The Skull of Alum Bheg by Kim A. Wagner

Author:Kim A. Wagner
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9780190911744
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2018-03-01T07:00:00+00:00

8

JUSTICE SO PROMPT AND VIGOROUS

On 10 July, at Lahore, Andrew Gordon and his fellow American missionaries were gathered around the death bed of his young son, Silas, who had never recovered from his illness. Gordon later recalled the moment their sad vigil was suddenly interrupted:

‘The next moment Mr. Barnes entered the room in haste with an open letter in his hand, saying, with deep emotion: “Brethren, the Sepoys in Sialkot have mutinied! General Brind, the commanding officer of the station; Doctor J. Graham, the superintending surgeon; Dr. J.C. Graham, the civil surgeon; Captain Bishop, and poor Mr. and Mrs. Hunter and their babe, have all been murdered!” My heart fills, and my eyes moisten, at the remembrance of that moment as I write these lines, more than a quarter of a century after the events.’1

True to character, Gordon had the appropriate Bible quote on hand: ‘Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and purge away our sins for thy name’s sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? [Psalms 79:10]’2 Back at Sialkot, Dr Guise had tried in vain to care for Brind, but the wound was fatal and the Brigadier died early next morning.3 This brought the number of casualties of the outbreak to seven: Brigadier Brind, Captain Bishop, Dr James Graham, Dr John Graham, Thomas Hunter, Jane Hunter and her baby.4 Because the British had not yet re-established control over the cantonment, their bodies could not be laid to rest in the European cemetery. Instead they were buried three days after the outbreak, in a small garden under the western wall of the fort. Reverend Boyle conducted the service.5

When Gordon, Hill and Scott returned to Sialkot two weeks later, they found to their surprise that the small Presbyterian mission had been protected by local villagers during the outbreak and had suffered no damage. After they had examined the possessions they had left behind, confirming everything was there, they walked up to the cantonment and European lines to see for themselves the extent of the damage. With most of the Europeans still cooped up in the fort, the station appeared completely devoid of human life.6 When an officer of the 46th claimed that ‘no city was ever more completely sacked than the station of Sealkote,’ it was a gross exaggeration, especially given the later destruction of Indian cities such as Delhi or Lucknow at the hands of the British.7 As Gordon and the others made their way through the empty streets, however, Sialkot was hardly recognisable from the lively and orderly station they had left just a month before.

Most of the European houses were made from brick and had not been set on fire. Once Gordon and the others ventured inside the former homes of their friends, the devastation nevertheless became apparent: ‘everything like furniture, dishes, books, and glass, were torn to bits or dashed in pieces in the most barbarous manner.’8 The well-kept bungalow, with their pristine gardens, were now little more than empty shells.

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