Der Wolfsjunge von Shajehanpur

Also Mr. Greig, late of the 93 rd (Sutherland) Highlanders declares that when his regiment was marching toward Bareilly in 1858, after the taking of Lucknow, he saw at Shahjehenpur an individual said to have been, as a child, taken away from his village by wolves, brought up by them, and to have lived with them for several years. He appeared to be about twenty years of age; his body was covered with short brown hair; his powers of speech extended to nothing beyond low grunts, and he could not be induced to wear any kind of clothing. Whenever he saw raw meat he rushed for it and devoured it greedily. The story was that he had been ridden down and caught by a native after a long chase, and that he did not run on his feet like a human being, but on all fours like an animal.

You ask me if I ever heard of a wolf boy mentioned by an officer of the 93rd Highlanders as having been seen by him at the Rosa Sugar Factory (situated some three mites from Shahjehanpore) in 1858. I saw such a boy, or rather a man, and had opportunities of learning his history and observing his condition and habits. I have every reason for supposing that the man alluded to by the officer spoken of was the same I also saw. I was posted to Shahjehanpore in September, 1858, shortly after the re-occupation of the district, and, going into camp at once, returned to the station in the following month. It was then that I heard of the presence of a "wolf boy" in the city. I found him occupying a hut in a serai allotted to him by the proprietor. He was to all appearance about twenty years of age, in manners and habits a mere animal. He was dumb, but able to show signs of pleasure or anger by sounds which may be described as grunts. He wore no clothing, save a rag which had to be tied around his waist. He could stand, but invariably crawled, the skin of his knees being hardened like leather. He occupied his hut at night only, passing the day in prowling about the city, receiving and eating scraps of food thrown to him by the residents, who regarded him as one afflicted by the Deity, and as such a fit object for charity. At night he lay in his hut curled up on a bed of straw, which supplied all his requirements; while a blanket placed for his use by me was disregarded and unused. He formed no attachments, and seemed to be devoid of passions or intellect.

I remained at Shahjehanpore till 1865, and saw him frequently. He was, I believe, alive when I left. In 1857 all public offices were destroyed, and I was unable to find any file or record giving particulars of his early life. But from a reappointed member of the magistrate's staff, I heard that some fourteen years previously, a mounted orderly, when returning from the magistrate's camp in the forest, saw a wolf cross his path, followed by a figure which he at once recognised as that of a boy. It ran at no great pace on its hands and knees. He dismounted and captured it after a short chase. It bit and scratched with great energy, but he took it to Shahjehan-pore. It naturally attracted great attention, but all attempts made to reclaim it from its acquired habits failed, and eventually it had to be abandoned to the only life suitable to it, which it was leading when I saw it. I was living when first at Shahjehanpore with G. P. Money, the magistrate, and R. R. Carew, manager of Rosa Factory. They have passed away, and I cannot think of anyone to whom I can refer you for further particulars of the case. I may say that full credence to the wolf boy story was given by Messrs. Money and Carew. The latter had resided at Rosa for many years previous to the Mutiny, and the story was not new to him.