grand effort of
mutiny burst forth at Meerut. The sepoys suddenly arose there, attacked
their officers, murdered some, and, having set fire to the cantonments,
marched to Delhi. Major-general Hewett, who commanded the garrison,
showed extraordinary weakness and vacillation, and took no prompt or
vigorous measures to intercept the flight of the fugitives, or to pursue
them. The mutiny occurred on Sunday evening, the 10th of May. The rabble
of the neighbourhood joined the mutineers. Both the revolted sepoys
and the insurgents showed a sanguinary delight in murdering women and
children. As soon as the fugitive mutineers arrived at Delhi the whole
city rose in insurrection; its garrison revolted, women and children
were butchered, the ex-king of Delhi, a pensioner of the British
government, was placed at the head of the revolution, and his sons
were leaders in every act of barbarity and cowardice. The magazine
was defended by a few officers and soldiers. Among them was Lieutenant
Willoughby, who, when defence was no longer possible, blew up a large
portion of the magazine, causing the death of a considerable number of
the assailants, estimated, according to different testimonies, at from
one to two thousand.

On the 18th of May the general at Meerut sent a despatch to say that he
could not move his troops against Delhi, or for any operations in the
field, _for want of carriage_. Such was the management of military
affairs in India.

General Anson slowly collected a force at Umballah, and Sir John Lawrence
sent Sikh troops from the Punjaub. General Anson died, and the command
devolved upon General Barnard, who marched upon Delhi. It must not be
supposed that Sir Henry Barnard, in his advance to Delhi, was unopposed.
Whatever the sepoys may have been in British pay, in revolt they were
energetic and persevering, and, as long as they entertained any hope
of success, fought with keenness; as a loyal native in Delhi described
them, "they were willing to take life, and willing to give their lives
away." It had been arranged, before General Anson's death, that a
brigade should advance from Umballah, under General Barnard, and that
General Hewett, at Meerut, should order another brigade to advance from
that station, the two forces to form a junction, and storm or lay siege
to Delhi. In pursuance of this plan General Hewett placed a small body
of troops under the command of Colonel Archdale Wilson, consisting of
five hundred men o