THE BATTLE OF ASSAYE.
1803.
The death of Tippoo Saib, and the fall of Seringapatam, were astounding
tidings for the native chiefs. Their delusory notions regarding their
individual importance were ended, and a striking proof had been given
of what little reliance could be placed on Indian mercenaries and
places of strength, when Britain went forth in wrath and sent her
armies to the field.
As the fear of Britain became confirmed, so did the hatred of the
native princes to everything connected with her name. A power that had
proved herself so formidable was to be dreaded, fixed as she was in
the very heart of India; and, as the difficulty increased, so did the
desire of freeing themselves from that thrall, which daily appeared to
press upon them more heavily.
Affairs again began to assume a threatening look. The Mahratta chiefs
exhibited an unfriendly attitude; and to cement an alliance with the
Peishwah, and thus tranquilize the country, a portion of Tippoo’s
territory was offered and rejected. Scindia, with his army, was at
Poona, and his influence directed every act of that dependent court.
A misunderstanding between Scindia and Holkar brought on a war between
those chiefs. Holkar advanced on Poona, compelling Scindia to accept
battle, in which he was defeated, the Peishwah deserting his ally
in the hour of need, and concluding a treaty with the British. To
effectuate this, Wellesley, now a major-general, took the field, with
orders to drive Holkar from Poona, and secure the Peishwah’s return to
his capital; and learning that the Mahrattas intended to plunder Poona,
the general saved it by an extraordinary forced march, accomplishing
sixty miles in thirty hours--a marvellous exertion indeed to be made
under an Indian sun.
All for a short time was quiet; but those restless chiefs again assumed
a hostile position. Scindia and the Rajah of Berar moved towards the
Nizam’s frontier; while the former was negotiating with Holkar, his
late enemy, to arrange their differences, and make common cause against
the British.
To prepare for the threatened attack, the Marquis Wellesley invested
the officers commanding the armies of Hindoostan and the Deccan with
full powers; and to General Wellesley a special authority was given
to make peace, or commence hostilities, as his own judgment should
determine. In accordance with this power, a demand was made on Scindia
that he should separate from the Rajah of Berar, and re-cross the
Nerbuddah. To this demand an evasive reply was returned, and Eastern
cunning was employed to obtain such delay as should permit the
chieftains’ plans to be matured, and enable them to take the field in
force. This shuffling policy was, however, quite apparent; and on the
first information that his political agent had quitted Scindia’s camp,
Wellesley suddenly broke up his cantonments, and marched directly on
Ahmednuggur.
This ancient town was defended in the Eastern fashion with a high wall,
flanked at its bends and angles by a tower, and garrisoned by some of
Scindia’s infantry and an auxiliary force of Arabs, while a body of
the chieftain’s cavalry occupied the space between the pettah and the
fort. Wellesley, without delay, assaulted the town, and carried it
by escalade. On the 10th September, the British cannon opened on the
fort, the keeladar in command proposed terms, and the British general
expressed a readiness to listen to his propositions, but the guns
continued working. Indian diplomacy has no chance when batteries are
open; and, on the 12th, a garrison of fourteen hundred marched out,
and the place was delivered up. This fortress, from its locality, was
valuable; it secured the communications with Poona, made a safe depot
for military stores, and was centrically placed in a district whose
revenue was above 600,000 rupees.
With a short delay, Wellesley moved on Aurangabad, and entered that
splendid city on the 29th. The enemy moved in a south-easterly
direction, threatening Hyderabad, while the British, marching by the
left bank of the Godaverey, secured their convoys from Moodgul, and
obliged Scindia to retire northwards. As yet the Mahratta chiefs were
moving a cavalry force north, with but a few matchlock men; but they
were joined now by their whole artillery and sixteen battalions of
infantry, officered chiefly by Frenchmen.
On the 21st September, at a conference at Budnapoor, General Wellesley
and Colonel Stevenson arranged a combined attack for the 24th. They
were to move east and west, pass the defiles on the same day, and thus
prevent any movement of the enemy southward. A mistake, in distance,
brought General Wellesley much sooner to his halting-place than had
been calculated; and learning that the Mahratta army were already
breaking up to retire, he sent orders to Colonel Stevenson to advance;
and announcing his immediate march on Scindia, begged his colleague to
hurry forward to his assistance.
