In May, 1857, there were four native regiments at Cawnpore, numbering
thirty-five hundred sepoys. There were no Europeans whatever, excepting
the regimental officers and sixty-one artillerymen. To these were added
small detachments of European soldiers, which had been sent in the hour
of peril from Lucknow and Benares during the month of May.
The station of Cawnpore was commanded by Sir Hugh Wheeler, a
distinguished general in the company's service, who was verging on his
seventieth year. He had spent fifty-four years in India, and had served
only with native troops. He must have known the sepoys better than any
other European in India. He had led them against their own countrymen
under Lord Lake; against foreigners during the Afghan War, and against
Sikhs during both campaigns in the Punjab.
The news of the revolt at Meerut threw the sepoys into a ferment at
every military station in Hindustan. Rumors of mutiny or coming mutiny
formed almost the only topic of conversation; yet in nearly every sepoy
regiment the European officers put faith in their men, and fondly
believed that, though the rest of the army might revolt, yet their own
corps would prove faithful.
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