DHOONDIA WAO
1800-1802
Floyd leaves 19th--Dhoondia Wao--Force formed under Colonel
Wellesley to capture him--Advance on Ranee Bednore--Capture of
Koondgul, Dummul, Gudduck--Division of Dhoondia’s force destroyed
at Manoli--Dhoondia doubles back--Again hemmed in--Dhoondia
crosses Malpurba river--Pursuit drawing to a close--Dhoondia
caught at Conaghul--Dhoondia killed, and his force
destroyed--19th return to Mysore--The Rajah of Bullum--Regiment
ordered to Arcot.
For nearly nineteen years, ever since the regiment had existed,
the 19th Light Dragoons had served under Major General Floyd in
quarters and in the field, and now the time had come for separation.
In January 1800, Floyd sailed for England, the last of the officers
originally appointed to the regiment. Soon after his arrival in
England, he was appointed Colonel of the 26th Light Dragoons, and
his connection with his old regiment was permanently severed.
He afterwards become Colonel of the 8th Light Dragoons, and was
appointed Governor of Gravesend and Tilbury. He maintained his
interest in everything calculated to improve our cavalry system to
the end of his life. A General Order from the Adjutant General’s
office in Dublin, dated 7th October 1811, contains a Riding Lesson,
“suggested by Lieut. General Floyd,” which Officers Commanding
cavalry regiments are directed to practise. It is the foundation of
our present riding school system. In 1816, he was created a Baronet
for his services, and died at the age of 70, two years later.
The regiment did not remain long at Trichinopoly. It was soon called
on to take part in a short but remarkable campaign. When Seringapatam
fell, there was a prisoner in Tippoo’s power, named Dhoondia Wao, a
noted freebooter, who had at one time been in the service of Hyder
Ali. During Lord Cornwallis’ campaign in 1791-92, he had deserted
from the Mysore service. After the conclusion of peace, he collected
a party of desperate men, and committed depredations in the country
round Dharwar. Being hard pressed on one occasion by the Peishwa’s
troops, he took refuge in Mysore territory, thinking to make his
peace with Tippoo. On falling into Tippoo’s hands, he was forcibly
converted to Mohammedanism, and thrown into prison, where he remained
till Seringapatam fell. In the confusion consequent on the capture
of the place, he was set at liberty by an officer who did not know
his character. He at once collected a number of Tippoo’s disbanded
soldiers, and made for the Bednore district. In the confusion
consequent on the overthrow of Tippoo’s power, he gained possession
of many of the principal forts in the province. His adherents rapidly
increased in number, and he ravaged the surrounding country, his
exactions being accompanied by acts of the most atrocious cruelty.
Being provided with artillery, ammunition and money, he asserted
his right to the Bednore province, and assumed the title of King of
the Two Worlds. It was the golden age of adventurers. Forty years
earlier, Hyder Ali had founded a kingdom on the ruins of the ancient
principality of Mysore. In the far north Runjeet Singh was founding
a Sikh State in the Punjab. Between the Ganges and the Jumna,
Perron was aiming at forming a province under French protection.
On the borders of the Indian desert, Thomas, the Irish sailor, had
established an independent principality in Hurrianah, while other
adventurers like Ameer Khan and Ghuffoor Khan, the future founders of
the States of Tonk and Jowrah, traversed the centre of India at the
head of plundering hordes. Outside British territory was universal
confusion and anarchy, in which any man possessed of a bold heart and
a discerning brain might hope to carve out a Kingdom for himself,
whatever his faith or nationality. Any Chief whose service promised
plenty of plunder could command a following, which in a few months of
successful enterprize might swell to the dimensions of an army. But
Dhoondia had neither the talents nor the opportunity to become more
than a brigand on an unusually large scale.
[Illustration: SKETCH MAP
to illustrate the march of the Army in pursuit of Dhoondia Wao in
July, August, and September 1800.
_Walker & Boutall sc._]
Early in July 1799, the Commander in Chief sent two flying columns
into the field against him, and the Head Quarters of the Army
were also moved northwards for the same purpose. Several forts in
the hands of Dhoondia’s men were taken by storm, a number of the
freebooters were killed in various encounters, and, on the 17th
August, Dhoondia himself was defeated and forced to take refuge
in the Peishwa’s territory. There he was attacked by one of the
Peishwa’s officers named Dhoondia Punt Gokla, his elephants,
bullocks, and guns captured, and his remaining followers dispersed.
It was thought that the last had been heard of Dhoondia Wao, but in a
few months he was in the field again with a larger force than ever.
