While the Deccan had been torn by civil war, the Government of
Bombay had extended their territory. The Nabob of Surat, who had
been under their protection, had died; and they had taken the
government of the province into their own hands. A civil war having
broken out, at Baroda, they had supported one of the rival princes;
and had, after a good deal of fighting, placed their candidate on
the throne--various districts being assigned to them, in return for
their assistance.
Holkar, on hearing of Bajee's arrival at Bassein, placed his
brother Amrud on the musnud, and commenced a series of atrocities,
in Poona, equal to that which it had suffered at the hands of
Ghatgay; respectable inhabitants being robbed and ill treated, many
tortured, and some killed, in order to wring from them the
treasures that they were supposed to have concealed.
During the months that followed his return to Calcutta, Harry
remained attached to the staff of the Marquis of Wellesley--for to
this title Lord Mornington had succeeded, during his absence, on
the death of his father--and was sent on various missions; among
others accompanying the Governor General's brother, the Honorable
Henry Wellesley, to the court of Oude. He could now speak
Hindustani, as well as Mahratti; and was very useful in acting as
an interpreter, and in aiding to carry on the negotiations.
In February, 1803, he was sent by the Governor General to join the
force that Major General Wellesley was preparing, in Mysore, to aid
Bajee Rao to recover his throne. The treaty that the latter had
concluded with the Government, on his arrival at Bassein, was a
most advantageous one to the English. In return for their
assistance, he agreed that a force of infantry, with guns and
European artillerymen, should be stationed within his territories;
their maintenance being paid by handing over to the Company a large
amount of territory. The two parties were to support each other in
case of war, and the Peishwa bound himself not to make aggressions
against other states, nor to negotiate with them without the
Governor's consent. The Peishwa agreed, also, to abandon the
Mahratta claims on Surat, and other districts that had been
occupied by the English.
On arriving at General Wellesley's camp, Harry reported himself to
that officer for service.
"I am very glad to have you with me, Captain Lindsay. I have
frequently heard my brother speak of your services, and your
perfect knowledge of Mahratti, and your acquaintance with its
people will be of great value to me.
"You know the Peishwa well. Do you think that he will be faithful
to the engagement that he has made with us?"
"Certainly not, sir. He has been intriguing, ever since he ascended
the musnud. His duplicity is only equalled by his treachery and, as
soon as he is restored, in Poona, he will again begin his intrigues
with Scindia and the other Mahratta chiefs."
"That is the opinion that I have formed of him, from what I have
heard," the general said. "However, the terms of the treaty will
render him practically our servant; for we shall maintain a body of
troops near Poona, which will effectually prevent any scheme of his
from succeeding.
"What course Holkar will take, we cannot say; but the other
Mahratta chiefs have all entered into a confederacy against us, and
we shall have the forces of Scindia, of the Rajah of Bhopal, the
Rajah of Berar, and the Rajah of Kolapoore to deal with."
The partition of Mysore had, indeed, done much to unite the
Mahrattas together. The ever-increasing power of the British was a
serious source of alarm for, in addition to Mysore, Lord Wellesley
had, without a shadow of justification, obtained the control of
Oude.
"I am sorry, sir, that the Rajah of Berar has declared against us.
I was nearly three months with him; and should, after the news of
the capture of Seringapatam, have fallen a victim to the fury of
the Mohammedans in the city, had he not taken me under his
protection. But at the same time, I have no doubt in my mind that
he was ready to join whichever side was victorious."
"You have, then, no good opinion of the Mahrattas, Captain
Lindsay?"
"I have met but one honest man among them. Nana Furnuwees was not
only an extraordinary man, but devoted his talents wholly to the
good of the state. His word could always be relied upon. His life
was simple, and his habits frugal. I honoured and esteemed him,
greatly."
"Yes, it was owing to you, as my brother told me, that he was
released from prison. I was greatly struck with the story, when I
heard it; because it showed how much can be accomplished, even by
the youngest officer who is active, and enterprising, and ready to
act on his own initiative. I saw a copy of Mr. Uhtoff's report of
the affair.
"Well, you will be attached to my staff, with no particular duties,
at present; but doubtless we shall find plenty for you to do, when
we once cross the frontier into the Mahratta country."
