1803–1804 Capture of Ahmednuggur—Battle of Assaye—Death of Lieut. Colonel Maxwell—Honorary Colour granted to 19th—Battle of Argaum—Capture of Gawilghur—Berar Rajah makes peace—Scindia makes peace—March against banditti—Their dispersal—Grant of badges for Assaye.
Wellesley reached Ahmednuggur on the 8th August. The fort was an exceedingly strong one, and the pettah or fortified town was also strongly held. An immediate assault on the pettah was ordered, which was completely successful. The town was taken, at a cost of 27 killed and 92 wounded: the 19th Light Dragoons had one man wounded. This was a brilliant opening to the campaign, which impressed friends and enemies alike. A Mahratta Chief, commanding a body of the Peishwa’s horse in Wellesley’s camp, wrote to his friends in Poona: “These English are a strange people, and their General a wonderful man: they came here in the morning, looked at the pettah wall, walked over it, killed all the garrison and returned to[137] breakfast!” In attacking fortified places that did not require regular siege operations, Wellesley successfully followed the plan, both in 1800 and on this occasion, of attacking by escalade directly he appeared before the place.
At daybreak on the 10th, a battery was opened against the fort, which surrendered on the 12th.
After arranging for the settlement of the Ahmednuggur district, Wellesley crossed the Godavery at Toka, and advanced to Aurungabad, which he reached on the 29th August. The crossing of the Godavery took seven days to complete. Scindia’s force meanwhile had entered the Nizam’s territory by the Ajunta Pass, and had taken Jaulna. The Mahratta army then moved southwards, as if intending to cross the Godavery and attack Hyderabad, but were baffled by Wellesley moving southward along the left bank of the Godavery. They therefore turned northward again, from Partoor, towards the Ajunta Pass, and encamped in the neighbourhood of Bokerdun and Assaye. In the interval, Stevenson, who had been operating to the north-eastward, returned and retook Jaulna on the 2nd September. On the 6th, and again on the 9th, he surprised the camps of two parties of Mahratta horse, after which he halted at Budnapore, near Jalgaum. Wellesley was delayed on the Godavery till the 18th, pending the arrival of a large convoy.
On the 21st, he reached Jalgaum, where he concerted a plan of operation with Stevenson. According to the best information, the enemy was believed to be at Bokerdun and Jaffirabad, about thirty miles distant, but the enormous numbers of the enemy’s cavalry made it impossible to procure trustworthy information by reconnoissance. It was agreed that the two forces should advance next day by separate roads, and fall on the enemy on the 24th. At the end of the first day’s[138] march, on the 22nd, news was brought to Wellesley, at Paugri, that the enemy was moving westward, and was making for the Ajunta Pass. The news was false. Stevenson’s line of march lay about fifteen miles westward of Wellesley’s. On the 23rd, Wellesley made a fourteen-mile march to Naulniah. On arriving there, he found that, instead of being ten or twelve miles from the enemy, as he had anticipated, he was only half that distance from them. He was also told that their cavalry had moved off, and the infantry were about to follow. It was necessary to ascertain the truth at once. The baggage was accordingly left at Naulniah, under charge of a battalion of Native Infantry and the rearguard picquets,[44] and the rest of the force moved forwards. The General, at the same time, pushed on ahead with the Cavalry. Without counting the force detached to guard the baggage in Naulniah, Wellesley’s force consisted of nearly 6000 men (of whom about 1600 were Europeans), and 14 guns, of which eight were the 6 Pr. galloper guns of the Cavalry. There were also contingents of the Mysore and Peishwa’s horsemen. After going about three miles, he suddenly, about one o’clock, came in sight of the enemy’s camp beyond the Kaitna, near the village of Assaye, in a peninsula formed by the junction of the Kaitna and Juah rivers. The Kaitna was only passable at certain points; the Juah had less water in it, but had very steep banks. Along both rivers the ground was much broken by ravines.
 
Walker & Boutall sc.
