John Nash

“ Towards midnight, while we still sat smoking and basking over the fire, and a sepulchral stillness reigned over the jungles — interrupted occasionally by the loud and dismal howl of jackals — we heard sounds far more impressive and striking than had yet fallen on our ears, sounds as of shouts of exultation long and loud, and savage yells sharp and clear pervading the surrounding gloom. ”

“ And as with heavy hearts we stood over those rough and shallow graves, and with moistened eyes gazed on the sad interments, our souls sickened at seeing the remains of our comrades, who but only a few hours before were full of life and chivalry, now being shovelled away into earthen holes like dogs. ”

“ Witherspoon, of Princeton College. His remains lie in the Mennonist Burying-ground, at Kulpsville, twenty-six miles from Philadelphia. Through the patriotic endeavors of John F. Watson, Esq., the annalist, the citizens of Germantown and Norristown have erected a neat marble monument to the memory of General Nash, upon which is the following inscription: "In memory of General Nash of North Carolina, mortally wounded at the battle of Germantown, here interred, October 17, 1777, in presence of the army here encamped. ”

“ You might travel thousands of miles, and yet the boundless plains, with almost unvarying rural features, would meet your gaze everywhere. You might look in every direction for miles and miles along the scene for some rare or novel object to break the interminable monotony of the vast outstretching country, but you would look in vain. ”

“ In the compass of the heavens, without a cloud even as diminutive as a butterfly to screen his blinding rays, the sun appears from day to day, and for months, like an enormous ruby set in a burnished dome of brass, whence descends a fiery glow almost akin to that derivable from the focus of a burning-glass. ”

“ I need not dwell upon the harrowing scene — the like of which God grant I may never witness again — in the hospital tent after the return of the Brigade to the camp; for the horrors of war and its attendant misery are bad enough to those before whom they are laid bare, without being revealed to those happily unacquainted with them. ”

“ A sanguinary conflict now ensued, and men began to drop, few killed, many wounded. The clash of arms, the deafening roar of guns, the whizzing of shells and thousands of bullets, all evidenced the desperate onset and fight. ”

“ And as we gazed on these fascinating fields, which in their beauty looked as if brilliantly bespangled with swarming butterflies, it was strange to realise the curious fact that in so beautiful a bloom lurked also a deadly poison. For is it not a notable fact in the opium trade that the poppy blossom not only fascinates India with its product, but demoralises, if not kills, China with its venom? ”

“ Over the refreshed landscape now stretched a rolling carpet of verdant grass; innumerable birds joyfully singing appeared upon the scene, as mysteriously as the thousands of frogs that found their way out from the bowels of the earth, and croaked in loud, unearthly chorus the return of cooler days; myriads of flying and crawling insects swarmed everywhere; while we ourselves felt as if, at a single bound, we had unconsciously sprung from a perfect hell into an agreeable clime. ”

“ Indeed, the splendid practice of the sailors with their guns on all occasions, was one of the admirable features in the scenes of our field operations, and nothing tended more to animate the fighting, than the grand spectacle exhibited in the unerring flight of their destructive missiles darting through space, like falcons descending on their prey. ”

“ The spot from whence this view is obtained, and from which we were not very far bivouacked, commands the most magnificent prospect of the dazzling Snowy Range visible from any place in India. Nothing in Nature on her grandest scale can be conceived more awe-inspiring, or awfully sublime. Talk about Mont Blanc, why, that lofty snow-capped peak in Europe is, by comparison, a mere hillock to the giant Kunchin Junga in High Asia. ”

“ The dismounted portion of the Brigade therefore naturally suffered more in proportion to ourselves, and as they droopingly dragged themselves along the line of march, and struggled on with the hardships of their lot, they looked sun-dried, ghastly, and like ghosts, while a large number among them presented a pitiful appearance, with blood trickling down their sun-cracked cheeks and blistered noses. ”

