Black Hole of Calcutta

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 It has been two years but I am back in India again where I belong. And this time I returned with a much more important position than a factor for the East India Company. This time I returned as the Deputy Governor of Fort St. Davis and I planned to make quite a difference there. There was one problems that had risen that needed my immediate attention; and it had it's roots in one man, the Nawab of Bengal Siraj ud-Daulah.
     The issue with Siraj started with the British fortifying Fort William so if any conflicts with the French arose we would be ready. The Nawab had already been upset with how much we interfered with the area so when we were building up a fort in his land he immediately told us to stop. But we are a proud race and the whims of  any other than our rulers had no affect on us. Enraged by our incessant building, Siraj gathered his men and attacked Fort William.
     The Fort's leader surrendered and took with him a who ever he could and escaped leaving the fort in charge of John Holwell with a small group of soldiers to help. I find it a little ironic that the "Hole-well" was left in charge then he was put in the "Black Hole", get it, thats a little dark humor for you. Anyway back to the matter at hand. The Nawab attacked, the fort leader and many others fled leaving behind roughly 146 men to die. And die they did. Well not all of them but around 123 of them.  It is really difficult to put a specific number on things because none took a count of prisoners or the inhabitants of the fort which housed many non-soldiers.
     The account given to me by Holwell spoke of the direst condition that the British prisoners were placed in. He told me that there were 146 of them placed in a tiny 14 by 18 square feet room. He said it was so cramped in there that the guards had trouble closing the door. There were only two small windows and there multiple fires going around the fort making the heat extremely oppressive to the people in the room, some even collapsed due to heat stroke or suffocation. "We were really thirsty and begged for water, but none came. One of us even offered a guard money to transfer him to a larger prison." He told me that water finally came at around nine at night and when pushing it through the metal bars of the window the impatient ones grabbed it and spilled nearly all of it with their speed. Soon everything was in chaos as all the people rushed to get the last of the water. Some people even got trampled to death. At this point they were all exhausted and started to go to sleep. Many died since being kept in the prison so when they were finally released at six the next morning, only 23 of the original 146 were left standing. John Holwell was one of the remaining survivors.
     Even though they were out of the prison they still weren't free until I personally took the fort back form Siraj and gained them their liberty. After this incident I decided to use the Black Hole as a warehouse instead.