two companies of Major Popham’s grenadier Ibapoys: as a
guard, faying that the people began to be troublefome, and
requefting an immediate fupply of ammunition. It was now
found that fuch delicacy had been obferved towards the Rajah,
in. order to prevent any fufpicion being entertained of an
intention to carry the punifhment farther than was really pro-
pofed, that the feapoys’ mulkets were not loaded, nor had
they (as no ferious oppofition was expected) any ammunition*
To this unfortunate circumftance may be attributed the unhappy
fate of three very gallant officers, Lieutenants Staulker,
Scott, and Sims, and two complete companies of grenadier
feapoys, not more than twenty efcaping with their lives, and
numbers of thofe miferably wounded.
As foon as the difturbance became known, Major Pop-
ham, who was then at Benares, fet off immediately for his
camp at Marwaddy, about two cofs (or four miksyfrom the
town, to lead the remainder of his people to the affiftance o f
their fellow foldiers. His utmoft exertions enabled them to
arrive only in fufficient time to be the melancholy fpedtators
of this horrid daughter, without the power of revenging it,
as the rebels had difperfed, ‘and the Rajah had found means
to make his efcape. • gj
F o r t u n a t e l y for the Englifh party in Benares, the rebels
were Satisfied with what they had effected, the liberation
of the Rajah and the maffacre of the. feapoys j but had they
attacked the Governor ©««ail -in his then defencelefs filiation,
every perfon with him muff have fallen a facrifice to
their fury.
T h e following day every Englifliman attended the funeral
©f Lieutenants Staulker, Scofe, and Sims ;, and feme time
after a monument to their memory was raifed over their remains.
The gloom that fuceefeded was truly melancholy; the
bufinefs of the city was ftopt, and it was deferted by great
numbers o f the inhabitants. In palling through the ftreets*
knots of people, all of them armed, were obferved fecretly
confulting. From this* fituation we were roufed by ah unhappy
affair, riling from the ill-judged ambition of .Captain
Mayaffer, who commanded the remainder of' Major Pbp-
ham’s detachment at Mirzapoor, on the oppofite fide of the
river, confifting of a battalion of feapoys, and Captain Do x-
at’s corps of chaffeurs, reinforced by Captain BlaiPs battalion
©f feapoys "from Chunar. This officer, contrary to- pofitive
orders, led the troops to the attack of Ramnagur, a fort !and
town on the oppofite fide of the river to Benares. The ftreets
of this town are narrow, and every houfe being built with
fione, they became each a fortification, which was filled with
the Rajahi§! people. The cbnfequence of this ralh condujff
was, the lois Of Captain Mayaffer, Captain Doxat, thirty-
three of the corps of chaffeurs,. two guns, one howitzer* and
T one hundred and three men of all denominations. .The news
of this check reached us on (he a iff in the morning, and
H 2