on the evening of the 12th instant, in pursuit of a body of horse of suspicious character, which by report amounted to 5000, I proceed to detail my movements accordingly. After marching the greater part of that night, I reached Cambergaum on the Beemah on the morning of the 13th, when I fortunately succeeded in falling into the track of the fugitives, who had taken the direction of the Carrungee Ghaut, east of Nugger. On my arrival at the top of the pass, at 8 p. m. on the evening of the 15th, I found the party had gone down it the evening before, and though I was not disposed to relax for a moment in the pursuit, yet the difficulties I had to surmount, from the extreme bad state of the roads, winding over hills, and through stony by-paths, induced me to halt for a few hours, to refresh the men, who appeared much fatigued. At two a. m. however, of the 16th, I descended the Ghaut, and did not reach the village of Sirsee, which lies at the bottom, until broad day-break; there I gained information of their having struck into the great road to Toka, though I was previously assured that they were directing their course to Pictim on the Goodavery, with the intention of crossing at that place. I halted again at Moaz, on the Toka-road, to give the detachment rest, with a determination to make a final effort to overtake the fugitives, if possible, before they crossed the river while here I received information of their having again deviated from their route, and gone to Gareeagaum, due west of that place, and eight coss from Moaz: we were again in motion at five p. m.; and on my arrival at Gareeagaum, I learnt that they had halted there the night before. Having satisfied myself of the correctness of this information, I continued my route to the westward; and, although nearly two hours were lost by our guides taking the detachment a wrong road, yet I conceived that there was still a possibility of coming up to the pursued before day-break of the 17th. In this supposition, I am happy to say, I was not deceived, for at three o'clock I instructed two of my commissioned and noncommissioned confidential officers to enter a village in disguise, who seized upon a man, whom I afterwards compelled, by threats, to conduct us to the Mahratta camp, which I had reason to suppose was about four or five miles off. During the time we were going this distance I made the necessary arrangements for an attack in three divisions, by the two in front, consisting of the flank companies of the 14th Madras, and two companies of the 3d Bombay Native Infantry, under Captains Smyth and Deschamps, diverging from the head of the column to the right and left on entering the encampment, and by directing the 3d division, two companies of the 2d Bombay Native Infantry, under Capt. Spears, to move steadily into its centre without breaking, with a view to this division becoming a point upon which the others might rally in case of necessity. On coming within two miles of the village of Pattre, the forces of the encampment were clearly discernible, upon which the column moved forward with a hastened step, and shortly before day-light entered the enclosures of the village. It was then that we plainly perceived that the Mahratta or Pindarry horse were either mounted or mounting for a march : under these circumstances no time was to be lost, and being then only a few paces, as I supposed, from their rear picquet, I directed Lieutenant Beach to give them a volley from the front rank of the leading division, having previously ordered the front ranks only of the leading divisions of the 3d and 14th to load this was accordingly done; and the column immediately after rushed forward to the charge. The horse fled in all directions, leaving fifty or sixty killed and wounded on the ground. They were pursued for some distance, when the exhausted state of the men, and the scattered order which they were necessarily obliged to assume for a pursuit, induced me to concentrate my little force; and I was the more persuaded of the propriety of this measure from observing considerable bodies of horse apparently well organized, in commanding situations on our flanks. This arrangement, I presume, induced them to draw off; nor did I deem it right or expedient to continue a pursuit after a fresh body of horse, with infantry jaded and exhausted from our long marches, continued for five successive days and nights. At ten or eleven a. m. we were called to arms, by the re-appearance of a body of about 200 wellmounted horse, in promiscuous order, who, after firing a few shots from their matchlocks at the party brought out to keep them in check, retired. I omitted to mention before, that this body of horse, which could not have been less then 4,000, murdered Lieut. Warre, of the Madras artillery, and his sepoy guard, at the village of Soome, on the evening of the 16th, a few hours prior to my passing through