Part 6

Friday, September 4th. A day without news, and tolerably quiet. Poor Major B----, who, while trying to get a shot at the enemy, on top of the Brigade Mess, exposed himself unnecessarily, was shot through the lungs, and survived it only about ten minutes; those who went up to fetch his body, had to crawl on their hands and knees. At night his own Sepoys carried him to his grave.

Saturday, September 5th. Much firing in the early morning. The 13th Sepoys made a battery for an 18-pounder, at the Treasury, with which Lieut. A---- made some good shots at the clock tower. The firing ceased a little, when all at once we felt a mine spring, and immediately an attack was made by the enemy; the firing then on both sides was incessant. In the midst of it we felt another explode, which we thought was our own; but it was not: we did however, spring one during the day, and Mr. F----, and a 32nd man, not having had sufficient warning, were blown up, but not hurt. In this day's attack 10,000 men were said to be around us; still they did not get in, and we had only two Natives killed, and two Europeans wounded; one losing an arm, and the other a leg. It was only Providence who could have saved us with so little loss: we have great cause for thankfulness! Our Sepoys are delighted at having a gun at their guard. They say "We load it, and Aikeen Sahib fires it!" They are behaving splendidly. At night there was another attack, and the firing lasted about an hour. A row between the Padre and a lady,--clerical victorious, and the lady going off into hysterics. The rest of the gentlemen were out digging, to repair the defences at the Baillie Guard Gate.

Sunday, September 6th. Several explosions during the morning, as our people were blowing down walls. At half-past 5 we had service, and Mrs. B----'s baby was christened, in a little silver font, and she herself churched. In the night we had another attack. The musketry was incessant, and the great gun shook the house again. Mrs. A---- and I sat up till it subsided; the mortars close to us began shelling them: the attack began to subside, and all settled down again.

Monday, Sept. 7th. Nothing particular occurred.

Tuesday, September 8th. Captain S----, of the Artillery, died at 4 A.M.; he had been severely wounded at Chinhut, and never recovered it. No news from without!

Wednesday, September 9th. I was awoke by our great guns firing at the clock tower; at 10 we sprung a mine at the Cawnpore battery. Mr. A---- came and had a long chat. Dear Charlie came while we were at dinner, and was much amused at my enormous appetite. We had a dreadful night with Mrs. B----'s youngest child, and poor little Bobby.

Thursday, September 10th. Tremendous firing at the mosque, by the clock tower. Two or three 18-pounders at it, and shelling also, as the enemy have lately occupied it with their sharpshooters, much to our annoyance. All quiet afterwards. About 2,000 men were seen to leave the City towards Cawnpore. In the evening, and at night, a number of hackeries followed, it is supposed, with their baggage. Prices are rising. Twenty rupees given for 2 lbs of sugar, and one rupee per leaf for tobacco.

Friday, September 11th. A tolerably quiet day, but discoveries made of "Light Infantry" where they ought not to be. Mrs. B----'s baby very ill; it has large ulcers all over its body, and inflammation in the throat. We destroyed two of the enemy's mines to day, and in one of them men were heard to screech.

Saturday, September 12th. A noise was heard during the night--a humming, as of Sepoys turning out of their Lines for a march; and many were seen in the morning dressed in marching order; they say the Nana is here, and is sending off his baggage to Fyzabad. Mrs. B----'s child very ill; mortification must have taken place: I could not stay in the room. Mrs. H----'s bearer wounded.

Sunday, September 13th. Capt. M----, 32nd, who commanded our guard, died of cholera; he was taken at half-past 11 last night. We had service at half-past 2, and Charlie came. Mrs. B----'s baby died in the early morning; it changed immediately. A spy was caught in the entrenchments, who said it was reported outside that several of our regiments had crossed the Ganges at Cawnpore. A very quiet day.

Monday, September 14th. Another spy caught, who said the Nana was still here, and that there is to be a grand attack to-morrow. Capt. F---- killed by a round shot, while examining the defences at Mr. G----s'; he was an indefatigable engineer, and consequently a great loss.

