Indian Mutiny.- Kynaston (Henry Edmonds, Private in the 2nd Dragoon Guards) Diary of events witnessed in the Indian Mutiny, 1857 - 58.

Indian Mutiny.- Kynaston (Henry Edmonds, Private in the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays), later Major 1889, in the 19th Hussars, son of Rev. John Kynaston, vicar of Billingborough, Lincolnshire, 1832-1914) [Diary of events witnessed in the Indian Mutiny], autograph manuscript, 102pp. excluding blanks, slightly browned, original black cloth, slightly rubbed, small piece of wax on upper cover, sm. 8vo (158 x 100mm.), 25th July 1857 - 10th June 1858.

⁂ An extremely detailed soldier's diary giving an eye witness account of the Indian Mutiny. Kynaston boarded the troop ship Monarch on 25 July 1857 at Gravesend and sailed to Calcutta landing on 26 November. For the next seven months the diary describes the horrors that Kynaston witnessed, including the aftermath of the Cawnpore Massacre, "Went this morning to General Wheelers house... Below is the mark of the round shot by which young Wheeler was killed, his brains and hair are scattered on the wall below", the loss of his first officer, "the gallant Major Smith", and numerous other soldiers, "Poor Fraser lost his left hand" etc. Kynaston records the attack on Nawabganje Bridge, "within 250 yards of their men, the artillery opened upon them with grape and shell, and then we got at them such cutting & slashing. I and C. Page came upon two... he could not get near enough with his horse, so I had the pleasure of cutting them down and to make sure I ran them both through as they lay...". Much else is recorded, including the collapse of Kynaston's own horse due to exhaustion, throwing him and winding him in the process; setting fire to huts in forts; a captured Sepoy begging for mercy; marching with Col. Walker's column to Gonda etc.