On the Coromandel Coast/Chapter 14

by Fanny Emily Penny

CHAPTER XIV

THE OLD GARRISON

Let us realise that death watches like a tiger to seize us unawares, sickness pursues us like a relentless enemy, earthly joys are like a leaky vessel from which water trickles ceaselessly until it is empty.- SLOKA.

A remarkable feature about life in India is the rapidity with which the Government official uproots himself and his family from one station and settles down in another. He considers himself fortunate if he has a few weeks' notice of the change; sometimes only ten days' warning is given. In that time he has to hand over charge to a successor arid take up his new work.

The servants are adepts at carrying out the details of the move. "With a good staff of coolies the butler or head 'boy' gets the furniture into position. The cook busies himself with his pots and pans in the kitchen. The ayah packs and unpacks the house linen. Though the bungalow may have been empty at sunrise, by dinner-time the master will be sitting down in comparative comfort to a five-course meal. It did not take long to establish ourselves in one of the houses of the cantonment situated conveniently near the church.

The cantonment is about three miles south of the rock, and stands on ground that is slightly higher than the site of the town. It was laid out (1805) after the district had been taken over by the Company from the Nawab of the Carnatic. There was nothing further to fear from the pillaging troops of the Rajah of Mysore, nor from the French. Barracks were built and substantial houses erected in the style of those on the Choultry Plain. Trees were planted and gardens made. The change from the confined quarter in the town to the cooler and more airy cantonment must have been acceptable to the English soldiers. The heat inside the fort walls was intense, and was the cause of sickness and excessive drinking among the troops.

The first English garrison stationed at Trichinopoly consisted of a company of a hundred and twenty men who were sent to the assistance of the native prince whose cause we espoused (1749). They were quartered in houses belonging to the natives.

An Indian town does not alter its character with advancing times. In England each period the Tudor, the Jacobean, the Georgian is marked by a distinctive style of architecture. In India the native house of three hundred years ago is identical with the dwelling of to-day. The indication of antiquity is ruin and decay, and that may be deceptive. The style of house in which the English soldiers lived may still be seen. The rooms are small and have few windows. The yards are walled in and the verandahs screened to the exclusion of light and air. There was no room to build barracks in the town on the English plan, and the troops had to accommodate themselves as best they could in quarters that were only suited to the native sepoy.

In 1751 the garrison had largely increased, and it is about this date that the name of the veteran missionary and politician, Christian Frederick Schwartz, is associated with the town. He was a Prussian by birth, and was sent out to the Danish Mission, which had its headquarters at Tranquebar. He mastered Persian, Tamil, Hindustani, English, and Portuguese, the study of which he began before he left Denmark. During ten years' residence at Tranquebar he paid visits inland and probably came to Trichinopoly. In 1762 he took up his residence there to convert the heathen, but he soon found plenty to do in the garrison. His services were so keenly appreciated that, at the request of the military authorities, he was made garrison chaplain, and was the first of a long line of men who have ministered to the British troops for nearly a century and a half. He has left an interesting account of his work among the soldiers in some manuscript books, which are in the possession of the Mission of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, which is stationed in Trichinopoly. The earliest book was begun in 1751 to record the baptisms which he performed in the district. The language he used at the commencement was German mixed with a little Latin. All English names, however, were carefully transcribed in Roman letters. The German quickly gave place to English, showing how he must have applied himself to its study for the sake of those members of his congregation who could understand no other tongue.

A number of English soldiers were living with native women and having families. The men brought their children to be baptised. Schwartz not only administered the rite to the little ones, but prepared their mothers and baptised them also. After baptism he married them to the men. Where the marriage ceremony had been performed previously, he 'confirmed' the marriage after baptism. In the absence of a chaplain the officers were allowed to perform surplice duties and marry, baptise, and bury as necessity required. If a soldier wished to marry a woman no questions were asked apparently concerning her religion. The missionaries did not recognise marriage between Christian and heathen. Upon inquiry Schwartz found a number of such cases which he set right. Schwartz was succeeded by Christian Pohle, who continued the ministrations to the garrison on the same lines.

The entries in the mission books give many interesting items of information about the men who served. There is no doubt that when they entered the Company's ranks they adopted India as their country and did not expect to return to England. Under these circumstances a native wife seemed desirable in every way. She made a devoted mother and kept house economically, studying her husband's tastes and conducing greatly to his comfort.

The following is a specimen of the mixed language in which some of the entries were made:

'1782 15. Martii wurde der Quarter Master Serjeant in the new Battn, Andrew Brown, seines alters 24 Jahr copuliret mit Anna a native of Madras die sub hoc dato getauft wurde vid: mem Verz: Getauft. N.B. Sie hat schon vorher mit ihm gelebet.'