BATTLE OF ASSAYE
23rd. September 1803.
Wellesley’s position was a difficult one. He had unexpectedly come into close contact with a vastly superior force ready to receive him, instead of being in the act of moving off, as he had been led to expect. Stevenson’s[139] force, in co-operation with which he had intended to fight the action, was ten or twelve miles away. Should he retreat to Naulniah and wait for Stevenson, he would be followed and forced to fight under disadvantageous circumstances, and, owing to the enemy’s great superiority in cavalry, would probably lose a portion of his baggage. He resolved to cross the river and attack at once. He saw that if he could carry his force across the Kaitna anywhere near its junction with the Juah, the great superiority in numbers of the Mahrattas would be to a certain extent neutralized by the narrower front on which they would be obliged to engage. At the same time, should his attack fail, Wellesley was liable to be forced back into the acute angle formed by the two rivers, and be destroyed, like Charles XII. at Pultava. It was a choice of risks, and Wellesley chose the smaller one. The direct ford was commanded by the powerful Mahratta artillery, which made crossing at that point extremely hazardous. Examining the ground with his glasses, Wellesley noticed the two villages of Peepulgaon and Waroor close together on opposite sides of the river, and, in spite of the denial of his guides, jumped to the conclusion that there must be a ford there. A search showed that he was right, and word was sent back for the infantry to direct their march on Peepulgaon. Meanwhile the Cavalry (A. in plan) remained facing a large body of the enemy’s Cavalry (B. in plan), that had crossed the river. By this time, the Mahratta camp had been struck, and their army appeared drawn up in a long line (C. in plan), covered by the Kaitna, with a great mass of cavalry on the right, and the guns on the left.
As the British force moved across the enemy’s front, part of it came within range of the Mahratta Artillery, but beyond a Staff Officer being slightly wounded, and the General’s orderly dragoon having his head carried off by[140] a round shot, no loss was incurred. The crossing of the Kaitna was effected without opposition, and the British force was drawn up across the fork between the two rivers in three lines (F. in plan). The first two lines, with an interval of about 300 paces between them, were composed of infantry, H.M.’s 78th Regiment being on the left of the first line, and H.M.’s 74th on the right of the 2nd line. The cavalry formed the third line. The Peishwa’s and Mysore cavalry remained on the south side of the Kaitna (D. in plan), to keep in check a large body of the enemy’s cavalry. There was a good deal of delay in crossing the Kaitna, which was taken advantage of by the enemy to change front to the left of their first line, and they now occupied a long line (E. in plan), with its left resting on the village of Assaye, and defended along the whole front by upwards of one hundred guns. The village of Assaye was occupied with infantry, and had a number of guns disposed in front of it. The Mahratta line of battle, exclusive of a large body of troops detailed to guard stores and baggage, consisted of thirteen battalions of disciplined infantry, one hundred and fifteen guns, and over thirty-five thousand horsemen. There were also a large number of undisciplined infantry.
While the British lines were forming, the movement was covered by artillery fire. This was quickly responded to by the Mahratta guns, which caused such severe losses among the British gun bullocks, that the guns had to be left behind when the advance was made.
Wellesley had not given the enemy credit for being able to change their front with so large a force, without falling into disarray. On perceiving the alteration in the enemy’s position, he saw that it was necessary to extend his front. He accordingly ordered the picquets, which formed the right of the first line, to move obliquely to the right, so as to allow the native infantry battalions[141] in the second line to come up on the right of the first line, H.M.’s 74th being directed to take the right of the whole. Wellesley’s intention was to force back the enemy from their guns, then, operating by his left, to throw them back on the Juah, and complete their destruction with his cavalry. Wellesley himself led the left of the line, while Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell and the cavalry were ordered to support the right, which was still greatly outflanked. Particular orders were given to the officer in command of the picquets, which formed the battalion of direction, to keep out of gunshot of Assaye. But the losses caused by the Mahratta artillery were so severe, that the advance became necessary before the formation was complete. Every shot told, knocking over men, horses, and bullocks, and putting several of the British guns out of action. Wellesley on the left, impatient to advance, sent repeated messages to the officer commanding the picquets. He was told that the guns were disabled, to which he replied “Well, tell him to get on without them.”