Tuesday, September 15th. Some sharp firing, but no attack. Lieut. F----, who was sick in hospital, and slightly delirious, walked over the parapet of the portico; he died shortly after. In the afternoon a large round shot came in through the top of the house, passing through two walls and cutting a belt hanging there clean in two; it then rolled along the roof, without doing any damage.

Wednesday, September 16th. Sharp firing. At 6 A.M. a shell came into the Treasury Guard, wounding two 13th Sepoys severely and one slightly. We have two people in the garrison who were in the siege of Jellalabad--one, the celebrated Dr. B----, who says, that was a gentlemanly business compared with this; the other, a queer, dilapidated, old half-caste, a corporal at Charlie's post, who, some say, was a spy there, and he says, that was a trifle to our siege. Charlie had four round shot into his house this morning in a quarter of an hour; he has certainly been most mercifully preserved. The rest of the day was quiet. In the evening some horrible smells came from the buried animals, &c., that we could not sit at the door as usual to take the air.

Thursday, September 17th. No news! We are beginning to get very anxious again. They say our beef will only last till the 10th proximo. The enemy are throwing up another battery, which will sweep the whole garrison excepting our house; we try, with our shells, to prevent them working at it. We had a quarter of mutton to-day for dinner, and a suet pudding afterwards, with some of Capt. W----'s patent sauce, Mr. C---- having begged about a quarter of a pound of sugar for it; this made twenty people as merry as formerly a dinner with the Governor-General would have done. Our allowance of beverage for twenty people is two bottles of indifferent champagne and one of claret and two pints of beer for two sick ladies. Yesterday, Mr. D---- gave a bottle of brandy and a bottle of sherry for twenty-five cheerots. Mr. H---- found a soldier of the 32nd, with his head knocked off with a round shot, lying in the churchyard, when he went to his funerals; so he buried him at once. Queer things happen sometimes, as I could testify about a Roman Catholic and a Protestant who had to be buried the same night; on arrival at the burial ground it was doubtful which was which, but it was summarily settled by an officer present.

Friday, September 18th. We had a slight attack in the night; while dressing this morning a bullet came into the outer room with such force that it struck off one side of the frame of a picture, leaving the glass whole. My labours increase every morning. An eclipse of the sun was visible between 9 and 11; a tolerably quiet day. As we were sitting talking in the evening, I ventured to say I thought we had never passed an hour--day or night--since the siege began, without some firing; I was immediately laughed at, and told _not five minutes_ even! If this ever reaches my dear ones at home, they will wonder when I tell them that my bed is not fifty yards from the 18-pounder in our garden--there is only one room between us--and yet I lie as quietly when it goes off as if I had been used to it all my life: eighty days of siege life does wonders! This is getting a most anxious time; if our relief does not come within the next twenty days we must look for no hope in this world, and we have heard nothing of them yet; but God is above all, and nothing happens by chance! I commit all to Him, and if He spares me and my beloved husband to meet our dear ones in our own beloved country, I will indeed be thankful; but it is a fearful suspense!

Saturday, September 19th. A tolerably quiet day; but I became very ill.

Sunday, September 20th. Still very poorly. We had service and communion at our house. Charlie came to see me twice, as I was so unwell.

Monday September 21st. No news. Dr. F---- ordered me to keep my bed; there I was in the dining room, all open to the public, the gentlemen passing and repassing the door: there was no help for it, however, as it was the only room we could have a punkah in, Charlie came and sat with me and got Dr. F---- to write a certificate for me to have a little sugar and sugee from the Commissariat, as it was kept for the sick; he also brought me a bottle of port wine from the Brigade Mess; but Dr. F---- said I must not take it till I was better.

Tuesday, September 22nd. Still obliged to keep my bed; no news.

Wednesday, September 23rd. Still in bed. No news during the day; but at 11 at night, came Col. P---- cheering us all with the news that a letter had just come in, brought by Ungud, the same faithful spy--saying that our reinforcement crossed the river at Cawnpore, on the 19th, had a fight at Enown on the 20th, another at Bushire Gunge on the 21st; and were hastening on to us. The heavy rain we are having must detain them, but it is glorious news indeed!

