"
So he died, and the eternal snows cover as with a soft and kindly sheet
the rugged soldier who knew no fear. The serene and majestic silence of
the mountain is given to him whose life in the plain below had been one
great and joyous fight from the cradle to the grave.
CHAPTER VI
THE GREAT MARCH TO DELHI
For the Guides the great tragedy of 1857 opened with the mutiny of the
55th Native Infantry. When this regiment first showed signs of
insubordination it was quartered at the neighbouring cantonment of
Nowshera, then slenderly garrisoned by British troops, but with many
European women and children. For safety's sake it was therefore thought
better to isolate the regiment by sending it over to Mardan. With the
news of the outbreak at Meerut the demeanour of the regiment became more
sullen and menacing, and it was accordingly decided at once to disarm
the sepoys. For this purpose a column was sent from Peshawur, consisting
of a wing of the 70th Foot, a portion of the 5th Punjab Infantry under
Vaughan, two hundred and fifty sabres of the 10th Irregular Cavalry, and
some Mounted Police; the whole under Colonel Chute of the 70th Foot,
with John Nicholson as political officer.
The 55th Native Infantry had been warned that the column was coming, and
when, from the walls of the fort, they saw it approaching, they broke
and fled, taking the Katlung road, thus hoping to escape across the
border into Swat and Buner.
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