Mss Eur F699/1/2/9

This sub-series consists of folders of copies of telegrams received in the Public Offices for the information of the Private Secretary to the Governor General, and a register volume in which the telegrams were recorded. The copy telegrams are mostly addressed to the Secretaries to the Government of India Foreign, Military, Home, Finance, and Public Works Departments, and relate to various subjects. The telegrams in each folder were originally contained in numbered bundles, each with a labelled board on the top and a board on the bottom of the bundle. The telegrams were each assigned a running number, and this number was written either on the reverse of the copy telegrams or on a piece of paper wrapped around the telegram, along with who the message was from, who the message was addressed to, the date, and the subject of the message.

Copies of telegrams sent to the Secretary, Government of India, Foreign Department, relate to subjects including vacancies and appointments, and news of the events of the Rebellion or Mutiny, including the mutiny of sepoy regiments, disarming of sepoy regiments, movements of the rebels and rebel attacks, troop movements, the fall of Delhi, and the trial and punishment of rebels. The telegrams are from numerous individuals including:

Sir John Lawrence, Chief Commissioner of the Punjab; Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of the Punjab; Chief Secretary, Madras; H.L. Anderson, Secretary to the Government of Bombay; Colonel Durand, Indore; Sir Henry Lawrence, Chief Commissioner of Oudh; Major R.R.W. Ellis, Political Assistant for Bundlecund and Rewah; George Plowden, Commissioner of Nagpore; C. Chester, Allahabad; Lieutenant Colonel Strachey, Secretary to the Government of the Central Provinces, Benares; W. Muir, Secretary to Government, Agra; Major Macpherson, Political Agent Gwalior, Agra; Cecil Beadon, Secretary, Government of India, Home Department, Calcutta; Mr E.A. Reade, Agra; Mr R. Montgomery, Lucknow; Political Agent for Gwalior, Agra; Mr Vansittart, Futtehgurh; Edmonstone Judge, Futtehpore; Judge of Cawnpore; Captain Hutchinson, Military Secretary, Lucknow; Sir Robert Hamilton, Indore; C.H. Lushington, Secretary, Government of India Finance Department, Calcutta; and Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Oudh, Lucknow.

Copies of telegrams sent to Colonel R.J.H. Birch, Secretary, Government of India Military Department, relate to subjects including: movements of troops, horses, arms, ammunition and supplies; military appointments; news of the actions, movements, and surrender of rebels; news of discontent amongst white troops formerly of the East India Company following the transfer of its forces to the crown; and reports of the orderliness of troops. The telegrams are from numerous individuals including:

Sir H. Wheeler, Cawnpore; Colonel Neill, Commanding Benares; Brigadier Gordon, Commanding Benares; Lieutenant Staunton, Shergotty; Mr G. Plowden, Nagpore; Major General Sir James Outram, Dinapore, and Benares; Lieutenant Colonel O’Brien Commanding at Allahabad; Lieutenant Colonel Strachy [or Strachey], Secretary to the Government of the Central Provinces, Benares; Lieutenant Colonel Pott Commanding at Mirzapore; Brigadier Campbell, Allahabad; Lieutenant Governor of the Central Provinces, Benares; Brigadier C. Bradford, Allahabad; Officiating Secretary to the Government Military Department, Calcutta; Commissioner of Benares; Brigadier Franklyn, Cawnpore; Chief of the Staff, Head Quarters Camp; Brigadier Showers, Agra; Brigadier Wheeler, Saugor; Major Atkinson, Calcutta; Sir Hugh Rose, Calpee; Brigadier Percy E. Herbert, Cawnpore; Major General Whitlock, Kurivee; Quarter Master General of the Army, Camp; Military Secretary to Government, Madras; Brigadier Roweroft, Goruckpore; Brigadier Horseford, Camp; Major General Sir Hope Grant, Lucknow; Brigadier Chute, Lucknow; Adjutant General of the Army, Simla; Officiating Adjutant General of the Army, Simla; Military Secretary to Government, Bombay; Quarter Master General of the Army, Simla; and Officiating Military Secretary to Government of the Punjab, Murree.

Copies of telegrams sent to the Secretary, Government of India, Home Department, are from various individuals including:

Commissioner of Patna; Mr C. Chester, Allahabad; Mr H.C. Tucker, Benares; Lieutenant Staunton, Shergotty; Captain Peel, Allahabad; Colonel Strachy [or Strachey], Secretary to the Government of the Central Provinces, Benares; Lieutenant Stewart, Cawnpore, and Benares; Brigadier Campbell, Allahabad; Sir James Outram, Chief Commissioner of Oudh, Lucknow; Officiating Secretary to Government of the North-West Provinces, Allahabad; Sir R. Shakespear, Indore; and Chief Secretary, Madras.

Copies of telegrams sent to C.H. Lushington, Secretary to the Government of India, Finance Department, relate to subjects including cash balances of the Bombay and Madras Presidencies, and the number of lacs of rupees worth of copper coin required for the year by the North-West Provinces and Oude and the Madras Presidency. The telegrams are from various individuals including:

Accountant General, Bombay; Financial Secretary to Government, Bombay; Accountant General, Madras; Accountant, North-West Provinces, Agra; Mr Ellis, Bombay; and Accountant Lahore.

Copies of telegrams sent to the Secretary, Government of India Public Works Department, Calcutta, are from various individuals including:

Secretary to Government, Lahore; Chief Engineer, Lucknow; Major Greathed, Allahabad; F.B. Outram, Allahabad; Captain Sim, Allahabad; Secretary to Government of the Punjab, Lahore; Chief Engineer, Madras; and Brigadier General Sir Napier, Gwalior.

There are also copies of telegrams sent to other individuals, including telegrams to Mr W. Muir, Allahabad, from individuals including:

Judge of Cawnpore; Mr J. Power, Futtehgurh; Mr A. Ross, Futtehgurh; Judge of Cawnpore; Mr H. Vansittart, Futtehgurh; Mr E.A. Reade, Agra; Mr C.R. Lindsay, Futtehghur; and Commissioner of Benares.