The National Register. — London, England, 1815-11-19 00:00:00

NOV. 19. T 1 I E NA' /NI)./1.1. CALCUTTA GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY. vivrisnAv. MAT 11. ' Fort William, May 11. The nononrable the Vice-Piesident in Council has the lthrhust ‘;sti , faction in publishing, for general information, th e following letter and its enclosures, from Major-General (kilterlonv, da.ed the I 7th tilt. containing a detailed report' of Oa- c.unbined o..erations, directed by that able and gal lant office', against the enemy's fortified position on the M a town range of mountnit.s. on the 14111 and 15th of April, which terminated in the e•tahlishment of the British troops on dia. range; the evacuation by the enemy of Sorirnjgurlh and all the dependent southern stockades, and in his com plete teptilse and tlefeat on the morning, of the 16th, after a desperate attempt, directed by the Goo: kka Commander in person, to ca'ry by assault the position occupied by the re save under Lieut.-Colonel Thompson. LIEUT.-COL. PAGAN. ADJUTANT-GENEIAL. SIR—I had the hou'•ur to send you by express a plan of m y intended operations for the night of the 14th. and morn ing of the 15th, together with a brief account of the repulse of the enemy in a most daring and desperate attack on the position of Li- it.-Colonel Thompson T., that sketch, and the general memorandum to officers in command of columns, I must beg leave to refer his E cellency the Commander in Chief for an elucidation of the following detail:--. On the night of the 14th, two companies of light infantry, under the command of Lieutenants Fletning and (;rant, Of the 9th nativ e re•zimeil% sim of the Ilindoor ista . j:lll's household troops, f;110 of the Nussceree Conikbas. a nil about sou of the Nlititna Ma ,, ra marched front the vil lige of Ptiniur, and aboto one o'clock ;gained the post they were intended to occupy between the Dab and the first I)cen rheel, witiumt opposition, which was im-nediatelv strength ened. as well as the time and circumstances could admit, be fo:e morning. The pteconcerted signal being given of the possession of that post, it was answered from a hill in the rear of my camp, and the several columns mevell clown to the Gutnrorn, to proceed at dawn to the several points laid down in my instructions. • The columns under Lieutenant Colonel Thompson and .. 311aj9r Lawrie gained the heights of the second Deentheel, almost at the same moment, and having ascended very gallant style,' were proceeding along the ridge to gain an ad vanced post, when the head of the column (consisting of hght infantry) received a check, by a charge from the enemy, sword in hand, which induced them to fall back on the main body, by this time posted on the second Deentheel, and the ground thus lost we were not able to regain in the course of that day. The enemy strongly reinforcing their advanced body, were able to give us great annoyance, by sniping from the cover which the jungle afforded, and from behit;d the rocks between the post and Narrain Note, while they were unexposed to the snipers thrown out by Colonel Thompson I);n•ing the whole day the pioneers were most busily em ployed in stengthening tie post under the directions of Lieut. Hutchinson, Assistant-Eng:neer, and the•osders of Lieut. Armstrong, whose indefatigable exertions' I-• cannot suffi ciently commend ; but as the labour was very great, and many of the pioneers, with Lieut. Bagot (since dead), were reported to he wounded, I requested the Ilindoor Rajah to collect every man he possibly could, accustomed to labour, and dispatched. them to aid. Lieut. Armstrong in his laborious 'M EM - duties. They were,' hope, of some use, and the Lieutenant- Colonel's pm . it ion, though not strong, was as much strength ened as possible. Some false alarms occurred in the course of the..night, alluded- to in Lieut.-Col. Thompson's report; and at the earliest dawn of day, a most bold and desperate at , tack was made by near 1000 of the enemy on all sides of the post, excepting Singe, which, after a contest of more than hro hours, and the death of Bhugtee Thappa, who led the attack, terminated in the total repulse and defeat of the enemy with very severe loss. Umr Sing in person was at musket•shot distance, with a stand of colours, encouraging his men; and to mention the impetuous courage of the enemy, is only to bestow the flue meed of praise on the conduct and valour of those who resisted one of the must daring and impetuous assaults ever sustained. Dent. Cartwri.tht of the artillery, was left with only one man wounded, and with that one man secured his gun, whilst the other was manned by Lieutenants Armstrong and Hut .chinson, and two of the pioneer serjeants. Many instances of individual exertion and courage occurred, both amongst the regulars and irregulats, iu this arduous con test; and the conduct of the latter, as being less expected, I shall consider it a duty to bring to his Excellency's notice in a senarate dispatch. Major Innes's column moved from my own camp, and proceeded in admirable order to the poet, already occupied by the night movement, whilst Capt. Hamilton sheaved his judgment, where no attack was intended, by moving very briskly tinder the fire of the first Deentheel stockade to the same point, As this point was found very limited, and very strong, I was enabled to draw from it (luring the day two companies of grenadiers and Captain.llamilten's detachment, and by this means to send a reinforcetnenta IsJ,aud.subsequently a com pany from the .2d battalion ti!l) native regiment, to Lieut.- Col. Thompson. In the columns of diversion under Copts. Showers and ,Ilowyer, I have to express my entire approbation of the con duct of Capt. Bowyer and of Lieut Rutledge, on whom the command devolved, and to lament the loss of a most zealous, brave, and excellent officer, in Captain Showers, who fell gal-. Laney, setting an example of heroism- to his men, which might have been of the utmost importance, had not his death, in a most critical moment, staggeied his troops, and given confidence to the enemy. • In mentioning the columns of division, I hope I may.bet permitted to indule;e my personal feelings, in expressing th(- sentiments of gratitude and obligations to Col. Arnold, who finding the Sikh aux;liaries did not appear, as ordered, to join Captain Shower;'s column, strengthened it from the small body of regulars left to defend his own position. Having now given a brief and very inadequate detail °Nile operations of the 14th, 15th, and IGth, it only remains for me to express my acknowledgments to Lieut.-Col. Thomp son, in command of the first or principal column; and to Major Lawrie, for the able and gallant manner. in which they conducted them to the heights of the second Deentheel; and to Lieut.-Col. Thompson, for the whole of his (1)11E11:Jet from the time of his arrival to the moment of the defeat of the enemy, a long interval, in which the whole force were incessantly harassed by a concealed and galling fire, and suf fered the greatest inconvenience and privations with a cheer fulness and zeal, which, I am folly persuaded, will insure to all the officers and men the strongest expression of his Ex cellencv's approbation. My tlnkillis Are not less due to Ma-. tk jor Tunes and Captain llOniffoii. Lieutenant Lawrie aecoulfiapis4 e night movcmen'oncr