it; and that they plundered all the smaller unprotected villages on their route from the southward to Pattre. Some baggage, a quantity of arms, and from 100 to 150 horses of different descriptions, were left upon the ground; the greatest part of which were pillaged by the villagers in the neigbourhood during the pursuit, &c. I am happy to add, that we met with no casualties, with the exception of one non-commissioned officer of the 2d Bombay Native Infantry wounded. Had we not unfortunately been led out of the route by the guides, as before mentioned, we should in all probability have found the enemy less prepared for flight, and consequently have been enabled to give a better account of them; as it is, however, I hope you will give me credit when I assure you, that every exertion was made by both officers and men for the public service; and I feel great pleasure in having this opportunity of bearing testimony to the cheerfulness with which they bore the fatigues, and the zeal and alacrity with which the officers performed their several duties. I estimate the distance traversed by the detachment to be about 150 miles, including the morning it marched with the camp; and during the last 24 hours it actually marched 41 miles, not including the pursuit. In concluding, I beg you will excuse the prolixity of this report, and have the honour to remain, Sir, your most obedient servant, H. SMITH, Major 14th, Commanding detachment. Camp, Soonie, April 19. SIR, I have the honour to report, that since my letter of yesterday's date, I received information that the body of horse, who were attacked on the morning of the 17th, fled in such haste immediately after that affair, that they crossed the Godavery in the direction of Nassuck. I consequently deemed any further pursuit of little use, and accordingly left Pattre, and arrived here yesterday. I have the honour further to mention, that the number of killed and wounded found on the ground, and the neighbourhood of Pattre, has been ascertained to have exceeded 70; and presume, from the nature of the attack, that many of those who fled must have been wounded also. I have the honour to be, &c. Colonel Lionel Smith. Extract of a Despatch from Mr. Elphinstone to the Governor-General, dated April 26. The body of Trimbuckjee's horse that was pursued by Col. Smith, crossed the Neera, at a place to the south-west of Baramatty, and the Beema at Coomargong; some parties and many individuals separated from them about this place and beyond it, apparently with the intention of returning to their own country. This reduced the party from 4,000 to 3,000, during the period they were closely pursued by Major Smith, of the 14th regiment Madras Native Infantry, whom Colonel Wilson had detached from the reserve to march to the south of Beema: Major the Paiza, after the admirable Smith came up with the enemy on march which has already been reported to your Excellency, and beat him up at Patra, as recounted to your Excellency in the same despatch. This occasioned fresh desertions to a great extent; many of the fugitives came back to Poonah, and the body was now reThis body was duced to 2000. taken up by Colonel Milnes on the Godavery, as reported in his despatch of the 19th, transmitted to Mr. Adam, and pursued down the Rajapoor Ghaut into Candeish, by a detachment of 300 men under the command of Capt. Swayne, of the 13th regiment Madras Native Infantry; at this place they were taken up by the Vinchookur, whose own account of his proceeding 1 have the honour to enclose. He states himself to have taken many horses, but does not mention any loss on either side. During the period of this pursuit, the body of freebooters that had been forming in Candeish was defeated by Capt. Davies. On first receiving authentic intelligence of the commencement of this part of the in *Not received. surrection, surrection, I suggested to Mr. Russell, that the reformed horse should, if possible, be prepared to check it. The reformed horse were then acting against the Naiks in Berar, but orders for their recall were immediately transmitted and as promptly executed, so that the first division of them arrived on the frontier of Candeish just as the banditti were assuming a tangible form. The gallant conduct of the Nizam's horse, and the complete rout of the insurgents that ensued, have already been reported to your Excellency. The fugitives from this defeat joined the party from the southward, and shared in the losses it met with at the hands of the Vinchookur. It appears to have been the intention of both parties to form a junction, after which, by the accounts of the prisoners, they were to have come to Poonah; but probably their plan was to have plundered the country, and to have taken advantage of any opening that might afford them a prospect of success against any of our detachments or their supplies. A body of the insurgents has long been