Pohle baptised a corporal's child and made the following entry in English. After having given the names of the parents he described the mother as:

'Mary Mootimah, a heathen, to whom he has been married from a certificate at Poonamalie, 10th February, 1785, by Lieut. Samuel Agmotey, Quarter Master of the 52nd Regiment' (afterwards Sir Samuel Auchmuty), 'who signed the certificate, but has not expressed the marrying lawful, which word is left out, probably because such a marriage with a heathen cannot be lawful. I examined the woman, called Mary Mootimah, in the presence of Mr. Klein, and she confessed that she was not baptised by anybody, nor knew she a single word of any Christian prayer, but was a heathen.'

The names of god-parents were scrupulously entered, as also the fact of the child's legitimacy or otherwise. The terms used in German were 'ehrlich' and 'unehrlich,' which were translated later as 'lawful' and 'unlawful.' Some supervision was also exercised over the choice of god-parents. 'Serjeant Bloome, instead of the drunk William Lemoze.'

Two more entries in the book of baptisms are of interest.

(1790) 'John, lawful child of John Ross, bandmaster of the 36th Regiment, and of Mary. The child is about two years old, and has been badly and insufficiently baptised by a drunk officer at Wallajabad.'

(1789) 'Sarah, to which was afterwards added Arnold, supposed to be the daughter of a soldier of His Majesty's regiments, aged about seven years. Has been five years with Captain C——, whose woman wanted to bring her up as a dancing-girl without baptism, of whom Captain L got her lately after two years application, and got her now baptised in order to send her to the Asylum.'

This institution was founded in Madras through the exertions of Schwartz to provide for the orphans of soldiers. If it had not been for the good offices of Captain L—— this little waif, Sarah, with English blood in her veins, would have met with a terrible fate. The status of a dancing-girl is too well known to require an explanation. She occupies the lowest and most degraded position to which a woman can sink.

Mortality was great in the ranks of the English troops. There is no one more careless of health in the Tropics than the British soldier, even in the present day, when the dangers of exposure, bad water, and infection are better known. In the old days he neglected to take the commonest precautions, and the result was too often fatal. The entries in the burial register give details of how some of the men met with their deaths, and mention the county or town in England from which they came. In the time of Schwartz and Pohle, Hanoverian regiments were serving in India. One of these was stationed at Trichinopoly, and German as well as English names occur. In 1784 Pohle wrote:

'I buried also, besides others, a German named Rothmuller, who died suddenly, and whom I had in the forenoon exhorted.'

(1783) 'August 1st I buried a Serjeant, and on the 2nd, buried Mr. Kohlhoff ' (i.e. Mr. Kohlhoff buried) 'a man, the casualties of whom we never got though we desired them.'

(1783) 'Buried in the churchyard——Savage, an Ensign, quite young.'

(1785) 'Of the two Europeans I buried this morning,, one was a Corporal Morgan.'

Apparently the names of the men who were committed to the grave were not always to be ascertained. More than once the entry merely contains the words, 'Buried two soldiers,' with the date.

Occasionally Pohle was unable to perform the service himself. With scrupulous honesty he recorded the reason why he failed to fulfil his duty as chaplain.

(1786) 'Buried by the soldiers (as I had to perform divine service) John Turner, Private, 78th Regiment, aged about 30.'

(1786) 'Buried by the soldiers, (as I take physic), Charles Fossett, Corporal, European Invalids, native of England, 34 years.'

(1786) 'Buried William Robinson, Serjeant, 1st European Infantry, native of England, 30 to 35 years, who, being asleep last evening, fell into the tank about the Main Guard and was drowned.'

(1786) 'Buried James Mc.Bane, Serjeant, 20th Native Infantry, who died by being wounded. He is reported to be a Scotchman.'

(1787) 'Buried by Mr.——(on account of my bad leg) James Purdie, Private, Artillery, native of England, 27 years.'

(1787) 'Was shot and buried for desertion on Madura-face, William James, Private, Artillery, native of England, not fully 28 years. I was attending him with the Revd. Mr. Kohlhoff to the place of his execution.'

(1787) 'Buried Nicholas Twineham, Private, Recruit lately arrived, a native of Oxfordshire, 16 years.'

(1787) 'Buried William Fluke, Private, European Infantry, Native of Wiltshire; arrived on this coast in August last, and died last evening, being drowned in a tank; aged 18.'

(1788) 'Buried Thomas (formerly Benjamin) Lewis, Private, 1st European Infantry, native of Devonshire, admitted to the service June 1786, died of consumption, aged 19 years; was baptised by me 25th June last.'

In the baptismal book under that date is the entry:

Thomas Lewis, born a Jew, a native of England, county Devonshire. Since the llth year of his age he has left his parents and been to sea. Present beside myself were Mr. Ch. Daniel Klein, Myles Fleming and John Chapman, both Privates, and a number of those in hospital.'

