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

LUCKNOW
perate rush on the English guns. Again and again, they
rushed against the guns. Their heroic leader, fluttering the
flag of Swaraj in his hand, jumped into the ditch and called
upon the others to follow, shouting, “Chalô, Bahadur !
Chalô ! ” (Come, brave men, come!) He crossed the ditch
and began to plant the Revolutionary flag on English
guns ! ² But this brave soldier was soon shot down by
an English bullet. Instead of thousands rushing forth
over his dead body at this time and avenging the death
of the martyr the crowd of camp followers retreated instead
of advancing. But, bravo ! You ladder-men ! You did
not imitate the cowardly camp-followers but rushed forth
like real Sepoys. Plant the ladders in the ditch and mount
up quickly in spite of the fire of the English ! The first
batch has fallen—but let the next one come. But where
are the others who dare risk it ? This is the difference
between the English army and the Revolutionaries ! The
English never allowed the blood of their comrades to be
shed in vain ; if one falls, ten rush forward in his place.
We do not care where those who fled behind will go to ;
but, you heroes, you martyrs, you have reached Heaven !
Those who took the flag of Swaraj in their own hands; in
order that it might not be polluted by the touch of coward-
ly living corpses, those who went up to put that flag on the
enemy’s fire-spitting guns, by their glorious, holy blood
—that flag will be eternally pure and shine with a divine
splendour ! The flag of Swaraj looks its best only in such
wounded and bleeding arms ! One whose wrists are not
bespattered with blood should not touch and pollute the
holy flag of independence !
After this first assault was repulsed, the Revolutionaries
had, daily, small skirmishes with the English. They did
their best in dynamiting the houses in the Residency.
From above, the fire of terrible guns, and from below,
dynamite explosions ! No Englishman was sure when the

2. Gubbins’s Mutinies, page 218.
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THE CONFLAGRATION
ground beneath his feet would burst and swallow him.
Acccording to Brigadier Innes's calculation, the Revolu-
tionaries dynamited the Residency thirty-seven times !
The Revolutionary guns were, also, constantly active. The
Sepoys would send splendidly aimed shots against the
English and the English would reply to them. There were
death-dealing fights between bands of scouts which set
out at night to get secret information from the opposite
camps. Often, the secret whisperings of a group of men
either within or without the walls were heard by the other
party and nullified their plans. The Revolutionaries
amused themselves often by aiming a ball exactly at the
English flag and destroying it. And the English, also,
unfailingly hauled up a new one at the Residency as soon
as night fell. At such ghastly jokes, the battlefield of
Lucknow would open her terrible jaws and smile a deathly
smile ! Every night the messengers of the Revolutionaries
would go hiding near a part of the fort occupied by the
Sikhs or other Indians and ask them, " Why do you play
the traitor (Nimak haram) with the nation and thrust
the sword of the Feringhis into the bodies of your own
brethren ? " If any night these questions became persis-
tent, the " loyal " Sikhs, to have some fun, would ask
them to come near in order to converse better and, as soon
as they came, would make an Englishman who had hither-
to kept himself concealed stand up before them ! Seeing
such treachery, the Revolutionaries would return cursing
their baseness. Of all the splendid and untiring shots
among the Revolutionaries, an African eunuch who had
been in the service of the late Nabob spread terror in the
English Residency. He was nicknamed " Othello " by
the English.
About this time, Major Banks who had taken charge of
the office of chief commissioner of Oudh, after the death
of Sir Henry Lawrence, also fell dead by the bullet of a
Revolutionary. This was the second English chief com-
missioner killed during the siege ! But on account of the
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fixed, regular, and orderly organisation of the English
army, even during the uncertain terrors of a siege, the
death of a commander had no more effect than the death
of a common soldier as regards the efficiency of the army.
When the second commissioner fell, Brigadier Inglis took
charge as commissioner, and the work of defence went on
as before. At this time, however, the losses, deaths,
the removal of leaders, the scarcity of food, and
the activity of the Revolutionaries had made the
English at Lucknow fairly desperate, though not
altogether hopeless.
