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

OFFERING IN THE SACRIFICIAL FIRE
son of the Delhi dynasty. His marvellous exploit of
crossing the Ganges and the Jumna, and the subsequent
march up to where Tatia was, cannot be described in
detail for want of space. Advancing to meet Feroze Shah
and a Revolutionary Sirdar of the court of the Scindia
called Man Singh, Rao Sahib and Tatia after many march-
es and skirmishes arrived at last at Indragarh on the 13th
of January, 1859. And there the four leaders stopped
for some time, discussing plans for future action. Tatia
had always minute and correct information about the
movements of the English. Seeing that they were clos-
ing round him again on all sides, Tatia arrived by forced
marches at Dewasa. Now at last Tatia had not the
smallest loophole through which to escape from the
hands of the English. He had not even any hope of fu-
ture success in his heart to encourage him to make
another adventurous dash. Napier hemmed him from
the north, Showers from the north-west, Somerset from
the east, Smith from the south-east, Michel and Benson
on the south, Bonner on the south-west and west ;—thus,
on all sides, he was surrounded by the enemy. Where
and how could he with his fatigued men find a means of
escape from these and other English forces ? The Eng-
lish commandants swore that escape was absolutely im-
possible. How was it possible for Tatia to break through
the net closing around him ? It did in very deed seem
impossible. The English cords were now tightly round
the necks of the four leaders, Feroze Shah, Man Singh,
Tatia, and Rao Sahib. It was now impossible to escape !
At Dewasa, on the morning of the 16th of January, 1859,

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assume that, in the rebellion of 1857, no national spirit was aroused,
but we cannot deny that our efforts to put it down have sown
the seeds of a new plant and thus laid the foundation for more
energetic attempts on the part of the people if, in the course of
future years, England has not done something towards reconciling
the numerous inconsistencies and suppressing some of the dangerous
tendencies of its rule in India."—The Times, 20th of May, 1859.
535