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

BENARES AND ALLAHABAD
the fort but to the cantonment ! The officers called the
Oudh cavalry to punish the Sepoys for this extraordinary
disobedience. The young and promising officers, Lieute-
nant Alexander and Lieutenant Harvard, got the cavalry
in order and marched on the Sepoys. At this time the
morning was just rising. When the cavalry was brought
face to face with the insolent Sepoys, the English officers
gave the order to attack and rushed boldly forward, hop-
ing that thousands of horses would gallop behind them
and trample down the handful of Sepoys. But, behold !
the cavalry refused to draw their swords against their own
countrymen and did not move ! At this, the Sepoys
raised a tremendous shout of applause. Lieutenant Ale-
xander was hit in the chest and fell down, his body was
cut to pieces, and then all the Indian Sepoys embraced
each other and marched to the camp. Two horsemen had
already galloped to the camp and given the news to their
brethren in the camp. The scene that followed on the
parade ground was unparalleled ! Whenever an English
officer gave a word of command, whiz came a bullet !
Plunkett, Adjutant Steward, Quarter-Master Hawes,
Pringle, Munro, Birch, Lieutenant Innes,—all fell down
dead ! The excited mass of humanity on the parade
ground was now going about setting fire to the houses of
Englishmen. When they heard that there were many
Englishmen at the mess-house, an attack was made and
every Englishman there was killed ! It has been already
said that the most important thing in Allahabad was the
possession of the fort. In it were the English women and
children and a vast store of ammunition, and it was
entirely in the hands of the Sikhs. All the Sepoys were
now waiting for the firing of the gun, the settled sign that
the Sikhs and the few Sepoys with them had also risen
and driven out the English.
But within the fort, the Sikhs showed their true treachery!
They not only refused to take away the English flag from
the fort but helped the English officers to disarm and
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