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

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44 ;;(4 • 4.

578, 141;1171K•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 revolutioni 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 our
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.