On the last day of September, 1823--just a year after Stanley had
joined his uncle--the dhow sailed into Chittagong; which had now
taken the place of Sylhet as the traders' chief depot, the latter
place being too near the Burmese, in Assam, for him to care about
keeping a large stock of his goods there. He went ashore as soon as
the dhow cast anchor, Stanley remaining on board.
"The fat is all in the fire, Stanley," Tom Pearson said, when he
returned. "The Burmese have attacked and killed some of our troops,
and it is certain that the government cannot put up with that."
"Where was it, uncle?"
"Down at the mouth of the Naaf. As you know, that is the southern
boundary of the province, and there was a row there in January. One
of our native boats laden with rice was coming up the river, on our
side of the channel, when an armed Burmese boat came across and
demanded duty. Of course, our fellows said they were in their own
waters, whereupon the Burmese fired upon them and killed the
steersman. There were reports, then, that bodies of Burmese troops
were moving about on their side of the river, and that it was
feared they would cross over and burn some of our villages.
Accordingly, our guard at the mouth of the river was increased to
fifty men, and a few of these were posted on the island of
Shapuree.
"This island lies close to our shore and, indeed, the channel
between can be forded at low water. It has always formed part of
the province of Chittagong, and there has never been any question
raised by the Burmese as to this. However, the Viceroy of Aracan
called upon our resident here to withdraw the guard, asserting the
right of the King of Ava to the island.
"Since then letters have passed to and fro, but I hear that the
Burmese have settled the question by landing on Shapuree. One night
last week they attacked our post there, killed and wounded four of
the sepoys, and drove the rest off the island. The Indian
government have put up with a great deal, rather than engage in so
costly and difficult an operation as a war with Burma, but it is
impossible that we can stand this."
The Indian government, however, used every endeavour to avert the
necessity for war; although the Rajah of Aracan lost no time in
writing a letter to the government of Calcutta, stating that he had
occupied the island of Shapuree, and that unless they submitted
quietly to this act of justice, the cities of Dacca and
Moorshedabad would be forcibly seized. In order, however, to
postpone, at any rate, the outbreak of war, the government of
Bengal resolved to give the court of Ava an opportunity to withdraw
from the position taken up. They therefore acted as if the attack
on the guard at Shapuree had been the action of the Viceroy of
Aracan alone, and addressed a declaration to the Burmese
government, recapitulating the facts of the case, pointing out that
Shapuree had always been acknowledged by Burma as forming part of
the province of Chittagong, and calling upon the government to
disavow the action of the local authorities. The Burmese considered
this, as it was in fact, a proof that the government of India was
reluctant to enter upon a contest with them; and confirmed Burma in
its confident expectation of annexing the eastern portions of
Bengal, if not of expelling the English altogether.
In the meantime, Shapuree had been reoccupied by us. The
Burmese--after driving out the little garrison--had retired and,
two months after the attack, two companies of the 20th Native
Infantry arrived by sea, from Calcutta, and landed there. A
stockade was built, and two six-pounders placed in position.
Another company was stationed on the mainland, and the Planet and
three gunboats, each carrying a twelve-pounder, were stationed in
the river.
The Burmese at once collected large bodies of troops, both in
Aracan and Assam. The government of Bengal made preparations to
defend our frontier, and especially the position in the north, as
an advance of the Burmese in this direction would not only threaten
the important towns of Dacca and Moorshedabad, but would place the
invaders in dangerous proximity to Calcutta. Accordingly, a portion
of the 10th and 23rd Native Infantry, and four companies of the
Rungpoor local force, were marched to Sylhet; and outposts thrown
forward to the frontier.
Seeing that the Burmese operations would probably commence in the
north, Tom Pearson had, after completing his arrangements at
Chittagong, sailed north to remove his depots from Sylhet, and
other places that would be exposed to an attack from that
direction. They reached Sylhet the first week in January. By this
time Stanley, from his constant conversation with his uncle's
servant, had come to speak Burmese as fluently as the Indian
languages. He was now nearly sixteen, tall for his age, and active
but, owing to the hot climate and the absence of vigorous exercise,
he was less broad and muscular than most English lads of his age.
