The Express.
London, England, 1852-07-16 00:00:00

TIIE OVERLAND MAIL.

TILE WAR IN BURMAII.-CAPTURE OF
BASSEIN.

We have received our despatches in anticipation of
the overland mail. 'f he dates are :—Bombay, June
5; Calcutta, June 2; Madras, June 9; Hong-Kong,
May 22.
'lite following particulars of the capture of Bassein
are supplied by the Calcutta Englishman of June 2:
General Godwin and Commodore Lambert, with 400
men of her Majesty's 61st Regiment, 300 men of the 9th
Madras Native Inhuitry, 60 Sappers and Miners, the Royal
Marines, some seamen of her Majesty's ship Fox, and
a few artillerymen, embarked at Rangoon on (ward the
steamers Tenasserim, Seuetria, and Moosuffer,'on the 17th
of May. They proceeded to the Bsuein river, which
they ascended, after being joined by the Pluto
on the 19th. On the afternoon of the same day the
squadron anchored abreast of Bassein, without a single
accident. Th,.re were large stockades on both sides of
the river. Tho troops were lauded immediately. The
I Begot:a was first carried, and after that a strong mud fort
was after an obstinate defence gallantly stormed by the
detachment of her Majesty's 61st, accompanied by Lieut.
Rice, R.N.. Lieut. Ford wish the Sappers and Miners, end
joined by Lieut. Ansley, with a detachment of the 9th
Madras Native Infantry, the whole commanded by Major
Errington. On the opposite bank of the river, a stockade
was carried by a party commanded by Captain Campbell of
the Sesestris. The enemy in the mud fort suffered very
severely in the contest.
Total number of navy and army killed and wounded :
Three men killed, seven officers and twenty-four men
wounded. Names of officers who were wounded—Lieut.
George Rice, R.N., severely ; Lieut. John Elliott, Royal
Marines, slightly ; Major Errington, H.M. 61st, slightly ;
Captain Darroch, 11. M. 61st, slightly • Captain Rice,
H.M. 51st, very severely ; Lieut. Carter, ILM. 31st,
severely ; Lieut. Ansley, M.N.I. 9th, severely.
The despatches will be published for general information.
Crowds of natives are daily coming in with their families.'
The health of the troops is improving daily since the rains
set in. General Godwin, after leaving a detachment at
Bassein, returned to Rangoon.
Rangoon, May 24 —Last night the general with part of
the force returned from Bastiein. I proceed to give you all
the particulars I have gathered on the subject, and as far
as they go they may be relied on.
The fleet, consisting of the Sesostris, Moosuffsr, and Te-i
nasserim, left this at 2 p.m. on the 17th, the Pluto having
proceeded some 36 hours before to get soundings. Bassein, I
which is some sixty miles above Negras, was reached by
the fleet on the afternoon of the 19th. The Pluto had in
tercepted a boat which was on its way down to give warn-
ing, and, on taking the crew on board, nothing could be
got out of them hut that it did not matter whether news
reached the governor of Russia or not that a force was
coming up against him, as everything was in a perfect state
of readiness up there to blow us out of the water. The
steamers passed close under some works to their
right, when suddenly soma bindings were cut,
some tatties or screens fell down, and a masked
battery discovered itself, but, strange to say, did not open
fire. A little higher up the troops were landed on the
same side of the river, Captain Latter, advancing some
races a-head with a corporal of the 61st, began to parley
with the Burmese behind their works, he began by saying,
that if they would not fire on us, we would not fire on
r them. The reply to that was, that if our force advanced
one step further on, they would fire on us; the reply to
which from Captain Latter was, that in that case we would
turn them out root and branch—hereupon our gallant in-
terpreter had a brickbat, or clod of earth thrown at him,
which struck hint in the face end knoceed him over; at
the same moment a heavy discharge of musketry and jingals
and round shot was poured into us. The corporal ac-
companying Captain Latter was killed on the spot, and fell
over him, whom every one supposed to have been
killed. A large mud fort bothered our troops, which
however was taken from the upper right angle, a con-
siderable detour having to be made to get to it, and here
oar chief less was sustained. The place was, however, soon
gained. No waling ladders were required, our fellows get-
ting round by gateway and traversing the place. The Bur-
mese went helter-skelter through the place till they were
brought up by a large tank, and here many of them were
bayoneted and shot. The Burmese bravely resisted us, not
leaving their guns till we had mounted their defences and
' many were cut down. Lieut. Ford, the officer commanding
the Sappers, himself shivering with his sword the skull of
