Welcome to this, the third episode in my series about the Indian Sepoy rebellion in 1857 - 58.

Previously I have talked about how and why the rebellion broke out and the siege of Delhi.

In this episode we move east, down the Ganges to the city of Cawnpore.

It was here, in June and July 1857, that two tragic events took place that changed the tone of the war.

After a three-week siege, a British garrison surrendered but was then massacred as they tried to embark on boats provided by the rebels. 

Then, with a British relief column storming towards the city, the rebel leaders ordered the execution of the surviving 200 British women and children.

It became a defining moment, for the British in the rebellion and was to colour their attitude on the sub-continent for decades to come.

This is the story of the Cawnpore Massacre in 1857.

The revolt of 1857, or Sepoy Mutiny (also called the Indian Mutiny) was the most serious challenge to British rule in India during the 19th century.

Initially driven by soldiers (sepoys) of the East India Company’s army turning on their officers, it soon brought in other elements from Indian society, all intent on driving out the British.

In fairness, these disparate groups didn’t have a unified plan or goal - other than kick out the British - which ultimately proved their undoing. And the revolt did not engulf the whole of the sub-continent. If it had, it probably would have been gave over for the British.

Nevertheless, for a time, especially in northern India, the British were in serious trouble.

Which brings us to events in the city of Cawnpore, on the banks of the River Ganges.

Here, in 1857, the Bengal army garrison was under the command of veteran officer, Major-General Sir Hugh Wheeler.

Born in Ireland back in 1789, he had joined the East India Company’s army in 1805.

In many respects he was the last of a dying breed of British officer in India.

A man who saw India as his home, he spoke several local languages, and was loved by his men, whom he had led into battle on countless occasions.

What really set him apart, was that he had an Anglo-Indian (Eurasian) wife and had fathered mixed race children.

Back in the day, this “going native” had been common amongst East India Company officers.

However, as the 19th century rolled on, a more aloof attitude (which we tend to associate with the Victorian British Empire) had started to be adopted.

A lot of it, had to do with the arrival of more and more British women on the look out for husbands.

Proportionately, officers in the Indian Army were better paid than their counterparts in the British Army and the lifestyle was considerably cheaper.

So these young officers were a bit of a catch for women who wanted to climb the Victorian social ladder and live a lifestyle that possibly couldn’t afford back in Britain.

Passenger ships sailing east attracted more and more of these women - and became known as the “Fishing Fleet.”

The arrival of these women, influenced by the evangelical christianity sweeping Britain at the time and protective of their catches subtly changed the dynamics of European interactions with locals in India.

Far from being encouraged, relationships between the two communities were frowned upon and separate European settlements became a permanent feature in Indian towns and cities.

Thus the commander of the garrison at Cawnpore found himself in a difficult position.

He had a position of power but he (and more particularly his wife) were shunned by many of the European community. 

Indeed, there were households who would not invite the commander and his wife to dinner.

This estrangement was synonyms of how relations between the British and Indians had been growing apart prior to 1857.

In my first talk, I mentioned that not only had the two communities started to drift apart but, more worryingly, so had the relationship between British officers and their Indian troops too.

The bonds that had held the East Indian Army together were fraying.

Situated on the banks of the River Ganges, about 250 miles south east of Delhi, Cawnpore was an important military and civilian centre for British rule in the recently annexed kingdom of Oudh.

The problem, for the British community is that whilst there was a sizeable military garrison in Cawnpore, it was almost exclusively made up of Indian regiments - the 1st, 53rd & 56th Bengal Native Infantry and the 2nd Light Cavalry.

Apart from those regiments’ British officers, the only men General Wheeler could rely on were about 60 European artillerymen.

In mid-May news arrived of the Sepoy mutiny at Meerut.

As you will recall from my previous episodes, the garrison at Meerut marched on, and captured, the city of Delhi.

Through May, the mutinies spread across the north of India.

Tensions started to mount in Cawnpore.