As the line advanced, the Mahratta infantry gave ground, abandoning their guns. By mistake, the officer commanding the picquets continued his oblique movement too far, and led direct on Assaye, masking the 74th; a mistake that had an important influence on the course of the battle. This caused a great gap in the British line, separated the picquets and H.M. 74th from the rest of the line, and brought them under a tremendous fire of artillery and small arms. They were further impeded in their advance and thrown into disarray, by having to pass some cactus hedges. The Mahratta infantry, as they fell back from their guns, separated into two distinct bodies. The greater number threw back their right, forming a second line (H. in plan), with the Juah river at its back, and its left still resting on[142] Assaye; while one whole Brigade, under a German named Pohlman, continued to retreat directly to its rear (M. in plan). At the same time, great numbers of the enemy threw themselves down, pretending to be dead, and allowed the British line to pass over them. The British line swung round to its right (I. in plan), to attack the enemy’s second line, and, here the first critical period of the battle occurred. The picquets and H.M. 74th Foot were no longer able to advance under the terrible fire to which they were exposed. Numbers fell at every step; all formation was lost, and a body of Mahratta horse, wheeling round the village of Assaye, charged the 74th in flank, sabreing numbers of them. They also recaptured some of their own guns, and gained possession of some of the British guns that had not been able to keep up with the advance, killing the gunners and turning the guns against the British rear. It was a critical moment, and, with a soldier’s instinct, Maxwell saw that the time for action had come. Advancing with his brigade, Maxwell charged the enemy’s left, driving them into the Juah with great slaughter: then, as the rest of the line advanced and drove the enemy into the nullah, the Cavalry crossed the Juah, and charged the broken masses of the enemy (J. in plan), making a horrid slaughter of them, and driving them off the field.
“The 19th Light Dragoons, who only drew 360 swords, received the intimation with one loud huzza! Accompanied by the 4th native cavalry who emulated their conduct throughout this arduous day, the 19th passed through the broken but invincible 74th, whose very wounded joined in cheering them as they went on, cut in and routed the horse, and dashed on at the infantry and guns. Never did cavalry perform better service or contribute more to the success of a battle.”[45]
[143]
But the battle was not yet over. A great body of the enemy still remained, holding Assaye and the ground between the village and the Juah, while the guns they had got possession of in different parts of the field played on the rear of the exhausted British troops. Pohlman’s brigade also was unbroken, and threatened an attack. Two sepoy battalions sent successively against Assaye were repulsed. Maxwell’s cavalry were still across the Juah in pursuit of the broken Mahratta battalions, and, had the Mahratta horsemen behaved at this juncture with the same spirit that had led them to charge the 74th, the day might have been theirs. At this crisis, Maxwell with the cavalry returned from across the Juah, and formed up on the left of the British line. Directing Maxwell with the 19th Light Dragoons and two of his native regiments to face Pohlman’s brigade, Wellesley took H.M.’s 78th and a regiment of Native Cavalry, and moved against Assaye. The enemy did not await the attack, but retreated across the Juah in tolerable order. In this movement, the General had his horse killed by a cannon shot. Then, moving along the whole line first occupied by the enemy (E. in plan), he recaptured all the guns, not without some severe fighting. Meanwhile, Maxwell led the 19th Light Dragoons and the two native regiments (L. in plan), to charge Pohlman’s brigade. Both men and horses were exhausted with the efforts they had made, and the attack, instead of being delivered perpendicular to the enemy’s front, was made obliquely against Pohlman’s left. The well disciplined Mahrattas reserved their fire till they could deliver it with good effect, and Maxwell fell dead pierced by a grape shot. The fall of their leader checked the squadrons almost at the moment of contact, and the British horsemen swept to the left, receiving the fire of the Mahratta infantry as they passed, at so close a distance, that several of the squadron officers had their[144] horses wounded with bayonets. No further effort was made, the squadrons “halted, and then walked, and then trotted back.”