“ At Amorah we burst into the full blaze and storm of the rebellion, and found ourselves, after many months of unceasing marches, counter-marches, and flying marches, covering an extent of country which in length of mileage would have embraced European kingdoms, suddenly halted for unexplained reasons, and an unknown period. ”

“ And so prominent and stupendous is this wonderful monarch of mountains, that the indigenous mountaineers actually believe its geographical position to be — as expressed in their own words — the centre of the terrestrial worid, and its summit, towering up to heaven, they say is half-way to the celestial realm above, whereon rests the hallowed footstool of the Great God of Heaven! ”

“ And who can gainsay the fact that the high-caste Hindu of the Bengal Army of those days held his caste more sacred than anything on earth, and not only adored and idolised it, but would rather have died than lost it? Indeed, it is quite within the truth to say that it would have been difficult to point to any people, in the civilised world, more deeply imbued with reverence for their own souls, than were those Sepoys for their castes. ”

“ Even we ourselves, while looking on at some Nipalese sacrificing animals to their gods, could hardly believe our eyes when we saw the head of a buffalo severed from the neck by a single stroke from this truly formidable weapon. ”

“ Every horse saddled; every man accoutred and on the alert. Sent off a spy to the rebel camp at Belwa. He is, I am told, a desperate scoundrel; but as at the risk of his life he proved himself faithful to us on a former occasion, he was again allowed to venture into the enemy's lines.
As I sit conversing with a chum under the protruding outer fly of our tent, overlooking the main road, one of the picket is seen galloping in at speed. We feel conscious of something unusual having occurred. He sweeps round to the Commandant’s quarters, and now we hear the “assembly”; we fly to the horses. ”

“ Meanwhile our artillery and infantry, having waited for daylight, now advanced upon the enemy’s front with such impetuosity that a general engagement at once ensued, and, amid the din of cannon and the roll of musketry, kindled a fire among our fellows that burst out in an appalling blaze along the whole line of the Brigade, without, however, silencing the rebel guns, which were sweeping with shot and shell the approaches to their camp. ”

“ With regard to Buste itself, its suburbs had been transformed into a huge military cantonment, as by the wave of a magician’s wand; and on our occupying the sheds and huts which had been constructed for the Brigade, we were indeed thankful for having at last got into even such rough quarters, as a harbour of refuge, after our merciless experiences and ruthless toil. But these pleasant reflections were soon dispelled by the indefatigable rebels having again reappeared in the neighbourhood of Cuptāngung. ”

“ It is, therefore, astonishing to note how little this delightful salubrious region has been opened up, and how little we really know of this vast mountainous world within itself. Now, as the atmospheric temperature on the plains of Upper India for about half the year may be compared with that of a veritable glowing furnace, it is quite distressing to find that the charms of the Himalaya — with their invigorating climate, suggestive only of the most lovely “cool summer” in England — should remain so neglected, and little better than a trackless wilderness in Africa. ”

“ All of us knew that every man in the Corps carried his life in his hand, that he was under the shadow of death, and that his safety, for some time at least, must depend upon his own vigilance and exertions ”

“ And on our approaching the locality, we beheld literally an army of vultures settled down on the blood-stained plains on which we had fought so often, and so fat and unwieldy had they become on the flesh of rebels, that not one among their countless numbers seemed disposed to quit the scene of their festivities, or move out of our way as we positively rode through them, amidst shocking sights which, in compassion to the feelings of my readers, I pass over in silence. ”

“ If I could peer into the dim and distant future, and venture to prophesy, I would venture to foretell that, in after ages, when glorious India, in her regeneration, and under happier auspices, has grown up to maturity, and risen to the zenith of her destiny in becoming one of the grandest empires on earth, her posterity, instructed by Hindu tradition, will learn that the annexation policy of the East India Company originated the Mutiny, and that that policy was also instrumental in leading the Usurpers of Kingdoms into the realms of oblivion for ever. ”

