Battle Honours of the British Army: From Tangier, 1662, to the Commencement of the Reign of King Edward VIINorman, Charles Boswell
History
Battle Honours of the British Army: From Tangier, 1662, to the Commencement of the Reign of King Edward VII
Norman, Charles Boswell
Great Britain -- History, Military; Great Britain. Army -- History
THE GWALIOR CAMPAIGN.
MAHARAJPORE AND PUNNIAR, DECEMBER 29, 1843.
These two general actions, fought on the same day, recall one of
the shortest campaigns on record--a campaign forced unwillingly on
the Government of India by the truculent conduct of the military
oligarchy in the Mahratta State of Gwalior. This spirit was no
doubt intensified by the feeling--or, rather, by the hope--that,
owing to our recent disasters in Afghanistan, the British would be
unwilling to trust to the arbitrament of the sword.
"Maharajpore" is borne on the colours of the
16th Lancers.
Dorsetshire.
East Lancashires.
Governor-General's Bodyguard.
3rd Skinner's Horse.
2nd Q.O. Rajput Light Infantry.
6th Jat Light Infantry.
12th Khelat-i-Ghilzai.
"Punniar" on the colours of the
9th Lancers.
Buffs.
Royal West Kent.
6th P.W.O. Cavalry.
On the refusal of the Gwalior Council of Regency to disband their
army, which was a standing menace to the peace of our North-West
Frontier, the Governor-General determined to undertake the task of
that disbandment himself. A large camp of exercise was therefore
formed at Agra, under the direct superintendence of Sir Hugh Gough,
the Commander-in-Chief; and a second force was assembled at Jhansi,
under General Sir George Grey. The former force is responsible for
the victory of Maharajpore, the latter for that of Punniar.
Sir Hugh Gough's army was composed of one cavalry and three
infantry divisions:
Cavalry Brigade--Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell: 16th
Lancers, the Bodyguard, and four native cavalry regiments.
First Infantry Brigade--Major-General Sir John Littler: 39th
Regiment (Dorsets) and 56th Bengal Infantry.
Second Infantry Brigade--Major-General Valliant: 40th Regiment
(South Lancashires), 2nd and 16th Bengal Infantry.
Third Infantry Brigade--Brigadier-General Stacey: 14th, 31st, and
45th Bengal Infantry.
The plan of attack was simple, and one which has been invariably
successful against an Oriental foe. The Mahrattas were found
holding a strong position around the village of Maharajpore. The
Commander-in-Chief ordered Sir John Littler, with his own and the
Second Cavalry Brigade, to make a direct attack on the enemy's
position, covered by a heavy artillery fire, Stacey's brigade being
held in reserve. At the same time Sir Joseph Thackwell, with the
First Cavalry Brigade and Valliant's infantry, turned the enemy's
left. The Gwalior troops made a very determined resistance, but
if they thought that the disasters in Afghanistan were in any way
due to deterioration on the part of the British army, they were
woefully disillusioned. Littler found the Gwalior troops holding a
series of entrenched positions, from which they were successively
driven at the point of the bayonet, not without heavy loss, our
total casualties being 36 officers and 750 men killed and wounded.
CASUALTIES AT THE BATTLE OF MAHARAJPORE, DECEMBER 29, 1843.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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