Harry found that, in addition to the eight thousand infantry and
seventeen hundred cavalry, under the command of General Wellesley,
the Nizam's force of eight thousand regular troops and fifteen
thousand irregulars were advancing towards the frontier, the whole
commanded by Colonel Stephenson. On the 25th of March these forces
advanced, and were joined by numerous small Mahratta chiefs in the
Peishwa's interest. General Wellesley's army advanced straight on
Poona, which was evacuated at once by Holkar's force and, as it was
stated that he intended to burn the town, before he retired, the
general hastened forward with his cavalry and, on the 20th of
April, took possession of the place. Colonel Stephenson, whose
cooperation was no longer required, moved north towards the
Godavery, to protect the country against the irruptions of Holkar.
Four weeks later Bajee Rao arrived from the coast, and resumed his
seat on the musnud amid great rejoicings by the inhabitants; who
had suffered terribly, both at the hands of Ghatgay and Holkar.
Scindia, having recovered from the effects of his defeat by Holkar,
had returned, crossed the Nerbudda, and encamped on the Nizam's
frontier. He was busy preparing for war, in conjunction with the
Rajah of Berar; and had even made overtures, to Holkar, to join in
opposing the English. Bajee Rao himself, as was afterwards
discovered, was also in friendly communication with Scindia.
The Resident at Scindia's court was ordered to leave it, unless
that prince retired from his position on the Nizam's frontier.
Scindia, when summoned, sent a defiant reply and, as it was now
evident that war was impending, General Wellesley was invested with
full powers; and Lord Lake, who commanded the army of Hindustan,
was ordered to advance to attack the formidable force of French
infantry, under Perron, and take possession of Delhi, Agra, and
other places held by the Mahrattas. Another attempt was made to
persuade Scindia to retire; but evasive answers were returned, and
it was not until the 3rd of August that the Resident quitted
Scindia, and Wellesley prepared to attack Ahmednuggur.
The possession of this place was of great importance, because it
was situated close to the Nizam's frontier, and afforded great
facilities for future operations. The town was surrounded by a
wall, flanked by towers; and was defended by a number of Arabs, and
a battalion of Scindia's regular infantry. These offered a vigorous
resistance for, after a breach had been made in the walls, and the
troops had entered, they retired; fighting from house to house, and
keeping up a heavy fire. However, by nightfall they were driven
inside their fort.
A battery of four guns was erected, within four hundred yards of
it; and these opened with such effect that the governor
surrendered, on being allowed to depart with the garrison and their
private property.
On the 24th, General Wellesley crossed the Godavery; Colonel
Stephenson moving in the direction of Aurungabad. Scindia and the
Rajah of Berar were now within forty miles of him; but they
suddenly turned off, as if intending to make a dash for Hyderabad,
where the Nizam had expired, three weeks before.
Wellesley followed close after them, and they then turned and took
up a position to the north of Julnapoor, a town lying east of
Aurungabad. On the 2nd of September, Julnapoor was captured by
Colonel Stephenson; who afterwards made a night attack upon
Scindia's camp, inflicting considerable loss.
On the 21st the whole Mahratta army, with sixteen battalions of
regular infantry, were encamped twenty-two miles north of Julnapoor
and, the next day, the army marched against them by two routes;
Colonel Stephenson taking the western road, and General Wellesley
the eastern.
The next afternoon, when about to halt, General Wellesley learned
that the Mahrattas were encamped about six miles from him, on the
banks of the Kaitna. He determined to attack them at once, without
waiting for Colonel Stephenson; for in another day they would, in
all probability, send off their infantry, and begin to carry on a
desultory warfare with their horse.
[Illustration: Plan of the Battle of Assaye.]
The general rode on, with his staff and an escort of cavalry, and
obtained a view of the Mahratta host from rising ground. They were
in the fork formed by the junction of the Kaitna with the Juah.
Their right consisted wholly of cavalry, and was protected by the
high and rocky bank of the stream; which was, at one or two points,
impassable for guns. Their left, consisting of the infantry and
artillery, was posted in the village of Assaye, which lay near the
fork of the river.