Thursday, September 24th. Guns distinctly heard, about ten or twelve miles off, firing for a length of time, so the troops must be nearer than was expected. I cannot describe our feelings at our present hope of relief, all are in the height of expectation. Being a little better, Dr. F---- allowed me to get up. The guns of our force heard approaching nearer and nearer. Oh! the thankfulness one feels at the certainty of relief now! I think, if I were stronger, I should be more joyous. The smoke of the guns seen from the top of the Residency! Oh joy! they say they are only four or five miles off! but they have to fight their way in! Fifteen thousand went out to meet them; but, from the heavy rain, took no guns with them. We had a very disturbed night; the rebels made two furious attacks, and came up again about 5 A.M., but were soon silenced.

Friday, September 25th. The guns of our reinforcements commenced again, and one gun kept firing for an immense time. They say they are on this side of the Char Bagh, about four miles from us, and the smoke and flash of the cannon may be seen from the top of the Residency--musketry heard distinctly. If they have sent any messenger on to us, none has arrived; it is a most exciting time--far beyond description. The first feeling is gratitude to God for deliverance from the horrors of famine, which was staring us in the face, and, apparently, not very far distant. I lay in bed till after breakfast, as the disturbed night had not done me much good; but I enjoyed two sugee biscuits dear Charlie sent me the night before for my chota hazree, with my tea sweetened with sugar, which I had not tasted for many weeks. These sugee biscuits the ladies in this house are buying at five rupees the pound. My longing now is to get a Dhobee and an Ayah; for I feel so weak and helpless, with not a single person to help me, and so unable to do anything for myself. Some kind friend always brings me my meals, &c.; but I feel that they all have as much as they can accomplish, without doing my work as well. About 12 we heard that the rebels had broken up the bridge near the Char Bagh, so we decided our troops could not be in for some time; however, all of a sudden, I heard our soldiers shout out, "They are coming!" their caps could be seen, and we found they had crossed by the Martinière bridge. Immediately a fierce firing commenced, and they said the rebels were flying off to the Fyzabad road. We commenced shelling them: there was a tremendous day's firing, notwithstanding, and the troops had a fearful day's work. About 5 P.M. we heard cheering, and, immediately, we saw the troops rushing in, the 78th Highlanders foremost, and our house, being near the gate, the Compound was instantly filled. A Mr. W----, an officer heading the Highlanders, rushed up and shook hands with us ladies all round, and then threw himself into a chair quite exhausted, and, in an instant, the whole place was filled with them; it was as much as we could do to supply them with water. It was by far the most exciting scene I ever witnessed. The Piper sprang on a chair, and he and Mrs. A---- fraternised. He asked her where she came from, and when she answered from Edinburgh, he shouted out "So do I, from the Castle Hill," and immediately sent word round that there was a lady from Edinburgh amongst us, and then gave another tune on his bagpipes. The Ferozepore Sikh Regiment also accompanied them, and some of the Madras Fusiliers. The confusion and excitement was beyond all description; they lost some hundreds coming through the City. General O---- then came in; he had been wounded slightly in the arm. Dr. F---- dressed his wound. He and his staff took up their quarters in our house. Strange to say, no one had brought any provisions, though they confessed they expected to find us in a worse condition than they did. They said they had hurried on, because they had seen five ladies and four gentlemen on their way, attempting to join them, and feared they were some of our garrison; the poor creatures had all been cut up by the rebels. The news they brought in from all parts was far more horrible than we expected. At Jhansi the brutes had burnt the poor children before their poor mothers' eyes, and then killed the wives, and then the husbands. At Cawnpore they found only two living beings and a heap of dead women and children, being those who escaped the massacre at the boats. They say the place where the murders were committed was a most heart-rending sight; not a soldier left it with a dry eye. We heard also of the B----s' of our regiment having been murdered at Hissar. Every one was trying to get news of his friends; scarcely one but heard bad news. A detachment, with some guns, was left at Allum Bagh in charge of the baggage and stores. The men and officers had only just what they wore. During the night, I heard the soldiers conversing in the drawing-room, where they lay, and one man said they had made a high caste Brahmin sweep out the go-down, where the massacre took place. I was obliged to go and lie down early; but several of the ladies made tea in the Tye Khana, for any officers who would partake of it, and numbers went down. We had neither milk nor sugar to give them.