, a Burman who was below, and in the act of thrusting a
spear at him. The whole affair occupied 60 minutes, and a
gallant one it was ; 6,000 of the King of Ava's picked riot-
diets were there, and 2,000 men of Bassein. A fair-faced
dark-whiskered man was plainly seen on the works directing
the artillery, but whether he war an European or Arme-
, num could not be discerned. The number of Burmese
bayoneted show how bravely the Burmese remained at
their posts. Their loss is calculated at 800 ; the gunnery
from the ships was terrific and moot effectual; considering
our small numbers, our loss is considerable too. Three
officers of the 61st wounded, Major Errington, command-
ing the whole party, was struck in the thigh by a spent
round shot. Captain Rice and Lieutenant Carter wounded,
the latter severely, having the ball still in his thigh. Two
men of the 61st killed, and about 25 wounded. Lieutenant
Ansley, of the 9th Native Infantry, was wounded in the
hand, the ball flying up into his arm, where it remained;
1 mak of the regiment was killed and 11 wounded; of
the little body of 18 gallant sappers under Lieutenant
Pord, though they were in the thick of it, not
one was touched. A gallant captain of the Slat
bad the greater part of one of his whiskers car-
ried away by the roots ; as he rejoiced in a large pair of
black bushy ones, and as his prospects in life may be
marred (as the whisker won't grow again there), he should
get a pension. Fifty-eight pieces of cannon, ranging from
3 to 24 pounders, and upwards of 20 jingals, were taken ;
an immense number of war boats were sunk and burnt.
While the military were at work on the right, the naval
brigade landed on the left, and took a strong work there,
in which Lieutenant Rice, of the Fox, was wounded. The
four companies of the 9th were left there, and two compa-
nies of the 61st. The remainder of the 9th are to be sent
from this to garrison Bassein immediately. This will leave
us very weak indeed: as it is, the 33th N.I. have so few
officers (only two subalterns fit for duty), five or six being
on the sick list, the rest away on sick certificate, that they
have lent the services of a subaltern officer of the 9th to
relieve them in the nightly picquets.
It is very clear that if fresh places are to be taken,
reinforcements must be sent down. The stockade is in
several places, I am sorry to say, showing symptoms of
giving way—the heavy rain that has lately fallen not finding
any way of escape, has given the upright timbers an inclin-
ation outwards at the top, which, unless put right, will soon
bring them down. Drains will have to be cut through
the earthen bund inside, and so let the water off and relieve
the pressure. An expedition starts for Pogue is a week
we hear. If that is taken, and troops have to be left
there, we shall be very short of them here. With the
original force, the duty fell heavily on 0111011 and
men—much more so will it be now. The government will
find it impossible to carry on matters with a high hand,
which they must, having now begun, without at least
double the force here as at present. From the last
specimen at Bassein, the Burmese show themselves deter-
mined to withstand us to the last, and every inch of ground
will be contested. Depend on it, no place will fall so easily
into our hands as Rangoon has done. No loot of any value
was taken at Bassein. I hear of some thousand pounds,
and the usual number of gold umbrellas, glen, crockery,
clothing, &c. The barracks are getting on now that the
sentry boxes have been flaished.
May 26th.—The Phlegethon returned yesterday from a
trip up the river. She went 20 miles above Dosoonew, and
no fortifications were found there ; merely the town, and
the remains of the works destroyed in the last war. The
yople flocked is hundred' to the steamer, begging to know
the country is to be annexed by the British. About 300
of them IDLIDO down in bets with the steamer,
and were fired on from the hanks by deceits
who go about plundering and murdering ; three women
were shot; the chief of the party went to Captain Nablett,
and begged he would lend him a dozen muskets or so and
they would lend and capture these marauders. Captain
Niblett lent them the fire-arms, and the fellows landed,
shot four or flee of the deceits, and bound the chief of the
party, whom they tied to a tree and shot through the head.
Everything shows how favourable the people ate to us.
Indeed, I hear that the general says that if he had the
authority to promise annexation, he would levy a militia of
these fellows, and go with them and a portion of our force
to Proms at once. There is accommodation for 4,000 men
in our steamers and transports now, could such a step be
adopted. Sickness among the native troops is on the
decrease.