“ Here the features of the country changed alternately from rich cultivated fields, to immense grass plains; and from those again to enormous crops of ripening scarlet chillies, which gave the whole landscape a bloodshot appearance of a singular and — as times were — very appropriate effect. ”

“ Whatever may have been their natural feelings of indignation raised by the perfidious cry of their caste being on the brink of destruction, these faithful peasantry remained steadfast in their allegiance to the Government that had brought them within the pale of civilisation. ”

“ Above all — how far above, words silenced by sorrow cannot say — he was aware of the sad fact that a considerable number of the Corps, in the flower of their youth or. manhood, had lost their lives, while a larger number still shed their blood, in helping to crush a Mutiny that in unparalleled treachery, and tragical infamy, has indelibly tarnished, and for ever blood-stained, one of the saddest pages in the saddest annals of the whole world; and over the ever-lamentable record of which, alas! the veil of oblivion can never be drawn. ”

“ In truth, the surrounding country was surging with revolt; treachery and death lurked on every side; and if we had shown any signs of retreat, or suffered ourselves to be forced from Amorah, the rebels would have been free to overrun the district once more, and carry fire and sword whithersoever they pleased. ”

“ For now Banse, a large and loyal town on the border of Oudh, was invaded by hordes of rebels; and as it was ascertained that they had resolved to advance farther into the district, the Brigade at once, marched to Banse; while the perpetual and familiar booming of the enemy’s guns marked irregularly the cadence in a long, fatiguing tramp, through a line of country overshadowed with the gloom of a night so black, that our eyes could not pierce its density beyond our horses’ ears. ”

“ A more useful weapon it would be impossible to place in the hands of any man than the kokre is in those of the Nipale. He uses it for all purposes, and without it he seldom stirs out abroad. It is his sword, his table-knife, his razor, and his nail-parer; with it he clears the jungle for his cultivation, builds his log-hut, skins the animals that he slaughters — in short, without the kokre he is as helpless as a child; with it he is a formidable warrior, as well as a man of all work. ”

“ Flushed with temporary success at Belwa, and backed by an imniense numerical superiority in men and guns, they had recklessly imagined victory as easily gained in the open field, as with characteristic vanity they claimed one — in a fortress — from which we had prudently retired.
While every man of the Brigade was desperately engaged in beating down the overwhelming obstinacy experienced in front, and the fury of the action had extended to our flanks, alarm was raised that the rebels were outflanking us, and making for the camp. ”

“ Meanwhile the Marines and Sikhs, pushing on in skirmishing order, trod down all opposition, gained the outskirts of the village, broke through the resistance offered there, and with a final rush drove out the insurgents at the point of the bayonet. Belwa was won, but not its fort. Though the bombardment continued with unabating fury, no serious impression could be made on the stronghold; and long after dusk, in the hellish glare that now and again burst out from the explosions of the infernal missiles hurled at and from the fort, the rebels were visible lining the ramparts in crowds. ”

“ Although many days had elapsed since the departure of the mutineers from Deoghur, still the hope of intercepting the fiends stimulated pursuit, and onwards we pressed. Over the hilly tracks, along execrable roads, through leafy labyrinths, down deep and broad Ravines, for several wearisome days we traversed long and rapid marches, but all to no purpose. ”

“ No wonder, then, that thousands and thousands of the rural population year after year die from the fatal bite of the karith and cobra, from which recovery has never been known.
At this time, too, yet another fatal foe appeared in these subterranean ovens, in the form of small-pox, which broke out and spread through the camp. Although sickness is ever to be found in the footsteps of war, the frightful nature of this disease could not but be deplored as a terrible calamity by any force pent up, as we were, like worms under earth, and undergoing manifold trials almost beyond belief. ”

“ And the history of this dishonourable dethronement has not only passed into the traditional history of Hindustan, but also into that of the Mahomedan nations of Asia — where, we may rest assured, it will never be forgotten to be handed down hereafter, from generation to generation. ”