Wheeler was mightily relieved when a detachment of 55 men of the British 32nd Regiment of Foot arrived. They were followed by 70 men from the 84th regiment at the end of May.

With no immediate signs of mutiny amongst his Indian garrison, Wheeler even sent half of the 32nd back to help out at Lucknow.

Part of Wheeler’s misplaced optimism was that he was being promised support from a local Indian prince.

Nana Sahib, was the adopted son and heir of the last Peshwa (or ruler) of the mighty Maratha Confederation.

At its peak, the Maratha states ruled over a sizeable portion of India.

However, a series of disastrous wars with the British East India Company had resulted in the last ruler, being banished to Bithur (Bithoor) on the banks of the Ganges.

Here, in a form of internal exile not far from Cawnpore, he lived out his days on a generous British pension, finally dying in 1851.

He was succeeded by his adopted son, Nana Sahib.

But, there was a problem.

The British refused to recognise an adopted son as a rightful heir and therefore drastically reduced the pension that had previously gone to his father.

Nana Sahib seethed at his treatment.

Not that the British spotted it.

To all intents and purposes he remained on friendly terms with both Wheeler and also the local British civil servant (or Collector) by the name of Charles Hillersdon.

As tensions across the region continued to rise through May and into June, Hillersdon trusted Nana Sahib enough to ask for his military assistance.

Would he be so kind as to bring his 300 strong private army to Cawnpore and garrison the magazine and the treasury on behalf of the British.

This would enable the British to concentrate their limited force at the barracks.

Nana Sahib was only too willing to oblige and sent his men under his trusted commander,  Jwala Prasad, to secure these two vital positions.

On the morning of the 5th June 1857, three pistol shots rang out in the barracks of the 2nd Light Cavalry.

It was the signal for the rising to begin.

Looting and burning their post, the cavalrymen sent messengers to the 1st Bengal Native Infantry to join them.

The 1st’s British commanding officer, Colonel John Ewart rode forwards to urge his men to ignore the request. Instead then ran past him and joined the revolt.

Many, including officers at the time, believe that Wheeler made a significant blunder in leaving the magazine and establishing himself at the barracks instead.

At at first glance, the magazine with its ammunition, thick walls and proximity to the Ganges seems the better position.

Wheeler, however, believed that if the sepoys did mutiny, they would follow the example of the men at Meerut and elsewhere in the region and march immediately on Delhi.

So all he needed was a fortification to which the Europeans could flee in the short term, not a position that would withstand a siege.

And initially it looked like he had made the right call.

The four regiments did indeed start on the road to Delhi.

But, then things all started to go wrong.

When I say “things”, I mean Nana Sahib now decided to take his revenge on the British.

The mutineers had camped overnight less than 10 miles from Cawnpore.

The next morning, before they could head towards Delhi, Nana Sahib arrived on an elephant. 

He urged them to return to Cawnpore and wipe out General Wheelers command.

With a promise of a pay rise and food, the troops started to sway.

Then the leader of the 2nd Light Cavalry (Subedar Teeka Singh) hailed Nana Sahib as the new Peshwa of the Marathan Confederacy and persuaded the troops to do an about-turn.

That day, 6th June, General Wheeler received a letter from Nana Sahib informing him, very politely, that he was about to attack.

The siege of Cawnpore was to last for three weeks in the heat of the Indian summer.

Wheeler’s position was manned by 210 soldiers (of whom 70 were convalescing from disease) and 20 loyal sepoys.

Also in the compound were about 100 civilian men (mainly European but some Anglo-Indians included) and somewhere over 335 European women and children (again the majority were white British but there were a handful of Anglo-Indians, not least General Wheeler’s own family).

Finally, there were about 100 Indian servants who had fled to the compound with their employers.

The army of Nana Sahib brought their artillery guns against Wheeler’s position.

Every shell that landed was accompanied by the screams of women and children, as roofs and walls caved in.

On the 13th June, the Indian bombardment was so intense that at one moment a shell was hitting the compound every 8 seconds.

