaughter: one 32nd Sergeant shot fourteen of them, one had seen twenty killed here, another, thirty there. They opened the attack this day by springing a mine at the Redan Battery, but without harm to us. I continued very faint and weak throughout the day. While dinner was going on, about 5 o'clock, Charlie came over; I was so thankful to see him safe. One more providential escape he has had, and I could not feel sufficiently thankful: a bullet had entered his helmet at the side, gone out at the top, carrying the ventilator with it! He and his Sikhs are in a large house--Mr. O----'s kutcherry--and in a very small verandah, that they occupied during the attack, twenty-two round shots had come in. Charlie said they had attacked with the spirit of Europeans. Some Mussulmen Sowars, carrying a green standard, had tried to cross the stockade, close to his post; the leaders of the party were all killed, and the flag left in the brushwood. At this crisis a plucky man rushed up, and although his right arm was broken by a musket shot, he contrived to extricate it, and carry it off with his left. After that, an attack was made at the same point, by Sepoys, with muskets and bayonets, but also unsuccessfully. Another account Charlie gave of Mr. L----, commanding at our old guard-house--now I----s' post; they had the hardest work to keep it. Mr. L---- considers, at that part alone, 100 of the enemy were killed; so that all agree their loss must have been very great, whereas we had only two killed, and very few wounded: amongst the latter, Mr. E----, of the 32nd, at the Redan, and Mr. H----, 7th L.C. The 13th, at the Bailey Guard, behaved splendidly. This day, Mr. P---- died of cholera; his wound had been progressing nicely, when he was seized with cholera. Towards night, the firing had almost ceased. Mrs. B---- fancied her child had cholera, so we were kept awake the greater part of the night.

Tuesday, July 21st. I rose early, feeling better; while sitting at the door for air, Major B---- called in and chatted with us. Charlie came at breakfast to see how I was, and again at 1 o'clock, bringing me a saucepan of soup and a bottle of port wine to enable me to get up my strength again. Just after he left, the enemy made an attack, principally on Mr. G----s' house, and word was brought that Major B---- had been shot through the head on the roof of the house, and Dr. D---- wounded; the times are awful! Major B---- is, indeed, a loss; a tremendous attack was expected at night, but it passed off quietly; probably, on account of the heavy fall of rain we had. The siege has lasted, now, more than three weeks.

Wednesday, July 22nd. I made the early tea and breakfast; hardly any firing going on. Charlie came over and read some of my journal; after he left, he sent me over a saucepan of soup, and one of his ration biscuits. About 1 o'clock, Capt. E---- came running over from the G----s' for Dr. F----, as Mrs. D---- had been shot through the head as she was sitting in a bedroom just off the G----s' dining-room; her death was instantaneous. In the evening Mr. H---- had nine funerals.

Thursday, July 23rd. The first news in the morning was, that a Native Pensioner had come in from Cawnpore, with tidings that a large body of Europeans were at Cawnpore, and that they had crossed ten guns; they had had three fights with the Nana, and had burnt his house. Every one believes this; and we may expect them by the first proximo. It is glorious news, indeed! The Pensioner was sent off again, with a letter, and only one rupee (as he himself requested); but, if he brings an answer, he is to have 500 rupees, and a double pension for life. The man's name was Ungud. I now have to wash my own clothes, and this morning had a scrimmage for water,--Mrs. H----'s Ayah having had the impertinence to run off with my can of water, after I had had the trouble of bringing it upstairs. Firing, slack to-day; it is supposed many of the enemy have gone to meet our reinforcements. To-day, we spoilt the bridge of boats over the Goomtee, by firing round shot at it. The night was quiet.

Friday, July 24th. A grand scrimmage about the goats and milk for the children. The reinforcements said to be fourteen coss off. A round shot took off a portion of the roof of our house; but, the enemy's fire was generally slacker: a number of them are evidently gone off to meet our troops. Last night, as I was making tea in the store-room, the largest Bandycoot rat ran through that I ever saw, the size of a little pig. At night the Tye Khana was so disagreeable that we were obliged to burn camphor and paper in it.