There is no further record to explain the circumstances of William James's desertion. At that time there was a great temptation to desert to the enemy's ranks for the sake of the large bribes offered by native princes. Experienced gunners were especially sought. A smart soldier with some knowledge of his profession had a good chance of receiving an important command with the commissioned rank of major or colonel under the colours of a reigning Rajah. As such he had the opportunity of amassing wealth, and at the same time he lived like a prince.

The drowning fatalities were unfortunately frequent. Unable to endure the stifling heat of the houses, the men came out to cool themselves in the open by the big tank. They seated themselves upon the broad low wall that surrounds the tank. The slumber they vainly courted on their charpoys overtook them in the delicious coolness induced by the evaporation of the water. They sank into deep sleep, and rolling over the hard stone-bed fell into the tank, from which there was little chance of escape without assistance.

(1790) 'Buried a gentleman, Jortin,—— having been shot by another gentleman,—— Williams, last evening, both of them belonging to the 52nd Regiment. No salute fired at the grave.'

(1791) 'Buried John Williams, Invalid Artillery, who was killed this day by a piece of wall falling down in Sindamoni Gate.'

(1793) 'William Hendrick, Artillery, buried by his companions without my knowledge.'

(1802) 'Buried by Serjeant Lutter the two following Europeans, who were that early morning killed by the old rotten battlements in Sindamoni Gate which tumbled down on them. Johann Neumann, Pensioner German, Thomas Phipps, Invalid Artillery. His woman or wife was also killed.'

The Hindu King who built the fort used sundried bricks, upon which white ants and weather left their destructive mark. The fortifications became so unsafe as to necessitate either the rebuilding or the demolition of the dangerous parts.

We have no record of the circumstances attending the death of Jortin, whose name was probably Jordan. Duels at that period were of frequent occurrence. The stories of the quarrels have one feature in common, the triviality of the reason assigned for resort to arms. Not only was there the useless loss of life, but, more often than not, a lasting remorse overshadowed the life of the survivor. This was the case when Major Allen killed the noted duellist, Colonel Henry Harvey Aston, at Arnee, in North Arcot (1798). Elers, in his memoirs, says that Allen 'never held up his head afterwards, and died in less than three months of a raging fever.' Aston belonged to the 12th Regiment, which took an active part in the wars in South India. Blakiston of the Madras Engineers has left a description of him which shows how lightly men regarded duelling in those days. 1^[1]

'Here (at Arnee) I saw a handsome tomb erected to the memory of Colonel Harvey Aston, who fell in a duel with the major of his regiment. He had seen a good deal of the world before he came out to India, had been a great fox -hunter, a patron of the fancy, and a leading member of the sporting circles. He had many good points about him; was generous and brave ; but he had a most inveterate disposition to quizzing, which involved him in many personal encounters, whereby he obtained the reputation of a professed duellist. He used to tell a story of one of his affairs, which, though not at all creditable to himself, was the best satire on the practice of duelling that can well be imagined. "I was at a theatre one night," said he, "and seeing a fellow eating apples in the box where there were some ladies I took the liberty of poking one into his throat with my fingers. The man struck me. I knocked him down and gave him a sound drubbing" (for the colonel was a famous bruiser). "He called me out. I shot him through the arm; and the fool called this satisfaction!" One of the few instances in which he was known to have been right was on the occasion that proved fatal to him. On receiving his antagonist's shot, which took effect in his body, he staggered a few paces, then recovering himself, he presented his pistol deliberately at his opponent, and said, "I could kill him " (for he was a capital shot); "but the last act of my life shall not be an act of revenge." Words sufficient to redeem a life of error.'

Blakiston mentions another duel where the survivor was full of remorse. Ahmednuggar was assaulted and taken in the Mahratta war. 'Among the killed was a Captain Grant of the 78th Regiment, who, at the time of the attack, was under arrest for having been engaged in a duel with a brother officer, who fell in the encounter. The opponents had been intimate friends till the dispute which caused the fatal event. Such was the effect on Captain Grant that he became careless of life, and, although incapacitated by his situation for military duties, he courted death on the first opportunity, and was among the foremost that mounted the ladders.'

In 1781 a sergeant named Carol was buried by Pohle. Report said that he was a Roman Catholic. Being in the Company's service, however, and declared a Protestant by Major Patterson and Captain Mackenzie, Pohle, as chaplain to the troops, read the burial service over him. His conscientious mind was not altogether satisfied that he had acted correctly. He added a note to the effect that if it were subsequently discovered that the man was not a Protestant, and 'the case should be proved to our prejudice, it shall not be counted as a performance of a burial service.'

It is difficult to understand how a burial service could be read provisionally. The worthy padre was satisfied that by the insertion of the note he had secured himself from the reproach of having performed one of the offices of his church over a heretic.

