ATTACKED BY HOLKAR'S TROOPS. 217 BOOK VIII. Chapter III. 1857. July 1. apprehension of a rising. The men were scattered about in undress; some were bathing; some were cooking their food. The native officers and noncommissioned officers had just come up to trans- their ordinary act their morning business at the orderly-room. occupations, Colonel Travers himself, in conversation with some of them, was on the point of entering that room. Suddenly they were all startled by the when they same artillery fire and the same tumult which attacked, had drawn Durand to the steps of the Residency. A moment's glance sufficed to show them that the rebels were upon them. are suddenly by the troops of Mahárájá Holkar, Who were these rebels, and who set them on? The rebels were the men of the three companies of Holkar's army, and the gunners of Holkar's three guns, posted for the protection of the Residency in the buildings between it and the city, and distant from it, at the nearest point, only a hundred yards. To these men, a little after 3 o'clock, a man named Saadat Khán,* an officer in headed by * In a work recently pub- General Sir Henry Daly, sublished, Last Counsels of an sequently and still the GoUnknown Counsellor (Major vernor-General's Agent at Evans Bell), Saadat Khán is Indúr, thus described him described as 66 a sort of half- officially in 1874: "Saadat pay officer, with no men under Khan was a man of weight in his command." Again, a Indur in 1857; his father was man of good family, consider- commandant of cavalry, in ing himself to have some which he was known as Resclaim to be hereditary Bukshie saldar. The Customs Departof Holkar's army, but out of ment was also under his employ and in disgrace." But control." The fact is that the Governor-General's Agent Saadat Khán, although in-who then was Sir Robert fluential with the MahomeHamilton-describes him in dans, did not occupy a position 1858, in his official letter to of authority, nor was he in Government, as a "Durbar favour with the Darbár. officer of cavalry." Major Shadat Khár. Chapter III. 1857. July 1. 218 THE IMPULSE GIVEN BY SAADAT KHA'N. BOOK VIII. Holkar's cavalry, followed by eight troopers, coming from the direction of the palace, galloped, shouting: "Get ready, come on to kill the sahibs; it is the order of the Mahárájá." Saadat Khán was followed at a distance by the rabble of the town, eager for blood and for plunder; for the word had gone forth that Durand was about to remove into Máu the treasure,* amounting to £150,000 in silver, which he had guarded in a strong building, erected by the Government for the purpose, close to the ResiMurder of the dency. Others of the same class mingling with Darbár soldiers had rushed to seek out the Christian population who had remained in their own homes or in their offices, unprepared for and not expecting the sudden murderous onslaught which was to lay them low.† Christians not in the Residency. * Major Evans Bell states, kept secret from the officers, as I understand him (Last nor could he have overlooked Counsels of an Unknown Coun- communication with Colonel sellor, page 89), that Durand Travers. had given orders for the re- + Lieut-General Travers, moval of the treasure to V.C., C.B., states (The EvaMáu on the 1st of July. cuation of Indore), that the But there are reasons for be- number of the English populieving that no such order lation, men, women, and chil was issued. The Treasury dren, murdered by these ruf Guard was under the orders fians amounted to thirty-nine. of Colonel Travers. On Colonel In a work recently published, Travers it would have de- Last Counsels of an Unknown volved to furnish the escort Counsellor (Major Evans Bell), for the treasure. Now Colonel it is stated that this stateTravers received no order ment is erroneous, that the whatever on the subject. Not murdered were only twentya cart, not even a camel had five in number, and that of been collected. The Treasury these only two were Eurowas closed. Had Durand in- peans. But the Agent to tended to remove the treasure, the Governor-General in 1874, the fact could not have been Major-General Sir Henry Da BOOK VIII. Chapter III. 1857. July 1. sent to guard the Residency join in the ro volt. The Darbár troops thus appealed to by Saadat Khán turned out at once. They were not taken by surprise. Their commandant, Bans Gopál, admitted subsequently that his men had been The troops demoralised. Certainly neither he nor any other officer made the smallest attempt to check the outbreak. On the other hand, no men could have shown themselves more ready and eager for mischief. They at once began to shout vociferously as they formed up, whilst the gunners placed their three guns in position, and opened fire on the picket of cavalry. Such was the sight and such were the sounds that met Durand and