On the same morning of the 29th of December, General Gray, who, with the left wing of the army, had been advancing upon Gwalior from the Sindh river, came up with the enemy at Punniah, a village a few miles to the south of the capital. Here the Mahratta batteries were strongly posted, as at Maharajpore, on commanding ground, and in gorges flanking one another. The 3rd Buffs, who led the column sent forward to attack the enemy’s position, were supported by Captain Brind’s troop of horse-artillery, 1st troop 3rd brigade, which “opened upon the guns to the left of Mangore, whilst Major Geddes, with Captain Campbell’s troop, 3rd battalion 3rd brigade, and two guns of Captain Brind’s, opened upon the battery of seven guns in rear of Mangore; and their practice was beautiful, silencing all but one of the enemy’s guns, which was served with the greatest accuracy to the last moment. Lieutenant Olpherts, with four guns of No. 16 light field-battery, took up a position south of Mangore, and opened on the enemy as they retreated up the hills, with good effect. Lieutenant Tombs, with two guns of light field-battery attached to the rear-guard, fired with great precision several shots upon the enemy’s left.”[93] The Mahrattas made a gallant defence, but were driven from their guns with considerable loss; and night closed upon their total dispersion. In these engagements on the 29th of December, the artillery lost at Maharajpore, 1 2nd lieutenant, 1 serjeant, 1 gunner, killed; and 1 serjeant, and 21 gunners, wounded; besides syces, ordnance-drivers, and a considerable number of horses. At Punniah, the loss was much smaller, only one man and one horse having been killed. The officer who fell at Maharajpore, was Lieutenant Leathes. He was posted with the rear-guard, and had ridden forward, it would seem, to watch the progress of the action, when coming too close to the Mahratta batteries, a round shot carried off his head. For services rendered during this campaign, Colonel Gowan received the companionship of the Bath; Majors Geddes, Sanders, Alexander, and Lane, were promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel by brevet, and Captains Brown, Grant, Brind, Campbell, and Macdonald, were gazetted as brevet-majors. In the political transactions with which these military operations were connected, Lieutenant Sir Richmond Shakespear, of the artillery, took a conspicuous part. He acted as an aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief, during the battle of Maharajpore, and was thanked in his Excellency’s despatch. Captain Macdonald also received the thanks of the Commander-in-Chief. On the subsequent settlement of the affairs of Gwalior, four batteries were raised for service with the new Gwalior contingent; and placed under the command of Lieutenants Eyre, Warburton, T. H. Smyth, and Hawkins; Brevet-Captain Frank Turner being appointed brigade major.