Just then Angad returned from Cawnpore ! This Angad
was an Indian formerly employed in the English army and
now a pensioner. Since the siege of Lucknow, it had be-
come impossible for any white messenger to go out and
return with information. His white skin, his yellowish
hair, and his blue eyes could never escape the swords of
the Revolutionaries. Therefore, it became necessary to
employ brown men on the English messages, and thus,
many “ loyal ” brown messengers had been sent out from
Lucknow. But, out of all these, only Angad returned
alive ! He did not bring any letter or anything else
suspicious with him for fear of the Revolutionaries, but
he gave commander Inglis the assurance that he had him-
self seen the English army set out from Cawnpore for the
relief of Lucknow. Encouraged by this news, the English
told Angad to go back and get a written reply. Angad
left Lucknow on the 22nd and returned at eleven o’clock
on the night of the 25th. With him was Havelock’s letter,
“ Havelock is coming with an army sufficient for all odds.
Lucknow will be relieved in five or six days.” In order
to furnish Havelock, who was coming to relieve them,
with all information, the English gave military plans and
maps to Angad and told him to go to Havelock again.
That marvellous scout again went to Havelock’s camp
and delivered to him all the military maps of Lucknow.
Now, all English eyes were turned towards the direction
353
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THE CONFLAGRATION
from which they expected Havelock's victorious flag to
march over the dead bodies of the Revolutionaries. They
even heard some distant sounds of artillery-fire. Could
they be Havelock's guns ?
The English had not long been fondly hoping that Have-
lock was coming to help them when they discovered that
it meant a second assault from the Revolutionary side !
The Revolutionaries at first opened fire on the Cawnpore
battery, Johannes' House, Begum Kothi, and other places.
On that day, the Revolutionary dynamite did splendid
work. There was a tremendously big breach in the Eng-
lish wall, enough for a whole regiment to march in in good
order. But where was the regiment that would go in ?
If the English had effected such a breach in the enemy's
wall, they would have captured the place in half an hour.
Some heroes among the Revolutionaries fought bravely
till two in the afternoon. The Indians on the English side,
however, excelled in bravery, discipline, and contempt of
death! What a misfortune! This bravery in treachery and
this cowardice in patriotism ! What a contrast ! Run up,
some one, to remove this stain ! It is now five and the
attack is almost repulsed, but run up, someone, though
not for immediate victory at least for ever-lasting glory !
Captain Saunders, beware ! The furious march of heroes
devoted to principle is coming ! It is come ; this band of
infuriated heroes are marching straight on—they are ob-
structed by the English wall but they are trying bodily to
push it away. The English, at this crisis, left their guns
and took up their bayonets. Hail, Freedom ! Some
snatched away the bayonets with their own hands and
at last, fallen a prey to an English bullet ! But they have
saved the disgrace of their country on the field and exhi-
bited bravery admired even by enemies. The fight was such
that the English themselves took photographs of these
heroes who struggled to wrest away English bayonets
from the walls and fought with the frenzy of lions
till death !
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On the 18th of August, the Revolutionaries made another
attack on the English. On this day, as usual, a breach was
first made by dynamite and, then, the Revolutionaries
rushed forth. Malleson writes :—" One of their officers,
a very gallant fellow, sprang at once to the top of the
breach and, waving his sword, called on his men to follow.
Before, however, his summons was responded to, a bullet
had laid him low. His place was instantly occupied by
another, but he was as instantly killed. Etc., etc."
The bravery of the three men, as described even by Ferin-
ghis, was a match to Nicholson’s bravery at Delhi. But
it went in vain on account of the timidity of their fol-
lowers. Instead of pushing forth with redoubled vigour
at the death of the three, the thousands behind them
thought it prudent to retire. From this one event, what
a lesson ought to be learnt ?
These frequent attacks were not all. Before the terrible
daily fire of artillery and guns, the English found it un-
bearable to hold out much longer in spite of the excellent
assistance of the " loyal " Indians. Just then, Angad
again returned to Lucknow ! As the English commander
was about to ask him, in eager joy, how far Havelock
had marched according to his promise, the scout delivered
to him Havelock’s letter, " I cannot come towards Luck-
now for at least twenty-five days to come " ! Nothing is
more unbearable than despair following hope. Not only
dying patients and emaciated women but soldiers and
officers became extremely dispirited, sad, and frightened.
A death-like shadow came over the whole English force.
Food became dear and all were ordered to live on half-
rations ! Why this delay ? Why is a warrior like Have-
lock not coming to such an important work as the relief
of Lucknow ?