Travers about half-past 8 o'clock that morning. Sudden as was the outbreak it found the two men cool and collected. Travers, who, I have said, was at the moment Colonel talking to his native officers, hastened to the picket in the stable-square, ordered the troops to turn out and the guns to be placed in a position to open fire on the rebels. The men, surprised, ly, K.C.S.I., writing official- That thirty-nine persons were ly to the Government in that massacred by the rebels is year (10th of September), re- clear. Not less so, that these ports as follows (para. 5): "It thirty-nine persons were Briwas recorded in the Durbar tish subjects. It is no exculDiary of July 1857, that Saa- pation of the brutality of the dat Khan, after the attack on assassins to state that of the the Residency on 1st of July, total number only two were which resulted in the slaugh- full-blooded Europeans and ter of British subjects, Euro- the remainder half-breds, pean and native, women and or Eurasians. The numbers children, in all, 39," &c. It given by General Travers are would thus appear that the those attested to by the Duronly mistake made by Lieut.- bar records, and quoted as General Travers is in the use indisputable by the highest of the adjective "English." British authority on the spot. Travers. Chapter III. 1857. July 1. men. Traitors in his ranks attempt to baulk him, But here, likewise, The native officer of BOOK VIII. half-stupified by the suddenness of the attack, showed at first no hesitation. But while they were turning out Travers having caused the men Turns out the of the picket to mount rapidly conducted them to a point whence they could most advantageously charge the enemy's battery. He then attempted to form them up to charge. treason had done its work. the picket had been "got at." And though the picket was three times formed for attack, three times did this man break the formation from the rear. This action threw the men into confusion. Two opposite feelings seemed to contend in them for mastery. But to stand still was fatal. Travers felt this, and feeling it, notwithstanding that success seemed hopeless, he gave the order to charge. Gallantly leading, he charged home, and though followed by but five of his men, he drove away the gunners, wounded the inciter of the mutiny, Saadat Khán, and for a few moments had the guns in his possession. Had he only been properly supported this charge would have been decisive. But not only was he not supported, but he and his five men were exposed to the fire of the enemy's infantry, now drawn up in order. For a moment, indeed, that infantry seemed inclined to waver; but when they recognised the small number of the men who had followed Travers, they re-gathered heart and continued, formed up, their musketry fire. but not with standing he leads a gal lant charge on the enemy's guns. which he captures; but is not supported. His charge, however, is opportune and useful. The gallant charge of Travers had not, how. ever, been useless. It had given time to Durand to make hasty preparations for the defence of the WHO AGAIN DRIVES BACK THE REBELS. 221 Chapter III. 1857. July 1. Residency, to the gunners to place the guns in Book VIII. position, to the officers to turn out and form up their men. Durand, too, had utilised the few minutes at his disposal to write a letter to Colonel Platt, commanding at Máu, telling him that he had been attacked, and requesting him to send Captain Hungerford's battery to his aid. Durand had just come out with this note in his hand when he met Travers returning from his charge. He gave Travers the note, with a request to forward it at once. Travers entrusted the important missive to a trooper on whom he believed he could depend. But he felt even then that absolute confidence was to be placed in no native soldier, and he more than doubted whether the letter would be delivered. Durand writes to Máv ford's battery. for Hunger The enemy recover from the effect of the charge of Travers: Meanwhile the enemy, recovering from the effect of the spirited charge of Travers, moved their guns round the left flank of the barracks into the open ground, with the intention of taking up a position for a front attack on the Residency. To meet this, Travers pushed forward his two guns two hundred yards to the right front of the Residency, and directed the gunners to open a concentrated fire on the enemy's supports. The who, howguns, well served by two serjeants, Orr and forces them Murphy, and by fourteen native gunners, who had remained faithful, at once opened out with effect, disabling one of the rebels' pieces, and forcing their infantry to retire. Again was a splendid chance offered to the garrison. A charge in force now would have decided the day. The Head was there to see the opportunity, the Hands ever, again back. |