Having been joined by the whole of Tippoo’s disbanded cavalry and a
number of disaffected men from the Hyderabad country, he obtained
possession of several places in the Southern Mahratta country, and
threatened to re-enter Mysore. Dhoondia’s head quarters were in what
is now the Dharwar district, from whence he ravaged impartially the
Peishwa’s and Nizam’s territories adjoining, as well as the newly
conquered Mysore country under British administration. His belief, no
doubt, was that the three powers concerned would never act in unison,
and that, if at any time he was hard pressed on one side, he would
always be able to secure a retreat by crossing into the adjoining
territory, where mutual jealousies would afford him a temporary
asylum. A force of 5000 horse and a large body of infantry, sent
against him by the Peishwa, was defeated. His adherents increased in
numbers, till it was found that he was at the head of 40,000 men, and
beyond the control of the feeble government of the Peishwa, in whose
territory he had established himself. Owing to these circumstances,
in the beginning of May 1800, orders were sent to Colonel the Honble.
A. Wellesley, who was in full civil and military charge of Mysore,
directing him to assemble a field force, as speedily as possible,
and pursue and destroy Dhoondia Wao’s forces wherever he should find
them. To prevent Dhoondia from again securing himself by taking
refuge in the Peishwa’s country, the consent of the Peishwa was
obtained for the British troops to follow Dhoondia into Mahratta
territory, if necessary. The campaign was one of unusual character.
The task was not the subjugation and occupation of a particular
tract of country, nor the coercion of an enemy with whom terms
were eventually to be made. The object in view was the extirpation
of a band of freebooters, whose numbers had swelled to those of a
formidable army, provided with artillery and ample resources, and who
had possessed themselves of a province belonging to a power with whom
we were in alliance. “You are to pursue Dhoondia Wao wherever you
may find him, and to hang him on the first tree.” So ran Wellesley’s
instructions. By the 24th June, Wellesley’s force, which assembled
at Chitteldroog, had crossed the Toombadra river near Hurryhur,
and on the 27th, it marched on Ranee Bednore. The force consisted
of H.M.’s 19th and 25th Light Dragoons, three regiments of Native
Cavalry, two regiments of European Infantry, and five regiments of
Native Infantry. A detachment of the Hyderabad Subsidiary Force,
between three and four thousand strong, co-operated under Lieut.
Colonel Bowser: the Peishwa also sent a force to assist, acting
independently. A body of the Nizam’s horse also joined Wellesley’s
force. On reaching Ranee Bednore, the advanced guard was fired on:
the fort was at once attacked and carried by escalade, and Dhoondia’s
garrison, about 500 in number, put to the sword. So atrocious had
been the cruelties committed by Dhoondia’s men, that quarter was
seldom given to any of them found in arms. The next few days were
spent in clearing the neighbourhood of Dhoondia’s partisans, and in
obtaining supplies, Wellesley then moved to Deogheri, where four
days were spent in making a bridge across the Werdah river, and
constructing a small redoubt to protect it. Meanwhile, a disaster
had occurred to the northward. Dhoondia Punt Gokla, the Mahratta
Chief who had inflicted a defeat on Dhoondia Wao the previous year,
was at Kittoor, with 10,000 horse, 5000 foot and eight guns, for the
purpose of co-operating with the British. He was suddenly attacked
by Dhoondia Wao on 30th June, his guns taken, his force routed, and
himself killed.
Wellesley, having crossed the Werdah river, marched to Savanoor on
the 12th July, leaving a small detachment to protect the bridge.
The plan Wellesley had in his mind, and which he eventually carried
out, begins to appear. It was to seize all fortified places in
Dhoondia’s hands, and, if he still remained in arms, gradually
drive him eastwards into one of the narrow angles formed by the
Kistna, Toombadra and other rivers, and destroy him. It was the
time of full monsoon, and the rivers could only be crossed by the
aid of boats, which were difficult to procure. If Dhoondia was kept
constantly on the move, he would be unable to make them. At Savanoor,
Wellesley received news that Dhoondia was advancing to attack him.
He accordingly took up a position in front of the town. Dhoondia
reconnoitred the position, and retreated, without attacking, to
Koondgul. Wellesley followed him, and, reaching that place after a
twenty-two mile march, and after the troops had been above twelve
hours under arms, carried it by escalade on the same day. But
Dhoondia had gone on, leaving only a garrison of 600 men behind him.
On the 16th, Wellesley relieved Sirhetty which was being besieged by
one of Dhoondia’s adherents, and then returned to Savanoor for the
baggage and stores he had left behind there in his rapid advance.
On the 19th, Wellesley was joined at Savanoor by the Mahratta Cavalry
that had been so roughly handled on the 30th June, when Dhoondia
Punt Gokla was killed, and on the 22nd, he moved in the direction of
Dummul, where the King of the Two Worlds was said to be. Dhoondia
had however moved off, leaving a garrison of 1000 men in the place.
