SAUGOR, C.P.— A STORY OF 1857 . 
165 
murderer of Colonel Mackeson, the Commissioner of Peshawur, in 1853, 
when my troop (2/1) of Bengal Horse Artillery, together with the 53rd 
Foot, 20th Regiment Bengal Native Infantry, and the 15th Bengal 
Irregular Cavalry formed an escort to prevent the man’s rescue should 
such be attempted by his co-religionists, for his body was subsequently 
to be burned, in order, according to the Mahomedan idea, to deprive 
him of all chance of entering Paradise, which is supposed to be realised 
by killing a “kafir” (unbeliever of Mahomed). 
I have already mentioned that on the 29th Juue Brigadier Sage held 
a consultation, at which the seizing and delivering up of all the bad 
characters in the two regiments of Native Infantry was discussed, and 
the Native officers of each regiment were at liberty to effect the same 
in any way they pleased, and having promised to do so were dismissed 
to their lines. However, not a single Sepoy was ever delivered up to 
the Brigadier. The Subadars were at the same time informed by the 
Brigadier that when both regiments gave up their bad characters their 
European officers would be permitted to rejoin their regiments in can¬ 
tonments, and not otherwise. 
A few days after we had all entered the fort advice was brought in 
that the guard of the 31st Regiment Native Infantry which was posted 
over the Civil Treasury had removed all the remaining treasure (copper 
coins) therefrom and were conveying it to their own lines : in doing so 
they were obliged to pass close by the lines of the 42nd Regiment Native 
Infantry (see Plan A.) While so passing they were intercepted by 
some men of that regiment, w r ho said the treasure must be taken to 
their quarter-guard. The men of the 31st Regiment Native Infantry 
objected, saying as their's was the senior regiment, it should go to their 
quarter-guard. Some of the 3rd Irregular Cavalry sided with the 42nd 
Regiment Native Infantry, and, as numbers were on their side, the 
treasure found its way to their lines. This incident naturally caused a 
bad feeling between the two regiments, which was further intensified 
by the following occurrence :—The 31st Regiment Native Infantry had 
posted sentries over the houses vacated by their European officers, on 
their proceeding into the fort on the 29th June, to protect their 
furniture and other property which they had been obliged to leave 
behind. One day a sowar (a Native Cavalry trooper) entered the com¬ 
pound (enclosure) of Major Finch's house, and was thereupon challenged 
by the 31st Native Infantry sentry as to his business. The sowar 
replied that he was going to take some hay (from Major Finch's hay¬ 
stack). The sentry informed him that he could not have it; but the 
sowar persisting, the sentry said he would shoot him if he touched the 
haystack, whereupon the sowar up with his carbine and fired at the 
sentry, but without effect; the sentry in return fired at the sowar and 
shot him dead. This led to a perfect breach between the 31st Regi¬ 
ment Native Infantry and the 42nd Regiment Native Infantry, with 
whom the 3rd Irregular Cavalry had fraternised, and it was reported 
that there was going to be a fight between the two parties, and such a 
fight, in the shape of a light infantry skirmish actually took place on 
the parade grounds of the two Infantry Regiments on the 7th July, 
1857. We could overlook the parade-grounds from certain parts of 
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