The general determined, at once, to attack at this point. The force
under his command consisted of four battalions of Sepoys, and the
74th and 78th Regiments; with the 19th Dragoons, and three
regiments of native cavalry--in all, four thousand five hundred
men. Opposed to them were ten thousand five hundred disciplined
troops, taught and commanded by European officers; Scindia's
irregulars, and the infantry of the Rajah of Berar; with a
well-appointed train of artillery, of over a hundred guns, and some
forty thousand cavalry.
From the position in which the British force arrived they had to
march, for some distance, parallel with the river; and exposed to a
terrible artillery fire, which created such havoc, especially among
the bullocks drawing the guns, that the cavalry could not move
forward. The infantry therefore proceeded alone, crossed the Kaitna
by a ford; and then, swinging round, advanced against the village.
While they were crossing the river, the Mahratta cavalry were
brought up from their former position, and took post behind Assaye.
The steadiness with which the little force advanced to the attack,
against so immense an army, had already had the effect of shaking
the Mahrattas. It seemed to them that their opponents must be
conscious that they were invincible. Pouring in a volley, the first
British line charged with the bayonet. The Mahratta infantry at
once wavered, and then gave way; and fell back on their second
line, posted near the Juah.
As the 74th Regiment passed through the village, a body of Mahratta
horse charged them; but they were met by the British cavalry, who
drove them, with great slaughter, into the river. The second
Mahratta line gave way, with scarcely any resistance; and the
British cavalry, pressing hotly after them, cut them up terribly.
The infantry followed, as quickly as possible.
But suddenly there was a roar of guns, behind them; and the flying
Mahrattas at once rallied, and faced their pursuers. As they
advanced, the force had captured the Mahrattas' guns; but numbers
of the artillerymen had thrown themselves down, lying as if dead.
As soon as they saw that the British line was still pressing
forward in pursuit, the artillerymen leapt to their feet and,
turning the guns, opened fire.
The general at once put himself at the head of the 71st Regiment
and the native cavalry and, after a desperate conflict, in which
the general had his horse shot under him, succeeded in recapturing
the guns. In the meantime, Colonel Maxwell with the cavalry had,
again and again, charged the fugitives who had rallied; and
succeeded in completely breaking them up, but was himself killed.
The battle had lasted three hours. One thousand five hundred and
sixty-six of the British force were killed, or wounded, being
rather more than a third of the troops engaged. The enemy left
twelve hundred dead on the field of battle, and the country through
which they retreated was covered with their wounded. The camp, with
a number of bullocks, and a large quantity of military stores and
ninety-eight cannon, fell into the hands of the victors.
Scindia, in great alarm, sent an ambassador to the British camp
and, after various conferences, a truce was agreed upon between him
and the general; the conditions being that Scindia should not
approach within forty miles of his frontier, and that the British
should not enter his dominions.
On the day after the battle of Assaye, the general sent for Harry.
"Captain Lindsay, I have a mission which you can carry out better
than any of my other officers. I wish you to make your way across
the country, to inform General Lake of the victory we have won; and
to point out that, at present, Scindia is paralysed, and will be
unable to send troops to aid his force in the northwest for, should
he do so, I shall at once enter his territory.
"Do not run the risk of returning, but tell Lord Lake that my
orders are that you shall remain with him. I do not think that we
shall have much fighting here though, no doubt, later on, Holkar
and the Rajah of Berar will reform their armies and try conclusions
with us again; while, on the other side, there is likely to be
heavy fighting. You must, of course, travel in disguise, but you
are already accustomed to that."
"I will willingly undertake the mission, sir."
"Would you like to take anyone with you?"
"I should be glad if you will give me four troopers, from one of
your native cavalry regiments. I shall, of course, ride as a petty
chief, but I might be interrupted in small villages, were I alone
with only my servant; whereas, if I had four followers, it would
appear natural to them, as even the pettiest leader is always
accompanied by a party, however small, of horsemen."
"Certainly. I will give orders to the colonel of the 1st Cavalry to
choose four well-mounted men, who can speak Mahratti. There are
many such in his regiment."
