An Account of the Mutinies in Oudh; And of the Siege of the Lucknow Residency

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1858 Excerpt: ... caused the diminution of their numbers by sickness to be severely felt. For some days we had only one engineer fit for duty. Lieutenant Dashwood, of the 48th N. I., fell a victim to cholera on the 9th, and the Rev. Mr. Polehampton on the 19th of July, to the same fell disease. Mr. Polehampton had just recovered from his severe wound when he was taken ill, and was carried off in a few hours. He was much liked and respected in the garrison. Colonel Halford, of the 71st, died on the 29th of a carbuncle; and Mrs. Thomas, wife of Lieutenant Thomas, Madras Artillery, Mrs. Edgar Clarke, wife of Lieutenant Clarke, Assistant-Commissioner at Gondah, of smallpox, on the 16th and 30th respectively. But the chief sufferers from sickness were the children. Everything was against them. It is difficult at all times for European children to get through the hot weather in the plains of India without injury, even under ordinary circumstances of peace and comfort. But now, when neither fresh air nor suitable food could be given them, the poor little creatures sickened and died in numbers. Some parents who had had two and even three children in good health when the siege began, had not one left when it ended. We suffered also from another very serious though minor nuisance--that of flies. These troublesome insects swarm in all native cities, and particularly at Dehli and Lucknow, and multiplied in countless myriads during the siege. Deprived of our ordinary attendants who usually brush them away at meals, we were sorely pestered and annoyed by them. By the end of July also our casualties had become very numerous, and the hospital, of which the groundfloor only could be used (the upper story being too much exposed to the fire of the enemy), was full and over-crowded: 170 casual...