By the treaty of Yandaboo in 1824 the Burmese granted security to
English merchants and English commerce. It seemed then as if the first
Burmese war had really had some good results, and as if civilisation had
taken an immense stride in the country.
But, twenty-six years after this treaty had been signed, numerous
complaints reached the supreme government of Calcutta of the oppressive
tyranny of the governor of Rangoon, which, it appeared, was directed
chiefly against traders in Rangoon.
One of the immediate causes of British interference was the conduct of
the governor towards certain captains of British trading vessels; one of
whom, on the false representations of a Burmese pilot, was placed in the
stocks and fined nine hundred rupees. A representative at Ava was
placed on an island on the Irrawaddy without provisions, and left there
till the river rose and nearly swamped him. Sooner than irritate the
court, the representative was withdrawn. Insult after insult was heaped
upon the British, and though every means was taken to ensure peace and
conciliate the Burmese, it was soon seen that sterner measures must be
taken with them.
On 7th January the governor of Rangoon ordered a merchant, Mr Birrell,
to take down a flagstaff he had erected, and to remove a gun placed on
his landing-stage.
Mr Birrell refused to comply with this order, as the flagstaff had been
placed there by consent of the commodore, as a means of communication
between the Europeans on shore and the men-of-war.
The governor, enraged at this refusal, ordered all communication with
the shipping to be stopped. Commodore Lambert, sooner than give the
Burmese any cause of offence, directed the flagstaff to be removed, and
for the time trade was resumed.
Not long after this a deputation from the British to the governor was
treated with the utmost incivility and contempt, and was even refused
admission to his presence.
The commodore now resolved to take action. He ordered the King of
Burmah's ship, which was lying in the harbour, to be seized, and sent a
message to all the British residents in Rangoon to come on board the
frigate, and at the same time informed the governor that as the British
flag and Government had been grossly insulted, he intended to place the
town under blockade.
By the same evening all the British subjects had embarked, and the
men-of-war moved down the river.
Some of the Burmese officers now came to the flagship to offer apologies
for their rudeness; but as the viceroy himself refused to apologise,
none of these were accepted. The Burmese, seeing that the British were
in earnest, tried to avert the war for a time; and the commodore, also
anxious to avoid hostilities, allowed twenty-four hours' grace to give
the viceroy time to change his mind. Instead of an apology, however,
came a message, to the effect that if the British ships attempted to
pass the stockades on the banks of the river, they would be fired on.
Information was received that nearly 5000 troops were assembled near the
stockades, and during the night and the following day numerous
war-boats, each containing from fifty to eighty men, were discovered
coming down the river. At the same time several vessels full of armed
men arrived at the general rendezvous from the Pegu river. The war had
begun.
On the next morning active hostilities commenced. The _Henries_
steamer, Captain Fishbourne, first towed the _Fox_ frigate to within 400
yards of the stockade, where she anchored to protect the merchantmen as
they passed by to be out of fire. In the meantime the _Hermes_ went in
search of a large Burmese war-vessel, with which she soon returned as
her prize in tow.
The English vessels, having dispersed or sunk a fleet of war-boats which
came out to meet them, steamed along the shore, pouring in an iron
shower, which tore the stockades to pieces and quickly silenced the
enemy's batteries.
The squadron now took up a position at the mouth of the Rangoon river,
the commodore declaring the rivers of Rangoon, the Bassein, and the
Salween above Maulmain, to be in a state of blockade.
Meanwhile the steamer _Proserpine_, after landing the hostages from
Rangoon at Maulmain, was ordered to proceed to Calcutta with despatches
from the commodore.
On her arrival on the 17th of January, the Governor-general being
absent, the Supreme Council resolved to equip a force to carry on
hostilities against Burmah; while reinforcements were despatched with
unusual promptitude, to strengthen the forts guarding the passes leading
from the Burmese territory.
General Godwin, the commander-in-chief, arrived on the 13th of April;
and the Burmese Emperor having offered no apology, the steamers ran
close in with Martaban, rapidly firing broadside after broadside. The
enemy for some time returned their fire with spirit; but their guns
being silenced, the troops were thrown on shore, and they fled in every
direction. The walls and defences exhibited the terrific effects of the
broadsides poured in on them. Of the English, only eight were wounded.
The squadron was now augmented by twelve East India Company's steamers,
which had, besides marines, 5767 troops on board.
With this formidable force Rangoon was attacked on the 12th of April.
The steamers fired for many hours shot and shell without intermission,
which destroyed and set on fire the enemy's stockades and other
defences. A small naval brigade, commanded by Lieutenant Darville, HMS
_Rattler_, did good service on shore. For three days the Burmese
garrison held out; stockade after stockade was stormed and taken in a
most gallant way by the troops. On the 14th the grand attack was made,
and the great pagoda was stormed, when, after some more severe fighting,
Rangoon fell into the hands of the British. Captain Armstrong and
several other officers and men of the land forces were killed, and many
wounded.
Bassein was captured in the same spirited way on the 19th of May. At
the pagoda here, the Burmese defended themselves with much
determination; but it was stormed by some troops and some of the naval
brigade, when Lieutenant Rice, RN, was wounded severely, three men
killed, and seven officers and twenty-four men wounded.
While these operations were going on, Martaban, in which only a small
garrison had been left, was attacked by the Burmese, but they were
driven back in a very gallant manner by Major Hall and his men.