soldiers, with a few native servants who remained faithful. The total
number of women, children, and non-effectives amounted to about eight
hundred and seventy persons.

During the night of the 4th of June the whole of the native troops rose,
set fire to all the European residences outside the intrenchments, and
marched to Nawabgunge, a place four miles away. A message was sent by them
to Nana Sahib, to the effect that they were marching to Delhi, and
inviting him to assume the command. This he at once assented to, and
arrived at Nawabgunge a few hours later, with six hundred troops and four
guns; and his first act was to divide the contents of the English treasury
there, which had been guarded by his own troops, among the mutineers.

Having destroyed the European buildings, the force marched to Kulleanpore,
on its way to Delhi; but on its reaching this place the same evening, Nana
Sahib called together the native officers, and advised them to return to
Cawnpore and kill all the Europeans there. Then they would be thought much
of when they arrived at Delhi. The proposal was accepted with acclamation,
and during the night the rebel army marched back to Cawnpore, which they
invested the next morning; the last message from Sir Hugh Wheeler came
through on that day, fighting having begun at half-past ten in the
morning.

The first proceeding of the mutineers was to take possession of the native
town of Cawnpore, where the houses of the peaceable and wealthy
inhabitants were at once broken open and plundered, and many respectable
natives slaughtered.

The bombardment of the British position began on the 6th, and continued
with daily increasing fury. Every attempt to carry the place by storm was