Without the delay of a moment, Havelock had left Cawn-
pore and crossed the Ganges as far back as the 29th
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of July, in order to save his comrades at Lucknow. He
had a thousand and five hundred men and thirteen guns
and had written a letter of assurance to them, promising
to relieve them without fail within five or six days. But
as soon as he crossed the Ganges and stepped into Oudh,
the imaginary ease of the task began to melt away like
a cloud ! Every inch of the way through Oudh had risen
in revolt ! Every Zemindar had collected a few hundred
men under him and had begun the fight for independence.
Every village flew the national Revolutionary flag. See-
ing this terrible state of affairs, Havelock became very
much dejected in mind. He was dejected but he did not
despair. He marched on. The Revolutionaries encounter-
ed him first at Onao but flew away soon. After this skir-
mish at Onao, Havelock gave his soldiers only time for
eating and, after that, the march continued. At Bashi-
ratganj, a second skirmish took place with a similar result.
Havelock's army fought two such skirmishes on the 29th
and got the better of the Revolutionaries in both.
But, was this a real victory ? In one day, the handful
of his army lost one sixth of its number. And the Revolu-
tionaries were not in the least broken up. Nay, more ;
it is doubtful whether the Revolutionaries were really
defeated and chased away or they had hit upon the new
plan of harassing the enemy considerably without suffer-
ing any losses themselves ! And just then the news had
come that the Danapur sepoys had also joined the Revo-
lution. This threatening state of affairs compelled Have-
lock to stop his forward march on the 30th and retire
back to Mangalwar.
Hearing that Havelock's army had left Cawnpore, Nana
Sahib Peshwa again resumed operations round about
Cawnpore. While Havelock left Cawnpore and crossed
the Ganges to enter Oudh, Nana Sahib left Oudh and was
crossing the same river to re-enter Cawnpore ! Not to
be caught in this trap of Nana Sahib, Havelock had to
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LUCKNOW
remain encamped at Mangalwar till the 4th of August.
Instead of Havelock driving the Revolutionaries within a
week to the banks of the Gotami, Nana Sahib had made
Havelock stick to the Ganges. Just then the Revolution-
aries in his front came up again to Bashiratganj. Irritated
by the persistent harassing, Havelock became desperate
and started towards Lucknow with his troops. At Bashi-
ratganj he again gave battle to the Revolutionaries and
drove them away. But here, also, the question was whe-
ther it was a victory or a defeat. For, in this fight, Have-
lock lost three hundred men and his troops were so fatigued
that, instead of advancing towards Lucknow, he began to
retire on the Ganges. On that day, out of the one thou-
sand and five hundred men that started with him there
remained only eight hundred and fifty !
Hearing that Havelock had again retreated to Mangalwar
on the 5th of August, the Revolutionaries once more
captured Bashiratganj and encamped there. In this army
of the Revolutionaries, the greater number were well-to-do
Zemindars. "All the men killed yesterday were Zemin-
dars."³ For the sake of their country, for the sake of
independence and Swaraj, those rich and happy men had
discarded their soft beds and had resolved to go to the
battle-field and risk all its dangers and risks. Seeing this
enthusiasm on their part, the English historian Innes
says : "At least, the struggle of the Oudhians must be
characterised as a war of independence." The Revolu-
tionary army was constantly hovering round Havelock's
camp, destiny-like. As soon as Havelock retired to
Mangalwar, the Revolutionaries, as we said before, again
encamped at Bashiratganj. Therefore, on the 11th of
August, Havelock pushed forward to Bashiratganj for the
third time—and for the third time there was a fight and
the Revolutionaries fled away ; but Havelock asked him-
self, for the third time, "Is this victory or defeat?"
3. Kaye and Malleson's Indian Mutiny, Vol. III, p. 340.
357

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It was neither a victory nor a defeat. Therefore, instead
of advancing, Havelock fell back on Mangalwar. In the
meanwhile, Nana’s plans were becoming ripe. The Revo-
lutionaries of Sagar and of Gwalior and bands of volunteers
came and joined him. Taking them with him, Nana
marched to Bithoor and threatened to attack Cawnpore.
General Neill had not enough troops to march against him
and so sent word to Havelock of his critical position.
It was now impossible to think of proceeding to Lucknow.
