१८५७ का स्वातन्त्र्य समर (वीर विनायक दामोदर सावरकर - अंग्रेजों द्वारा छपने से पूर्व प्रतिबन्धित महाग्रन्थ)

ROHILKHAND
The clock struck eleven. A gun was fired among the
Sepoy lines. Hardly had the echo died out, when a noise
of clanging rifles and shrill shouting rent the sky ! The
rising at Bareilly was so carefully planned, that it was
arranged beforehand who was to kill which Englishman.
As soon as it was eleven, the 68th regiment at-
tacked the Englishmen near their lines. Small detach-
ments quickly went to the various bungalows, and the rest
attended to the straggling Englishmen, to go to their
houses and burn them. On hearing this noise and tumult,
the terror-stricken Englishmen ran towards the cavalry
lines. All the civil and military officers had decided to
come together there for refuge. As soon as they arrived
there, they ordered the cavalry regiment to march on
the Revolutionaries. But the Indian head of that regiment
was also a Revolutionary. Mahomed Shafi galloped to-
wards the Revolutionaries and ordered the horsemen to
follow him. They followed him, shouting, “ Die for reli-
gion, come, the green flag is calling you ! ” Still the
English tried to collect together a few that remained, and
attempted to come near the parade ground, but finding
it impossible to stand before the terrible onslaught of the
Revolutionaries, they all turned their backs and began
flying towards Naini Tal. Brigadier Sibbald was killed
in the first affray. Captain Kirby, Lieutenant Fraser,
Sergeant Walton, Colonel Troup, Captain Robertson—
all the Englishmen that fell into the hands of the
Revolutionaries were killed. Only thirty-two officers
escaped the massacre and safely reached Naini Tal. In
this way, the English power at Bareilly was made to end
in six hours !
When the English flag was hauled down and the flag of
freedom began to fly at Bareilly, the Subahdar of the
Sepoy artillery, Bakht Khan, accepted the commander-
ship of all the Sepoy troops. We will hereafter have occa-
sion to refer to him at the time of the siege of Delhi. He
delivered an enthusiastic oration to all the Sepoys as to
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