Saturday, September 26th. Several parties went out to take the guns on the palace side of us; portions of the force are also occupying the Fureed Bucksh, the Teree Kotee, and jail formerly occupied by the enemy. Tremendous firing all day. I not seeing my husband became very uneasy, and found he had been sent out on duty at the Fureed Bucksh. I passed a wretched night!

Sunday, September 27th. The first thing I heard on awaking was, that a Sikh was waiting from my husband, asking me for tea, and saying that Charlie had had no food since yesterday morning--so I sent him a bottle of tea and some ottah for chupatties. I was only too thankful to find him alive and well. He afterwards sent me in a cut glass jug he had plundered, and then came himself, but quite lame from the boils on his knee. A party went out led by Mr. A---- to take some guns, but unfortunately did not succeed. Charlie came again in the afternoon, but appeared quite done up; he is now on the sick list. Miss N---- came over, and several other ladies were walking about--quite a novelty. I walked down nearly to the garden gate, the first time since Chinhut, June 30th. We had service in the Tye Khana, and Mrs. D----'s baby was christened.

Monday, September 28th. I got up, feeling wretchedly weak. This was to be a day of rest for the troops; however, we rather expected an attack, as it was the Dusserah--a very warlike festival. Numbers were seen crossing the bridges, but it passed off quietly. About 2 P.M. came a messenger from Allum Bagh with news from Delhi, saying our flag was flying on the Cashmere Gate, and that we were in possession of five gates, the Church, Magazine, and Mr. Skinner's house, the College, and had fixed a battery at each gate of the palace--where the king was--who had determined to fight it out. Of course, a day or two must finish it! The messenger also brought a letter from the detachment at Allum Bagh, saying they were all right there, but that the enemy had broken up the bridges between us and them. Dear Charlie came at dusk, as he is on the sick list, and brought me some of his books. Numbers of the "big dogs" assembled in our house to-day, planning with General Outram; I fancy the attack to-morrow.

Tuesday, September 29th. A detachment of 800 men went out into the City at daybreak, and we were continually hearing explosions from the blowing up of houses; one shook us like an earthquake; they took nine guns and did their work well. Although we can scarcely call this a relief, seeing we have to feed the new troops on our own scant rations, and are reduced in consequence; still they are able to make sorties now, and have discovered three mines under the Redan, that would have done us awful damage--we cannot therefore be too thankful that they are come in. A piece of shell to-day passed through Mrs. F----'s little room, and struck the wall by the gentlemen's dressing-room.

Wednesday, September 30th. A letter in from Allum Bagh, saying they were all right there, and had not been attacked; great consultations going on in the General's room with all the "big dogs," and such sending off of despatches. Charlie came after dinner; his knee was very bad. In the night the cavalry were all started for Allum Bagh, but the firing was so sharp that they were obliged to return.

Thursday, October 1st. No news. They were trying to batter down some houses, near the iron bridge, all the morning, and making a tremendous noise. Two parties went out: one to take the guns about the Cawnpore Battery, and the Sikhs to take a bazaar. They were out all day, going on slowly, but surely. At night, the Sikhs had got as far as the Painted Magazine, at the corner of the Karse Bazaar; and the other party had got into some houses close to the Cawnpore road, where they meant to remain the night. The General and "big dogs" were out all day, at the top of the Brigade Mess, watching their movements. Dear Charlie came quite lame--the doctors say we must all get scurvy, living on the same food, and so long without vegetables; he brought me some china and a beautiful punch-bowl--his own looting.

Friday, October 2nd. Dear J---- and L----'s wedding-day. Where shall we spend our own? Nothing done this day; but a rumour went about that all the Native troops were to be sent out to the Allum Bagh: of course, their officers must go with them. If true, I think it is very cruel to separate us, after enduring our three months' misery together.