Meanwhile, infantry positioned in buildings (some of which were only 300 yards away) fired incessantly at the British.

The 23rd June marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Plassey.

In that battle, the East India Company, led by Robert Clive had achieved a victory that had cemented their control over Bengal.

In my first episode in this series, I talked about how many Indians saw the 100th anniversary as an auspicious date, a date when British rule would be ended.

In episode 2, you may recall that the rebels in Delhi launched a ferocious attack on the British lines on the anniversary.

And so it was here in Cawnpore too.

4,000 rebels launched an assault on Wheeler’s position but despite their numbers they were eventually beaten off. 

Yet that success couldn’t hide the fact that the British position was becoming untenable.

They had lost over a third of their men killed and were running short of both food and ammunition.

Their medical supplies had been destroyed by a direct hit from a rebel shell.

Their only water supply - a well - had been hit by shellfire and anyone venturing to fetch water had to run a hail of bullets.

The daytime temperatures were touching 40 degrees celsius (100 degrees fahrenheit).

The stench from their unwashed bodies was only matched by the stench from the dead lying around the barracks.

On the 25th June, Nana Sahib’s senior minister, Azmilluh Khan offered Wheeler terms for surrender.

If the British surrendered their guns and treasure, Nana Sahib would evacuate the garrison and civilians by boat down the Ganges.

Wheeler was opposed to any deal.

He had trusted Nana Sahib before and looked what had happened?

Other senior officers argued that they had a duty to save the women and children.

Wheeler relented but requested that they keep their arms and 60 rounds of ammunition each.

On behalf of his master, Azmilluh Khan gave his word that the garrison could leave safely for the river.

Wheeler was right. He shouldn’t have trusted Nana Sahib or his minister.

Unbeknown to the British general, two weeks before hand, the rebels had already overseen a massacre of British civilians.

120 fugitives from Fatehgarh had been brought to Cawnpore.

Nana Sahibs younger brother, Bala Rao, and the senior officer of the 2nd Light Cavalry,Teeka Singh, argued that they should be shown no mercy.

On the 12th June, those British civilians had been lined up in a trench and, with Rao and Singh watching on, shot.

And now, on the 27th June, Wheeler led his garrison out of their positions and into the tender mercies of those same men.

Wheeler, at the head of the ragged column, arrived at the banks of the Ganges.

Here at Sati Chowra (or Sati Chaura Ghat), Nana Sahib had assembled boats for the evacuation.

The Peshwa himself was no where to be seen but Bala Rao was present. So was his henchman Tatya Tope and the commander of the Peshwa’s army, Jwala Prasad.

Also present were hundreds of former sepoys, members of Jwala Prasad’s army and local townsfolk.

The British embarked on the boats. Even now, the strict hierarchies of Victorian society were observed as to who sat in which boat.

It was 9am before the British garrison were finally all aboard.

What exactly happened next is debated.

Some say that in the tension and confusion an Indian fired on the British.

Other’s say that it was the other way round.

Some say the Indian sailors jumped overboard having thrown charcoal on the thatched roofs of the boats.

Alternative sources say that stoves were accidentally turned over in the mayhem.

What is certain is that a a firefight now erupted between the outnumbered British in their burning boats and the Indians on the shore.

Interestingly, none of those senior rebels seemed to try to control the situation and suddenly four 9 pound cannon appeared and fired on the boats too, suggesting that there had always been a more sinister agenda.

Indians now raced into the water to attack the British.

General Wheeler was killed by one sword slash to his neck.

Finally an order arrived from the absent Nana Sahib to cease fire and round up the survivors.

Only one boat managed to get away, and four of its passengers eventually reached safety.

Two Anglo-Indian women also managed to escape the massacre.

17-year old Amy Horne jumped into the river and swam to some reeds.

Here she met the 18-year old daughter of General Wheeler, Margaret, who had done the same thing.

Shortly afterwards they were captured.