There was no difficulty about disguises, for a large quantity of
native clothing had been found in the camp. Harry chose a dress
suitable for a native in command of some fifty or sixty men; and
the four troopers attired themselves in the garments of native
soldiers, which indeed differed in no way from those worn by the
peasantry. Harry had packed his uniform in his native saddlebag;
and also his cocked hat, after taking out the stiffening so that it
would lie flat; and had exchanged his own saddle for that of one of
Holkar's horsemen. He advised the men to do the same so that, when
they joined Lord Lake, they would be able at once to appear in
uniform. There was an abundance of native swords and spears lying
where the Mahratta force had been defeated.
Abdool had at once been sent into the village, and had there
succeeded in buying some brown dye, used in colouring the clothes;
and with this Harry stained his face and hands and, two hours after
receiving the order, rode out from camp, followed by Abdool and the
four troopers.
He considered that there was but little danger in the journey as,
for the greater portion of the distance, he would ride through the
dominions of the young Nizam. He would, however, have to pass
through the territory of the Rajah of Berar; beyond this, he would
enter the country in which the British were already supreme. While
in the Nizam's dominions, he experienced no difficulties; the news
of the victory of Assaye had already spread, and the inhabitants
were relieved of the fears they had been entertaining of a great
raid, by Holkar. The passage, therefore, of a petty chief with four
followers was regarded with indifference; and indeed, he was
generally supposed to be one of the Nizam's irregular cavalry, on
his way with some message to Hyderabad.
Still less attention was paid to him in the villages of Berar. Many
bodies of the rajah's troops had already passed through, on their
way to Nagpore, and they were naturally taken to be some of the
fugitives.
They travelled as rapidly as possible. The horses were all inured
to long journeys, and they had made from fifty to sixty miles a
day. They halted at a village, twenty miles east of Nagpore.
Nothing unusual had happened, and Harry had just lain down to
sleep, when there was a sound as of people gathering in front of
his hut.
He was about to rise, to see what was going on; when the door was
opened, and a number of armed villagers at once poured into the
room, and he was seized before he had time to leap to his feet. He
made no attempt at resistance but, believing that some mistake had
been committed, he angrily demanded the reason of this assault.
He was dragged out into the street. As this happened he heard
pistol shots and, a moment later, the four troopers rode up.
One of them had remained at the door of the hut, while the others
had lain down. Seeing a number of people moving about, he had
roused his companions. They had got out of the window at the back
of the hut. Here their horses had been picketed and, mounting at
once, they rode out, just as a body of men made a rush at the door
of their hut. By the use of their pistols and swords they had
broken through these and, seeing the crowd in front of the hut that
Harry had occupied, they charged without hesitation.
The villagers, unprepared for such an attack, fell back; losing
their hold of Harry, and Abdool, whom they had also captured. The
latter darted away and, in a few seconds, returned leading the two
horses.
"Shall we set the houses alight, before we start, sahib?" one of
the troopers asked.
"No; they may rally in a minute or two, and the sooner we are out
of it, the better."
He turned and started at once and, as he did so, a dropping fire
from matchlocks and guns was opened upon them. The villagers' arms
were, however, wholly untrustworthy, and the powder bad. One of the
troopers was hit in the arm but, with that exception, they rode out
unharmed.
"What does it all mean, Abdool?" Harry asked as, after riding fast
for a quarter of a mile, they broke into a slower pace. "Of course,
they must in some way have recognized me, for I heard some of them
saying, 'Death to the English infidel!'"
"It was through me that they recognized you, sahib," Abdool said.
"They seized me before they entered your hut, and tied a bandage
round my mouth, to prevent my giving any alarm. As they took me out
into the road, one of them said:
"'Son of Sheitan, I knew you directly I saw you. You were with that
English officer, in Nagpore. Then, when I looked at the head of
your party I saw that, though he had changed his dress, and stained
his face to the colour of ours, it was the same man who came as an
envoy to our rajah, and whose house we attacked.
"'We shall hear what the rajah says to him when we take him to
Nagpore.'"
"I understand now, Abdool. I have thought of my own disguise, and
that of the troopers; but as you always, except when riding behind
me, dress in your native clothes, it seemed to me a matter of
course that you would pass without difficulty; and it never
occurred to me that you must, during our three months' stay at
Nagpore, have become known by sight to most of the people there. It
is a bad blunder, and it will be a lesson to me, in future."