Our Bombay correspondent's letter is as follows:
BOMBAY, JUNS J.
The King of Burmah is said to be dead, and the
ger...erument of the country broken up. In this case
is possible the war may be brought to a conclusion
earlier than it otherwise would be. Great sickness

prevailed amongst the troops, one regimen— t, 40th
Ben&al Native infantry, hissing as many ee 300 in
hospital. The 51st Foot had lost Lieutenant Bate-
mar. and 30 men from cholera by the 22nd of April.
Major Lockhat, 80th Foot, died of the same. disease
on the 6th of May, and several others had been se
prostrated by sickness as to be compelled to leave for
Calcutta or Amherst. All the officers and crew of
the steamer lenobia were sick ; Commander Ball was
dangerously ill, the first-lieutenant had gone away
sick, and a midshipman had died. The 61th Natiwti
Infantry, from Kyouk Phyoo, had reuched Rangoon,
and joined the Bengal brigade. The night they
landed they caused the whole force to be got wider
arms. They were encamped outside the town, and
one of their sentries having received no answer to a
challenge given to some one advancing towards hint
ho fired, when, as a matter of course, the whole
of the sentries near him followed his example—hang,
bang, bang, went the muskets, and in a minute every
bugler of the force blew with all his might the
"assembly," and all was speedily bustle and noise
inside the town as well as outside, everyone hello,-
ing the enemy was on them in force. It turned out
that the first sentry had fired at a Burmese and his
sister who were proceeding towards the town, and
who, not knowing what the soldier said, had not
answered. The woman was shot dead. The trips
were nearly all housed fur the ruins; hut an old Her-
mah campaigner, now an invalid at Chunar, hus ad.
dressed a Bengal paper, advising the government to
push the force on, and not allow it to remain inactive
during the monsoon, giving as his reasons what hail
happened to our army in the last war when cooped up
in sheds and huts; and ho appeals to Sir W. Cream
to vouch for the truth of his assertions. The Governer
(exj oT Rangoon being known to be secreted some
miles up the country with a thousand or tie
followers, who were brutally murdering every
one who fell in their way, a detuelinu•nt
(200 of 18th Royal li ish, 200 3rith
M.N.1., 60 marines, in the steamers Tenesseren,
Pluto, Enterprise, and Medusa), quitted Rangoon on
the 7th, and proceeded up the river in search of him.
They landed next morning early, and reached the
place where the rascals had been by 'J a.m., hut the
objects of their search had flown. Our men got
sight of the governor, who wan running to the jun-
gles with a couple of elephants and a number of
carts; the latter they overtook, but the former got
away. Some weapons, household goods, and three
gold umbrellas were found. A bailor of the Tenaii-
serim died of sunstroke; the detachment teturned
next day to Rangoon. The ex-governor of Della
had a narrow escape from capture on the river; his
wife, grandmother, and 1,100/. in treasure, fell into
our-bends. • It was rumoured that an army of 20,000
men was in full march on Rangoon, under the com-
mand of the ex-governor, but the report was not con-
sidered worthy of belief. The steamer Mali:muddy
had, it was feared, broken her back by ground-
ing on a bank,—and the Berenice had gone
to Calcutta for repairs ; all the others were us busy
as bees conveying sick, stores of all kinds, building
materials, and reliefs, to and fro betwixt Amherst,
Moulmein, and Rangoon. Heavy rain had fallen on
the 11th, 12th, and 13th, and it was thought the
monsoons were on them. The fear of sickness was
prevalent, dysentery and diarrhoea being the princi-
pal disease. Something went wrong with her Ma-
jesty's King's Own Light Infantry on the 14th of
April, and hints are beginning to be thrown out on
the subject. It is quite certain they were never
mentioned in the despatches—equally certain their
colonel has since invalided. They aro said not to
have followed Major Fraser, the engineer officer, to
the breach as English soldiers should have done ; but
I totally disbelieve it. Had they been ordered to
run their heads into the mouth of the enemy's cannon
they would have done it. I really think they have
been unfairly dealt by. The annexed diary of
events, by a correspondent of the Calcutta Eaylp,ll-
man, gives particulars of the three weeks ending the
14th of May, and is highly interesting indeed:
You are aware of a large force being out in the
Ensufzaie district after the Swattees, under Sir
Colin Campbell. The details of the force are as fol-
lows 32nd Foot, 600 men ; 28th N. 1., 800;
66th N.I. (Oboorkas), 600; Ist (Coke's) Punjaub In-
fantry (from Kohat), 600 ; Guide Corps, say 3(10;
2nd Irregular Cavalry (Jackson's), 400 ; Baldwin's
Troop Horse Artillery, 120 ; Artillery, foot, 4 guns,
and 2 howitzers, 80 ' • 2 Ressalahs let Punjaub Ca-
valry, 200 ; 2nd Co. Sappers and Miners, SO ; total,
3,780.
On the Bth May, an alarm was given in the canny
of the force of Colonel Campbell (the 28th N. 1., some
cavalry, and a couple of guns)--Sir Colin with the
main body had not then joined—that the enemy was
approaching to steal away the cattle then out
grazing; when Lieut. Hardinge, of the Guides, with
a party of his men, made a dash out after them, and
a gallant encounter ensued. Young Ilardinge and
his charger were wounded in several places,
but not dangerously. We had two killed
and eight wounded : the enemy left six
dead behind them. The whole force crossed the
Aboozaie River on the 9th and 10th. On the 12th,
the village of Nawabeend was destroyed, and the
crops around cut down and burnt, —an occupation in
which the sepoys are said to have taken great delight.
Oa the 13th the fort and village of Pranghur were
served the same ; the people made a somewhat stout
resistance, and we had a number of casualties. A
heavy cannonade was kept up for a few hours before
the enemy evacuated the fort, and fled across the
hills. W had three killed and eleven wounded.
Major Browne, 66th N. 1., died of coup de snlell on
the 12th. Lite. Laimeden hiferdein one of the chiefs
in a hand-to-hand conflizt. During the next three
days nothing seems to have occurred. On the 17th
the force halted within six miles of the Ranezaie
valley, when a considerable gathering of the
enemy had taken place, and where, consequently,
a good fight was expected. On the following morn-
ing the force moved on equipped as lightly as possible.
Sir Colin had gone on in advance with a troop of the
guide cavalry, when they were suddenly fired on and
sixirycalled up
killed
" and encounter fa
the enemy showing a bold front for some time, and
not taking to their heels till 130 of their number hail
niteartn took
v n wiaecespeedilyeedre,
been killed, and we had nine killed and 20 or 30
wounded. The enemy quitted the valley and took to
a deep nullah where our men were not allowed to
follow them. One village seven miles up the Itanezai
valley was burnt. Several of the officers' hories were
killed, but none of their riders were harmed.
The gallant general himself had a narrow escape,
a ball having grazed him. Young Ilardinge
was by latest accounts doing well. A great number
of the officers and men were suffering from fever—
especially her Majesty's 32nd. Preparations were
being made for the force to follow the enemy. into
the mountains, and the Mallabund Pass was to be
threaded so soon as elephants for the transport of the
guns were provided from I'eshawur, and cattle for
the carriage of the stores, all of which had been sent
out to them. Further reinforcements of troops from
Kohat had been ordered to join, and it was expected
they would be out for some time. In two or three
other directions small parties of troops were out on
Itthhee
ewnautnehtr.y, Theand wtheeatfhearer wwasaadtrhe:dfuly ho t
silrcnit aln.al over
force
would suffer severely therefrom. Heavy rain had
fallen at Lahore, which it was hoped had been gene-
ral, and which would help to reduce the temperature.
The deaths of Lieutenants C. Baddeley of the 47th
Bengal Native Infantry, at Jhelum, on the 11th,
and of C. S. Patton, Bengal Engineers, at Simla, on
the 14th tilt., have been announced.