Margaret was taken away by a muslim soldier from the 2nd Cavalry and never seen again.

Amy was spared by a Muslim soldier on the promise that she would convert to Islam.

6 months later, she would be rescued by soldiers fighting for Sir Colin Campbell.

About 60 of the remaining British men were summarily executed - and the remaining few put in prison.

The women and children were moved the Bibigarth (or House of the Ladies), which had been built by a British officer for his Indian mistresses.

Now ironically, British ladies (& children) were imprisoned there.

Nana Sahib entrusted their captivity to the servant of his favourite courtesan, Hossaini Khanum (also known as Hossaini Begum).

Her hostility to her charges was extreme. Indians seen to be even remotely kind to them were removed and executed.

Having gained his victory over the British garrison at Cawnpore, Nana Sahib now faced his next challenge.

The British relief column advancing up the Grand Trunk Road in a belated attempt to rescue Wheeler.

This force of 2,000 British troops, principally regulars from the British Army rapidly diverted to India, was commanded by General Henry Havelock.

On the 3rd July Havelock was informed by spies, that Cawnpore had fallen.

Unaware of the massacre at the Sati Chaura Ghat on the Ganges, Havelock was nevertheless concerned for the plight of the garrison and its civilians.

Unlike Wheeler, when he surrendered to Nana Sahib, Havelock was aware of the previous civilian massacre. Based upon that knowledge, he feared the worst.

Despite suffering from the effects of cholera, dysentry and sunstroke, Havelock’s column managed to cover 100 miles in 10 days to close in on the city.

On the 12th July he found the road to Cawnpore blocked at Fattehpore by Nana Sahib’s army under the command of  Prasad, Tatya Tope and cavalry officer, Teeka Singh.

Their force of roughly 3,500 outnumbered the British 2:1.

In the ensuing battle of Fattehpore, Havelock put them to flight and continued his advance.

Three days later he pushed aside another army led by Nana Sahib’s younger and zealous brother, Bala Rao.

As sepoys started to desert the city, Nana Sahib presided over a hurriedly arranged war council.

The key question: What should they do with their prisoners in the Bibigarth?

Tatyta Tope advocated killing them and carried the council.

It is not clear why Nana Sahib ordered the executions of the women and children.

He could have felt a rage against the British who were already dishing out summary justice as they advanced, or he didn’t want any witnesses from the massacre at the river, or maybe in a bizarre logic he thought that if the prisoners were dead then there was no need for the British to advance any further.

We just don’t know.

But the order was given.

Gleefully Hossaini Begum ordered the sepoys guarding the house to bring the prisoners outside and line them up in the road.

The Sepoys, had the measure of Begum. They guessed what would follow next and refused to comply. 

Begum was forced to call Tatya Tope to the prison where he confronted the guards.

Eventually the sepoys agreed to fire through the windows.

They fired one round and then, hearing the shrieks of the women and the terrified crying of the children, they refused to continue.

But Begum was a woman on a mission.

She now turned to her lover, Sarvur Khan.

He arrived with 4 men. Two muslim butchers and two lower cast Hindus.

Armed with swords they entered the house.

For the next hour they hacked their way through the prisoners. 

Khan actually broke his sword in the fury of his attack.

Finally, in utter silence, the five blood covered men left the building and Begum ordered the door to be locked.

The next morning, sweepers were ordered in to dispose of the bodies.

Even in the early morning temperature, the smell of decomposition was overwhelming.

A British prisoner, a drummer by the name of John Fitchett, who was also being held in a separate room in the house, watched as the sweepers brought the dead bodies out and threw them down a well.

The sweepers found that many women were still, despite their wounds, alive. They were brought out and killed.

3 little boys, somewhere between the ages of 4 and 7 had somehow managed to avoid the massacre. Now, traumatised and terrified, they ran around the courtyard screaming until one by one they were seized and thrown down the well, still alive.

 Then more adult bodies were thrown in on top to suffocate them.