Therefore, on the 12th of August, Havelock had to recross
the Ganges and go back to Cawnpore ! When the English
bands sounded the retreat, everywhere there were joyful
shouts of acclamation as if the victorious drum of inde-
pendence was being beaten ! You faithful Zemindars, you
have served your country well in thus shedding your blood
and driving away the foreign foe, and wanted to re-enter
Oudh, away on the other side of the Ganges ! Innes
writes : “ This retirement from Oudh produced a result
which he had, doubtless, never contemplated. The
Talukdars openly construed it as the British evacuation
of the province and now formally recognised the Durbar
at Lucknow as the de facto government ; and, though
they refrained from supporting it by their own presence,
they obeyed its orders which they had hitherto disregard-
ed, and sent to the scene of warfare the contingents which
they had been called upon to provide.”⁴
The victory of the Revolutionaries was not a direct but
an indirect one. If, in the above four or five skirmishes
fought by Havelock, he had been defeated and driven away
to Cawnpore, a greater self-confidence would have been
seen in the Revolutionary ranks than was to be seen now
by simply forcing him to retire by harassing his rear.
And, proportionately, the English forces would have been
more demoralised. The English army perceived that the
retreat to Cawnpore was due not to lack of bravery but
4. The Sepoy Revolt, page 174.
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to lack of numbers and, though baulked of its fruits, its
vigour, self-confidence, and pride were not a whit diminish-
ed by this indirect defeat. And, therefore, Havelock
encamped at Cawnpore with the full confidence that he
would start again for Lucknow as soon as he got rein-
forcements.
At this time, there was a serious quarrel between Havelock
and Neill on account of personal jealousy. This is clearly
seen in the following letter written by Havelock to Neill :
“ I wrote to you confidentially on the state of affairs. You
send me back a letter of censure of my measures, reproof,
and advice for the future. I do not want and will not
receive any of them from an officer under my command,
be his experience what it may. Understand this distinctly,
and that a consideration of the obstruction that would
arise to the public service at this moment alone prevents
me from taking the stronger step of keeping you under
arrest. You now stand warned. Attempt no further
dictation.”⁵ In this letter, one sentence is an excellent
indication of the sense of duty towards the nation,
ingrained in the bones of all Englishmen. Even in the
height of passion, Havelock says that “ consideration of
the obstruction that would arise to the public service
alone ” prevented him from then and there avenging his
personal insult ! In this dispute between the two generals
Neill and Havelock at this critical time, not only did both
of them behave calmly in order that their national enemy
might not take advantage of this division, but both helped
each other, as far as possible, for their common end. In
that society where, individualism is held in check by
regard for public advantage, in that society alone can
wealth and intellect, and fame and independence last long.
The first news that Havelock received when he came to
Cawnpore was that Nana Sahib’s army had re-occupied
5. Quoted by Malleson, Indian Mutiny, Vol. III, p. 337, note.
359

THE CONFLAGRATION
the town of Brahmavarta. Seeing that the Revolutionaries
had thus advanced again close to the Cawnpore army,
Havelock marched against them at once. On this day, at
the battle of Brahmavarta, when the English came up fight-
ing within twenty yards of the Revolutionary ranks, the
42nd regiment on the Revolutionary side began to use
their bayonets. The English so long used to think that,
when all other means failed, bayonets would surely
frighten away the Revolutionaries. But to-day, the brave
heroes of freedom, themselves, began to attack with
bayonets. At the same time, the Revolutionary cavalry
fell upon the English rear and carried off their provisions.
Thus, the English army was attacked both in front and
the rear by the gallant Revolutionaries. Even the English
commander saw that the Revolutionaries were gradually
becoming more and more valiant. But this bravery and
heroism was not properly moulded by discipline as it was
on the English side and, even after all this valour, the
Revolutionaries were defeated and had to retire. When
Havelock retired to Cawnpore on the 17th of August after
inflicting this defeat on the Revolutionaries, he perceived
that the whole army of Nana Sahib was not at Brahma-
varta but that he had a vast and fully equipped force in
the town of Kalpi, on the banks of the Jumna. Harassed
from Kalpi, harassed from Brahmavarta, harassed from
Oudh, harassed on both sides of the Ganges! Thus
harassed on all sides, the " victorious " Havelock wrote
to Calcutta : " We are in a terrible fix. If new reinforce-
ments do not arrive, the British army cannot escape the
fate of abandoning Lucknow and retreating to Allahabad."
Havelock awaited a reply to this appeal, from Calcutta.
