PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2087, 22 February 1894, Page 42

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Reminiscences of the Indian Mutiny.

There has lately been published, and added to Macmillan's Colonial Library, a volume dealing with the mutiny, and written from the standpoint of one in the ranks, and very interesting reading the book is. The author formed one of Sir Colin Campbell's 93rd Highland Regiment, which after arriving at Cawnpore marched to the relief of Lucknow, and after it was relieved and evacuated took part in the siege which resulted in its recapture. The writer is especially frank in his expression of opinion, and the generals come in for their fair share. Sir Colin Campbell, who was proud of his regiment, which was proud of him in return, is spoken of in terms of unstinted admiration, while General Walpole is execrated on account of his alleged cowardice. Indeed, it is said plainly that if any private had on one occasion stepped out of the ranks and led the men they wouli havo shot him outright.

Sergeant Mitchell tells us a good deal that is not to be found in oar ordinary histories. According to him the real cause of the mutiny and its horrors has yet to be written, and when the bottom of it is got to it will be found that the cultured Hindoo had more to do with it than the Mohammedan.

CRUELTY OF THE SOLDIEB7.

We all know about the fearful massacre of women and children in the Residency of Lucknow, when 118 women and 92 children were hacked to pieces, and the sight of these as they lay imperfectly buried in the well must have been a maddening one ; but we do not so well know how thi3 massacre was revenged. After the revolting deed General Neil issued an order to the following effect : — " After trial and condemnation, all prisoners found guilty of having taken part in the slaughter were to be taken into the slaughterhouse by the scavengers — men of the lowest castes — and there made to crouch down and lick clean a square foot of the blood-soaked floor." The floor was first damped, and if the miserable wretches refused to doit they were flogged into obedience . The square foot being cleaned up in this way, they were then hanged. And the generalhas justified his conduct by writing : "No one who has witnessed the Bcenes of murder, mutilation, and massacre can ever listen to the word 'mercy' as applicable to these fiends." On another page we are tol4 of one who, was imeared

over with pigs' fat, flogged by sweepers, and then hanged ; and it seems to have been a common thiDg to make prisoners break caste by forcing pork upon them, if not by the tribunals, at any rate by the ranks. It was, in fact, a war of downright butchery, each side seeming to outvie the other in mercilessness. Many a time were natives smothered in smoke fumes. As a rule, tbe natives caught were tried by officers accompanying the army, and the trial often became a parody on justice and a protraction of cruelty. It is only fair to say that Sir Colin disapproved of much that was done, and so did Lord Canning, who was nicknamed in consequence by the English " Clemency " Canning. PLUNDERING. When Lucknow was taken the loot was incredible. A lieutenant got a crescent and star ornament which was said to have sold in London for £80,000, and In a week the prize agents got over a million and a-quaiter of English money. The plunder was supposed to be divided among those who served in the relief and capture of the oity, but i many are known to have had far more than their share, for while each private got somewhere about 50s, there were many higher in the ranks who were able to redeem mortgaged estates, and to purchase fishing grounds and shooting boxes. One instance is given of an estate being cleared of a mortgage of £180,000 within two years of the mutiny, and it is inferred that loot did it. Soldiers went mad with pillage and got " drunk with plunder." THE NINETY-THIRD WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD. Other regiments, of course, did good work ; but in the book the regiment the writer wa3 in is specially dealt with. On marching on Lucknow Sir Colin in stirring terms told the -troops what was expected of them. "We have to rescue helpless women and children from a fate worse than death. The enemy is well armed and well provided with ammunition, and can play at long bowls as well as you can. So when we make the attack come to close quarters as quickly as possible ; keep well together and nee the bayonet. Remetri' ber that tbe cowardly sepoys who are eager to murder women and children cannot, look a European soldier in the face when it is accompanied with cold steel." To which the men replied " Ay, ay, Sir Colin ; you ken us and we ken you ; we'll bring the women and children out o' Luoknow or die wi' you in the attempt." And when the critical time came the commander-in-chief had to restrain the ardour of hie troops, for they were becoming reckless. " Lie down, Ninety-third, lie down ! Every man of you is worth his weight in gold to England today 1 " They may have been as precious as Sir Colin said, but that did not prevent a grateful nation from suffering some of the same men to die a pauper's death. I am sorry to say that Britain does not show that gratitude to her soldiers that she should. 0 When war is rife and danger nigh God and the soldier is all the cry ; When war is over and wrongs are righted, God is forgot and the soldier slighted. la that so 1 Rudyard Kipling has somewhere written in a similar strain. Be that as it may, they did lie down until the word was given, and then, " with a concentrated yell of rage and ferocity that made the echoes ring again," they leapt the walls and stormed the enemy's position. Of course the pipers were there skirling " On wi' the tartan," the famous charge of the great Montrose, and when complimented after for their playing, one replied, "I thocht the boys would feoht better wi' the national music to cheer them." Aud no doubt he was right, for who is he whose blood does not thrill at the sound of Scottish patriotic mueic 1 HARD MARCHING. Forced marches were so regular as to become monotonous. Some of the regiments were so hard driven that the soldier in one instance did not undress or have a change of Bocks for a solid month, and even then it was a piece of chance that put linen and socks in their way, and it was some time after that before they could change their shirts and indulge in tbe luzary of a bath. At times they were almost mad with thirst, for the cartridges had to be bitten in those days and the saltpetre in the powder intensified what was at times bad enough, for often good drinking water was not available. I don't think many of us would envy them under such conditions, under a vertical sun, and with feather bonnets, red coats, heavy kilts, and bare, scorched legs. Perhaps some of you have read " Jessie's Dream," a stirring piece of poetry telling Jessie's experiences when she, in Lucknow, heard the pipers accompanying tbe relieving party. Many assert that it was all imagination, that there were no pipe 3, but the author is positive there were. But I have written enough. The book is well worth reading, though older folk will not perhaps get as much new in it, seeing that they lived in Britain at the time of the mutiny, and would have the papers full of it ; but we of the two younger generations fin 1 much that is new and interesting in i*\

THRICE IS HE ARMED WHO HAS HIS QUARREL JUST. CLEMENTS TONIC, THE WORLD'S GREAT RESTORATIVE, HAS CURED MORE CASES OP INDIGESTION, NEURALGIA, WEAKNESS, DEBILITY, DROPSY, BRIGHT'S DISEASE, AND LIVER COMPLAINT THAN ALL OTHER MEDICINES PUT TOGETHER. If you are sick and value your life, insist on having Clements Tonic and no substitute or you will be disappointed.