The National Register. — London, England, 1808-09-11 00:00:00

,• , I • • •f '` 44 ;;(4 • 4. 578, 141;11 7 1K•41'.12--)`, THE NATIONAL REGISTER. treated with the utmost rapidity towards Seringapatarn.— Lieut.-General Harris having taken post with his whole force for the siege of that city, Colonel Wellesley had many op portunities of proving his worth, particularly on the sth . of April, when sent to clear the 7'ups ew wood of Sultaun Pettah in order to facilitate the approaches of our troops; and on a subsequent occasion was employed on a service which re quired both skill and promptitude, for the enemy being still in possession of an entrenchment not more than 230 yards from the head of our approaches, it became necessary to dislodge them, to secure our working parties from their musketry ; and the direction as well ns execution of this attack being entrusted to the Colonel who that day commanded in the trenches, our troops advanced a little after sunset, threw the enemy into confusion and soon gained their object. Such indeed was the high opinion of the Commander-in-Chief of Colonel Wellesley's professional coolness and intrepidity, that on the never to be forgotten 4th of May, n hen Seringapatam fell to the British arias, he was sta tioned in the advanced works with a reserve to the storming party, with general discretionary orders to give his support where it might be necessary. In the General Orders he was particularly noticed for the gallant manner in which he bad con ducted the several attacks against the outworks of the enemy, and immediately after the capture, was appointed Commandant of Seringapatam, where the order, regularity, and confidence which was soon established, were principally owing to his good sense and activity, as he went personally into the houses of the principal people. placing the most orderly soldiers as safeguards, thus convincing the natives that the English were as much to be loved as friends, as feared when enemies. It having been deter mined on to restore the ancient line of Princes to the throne of Mysore, and to remove the families of Ilyder Ali and Tippoo, to a place of security, the Governor-General expressed the greatest solicitude that the removal should lie effected with as much delicacy as possible; his instructions therefore to the Commissioners, of whom Colonel. Wellesley was - one, were strongly marked with his humane wishes to mitigate the most rigorous parts of this revolution i and the details of this affair fell to the lot of the Colonel as Commandant. When we consi ; der the smallness of the Brhish force at this time in the Mysore, Sind that a detachment must also be sent to guard the Princes to s Vellore, through a country in which they still had many friends, • too much praise cannot be given to the Colonel for his prudential $ precautions which precluded the possibility of commotion or escape ; and it is to his discretion, activity, and humanity throughout the whole of this difficult and arduous task, that we are to ascribe the facility with which it was accomplished. Our limits Will not allow us to follow the su! of bio- 'Wed of ou r graph) , through every intermediate detail, until he became • Major-General, a rank which he attained in 1802, before the breakin; out of the Mahratta war, in which he shortly after wards fully established his character. 'rue immediate cause of this war, it is now well known and acknowledged by all parties *vas the refusal of the Confederated Chieftains to withdraw those armies which they had collected on the frontier of our Ally the Subandar of the Deccan ; impressed with the necessity of a bold and decisive policy, the Governor-General used every means to establish a connection between the Peishwah and the • Dritish Government, so as to afford hint a protection and security from Scindiah and Ilolkar, but as Scindiah after the• defeat of Ilolkar, boon began to chew symptoms of hostilities, nn army of observation was formed under Major-General Wellesley, who had orders to communicate during some very delicate negocia lions with the Resident ut I'oonah. In the course of this busi ness Scindiah and the other Chiefs sent the most friendly letters to the Major-General, hut his sagacity soon discovered that these were merely for the purpose of delay, and having conducted the busitie, , s with the most consummate skill, and informed his bro. Aher of every circumstance, the Governor-General immediately • 1 ficserntiled a large force, of which a division was placed under his command with old& to direct kis oi►eratious against Scin- .SEPTEMBER 11. diab and the Rajah of Berar, who were posted with an arms of 38,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry at 3 ulgory, at the foot of the Adjuntee Ghaut in the Deccan. He immediately commenced his march against the fortress of Amednaghur, the Pettah of which was carried by escalade with the utmost gallantry and spirit, and on the 10th of August 1803, batteries were meted against the Fort, which surrendered two da)s after, by which the most important advantages were secured. On the 24th, the Confederate Chiefs entered the Nizam's territories, and directed their march towards Hyderabad the capital, but the Major. General, by hisjatlicious movements, kept them so completely in check, that foiled in their designs, they turned suddenly to the northward where they formed a junction with a large Torre under Messieurs Pohlman and Dupont, two French Officers oho had with them an immense train of artillery ; but General Wel lesley being joined on the 21st of September at Budnapoor by Colonel Stevenson, with his accustomed promptitude and gallantry determined to attack them before they could strengthen themselves in this position, and a judicious eye may discover a great analogy between his conduct on this occasion. and his quick decision on the late glorious 17th of August, wheu he forced the passes previous to the battle of the 21st. The British force immediately marched in two divisions, but on the 23d of September, when General Wellesley arrived at Naulnair, he learnt that the Confederates were strongly posted at Assye, with a river in front, whose steep banks were impassable for artillery; though his trriops had marched twenty miles through a difficult country, he instantly formed the bold resolution of attacking them without Is aiting for Colonel Stevenson, and commenced the action on the left, where their guns and infantry were posted, with his small force of 4500 men, although their's consisted of 10,000 infantry, upwards of 30,000 cavalry, and 100 guns. Our little army advanced under a most destructive fire, and finally drove them from their guns, the General him self having his horse shut under hint in the hottest of the action; indeed our Hero seems to have displayed the greatest prompti tude, judgment, and personal courage, nor did the British troops on any occasion ever shew more exemplary order, firmness, dis cipline and alacrity ; the whole line, which was led by General Wellesley in person, advanced to the charge with the utmost steadiness, although unsupported by artillery, and compelled the enemy, after a hard fought action of three hours, to aban don the field of battle with all their artillery and stores. This gallant conduct of Major-General Wellesley, was recognised by the Thanks of both Houses of Parliament, on the :Id of 1804, " for his important, brilliant, and memorable services ;" and on the first of September following he was elected a Knight Companion of the Bath. On has return to Europe, he took his seat as Member for Newport, in Hants, and sheaved equal abilities in the Senate as in the field, particularly in the defence of his Brother, from the attacks of a disappointed party. After a life of such activit), he no* sought for the calm delights of domestic happiness, and was married to Miss Packenhain, of the Longford family, hi, present amiable Lady, on the 10th of April, 1806; hut his t;:. lents were not permitted to sink into oblivion, for we find him soon after appointed Chief Secretary to the Puke of Richmond, the Viceroy. of Ireland, which also tone him a seat in the Privy ' Council. From this state of comparative inactivity Le ow , soon called to take part in the memorable attaok on Copenha gen, which is too recent to require particular notice ; it is suf ficient to mention that the Danes having formed an army ID Zealand of three or four battalions of disciplined troops, hriides a number of armed peasantry, it was found necessary to disperse this force, and keep the country quiet, which service was per formed by Sir Arthur, with his uatutl spirit and humanity. In 1808, Sir Arthur was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant- General, but his latter exploits are so recent, that we can only refer our readers to the interesting and authentic Plan of Attack at Vimeira, together with the Military Memoir which aseom• panics it. .r..-~ r.... IM ■ I D _, ■ ~~