They found on landing that news had arrived, two days before, that
a powerful army of Burmese had entered Cachar, from Manipur, and
had defeated the troops of Jambhir Sing; that 4000 Burmese and
Assamese had advanced from Assam into Cachar, and had begun to
stockade themselves at Bickrampore, at the foot of the Bhortoka
Pass; and that the third division was crossing into the district of
Jyntea, immediately to the north of Sylhet. There was a complete
panic in the town, and the ryots were flocking in from all the
surrounding country, with their families and belongings; and were
making their way down the country, in boats, to Dacca.
"I am afraid, Stanley, there is an end of trade, for the present.
What we see here is, doubtless, taking place all over Cachar; and
it would be just as bad down at Chittagong. It is a heavy blow, for
I have done remarkably well this year, and was building up the
foundations for a good business. No doubt, when this trouble is
over. I shall be able to take it up again; and it may be, if we
thrash the Burmese heartily, which we are sure to do in the long
run, it may even prove a benefit. Still, there is no doubt that it
is a very bad business for me. However as, just at present, there
is nothing whatever to be done, I propose, as soon as the goods are
all on board, to take a holiday, and go out and have a look at the
fighting."
"You will take me with you, uncle?" Stanley asked eagerly.
"Certainly, lad. We don't mean to do any fighting ourselves, but
only to look on; and it may be that, after it is over, you may be
able to make yourself useful, if they want to ask questions of any
Burmese prisoners."
"You think that there is no chance of their beating us?"
"I should think not, though of course there is no saying; still, I
don't think these fellows will be able to stand against our troops.
Of course, they have no idea, whatever, of our style of fighting,
and have never met any really formidable foes; so that I imagine we
shall make pretty short work of them. However, as we shall be
mounted--for I will hire a couple of horses, there have been plenty
of them driven into the town--we shall be able to make a bolt of
it, if necessary. Of course, we will take our rifles and pistols
with us."
The goods were not placed on board the dhow, but in what was called
the store boat; as the trader had determined to take up his abode
in his rowboat, which could move about much faster than the dhow;
and to allow the captain of that craft to make a good thing of it,
by taking down to Dacca as many of the fugitives as she would hold.
Finding that the Burmese division that had entered Jyntea was
intrenching itself, at a few miles' distance, Major Newton, the
officer commanding on the Sylhet frontier, concentrated his force
at Jatrapur, a village five miles beyond the Sylhet boundary. Tom
Pearson had introduced himself to Major Newton, and asked
permission to accompany his force; saying that his nephew would be
able, if necessary, to communicate with the Burmese either before
or after the action, and that both would willingly act as
aides-de-camp. The offer was accepted with thanks, and they rode
out with him, on the evening of the 16th of January, 1824, to
Jatrapur.
At one o'clock in the morning the troops were roused, and marched
an hour later. At daybreak they came in sight of the stockade, and
a few shots were at once fired upon the advanced guard by the
Burmese. A portion of their force was lying in a village hard by.
Major Newton at once divided his command into two bodies. One of
these was led by Captain Johnston against the front of the
stockade. The other, under Captain Rowe, attacked the village
adjoining. The Burmese stationed there gave way, after a very faint
resistance. They were accustomed to rely always on stockades; and
this attack upon them, when not so protected, shook them at once.
Those in the stockade, however, made a resolute resistance.
Captain Rowe, after gaining possession of the village, and seeing
the occupants in full flight, moved his force to aid the other
division; and the Burmese, dispirited by the defeat of their
countrymen, and finding themselves attacked on two sides, gave way
and fled, leaving a hundred dead behind them; while on the British
side but six sepoys were killed.
The Burmese fled to the hills, at a speed that rendered pursuit
hopeless by the more heavily-armed troops; and the fugitives soon
rallied, and effected their junction with the division advancing
from Manipur. After the action Major Newton returned to Sylhet, and
a few days later Mr. Scott, who had been appointed commissioner,
arrived there and, advancing to Bhadrapur, opened communications
with the Burmese. As, however, it became evident that the latter
were only negotiating in order to gain time to intrench themselves
near Jatrapur, to which they had returned, he again placed the
matter in the hands of the military commanders.