Eventually the well was filled to the brim and the remaining bodies were dumped in the Ganges.

It is estimated that around 200 women and children were murdered in the Bibigarth - the “house of the ladies”.

The following day, the 17th July 1857, General Havelock’s relief column entered the city.

One of the first sights they saw was a tattered man stumbling towards them.

John Shepherd was a survivor of the massacre at the river and had been imprisoned.

With Havelock advancing on the city, his gaolers had fled and now he informed the general of the terrible events at the Sati Chaura Ghat.

If the British were horrified by that story nothing prepared them for what they found at the Bibigarth.

The floor of the house was covered in dried blood. Torn hair and clothing littered the rooms. Tiny bloody handprints from children were on the walls.

As many British probably died in the massacre on the banks of the Ganges as had been killed in the Bibigarth. But it was the latter that made a lasting impression. It was an attack on defenceless women and children.

Queen Victoria, when told of the massacre, commented that such horror were unknown in these ages.

Whilst not entirely true, it was importantly the first time the British had suffered such an action.

In the strict moral code of Victorian Britain this had stepped over the line and those responsible could expect no mercy.

Troops arriving in the city were taken to the Bibigarth.

The impression it made on them was very deliberate.

As 2nd Lieutenant Arthur Lange from the Bengal Engineers wrote:

“Every man across the river who I meet shall suffer for my visit to Cawnpore.”

From now on the war between the British and the Indian rebels took on a more brutal, more unforgiving tone.

“Remember Cawnpore” became a rallying cry for the British as they sought to put down the rising.

The moral indignation and retribution of the British knew no bounds. 

19th century historian, J. W. Kaye, described the next months as a “Bloody Assize” through India as hanging parties dished out summary justice on anyone suspected of being a rebel, thousands of them (and just by the numbers many were not active rebels or rebels at all).

Brigadier-General James Neil, epitomised the desire for revenge.

He ordered that rebels from the Cawnpore area be forced to clean up the Bibigarth (some forced to lick the dried blood from the floor) before being hanged.

Other rebels were executed by being strapped to the muzzles of cannon which were then fired - a particularly gory punishment (which incidentally had been employed previously by rulers in India’s own past).

The rebel leaders at Cawnpore were wanted men.

Nana Sahib’s army commander, Jwala Prasad was captured and hanged in 1859 at Sati Chowra - the site of the massacre over which he had presided.

Azimullah Khan, the man who had guaranteed General Wheeler’s safe conduct, supposedly died of a fever (maybe smallpox) whilst on the run. Although rumours abounded that he had somehow found his way to Constantinople.

Tatya Tope was also captured and executed in 1859, but before that he has a big part in another episode in this series.

And what of Nana Sahib, the Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy? 

Well, the confederacy was still born.

His title was merely that.

Unlike some of the other rebel leaders, he simply disappeared from records.

No one knows definitely where he died or when.

The most persistent rumour is that he lived out his days in Nepal, but others claim he lived incognito in other parts of India.

The well at Cawnpore became a shrine in colonial India.

After independence, the monument was moved to the Memorial Church in the city - itself established in memory of the victims the siege of 1857.

There remains a final footnote to this bloody and sad story. It took place near the Bazar in Cawnpore in the early 1900’s - nearly 50 years after the events I have described.

A Catholic priest was called to a dying Anglo-Indian lady, living in the Indian quarter of the town.

She told him that she had survived the massacre on the banks of the Ganges.

Jumping off a boat she had hidden in some reeds but had been found by rebel sepoys.

They spared her and she was carried away by a man from the 2nd Cavalry.

His name was Ali Khan and she had ended up marrying him. 

On her death bed she identified herself to the priest as Margaret Wheeler, the daughter of General Wheeler.

Well thanks for joining me today and I hope that you found this episode interesting.

Join me next time as I explore one of the great military battles of the rebellion - the Siege of Lucknow.

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Until next time, thanks for your support, keep well and I will see you very soon.