Saturday, October 3rd. They say our troops are still gaining ground in the City. Several of the enemy's guns were blown up to-day. Charlie brought me some more china.

Sunday, October 4th. We came out in clean and new dresses, that we had kept for the relief. Mrs. H---- and Mrs. B---- went to service at the Brigade Mess. We had service in our own house, at 8 P.M.: several gentlemen came; Charlie amongst them. After dinner, I went over to his garrison, with Dr. P----, and was perfectly thunderstruck to see it such a mass of ruins. Not a portion, on either side of it, that is not riddled with round shot and bullets; the verandah all knocked down--it is impossible to tell there had been any; there are large pieces of masonry lying about. From the outside, you would not think the house at all habitable; and even the centre room, that Charlie occupies, has immense holes in the walls, made by round shot. He took me on the roof, as the enemy are too far off to be dangerous now: I could hardly tell which were the houses that had been occupied by the enemy, and which by us; there was merely a bamboo stockade between us, and the marvel is they never got in. I was told, "just down there, a 9-pounder was firing into us night and day, and a little further off a smaller one." Charlie's post was fired into sharply, day and night; and I could only feel thankful for his wonderful preservation through it all. I little thought the fire he had been always exposed to. I enjoyed a cup of tea with him, of course without milk or sugar; but it was such happiness to be alone with him again. He gave me a beautiful manuscript, worked in small green and white beads, on pink and gold paper--Dr. F---- said no doubt done by the ladies of the Court. At night, a letter came in from Allum Bagh, saying they were all right, but surrounded by the enemy's cavalry.

Monday, October 5th. The day passed as usual. After dinner we had such heavy rain, it prevented my going to Charlie's post; he paid me a visit instead.

Tuesday, October 6th. We had a grand attack; the enemy actually got into the Fureed Bucksh, but were killed in great numbers. Our troops were drawn in a little, as it was not considered safe for them to be out so far. They had got as far as the Delhi Bank, on the Cawnpore road, but the enemy have it again now, and also Metaz and Dowlah house, which was said to be filled with jams and pickles, so that our visions of delicacies were doomed to be blighted.

Wednesday, October 7th. The anniversary of my arrival in Calcutta. An 18-pound shot came in. The guns are further off now, but I think more dangerous, for we never know their range now; and two or three round shots come into the house every day, on all sides. In the evening, General Outram came and sat with us, and while chatting a despatch came from Allum Bagh. These despatches are written on thin paper, and rolled up so small that they are put into a little piece of the quill of a pen. This brought good news--that 250 men had arrived at Allum Bagh, with two guns and fifty commissariat carts, and had met with no opposition on the road. The bridge at Bunnee was broken, but the river fordable.

Thursday, October 8th. I have resumed my labours, and the whole morning was taken up with receiving rations of ottah, rice, salt, &c., and seeing them weighed. Poor Mr. G----, of our regiment, died to-day.

Friday, October 9th. I took possession of my go-down, at the request of several of our party, and had all the provisions put under my charge. Captain A. B---- died. Dr. B---- brought the news, and went with Mr. H---- to his funeral. A letter came from Cawnpore in the evening, saying Delhi was entirely ours; but that several regiments of the enemy, with 18 guns, had escaped, and were coming to Lucknow: however, a large force of our troops were pursuing them, and hoped to intercept them before they could reach us.

Saturday, October 10th. A letter from Allum Bagh, saying they were all right. They are seven hundred strong, and have nine guns. They had sent out a foraging party, and brought in lots of provisions. We had a quiet day.

Sunday, October 11th. A busy day with me, for I had to take in the rations for all for three days. In rice, we were reduced to something less than 6 lbs. for all the party, for three days. Charlie came to service at 3. No news till night, when another letter came from Cawnpore, saying the Delhi column had fallen in with the Jhansi mutineers, killed 150 and dispersed the rest, at Bolundshuhur, on, I think, the 4th, and were coming on to relieve us, and might be expected the end of the month. We had two attacks during the night; the musketry sounded all round.