 Some 439 people were killed by British forces, and a further 600 odd were flogged and about 1000 houses burned down.Further there is evidence that some of the British officers treated the task as "hunting sport".Although most contemporary accounts seem to blame specific British military officers (under the command of General Luke O'Connor) rather than Eyre, sensational reporting of both the rebellion and its bloody suppression made Eyre a controversial figure in Britain.