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

BENARES AND ALLAHABAD
Revolutionaries without a shot being fired ! General
Neill was so afraid of this that he marched with his Eng-
lish troops in haste to Allahabad. Neill arrived there on
the 11th of June. He had no hope that the Sikhs would
protect the fort and its English occupants till his arrival.
He was, therefore, overjoyed when he saw the English flag
still flying on the walls of the fort. He, immediately, kept
the English soldiers to garrison the fort and sent the loyal
Sikhs out to do the fighting. It is clearly seen from this
how little faith Neill had in the Sikh Sepoys. Though
Neill had no faith in the Sikhs, the Sikhs had complete
faith in him ; for, they refused to join the Revolutionaries
even after this insult, and consented to burn the neigh-
bouring villages. On the 17th of June, the English army
began to push its way into the town. Describing the inci-
dents, the Moulvie, in his report to the Emperor, says,
"Of the traitorous sinners who have joined the enemy,
some have spread the rumour that the English are going
to blow up the whole town. The people have left their
homes and have announced that they are going away in
order to save their lives ! Therefore, the whole town is be-
ing deserted in spite of assurances of protection." As this
unfortunate report of the Moulvie had set out on its
way to Delhi, the English attack on Khusru Bagh began.
The Revolutionaries defended the place that day ; but the
Moulvie soon saw that it was madness to attempt to hold
Allahabad from a dilapidated garden while the fort was
in the hands of the enemy. So, on the night of the 17th,
he left for Cawnpore with all his followers. The next
day, on the 18th, the English re-entered Allahabad together
with the 'loyal Sikhs.'
Though Allahabad followed the example of Benares and
fell into the English hands, the Revolutionaries did not
lose courage at all. Seeing the enemy thus safely protect-
ed in the chief forts, the people of the province were all
the more enraged and every village put up entrenchments
and prepared to make a stand. The days were gone when
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