topics: |  india | history | mutiny

Excerpts

Lieut.-Colonel Williams was led to make his first enquiries in February, '58,
and followed them up vrtth the consent of the Indian Government. 

Reading them carefully and without bias to-day, one must doubt whether the
Nana Sahib was as guilty of complicity in the murders of our women and
children as he is generally believed to have been. I am rather of opinion
that his hand, though guilty, was forced by his more blood-thirsty followers,
whose acts he dared not disavow. p.108

Blowing a man from a cannon

[General] Havelock asked me if I "knew how to blow a man from a gun."
Naturally this had not formed part of our curriculum at Woolwich; but I had
no hesitation in at once answering in the affirmative. For it will be obvious
to anyone that three pounds of good powder (the service charge of a brass
9-pounder) would be pretty sure to effect the desired purpose.

"Very well, then," replied the General, "I shall send you a man this evening!"
I believe the culprit had been taken as a spy.  Accordingly, when we halted for
the night, I moved one of my guns on to the causeway, unlimbered it, and
brought it into " action front." 

As soon as the news of the intended execution became known among our Force,
they crowded on both sides of the ditch, near the causeway. I had them all
cleared from anywhere near the front of the gun; but, laterally, the audience
was very numerous indeed.

 
 
   (Naturally, this had not been part of our curriculum at Woolwich). 

The first man led out was a fine-looking young Sepoy, with good features, and
a bold, resolute expression. He begged that he might not be bound, but this
could not be allowed, and I had his wrists tied tightly, each to the upper
part of a wheel of the gun. Then I depressed the muzzle, until it pointed to
the pit of his stomach, just below the sternum. We put no shot in, and I only
kept one gunner near the gun, standing myself about ten feet to the left
rear. The young Sepoy looked undauntedly at us during the whole process of
pinioning: indeed, he never flinched for a moment. Then I ordered the
port-fire to be lighted, and gave the word "Fire!"  There was a considerable
recoil from the gun, and a thick cloud of smoke hung over us. As this cleared
away, we saw two legs lying in front of the gun; but no other sign of what
had, just before, been a human being and a brave man. 

At this moment, perhaps from six to eight seconds after the explosion, down
fell the man's head among us, slightly blackened, but otherwise scarcely
changed. It must have gone straight up into the air, probably about 200
feet. The pent-up feelings of the bystanders found vent in a sort of loud
gasp, like ah—h! Then many of them came across the ditch to inspect the
remains of the legs, and the horrible affair was over. p. 170