[46] The British troops were so few in numbers, so weakened and fatigued by their exertions, as to be incapable of farther efforts, and Pohlman marched off the field without farther molestation. Thus ended the conflict. The Mysore and friendly Mahratta horse, who throughout the contest had only one casualty, would not pursue without the British cavalry, and the British cavalry were too exhausted to give them a lead. Out of the small British force, there were, among the Europeans, 198 killed, 442 wounded, and 4 missing; among the Natives, 230 killed, 696 wounded, and 14 missing. The 19th Light Dragoons, who had the greatest share of casualties among the cavalry, lost two officers killed, Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell and Captain Boyle, four officers wounded, Captains Cathcart and Sale, and Lieutenants Wilson and Young; fifteen Rank and File and eighty-seven horses killed, thirty-six Rank and File and thirty-six horses wounded, two horses missing. Of the enemy, it was computed that twelve hundred lay dead on the field, and four thousand eight hundred were wounded. One hundred and two guns,[47] seven stands of colours, and a vast quantity of ammunition and stores remained in the hands of the victors.
It was eight o’clock in the evening before the field was entirely clear of the enemy. The cavalry were then sent back to Naulniah to bring on the camp equipage, &c., which they did the following morning. The rest of the force bivouacked as best they could on the bloody field. Wellesley, who had had one horse killed, and another[145] wounded with a spear, passed the night on the ground, close to an officer whose leg was shot off, and within five yards of a dead officer.
“The General was so overcome by his great and gallant exertions throughout the day, so overpowered both in mind and body, that during the greater part or whole of the following night he sat on the ground with his head bent down between his knees, and said not a word to any one!”[48]
Long after his victorious career was ended, he spoke of Assaye as the bloodiest battle for the number engaged that he ever saw. Of the ten officers forming the General’s staff eight were wounded or had their horses shot. The 74th and the picquet battalion were almost annihilated; one picquet half company alone had 21 killed, 22 wounded, and three missing. The 74th lost 401 of all ranks, killed and wounded. Two of the native cavalry regiments, being newly raised, were not as forward as they should have been, so that the brunt of the cavalry work was borne by the 19th Light Dragoons and the 4th Native Cavalry. Much of the heavy loss suffered by the British troops was due to the misunderstanding of Wellesley’s orders by the officer commanding the picquets, though, as Wellesley generously said, in a letter written a month later, “I must acknowledge that it was not possible for a man to lead a body into a hotter fire than he did the picquets on that day against Assaye.” The early use of the cavalry, however, prevented the total destruction of the enemy that he had intended. The exhaustion caused by their efforts too early in the battle, prevented them from entirely breaking up and routing the disciplined Mahratta infantry.
A singular circumstance is said to have occurred after[146] the battle. Each of the Commanders of the three armies, put to death his head spy.
“Colonel Stevenson, because he suspected or believed his own to have led him intentionally astray from the road: General Wellesley, by reason of his own having given him false intelligence respecting the march of the Mahratta Army to pass the Ajunta Ghaut; and Scindia, from his man not having made him acquainted with the separation of the two divisions of the British Army.”[49]
Ample testimony has been borne to the conspicuous gallantry of the 19th in this hard fought field.
“Nothing could exceed the zeal of some of the cavalry, particularly the 19th dragoons; every officer and man fought as if on his arm depended the victory. As instances may be mentioned, Lieutenant Nathan Wilson, who with his arm shattered by a grape shot, and dangling by his side, charged on at the head of his troop. Lieutenant Alex. Grant of the Madras Native Infantry, Major of brigade to Colonel Maxwell, observing a gun pointed ready to discharge on the flank of the 19th dragoons, the match suspended on the touch-hole, with a noble impulse, in hopes of preventing it, darted forward almost on its muzzle, and with such force, that his horse stuck between............