ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

FROM THE

SUPPLEMENT

TO THE

LONDON GAZETTE of NOVEMBER 23, 1824.

India- Board, October, 1824.

DISPATCHES have been received at the East India-House, from the Governor-General in Council, at Fort William, with inclosures, of which the following are copies and extracts:

Extract from a Letter from the Governor-General in Council to the Secret Committee of the Court of Directors, dated Fort William, 21st November 1823.

ON the 28th of September, Mr. Warner reported to us by an express, that a Burmese force of about one thousand men had actually attacked and taken the island of Shapuree, on the 24th, killing three sepoys, and wounding three others.

Extract from a Letter from the Governor-General in Council to the Secret Committee of the Court of Directors dated Fort William, 9th January 1824.

WE beg to inform your Honourable Committee, that the detachment sent by sea from hence to ●ccupy the island of Shapuree, at the mouth of the

Naaf

1

Naaf River, and to reinforce the posts on the southern part of the Chittagong district, did not, owing to the unseasonable and tempestuous state of the weather, at the head of the bay of Bengal, reach the island until the 21st of November; no symptoms of further hostile designs, or preparations, were visible on the part of the Burmans at the period of their arrival; and two companies of the detachment accordingly took possession of Shapuree, without the slightest opposition being offered.

[ocr errors]

Extract of a Letter from Captain Hay, commanding the Chittagong Battalion, to the Secretary to Government in the Military Department, dated Chittagong, October, 1823.

I BEG to inform you, that on the evening of the 23d September, the Jemadar's party of this corps, stationed on the island of Shapuree, was attacked by a body of Burmese, of about a thousand, from Arracan, and after some struggle, driven off the island, with the loss of three sepoys killed, and three more wounded, two of whom are since dead.

Extract from a Letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Skapland to Major Patrickson, Deputy AdjutantGeneral of the Army, dated Shapuree, 22d November 23

I HAVE the honour to acquaint you, for the information of Government, that in consequence of the difficuy which the larger vessels of the detachment under my command, experienced in entering the Naaf River, they did not anchor off Tik Naaf, until the forenoon of the 20th instant, when three Hh 2

com

companies of the 2d battalion 20th regiment, were disembarked at that place; in the ensuing night two vessels, the Flora and Planet, dropped down to Shapuree, and the two companies on board of them were landed on the island without delay; an eligible spot for the erection of a stockade was then chosen, and the Mugs*, with the detachment are now employed in clearing the ground, and: making preparations for the construction of one.

Extract from a Letter from the Governor-General in Council to the Secret Committee of the Court of Directors, dated Fort William, 23d February 1824.

ON the 30th January, we learnt that an affair had taken place between our party of observation on the Sylhet frontier, commanded by Major Newton, and one of the bodies of invaders coming from Assam; your Honourable Committee will learn from the correspondence which took place on that occasion that, disregarding the intimation which they had received of the determination of the British Government to resist the occupation of Cachar by the forces of a foreign power, and anxious only to effect their object of concentrating a large force on our immediate frontier, the parties from the northward and eastward hurried on, in avowed defiance of our repeated remonstances and warnings, to the point where the Generals proposed to unite their forces; on the 16th Major Newton, finding that a body of about four thousand Bur. mese and Assamese had crossed into the plains of Cachar, at the foot of the Berteaka Pass, and were stockading themselves at Bikrampore; also that the force to the eastward had defeated the Munipore

Refugees from Arracan.

Chief, Rajah Gambhur Sing's troops; and that a third division were crossing into Jyntra, immediately north of the station of Sylhet, he resolved, undercircumssances so threatening to his force, to concentrate his detachment at Juttrapore, a Cachar village, about five miles beyond the boundary of the Sylhet district, and move from thence due northward against the invading party from Assam, before they could have time to strengthen their position. The Burmese position was discovered early in the morning of the 17th of January, and hostilities commenced by the discharge of two shots from. their stockade at the British advanced guard; an attack was then made by the British force under Major Newton in two divisions, which was com pletely successful, though a party of Burmahs in the stockade, variously estimated at from two to five hundred, made a brave resistance, and were not overpowered without the loss of six of our sepoys. killed, and eighteen wounded; about one hundred and seventy-five of the Burmah. force were destroyed, the remainder fled towards the hills.

Copy of a Dispatch from Major Newton to the Adjutant-General of the Army, dated Budderpore, 18th January 1824.

SIR,

IN consequence of intelligence which I received: on the evening of the 16th instant, that a body of about four thousand Burmese and Assamese had erossed into the plains at the foot of the Berteaka Pass, and were stockading themselves at the villageof Bickrampore; also that a force to the eastward had defeated Rajah Gambhur Sing's troops, and that a third division were crossing the Mootagool Pass into Jyntra to the north west, I resolved,

under

under circumstances so threatening to my force, to concentrate my detachment at Juttrapore, and move from thence with the whole due north, and attack the enemy before they could have time to strengthen their position; I accordingly ordered Captain Johnston to join me from Tilayn, leaving his camp standing; at two A. M of the 17th, we moved off; at six A. M. just beyond an almost impervious grass and reed jungle, which we with considerable difficulty passed, we came into a comparatively plain country, where the situation of the enemy was discovered by the discharge of two shots at our advanced guard; their position extended along the villages at the foot of the hills, they were covered by the huts, bushes, &c. in a close and difficult country, and on their right they had a stockade on the banks of a steep nullah, occupied by about two hundred men; the attack was made in two divisions: the southern face of the stockade being assaulted by Captain Johnston, with part of the 23d native infantry, and Rungpore light infantry; and the enemy's line in the villages being attacked by Captain Bowe, with part of the 10th native infantry, the whole under my direction; this last was immediately successful, the greater part of the enemy, supposed to be Assamese, flying to the hills at the first fire; Captain Bowe then wheeled his force at the attack of the stockade which was making a brave resistance against Captain Johnston and in a short time it was carried by assault by the united exertions of both parties.

I cannot in too strong terms bring to your notice, for the information of his Excellency the Commander in Chief, the exertions of the troops on this occasion, the Officers and men were equally conspicuous in their zealous endeavours; I cannot therefore particularize individual, when all who were engaged claim an equal share of praise; but in justice to the merit of the European Officers,

and

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »