The National Register.
London, England, 1811-12-22 00:00:00

804

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four guns of horse artillery ; Col.
and judgment, and after an obstinate rcsist.._
point of the bayonet, completely routing their force, and took,
their guns. A strong column from their works advanced to their
support, but our line being arrived, they were instantly pursued,
and driven rind, r shelter of their batteries.
In this atra r so creditable to Col. Gillespie, and all the corps of
the advance. the grenadier company of the 13th, and the detach-
ment • f the 89th regiment particularly distinguished themselves,
by charging and capturing the enemy s artillery. Our loss was
trifling compared with the enemy's, which may be estimated at
about 500 men, with Brigadier-General Alberti,,_ langeroysly

wounded.
'!'hough we had hitherto been successful, beyond my most
sanguine expectations, our further progress -became extremely
difficult, and somewhat doubtful.
The. enemy, greatly superior in numbers, was strongly en-
trenched in a nosition, betweem the Great River Jecatra and the
Sloken an artificial water-course. neither of which were fordable.
This position was shut up by a deep trench., strongly pallisaded.
Seven redoubts, and many batteries, mounted'with heavy can-
non, occupied the neat commanding grounds within the lines.
The fort of Cornelis was in the centre, and the whole of the
works wa defended by a numerous and well organized ar-
tillery. The seasc'n was too tar advanced, the beat too violent,
and our reimbers insufficient, to admit of regular reproaches.
To carry the works by assault was the alternative. and on that
I decided.—ln aid of this measure, I scrected sonic batteries, to
disehle the principle redoubts, and for two d lys kept up a heavy
fire from 20 18-pounders and eight mortars and howi..zers.
Their execut on was great, and F had the pleasure to find, that
though answered at the commemoement of each dalebe a far more
numerous artillery, we daily silent eel their nearest batteries, con-
siderably disturbed every part of their position, and were ervi-
dently superior in our fire.
At dawn of day, on the 26th, the assault was made. The
principal attack was made by that gallant and experienced officer,
Col. Gillespie. He had the infan:ry of the advance, and the
grenadiers of the line with him, and was supported by Col. Gibbs,
with the 59th regiment and the 4th battalion of Bengal volun-
teers. They were intended if pus to surprise the redoubt
• No. 2, corwructed by the enemy beyond the Sloken, to endea-
vour to cross the bridge over that stream with the fugitives, and
then to assau!t the redoubts, within the lines, Col. Gillespie at-
tacking those to the left, and Cu!. Gibbs to the right. Lieut.-
Col. M -Lew], with six companies of the 69th, wes directed to
follow a path, on the bank of the Great River, and when the
attack bad commenetd on the Sloken, to 'endeavour to possess
hitneell of the enemy's left redoubt N 0.2: Major Tule, with
the flank corps of the reserve, reinforced by two troops of ca-
valry, :our guns of horse arillery, two companies of the 69th,
anti the grenadiers of the reserve, was directed to attack the
*corps at Camper% Maybe°, on the west of the Great Riveryand
el-away-La to cross the bridge at that post.
The remainder et the army. tinier Major-General Wetherall,
was at the batteries, where a column, under Col. Wood, consist-
ing of the 78th reeiment, and the sth volomeer battalion, was
directed to advance aeainet the enemy in front, aed at a favoura-
ble element, when aided by the other attacks, to force his way,
if practicable, and (pen the position for the line.
The enemy was under arms, and prepared for the combat, and
General Jansens, the Commander in Chief, was in the redoubt
where it commenced, Col. Gillespie, after a long detour through
a close end intricate country, came on their advance, rutted it
in an instant.aand wjth a rapidity never surpassed, under a heavy
fire of grape and nlusquetry, possessed himself of the advanced
redoubt NoeS. He passed the bridge with the fugitives under
a tremendous fire, and assaulted, and carried with the bayonet,
the redoule NO. 4, after a most obstinate resistance. Here the
twoilivisiens of the column separated. Col. Gibbs turned to the
right, asd with the 59th and part of the 78th; who bad now forced
their weiy i e 'rout, carried the redoubt No. 1. A tremendous
ex lesion of the mageaire of t! is wok (whether accidental or
desi (1 is not ascertained,) took pl ce at the instant el its cap-
ture aed destroyed a mimher of gallant afficers and men, who
at tht•meraerit were crowded on its ramparts, which the enemy
had aba lone::. The redoubt No. 2, against whic • Lieut.-Col.
M eves diiected-, was carried in as gallant a style ;
and t lams te t teat, , twat most. v ‘liiine and experienced Officer
at. the moment of victory. The front of the position was
now open. and the trooes rushed in from every quarter.
nerme the operati -ns on the right, Cul. Gillespie pursued his
advaptaee to the left, carrying the enemy's reel übts towari's the
tea- and leen.. joined by. Lieut.-Col. M•Leod, of the 59-h, with
part ,of they c, alas, he thia•ted him to attack the park of artillery,
weic;r carried in. a twat inweerly manner. putting to
fileat a b ply of the enemy's •avtdre the; foriaed and atteMpted
to defetsd it. rk hhare ti:.e of nie •ketry was now kept up by a
strong b..ay ot e .eaq, ,veto b cJ. take:'. post in the lines in Ken
of Fort Cee-uelis, but. were driven from them, thu fort taken,

REGISTER.