The garrison was summoned, but refused to surrender. The place
was immediately attacked and carried by escalade, 26th July. On
the following day, Wellesley marched to Gudduck, and occupied the
fort which was evacuated before his arrival. Dhoondia, having thus
lost all his forts in Savanoor and in the Dharwar country, moved
northwards with the intention of crossing the river Malpurba. While
encamped at Soondooti, he heard of Wellesley’s approach, and broke up
his army into three divisions. One division with the baggage encamped
opposite Manoli, without crossing the river. Wellesley’s intention
had been to await the arrival of Lieut. Colonel Bowser’s column
that was operating to the eastward, but on hearing of the division
of Dhoondia’s force, and of the baggage being on the Malpurba
near Manoli, he resolved to attack at once. Making a rapid march
of twenty-six miles, he fell upon the enemy with the cavalry at 3
o’clock in the afternoon of the 30th, effecting a complete surprise.
The enemy were driven into the river, where great numbers of those
who escaped the swords of the horsemen were drowned: six guns, and
a great number of animals, especially horses, were captured, and the
whole force destroyed.
Meanwhile, Dhoondia with another Division had doubled back westward
along the south bank of the Malpurba. His adherents were beginning to
leave him. Part of the Hyderabad detachment, augmented by a native
cavalry regiment from Wellesley’s force, was now placed under Colonel
Stevenson, and directed to follow Dhoondia along the Malpurba, while
Wellesley moved parallel with Stevenson in the same direction, at
a distance of fifteen miles from the river. On the 5th August,
Wellesley reached Kittoor, where he halted for some days, for the
purpose of making boats to cross the Malpurba. Here he learned that
Dhoondia had crossed the Malpurba near its sources, and had again
turned eastward to Cowdelghee. Stevenson meanwhile had marched on
Hanoor. Dhoondia’s track was marked by the dead bodies of human
beings and animals.
The 16th, 17th and 18th were occupied by Wellesley in crossing the
Malpurba, to Hoobli: Lieut. Colonel Capper with a Brigade of infantry
and a regiment of native cavalry were left on the south side of the
river. At this time, Stevenson was marching along the south bank of
the Gutpurba river by Hanoor, Gokauk, Cowdelghee and Bhagelcottah;
Bowser was at Shapoor; while Wellesley moved eastwards along the
north bank of the Malpurba. Dhoondia was steadily being pressed into
the fork of the Gutpurba and Malpurba rivers. South of the Malpurba,
Capper was moving parallel with the other British forces, through
Soondooti, Hooli, and Jellahal. The only chance of Dhoondia’s escape
was by a ford across the Malpurba, a little above its junction with
the Kistna, but the swollen state of the river seemed to render the
passage improbable. Still, to provide for this contingency, the
Mahratta cavalry with Capper were directed to push on and hold the
ford; but the rough handling they had received on the 30th June, at
Kittoor, was still fresh in their minds, and they refused to leave
the British camp. As fortune would have it, the improbable happened.
The Malpurba suddenly fell, and Dhoondia crossed it on the 24th and
25th. He was however obliged to abandon five guns, some ammunition,
arms &c. and ten thousand grain-carrying bullocks, all of which fell
into Wellesley’s hands. Capper, who had taken the forts of Hooli and
Syringhi by escalade on the 22nd, was at Jellahal when he crossed.
Dhoondia was now in the fork of the Kistna and Toombadra rivers,
and had placed himself, for the moment, so far on the flank of
his pursuers that, by rapid marching, he might have doubled back
to Savanoor, where he would have done much mischief in destroying
supplies prepared for Wellesley; or he might have crossed the
Toombadra, with the aid of some local Chiefs who were believed to
be favourable to him, and entered Mysore. To prevent the execution
of either design, Wellesley crossed the Malpurba at Jellahal, and
marched, first to Hunmunsagur, and then southward to Khanagheri,
which he reached on the 7th September: Stevenson continued his march
westward, crossed the Malpurba, and reached Hoonagoonda, on the 5th;
from thence he continued eastward towards Deodroog. Between the
two forces, were the Nizam’s and Peishwa’s horse, collected in one
body. The chase was now drawing to a close. On the 8th, Wellesley
left Khanagheri with the cavalry, and pressed on to Buswapore, the
infantry and baggage following more slowly. On the 9th, he reached
Yepalpurri, the infantry being fifteen miles behind at Shinoor.
On the same day, Dhoondia broke up his camp at Mudgheri and moved
northwards towards the Kistna, but, sighting Stevenson’s force, he
turned south again, and encamped three miles from Conaghul, and
about nine miles from Wellesley at Yepalpurri.
