, saying that he had
put to death all he had come across, not excepting women and children,
and from his excited manner and the appearance of his dress--which was
covered with blood-stains--I quite believe he told me the truth. One
would imagine he must have tired of slaughter during those six days'
fighting in the city, but it was not so. I dined with him at the Palace
the night Delhi was taken, when he told me he intended accompanying
a small force the next morning to attack a village close by. All my
remonstrances at this were of no avail; he vowed to me he would never
stay his hand while he had an opportunity of wreaking his vengeance.
Poor fellow! that was his last fight; advancing in front of the
soldiers, he met his death from a bullet in the heart when assaulting
the village.

There were other officers of the army in camp who had lost wives and
relations at Delhi and Meerut, and who behaved in the same manner as
C---- d. One in particular, whose wife I had known well, was an object of
pity to the whole camp. She was the first woman who was murdered during
the outrage at Meerut, and her death took place under circumstances of
such shocking barbarity that they cannot be recorded in these pages.

Truly these were fearful times, when Christian men and gallant soldiers,
maddened by the foul murder of those nearest and dearest to them,
steeled their hearts to pity and swore vengeance against the murderers.
And much the same feelings, though not to such an extent, pervaded the
breasts of all who were engaged in the suppression of the Mutiny. Every
soldier fighting in our ranks knew that a day of reckoning would come
for the atrocities which had been committed, and with unrelenting spirit
dedicated himself to the accomplishment of that purpose. Moreover, it
was on our part a fight for existence, a war of extermination, in which
no prisoners were taken and no mercy shown--in short, one of the most
cruel and vindictive wars that the world has seen.

From July 10 to 14 there was comparative quiet in the camp; the
cannonade continued on each side, but no sorties were made by the enemy.

_July 12_.--On the morning of the 12th I was detailed for picket duty at
the Sabzi Mandi Gardens, to the right front of Hindoo Rao's house, the
picket consisting of 100 men under the command of a Captain. Since
the opening of the siege this had been the scene of many sanguinary
encounters with the enemy, who put forth all their strength i