The Burmese force amounted to about six thousand men. They had
erected strong stockades on each bank of the river Surma, and had
thrown a bridge across to connect them. Captain Johnston advanced
with a wing of the 10th Native Infantry, a company of the 23rd
Native Infantry, and a small party of men of a local corps. Small
as was this force, he divided it into two parties. One of these,
under Captain Rowe, crossed the river; and then both moved against
the enemy. The Burmese opened fire as they advanced, but the sepoys
marched gallantly forward, and drove the enemy out of their
unfinished intrenchments at the point of the bayonet. The Assam
division retreated hastily to the Bhortoka Pass, while the Manipur
force stockaded itself at Doodpatnee.
The Assam division was first attacked, and the stockade carried at
the point of the bayonet. Lieutenant Colonel Bowen, who now
commanded, then moved against the position at Doodpatnee. This was
very strong. Steep hills covered the rear; while the other faces of
the intrenchments were defended by a deep ditch, fourteen feet
wide, with a chevaux de frise of pointed bamboos on its outer edge.
Although the position was attacked with great gallantry, it was too
strong to be captured by so small a force; and they were obliged to
withdraw to Jatrapur, with the loss of one officer killed and four
wounded, and about one hundred and fifty sepoys killed and wounded.
However, their bravery had not been without effect, for the Burmese
evacuated their stockade and retreated to Manipur, leaving Cachar
free from its invaders. Thus, in less than three weeks, the Burmese
invasion of the northern provinces had been hurled back by a
British force of less than a tenth of that of the invaders.
Stanley and his uncle had been present at all these engagements
and, in the absence of any cavalry, had done good service in
conveying messages and despatches; and the lad had several times
acted as interpreter between the officers and Burmese prisoners.
Both received letters from the commissioner, thanking them for the
assistance that they had rendered.
"That last affair was unfortunate, Stanley; and it is evident that
these stockades of theirs are nasty places to attack, and that they
ought to be breached by guns before the men are sent forward to
storm them. However, as the Burmese have gone, our repulse does not
matter much.
"Well, I felt sure that we should thrash them, but I certainly gave
them credit for having a great deal more pluck than they have
shown. As it is, if there is nothing fresh takes place here, the
natives and little traders will soon be coming back from Dacca, and
business will be better than before; for the Burmese have been
talking so big, for the last three years, that no one has bought
more than would just carry him on; while now they will be more
inclined to lay in good stocks of goods.
"Tomorrow we will start for Chittagong. You see, I have a
considerable store there; and there is a chance of much more
serious fighting, in that quarter, than this little affair we have
seen. The Governor of Aracan has, all along, been the source of
troubles; and we may expect that he will cross into the province at
the head of a large force, and may do an immense deal of damage,
before we can get enough troops there to oppose him."
Descending the river they coasted along until they arrived, early
in March, at Chittagong. They found that great alarm reigned there.
In January, Bandoola, the greatest military leader of the Burmese,
who was known to have been one of the most strenuous supporters of
the war policy at the court of Ava, had arrived at Aracan and taken
the command of the troops collected there, and had brought with him
considerable reinforcements.
A wanton outrage that had been committed by the Burmese showed how
intent they were upon hostilities. Owing to the unhealthiness of
the islet of Shapuree, the sepoys stationed there had been
withdrawn; and the Company's pilot vessel, Sophia, was ordered to
join the gunboats off that island. Four deputies from the Burmese
court arrived at Mungdoo, on the opposite shore; and these invited
the commander of the Sophia to come on shore, in order that they
might talk over with him, in a friendly way, the situation of
affairs. He unsuspectingly accepted their invitation and landed,
accompanied by an officer and some native seamen. The party were at
once seized and sent prisoners to Aracan, where they were detained
for a month, and then sent back to Mungdoo.
This wanton insult was followed by a formal declaration of war, by
the government of India; and a similar document was issued by the
court of Ava. The force at Sylhet was reinforced, and that in
Chittagong increased. It consisted of a wing of the 13th and of the
20th Native Regiments, and a battalion of the 23rd, with a local
levy, amounting in all to some 3000 men. Of these a wing of the
23rd, with two guns, and a portion of the native levies were posted
at Ramoo, which was the point most threatened by an invasion from
Aracan.
It was in the north that hostilities first commenced, a force
moving into Assam and driving the Burmese before them. Several
sharp blows were dealt the enemy and, had it not been for the
setting in of the wet season, they would have been driven entirely
out of Assam.