The cavalry consisted of the 19th Light Dragoons, and three native
regiments, under the command of Colonel Maxwell, a bold and skilful
officer. General Wellesley accompanied the horse, the infantry
following in light marching order. After passing a league and half of
ground, the advance reached an eminence; and on the right, and covering
an immense extent of country, the Mahratta army appeared.
In brilliant sunshine, nothing could be more picturesque than
Scindia’s encampment. The varied colours of the tents, each disposed
around its own chieftain’s banner without order or regularity, with
“streets crossing and winding in every direction, displayed a variety
of merchandise, as in a great fair. Jewellers, smiths, and mechanics
were all attending as minutely to their occupations, and all as busily
employed, as if they were at Poona and in peace.”
In this enormous camp, fifty thousand men were collected--the river
Kaitna running in their front, the Suah in their rear. These rivers
united their waters at some distance beyond the left of the camp,
forming a flat peninsula of considerable extent. The native infantry
and all the guns were in position on the left, retired upon the Suah,
and appuied on the village of Assaye--the cavalry were entirely on the
right. The position was naturally strong; for the banks of the Kaitna
are steep and broken, and the front very difficult to attack.
As the British cavalry formed line on the heights, it presented a
strange but glorious contrast to the countless multitude of Mahratta
horsemen, who were seen in endless array below. The British brigade,
scarcely numbering three thousand sabres, took its position with
all the boldness of a body having an equal force opposed. In number
Scindia’s cavalry were fully ten to one; as it was ascertained that,
with his allies, the horsemen actually on the field exceeded thirty
thousand. Having made a careful reconnaissance, General Wellesley
determined to attack, and when the infantry came up it was instantly
executed.
While examining the position, immense masses of Scindia’s cavalry moved
forward, and threw out skirmishers, which were directly driven in.
Wellesley having discovered a neglected ford, decided on crossing over,
and, by attacking the infantry and guns, embarrass the immense cavalry
force of Scindia, and oblige it to manœuvre to disadvantage, and act on
the confined space the ill-selected ground afforded.
The infantry had now come up, and, in column, they were directed on
the river. A fire from the Mahratta guns immediately opened, but the
range was far too distant to permit the cannonade to be effective, or
check the forward movement of the columns. The whole were now across
the river; the infantry formed into two brigades, and the cavalry in
reserve behind them, ready to rush on any part of the battle-ground
where advantage could be gained, or support should be required. The
Mysore horse and the contingent of the Peishwah were merely left in
observation of the enemy’s right.
This flank attack obliged Scindia to change his front. He did so with
less confusion than was expected; and by his new disposition rested
his right upon the Kaitna, and his left upon the Suah and Assaye. His
whole front bristled with cannon, and the ground immediately around the
village seemed, from the number of guns, like one great battery.
The fire from this powerful artillery was of course destructive, and
the British guns were completely overpowered, and in a very few minutes
silenced entirely. This was the crisis; and on the determination of
a moment hung the fortune of a very doubtful day. Without hesitation
Wellesley abandoned his guns, and advanced with the bayonet. The
charge was gallantly made, the enemy’s right forced back, and his guns
captured.
While this movement was being executed, the 74th and light infantry
pickets in front of Assaye, were severely cut up by the fire from
that place. Perceiving the murderous effect of the fusilade, a strong
body of the Mahratta horse moved swiftly round the village, and made
a furious onset on the 74th. Maxwell had watched the progress of the
battle, and now was his moment of action. The word was given, the
British cavalry charged home, down went the Mahrattas in hundreds
beneath the fiery assault of the brave 19th, and their gallant
supporters the sepoys, while, unchecked by a tremendous storm of grape
and musketry, Maxwell pressed his advantage, and cut through Scindia’s
left. The 74th and the light infantry reformed, and, pushing boldly on,
completed the disorder of the enemy, preventing any effective attempt
to renew a battle, the doubtful result of which was thus in a few
minutes decided by the promptitude of the general.
Some of Scindia’s troops fought bravely, and the desperate obstinacy
with which his gunners stood to the cannon, was almost incredible. They
remained to the last--and were bayoneted around the guns, which they
refused, even in certain defeat, to abandon.
The British charge was, indeed, resistless; but in the enthusiasm
of success, at times there is a lack of prudence. The sepoys rushed
wildly on--their elated ardour was uncontrollable; while a mass of the
Mahratta horse arrayed upon the hill were ready to rush upon ranks
disordered by their own success.
