who favoured Holkar, Shamlee was given up to plunder; after which Lord Lake, on the 5th, pushed on to Suldanah, the residence of the Begum Sumroo (whom, in an excess of policy, Lord Lake kissed after the engagement at Delhi, in presence of a dinner party), in search of Holkar, who was suspected of seeking her alliance and the aid of her well-disciplined troops, consisting of five regiments, with forty guns, all led by European officers. Though Holkar was far in advance of his pursuers, busy in the work of devastation, as flames by night and columns of smoke by day served to indicate, his cavalry hovered at times about Lake's line of march. On the 15th of November, he was at Ferruckabad, one of the richest cities of Upper India, where a number of European residents owed their lives on this day to Lord Lake's rapid movements, who, as he was spurring on, received the pleasant news of our victorious encounter at Deeg, to be detailed presently. The dawn of the 17th was just brightening the minarets of Ferruckabad, when the head of our column reached the Mahratta camp in front of it. Their horses were picketed; and the troopers lay by them in sleep, till some plunging rounds of grape from our galloper guns, made it the last long sleep of many, and roused the rest to arms; then on dashed our cavalry, charging and cutting them down in all directions. The 8th Royal Irish were the first among them, spreading terror and havoc. At the head of a body of horse, Holkar mounted a favourite charger and fled; while his troops scattered in all directions, leaving their horses tied to the picket-ropes. A few of Holkar's bands attempted to form and offer some resistance; but they were charged, broken, dispersed, and a fearful carnage took place, for our soldiers remembered their mutilated comrades. One small party of the Royal Irish plunged into the dense masses of the Allygole Musketeers, and soon covered the whole ground with their corpses. After continuing the pursuit for a considerable distance, the trumpets sounded the "retire," having, with six galloper guns, under Captain Clement Browne, traversed about seventy miles in twenty-four hours; the men and horses were so exhausted that they were allowed two days of rest.* Singular to say, the fiery Holkar had been among the first to fly, and, with all the cavalry he could mount, never drew bridle till he had crossed the Calin River, at a ford eighteen miles distant from the field. The fury and distance of the pursuit, after a long and harassing march of 350 miles, extending over a "Records, 8th Hussars." fortnight, is, perhaps, says Major Thorn, "unparalleled in the annals of military history." The smallness of our loss, only two killed and twenty wounded, seems incredible when contrasted to that of the enemy, which was estimated at 3,000 slain on the field; the cavalry of Holkar, 60,000 lances and sabres with which he had entered Hindostan, was now reduced to half that number. On this same day, the 17th of November, three royal salutes, fired in succession, awoke the echoes of the walls of Ferruckabad: one for the victory there; a second for the capture of Chandore, the stronghold of Holkar's family in the Deccan, by Colonel Wallace; and a third for the victory of Deeg. Shortly after Lord Lake marched in pursuit of Holkar's cavalry, Major-General Fraser set out in search of his other forces, which were known to be within the Bhurtpore territory, and on the 12th of November he came upon them in the neighbourhood of Deeg, a town and fortress, defended by extensive embankments from the hill torrents, and now containing the ruins of many handsome edifices. The enemy were seen encamped between a deep tank and an extensive morass, their left resting on the fort of Deeg, and their right covered by a fortified village; while their whole position was strengthened by ranges of redoubts, which they deemed impregnable. Their works were under the immediate protection of the fire from the ramparts of the same fort which had defied Nujeef Khan in 1776. "The most remarkable object it contained," wrote an officer who served under Fraser, “was an iron gun, mounted on the bastion which overlooked the field of the 13th November: it was large and heavy, its ball being upwards of seventy pounds in weight; and yet so accurately was it poised upon its carriage, or rather, pivot, that a child might have pointed it. Its range, too, was very great, for a day or two after the engagement it sent a shot over the quarter-guard of the European Regiment, through the tent of an officer, then lying desperately wounded. The distance, estimated by the engineer, was at least two and a half miles, or 4,400 yards. How often the piece could be loaded, and in a given time, I failed to ascertain.” ‡ In spite of the strength of the place, MajorGeneral Fraser, on the evening of the 12th November, resolved to attack the position on the following day. Two battalions of sepoys and the irregular cavalry having been left in charge of the baggage, the force that advanced into the field consisted of H.M. 76th Regiment, the Company's European Regiment, and four battalions of sepoys. 