Then he turned, and spoke to the troopers.
"You have done well, indeed, tonight," he said, "and I owe it to
you that I have escaped, if not death, an imprisonment of months.
If I had been taken to Nagpore, and handed over to the rajah, he
would doubtless have imprisoned me; but would not have ventured to
take my life, for he would have known that the part that he had
taken against us would be more readily forgiven, than the murder of
a British officer. But I do not think I should have reached the
palace. Furious as the people must be at their crushing defeat at
Assaye, they would have torn me to pieces, the moment they heard
from my captors that I was an Englishman; therefore I feel that you
have saved my life.
"How was it that you were not also surprised?"
When he heard how the alarm had been given, and how they had at
once mounted and ridden out, just as a party were about to enter
the hut, he said:
"It was well done, and shows that you are quick fellows, as well as
brave. I shall report your conduct when we join the army, and shall
myself give you a batta of six months' pay.
"Now, we will ride on for a few miles, and then leave the road and
take shelter, till morning, in a wood. The horses have had five
hours' rest at the village, and there will be time for them to have
as much more, before we mount again.
"It is lucky that you bought some grain for them, this evening,
instead of waiting till the morning, so they can have a good feed
before starting."
Henceforth they avoided the villages as much as possible, and
passed unquestioned until they reached the Hustoo river which, at
this point, formed the eastern boundary of Berar. They swam the
horses across and, after stopping for a few hours at Dundava, rode
on; and continued their journey due north, and crossed the Sone
river at Maunpoor, having accomplished a journey of nearly a
thousand miles in twenty days.
On arriving there Harry found that General Lake had left, six weeks
before, and had encamped at Secundara where, on the 26th of August,
despatches had been received from the Governor General, authorizing
active operations against Scindia and his allies; and two days
later the force halted on the Mahratta frontier, within sight of
the mosque at Coel, where Perron was encamped.
Perron, a French officer in Scindia's service, commanded no less
than forty-three thousand men, and four hundred and sixty-four
guns. About half of these were with Scindia in the Deccan, and the
force encamped at Coel numbered about twenty thousand.
Perron, an active and ambitious man, had assumed an almost
independent position. A large grant of territory had been given him
by Scindia, and in this he ruled with absolute authority and, had
it not been for the interposition of the British, it is probable
that he would, ere long, have assumed the position of an
independent prince. Indeed, his army of partially disciplined men
was more than a match for the whole force of Scindia.
At a short distance from Coel was the fortress of Alighur, which
was considered to be almost impregnable. It was defended by a
triple line of walls and fortifications, so that an enemy entering
it would have to advance by a devious route from one gate to
another, exposed all the time to a terrible artillery fire. It was
almost surrounded by a swamp, and the only approach was along a
narrow strip of firm ground, leading to the gate.
Early on the morning of the 29th, the British troops advanced to
attack Perron's force; but it at once drew off, although the
infantry were supported by twenty thousand horse. Believing that
Alighur was impregnable, Perron left a strong force there under one
of his officers, named Pedron, and marched with his army towards
Agra.
On the 4th of September a storming party, commanded by Colonel
Monson, left the British camp; and was accompanied by two
batteries, each consisting of four eighteen-pounders. A portion of
the defenders was posted on the strip of dry ground, outside the
gate, where a battery with three guns had been mounted. Before
daybreak, Colonel Monson moved forward, with two companies of the
76th Regiment. The enemy took the alarm before he reached their
battery, and fled towards the gate, without waiting to discharge
their guns.
Monson pressed after them, in the hope of being able to enter
before the gate was shut; but he was too late. The entrance was
raked by the guns on the walls, which opened with a destructive
fire of grape. Ladders were applied to the walls, but these were
manned by so strong a body of pikemen that it was found impossible
to gain a footing. So bold were the defenders that, as the soldiers
fell back, they ran down the ladders and pursued them hotly; but
were soon beaten off.
A six pounder was brought up to burst open the gate, but its fire
did but little damage; and a twelve pounder was then employed. The
gates yielded, and the storming party rushed in. But during the
twenty minutes that had elapsed, between the guns opening fire and
the time at which the gate yielded, the troops had been exposed to
a terrible fire, both of grape and musketry. Colonel Monson was
wounded, and the loss was heavy.
