The National Register.
London, England, 1815-11-19 00:00:00

LIEUT.-COL. PAGAN. ADJUTANT-GENEIAL.

SIR—I had the hou'•ur to send you by express a plan of
my intended operations for the night of the 14th. and morn-
ing of the 15th, together with a brief account of the repulse
of the enemy in a most daring and desperate attack on the
position of Li- it.-Colonel Thompson
T., that sketch, and the general memorandum to officers
in command of columns, I must beg leave to refer his E
cellency the Commander in Chief for an elucidation of the
following detail:--.

On the night of the 14th, two companies of light infantry,
under the command of Lieutenants Fletning and (;rant,
Of the 9th native re•zimeil% sim of the Ilindoor ista.j:lll's
household troops, f;110 of the Nussceree Conikbas. a nil about
sou of the Nlititna Ma,,ra marched front the vil-
lige of Ptiniur, and aboto one o'clock ;gained the post they
were intended to occupy between the Dab and the first I)cen-
rheel, witiumt opposition, which was im-nediatelv strength-
ened. as well as the time and circumstances could admit, be-
fo:e morning. The pteconcerted signal being given of the
possession of that post, it was answered from a hill in the
rear of my camp, and the several columns mevell clown to
the Gutnrorn, to proceed at dawn to the several points laid
down in my instructions. •

The columns under Lieutenant Colonel Thompson and..
311aj9r Lawrie gained the heights of the second Deentheel,
almost at the same moment, and having ascended very
gallant style,' were proceeding along the ridge to gain an ad-
vanced post, when the head of the column (consisting of
hght infantry) received a check, by a charge from the
enemy, sword in hand, which induced them to fall back on
the main body, by this time posted on the second Deentheel,
and the ground thus lost we were not able to regain in the
course of that day. The enemy strongly reinforcing their
advanced body, were able to give us great annoyance, by
sniping from the cover which the jungle afforded, and from
behit;d the rocks between the post and Narrain Note, while
they were unexposed to the snipers thrown out by Colonel
Thompson

I);n•ing the whole day the pioneers were most busily em-
ployed in stengthening tie post under the directions of Lieut.
Hutchinson, Assistant-Eng:neer, and the•osders of Lieut.
Armstrong, whose indefatigable exertions' I-• cannot suffi-
ciently commend ; but as the labour was very great, and
many of the pioneers, with Lieut. Bagot (since dead), were
reported to he wounded, I requested the Ilindoor Rajah to
collect every man he possibly could, accustomed to labour,
and dispatched. them to aid. Lieut. Armstrong in his laborious

'M EM

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duties. They were,' hope, of some use, and the Lieutenant-
Colonel's pm. it ion, though not strong, was as much strength-
ened as possible. Some false alarms occurred in the course
of the..night, alluded- to in Lieut.-Col. Thompson's report;
and at the earliest dawn of day, a most bold and desperate at-
, tack was made by near 1000 of the enemy on all sides of the
post, excepting Singe, which, after a contest of more than
hro hours, and the death of Bhugtee Thappa, who led the
attack, terminated in the total repulse and defeat of the enemy
with very severe loss.
Umr Sing in person was at musket•shot distance, with
a stand of colours, encouraging his men; and to mention
the impetuous courage of the enemy, is only to bestow the
flue meed of praise on the conduct and valour of those who
resisted one of the must daring and impetuous assaults ever
sustained.

Dent. Cartwri.tht of the artillery, was left with only one
man wounded, and with that one man secured his gun, whilst
the other was manned by Lieutenants Armstrong and Hut-
.chinson, and two of the pioneer serjeants.
Many instances of individual exertion and courage occurred,
both amongst the regulars and irregulats, iu this arduous con-
test; and the conduct of the latter, as being less expected, I
shall consider it a duty to bring to his Excellency's notice in
a senarate dispatch.
Major Innes's column moved from my own camp, and
proceeded in admirable order to the poet, already occupied
by the night movement, whilst Capt. Hamilton sheaved his
judgment, where no attack was intended, by moving very
briskly tinder the fire of the first Deentheel stockade to the
same point,
As this point was found very limited, and very strong, I
was enabled to draw from it (luring the day two companies of
grenadiers and Captain.llamilten's detachment, and by this
means to send a reinforcetnenta IsJ,aud.subsequently a com-
pany from the .2d battalion ti!l) native regiment, to Lieut.-
Col. Thompson.
In the columns of diversion under Copts. Showers and
,Ilowyer, I have to express my entire approbation of the con-
duct of Capt. Bowyer and of Lieut Rutledge, on whom the
command devolved, and to lament the loss of a most zealous,
brave, and excellent officer, in Captain Showers, who fell gal-.
Laney, setting an example of heroism- to his men, which
might have been of the utmost importance, had not his
death, in a most critical moment, staggeied his troops, and
given confidence to the enemy. •
In mentioning the columns of division, I hope I may.bet
permitted to indule;e my personal feelings, in expressing th(-
sentiments of gratitude and obligations to Col. Arnold, who
finding the Sikh aux;liaries did not appear, as ordered, to
join Captain Shower;'s column, strengthened it from the
small body of regulars left to defend his own position.
Having now given a brief and very inadequate detail °Nile
operations of the 14th, 15th, and IGth, it only remains for
me to express my acknowledgments to Lieut.-Col. Thomp-
son, in command of the first or principal column; and to
Major Lawrie, for the able and gallant manner. in which
they conducted them to the heights of the second Deentheel;
and to Lieut.-Col. Thompson, for the whole of his (1)11E11:Jet
from the time of his arrival to the moment of the defeat of
the enemy, a long interval, in which the whole force were
incessantly harassed by a concealed and galling fire, and suf-
fered the greatest inconvenience and privations with a cheer-
fulness and zeal, which, I am folly persuaded, will insure to
all the officers and men the strongest expression of his Ex-
cellencv's approbation. My tlnkillis Are not less due to Ma-.
tk jor Tunes and Captain llOniffoii.
Lieutenant Lawrie aecoulfiapis4 e night movcmen'oncr