From Colonel J. D. Kennedy to Captain S. Richards on the attitude of his sepoys, 12 February 1857

From Colonel J.D. Kennedy, Commanding the 70th regiment, Native Infantry, to Captain S. Richards, Officiating Major of Brigade, Barrackpore,--No. 26, dated Barrackpore, 12th February 1857.

        With reference to an extract of a letter from Government, read this morning to commanding officers of regiments by the Major-General Commanding the Presidency Division, in presence of the Brigadier Commanding, I have the honor to report, for the information of Brigadier C. Grant, that some time during the past month I was in the lines of my regiment conversing quietly with the native officers upon the apparent disaffection that seemed to exist in this station amongst some of the men; and that again on the 3rd instant, I proceeded to the lines, taking with me the five new cartridges and the sheets of paper I had that forenoon received from the Brigadier. That I explained to my native commissioned and non-commissioned officers and sepoys that there was nothing in the least objectionable to their religion or caste in either the one or the other, distributing at the same time the cartridges and paper amongst them, that they might themselves closely examine them. This they did, when one and all told me they were perfectly satisfied with them, and also with my explanation and assurance that no greased cartridges would be served out to them by Government.

        2. I further beg to add that the men of my regiment thoroughly understood and were perfectly satisfied after hearing the address made to the troops the other evening by Major-General J. B. IJearsey, Commanding the Division. The words of the report made to me were that the men were quite “khoosh.”

From: Selections from the Letters Despatches and other State Papers preserved in the Military Department of the Government of India, 1857-58.  Edited by George W. Forrest.  Calcutta: Military Department Press 1893, 30.