Historical record of the Sixty-Seventh, or the South Hampshire Regiment: Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1758, and of its subsequent services to 1849Cannon, Richard
History
Historical record of the Sixty-Seventh, or the South Hampshire Regiment: Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1758, and of its subsequent services to 1849
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Foot, 67th (South Hampshire)
During the progress of constructing new batteries on elevated and
commanding situations, the dragging of ordnance into many of them
was performed by the European soldiers, who literally worked like
horses; during the whole of the time they were annoyed by a constant
fire of matchlocks from the walls of the upper fort (the lower
fort had been taken possession of on the 30th of March, by part of
Brigadier-General Sir John Malcolm's division), but which was too
distant to prevent the execution of this Herculean labour, which was
performed with that ardour and cheerfulness so characteristic of
British soldiers, when necessity demands from them any extraordinary
exertions.
On the 31st of March, part of the Bengal army, consisting of 2200
native troops, with 22 pieces of heavy ordnance, commanded by
Brigadier-General Watson, joined the besieging force; and these
guns were soon placed in battery, and opened on the fort. The storm
of war now raged furiously round Asseerghur, and a breach was soon
effected in the outer wall at the only assailable part of the fort;
at the same time two batteries were directed against the inner wall.
This unremitting fire was continued until the 6th of April, when the
garrison forced the Killedar to sue for terms, namely, "liberty to
preserve their arms, and to depart with their personal property."
These conditions were refused, and hostilities recommenced; the
Killedar, however, accepted the terms offered on the 8th, and agreed
to surrender the fort on the morning of the 9th, when the firing
ceased; but as he stated that he could not answer for the garrison,
the control of which he had lost, preparations were made for renewing
operations in case of refusal.
The garrison surrendered unconditionally on the 9th of April, and
five hundred men of the SIXTY-SEVENTH, under the command of Major
Benjafield, with the 7th Madras light cavalry, and the second
battalion of the 13th Madras native infantry, took possession of the
fortress, on the garrison marching out and laying down their arms on
the public parade.
The following was the return of ordnance, &c. taken in the fortress
of Asseerghur by the troops under the command of Brigadier-General
Doveton. Brass and iron ordnance, 128; about 36,000 stone and iron
shot, of different sizes; two hundredweight of gunpowder; 2000
wall-pieces, of different sizes; and about four hundredweight of
grape-shot.
During the siege the SIXTY-SEVENTH had Lieutenants J. Adair and
John Hannah severely wounded; Lieutenant Adair[16] was twice
severely wounded by matchlock balls in the left arm and right side,
on the 19th of March, in repulsing the sortie of the garrison of
Asseerghur:--one serjeant, one drummer, and eleven rank and file were
wounded.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Historical record of the Sixty-Seventh, or the South Hampshire Regiment: Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1758, and of its subsequent services to 1849 — John Shaqi
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account