Wednesday, September 16th. Sharp firing. At 6 A.M. a shell came into the Treasury Guard, wounding two 13th Sepoys severely and one slightly. We have two people in the garrison who were in the siege of Jellalabad—one, the celebrated Dr. B——, who says, that was a gentlemanly business compared with this; the other, a queer, dilapidated, old half-caste, a corporal at Charlie's post, who, some say, was a spy there, and he says, that was a trifle to our siege. Charlie had four round shot into his house this morning in a quarter of an hour; he has certainly been most mercifully preserved. The rest of the day was quiet. In the evening some horrible smells came from the buried animals, &c., that we could not sit at the door as usual to take the air.
Thursday, September 17th. No news! We are beginning to get very anxious again. They say our beef will only last till the 10th proximo. The enemy are throwing up another battery, which will sweep the whole garrison excepting our house; we try, with our shells, to prevent them working at it. We had a quarter of mutton to-day for dinner, and a suet pudding afterwards, with some of Capt. W——'s patent sauce, Mr. C—— having begged about a quarter of a pound of sugar for it; this made twenty people as merry as formerly a dinner with the Governor-General would have done. Our allowance of beverage for twenty people is two bottles of indifferent champagne and one of claret and two pints of beer for two sick ladies. Yesterday, Mr. D—— gave a bottle of brandy and a bottle of sherry for twenty-five cheerots. Mr. H—— found a soldier of the 32nd, with his head knocked off with a round shot, lying in the churchyard, when he went to his funerals; so he buried him at once. Queer things happen sometimes, as I could testify about a Roman Catholic and a Protestant who had to be buried the same night; on arrival at the burial ground it was doubtful which was which, but it was summarily settled by an officer present.
Friday, September 18th. We had a slight attack in the night; while dressing this morning a bullet came into the outer room with such force that it struck off one side of the frame of a picture, leaving the glass whole. My labours increase every morning. An eclipse of the sun was visible between 9 and 11; a tolerably quiet day. As we were sitting talking in the evening, I ventured to say I thought we had never passed an hour—day or night—since the siege began, without some firing; I was immediately laughed at, and told not five minutes even! If this ever reaches my dear ones at home, they will wonder when I tell them that my bed is not fifty yards from the 18-pounder in our garden—there is only one room between us—and yet I lie as quietly when it goes off as if I had been used to it all my life: eighty days of siege life does wonders! This is getting a most anxious time; if our relief does not come within the next twenty days we must look for no hope in this world, and we have heard nothing of them yet; but God is above all, and nothing happens by chance! I commit all to Him, and if He spares me and my beloved husband to meet our dear ones in our own beloved country, I will indeed be thankful; but it is a fearful suspense!
Saturday, September 19th. A tolerably quiet day; but I became very ill.
Sunday, September 20th. Still very poorly. We had service and communion at our house. Charlie came to see me twice, as I was so unwell.
Monday September 21st. No news. Dr. F—— ordered me to keep my bed; there I was in the dining room, all open to the public, the gentlemen passing and repassing the door: there was no help for it, however, as it was the only room we could have a punkah in, Charlie came and sat with me and got Dr. F—— to write a certificate for me to have a little sugar and sugee from the Commissariat, as it was kept for the sick; he also brought me a bottle of port wine from the Brigade Mess; but Dr. F—— said I must not take it till I was better.
Tuesday, September 22nd. Still obliged to keep my bed; no news.
Wednesday, September 23rd. Still in bed. No news during the day; but at 11 at night, came Col. P—— cheering us all with the news that a letter had just come in, brought by Ungud, the same faithful spy—saying that our reinforcement crossed the river at Cawnpore, on the 19th, had a fight at Enown on the 20th, another at Bushire Gunge on the 21st; and were hastening on to us. The heavy rain we are having must detain them, but it is glorious news indeed!