He expected to receive reinforcements according to his
request and hoped that he would crown all his victories
and defeats by the relief of Lucknow. But, suddenly, he
got an order that the command of the army to be sent to
Lucknow was taken from him and given to Sir James
Outram! English punishment is so severe! Even
though victorious, Neill was a little late in going to Cawn-
Published by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 2014.
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LUCKNOW
pore ; so, the command was taken from him and given
to Havelock. And, though victorious, Havelock was
inevitably late in going to Lucknow ; so even an able
general like him was removed, and Sir James Outram was
made the commander ! At this news, Havelock was
extremely mortified. The glory for which he strove day
and night, with his life in his hands, the glory of relieving
Lucknow, would now fall into other hands. This insult
grieved him very much. Still, Malleson writes, “ It is one
of the glories of our countrymen that, however actually they
may feel a disappointment of this nature, it never affects
their public conduct. It is this recognition of, and this
devotion to, duty, that stamp the Englishman. He sub-
ordinates to it all private feelings. He may be keenly
sensible of the injustice perpetrated towards himself, but
above himself is always his country. He may have his
own views as to how that country may best be served ;
but, when the Government which represents it has other
and different views, he feels bound to devote all his
energies to make possible the success of the orders of the
Government. Thus acted Neill. And, now, thus also
acted Havelock. Superseded, as he regarded himself to
be, he was as active, as daring, as devoted, as when he
ruled as the unfettered commander of an indepen-
dent force.”⁶
While Havelock was working day and night for the victory
which was to belong to another, Sir James Outram arrived
at Cawnpore on the 15th of September. After the chief
command was transferred from Havelock to Sir
James Outram, the first order that Outram issued was to
the following effect : “ He who so bravely has been keep-
ing up the struggle for the raising of the siege of Luck-
now, he alone deserves the honour of accomplishing that
task. For this reason, I have handed over all my autho-
rity as a commander to the brave Havelock, till the siege
6. Malleson’s Indian Mutiny, Vol. III, page 346.
361

THE CONFLAGRATION
of Lucknow be raised, and have enlisted myself as a simple
volunteer in the ranks."
What a moral education this first noble order of the com-
mander must have been to the English army ! How the
individual must have been merged in the nation ! With
the first order, Outram gave the chief command to Have-
lock and showed unparalleled patriotism, generosity,
and unselfishness.
Inspired by the moral lesson of this piece of heroic nobility,
and reinforced by fresh English troops from Calcutta
under officers like Eyre, Outram, and Cooper, the Cawn-
pore army, with redoubled vigour, again started to cross
the Ganges on the 20th of September to march to the
relief of Lucknow. The impatient Havelock of July 25th
who started to “ relieve Lucknow in five or six days,” the
Havelock of August 12th unfortunate in having to retreat
to Cawnpore and who found it difficult to hold out at
all in Oudh, and the resolute and hopeful Havelock of
20th of September ! How different are these three pictures
of Havelock ? He had, now, two thousand and five
hundred English troops, and the whole army, including
the Sikhs, numbered about three thousand two hundred
and fifty. Select cavalry, excellent artillery, officers like
Neill, Eyre, and Outram were with him. Now, he did not
pay any heed to the Oudh Revolutionaries. Every Zemin-
dar who came to the field to save his country from the pol-
luting touch of the Feringhi was killed. Every proud village
that stood up to fight, unable to bear a sight of Feringhi
horsemen galloping in the mother-country, was burnt to
ashes ! Every road, every field, every river on the way
was reddened with Swadeshi blood ! Thus, the powerful
English army began to push its way into Oudh with
violence. Fighting skirmish after skirmish and routing
the ill-trained Revolutionaries, Havelock arrived at Alam
Bagh on the 23rd of September. A Revolutionary force
was encamped there. The two forces met. The whole day
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the terrible battle was raging near Alam Bagh. The
enemy captured five of the guns of the Revolutionaries,
one of which the Revolutionaries recaptured. Both sides
determined to spend the night on the field. But when the
army of the enemy began to rest at night in the muddy
and swampy ground, the Revolutionaries foreswore all rest
and started the fight again. That night rain was falling
in showers. But the waves of enthusiasm in the English
army were stronger even than the showers of rain, for the
electrifying news of the fall of Delhi had reached them
that night !