Saturday, July 25th. My morning duties were rather heavy, having a large number of clothes to wash; and I have always to take up all the water I require, and carry it down again when done--labour that I thought I never could have been equal to, especially in this country. Charlie sent me one of his flannel shirts to mend; the front of it was torn to pieces. He had lent it to an officer of the 48th, who had none, and who, while wearing it, had had a most narrow escape. A round shot had come in and covered him with bricks, which had torn the shirt in the way stated; but he was uninjured. Charlie paid me his daily visit; he had been to Mr. P----'s sale. I told him how badly off poor Mrs. K---- was at the Begum Kotee, no one either to get or cook her rations for her. The day before yesterday her only food had been a few chupattees, and a cup of tea without milk or sugar. The enemy are shelling to-day. They sent one into the Dawk office; it made a hole through the roof, and, falling on the table, smashed it; but luckily, not bursting, it did no other harm. Some of Mrs. P----'s things came round for sale, and I bought a silk dress for twenty-six rupees, as I have lost every one of my own. Mr. T---- came with the order books to-day; it is the first time I have seen him since the meeting in Cantonments. Mr. A---- also came in the afternoon; both seemed pleased to see me again.

Sunday, July 26th. A letter arrived from the Quartermaster-General of the relieving force, saying that two-thirds of the force had crossed the Ganges, and would soon come to our relief; that they had quite demolished the Nana's force, and that they were strong enough to bear down all opposition. Glorious news! The Brigadier sent down an order for all officers to be more watchful than ever, and not to leave their posts. Charlie has to ask leave to come down and see me for half an hour. An attack is expected, as a last attempt from the enemy. Lieutenant L----, of the Artillery, was shot through the head at the Cawnpore battery. He had just stepped aside to escape a pool of water, and was shot from a loop-hole. Mr. H---- was sent for to the G----s' to administer the Sacrament to Mrs. G----, who was dying of cholera; he returned, and we had service in the entrance-hall: in the evening it was held at the Brigade Mess. The enemy was discovered mining, to-day, towards the Cawnpore battery; so we commenced counter-mining: our people could hear the enemy working a little above them. A luckily-thrown shell of ours fell on top of their mine, and broke it in.

Monday, July 27th. There has been a sharp attack during the night, and Lieut. S----, 7th L.C., was accidentally shot by one of the Europeans. Charlie came in for half an hour, soon after breakfast; he had a boil on his knee: he said our mine was progressing well--twenty-seven feet dug. Dr. P---- was very busy all the morning, getting his galvanic battery ready to blow up J----s' house; he has had fever for the last two days. No news from the relieving force, though they said they should send a letter; it is supposed that all the approaches to the city are strictly watched. Charlie said that during the night a plan had been sent out of the entrance to Lucknow, by the Dil Koosha, as it is considered a more practicable route than the regular Cawnpore road. Firing was very slack throughout the day. Mr. H---- had two funerals.

Tuesday, July 28th. My morning duties, including washing clothes, very heavy. No news from the relieving force; firing slack. We left off the Cawnpore battery mine--as the enemy had stopped theirs--and commenced one in the Sikh square, where we found they had also commenced. In the evening our people managed to dig direct into theirs, which we destroyed with a small charge of powder. Col. H----, who has been laid up with a carbuncle all the siege, was much worse to-night. While we were at prayers this evening, there were several volleys of musketry, so there was a call to arms, and Capt. W---- and the gentlemen rushed off to their post. Nothing, however, followed. Col. H---- died during the night; he has been in a small tent, in the garden, all through the siege.

Wednesday, July 29th. I was awoke by a mouse running over my neck, scratching me with its horrid little feet. Still no news! After breakfast I took Miss H----'s duties for her; as, poor girl, she was not in spirits for it. Charlie paid me his half-hour's visit. I am so thankful each day to see him once more. After dinner, just as we came upstairs, guns were heard firing from the Martinière, and upon the top of the house smoke could be seen from two batteries; a regular royal salute was fired--twenty-one guns. All became excited in the greatest degree, considering it was our relieving force; but we were doomed to disappointment. No one knows what it was for; but there is a report that it was in honour of a boy who has been placed on the throne by the soldiery. An attack expected at night; but all was quiet.

Thursday, July 30th. Nothing of importance to-day; no news of the reinforcements. I felt very disheartened, in consequence. Two officers of the 71st came on Col. H----'s committee of adjustment; they told us many wounded men had been seen brought into the city.

Friday, July 31st. Another most disheartening day; no news!

Saturday, August 1st. Firing slack; no news!

Sunday, August 2nd. No news again! Mr. H----, 7th L.C., died to-day. The relieving force ought to have been in three days ago. God grant it may come to our assistance shortly! The poor children feel the want of fresh air and proper food sadly; but, still, we have much to be thankful for; for, we have, as yet, endured no hardships, and my dear husband has so far been spared to me.