A Few Second Chances

Three mutinies are so closely linked together to be inseparable: Shajahanpore, Mohamdi and Sitapur. However, we shall now proceed to trace the fates of the Shajahanpore fugitives.

The Flight from Shajhanpore

Fugitives from the cantonment had started assembling at the church; loyal servants came, bringing guns and pistols to their employers. Had the sepoys been able to organise themselves and return to the church in any number, the story of Shajahanpore would have ended here. But, as has been seen before, they could not make up their minds about what they actually wanted to do. Less than a hundred decided to remain loyal and, rallying around their officers, safeguarded their escape. Mr Jenkins, the Assistant Magistrate, now recommended everyone – those in and those outside the church – should contrive to make their way to Powaine (Pawayan), 27 kilometres distant, just outside the Oudh border. The rajah was thought to be loyal -surely he would shelter them in their plight.

The Raja of Pawayan was not exactly thrilled with their arrival. Claiming he could not protect them, he flatly refused to shelter the party. Seeing that remonstrances were useless, Mr Jenkins wrote to Mr James Grant Thomason, Deputy Commissioner of Mohamdi. It was a quick note, giving Thomason notice of the events at Shahjahanpur and begging him to send any and every kind of conveyance to Pawayan. A runner delivered the note at nightfall to Thomason.

Mohamdi – “The Germ of a Terrible Tragedy.”

Receiving the note, Thomason wasted no time. He quickly organised as many carriages as he could and sent them forthwith to Pawayan. His Assistant Commissioner, Captain Patrick Orr, who had previously commanded one of the Oudh regiments, made his plans as well. With the Shajahanpore fugitives on their way and very likely the mutineers of that station as well, it was only a matter of time before Mohamdi too would fall. Stationed here were two companies of the 9th Regiment Oudh Irregular Force, two companies of Oudh Military Police and 50 troopers of the Irregular Cavalry. The 9th Irregulars had been raised by Captain Orr during his service to the King of Oudh prior to annexation – he had also been their commander. Despite their long history together, Captain Orr was not blind to the danger of mutiny. The same night as the note arrived, Orr sent his wife and child to the care of the Raja of Mithauli, whom he had previously aided and considered a personal friend.

Protected by an escort of the 9th Regiment of the Oudh Irregular Force, under command of Isuree Singh, Subedhar, Mrs. Orr and her child marched through the night to Mithauli. Unbeknownst to her husband, the Raja would be less than forthcoming. Informed by a servant that the Raja was sleeping, Mrs. Orr contrived to wait for him to awaken. After two hours, the servant came back. The Raja would not see her, but he instructed her to proceed immediately to a fort in the jungle. Seeing remonstrances were useless, Mrs. Orr and her escort made their way to Kachauna Fort. Assured by the people there that the Raja himself would come the next day to see to her comfort, she remained.
The next evening, he came and, “taking a most solemn oath, assured his guest that he would be most faithful to her and protect her from all danger.” During their conversation, he mentioned he had been requested by Mr. Christian at Sitapur to send all of his elephants thither – but he had refused. The excuse he sent to Christian was that animals had sore backs, but confiding in Mrs. Orr, he stated that although Sitapur had not broken out as yet, it was inevitable, and he simply did not want to lose his valuable elephants.

The Situation Worsens

Back in Mohamdi, James Thomason and Patrick Orr now resolved that the civil officers and their clerks should withdraw from the station and seek refuge in the fort of Mohamdi. This accomplished, Thomason and Orr went themselves to the fort with the vain hope of protecting the Treasury. Thomason even hoped to strengthen the fort and would have called on the help of the neighbouring zamindars for assistance, but it turned out the fort would be too dilapidated to be repaired in any haste and hope of defence. On the 1st of June, the Shajahanpore refugees arrived, and from that time, “the most alarming symptoms showed themselves amongst the men. I used every means in my power to pacify them, but in vain. By the most strenuous efforts, I persuaded them from hour to hour to come back to their allegiance; every minute seemed our last. The men were civil to me, but each one said he could not answer for what some of the bad characters would do…”

Captain Orr succeeded in keeping the peace in the detachment of fifty men from Sitapur, which arrived on the 4th of June. They had been sent by Mr Christian, the commissioner of that place, as an escort to the ladies in Mohamdi; Thomason previously had contrived to send them on to Sitapur.

