Dictionary of Battles: From the Earliest Date to the Present TimeHarbottle, Thomas Benfield
History
Dictionary of Battles: From the Earliest Date to the Present Time
Harbottle, Thomas Benfield
Battles
This fortress, held by Jeswunt Rao, with a strong Mahratta garrison, was
besieged by a British force under Sir John Malcolm and General Doveton,
March 18, 1819. On the 21st the garrison was driven into the upper fort,
and after a continuous bombardment, Jeswunt Rao surrendered April 7. The
British loss during the siege was 313 killed and wounded; that of the
garrison somewhat less.
Askultsik (Ottoman Wars).
Fought 1828, between 30,000 Turks and the Russians, 17,000 strong, under
General Paskiewitch. The Turks were routed, and their camp, with all
artillery and baggage, captured. Paskiewitch then laid siege to the
town, which was defended by a garrison of 50,000 men, and after a siege
of three weeks, carried it by storm, August 28.
Aspendus.
Fought B.C. 191, between the Syrian fleet of Antiochus the Great, under
Hannibal, and a Rhodian squadron under Eudamus. Though Hannibal was in
superior force, he suffered a severe defeat.
Aspern (Campaign of Wagram).
Fought May 21 and 22, 1809, between 36,000 French under Napoleon, and
70,000 Austrians under the Archduke Charles. The battle commenced about
four p.m. on the 21st by an attack on the French position at Aspern, and
at nightfall the Austrians had established a lodgment in the village. On
the 22nd, both armies having been reinforced during the night, the
combat was renewed round Aspern, which was taken and retaken ten times,
while Essling was the scene of an equally desperate conflict. Towards
evening the bridge by which Napoleon had crossed the Danube was swept
away, and Napoleon was compelled to retire. Each side lost about 20,000
men, and both claimed the victory. Among the French who fell were
Marshal Lannes and General St. Hilaire.
Aspromonte (Garibaldi’s Rising).
Fought August 29, 1862, between a small force of “Red Shirts” under
Garibaldi, and the royal troops under General Pallavicini. After a short
engagement, in which Garibaldi was wounded, the “Red Shirts,” largely
outnumbered and surrounded, laid down their arms.
Assandun (Danish Invasion).
The last of the five battles fought in 1016 between the English under
Edmund Ironside and the Danish invaders under Knut. Owing to the
treachery of Ædric, who crossed over with the Hereford men in the course
of the battle, the English were defeated, and shortly afterwards Knut
was proclaimed King of England.
Assaye (First Mahratta War).
Fought September 23, 1803, when General Wellesley (the Duke of
Wellington) with 4,500 British and native troops routed the army of
Sindhia of Gwalior, over 30,000 strong. All the camp equipment and 100
guns were taken. The Duke always considered this the bloodiest action,
for the numbers engaged, that he ever witnessed. The British loss
amounted to 1,566, or more than one-third of Wellesley’s entire force.
Astrakhan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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