"I think, Stanley," his uncle said, after he had been a short time
at Chittagong, "you had better go up to Ramoo, and see about
matters there. Of course, until the Burmese move we cannot say what
their game is likely to be; but it will be as well to get the
stores ready for embarkation, in case they should advance in that
direction. If they do so, get everything on board at once; and you
can then be guided by circumstances. As the dhow came in yesterday,
I can spare both our boats; and shall, of course, ship the goods
here on board the big craft. Even if the Burmese come this way, I
have no fear of their taking the town; and shall, of course, lend a
hand in the defence, if they attempt it. You can do the same at
Ramoo, if you like.
"I was chatting with Colonel Shatland yesterday. He tells me that a
large fleet has been collected, and that an expedition will be sent
to capture Rangoon so, in that case, it is likely that Bandoola and
his force will march off in that direction.
"I think government are wrong. It will be impossible for the troops
to move, when the wet season once sets in; and they will lose a
tremendous lot of men from sickness, if they are cooped up in
Rangoon. They had very much better have sent a few thousand men
down here, to act on the defensive and repel any attempted
invasion, until the rains are over; when they could have been
shipped again, and join the expedition against Rangoon. It seems to
me a mad-headed thing, to begin at the present time of the year. We
have put up with the insults of the Burmese for so long that we
might just as well have waited for the favourable season, before we
began our operations in earnest."
Accordingly, on the following day Stanley started south for Ramoo
and, on arriving there, took charge of the trading operations.
Shortly after, meeting Captain Noton--who commanded there--in the
street, he recognized him as an officer who had been stationed at
the same cantonment as his father; and whom he had, four years
previously, known well.
"You don't recognize me, Captain Noton," he said. "I am the son of
Captain Brooke, of the 33rd."
"I certainly did not recognize you," the officer said, "but I am
glad to meet you again. Let me think; yes, your name is Stanley,
and a regular young pickle you used to be. What on earth are you
doing here? Of course, I heard of your poor father's death, and was
grieved, indeed, at his loss. Where is your mother? She is well, I
hope."
"She went back to England with my sisters, two months after my
father's death. I joined my uncle, her brother. He is a trader, and
carries on business in the district between here and Sylhet,
trading principally on the rivers; but of course the war has put a
stop to that, for the present. We saw the fighting up in the north,
and then came down to this district. He has remained at Chittagong,
and I am in charge of goods here. I speak Burmese fairly now and,
if I can be of any use to you, I shall be very glad to be so. There
is not much business here; and the Parsee clerk, who is generally
in charge, can look after it very well. I acted as interpreter with
the troops in the north, and have a letter from Mr. Scott, the
commissioner, thanking me for my services."
"I remember you used to be able to talk four or five of the native
languages, but how did you come to pick up Burmese?"
"From a servant of my uncle's. We thought that there would be sure
to be war, sooner or later; and that, after it was over, there
would be a good chance of profitable trade on the Burmese rivers. I
had no great difficulty in learning it from my uncle's man, who was
a native of Aracan."
"I have no doubt you will find it very useful. What a big fellow
you have grown, Stanley; at least, as far as height is concerned.
Let me see. How old are you, now?"
"I am past sixteen," Stanley replied. "I have had several touches
of fever--caught, I suppose, from the damp on the rivers--but I
think that I am pretty well acclimatized, now. I know I don't look
very strong, but I have not had much active exercise and, of
course, the climate is against me."
"Very much so. I wonder that you have kept your health as well as
you have, in this steamy climate.
"I am going to the mess room, now. You had better come and lunch
with me, and I will introduce you to the other officers. We are
very strong in comparison to the force for, counting the assistant
surgeon, there are ten of us."
"I shall be very glad, sir," Stanley said. "I have certainly been
feeling rather lonely here; for I know no one, and there is very
little to do. During the last year, I have often gone up one of the
rivers by myself; but there has always been occupation while, at
present, things are at a standstill."
