gently to the military operations connected with the final suppression of the revolt by Sir Colin Campbell and Sir Hugh Rose.
Preceded in various parts of India, as already seen, by indications of a mutinous spirit in the Native Army, a spirit of disaffection that grew stronger as it was met with increasing indecision, the first important outbreak of the Sepoys took place on May 10th, 1857, at Meerut. The Native troops at that place rose in open rebellion; and although there were only about 2700 Sepoys with 1700 Europeans to control them, the mutineers, without check or hindrance, released a number of desperate prisoners from the jail, set fire to the cantonments, and hurried away unmolested to Delhi. There, amid fearful scenes of murder and carnage, the titular King of Delhi was set up as Sovereign Lord of Hindustán. Within a few short hours not a vestige remained in the city of British authority except the Arsenal; and this building, after being defended for a time by a small and devoted band of Englishmen[1] who watched in vain for succour from Meerut, had at length to be blown up to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy. The first great step in the Mutiny was thus accomplished in a few hours. 'Onwards to Delhi' was now the cry, and the old Mughal capital became the
- ↑ Lieutenant George Willoughby of the Bengal Artillery, Lieutenants Forest and Raynor, Conductors Buckley, Shaw, and Kelly, Sub-Conductor Crow, and Sergeants Edwards and Stuart, were the nine heroes of the Delhi arsenal. Of these, three only lived to tell the tale.
