The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-08-04 00:00:00

11:1RFARE IN 1n1.4.
• •--.....--
trtitAcT LETTZI rimier INDIA.
(lamp at Dams?. November t 134.
My dear Father,--We received your last letter while on
our march from Kallaghee, to a place called Kittoor, where
we 'rived on the 20th of October have the honour,
the pleasure, or any thing else you like to call it, of in-
atg you, that my dear brother, and your humble ser-
i:Dm:have been in out first action, and that we have come
put alive, although I had the honour to receive two Lid-
o, one about an inch below my tight arm, which is not
vet extracted, the other in my Tight hip. But I must give
IlesciPtion of the unfortunate tattle:—(an the evening
otge I October, I received orders to repair forthwith to
woos Fort with my brigade of guns; we were well
dwelled with cannister, spherical, and round shot ; but
bonne jgo on with dila, I !Mist give you an idea of the
oared betwixt the Comprny and the Queen of Kit-
ieor. The old Rajah died without issue, but left
several illegitimate children; the Company wanted
to take possession of the treasury and the country;
tle principal collector had put the Company's seal on
eighteen lam of rupees ; this they would not give up, and
vine quarrel ensued. They have a very strong fort, and
anauta.ooo armed wen ; but more of this anon.
As 1 have said, about seven o'clock my brigade entered
*area, when I was ordered to station myself with any gunt
in front of the gate at which we had to enter. Matters
quiet all night, and I slept wrapped up in my cloak
In the wheel of any gun. though the rant was pouring in
torpeata, and the mud ankle deep ; but where could I go?
I Was an European, and could not enter a native's house.
The morning came, when any brother, with another bri-
o& of guns, arrived to relieve us—but now comes the rub:
the people refused to open the gates to us ; crur command-
'nig officer, with the Collector, remonstrated without effect ;
at length the people were told, that if they would not
open the gates by nine o'clock, our guns should ; they
held out, and at exactly ‘2.1 minutes past nine, the order
was given to fire. A few rounds soon forced the gates;
and now the fun commenced, the enemy firing in all di-
rections upon us from their loop-holes, &e. In about ten
minutes after this our Commanding Officer, Captain
Black, Lieutenant Dighton, with several others, rushed in
to my assistance, sword in hand, when our brave Captain
asked me if my guns were loided. I replied " Yes, with
canister." " Well, then lay it for the palace, and fire.* I
did so, and could plainly perceive the dreadful havoc
caused by so well a directed and served artillery. I im-
pose 1 must have killed and wounded not Wm than 50
or 60 of the enemy, as. they happened to be in a cluster on
tie top of the Palace. They tumbled off in all directions.
Our noble Commander clapped his hands and said, "That
is well done." At this moment Lieutenant Dighton fell
c'ose by my side; the ball entered his heart, and lie died
immediately. We were assisted by 100 infantry, sepoys.
We continued firing, but our Commandant directed me
to get my gun down to the gate, and have a ling
at the enemy, who then lined the giacis ha vast num-
bars. I did so, but their superior numbers pre-
vaned, and we were compelled to retrt•at to mar ohl station.
My brother, with his brigade, was inside, peppering away
in tine style. Often during the action, when I saw the
tree falling around me, deted and wounded, a start of hor-
ear would cross me as I reflected upon the chances against
us. I thought of home too, but the idea of death never
once entered my imagination ; we hail now pretty well
geared the inside, when I was a second time directed to
pee my gun at the gate ; before this .I had repeatedly
tired my pistols, &c., and sent several of the rascals to
tl eir long home ; but now came my turn ; I perceived a
fellow making me his aim, when I raised my pistol to him,
firal, and at that moment received a ball in my side, which
felled ire to the ground. I thought it was fatal, and put
me left Land to the place, but my jacket was flapping with
tie blood ; I was removed to the place where the wounded
lan, and had my two wounds (fcr I now found I bad
suorher) bandaged. A few minutes after, our Command-
ing Officer (Capt. Black), was brought in severely wound-
ed, and laid down by me. We now found that further re-
'Loaner was folly, and our Commander relunctanily gave
orders for us to retreat ; but how was this to be effected ? To
gn through the gates appeared almoat madness, as the enemy
had lined these places as thick as pebbles on the sea shore.
My brother, with his brigade, had already retreated to cur
camp—delay was as dangerous as forcing our way out ' • at
last the order was given to rush out, sword and pistol in
hand—all hesitated, each dreading to be the first victim.
I had by this time got up, and making a desperate effort.
succeeded in getting near Captain Black : I forgot my
wounds, for you know it was now life or death—a blank
or prize ; our brave Captain at length set the example and
ran through the midst of the enemy, who in vain took
aim at him. I was the next ; you have beard of
running the gauntlet, when a man runs through the ranks
rid every one endeavours to hit him, but the faster he runs
the less chance of receiving many blows—this is the only
thing I can compare our retreat to ; and as the Tama's fired
their match-locks at us, at every report I did thank God,
that has not reached me. Many fell in this des-
petite and dreadful retreat; we had to run over dead
men and horses, with these rascals at our heels; poor Capt.
Back, from weakness, dropped into the rear, and I had
the mortification to ire him cut down by three of the
enemy ; the few that remained of us made the camp,
• wanted our horses, and immediately came off to Darwar,
thirty miles distance. I lost every thing I had in the world
but what I stood up in ; may jacket and shirt were cut off!
MY back, as I could not stand their being taken off in the
mud way. Thui ended my first fight ; but when you
consider the Company's force to be only 150,men, and the
en.my's 5,060, you will not wander, and then add, that,
one of our guns was rendered useless the night before, from
the enemy having spiked it, and another rendered un-
s• rticeable during the action, thus actually leaving us
only ta o guns greater part of the titne engaged.—
Illy dear brother behaved in the most gallant manner
that man could do ; he is the talk of every one here ;
he twice saved his commanding officer's life ; he shot the man
who attempted it, in the hack, then threw him off the ram-
patts,pulling off his turban and flinging it at him. lie charged
the enemy, sword in hand, and in fact he (lid every thing
that a young hero could effect. Lieutenant Sewell re-
erived a shot in the breast, of which he is since dead ; he
bad a deuble barrelled piece, and while loading it said to
my brother, now I'll have one of the rascals, and as he
took his aim received the fatal bail. 1 am now doing
well, one ball is out, but the other is too deep in to be ex-
tracted yet. The surgeon told me he never saw so for-
tunate an escape in his life—hail the bullet penetrated the
40,11 part of a grain more to the right, poor Pill Garlic
would not now be writing to you. The ball took a cir-
cuitous direction after it touetted one of my ribs, and is
now near the harktlone, but all will end well. A great
force is now collecting, and it is intended to storm the place ;
my brother is with the troop nt Belgautn, and I think
will* take the field again, and thus come in for the prize
money. I will write again 'hardy.
1 remain, &c. &c. the.