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

THE CONFLAGRATION
was to march towards Fatehgarh from Cawnpore. Such
was the plan of operations. It was thought that the Doab
Revolutionaries would be pressed back by the English army
and would eventually enter Fatehgarh. And hence it was
decided that the closing finale of the operations should be
conducted and a great battle should be fought near Fateh-
garh, where the three armies of Walpole, Seaton, and
Campbell were to meet after the close of their indivi-
dual operations.
According to this plan, on the 18th of December, Walpole,
with all his guns and his army, began his upward march
from Cawnpore on the Kalpi road. After fighting one or
two skirmishes with scattered Revolutionary bands all
along the way, wreaking cruel vengeance—the well-known
and customary Feringhi vengeance—on all persons indis-
criminately, innocent people as well as those who actually
fought against England, and on the villages which had
sheltered the Pandays ; and, by such means, trying to
bring back the territory under British allegiance, this
Walpole came as far as Itawa and, of course, he would have
gone further. But, though the Revolutionaries in Itawa
had all left, he had still to stop, with all his army, in that
city. What could be the reason of this extraordinary neces-
sity ? What could stop this march of the English army ?
Was it that Revolutionary troops, in large numbers, had
attacked him ? Or could it be infantry or the cavalry ?
Or was it by any chance the artillery with the fierce fire
playing all round ?
No, none of these things were happening in Itawa.
Neither the infantry nor the cavalry, nor the fire of the
artillery was stopping the English at Itawa. Only twenty
or twenty-five Indian heroes are making a stand from
yonder building. That building has a roof and its walls
have holes made in them for fixing the muskets. It is
these twenty-five men, standing with a musket in their
hand and a burning fire in their heart, that have made
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