’13.  To revert to the narrative, the measures already mentioned so entirely pacified the province, that, in spite of the previous discontent, the previous troubles, the proverbial turbulence of its inhabitants, and the increasing agitation throughout the empire, there was no difficulty experienced in collecting the revenue by the close of April.  And the subsequent disturbances were, as will be shown, entirely due to the soldiery, and, till long after Sir Henry’s death, participated in only by them, by the city ruffians, and by a few of the Mussulman families of the country population.  The mass of the city people and the entire Hindu population held aloof, and would have nothing to say to the outbreak; and, with one single exception, every Talookdar, to whom the chance offered itself, aided, more or less actively, in the protection of European fugitives.  This phase in the character of the disturbances in Oudh is not generally known; but it is nevertheless true, and is due emphatically and solely, under Divine Providence, to the benignant personal character and the popular policy of Sir Henry Lawrence.

’14.  The 1st of May saw our disturbances commence with the mutiny of the 7th Oudh Irregular Infantry.  This, its suppression, and the durbar in which he distributed rewards and delivered a speech on the aspect of affairs, have been fully described elsewhere, and need not be repeated by me.

’15.  The durbar was held on the twelfth.  I am not aware whether he had any intelligence at that time of the Meerut outbreak.  The telegrams, when they did arrive, were vague; but he indubitably kept on his guard immediately on receiving them.  The Cavalry were piqueted between the cantonments and the Residency, and the Infantry and Artillery were kept prepared for movement.  His plans were evidently already decided; but they were to be effected simultaneously and not successively, and the movements of the Europeans were somewhat dependent on the arrangements of the Quarter-master-General’s Department.  It was not until the sixteenth that the tents required for the 32nd were ready; and the morning of the 17th May saw an entirely new and effective disposition of the troops.  Half the Europeans were at the Residency, commanding the Iron Bridge; half, with the Artillery, were at the south end of the cantonments; the bridge of boats was moved and under control, while the Muchee Bawn, not yet sufficiently cleansed from its old conglomeration of filth, was garrisoned by a selected body of Native troops.  The whole of these dispositions could not have been effected at an earlier date, and Sir Henry would not do them piecemeal or successively.  Simultaneous, they were effective, and tended to paralyze any seditious plots that may have been hatching.  Successive and piecemeal, they would have incited the sepoys to mutiny and the turbulent to insurrection.’

Memorandum, 18th May, inserted in Sir Henry’s own hand in his ledger book.