1804.] GENERAL FRASER'S DEATH. 393 "In General Fraser having selected the enemy's right General Fraser expired after his leg had been as the point to be assailed, the column, after making a détour to avoid the marshes, arrived about dawn at the fortified village, and from marching order, wheeled into two lines: the 76th and two battalions forming the first; the rest of the troops the second. In Deeg, the enemy are said to have had twentyfour battalions, a considerable body of horse, and 160 guns, including thirteen lost by Colonel Monson on his retreat, and thirty-two given to the Mahrattas by Lord Cornwallis at Seringapatam. The 76th Regiment-a Scottish corps raised in 1787-carried the fortified village by the bayonet alone, and then rushing tumultuously down hill, charged the first line of guns under a literal tempest of round, grape, and chain shot; but the guns were abandoned, and their defenders fled to the next line of works, which were nearly two miles distant, and immediately under the walls of Deeg, from which our troops were compelled to fall back. amputated, and he was interred on the evening of the 25th at Muttra, with military honours. lamenting the loss of this brave officer," wrote Lord Lake, "I have the consoling reflection, that his memory will remain dear in the breast of every soldier; that his splendid example will animate to future deeds of heroism; and that his fame and glory will be consecrated and preserved by a grateful and admiring country." † One of his seven sons was by his side when he received his death-wound. ‡ Holkar, after his rout at Ferruckabad, had hastened off to Deeg, where the remnants of his defeated cavalry and infantry had found shelter in the fort. This place belonged to the Rajah of Bhurtpore, with whom, in 1803, Lord Lake had made a treaty, offensive and defensive; but as he, like most of the native princes, proved false, Lake resolved to punish him; thus, his fort and citadel were stormed after an obstinate defence; and by the 25th of December, 1804, we were in possession of all the remaining artillery of Holkar's army and of the stores in Deeg, including two lacs of rupees found in the treasury. The attacking force was formed in three columns, the whole moving off so as to reach the different points of attack before midnight. The right column, under Captain Kelly, and the left, under Major Radcliffe, were destined to carry the batteries and trenches on the right and left of the town: a service which they performed with the most heroic gallantry. The centre column, under Colonel Macrae, composing the storming party, under an appalling fire of cannon and musketry on their flanks, and over very broken ground, rushed to the breach, and won the walls with a glorious. spirit and ardour that must have ensured success, in spite of any opposition; fifty-nine pieces of cannon were taken in the town and fort. During their advance, the enemy's horse retook the first line of guns, and wheeled them round upon our troops; but Captain Henry Norfield, of the 76th, with only twenty-eight men of that gallant regiment, actually retook them and drove the enemy off, but fell in doing so. At the lower end of the morass was a dense column of Holkar's infantry, with many heavy guns; but during the whole action both were kept in check by Major Hammond, with two battalions and three six-pounders. In the furious advance, General Fraser had his leg smashed by a cannon-shot and was borne to the rear, when the command devolved upon Colonel Monson; but the valiant Fraser, says Lord Lake, in his despatch, continued to encourage the troops "long after he had fallen, and his voice impelled them, till a complete and glorious victory crowned and rewarded his exertions." Elsewhere he says, "his plan for attacking the enemy, in the glorious battle of Deeg, evinces the highest judgment and sagacity, and his conduct at the head of the army proves the most deliberate courage and determined resolution." The second line of works yielded like the first; redoubt after redoubt was taken, till the enemy sought safety in flight. Many flung themselves wildly into the morass and perished miserably, at Muttra, and rejoined his infantry, which were while a few found shelter under the guns of the fort. Our loss was 643 killed and wounded, among whom were twenty-three British officers; but of the enemy more than 2,000 were killed or drowned; eighty-seven pieces of cannon, all of European make, were captured, and Holkar's twenty-four battalions were broken up and scattered.