Page:The Indian Mutiny of 1857.djvu/212

186 body of insurgent rabble. When he had cleared the outskirts with a few rounds he despatched the forty-three men of his own regiment, three companies of Sikhs, and forty native horsemen to expel the rebels from the suburb and secure the bridge of boats. This they accomplished without loss. He then repaired the bridge, and placed a company of Sikhs to guard it. A company of the fusiliers from Banáras crossed it that same afternoon to enter the fort.

The next day and the day following he continued his reorganising measures. With great tact he moved the Sikhs to a position outside the fort. He bought up all the liquor, and lodged it in the Government stores. On the 15th he despatched by steamer to Calcutta the numerous women and children, and then cleared of the enemy the villages in immediate vicinity to the fort. The effect of these strong measures was quickly visible. On the 17th the Magistrate, Mr Court, proceeded to the city, and reinstalled his own officials at the Kotwálí. Not only was there no resistance, but the whole place seemed deserted. The Maulaví himself had fled to Kánhpur. Neill improved the occasion by marching the following day, with his whole force, to the cantonment, the scene of the massacre of their own officers by the men of the 6th N. I. He found that a complete reaction had set in, that terror had taken the place of insolence, that the desire to escape punishment had succeeded to the love of killing.

Leaving to the authorities appointed under the martial law, which had been proclaimed, to deal with rebels and murderers, Neill proceeded to develop the plan he had arranged in his own mind, viz., a march, as soon as possible, to the relief of Kánhpur. On the 18th his force amounted to 360 English soldiers. The same day 150 more arrived. He had placed on a serviceable footing the Commissariat and Transport departments. These had procured carts and