At last, the critical day of the 25th dawned. Seeing that
Havelock's army, avoiding the regular roads leading to
Lucknow city, was marching to the Residency by an odd
road, the Revolutionaries opened a terrible fire. Bearing
this artillery-fire bravely, the English came up from Alam
Bagh right up to the bridge at Char Bagh. To cross this
bridge was to enter Lucknow, and, therefore, an obstinate
fight began on this most strategic point. Captain Maude
directed a heavy fire for half an hour on that bridge, but
neither the bridge was emptied nor were the guns on it
silenced. Nay more, the English had lost already twenty-
one killed near the Yellow House and more on the bridge.
Was the whole English army to be checked by this one
defiant bridge ? So, Maude said to Havelock's young son
standing near by, " Young hero, find out some remedy
for this ! " At this, young Havelock came to Neill and
told him that the Revolutionaries could not be driven
away by the artillery, and requested him to give the order
to lead an assault on that bridge. But General Neill said
that he could not give such an order without consulting
Havelock. What was to be done next ? Young Havelock
at once found out the answer to this question. He spurred
his horse and galloped a little in the direction where the
general-in-chief, Havelock, was and, pretending to have
seen him, returned to Neill. He humbly saluted Neill
and said : " The commander-in-chief has ordered the
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assault on the bridge." Hearing this, the general gave the
order to assault. Young Havelock himself rushed to the
bridge with the first batch of twenty-five Englishmen.
The fire was terrible. In one or two minutes, which of
the twenty-five remained alive? And the young Have-
lock himself—beware! beware—a brave and fearless hero
has jumped upon the bridge and is taking aim straight
at you! The brave Sepoy came up to within ten yards
of young Havelock, stood there coolly before all the Eng-
lish host and quietly aimed at Havelock; the bullet went
—but there was a difference of only half an inch! Instead
of entering the head, it entered Havelock's helmet. Still
the dauntless Sepoy stood there calmly while several Eng-
lish guns were aimed at him and began loading his gun
again! At last, you have been shot by Havelock, but
bravo! you have died killing like a hero in this battle for
independence! In a few moments, the vast English army
rushed upon the bridge which began to shake with their
weight. The Revolutionaries had to retire and the English
advanced. The bridge fell; the first road to Lucknow
fell; then, the second fell; then, the third—the English
army pushed onward, victorious. Every few steps, swords
would clash with swords and guns with guns. When a
copious lake of blood accumulated there, the living Battle
would advance again. In the evening, Outram said that
the night should be spent outside. But no, no! How could
the brave Havelock bear even to hear the name of rest?
To those countrymen of theirs, crushed in the very jaws
of death in that Residency, one night would be like an
age. Therefore, Havelock advanced—Neill advanced.
The English army missed the road fixed upon and came
nearer and nearer into the line of fire of the Revolutiona-
ries—still Neill advanced. When he entered the great
arch of Khas Bazaar, he saw that the English artillery
had slacked a little behind. Therefore, he drew up his
horse and turned his head to look back. Now is the time!
This is the time for the country's revenge! O you Revolu-
tionary hero on the arch, even if you lose your life, you
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LUCKNOW
must make use of this opportunity. In a moment, a Sepoy
who was lying in wait on the arch took aim and lodged
a bullet straight into the very neck of General Neill and
he dropped down dead ! In the whole English army, it
was very difficult to find another man so brave and so
cruel, so insolent and so undaunted, so patient and so
heartless, by the good luck and ill-luck of humanity.
But it is the peculiarity of the English army that the con-
tinuance of its work does not depend upon an individual
—even an uncommon general like Neill. Neill’s death
did not create the slightest confusion ; the English army
continued its march to the Residency all the same. In
that Khas Bazaar where Neill fell with his neck broken,
even if there had flowed an ocean of English blood, the
English army would have marched in the same manner.
When they went through the bazaars, they heard the
joyous hurrahs from the Residency. They also shouted
“ Hurrah ” in reply. Havelock had relieved his com-
patriots from the very jaws of Death ! That scene can
best be described in the pen of Captain Wilson who was
present there. “ In spite of deaths that were diminishing
their ranks at every step, the white army approached the
Residency, and at their sight all fear and doubt vanished
away from the besieged garrison. They showered their con-
gratulations and blessings on the advancing deliverers, the
sick and the wounded crept out of the hospitals, and con-
tinuous cheers and welcomes pealed forth in succession.
Very soon the deliverers met the delivered. The occasion
defies description. Those who had heard of the death
of their husbands found themselves in the arms of their
living husbands, to the unbounded joy of both. And those
who were looking forward to the cherished embrace of
their beloved ones learned for the first time that death
had left no hope of seeing them any longer ! ”
In the Residency of Lucknow, fighting without intermis-
sion for eighty-seven days, seven hundred men had fallen.