But Wellesley foresaw, and guarded against the evil consequences that
a too excited courage might produce. The 78th were kept in hand; and
cool, steady, and with a perfect formation, they offered an imposing
front, that the Mahratta cavalry perceived was unassailable.
A strong column of the enemy, however, that had been only partially
engaged, now rallied and renewed the battle, joined by a number of
Scindia’s gunners and infantry, who had flung themselves as dead
upon the ground, and thus escaped the sabres of the British cavalry.
Maxwell’s brigade, who had re-formed their ranks and breathed their
horses, dashed into the still disordered ranks of these half-rallied
troops--a desperate slaughter ensued, and the Mahrattas were totally
routed; but the British lost their chivalrous leader, and in the
moment of victory, Maxwell died in front of the battle, “and, fighting
foremost, fell.”
The last effort of the day was made by a part of the artillery who
were in position near the village of Assaye--and in person Wellesley
led on the 78th Highlanders and the 7th native cavalry. In the attack
the general’s horse was killed under him; but the enemy declined the
charge, broke, fled, and left a field cumbered with their dead, and
crowded with cannon, bullocks, caissons, and all the _matériel_ of an
Eastern army, to the conquerors.
The evening had fallen before the last struggle at Assaye was over, but
the British victory was complete. Twelve hundred of Scindia’s dead were
found upon the field; while, of his wounded, scarcely an estimate could
be hazarded, for all the villages and adjacent country were crowded
with his disabled soldiery. The British loss was of necessity severe,
and it might be estimated that one-third of the entire army was _hors
de combat_.
In comparison with Assaye, all fighting that had hitherto taken place
in India was child’s play. To call it a brilliant victory is only
using a term simply descriptive of what it was. It was a magnificent
display of skill, moral courage, and perfect discipline, against native
bravery and an immense numerical superiority. But it was not a mass
of men, rudely collected, ignorant of military tactics, and unused to
combinations, that Wellesley overthrew. Scindia’s army was respectable
in every arm, his cavalry excellent of their kind, and his artillery
well served. His infantry were for a long time under the training of
French officers; and the ease and precision with which he changed his
front when the British crossed the Kaitna to assail his flank, showed
that the lessons of the French disciplinarians had not been given in
vain.
The total _déroute_ of Assaye was followed by a tide of conquest.
Fortress after fortress was reduced, and Scindia sought and obtained
a truce. The British arms were next turned against the Rajah of
Berar--General Wellesley marched against him--for the truce was ended
suddenly, and Scindia joined his colleague with all his disposable
force.
On the plains of Argaum, Wellesley found the confederated chiefs drawn
up in order of battle. Scindia’s immense cavalry formed the right,
on the left were the Berar infantry and guns, flanked by the Rajah’s
cavalry, while a cloud of Pindaries were observed on the extreme right
of the whole array.
The British moved down and formed line, the infantry in front, and the
cavalry in reserve. The battle was short and decisive. The Berar’s
Persian infantry attacked the 74th and 78th regiments, and were
literally annihilated; while Scindia’s cavalry charge failed totally,
the 26th native regiment repulsing it most gloriously. The British now
rushed forward, and the Mahrattas broke and fled in every direction,
abandoning their entire park of over one hundred pieces of artillery,
and thirty-eight were captured at Argaum; while the cavalry pursued
by moonlight the scattered host, and captured an immense number of
elephants and beasts of burden, the entire baggage, and stores and arms
of every description.
The fall of some places of strength, and the total defeat of their
armies in the field, humbled Scindia and his ally, the Rajah, and
obliged them to sue and obtain a peace. The brilliant career of General
Wellesley had gained him a name in arms which future victories were
to immortalise. To commemorate the battle of Assaye, a monument was
erected in Calcutta, a sword presented to the victor by the citizens,
and a gold vase by the officers he commanded. He was also made a Knight
Companion of the Bath, and honoured by the thanks of Parliament.
Even from the inhabitants of Seringapatam he received an address,
remarkable for its simplicity and affection, committing him to the care
of “the God of all castes,” and invoking for him “health, glory, and
happiness.” In 1805 he returned to his native land, “with war’s red
honours on his crest,” bearing with him from the scene of glory the
high estimation and affectionate wishes of every caste and colour.