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placed detachments connecting his own with General Marshall's division. Upon ascertaining that Kureem and Wasil Mohammed had come to the northward, one of these detachments moved from Burwa Sagur, through Dutleea, across the Sindh, so as to cut them off from Gwalior; while Lord Hastings brought his division within thirty miles of Sindia's camp, which had the intended effect of completely overawing that chieftain. The Pindarries, despairing of aid from Gwalior, yet unable to retrace their steps to the southward, where General Marshall and Colonel Adams were closing in upon them, halted in the jungles and broken ground about Shahabad; till, on the approach of the British divisions, they forced the Lodwaną Ghaut, leading into Haraotee, in consequence of the ill-conduct of Zalim Singh's troops posted there. General Marshall succeeded, however, in overtaking a

rainy season of 1817; and from the early part of September, its ravages were felt at Calcutta, where, for a long time, it destroyed upwards of two hundred persons daily. Spreading thence up the course of the Ganges and its confluents, it reached the camp of Brigadier general Hardyman about the middle of October; but, as it was pitched in a healthy country, the effects of the disease were much mitigated. Continuing westward, it fell with extraordinary violence upon the division coommanded by the Governor-General in person. The year was one of scarcity; the grain was of inferior quality, and the situation of the encampment was low and unhealthy. "For ten days, the whole camp was a hospital; and the deaths in that short period amounted, according to the nearest estimate that could be made, to a tenth of the whole number collected. Towards the end of November, the GovernorGeneral had reached a healthy station, at Erich, on the Betwa, and the epidemic had visibly expended its virulence. See Prinsep, vol. ii. 107-111. The author was present at head-quarters, and lost seven servants and a moonshee in four days. In the following April, the same fatal disorder attacked the division under Colonel Adams in Kandeish; and in a few days, the casualties far exceeded what the troops had suffered through the whole course of the military operations. No part of India, from Nepaul to Cape Comorin, escaped this dreadful visitation. Ib. p. 258.

party and destroying a few of them. They then attempted to cross the Chumbul by the Loharee ford, but were there intercepted by General Donkin, who surprised their advanced guard in a night bivouac, about four miles N. E. of Burod, capturing the wife of Kureem Khan and all his state elephants, kettledrums, standards, and other insignia. The two chiefs, after having burned their baggage, went off to the southward, at the head of 4000 of the best mounted of their followers, with whom they succeeded in passing Colonel Adams's division, and continued their flight westward into Mewar. Of those who were left behind, some were cut off by the troops, and others by the exasperated villagers. One considerable body, however, got clear off to the southward, and after traversing the whole Deccan; entered the Company's provinces in the Carnatic, where they were annihilated or completely dispersed before the end of the ensuing January. The scene of operations, as regarded the Pindarries, now entirely confined to Mewar. General Marshall established his head-quarters at Seronje; Colonel Adams moved down upon Gungraur, to hem them in on the east ; while General Donkin, re-crossing the Chumbul, took post at Shahpoora, west of the Bunan, so as to inclose them on the north. Such was the progress of the Pindaree warfare in the east of Malwah: more important events were passing to the westward.

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When Cheetoo went off towards the north-west, he was pursued by Sir John Malcolm with the third division, until he found refuge in Holkar's camp in the vicinity of Mehidpoor. Sir John arrived at Agur on the 4th of December, where he halted, and receiving intelligence that Holkar's army entertained inten

tions decidedly hostile, he resolved to retire upon the first division, under Sir Thos. Hislop, then advancing to Oojein. The two divisions met on the 12th, and after a halt of two days, advanced towards Holkar's camp, with the intention to offer terms, agreeably to the Governor General's instructions. Gunput Row, the duan, had been gained over to the Peishwa's cause, and Toolsah Bhye had no will but his; but the arrival of General Malcolm's division produced some alteration in their dispositions. The commanders of battalions, however, aware that if an alliance was formed with the British Government, they must lose the consequence which they derived from the existing state of anarchy, were from the first disposed to hostilities. It was through their influence that no satisfactory answer was returned to the amicable overtures that were made, and that, although a shew of negotiation was kept up, the leaders of the Mahratta horse were urged to provoke a rupture by daily depredations on the cattle and followers of the British army. "So determined were the Patans to cut off all chance of pacification, that, suspecting the regency of an intention to accept the terms, they confined Gunput Row, and put Toolsah Bhye to death.” *