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THE CONFLAGRATION
About five hundred Europeans and four hundred Indians
were alive, wounded as well as whole. And in the army
of Havelock, which set out for their relief, seven hundred
and twenty-two men were killed before the Residency was
reached ! It was at the cost of so many brave men's lives
that the victory of Lucknow was achieved.
But you cruel Despair ! You are still as invincible as
ever ! Havelock has harassed the Revolutionaries so much,
but you still do not leave him ! For, when he entered the
Residency he had thought that, after all the victories, all
the bloodshed, all the fighting, he had, at last, relieved the
English power from the grip of the Revolutionaries. But,
now, his delusion is being dispelled and he asks himself,
after reaching the Lucknow Residency, the same question
as he did when he was on the banks of the Ganges, “What
I brought to the Residency—is it complete relief or mere
help ? ” Instead of the siege being raised by Havelock's
coming to the Residency, the Revolutionaries now besieged
the old army as well as the new ! And therefore, everyone
began to ask, “ What has Havelock brought us, relief or
mere help ? ”
It was only help ! This army, which the two great English
generals, Havelock and Outram, brought, after fighting
many battles, to relieve the English at Lucknow from the
grip of the Pandays, instead of raising the siege, went in
and was besieged itself along with the other. The English
hoped that the army of the Pandays would disperse as
soon as Havelock’s army entered the Residency. All India
soon saw that these hopes were completely dashed to the
ground. Instead of giving up Lucknow or opening nego-
tiations for peace with the English, the Panday host,
infuriated by the progress of the War of Independence,
took up its former position round the Residency as soon
as Havelock entered it. While entering the Residency,
one part of the English army had been left behind at
Alam Bagh. This part was not allowed a chance to join
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LUCKNOW
the main army. And, before the pools of blood accumulat-
ed in the streets in the course of the day's fight had dried
up, the freedom-loving city of Lucknow, discarding the
discouragement and despair caused by their defeat and the
victory of the English, again besieged and bottled up the
English power in Oudh.
It was not only the English army at Lucknow that was
placed in a fix by this firm and determined stand of the
Pandays in the War of Independence. The whole English
army from Peshawar up to Aligarh had to suffer a severe
strain. All the troops had been despatched under the
command of Havelock to fall upon Lucknow ; and when,
in spite of the help of these troops, not only the besieged
army in the Residency was not set free but the army was
beleaguered there, then, the English power in the pro-
vinces below Lucknow became considerably enfeebled.
Though, just then, Delhi had fallen and the English army
there was free, it had enough work on its hands in 'restor-
ing order' in the provinces around Delhi. In these cir-
cumstances, the English Commander-in-Chief left the
armies at Lucknow and Alam Bagh to fight it out them-
selves for the present with the Revolutionaries, and began
to attend to the lightening of the strain on the British
power as the more important task.
The new English Commander-in-Chief, Sir Colin
Campbell, had arrived at Calcutta on the 13th of
August. From that day till the 27th of October,
he was straining every nerve to prepare for the
vast campaign to reconquer Hindusthan from the
hands of the Revolutionaries. He portioned out the
English army as it arrived from Madras, Ceylon, and
China. He cast new guns in the Cassim Bazaar arsenal.
He made excellent arrangements as far as possible for
arms and ammunition, provision, clothes, and transport.
He spent two months in these preparations for the next
great campaign when the news arrived that Havelock and
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THE CONFLAGRATION
Outram were still shut up in the Residency at Lucknow.
Therefore, with the resolve to deal personally with the
obstinate town of Lucknow which fell but rose again, he
set out from Calcutta on the 27th of October.
About the same time, a naval brigade had been formed
under Colonel Powell and Captain William Peel and sent
up the river to Allahabad. From Calcutta right up to
Allahabad and Cawnpore, near all the big roads, small
bands of Revolutionaries were constantly harassing the
English army. If these bands had been found together,
the English could have possibly attacked them all ; but
the Panday forces, trained in the school of Kumar Singh,
hovered round the English army, always avoided battle,
never gave the English any indication of their existence
except when attacking them and, by these guerilla tactics,
had created consternation in the English camp in the
whole province. While trying to drive away such a band
from the Kajva river, the colonel of the naval brigade was
killed. On the day on which the Panday sword drank the
blood of Powell, the Commander-in-Chief arrived at Cawn-
pore. The Commander-in-Chief had himself had a terri-
ble experience as to how the Revolutionary bands harassed
the armies on their march.