The second gate was forced with comparatively little difficulty,
although a terrible fire of artillery and musketry was kept up,
from the walls on either side of the road, and from the bastion
commanding it. The assailants pressed so hotly, upon the defenders
of the second gate, that they gained the third before the enemy had
time to close it.
But another and stronger gate had still to be passed, and here a
desperate stand was made. The troops were obliged to take shelter,
close to the wall, until the twelve pounder was brought up. It was
of little avail, for the artillerymen were shot down as soon as
they endeavoured to work it. At length, two or three officers
gathered a party, and made a rush at the wicket gate. Half a dozen
muskets were discharged, together, at the lock; and the gate at
once gave way.
The whole party rushed forward into the interior of the fortress,
gained the ramparts, and opened fire on the enemy, who in vain
attempted to drive out the force gathered near the gate; and
Pedron, finding further resistance impossible, surrendered.
The loss of the victors, in killed and wounded, amounted to two
hundred and twenty-three; while that of the garrison, in killed
alone, exceeded two thousand. An enormous quantity of military
stores was found here, the French having made it their chief depot.
The number of guns captured was two hundred and eighty-one.
On the 7th of September, the army marched for Delhi. On the way,
General Lake received a letter from Monsieur Perron, saying that he
had quitted the service of Scindia, and requesting a free passage
to Lucknow. The easy capture of a fortress that he and his
engineers had rendered, as they believed, impregnable, and the loss
of all his military stores, sufficed to show him that he could not
hope to withstand the progress of the British; and that it was
better for him to resign, at once, than to continue a hopeless
struggle, especially as the loss of Alighur would excite the fury
of Scindia, and possibly lead to his arrest and execution. He had,
indeed, received information that he had already lost Scindia's
confidence; and that intrigues were being carried on, with some of
his officers, to deprive him of his jagheer and command.
His request was therefore granted and, escorted by a party of his
own bodyguard, and by some British dragoons, he proceeded to
Lucknow and, afterwards, settled in the neighbourhood of
Chandernagore.
The capture of Alighur had indeed made a tremendous impression upon
the native mind and, as the army advanced, several fortresses that
might have made a long defence were abandoned.
On the 11th, General Lake's army encamped within six miles of
Delhi; but the tents were but just pitched when intelligence was
received that a large force of the enemy was in position, two miles
distant. It consisted of sixteen battalions of regular infantry,
six thousand cavalry, and a large train of artillery; commanded by
Monsieur Bourquieu, Perron's second in command.
General Lake at once, with the whole of his cavalry, reconnoitred
the position that the enemy had taken up. It was two miles from the
camp, and consisted of a low hill, covered by broken ground on each
flank. Seeing that the enemy could only be attacked in front,
General Lake ordered the infantry and artillery to come up.
While waiting for their arrival, the cavalry suffered some loss
from the enemy's artillery fire. The general, seeing that it was
doubtful whether an attack on so strong a position would be
successful, determined to attempt to draw the enemy from it. The
cavalry advanced a short distance and then, as the fire upon them
redoubled, they were ordered to fall back. Their line had hidden
the approach of the infantry from the enemy; and the latter,
believing that the cavalry were retreating, left their entrenchments
and started in pursuit, with shouts of victory. The cavalry opened
right and left, and the enemy found themselves face to face with a
steady line of infantry; who at once advanced, the general himself
leading them, at the head of the 76th Regiment.
A tremendous fire was opened upon them by the Mahratta guns but,
when within a hundred paces of the enemy, the whole line fired a
volley, and then charged with the bayonet. The enemy did not stand
for a moment but, seized by a panic, fled in all directions,
pursued by the cavalry and the horse artillery battery. These
followed them as far as the banks of the Jumna, and great numbers
of the enemy lost their lives in endeavouring to cross the river.
The British loss, in killed and wounded, was nearly six hundred
men; while that of the enemy was estimated at two thousand.