"I tell you what, Brooke, if you would like it, I can appoint you
interpreter. There is not one of us who speaks this Mug
language--which is, you know, almost the same as Burmese--and the
officers in charge of the native levy would be delighted to have
some one with them who could make the fellows understand. I can
appoint you a first-class interpreter. The pay is not very high,
you know; but you might just as well be earning it as doing
nothing, and it would give you a sort of official position and, as
the son of a British officer, and my friend, you would be one of
us."
"Thank you very much, Captain Noton. I should like it immensely.
Should I have to get a uniform?"
"There will be no absolute necessity for it; but if you get a white
patrol jacket, like this, and a white cap cover, it will establish
you in the eyes of the natives as an officer, and give you more
authority. Oh, by the way, you need not get them, for one of our
lieutenants died, the other day, of fever. His effects have not
been sold, yet; but you may as well have his patrol jackets and
belts. We can settle what you are to pay for them, afterwards. It
will only be a matter of a few rupees, anyhow."
They now arrived at the house that had been taken for the use of
the officers. On entering, Captain Noton introduced him to the
others and, as several of these had at various times met his
father, in cantonments or on service, he was heartily welcomed by
them and, at luncheon, they listened with great interest to his
accounts of the fighting, in Cachar, with the Burmese.
"I fancy we shall find them more formidable, here, if they come,"
Captain Noton said. "Bandoola has a great reputation, and is
immensely popular with them. From what you say, a considerable
proportion of the fellows you met up there were Assamese levies,
raised by the Burmese. I grant that the Burmese, themselves, do not
seem to have done much better; but they would never have conquered
all the peoples they have come across, and built up a great empire,
if there had not been good fighting stuff in them. I have no doubt
that we shall thrash them, but I don't think we shall do it as
easily as our troops did in the north."
The time now passed pleasantly with Stanley. He had, after thinking
it over, declined to accept payment for his services; for this
would have hindered his freedom of action, and prevented his
obeying any instructions that his uncle might send him. He
therefore joined as a volunteer interpreter, and was made a member
of the officers' mess. He was specially attached to the native levy
and, soon acquiring their words of command, assisted its officers
in drilling it into something like order.
Early in May a Burmese division, 8000 strong, crossed the Naaf and
established itself at Rutnapullung, fourteen miles south of Ramoo.
As soon as Captain Noton learned that the Burmese had crossed the
river, he sent news of the fact to Chittagong, with a request that
reinforcements should be at once sent to him; and then moved out
with his force from Ramoo, to ascertain the strength of the enemy.
The Burmese were seen upon some hills, where they were constructing
stockades. The small British force advanced against them, drove
them off the hills and, following them, prepared to attack them in
the plain beyond. The guns, however, had not come up; partly owing
to the cowardice of the elephant drivers, and partly to the fact
that it was found that several of the essential parts of the guns
had been left behind.
Without their assistance to clear the way, Captain Noton felt that
it would be imprudent to attack so great a force; and therefore
fell back to Ramoo. Here he was joined by three companies of the
20th Native Infantry, bringing up his force to close upon a
thousand; of whom about half were sepoys, and the rest native
levies. Had any energy, whatever, been shown by the officer in
command of Chittagong, in sending up reinforcements--which he could
well have spared, now that the point of attack by the Burmese had
been made clear--Captain Noton might have taken the offensive, in
which case serious disaster would have been avoided, and the
Burmese would have been driven back across the Naaf. None, however,
came and, on the morning of the 13th of May, the enemy appeared on
the hill east of Ramoo, being separated from the British force by
the river of the same name.
There was some difference of opinion, among the officers, as to
whether it would be better to maintain a position outside the town,
or to retreat at once; but the belief that reinforcements might
arrive, at any hour, caused Captain Noton to determine to keep in
the open, and so to cover the town as long as possible.
On the evening of the 14th, the Burmese came down to the river as
if to cross it; but retired when the two six-pounder guns opened
fire upon them. That two small guns should produce such an effect
confirmed the British officers in their opinion that the Burmese,
although they might defend stockades well, were of little use in
the open. The next morning, however, the enemy effected the passage
of the river farther away and then, advancing, took possession of a
large tank surrounded by a high embankment.
Captain Noton placed his force in an enclosure, with a bank three
feet high. His right flank was protected by the river; and a small
tank, some sixty paces in front, was occupied by a strong picket.
