From Major-General J. B. Hearsey to Colonel C. Chester about the end of the trouble, 13 February 1857

From Major-General J.B. Hearsey, C.B., Commanding the Presidency Division, to Colonel C. Chester, Adjutant-General of the Army, Meerut,--dated Head Quarters, Presidency Division, Barrackpore, 13th February 1857.

        Referring to my official communication to your address, No. 3 of the 25th ultimo, I have now the honor to transmit, for the information of His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, copies of several letters which I have since addressed to the Deputy Adjutant-General and Deputy Quartermaster-General of the Army for direct submission to the Government of India, having reference to the same subject,--namely, an uneasy and groundless apprehension in the minds of the sepoys of the regiments at Barrackpore that their religion and caste were to be interfered with by Government.

        2. In explanation of this correspondence being unaccompanied by various documents connected therewith, I world beg to state, for His Excellency's information, that to save time, which was of much importance, copies of these papers were not taken.

        3. This omission can be, however, remedied hereafter by the Deputy Adjutant-General being authorised to obtain copies from the Military Secretary's Office, if the Commander-in-Chief is of opinion that this measure is desirable.

        4. I am happy to be able to add that all unpleasant excitement in the minds of the Native troops at Barrackpore on this subject has now quite subsided, never again to revive I confidently hope.

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, 32-33.