Sir Colin Campbell was driving in a carriage from Allaha-
bad to Cawnpore. Though the English had tremendous
difficulties in obtaining transport and the Commander-in-
Chief had to sit in a third-class cart, on the same road
was marching a detachment of a Revolutionary regiment
of infantry mounted on about a dozen elephants. There
were, also, twenty-five horsemen accompanying them. Sir
Colin was alone. When the driver of the cart came near
Sher Ghati, he saw the Revolutionary band coming to the
same place by another road. Though the Pandays did not
pay any attention to the freight on the cart, because they
had no idea of it, still, the freight itself was considerably
anxious ! The commander-in-chief going towards Cawn-
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LUCKNOW
pore to conquer the whole of India saw standing before
him, suddenly, the terrible Revolutionary band. He gave
up the route and turned back immediately. A word would
have done him ! A sign from the cartman would have
been enough ! And the man who could not have been
caught even after killing thousands of Englishmen would
have been made a prisoner by an ordinary cartman. It
was the difference of a moment. Sir Colin would have
been arrested and taken before Kumar Singh or sent at
once before the Angel of Death !
After escaping from this danger, Sir Colin arrived at
Cawnpore on the 3rd of November. As large a force as
possible had already been assembled there under Brigadier
Grant. The naval brigade mentioned before also arrived
there along with the new English troops. Greathed also,
with the Delhi army, came there having routed the Revo-
lutionaries of the province of Delhi on the way. After
the fall of Delhi, the bravery which Greathed exhibited
in restoring "peace" in the province around Delhi ab-
solutely surpassed that of Neill at Allahabad. It is un-
paralleled. Since the beginning of the Revolution, up till
November, this province was in the hands of the Revolu-
tionaries. But the people in the province were so little
harassed that the English themselves write : "The people
not only cultivated but in many districts as extensively as
ever. In fact, beyond supplying their necessity, the rebels
did not venture to assume the character of tyrants of the
country."⁷ The Pandays had treated this province as was
proper for volunteers fighting for the freedom of their
country—and the British who had set out to crush its
spirit of independence, destroyed it completely as befitted
the proclaimers of slavery ! And, all this, to restore peace!
Burning village after village, hanging on the gallows any
robust man found on the way, and killing the village
inhabitants en route with more recklessness than if they
7. Narrative of the Indian Mutiny.
369
24

THE CONFLAGRATION
were wild birds, Greathed's army came from Delhi to
Cawnpore! That army and the naval brigade effected a
junction with the other white troops there, and Brigadier
Grant began to go down the Ganges. O Ganges! How
many English armies have come to thy shores to proceed
to relieve Lucknow! And O you proud Ayodhya, are you
not now at least going to release the English army from
the dungeons of Lucknow when this new force has come
to terrorise you?
Brigadier Grant had about five thousand English troops
besides hundreds of camels, etc. He had also taken with
him plenty of provisions for the Lucknow army. When
the news came that this army of Grant had fought its
way up to Alam Bagh, Sir Colin Campbell left Cawnpore
and crossed the Ganges. To guard his rear, he left a
select English and Sikh army with a number of guns at
Cawnpore, under the command of Wyndham who had won
fame in several European wars. Sir Colin joined the chief
army at Alam Bagh on the 9th of November. He reviewed
the Alam Bagh forces and planned a combined attack
by the various regiments. He now gave the order to
make an assault on Lucknow on the 14th of November.
Before this, a daring Englishman, called Cavenagh, had
entered the Residency in company with an Indian at night,
evading the sepoy guards by blackening his face and put-
ting on Indian garb. He was sent there to get information
about the state of defences of the Residency and to discuss
plans about the coming attack. He had before this time
delivered the messages of Colin and Outram to each other.
In the Residency and in the English camp at Alam Bagh,
everyone was waiting anxiously for the 14th of November.
Havelock and Outram were to come out of the Residency
to attack the Revolutionaries from inside and Sir Colin
was to press them on the other side! At this time, in the
English camp were to be found most of the eminent
generals and warriors that made their name in 1857.
Havelock, Outram, Peel (of the naval brigade), Greathed,
370