in either the law or usage of the Mohammedan or Hindoo religions; and any person who may persevere in that opposition, cannot in consequence fail to be subjected to the severest penalties of military discipline."

66

66

(Secret.)

Nundvdroog, July 9, 18c6. 'My Lord,-I have been much honoured this morning by the receipt of the letter from your lordship in council, upon the subject of the turbans, and feel myself peculiarly gratified by the transmission of the proposed order by government, previous to its circulation.

"I take the liberty to express my entire concurrence with the spirit and terms of the order, as every way calculated to preserve just authority, and still to allay any prejudices that may exist upon the imputed disregard to the rights attached to cast, or ancient custom. The point was of infinite embarrassment; and if any act was to be resorted to, beyond the immediate and constant vindication of violated discipline, as it might arise, I conceive, that an order from government of this nature would seem to promise the best effect.

"I will confess, that by the preBent communication with government, I have gained the object I had in view; which was to receive from them an unreserved opinion, as to the propriety of full coercion, should it prove necessary; but which, situated as this country is, buried in the absurdities of casts, or prejudices, dear to them as exist ence, I was fearful to take a step of any doubt, without the explicit knowledge and sanction of govern

ment.

"Since I last had the honor to address your lordship in council, I

have heard nothing more; which silence leads me to hope, that the disinclination to the turban has become more feeble, or perhaps that reports have been exaggerated.

Under this view it may be judicious to postpone the publication of the order, either to let the subject fall to the ground, as no longer the interposition of the government is required, or to reassume the issue, as your lordship in council may determine by tuture events.

'J. F. CRADOCK, lieut.-gen."

The commander in chief has thus explicitly detailed all the circumstances relative to the turban, anterior to the 10th July, that the public mind may form its judgment according to its first principles, and not suffer undue impression from any course of events---The appellation of" obnoxious order" may now be attached to the measure; but the public arts of the council, that declared the turban free from objection, that imputed the opposition to unfounded clamour and groundless discontent," and the private act of the right honourable the governor, who, after deliberate inquiry, and at a late period, expressed his desire, that his corps of fencibles should wear it, will surely have weight to recall the 66 UNMERITED EPITHET," and reinstate original sentiment.

It is unnecessary to go through the painful recital of the atrocious revolt and massacre on the 10th July at Vellore ---The fatal occurrences are within universal information.--- They comprehend every case of disloyalty, treachery, and horror---The whole was planned with unequalled secrecy and concealment---The object was to destroy every European, and place a Son of 1 ppoo at the head of a Moorish

Moorish government. (1)---With this view, letters were ready, or even were dispatched, to the Mahratas, and to disaffected chieftains at Cuddapass, in the ceded districts, and Vencatagharry, in the Carnatic, to excite a general hostility.---Indiscriminate fury and slaughter raged for many hours, and wretches were seen tottering from the hospital to partake in the bloody scene--while the British soldiers were dragged from the same asylum, and devoted to a deliberate death.--Fatal insurrection extended far, that even the Sepoy boys armed themselves with their carbines of exercise, and lent their aid to the general destruction. (2)

SO

To what extent the calamity might have reached, it is impossible to say; most happily a body of cavalry arrived from Arcot, under the intrepid colonel Gellispie, performed a military wonder, and regained possession of the fortress, rescued the brave survivors of the 69th regiment, reduced to the last extremity, and closed this scene of cruelty and cowardice.

Upon the arrival of the commander in chief at Vellore, on the third morning after the dreadful event, it appeared to be the leading principle to conciliate and restore confidence, to banish apprehension or suspicion ofevery nature, and pursue the paths of justice and spirit--While innocence was to be discovered from the mass of apparent crime, and protected with ardent zeal, the firm punishment of the guilty seemed equally necessary; and this unparalleled outrage, against the British name and existence, was to be vindicated in the sign chastisement of the savage perpetrators.---Against them alone was punishment to direct its

just reprisal ; (3) towards all others policy; good principles and judgment seemed to dictate the full exertion of every former feeling of confidence and cordiality. The Indian character would understand this distinction, and not confound the operation of generosity with apprehension.

The whole dispensation seemed to require the earliest practicable termination, that the progress of oblivion might commence.

These principles actuated the commander in chief from the beginning, while at Vellore, and still direct his conduct.

Before the active causes of the insurrection at Vellore are entered upon, it appears necessary that the order to prohibit the marks of cast on parade, and the wearing earrings, &c. should be adverted to, and explanation given on this subject.---The commander in chief has already delivered his opinion on this subject; and what belongs to a statement of this nature, is only to mark circumstances, as they really are, and not to condemn on extenuate the alleged usage of the service, which does prevail on the Madras establishment, and it is stated, the Bengal also.--- Captain Sydenham, the resident at Hyderabad, writes in these terms:

"Many corps on the Madras establishment, and almost all the corps in Bengal, which are composed of Hindoos of the highest cast, never use their distinguishing marks on duty---The orders did not apply to the Mussulmans, who certainly were the most active, both in receiving and exciting the unfavorable impression which led to discontent."