* Major Thorn, &c. In the capture, we had twenty-eight Europeans killed, and seventy-eight wounded; of natives, 101 killed, 106 wounded, and five missing. Among the casualties were fifteen European officers. § Following up the track of Holkar, on the 28th, Lord Lake crossed the Jumna by a bridge of boats then encamped about three miles to the westward. During the month's separation, one account says, his cavalry had ridden upwards of 500 miles. The reduction of Chandore in Candeish, the strongest place held by Holkar on the side of the Deccan, had been schemed out by General + Despatches, Gazette, &c. Scots Magazine, 1805. Lake's Despatch. Wellesley; and the troops detailed for that service consisted of some of the Company's subsidiary forces serving with the Nizam and the Peishwa, together with contingents furnished by these princes. The whole were commanded by Colonels Wallace and Haliburton, who, through General Wellesley's care were amply supplied with money and provisions. After a long march, early in October, Wallace succeeded in capturing the fort of Lassengong, twelve miles from the strong pass which Chandore commands. An easy march then brought him before the latter, and, from its past reputation in war, a resolute defence was expected; but the batteries of Wallace were no sooner ready to open, than Holkar's killedar displayed the white flag, and surrendered, upon condition that the garrison should be allowed to carry off all baggage, and that private property should be respected. The fall of Chandore led to the surrender of many small dependent forts, and thus Holkar lost all his possessions south of the Taptee River. In the same month, an expedition to Khurda, the rajah of which, Muckund Deo, had rebelled, closed the military operations of the year 1804. Situated in Orissa, with the exception of a few isolated hills, this province is flat, and towards the south is still covered by an impervious forest, and the only avenues to the interior are through strongly-fortified defiles. The Khurda Rajah was always invested with sovereign authority, and was the sole fountain of honour in Cuttack. He was also hereditary high-priest of Juggernaut, and keeper of the idol's wardrobe. Against this personage, who had taken up arms, Captain Hickland marched, on the 19th of October, with 120 of the 5th Native Infantry, and a sixpounder, and attacked him at Dillory, where he was posted with 1,000 infantry, besides horse, all of whom he put to flight. Detachments of five other Madras corps entered Khurda in three directions; and, driven from all his fortresses, the rajah took refuge in the jungles, where he was captured and shut up in the fort of Midnapore. Government kept the country; but in three years permitted him to proceed to Paoree, on a salary of 200 rupees monthly, to serve as high-priest in the celebrated temple of Juggernaut. His descendant has been acknowledged only as a landholder, his territory being under the entire management of British officials. CHAPTER LXXV. THE FOUR FATAL ASSAULTS ON EHURTPORE-AMEER KHAN-END OF THE BLOCKADE. THE next object to be undertaken by Lord Lake was the siege of Bhurtpore, situated about twenty miles S.S.E. of Deeg, on a plain amidst lakes and jungles. By the capture of the former place the war against Holkar would have been ended, had it not been for his alliance with Runjeet Sing, the Rajah of Bhurtpore, whose cavalry had served with those of Holkar at Deeg; and by whose artillery in that fortress we had suffered our greatest losses. Moreover, after the battle, his fortress had received as many of the fugitive Mahrattas as could escape into it; therefore, it was resolved to carry the war into the heart of Runjeet's territories, to reduce all his forts, and capture Bhurtpore, his capital. On the 1st of January, 1805, Lord Lake began his march against this well-defended place, with his troops eager for battle, and all in the highest spirits. The country was clear of the enemy, and they pursued their march without trouble or precaution. Hunting parties were frequent, and as wild hogs and deer abounded, there was a good deal of sport, and game was a frequent dish at many of our camp tables. After a successful day's hunting or shoot. ing (says an officer who was present), the etiquette was, particularly with those who knew how to make it subservient to their own private views, to send the head of a hog, or a haunch of venison, to headquarters, and to make their appearance at the breakfast or dinner-table, where a large party assembled daily." Lord Lake was before Bhurtpore on the 2nd of January, and immediately began to break ground. Its condition he describes thus, in his despatch to the Governor-General. "A mud wall of great height and thickness, and a very wide and deep ditch everywhere around it. The fort is situated *"Mil. Autobiog.," 1834. 