THE NATIVE TROOPS-LIEUTENANT AITKEN. 485 good officer, respected by all, and in whom Sir H. Lawrence had much confidence"; Anderson, the Chief Engineer, to whose able counsel Brigadier Inglis felt deeply indebted; Simons, of the Artillery, distinguished at Chinhat; Case, of the 32nd, who fell when gallantly leading on his men at that battle; Shepherd and Arthur, of the 7th Cavalry, killed at their posts; Hughes, of the 57th Native Infantry; Mansfield and McCabe, of the 32nd-all three foremost in danger; Lucas, a gentleman volunteer, and Boyson of the uncovenanted service, both conspicuous for their coolness and courage. These were among the honoured dead. To mention with them the survivors who rivalled them, men of whom Master, Langmore, and Aitken were the types, it would be necessary to recount the story of the siege in every minute detail. BOOK IX. Chapter II. 1857. Sept. 25. troops. It is difficult to praise too highly the fidelity The native and gallantry of the remnants of the 13th, the 48th, and the 71st Native Infantry, and the daring and bravery of their officers. Of those regiments the 13th counted the greatest number of loyal men. They were chiefly posted at the Baillie Guard. This position was described by Brigadier Inglis as "perhaps the most important in the whole line of defences." Here, led by the most gallant of men, Lieutenant Aitken, they rendered the most splendid service. They were exposed," reported Brigadier Inglis, "to a most galling fire of round shot and musketry, which materially decreased their numbers. They were so near the enemy 66 BOOK IX. Chapter II. 1857. Sept. 25. The pensioners. that conversation could be carried on between them; and every effort, persuasion, promise, and threat, was alternately resorted to, in vain, to seduce them from their allegiance to the handful of Europeans, who, in all probability, would have been sacrificed by their desertion." They vied with their European comrades in the work of the trenches, in the ardour of their courage, in their resolution to defend to the last the spot of ground assigned to them. True it is that they were led by their own officers, and it would be impossible to overpraise men such as Germon, Aitken, and Loughnan, of that regiment. But the sepoys did more than fight. They risked even their caste for the English. On an occasion when it had become necessary to dig new intrenchments, and to erect a new battery on the spot where sepoys had been previously buried, the highest Bráhmans of the 13th responding to the call of the gallant Aitken, themselves handled the putrid corpses to throw them into the outer ditch. A few words must here be devoted to the native pensioners who replied to the call of Sir Henry Lawrence. I have stated in a previous page that about one hundred and eighty of these men were enrolled. It is difficult to write in too high terms of the conduct of these men. Most of them were old, the vision of some was impaired. Yet they bore themselves most bravely. Unable to work much, they yet manned the loopholes, and the least capable amongst them were ever ready to load and pass to their countrymen the spare muskets always at hand. Notwith BOOK IX. 1857. Sept. 25. standing the facts that throughout the siege these men received no tidings from their family or their Chapter II. relations; that they were on reduced rations and entirely deprived of the condiments so highly prized by a native of India in his advanced years; not a single instance of desertion occurred amongst these men. Some died, many were killed, yet no one heard a grumble from the survivors. They continued to the last to abuse the rebels, and to declare that having for so many years eaten the salt of the State, the State had a right to their lives. Imperfect as is this story of this first siege, it The ladies. would be still more so were it to contain no reference to those who, despite their own sufferings and their own privations, used every effort to assuage the sufferings and the privations of others. Many," wrote Brigadier Inglis referring to the ladies, among whom may be mentioned the honoured names of Birch, of Polehampton, of Barber, and of Gall, have, 66 66 after the example of Miss Nightingale, consti tuted themselves the tender and solicitous nurses of the wounded and dying soldiers in the hospital." The word "many might be held to include all whose attention was not absorbed by their own children, or who were not held down by sickness and ill health. They were exposed to a danger of no ordinary kind, to privations almost unparalleled. When the siege began the number of ladies amounted to sixty-eight, and of children sixty-six. Of the former seven, of the latter twenty-three succumbed to the want of suitable food, to the fire of the enemy, and to BOOK IX. Chapter II. 1857. Sept. 25. The losses sustained. privations. It has rarely happened that ladies have been placed in a position so trying-never that they have displayed qualities more worthy of respectful homage. One word regarding the losses sustained by the defenders. I have already stated that at the beginning of the siege the strength of the garrison amounted to nine hundred and twentyseven Europeans, and seven hundred and sixtyfive natives. Of the Europeans, one hundred and forty were killed or died of their wounds; one hundred and ninety were wounded; this does not include sixteen non-military men killed and fourteen wounded. Of the natives, seventy-two were killed and one hundred and thirty-one were wounded. There were deaths from other causes, and a few of the natives deserted. This is certain that on the 25th of September the number of the European defenders, including sick and wounded, had been reduced to five hundred and seventy-seven; that of the natives to four hundred and two. In eighty-seven days the garrison had thus been reduced, in various ways, by three-eighths. But they are now in the first delirium of the long-expected relief. They are welcoming with enthusiastic delight Outram, Havelock, and their gallant following. It remains for me now to relate how it was that Outram and Havelock accomplished the great feat of arms with which their names will for ever be associated. BOOK IX. CHAPTER III. July 16. General Neill BRIGADIER-GENERAL NEILL, pressed by the Commander of the Forces, Sir Patrick Grant, to hasten to Kánhpúr to join General Havelock as soon as possible, in order that he might be on the spot to take command of the force should Havelock from any cause become unfit for the duty, left Alláhábád on the 16th of July, and proceeding with all possible expedition, reached Kánhpúr on the 20th. On his way he had received a note from General BrigadierHavelock telling him that he was anxiously arrives at awaiting his arrival, as immediately on that oc- Kánhpúr. curring, he intended "to strike a blow that will rebound through India." Neill, as I have said, arrived on the 20th. He dined that evening with Havelock, and was informed that he intended to Havelock begin the passage of the Ganges on the morrow, his intentiou leaving Neill in command at Kánhpúr with about to march two hundred men, the majority of whom were Lakhnao. sick and wounded. In this arrangement, Neill, announces to relieve |