Sixty-eight pieces of cannon, two waggons laden with treasure, and
thirty-seven with ammunition fell into the hands of the victors
who, on the 14th, crossed the Jumna, and took possession of the
city without opposition; being welcomed enthusiastically by the
population, who had long groaned under the terrible oppression of
their Mahratta masters.
Two days later, General Lake paid a visit to the unfortunate
emperor, who was now eighty-three years old. He had been blinded by
his brutal conquerors, and lived in a state of misery, and poverty,
greater than that of any of the tillers of the fields of the wide
empire over which he had once ruled. He lived for another three
years, and was succeeded by his son, Mirza Akbar.
Leaving a force at Delhi, General Lake marched southward, as the
strong town of Agra was still in the possession of Scindia's
troops. He arrived before the city on the 4th of October and, in
three days, had cut off their communication with the surrounding
country; his cavalry being assisted by five thousand horse, sent by
the Rajah of Bhurtpoor, who had, as soon as he heard of the fall of
Alighur, hastened to enter into an alliance with the British.
The garrison was strong, and seven battalions of Scindia's regular
infantry were encamped on the glacis, and held possession of the
town. The garrison, however, refused to admit them into the fort;
as they had determined to share, among themselves, the large amount
of treasure deposited there.
Inside the fort great confusion prevailed. The troops had been
commanded by English officers, in Scindia's service, and these had
been imprisoned as soon as the war broke out. No answer was,
therefore, made to the summons to surrender.
On the morning of the 10th, Scindia's infantry were attacked. They
fought stoutly, but were finally defeated, and their twenty-six
brass guns captured. Two days later, two thousand five hundred of
them, who had retired when defeated, and taken shelter under the
guns of the fort, came over in a body and took service with the
British.
Siege operations were at once commenced and, on the 17th, a battery
of eight eighteen-pounders opened fire, with such effect that a
breach was almost effected; when the garrison released the British
officers, and sent them to the camp to offer to surrender. They
were allowed to do so, and to leave the fort with their clothes,
but without arms. Six thousand then marched out under these
conditions.
One hundred and sixty-four pieces of cannon, with a vast quantity
of ammunition and stores, were found in the fort; together with
twenty-two lakhs of rupees, which were divided among the captors.
On the 20th, Harry, with his little party, joined the army. He and
his troopers had, at Benares, resumed their uniform. He at once
waited on General Lake, and handed him the despatch in which
General Wellesley had described the victory at Assaye.
"This is great news, indeed, sir," the general said, "but I cannot
understand how you have brought it here so speedily."
"I rode in disguise through Berar, sir, and of course the troopers
were also disguised. Except that I was attacked in one village--where
I was recognized by a peasant who had seen me, when I was staying as
the Governor General's envoy at Nagpore, before the capture of
Seringapatam--I got through without difficulty."
"Yes; I heard from the Marquis of Wellesley that the rajah had been
kept from declaring against us, by a young officer of great
ability, whom he had sent to Nagpore for the purpose, and who
narrowly escaped assassination there when the news of the fall of
Seringapatam was received. I think he said that you had a perfect
knowledge of Mahratti, and also of Hindustani; and that he had sent
you to accompany his brother, General Wellesley.
"Well, the news of Assaye is welcome, indeed, and Scindia will be
very chary of weakening his army in the Deccan by sending
reinforcements in this direction.
"I see, sir, that General Wellesley has begged me to temporarily
place you on my staff as, in the present troubled state of the
country, it would be dangerous to endeavour to make your way back
to him. Of course, I will gladly do so, for your knowledge of the
languages will be very useful to me, for none of my staff can speak
either of them well."
General Lake sent for the head of his staff, introduced Harry to
him, and informed him of the news that he had brought; and then
ordered a general salute to be fired, by all the available guns in
the fort and artillery batteries. It was not long before the roar
of cannon began, telling the army that a splendid victory had been
won in the west; and a short time later notices were affixed to the
gates of the forts, and other public places, relating how General
Wellesley, with but four thousand five hundred men, had routed the
army of Holkar and the Rajah of Berar--amounting in all to over
fifty thousand, of whom ten thousand five hundred were disciplined
troops, commanded by Frenchmen. The news excited the utmost
enthusiasm among the troops, as the disproportion of numbers was
far greater than it had been at the battle of Delhi.