George Turnbull (1809-1889): Autobiography: Chapter 10

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Chapter 10. 1857. (pages 159-162). East Indian Railway. Mutiny.

1857. January. Death of Mr. Rendel. On the ist of January, a letter came from Mr. Leahy, reporting the death of Mr. Rendel, very unexpected and very sad; no particulars were given, only that he died rather suddenly of fever.

On the 13th, we were at Barrh, Mr. McAdam’s bungalow; Mr. and Mrs. Lemarchmont were at Bykutpore. Whitcombe joined us here. On the 16th, we passed through Patna; Fanny riding on horseback to the amazement of the natives, who could make nothing of the long skirt of the riding habit. Tents were pitched in the fine station ground at Bankipore, an excellent place for encamping. The station church is here, which we attended on the 18th. Messrs. Ward, Whitcombe and Fox dined with us. On the 20th we were at the River Soane, and on the 23rd at Arrah. Mr. Boyle and Lambert were there. Set Meason and Burr to work drawing out plans of stations. On the 26th at Beeheea, on the 28th at Buxar, where we encamped in the old place on the glacis of the fort. John Hamilton was then the acting engineer. Dr. Young was then at Buxar. The Kurrumnassa Bridge was not then begun, but Burrows had made a good beginning with brickmaking.

February. We returned from the River Kurrumnassa, and on 4th February, were again at Koohmar on the west bank of the Soane. Palin was busy with the trial wells in the bed of the river. On the 9th, Lingard Stokes joined us at Bankipore, he came as locomotive superintendent.

The officials at Patna at this time were Mr. King, the opium agent deputy, Garrett, chief opium agent. Dr. Dickens, Mr. Larvis, Mr. Wm. Ainslie, William Taylor, commissioner.

11th. Fanny got Nelly’s portrait taken by a native. A miniature on ivory.

20th. We reached Monghyr and embarked in the steamer “Sir Frederick Currie,” leaving Meason and Burr to march down to Calcutta with the tents and hackeries, &c. Found Mr. Vaux at Rajmahal where we stopped for the night.

There was not water enough at the Bhangeruttee River, and so we sailed round by the Sunderlands, by Rampore Bauleoh, down to Gorai River, reached Koolnah on the 25th and took in coals; 27th, sailed up a reach of the Mutlah, then by channel creek and anchored on the eastside of Sangor Island. Arrived at Calcutta on 28th, at 4p.m., having been just twelve weeks away on our tour of inspection.

March. On the 6th we had a dinner party of L. Stokes, Roche, Vigors and Mrs. Vigors, Purdon, Garrett, Leahy, Creuse, Miss Victor.

April. Harry Woodgate arrived on the 2nd. Mr. Schmidt also arrived.

On the 4th the first brick of the Soane Bridge was laid.

Major Strachey now acted as the Government Consulting Engineer.

On the 17th D. M. Roche, the traffic manager, died of cholera, after eighteen hours illness.

On the 25th we went to Miss Moresby’s wedding. She married Ensign Browne, 10th Native Infantry, he was then assistant to the Commissioner of Pegu.

May. I left Calcutta on the 5th and went along the line of railway, it was very hot. At Cynthea ther. in the bungalow 92° at noon.

At Hurreenkohl, Glyn’s bungalow, the first news came of the mutiny of the Sepoy regiments at Meerut and Delhi. After going to Sahibgunge I returned and arrived at Calcutta on the 2sth, and found Fanny and baby living at Dr. Chevers’, all alarmed about the mutiny and thinking of the possibility of a rising of the natives in Calcutta, which turned out to be a groundless fear,

June. News came that the mutineers were in possession of Delhi. On the 3rd, Samuel Power arrived to take charge of the Soane Bridge works to my great relief, as there was no one on the works that I thought was capable or could be spared.

I have a memo, on the 13th the new agent, Mr. Palmer, called. Being an official in the new Calcutta University, that is, a Member of the Syndicate, I attended various meetings of what was called the “Engineering Faculty” at this time, but little was done.

On the 14th further reports came in of mutinies among the Sepoys. The native regiments at Barrackpore were disarmed, also those in the Fort (Fort William) at Calcutta, were disarmed to-day.

The first muster of the Calcutta Volunteers, of which I was a member, was made to-day, 19th June, on the Mydan.

Mrs. Purser and Mrs. Hodgson died on the 19th at Allahabad, Mr. Hodgson died there on the 20th. He was locomotive superintendent. It was a sad business, they were shut up in Allahabad Fort by the mutineers; many other deaths from cholera took place.

Some of the engineers came down to Calcutta and some remained at their posts and took their chance. The engineers at Monghyr remained there and fortified themselves in Mr. Thomas’ house. The steamer “James Hume” arrived, bringing Mr. and Mrs. Evans, Mrs. Rundle, Purser, Schmidt, Burr; Leahy came in the “ Charles Allen,” also Thomas Vigors.

July. News of the fall of Delhi arrived on the 5th.

On the 7th news came of the dreadful disasters at Cawnpore. General Wheeler and most of the Europeans were massacred ; a few escaped in boats.

On the 20th Burrowes arrived from Buxar, and reported all quiet there; also Hight, Mackintosh and others.

The Government were very desirous that every exertion should be made to push on the works, so as to open the line to the River Adjai by ist December for conveyance of troops. I accordingly started off along the line and urged the engineers to use extraordinary exertions, no matter at what cost, to expedite the works.

August. News came of mutiny at Dinapore. Then regiments deserted. General Lloyd, with the loth European Regiment (as usual with him), was too late in taking any steps to prevent it.

On the 8th Lord Elgin, the future Governor-General, arrived from China, in the “Shannon,” 56-gun frigate, with 300 marines on board.

October. On the 23 rd, Latimer and Orr were married to-day, from our house, the former to Miss Haughton, the latter to Miss Ellis. Mr. Cuthbert officiated. Dinner party afterwards.

Campbell wrote that the mutineers had left Rampore Haut, without doing any damage. Perry and he had built a round tower, like a martello tower, in which they and the staff of Europeans took refuge, and the Sepoys did mot make any effort to take it. They left all their accoutrements behind them, and marched away to the Southall hills.

November. On the i6th James Perry was married, from our house, to Miss Fairbairn. Dinner party : W. Evans, Mr. and Mrs. Latimer, Miss Evans, Mr. Fish, Anley, Mr. and Mrs. Bourne, T. Leahy. The number of letters copied in my letter-book this year was 3,162, or nine a day, exclusive of home letters.

I left Calcutta on 22nd December, and went over all the works carefully, and arrived in Calcutta again on 29th January, 1858. The travelling much expedited now from part of the line being opened, and a good deal already laid with rails, so that a trolly could travel on it.

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