On his left, somewhat to the rear, was another tank, and at this
the native levies were placed. The main position was held by the
sepoys, with the two six-pounders. As the Burmese advanced, a sharp
fire was opened upon them; but they availed themselves of every
irregularity of the ground, and of cover of all kinds, and threw up
shelter banks with such rapidity that the fire was, by no means, so
effective as had been expected.
During the day news came that the left wing of the 23rd Native
Infantry had left Chittagong on the 13th and, as it should arrive
the next day, Captain Noton determined to hold his ground; though
the Burmese continued to press forward, and a good many men, as
well as two or three officers, had been wounded by their fire. At
nightfall, a consultation was held. The reinforcements were
expected in the morning and, although the native levies had shown
signs of insubordination, and evidently could not be relied upon to
make a stand, if the Burmese attacked in earnest, it was resolved
to retain the position.
During the night, the Burmese pushed forward their trenches. A
heavy fire was maintained on both sides during the day, but it was
with considerable difficulty that the officers in command of the
levies kept the men from bolting.
"Things look very black," Captain Pringle said to Stanley, when the
firing died away, at nightfall. "Reinforcements should have been
here, today. It is scandalous that they should not have been pushed
forward, at once, when we asked for them. Still more so that, when
they once started, they should not have come on with the greatest
possible speed. I doubt whether we shall be able to hold these
cowardly curs together till tomorrow. If they bolt, the sepoys will
be sure to do so, too; in fact, their position would be altogether
untenable, for the Burmese could march round this flank and take
them in rear.
"I wish to Heaven we had two or three companies of white troops, to
cover a retreat. There would be no fear of the sepoys yielding to a
panic, if they had British troops with them; but when they are
outnumbered, as they are now, one can hardly blame them if they
lose heart, when the enemy are ten times their strength, and will
be twenty to one against them, if our fellows here bolt."
The next morning, the Burmese had pushed up their trenches to
within twelve paces of the British lines, and a tremendous fire was
opened. At nine o' clock, in spite of the efforts of their officers
to keep them steady, the native levies bolted; and the officers
with them dashed across the intervening ground towards the main
body. One of them fell dead, and two others were wounded. Stanley
was running, when he fell headlong, without a moment's thought or
consciousness.
The Burmese occupied the tank as soon as the levies had abandoned
it, and their fire at once took the defenders of the main position
in flank. A retreat was now necessary, and the sepoys drew off in
good order but, as the exulting Burmans pressed hotly upon them,
and their cavalry cut off and killed every man who fell wounded
from their ranks, they became seized with a panic. In vain their
officers exhorted them to keep steady. Reaching a rivulet, the men
threw down their rifles and accoutrements as they crossed it, and
took to headlong flight.
The little group of officers gathered together, and fought to the
end. Captains Noton, Truman, and Pringle; Lieutenant Grigg, Ensign
Bennet, and Maismore the doctor were killed. Three officers, only,
made their escape; of these, two were wounded.
The fugitives, both natives and sepoys, continued their flight; and
when, two or three days later, they straggled into Chittagong, it
was found that the total loss in killed and missing amounted to
about two hundred and fifty. Those taken prisoners numbered only
about twenty. All these were more or less severely wounded, for no
quarter had been given. They had, in the pursuit, been passed over
as dead; and when, after this was over, they were found to be
alive, they were spared from no feeling of humanity, but that they
might be sent to Ava, as proofs of the victory obtained over the
British. The number actually found alive was greater, but only
those were spared that were capable of travelling.
Among these was Stanley Brooke. He had remained insensible, until
the pursuit had been discontinued. A violent kick roused him to
consciousness and, sitting up, he found that half a dozen Burmese
were standing round him. His first action, on recovering his
senses, was to discover where he was wounded. Seeing no signs of
blood on his white clothes, he took off his cap and passed his hand
over his head; and found that the blood was flowing from a wound
just on the top, where a bullet had cut away the hair and scalp,
and made a wound nearly three inches long, at the bottom of which
he could feel the bone.
Looking up at the Burmese, he said, in their own language:
"That was a pretty close shave, wasn't it?"
Two or three of them laughed, and all looked amused. Two of them
then helped him to his feet; and the group, among whom there were
some officers, then took him some distance to the rear, where he
was ordered to sit down with three wounded sepoys who had been
brought in.