William Makepeace Thackeray , Chief Secretary to the Madras Government and became President of the Board of Revenue, where he renewed his companionship with "his old friend Munro.... Sir Thomas Munro recorded a last tribute to 'his integrity and long, zealous, and able services.' The following report of the events leading up to the death of William Thackeray survives in Sir Thomas Munro's papers. It appears to have been written by a Mr Stevenson on the 6th October 1824. Kittoor 26th I wrote to you a few lines yesterday I shall now if I can give you a more detailed account of our situation, and of the cause which led to it - I told you before of our being at Kittoor and the why and wherefore - Well, we never anticipated any resistance on the part of the Sidars, and so there was no force there excepting four guns of the Horse Artillery and Thackeray's Escort of our Company on the 20th or 21st Thackeray thought it requisite for the safety of the Treasury to place a Guard in each Gate way of the Fort - which had hitherto been allowed to remain entirely in the hands of the Widows of the late Dishar or rather of their Sidars - this gave much disgust and by degrees so many signs of rebellion appeared, that Thackeray requested Black to place a Gun at each Gateway, together with a Sepoy Guard in order to intimidate the people this was done, and we all retired to dinner at my Tent - this was the evening of the 23rd - the next morning when Black went to relieve his Guard he found the outer doors of the Fort locked, and was refused admittance - Thackeray sent several messages which were not attended to, and at last he requested Black to blew the Gates open, if it was not voluntarily opened in a Gursee / 24 minutes / the remaining two Guns were brought down / this was all the force we had left outside the Fort / the time expired and Black and Dighton with one Gun battered the Gateway, whilst Sewell with the other cleared the wall with Grape - Elliot and myself who were standing about 20 yards from him under the shelter of a House - and said that he was killed, that his gun was taken and that it was all up - the shouts of the and the flying Artillery Men convinced us that it was time to decamp, so we lifted up poor Sewell, and made the best of the way to my Tents which were close to the place, and where the Doctor was / Dr Turnbull / two or three shots wigged thro' the Tent - We put Sewell in my palkie to be taken up to the camp the Doctor riding forward - W then went to enquire after Thackeray and found that he had gone towards the Fort, and that he was dead or wounded - We proceeded down the Petta to seek for him instead of escaping with 2 or 3 or 6 of the Mounted Artillery who were standing near the Tents which we might have done, had we been aware of the extent and instant danger we saw our Servants and people flying in every direction whilst the Kittoor Peons were hunting every soul they could find and murdering them whether they made resistance or not. The shouts and the Balls now shewed us our instant danger We dispersed all our fellows that were following us excepting three, and then hid ourselves in a small hut but thinking it not a safe place, we crept into a Taylors house who offered shelter, however we were soon discovered if I had not called out for a cowl and thrown ourselves under the protection of Busatinjupa a man who had some little authority, and who fortunately was there - we were surrounded by the infuriated Peons and many a blow aimed at us was warded off by those immediately round us who supposed their honor concerned in our safety, we were thus led to the Fort, and thrown into the Guardroom - Our head Sheristedar was brought in some time afterwards and we then had a conference with the head man Guuishidupa - the fruits of this I informed you of Yesterday - We must be prisoners here until Government can make terms to get us released, in the failure of which event we must suffer - if we do not sooner fall victims to the fury of the Peons - the head men endeavour to treat us well for the present, but have plainly intimated their intentions for the future-We got poor Thackray's body sent into Dharwar as well as those of 3 other Europeans amongst which I fear are poor Black and Dighton - a man who saw Thackeray fall says that he saw him galloping down towards the Fort gate / this must have been after we left it with Sewell / that a man from a distance of ten or fifteen yards fired at him and that Thackeray at the same instant fired his Pistol at the man - they both fell - two or three brutes then came and cut the dead body with their swords - is not this horrible - We cannot guess what poor Thackeray's intentions were on going down - We hear from Dharwar that Sewell's wound is mortal - What the end of this affair may be as far as we are concerned it is impossible to guess, and painful to think of - I have written to the Colonel - I will let you know the instant I have any good tidings - Should any misfortune happen to me you will hear soon enough - God bless you my dear friend. Yours ever affectionately [ii] - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- ---- [i] OIOC IOR: Mss Eur F151/79 Folio 88 to 89. Although Chaplin dates the letter as 11th December, Sir Thoms Munro wrote on it to say he had received it on 17th October 1824. [ii] OIOC IOR: Mss Eur F151/79 Folio 96 to 97
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