On the day that this tragedy took place, the British army had advanced to within ten miles of Holkar's camp, on the banks of the Seepra, near Mehid poor. A tumultuous council was held, at which the military chiefs decided, that it was advisable to hazard an action on the favourable ground that they occupied.

* Grant Duff, vol. ili. p. 462. The details are given by Sir John Malcolm, C. I. vol. i. pp. 314-317. "Not a foot stirred, and not a voice was raised, to save a woman who had never shewn mercy to others."

"The order of battle was skilfully arranged. The horse, which had crossed to the right bank of the Seepra, took a position that was well calculated to embarrass the operations of the advancing army, by Sccupying its attention and threatening its stores and baggage; while the infantry and cannon, covered by the remainder of the cavalry, occupied a strong and well-connected line, protected on the right by a deep water-course, and on the left, by the abrupt bank of the Seepra. The attention of the British army was from the first directed to the storming of the heavy batteries (about seventy guns). All skirmishing and partial actions were avoided; and the troops, having crossed the river, formed under cover, where they remained till the advance of the right of the line upon the enemy's left, (the strongest point of his position,) gave the signal for a simultaneous attack, which, after a short conflict, was successful in every quarter. The army of Holkar fled in great confusion. The horse, who had shown much boldness at the commencement of the day, were the first to leave the field when the action grew warm; and both they and the infantry gave way before the artillery ceased its destructive fire."*

This victory cost the British 174 killed and 604 wounded, of whom 38 were European officers. Holkar's army lost 3000 men, principally in the pursuit.

This brief but distinct account of the battle is given in the words of the highest authority,-the individual to whose chivalrous intrepidity the victory was chiefly attributable.-See Malcolm's C. I. vol. i. pp. 318-19. Sir John Malcolm had the immediate command of the two brigades destined to the attack of the enemy's left. An elaborate account of this important battle, "the only general action of primary order in India since 1804," with military comments, will be found in Blacker, pp. 146-158. See also Prinsep, vol, ii. pp. 127-132, Grant Duff, vol. iii. pp. 462, 3

An immense booty fell into the hands of the Mysore horse. The main body continued their flight through the night, to Seeta Mhow, and thence to Mundissor, where a seasonable submission saved them from destruction. The mother of Mulhar Row, Keissurah Bhye, being now the acknowledged head of the Holkar state, sent for Tantia Jogh, (who, as well as Gunput Row, had been imprisoned by the Patans,) and investing him with an honorary dress as minister, placed her son and the interests of the family in his hands. He repaired immediately to the English camp; and, on the 6th of January, the treaty of Mundissor was concluded; 66 by which the Holkar family, though it abandoned its claims upon the Rajpootana chiefs, its lands in the Jeypoor country, and its territories south of the Satpoorah range, attained, through the support of the British Government, the actual possession of its remaining countries."* A vakeel from Holkar was to reside at Calcutta, and a resident envoy was to be appointed to Holkar's court. The Mahratta horse under Ram Deen, the moment they heard the treaty was signed, hastened in a body to the southward, to join Bajee Row at Kopergaum. The remains of the fourteen battalions of infantry defeated at Mehidpoor, had gone off, under Roshun Beg and Roshun Khan, to Rampoorah, where they were surprised and routed, on the 10th of January, by a corps under General Browne. The new minister "did not deplore an event which disembarrassed a bankrupt state of a mutinous soldiery, and cancelled a number of old and troublesome claims." +

The immediate effect of this sudden annihilation

* Malcolm, C. I. vol. i. p. 321.

† Ibid. p. 323. About 400 were put to the sword, but the two leaders got clear off.

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