The strong fortress of Amednuggur was the first obstacle to be overcome in the line of march. For a while defended resolutely, the struggle was very severe, but the moment our Highlanders succeeded in scaling the high and narrow walls encircling it, to the enemy all seemed lost, defence appeared hopeless, and flight the only refuge. Thus this important conquest was achieved with comparatively little loss. As in previous campaigns, so in the present, the business of the war seemed to be not so much to overcome but rather to overtake the enemy; who, sensible of his weakness in the field, strove to avoid the hazard of a battle, contenting himself with harassing our progress by a perplexing and incessant guerilla warfare. The persevering energy of the British commander was not, however, to be so duped of the prize he sought—the triumph he aspired to. By forced marches he overtook and surprised the foe by his unexpected presence on the banks of the Kaitna. Although not yet joined to the reinforcements at hand under Colonel Stevenson, from Bengal, and fearing the escape of the enemy under cover of the night, now approaching, the daring impetuosity of Wellesley at once ordered the attack. Reduced by detachments, the British army did not exceed 4,700 men, of whom the Seventy-fourth and Seventy-eighth Highlanders, and the Nineteenth Light Dragoons, were the only line regiments; whilst the Indian army, encamped in a strong position behind the almost dry channel of the Kaitna, occupied the village of Assaye, and presented a formidable array of 30,000 admirable troops, disciplined and led by European officers, the whole sustained by upwards of 100 guns. The Seventy-eighth occupied the left of the first line, whilst the Seventy-fourth, from the second line, ultimately took post on the right. But for the cowardly flight of the European officers commanding the Indian infantry, who abandoned their troops at the first onset, the resistance might have been far more formidable. The enemy’s artillery was admirably served, and galled the advance of the British line with a terrible fire, which was only silenced by the death of the gunners, bayoneted whilst faithfully and steadily fulfilling their duty. In the ultimate retreat, one brigade refused to yield, although repeatedly charged by our cavalry; maintaining its order and retiring fighting, preserved the defeat from becoming a disorderly rout. The struggle was the most severe, and the achievement the most glorious which had hitherto marked our Indian warfare; illustrating the determined valour of which the enemy was capable, whilst anew it honoured the prowess of our soldiers in the result.