Thursday, September 24th. Guns distinctly heard, about ten or twelve miles off, firing for a length of time, so the troops must be nearer than was expected. I cannot describe our feelings at our present hope of relief, all are in the height of expectation. Being a little better, Dr. F—— allowed me to get up. The guns of our force heard approaching nearer and nearer. Oh! the thankfulness one feels at the certainty of relief now! I think, if I were stronger, I should be more joyous. The smoke of the guns seen from the top of the Residency! Oh joy! they say they are only four or five miles off! but they have to fight their way in! Fifteen thousand went out to meet them; but, from the heavy rain, took no guns with them. We had a very disturbed night; the rebels made two furious attacks, and came up again about 5 A.M., but were soon silenced.
Friday, September 25th. The guns of our reinforcements commenced again, and one gun kept firing for an immense time. They say they are on this side of the Char Bagh, about four miles from us, and the smoke and flash of the cannon may be seen from the top of the Residency—musketry heard distinctly. If they have sent any messenger on to us, none has arrived; it is a most exciting time—far beyond description. The first feeling is gratitude to God for deliverance from the horrors of famine, which was staring us in the face, and, apparently, not very far distant. I lay in bed till after breakfast, as the disturbed night had not done me much good; but I enjoyed two sugee biscuits dear Charlie sent me the night before for my chota hazree, with my tea sweetened with sugar, which I had not tasted for many weeks. These sugee biscuits the ladies in this house are buying at five rupees the pound. My longing now is to get a Dhobee and an Ayah; for I feel so weak and helpless, with not a single person to help me, and so unable to do anything for myself. Some kind friend always brings me my meals, &c.; but I feel that they all have as much as they can accomplish, without doing my work as well. About 12 we heard that the rebels had broken up the bridge near the Char Bagh, so we decided our troops could not be in for some time; however, all of a sudden, I heard our soldiers shout out, "They are coming!" their caps could be seen, and we found they had crossed by the Martinière bridge. Immediately a fierce firing commenced, and they said the rebels were flying off to the Fyzabad road. We commenced shelling them: there was a tremendous day's firing, notwithstanding, and the troops had a fearful day's work. About 5 P.M. we heard cheering, and, immediately, we saw the troops rushing in, the 78th Highlanders foremost, and our house, being near the gate, the Compound was instantly filled. A Mr. W——, an officer heading the Highlanders, rushed up and shook hands with us ladies all round, and then threw himself into a chair quite exhausted, and, in an instant, the whole place was filled with them; it was as much as we could do to supply them with water. It was by far the most exciting scene I ever witnessed. The Piper sprang on a chair, and he and Mrs. A—— fraternised. He asked her where she came from, and when she answered from Edinburgh, he shouted out "So do I, from the Castle Hill," and immediately sent word round that there was a lady from Edinburgh amongst us, and then gave another tune on his bagpipes. The Ferozepore Sikh Regiment also accompanied them, and some of the Madras Fusiliers. The confusion and excitement was beyond all description; they lost some hundreds coming through the City. General O—— then came in; he had been wounded slightly in the arm. Dr. F—— dressed his wound. He and his staff took up their quarters in our house. Strange to say, no one had brought any provisions, though they confessed they expected to find us in a worse condition than they did. They said they had hurried on, because they had seen five ladies and four gentlemen on their way, attempting to join them, and feared they were some of our garrison; the poor creatures had all been cut up by the rebels. The news they brought in from all parts was far more horrible than we expected. At Jhansi the brutes had burnt the poor children before their poor mothers' eyes, and then killed the wives, and then the husbands. At Cawnpore they found only two living beings and a heap of dead women and children, being those who escaped the massacre at the boats. They say the place where the murders were committed was a most heart-rending sight; not a soldier left it with a dry eye. We heard also of the B——s' of our regiment having been murdered at Hissar. Every one was trying to get news of his friends; scarcely one but heard bad news. A detachment, with some guns, was left at Allum Bagh in charge of the baggage and stores. The men and officers had only just what they wore. During the night, I heard the soldiers conversing in the drawing-room, where they lay, and one man said they had made a high caste Brahmin sweep out the go-down, where the massacre took place. I was obliged to go and lie down early; but several of the ladies made tea in the Tye Khana, for any officers who would partake of it, and numbers went down. We had neither milk nor sugar to give them.