Wellesley had news of Dhoondia’s position the same evening, but the
night was so bad, and the horses of the cavalry so fatigued, that
he did not move till next day. Marching early on the 10th, he came
on Dhoondia’s force, consisting of about 5000 horsemen, at Conaghul
six miles from Yepalpurri. Dhoondia had left his camp and baggage,
and was on the march westward, with the view of passing between the
Nizam’s and Mahratta cavalry and Wellesley’s force, which he believed
to be at Shinoor. He drew up at once in a very strong position, with
his rear and left flank covered by the village and rock of Conaghul,
“and stood for some time with apparent firmness.” Wellesley formed
the 19th and 25th Light Dragoons and 1st and 2nd Native Cavalry into
one line, and charged at their head.
“Such was the rapidity and determination of the charge made by those
four regiments, which I was obliged to form in one line in order at
all to equalise in length that of the enemy, that the whole gave way,
and were pursued by my cavalry for many miles.”[42] Dhoondia’s body
was recognised among the slain, and brought into camp on a galloper
gun of the 19th. The same evening, Colonel Stevenson came up with the
remains of the retreating enemy near Deodroog, and entirely dispersed
them, capturing their remaining guns, baggage and cattle.
The episode of Dhoondia Wao is an instance of the danger likely to
arise out of the overthrow of a military government, when a large
number of disbanded men are suddenly thrown out of employ without
means of subsistence. It was the overthrow of Tippoo’s kingdom
and the dispersal of his large army that enabled Dhoondia to
gather together so formidable a force. In like manner, it was the
disbanding of so many French officers and soldiers in 1814, that gave
Napoleon’s return from Elba a chance of success, and, in more recent
times, the trouble that arose after the conquest of Burmah in 1886
was partly due to the large number of armed men suddenly deprived of
means of subsistence, and left without control.
The short three months’ campaign had been a most harassing one to the
troops, and especially to the cavalry, while it lasted. Writing to
the Commander in Chief, at the close of operations, Wellesley says
“The 19th and 25th Light Dragoons were in fine order when they joined
the force, and I am happy to say they remain so in spite of the very
harassing nature of the operations in which they have been engaged.”
The 19th had been commanded by Major Paterson during the campaign.
At its close the regiment returned to Seringapatam with Wellesley.
Early in 1801, they were moved to Cheyloor. The country was still in
a very disturbed state. Several of the Hindoo feudatory Chiefs, known
as Polygars, claimed independence for themselves on the overthrow
of Tippoo’s rule; and, from their jungle fastnesses, committed
depredations on the surrounding country. Chief among them were
the Pyche Rajah, Kistnapah Naik, and a zemindar chief who styled
himself the Rajah of Bullum. The Mysore forces were unable to deal
effectually with them without the aid of British troops. Towards
the end of the year, arrangements were made to settle accounts with
the Rajah of Bullum, and, on the 8th January 1802, Wellesley left
Seringapatam with 540 European infantry of the 77th and the Regiment
de Meuron, four battalions of Sepoys, 500 pioneers, ten guns, and
four mortars. On the 8th, he was joined, at Chinroypatam, by the 19th
Light Dragoons, under Major Paterson, and the 5th Native Cavalry,
with their galloper guns.
The Rajah of Bullum occupied a tract of dense forest, called
Arrekeery, near the Coorg border, about eighteen miles in
circumference, covering the approach to Mysore by the Bissolee Pass.
In this tract of forest were a number of fortified villages defended
by dense bamboo hedges, and all approaches through the forest were
defended by bamboo barriers. For two years the Bullum Rajah had
been able to defy the newly resuscitated power of the Mysore Rajah;
plundering the adjoining British districts in Canara, and closing
the road between Mysore and the coast. After three days spent in
reconnoitring the ground, Wellesley delivered his attack at 10 A.M.
on the 16th. The infantry, in three divisions, entered the forest
simultaneously at three different points. The 19th accompanied
the column headed by Wellesley, which was destined to attack the
principal posts. The attack was completely successful, and, after
a brief conflict, all resistance ceased. The loss of the troops
was trifling. The 19th had two men wounded. The Rajah managed to
escape, but was captured three weeks later by some Mysore horsemen.
Before returning to Seringapatam, Wellesley reviewed the 19th at
Hassan on the 13th February, when he issued the following brief
order: “Colonel Wellesley will have great pleasure in reporting
to the Commander-in-Chief the excellent state in which he found
the 19th Light Dragoons.” The Regiment then marched to Sara, where
arrangements were made to build barracks for them. Hardly were the
barracks completed, when so much sickness broke out in the regiment,
that they were moved back to their old quarters at Cheyloor at the
beginning of June. A fortnight later, as matters did not improve,
they were ordered to Arcot. They were soon to take the field again,
to encounter the most formidable army then existing in India.