To the end of his days Pohle's rendering of the English language was quaint. Although he mastered it sufficiently to preach to the soldiers with fluency, he never succeeded in emancipating himself from the German idiom when he wrote.

'Died and was buried William Power, son of a European, and formerly in our Charity (school). He used to get fits, and so was found dead the following day in the Ditch (moat), and buried by the Charity and School master. He has been afishing.'

Pohle died at the age of seventy-three (1818) and was buried at Trichinopoly in the fort churchyard. He laboured for forty-one years in the town and garrison, and there is no record of his having taken furlough or paid a visit to his native land. Although the Eev. Charles Ball was appointed chaplain to Trichinopoly in Pohle's lifetime (1798) he did not displace Pohle at the fort. Ball ministered to the troops at Warriore and in the new cantonment, where a church was afterwards built, and Pohle remained in charge of the small garrison that still continued to be quartered in the fort. He was the second chaplain of Trichinopoly.

The names of a number of officers commanding the different companies to which the men belonged 'are mentioned in the old Mission books, also the regiments. The 19th and 25th Dragoons, the 1st European Regiment, the 2nd Europeans, the 2nd Battalion European Artillery, the 2nd Battalion Coast Artillery, the 2nd Cavalry, the 4th European Infantry, the 78th, 102nd, 101st, 72nd, 52nd, 36th, 71st, 74th, 19th, 12th British Regiments, the 20th Battalion of Sepoys, the 19th, 7th, 13th, 23rd, 5th, 25th, 31st, 1st, and 16th Native Infantry formed part of the garrison in succession.

The old church in the fort was built through the exertions of Schwartz (1765-6). He was a man of great strength of character, possessing a strong personal charm which was felt by all who came into contact with him. In 1763 he accompanied the English troops on field service to Madura. There he won the hearts of the officers and the men by his ministrations to the sick and wounded. On his return from Madura he proposed to build a suitable place of worship for the garrison in the fort. His proposal was received favourably and money flowed in. Colonel Wood, who was commanding, assisted, and Schwartz himself contributed a considerable sum.

While he worked among the Europeans he did not forget the cause of the natives whose language he had learned. They, too, felt the spell of his personal influence, which was so strong that the Government appealed to him to help them in their difficulty with Haider. He was entrusted with a political mission to Seringapatam, which he undertook from a sense of duty, although it was much against his will to enter into politics. He hoped that through his mediation peace might be restored to the country. He returned from Seringapatam and became, at the request of the Rajah of Tanjore, tutor to Serfogee, his adopted son.

The natives of Trichinopoly as well as of Tanjore worshipped him, and ascribed to him the qualities they attribute to their own heathen ascetics. Stories of him remain to this day which indicate his vigorous and practical mind.

On one occasion when he was in Ramnad he met a convert who had been behaving badly and had brought disgrace upon his name as a Christian. Schwartz administered a sharp reproof. He concluded with the words:

'Will you have my punishment or the Rajah's?'

'I will have yours, sir,' replied the repentant sinner.

'Then kneel down.'

The man knelt obedient to his word, and Schwartz administered a severe caning. 'Now rise and go; and see that you take better care for the future,' said the missionary.

Some people came to him and asked him how they should pray to God. He answered promptly:

'Pray as if you were starving beggars.'

It was but natural that there should be among the English officers one or two who were not in sympathy with any religious movement. It interfered with their mode of life and set their consciences working uncomfortably. Schwartz was not a man to withhold reproof where it was needed; he called it exhortation.

William Taylor, the historian of the Mission, says that there was a certain captain who set himself in opposition to all the church work that was going on. Knowing that the missionary was the instigator of everything of the kind, he directed his animosity openly towards Schwartz, and never lost an opportunity of abusing him.

One day when the padre was upon the roof of the church superintending a gang of native masons, the captain came under the walls and poured forth a torrent of abuse. Schwartz was roused into making a reply, though it was not his custom to take any notice of such discourtesies. As a rule he was wont to treat them with contemptuous silence. He stood up and rebuked the officer before all the workmen, denouncing the wrath of God upon him unless he repented of his evil ways. The captain was startled by the vehement reproof. The words of warning seemed burned into his brain and he could not forget them. He tried to drown his thoughts in drink, and while under the influence of it he fell over the balustrade of his own terraced roof. He was mortally injured and died a few days later. The incident made a great impression on the natives who had heard the rebuke. Schwartz died and was buried at Tanjore (1798). He never married, though the directors of the Danish Mission sent him out a lady for a wife, Miss Anna Sophie Pap. He had no desire to change his state, and declined the honour politely but firmly, while she found a husband at Tranquebar.

1. 1 Twelve Years of Military Adventures, by J. Blakiston, 1829.