mentioned as having descended into the south of the Concan; they have lately moved north as far as Roose Ashtumee, and the fear of their approach has occasioned the desertion of the villages on the Bombay-road: two companies of Native Infantry marched from Poonah this morning to keep open the communi cation. Extract of a Letter from the Vin choor*, lageerdar. I SET off on Saturday, at night, * An officer of the Peishwa, VOL. LIX. 1 in pursuit of the troops that had come from Mahadeo, which amounted to 2000 horse, and two or 300 foot they effected a junction with the other rebels from Gunnaispoor, (who had previously been defeated by the Nizam's troops.) I came in sight of them at last, when they immediately took to flight, and were pursued for several coss, till I totally dispersed them, and took about 500 horses: this done, I halted on Saturday morning at Jaunderee, and remained there all day; on Monday I marched to Lassoor, and shall move on Tuesday to Vinchoor. Extract from a Despatch from the Governor in Council of Bombay to the Secret Committee, dated 26th of May. THE forts of Ryghur, Singhur, and Poorandur, have been placed in possession of our troops. His Highness the Peishwa has issued a proclamation for the apprehension of Trimbuckjee Dainglia, and his adherents. Calcutta Government Gazette, We know of nothing that deserves better our most hearty congratulations, than the successful achievement which has freed us from the continual provocation and resistance of a rebel power, in the heart of the British territories, and has put us in possession of his abandoned fort. This subject of exultation is still more heightened by the gratifying consideration, that the extensive military operations carried on against Hatrass have been attended with almost no loss of lives. The scale of bombardment aM dopted dopted on this important occasion has no parallel in Indian warfare, and indeed is the first instance of bringing forward means adequate to reduce a fortress of great magnitude and strength, in the shortest period of time. In such cases the bravery and resolution of the enemy are of no avail; and the lofty and massy walls cease to be impregnable to a species of ordnance which involves the interior of the building in conflagration and ruin, and makes it too dreadful for the garrison to endure. The tactics which substitute science for personal courage are thus certain to abridge our military operations in occurrences of a similar nature. There can be no glory to the assailed in prolonging resistance, when the incessant firing and explosion of shells and rockets burn and destroy the very citadel, and from which there is no refuge. At Hatrass the stoutest Heart was struck with horror and dismay. The garrison sunk under the dreadful operations which exposed them to certain death, without having any means of repelling or defeating the object of the besiegers. Their cannon were of no use, although they kept up a constant but ill-directed fire. Yet the in fa tuation of Dyhram was such, that he would give no signs of submission. By his resistance he had already forfeited all claim to pardon, and therefore he unavailingly sacrificed every thing to his stubbornness, and the proud but empty boast of unconquerable valour, as if under such circumstances valour could have been exercised to any advantage. The delusion which led him to imagine that the fort was too strong and inaccessible to be taken was, however, soon over; and his fate will answer a useful purpose in showing others, should there be any of similar views and characters, how idle are the notions which induce them to believe their fastnesses impregnable to European science. It is a great consolation that no assault was made; for, judging from the manner in which Dyaram's horsemen effected their escape, and the bravery and devotion to their chief which they displayed, great loss would have been inevitable in the breach. But, setting aside the political importance of the conquest, we consider that the manner by which it was effected forms a memorable era in the military history of India. The Rohilla cavalry which went in pursuit of the fugitives had returned on the 3d, without having been able to come up with Dyaram. It appears that all the female part of his family had és caped in disguise. caped in disguise. There are accounts of one of his women having taken refuge with a neighbouring Zemindar, who had reported the circumstance to the inagistrate, and who had been directed to treat her with respect and consitleration. Previous to the commencement of operations before Hatrass, the inhabitants of the gunge had been warned by the British authority against resistance, and the greater part of them had in consequence abandoned their property, and retired to a distant village. Since the fall of the fort, we understand they have returned to resume the'r property and occupations. REMARK |