“These men brought with them a report that the whole of their Light Company at Muchee-Bhawun had been cut up by the Europeans and said they were determined to take revenge. Seeing the state of things, I sent for all the Native Officers and told them to let me know at once, like men, what their intentions were; and, if reasonable, I should give my consent…”

The men told Orr they wanted to march to Sitapur – they swore: “that they would spare our lives, and taking Thomason and myself into Seetapore, would allow the others to go away unmolested…” After swearing a solemn oath on the head of the Jamadar, Lutchmun, to spare the lives of the Europeans, the troops then proceeded to secure the treasure and release the prisoners from the local gaol. The party, consisting of Mr. Thomason, Mr. Orr and 2 clerks from Mohamdi, and all of the refugees from Shahjehanpore, left the same day and proceeded on the road to Sitapur, escorted by the now openly mutinous troops. After marching through the night, they reached Burwun and then on the 5th of June, continued on towards Aurangabad. Suddenly, the halt was sounded.

“..and a trooper told us to go on ahead, where we liked. We went some distance when we saw a party coming along. They soon joined us and following the buggy which we were pushing on with all our might, when, within half a mile of Aurungabad, a sepoy rushed forward and snatched Key’s gun from him and shot poor old Shiels who was riding my horse.
Then, the most fearful carnage ever witnessed by man commenced. We all collected under a tree close by and put the ladies down from the buggy; shots were fired in all directions amidst the most fearful yells. The poor ladies all joined in prayer, coolly and undauntedly awaiting their fate. I stopped for about three minutes amongst them, but, thinking of my poor wife and child here, I endeavoured to save my life for their sakes.”

Rushing towards the mutineers, Captain Orr begged them to save his life. One of the men called out that he should throw down his pistol, and then he would save him. Done, Gordeen quickly put himself between Captain Orr and the mutineers – several others followed his example. Saved for now, Orr could now witness what happened to the others. “In about ten minutes, they had completed their hellish work. I was about 300 yards at the utmost. Poor Lysaght was kneeling out in the open ground, with his hands folded across his chest, and, though not using his firearms, the cowardly wretches would not go up to him until they had shot him; then rushing forward, they killed the wounded and the children…With the exception of the drummer boy, everyone on the list above given was killed, as were also poor good Thomason and our two clerks….”

The slaughter ended, and the bodies were stripped of their clothing and plundered. There was no thought given to burial. Captain Orr was taken by the mutineers to Aurangabad. Here, they offered to put him at the head of the regiment on its march to Sitapur, even suggesting he send for his family. Evading their entreaties, Orr argued he could do nothing “without knowing what the Native Officers said…Fortunately, these were not brutally inclined, and they explained to the men that it was only by the consent of these 2 companies that I had escaped and that there was no knowing what the rest of the corps and the 41st and 10th would do or say…” Advised to make his way to Mithauli, Captain Orr was given a horse and some clothes, and with a guard, was brought to Rajah Loni Singh.

This is by far not the end, and the tragedy continues, after the mutiny in Sitapur.

^{Sources:
Anthome, J. F. F. Mariam: A Story of the Indian Mutiny of 1857, by One of the Survivors. Benares: Chandraprabha Press Co., Ld, 1896.
Chick, Noah Alfred. Annals of the Indian Rebellion. Calcutta: Sanders, Cones, and Co., 1859.
David, Saul. The Indian Mutiny. London: Viking, 2002.
Fraser, J. “More Europeans Who Sided with the Mutineers in India 1857–9.” Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research 80, no. 322 (2002): 110–27. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44230802.
Hibbert, Christopher. The Great Mutiny. London: Allen Lane, 1978.
Nevill, H. R. Shahjahanpur: A Gazetteer. Vol. XVII of the District Gazetteers of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. Allahabad: Government Press, 1910.
Orr, Patrick. “The English Captives in Oudh.” Letter to Adolphus Orr, June 1857. In Annals of the Indian Rebellion, edited by Noah Alfred Chick. Calcutta: Sanders, Cones, and Co., 1859.}