From the return of mortality in the town
and islands of Bombay and Colaba, it appear,.
that the total number of deaths during May
was 1,508, or on an average 48.645 daily.
153 casualties occurred from cholera and
small-pox, the number reported for April was 284.
The greatest number of deaths on any given day was
6.5, the least 35. Letters from I'oona state that the
weather had become very warm during the day—the
evenings and nights continuing cool and pleasant.
Brigadier Farrell had arrived and assumed the com-
mand of the station and brigade. Sir J. Jejeehhoy
and suite had come in from Mahabuleshwar, and in-
tended spending a month in the Deccan before
returning to the Presidency. Dr. Weston. sur-
geon to the governor, died at Mahabuleshwar
on the 27th ult., after an illness of two
days. We had a severe thunderstorm last night
from midnight to 3 a.m., but very little nue fell
however, there can be little doubt of the eton,non
being at hand. All over the country there have been
terrific thunderstorms, more especially at the hills
(Mahabuleshwar) and Poona. Mr. John Warden
has vacated his seat in council by orders from the
court of directors, which leads to the idea that, by

*time Mr. Blane retires, Bombay will oases to
ire a council at all.
rg The good, the gallant Woad Mignon, of
o.lst Bombay Fusileers, was overtaken by a tre-
widow Mona on tho evening of Thursday last,
when returning to runs from Singhu ,r and was
ofortuutily drowned in crossing the Sung=
&ff. Ilis death had cut a gloom over the station,
hr he was higoetl by all who knew him.