Memoir of the Services of the Bengal Artillery: From the Formation of the Corps to the Present Time, with Some Account of Its Internal Organization — John Shaqi
Memoir of the Services of the Bengal Artillery: From the Formation of the Corps to the Present Time, with Some Account of Its Internal OrganizationBuckle, E. (Edmond)
History
Memoir of the Services of the Bengal Artillery: From the Formation of the Corps to the Present Time, with Some Account of Its Internal Organization
Buckle, E. (Edmond)
India -- History -- British occupation, 1765-1947; India -- History, Military; India. Army. Bengal Artillery
It is most probable that Captain Mayaffre was urged to his precipitate
and rash attack by the recollection of the successful enterprise against
Gwalior, in which he had shared the preceding year; the hope of
acquiring reputation led him to disregard the maxims of prudence,
forgetting that, although he staked his own life upon the issue, he also
hazarded his Government’s safety unnecessarily.
This failure raised the whole country in arms, and rendered Mr.
Hastings’s flight to Chunar imperative—a flight which gave rise to the
memorable but oft misquoted distich—
Ghora per howdah, hat’hee per zeen,
Juldee bagh gee’a, Warren Hasteen.
Lieuts. F. W. Grand[20] and Sand, doing duty with Major Popham’s
detachment, accompanied W. Hastings to Chunar.
Active measures were taken to collect troops, and on the 3rd September a
party was sent out to surprise the enemy’s camp, which was formed at
Pateeta (about seven miles from Chunar), but being retarded by the bad
bullocks and drivers with the two 6–pounders which accompanied it, at
daylight it found the enemy, to the number of 4,000 infantry and 400
cavalry and six guns, drawn up; the fire of our artillery and infantry
was, however, so quick and effective, that the enemy fled, leaving four
guns, among which was the one left by Captain Mayaffre at Ramnagur, in
our possession.
With the enemy’s guns, was all the usual apparatus of artillery, such as
portfires, tubes, chain-shot, quilted grape, equal or nearly equal to
the production of an European laboratory; the artillery, however, was
not equal to the stores: one gun, a modern cast, was pretty good; the
others old and indifferent; the carriages of all much worn and bad.
The conduct and activity of Lieut. Baillie, of the artillery, was
particularly acknowledged by the commanding officer.
On the 10th September, a brigade from Caunpoor, under Major Crabb,
arrived, with which were thirty European artillerymen (1st company 2nd
battalion), four 6–pounders and 1 howitzer, under Captain Hill.
The enemy had collected in force at the strong holds of Pateeta and
Luteefpoor, the former seven miles, the latter fourteen miles from
Chunar, and from information received, it was deemed advisable to drive
them from those positions, rather than attack Ramnagur; two detachments
were therefore got ready, one under Major Crabb, and the other under
Major Popham; the former, accompanied by four 6–pounders and one
howitzer, under Lieut. Baillie, with the ammunition, carried on
bullocks, marched, on the night of 15th September, by a route through
the hills, to take Luteefpoor in reverse, under the guidance of a
native, named Bandoo Khan, who had proposed the plan of attack; and as
the chief difficulties of this march were caused by the guns, it will
not be out of place to give an abstract of Major Crabb’s interesting
journal of the expedition:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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