the enemy completely dispersed. They were pursued by
..;olonel Gillespie, with the 14th regiment, a party of Sepori and
the seamen from the batteries under Capt. Sayer, of the Royal
Navy. By this time the cavalry at d horse artillery had effected
a passage through the lines, the former commanded by Major
'Travers, and the latter by Capt. Noble ; and, with the gallant
Colonel at their head, the pursuit was continued, till the whole
of the enemy's army was killed, taken, or dispersed.
Major Tule's attack was equally spirited, but after routing the
enemy's force at Catnpong Malayo, and killing many of them,
he found the bridge on lire, and was unable to penetrate
further.
I have the honour to inclose a return of the loss sustained, from
our landing on the 4th, to the 2.6 th inclusive. Sincerely I lament
its extent, and the many valuable and able officers that have un-
fortunately fallen : but when the prepared state of the enemy,
their numbers, and the stret:gth of their positions are considered,
I trust will not be deemed heavier than might be expected.
'T'heir's has greatly exceeecd it. In the action of the 26th, the
numbers killed were immense, but it has been impossible to form
any accurate statement of the amount. About 1000 have been
buried in the works, multitudes were cut down in the retreat,
the rivers are chocked up with dead., and the huts and woods
were tilled with the wounded, who have since expired. We
have taken near 5000 prisoners, among whom are three General
Officers, 34 Field Officers, 70 Captains, and 150 subaltern Officers ;
Gen. Jansens made his escape with difficulty during the action,
and reached Ruitenzorg, a distance of 3i) wiles, with a few ca-
valry. the sole remains of an army of 10,000 men. This place he
has since evacuated, and fled to the eastward. A detachment of
our troops is in possession of it.
[Here follows an eulogium on all the Officers and men em-
ployed•iu this arduous contestd
It is with particular pleasure, I assure your Lordship, that 1
have received the most cordial support from the Hon. Rear-
Admiral Stopford and Commodore Broughton, tiering the period
of their commanding the squadron. The former was pleased
to
„allow a body of 500 seamen, under the valuable officer Capt.
-ayer of the Leda, to assist at our batteries. Their services were
pa• ticularly useful, and l have the satisfaction to assure you, that
both the artillery and engineers were actuated by the same.aeal,
in performing their respective duties; that has been so conspi-
cuous in all ranks and departments, though from the deficiency
of the means at their disposal, their operations were unavoidably
embarrassed with uncommon.diffluities.
I have the honour to he, &c.
(Signed) S AUCHMUTY, Lieut.-General.
(A true Copy.)
(Signed) T. RAFFLES,
Secretary to Gov. Gen.
The Right I-lon. Lord &Tinto, Governor-
General,
&c. &c. &c.

General Return of the Killed, Wounded, and Missing of the
Army, commanded by his Excellency Sir Samuel Auchninty,
since its landing on the Island of Java, on the 4111 of August,
1811, to the 26112,.Lace when no casualties lame occurred.
Total killed—Europeans, 1 Lieutenant-Colonel, 3 Captains, 9
Lieutenants, 2 Ensigns, 2 Staff-strjeintsi 6 Serjeants, 91 rank
and file.-Natives, jemindars, 2 havildars, 23 rank and file.
'Total wounded—Europeans, 3 Lieutenant-Colonels, 2 Majors,
14 Captains, 36 Lieutenants, 7 Ensigns, 1 Staff-serjeant, 32 Ser•
jelmti, 2 drummers, 313 rank and file.—Natives, 2 subildars or
.serangs, 4 jemindars, 9 havildars, 1 drummer, 107 rank and
file.

Total mi:sing-13 rank and file.
Total horses-14 killed, 21 wounded, 3 missing.
(Signed) P. A. AGNEW, Adj.-Gem.
Return of q f•ers Killed ,Wounded,and Missing,fn the Army under
the eoinnu.nd of his Excel.' eney Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel
Auchmutg, front iti landing on the island of Java, on the 4t4
August, unlit Vie' 7th August 1811.
From the 4th to the 19th August 1311.

KILLED.-78th Font, Lieutenant Munro. •
WouND !:n.—Staff of the Advance, Captain Thom, slightly;
89th 17:)ot, Captain Ramsay, severely ; 78th Foot, Captain Ca-
n,eron ; 89th Foot, Lieutenants French and Young slightly;
69th Foot, Lieutenant Rohinion ; Horse Artillery., Lieutenant
and Adjutant Driffield, severely ; 14Th Foot, Ensign Nikison,
severely.
On the 22d and 24th August 1811.
KILLED.—RoyaI Artillery, !Ai:Atte:lam P. Patton ; Madras
Monett!, s, I ,ieutenatit G. Shepherd ; Bengal Foot Artillery, Lieu-
tenant Frieworice Tarnaby. •
Woe 74 n KI:1,-69th Riot, Lieutenant Clargcs. since dead ;
6th Battalion Bengal Native infantry, Captain, F.. Shaw, ; Bengal
Engines:rs, Captain imith ; litengal Artillery, Captain If ichard ;
69th Foot, Lieuttna ,t ;Mitchell; Royal Artillery, Lieutenant
and Adjutant W. colehrooke Lieuttnant E. S.'Munro ;

;ens-.

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‘,114•;•••••.•••••■PeaV•1104-..."

THE NATIONAL
Col. Gillespie attacked it with spirit I and
,bstinate resistance, carried it at the 1 Coll
•i...

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