It was so when the Indian Mutiny broke out. The struggle
was unexpected. A handful of Europeans, commissioned and enlisted
in the ordinary way, with a view to trade, not statesmanship, found
themselves face to face at a minute's notice with armed and vengeful
millions. Succor was a question of months, not days or weeks. India
was ablaze from end to end with rebel fires that had been planned
in secret through silent watchful years. The British force was
scattered here and there in unconnected details, and each detail
was suddenly cut off from every other one by men who had been trained
to fight by the British themselves and who were not afraid to die.
The suddenness with which the outbreak came was one of the chief assets
of the rebels, for they were able to seize guns and military stores
and ammunition at the very start of things, before the British force
could concentrate. Their hour could scarcely have been better chosen.
The Crimean War was barely over. Practically the whole of England's
standing army was abroad and decimated by battle and disease.
Pages:
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222