War Medals and Their HistorySteward, William Augustus
History
War Medals and Their History
Steward, William Augustus
Great Britain. Army -- Medals, badges, decorations, etc.; Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Medals, badges, decorations, etc.
In 1824 war was declared against Burmah, and the campaign opened by
Brigadier-General Sir Archibald Campbell taking possession of Rangoon
on May 12th, and the capture by storm of Cheduba on May 17th, 1824. A
series of assaults was made by the British, and feeble attacks by the
Burmese, before Maha Bandoola, a veteran of considerable force and
ability--having provided himself with gold fetters with which to bind
Lord Amherst when he was captured--took command of a force of about
50,000 infantry and horsemen, with 300 pieces of artillery, and began
to entrench himself in front of the British position. On December 1st
Major (afterwards Sir Robert) Sale--who gallantly defended Jellalabad
and was killed at Moodkee, December 1845--making a daring and vigorous
attack upon the left of his line with 450 men of the 13th Light
Infantry and 18th Native Infantry, compelled the Burmese to fly. On
December 5th another effort was made against the left wing, and 240
guns were captured; this success was followed, on December 7th, by a
determined assault upon the trenches, which resulted in the rout of
Bandoola's army with the loss of 5,000 men. With indomitable pluck the
Burmese general rallied his army and entrenched himself again; but
when the assault was made, upon the 15th, by the British, the Burmese
were forced from their position and put to rout in fifteen minutes.
In the meantime Brigadier General Morrison, with a force of about
11,000, had moved forward across the mountains into Ava, and on April
1st Arracan was captured, and the Burmese retreated to Donabu, where
on the Irrawady, behind a strong teak stockade a mile long, backed by
an old brick rampart upon which 150 guns were mounted, they defied a
marine attack, and the British had to retire down the river, leaving
their wounded to the fiendish treatment of their enemies. On the next
day, however, Sir Archibald Campbell gained possession of Donabu, for
Maha Bandoola having been killed the troops lost confidence in their
other leaders, and they evacuated the place at night. After a period
of inaction at Prome, necessitated by the season, hostilities were
resumed in November, and a series of conflicts took place until after
the evacuation of Meeaday, when the Burmese again made overtures for
peace. On January 19th, 1825, hostilities were resumed, and the British
army advanced upon the Burmese capital. In the advance the battle of
Melloon was fought, and a new Burmese General took command of an army
of 40,000 men. Nee Woon Breen, "King of Hell" or "Prince of Darkness"
as he was called, was, however, defeated by the British near Pagahm
Mew on February 9th, and fled to Ava, to meet a cruel death by order
of his King. Following up this success, the British marched upon the
old capital Amarapura, but when within four days' march of the city the
King accepted the British terms, and the treaty of peace was signed at
Yandaboo on February 24th, 1826. By this treaty Arracan, Mergui, Tavoy,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account