A STRANGE STORY.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2121, 22 February 1870, Page 2

A STRANGE STORY.

(From the Indian Daily Xtn:*. ] The possible existence of another survivor of the Cawnpore massacre should be a matter of far more interest to us, and though there may be some difficulties in the tray, we think the Government of India owes something to the memory of one of its oM officers, and something to his representatives, if any of them exist. And that one docs exist is affirmed in a manner that at least leaves a probability of the truth of the statement. We apprehend that the facts must be known to Government, and it would be satisfactory to learn that something has been attempted, even if nothing has been done. The story has been detailed to us very circumstantially, with too much detail to leave it open to the supposition that it is all imagination. The story is iu substance as follows :

“ Brigadier Sir Hugh Wheeler, who was in command at Cawnpore at the time of the mutiny, had two grown-up daughters. These wore both with him when he was besieged with the garrison at Cawnpore. On the arrangement of terms of capitulation with Nana, the besieged were conducted by him to the river, under the pretence of assisting their escape by embarkation. What actually took place there is a matter of history. The men were butchered ; and, meanwhile, the ladies were*kept in confinement. After the mutineers had finished their work of blood at the ghaut, tlufy fall upon the helpless I women and children, whom they had. rc. I served for a worse fate;. It is needless to suggest how the ladies were treated ere tncy met r v iperciful deliverance by death. It is known that one of Wheeler’s daughters bravely met her fate, facing death rather than fall into the hands of the wretches about her. She flung herself into a well. The other was reported to he missing. Her remains were never found nor heard of, and the impression was that she must have suffered tlie horrible mutilation and death which befel many others at that miserable period. But it now appears that she survived, and is alive at the present time. Bhe survived the massacre of Gawupore, and has lived the twelve years succeeding it; and for aught that appears to the contrary, may see another score of years. Wc have said that the Government knows of the case, and then as reasons for this opinion are the following : Mr an official of high position, while on a tour through his division, had occasion to encamp near a village called S . While there information reached him that the missing daughter of .Sir Hugh Wheeler was in the keeping of a petty Bajah in the neighborhood, who came under the amnesty, and thereby deprived the gallows of a legitimate victim. Mr managed to send a verbal message to Miss Wheeler, to the edict that if she wished lie would remove her from her present position, and restore her to her relatives and home. Miss Wheeler sent a written reply, in which she told Mr C that she had been for nearly twelve years living with a native in the degrading positioned ag inmate of his harem; had children by him • and could not muster the moral courage to face one o: her own kind, letting alone her

relatives. She wished to be entirely forgotten, and to bo permitted to remain unnoticed, or, if thought of at all, ‘ to be remembered as one in the grave.’ Our informant adds —‘ I would certainly inform her relatives, with a view to some of them coming and inducing her to leave the hanfcm, if for no other reason, at least for the welfare of her soul.’ ”