1805.] STUART, OF THE SEVENTY-FIFTH. at its eastern extremity, and is of a square figure. One side of that square overlooks the country; the remaining three sides are within the town. It occupies a situation which seems more elevated than the town, and its walls are said to be higher, and of greater width and deepness. The circumference of both the town and fort is upwards of eight miles, and their walls in all that extent are flanked with bastions at short distances, on which are mounted a very numerous artillery." Encamping on the south side of the town, Lord Lake seized a grove in advance to facilitate his approaches; but this was not done without difficulty; and on the evening of the 5th a breaching battery, armed with only six eighteen-pounders, was erected, which opened fire next day, in unison with another battery, having eight mortars, throwing shells. The fire was continued, without intermission, till the morning of the 9th, when a breach in the western curtain, not far from the south-west angle, was reported to the general. Previous breaches had been made, but these were successfully stockaded by the enemy; and to prevent them doing so in this instance, it was resolved at once to assault. At seven o'clock in the evening the stormers moved off in three columns: one to assault a gateway on the left of the breach, another to carry some advanced guns of the enemy on the right, while the third, or central column, led by LieutenantColonel Maitland, of the 75th Highlanders, consisting of 500 Europeans and a battalion of sepoys, was to carry the breach. By eight o'clock they issued from the head of the trenches, and immediately were assailed by a terrific fire of cannon and musketry, as they rushed furiously to the three points of attack. Lord Lake had hoped that Maitland's column would take the enemy by surprise; but in this it failed, owing to the darkness of the night, the irregularity of the intervening ground, which was broken up by swamps and pools, and, as the general reported, the great depth of water in the ditch. Surmounting this difficulty, the gallant Maitland, though losing men on every hand-some in the confusion following the right column, and some the left-led the stormers up the breach, which proved so imperfect, that all attempts to gain the summit were made in vain, and there was a horde of the enemy, clad in yellow garments, brandishing their glittering tulwars. The booming of the great guns and the roar of the flashing musketry filled the whole air, together with hurrahs, and the somewhat unusual accompaniment of the drums and fifes, playing "The 395 British Grenadiers," near the foot of the breach. Finding the latter impracticable, Colonel Maitland resolved to lead his column somewhat to the left, and sent an officer, Lieutenant J. L. Stuart, to order a company in the trenches to cease firing. "I shall never forget," says the writer already quoted, who commanded that company, "the martial appearance which Stuart's fine tall figure made, as he stood upon the parapet of the trenches, illumined by the blaze of cannon, and the musketry flashing in every direction. He wore an unsheathed sword the scabbard had been dispensed with-hanging from a waist-belt, in which he had secured a pair of double-barrelled pistols; over one shoulder was slung a powder-horn, over the other a dirk, accompanied by a flask of Highland comfort; and to complete the equipment, he had a well-poised hogspear, a weapon which, wielded by his powerful arm, was seldom known to miss the object against which it was directed." The firing at this point consequently ceased. The flank companies of H.M. 22nd (Cheshire) had got far up into the breach, but being reduced to only twenty-three men, Lieutenant George Mansergh made them crouch down to avoid the dreadful fire from the guns they were unable to capture. By this time, Colonel Maitland, after receiving several severe wounds, fell, shot through the head. Every account of this affair is most confused. "Although we unfortunately failed in gaining possession of the place, we were not wholly unsuccessful; a flanking column on the right, under the orders of Major Hawkes, gained possession of the enemy's battery, and succeeded in spiking and disabling their guns, and in destroying the greatest part of the enemy who were opposed to them." Eventually, the whole attempt proved a lamentable failure, and our troops retired with a loss of eighty-five killed, 371 wounded, and one missing— Ensign Hatfield, 75th Highlanders. Among those in the first, were thirty-two officers; the enemy butchered in cold blood all the wounded who fell in the ditch or beyond the other wall, and thus several of Lake's best officers perished. The enemy stockaded the breach, so fresh batteries were thrown up. On the 18th of January, Major-General Smith arrived in camp, with three battalions of sepoys, belonging to the garrison of Agra, and 100 European convalescents, who, by a circuitous route, had performed a fifty miles' march in twenty-four hours. At the same time, Ismael Beg deserted from Holkar and joined the British, with 500 horse; but, lured by a present of six lacs of rupees and the tempting prospect of plunder, Despatch, Toth January, 1805. |