SAUGOR, C.P. — A STORY OP 1857. 157 
Lullntpore and keep the surrounding country quiet. As will be noticed 
hereafter, the guns never reached Lullntpore, and Major Sale, together 
with Captain and Mrs. Irwin and children, and Dr. O'Brian, the only 
European residents at Lullutpore, had to bolt either to Shahgurh or 
Banpore (two small Native States adjoining), and some weeks later 
were escorted into Saugor fort by the Rajah's people. The action 
taken by Brigadier Sage to help Major Sale was the issue of an order 
directing one Troop of the 3rd Bengal Irregular Cavalry, one Company of 
the 31st Bengal Native Light Infantry, and one Company of the 42nd 
Bengal Native Light Infantry to escort two 9-pr. guns (supplied from 
the magazine) manned by an European sergeant, one European gunner, 
and 12 gun lascars to Lullutpore. This detachment was placed under 
the command of‘Major Gaussen of the 42nd Bengal Native Infantry, 
and owing to the paucity of subalterns with the Bullock Battery, Capt. 
Marshall having but one present for duty, the guns were placed in 
command of Lieutenant Willoughby (an artillery officer employed in 
the Survey Department, and brother of the Commissary of Ordnance, 
who did his best to blow up the Delhi powder magazines before he 
retired from Delhi on the morning of the 11th May, when the mutinous 
regiments from Meerut arrived there). The company of the 31st Regi¬ 
ment, on the evening before starting for Lullutpore, were reported to 
have at first refused to take balled cartridge from their own regimental 
magazine, but eventually did so. This was the first overt act of mutiny 
on the part of this regiment, now the 2nd Bengal Light Infantry. 
The detachment under Major Gaussen having accomplished about half 
its journey to Lullutpore, that officer heard of the existence of a Native 
fort at Balabet, a little distance off the main road, occupied by some 
rebels of Bundelcund, generally designated Bundeelas. As he did not 
wish to leave a fort occupied by an enemy in his rear to interfere with 
his communications with Saugor, he determined to attack it, and did so 
successfully.' Lieutenant Willoughby was thereupon ordered to destroy 
the Gate. Unfortunately, he was not in possession of suitable means, 
such as a piece of proper fuze, so he substituted a piece of his wadded 
jacket on the spur of the moment and applied a light to it ; but the 
fire ran along it too rapidly to allow of Lieutenant Willoughby getting 
to a safe distance before the fire reached the powder bag and caused an 
explosion. Lieutenant Willoughby was knocked down and seriously 
injured one of his knees, which prevented him doing further duty for 
months. At the same time that Lieutenant Willoughby was injured, 
Lieutenant Spens of the 31st Bengal Native Infantry was killed by the 
explosion, he having, unknown to others, remained behind in the fort, 
and must have been coming out of it, in ignorance of the orders con¬ 
veyed to Lieutenant Willoughby, when the explosion took place, for 
Lieutenant Willoughby said that poor Spens was shot past him and was 
picked up dead. The next act in this business is curious. When the 
fort was captured two or three Bundeelas were taken prisoners and 
brought into camp. Either the same evening or next morning Major 
Gaussen was arranging for their despatch to Saugor to be dealt with 
by the civil or military authorities there; but the report then current 
was that the Sepoys of the 31st Bengal Native Infantry detachment 
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