It

It had been found necessary to collect into one code the several regulations of the military service, and the work was allotted by the order of government to the deputyadjutant-general of the army, major Pierce, an officer of 25 years experience in India, and who seemed in every respect most qualified for the task.

As a general instruction, the commander in chief directed major Pierce to note, with read ink, all matter, in the least different from former practice or usage; that, when the book was submitted to government for their sanction, attention might be attracted to any alteration.

When the deputy adjutantgeneral reported the work prepared, the commander in chief assembled the adj.-general, col. Agnew, the quarter-master-gen. Lieut.-col. Orr, and the dep.adj.-gen. major Pierce, and the regulations were read by himself on many successive days, and discussed, paragraph by paragraph---when the order in question, to prohibit the marks of casts, &c. under arms, appeared in its turn. It immediately attracted the commander in chief's attention, as an impolitic interference with the customs and prejudices of the inhabitants.

The adjutant-general, and the deputy, (on this day the quartermaster-general happened to be absent) assured the commander in chief, that it was the invariable practice of the service, that in no well-regulated corps was it ever permitted; and appealed to the commander in chief's personal observation among the battalions he had inspected, whether he had remarked such distinctions.-The commander in chief, as a stranger, and with an opinion only formed from books, could not oppose such arguments; and, anxious to leave undisturbed the usual course of a sepoy battalion, (instead of intro

ducing, to resist innovation) he suffered the insertion of the order.

A few extracts from the correspondence that has taken place on this part of the subject, will place the question in the true point of

view.

Letter from sir John Cradock to Colonel Agnew, 16th July, 1806. Vellore.

But upon the other points, the abolition of the marks of cast from the foreheads of the sepoys, and the measurement of the meustache to a military pattern, &c. as expressed in the order, as the rumour now stands, and I may say accredited by government and others, I do feel the greatest inquietudethat it is in the power of possibility, that infringement of the rights and prejudices of the natives, dear to them as life, should originate with me, who, I will say, as much as any man in India, respects those immemorial usages. -I therefore, my dear sir, must call upon you, and major Pierce, who compiled the orders, to give every explanation on this particular point, whether any innovation has been introduced; or is it only a continuance of the long practice in the army.'

"As such I understood it from you, when the orders to be published were read, by me, in the presence of yourself, major Pierce, and colonel Orr, expressly, that I might derive information from such lengthened experience, as those officers possessed, upon local points; and I recollect adverting to the order in question, when I was assured, that it was the established military custom; and, had I not sanctioned its common course, I must have conceived I was induced, by self-sentiment, to overthrow the usual established rule of a sepoy regiment.

(Signed) "J. F. CRADOCK."

The

The Adjutant General Colonel Agnew's Reply to Sir John Cradock. Vellore, asth July,

1800.

"I now reply to the second part of your excelency's inquiry, and trust this statement will fully shew, that nothing was further from your excellency's intention than any interference with the customs of cast.

"The total want in many of the native corps of any standing orders for the ordinary routine of regimental duty, and interior arrangement, and the glaring deficiencies in those which existed in other corps, had been brought to public notice, in the course of the inspecting of corps. The deputy-adjutant-general, then employed by appointment of government in revising the existing code of regulations, undertook to prepare a body of standing orders for a battalion of native infantry; by which the whole army should in future be guided; and he referred to former approved systems of this kind, while preparing that which was submitted to your excellency for approval.

"The 10th paragraph of the 11th section of these orders is as follows: It is ordered, by the regulation, that a native soldier shall not mark his face to denote his cast, or wear earrings, when dressed in his uniform; and it is further directed, that at ali parades, and upon all duties, every soldier of the battalion shall be clean shaved on the chin. It is directed also, that uniformity shall, as far as it is practicable, be preserved in regard to the quantity, and shape of the hair, upon the upper lip.'

"This paragraph, when read by Major Pierce, I considered as the mere recital of what had been long practised in well-regulated corps, under the received custom of the service; although, like many other

customs, not especially directed by any formal order, or always rigidly enforced; an opinion I joined in expressing, when your excellency stated your dislike to touch in any shape on the customs of cast, certainly not conceiving it to be a novel innovation, but what custom, if not remote regulation, had long established.

(Signed) "P. A. AGNEW." Sir John Cradock to Major Pierce, Deputy-Adjutant-General to the Army, July 24th, 1806.

"But I view the clause to abolish the distinctions of casts, &c. in the gravest light, and such, both as to sense and national interest in India, as to call for unreserved proceeding, and to fix the error, if not to be done away, where it should lie.

"You will recollect, that previous to the submission to government of the body of standing orders, I employed many days in reading over all the orders that you had taken the trouble to collate, and which work was entrusted to you by government, not only as the deputyadjutant-general, but an officer of long military experience in this country. To prevent, as far as the most reflective precaution could reach, the possibility of local error, in respect to the usage of the Indian army, I summoned the adjutantgeneral, the quarter master-general, and yourself, and each paragraph was discussed.-The one in question caused my notice, and I was assured it was not only unobjectionable, but the invariable course of every regiment.-As a stranger, and in the hands of the principal staff officers of the honorable company's army, could I oppose to their experience my single sentiment,. and direct the overthrow of an established custom?

"It