TWO SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 244, 14 October 1891, Page 4

TWO SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE.

S-^iiie laoHeat soldietß of fortune since Greek MllnWweteOottes and Pizawo, no doubt. But Salome -^loW-ooiopßtriots, some Frenchmen Bina^ few Italians, did astounding things n fclouift during the aeventeenth and eighteenth The Btonea of their adventures :K would make a fascinating volume if well told, "or, indeed, a dozen. A typical soldier of - fortune waa George Thomaa, who succeeded Beinhard as husband of the famous Begum Sumrpo— a worthy trio, Reinhard was a '"■■'- Swiaa in the French Indian army, who dep eerted totbe Eoglieb, dcs u:d baok to the entered the service of Emir Kaasim, ' v and 'took a foremost part in murderiDg the -.■English prisoners at Patna ; deserted, and : put himself at the head ol 300 miscellaneous -V -European ruffianß. With these he joined one •---'chief after another, betraying them all, and 'finally won the Imperial provinoe of Sar danha.' His astonishing and terrible career 'ended within twelve months after this crowning raeroy, and biß widow, not less terrible _• nor less astonishing, succeeded. Her birta and her early station were infamous. She found newel! now a queen, at the head of those 300 Europeans, an excellent foroe 01 6000 "Sepoys 40 guns, and an indefinite numfcer of cavalry;" How George Thomas introduced himself to the Begum is not known; probably by the simple means of enlisting in her foroe of desperadoes. He was a Tipperary man, and he arrived at Madras as qaartermaster on board a ship in 1782— deserted of course, and entered the service of an obscure chief in the Carnatic. So muoh has been discovered. He reappears in 1787, '■■'■" when triumphant rebels were besieging " Gokalgarh, and the Mogul Empire lay in =■"'" the very throes of dissolution. As commander in-chief of the Begum's forces, Thomas made a sudden dash upon the rebels, without notice, routed them utterly, and - restored the Emperor. Four years the , Begum remained true ; then she fell in love wifii a Frenchman named Levassor, and married him. Thomas found it prudent to quit the scene — not to insist upon the outrage of his affections. He joineu a kindred i spirit, Appa Kandi Rao— a Mahratta, as his name shows— and so distinguished himself ' that the Peishwa gave him a large tract of country near Ulwar. The present was notso valuable as it looked, for Thomas discovered Bhortly that his lands were occupied by a peculiarly dangerous race of savages, the Mewatis, who had not been consulted, and who owed no allegiance to the Manrattas. But this disadvantage turned to good— in Thomas's point of view at least. To overoome the Mewatiß he was allowed to • collect' an army, composed of desperate fig-Wars, European and native. So bravely and Btubbornly did his subjects hold out that when they submitted at last, after a fashion," he had two battalions of infantry and a regiment of cavalry— all picked men— and a park of guns, more efficient than any of his neighbours could show. The Begnnm Sumroo tok alarm, and inarched against her ex-husband ; but her troops refused to fisht. She fled to Delhi, an'd Levassor, crediting a report of her death ' committed suicide. Then Anpa Kandi Rao turned against his old servant and twice sent assassins to murder him ; but Thomas held his own, beat back Mahrattas and Sikhs again aad again, and reoeived an . enormous territory from the grateful Peishwa. Finding himself so strong he marched uponSardhana drove out the rebels and re stored hiß evioted spouse t3 her kingdom -a generous act for which he asked no reward. Incessant fighting with the Sikhs and with Mahratta traitors, always victorious, occupied the next three years. But Thomas gre w weary of holding a frontier for the benefit of seoretfocs, and he resolved to make a kingdom for himself. After long consider" ation lie chose Hariana, a territory of three thousand square milea which he made no pretence to claim, bat simply marched in and annexed it. It must be owned, never- ■ theless.'the usurper ruled justly and wisely, giving the land such peace and prosperity as it. had nevei»> known. He subsequently was compelled to surrender hia kingdom, and died on his way to Calontta.— Evening Standard.