The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-11 00:00:00

CAPTURE OF THE.
2 CITY
8 OF BASSEIN.
No.

Her Majesty's Ship Fox's Boat,
at Bassein, May 20, 1852.
Sir,—l request you may be pleased to inform the
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that the Lieute-
aant-General commanding the forces in Barmah, having
communicated his wish to make an attack on the city
of Bassein, I placed a squadron of four, steamers at his
disposal for the service.
2. On the morning of the 17th instant, Lieutenant-
General Godwin, C. 8., the Commander of the Forces,
embarked in a squadron with four hundred of her Bla
jesty's Slat Regiment, three hundred of the 9th Regiment
Madras Native Infantry, sixty Sappers and Miners, the
Royal Marines, and a detachment of seamen, with a field
gun from her Majesty's ship Fox. , ~..
3. I left the naval force at Rangoon in charge of uoin-
mander Tarleton, with the Fox, and went with my boat
steamer I hoisted my broad
to the Tenasserini, in which
1 in the afternoon
k
,
at tevo o c.oc
pendant, and put to sea
wizh the steamers naoied in the enclosure marked A.
The Lieutenant-General accumpanied me in the Tenas-
serim.
4. On the evening of the 18th we anchored off the
i.,lsnd of Negrais at the entrance of the Bassein
River, where the Pluto joined us. I bad sent her on
from Rangoon a day previously, as her small power
could not have enabled her to keep up with the steam
frigates.
on thel9th
5. At daylight . the squadron weighed,
and proceeded up the river; the Pluto, from her light
draught, being ahead, showing the soundings. The
Tenasserim led, followed by the Sesostris and Mozuffer
at half a cable's length distant.
6. At a few minutes after four o'clock in the after-
noon, the fortificcions of Bassein appeared in sight,
consisting of
a very extensive mud fort and a long line
of stockade, on the left bank, on which the city stands,
and a strong stockade round the Pagoda, with a brick
parapet fronting the river. Then, in an admirable pwi-
tier' on the right bank, stood a very large stockade,
mounting several cannon.
Tree enemy permitted the squadron to approach un-
molested.

7. At half-past four, when abreast the stockades, I
made the signal to anchor; immediately afterwards
Lieutenant-General Godwin expressed his wish to land
the troops, which cuss effected in perfect order in a very
short period. They had scarcely formed under the
Lieutenant-General's directions, when a heavy fire was
opened both with cannon and musketry from the vari-
ous stockades, which was instantly answered by a cheer
from the party landed, who stormed and carried the
Pagoda.
As soon as the enemy commenced firing, the ships
opened their fire on the different batteries.
Observing the stockade opposite the town had been
silenced, I direr,..tcd Commander Campbell, of the SPsos-
tri4, to land with the boats of his own ship, and the Me-
zuffer's, and to storm it, which he effected in gallant
style, driving the Burmese from their guns, with consi-
dertsble loss to them in killed and wounded.

Commander Campbell has called my special attentiln to
Van zeal and activity displayed on this occasion by Lieu-
tenants Robinson and Lewis, of the Indian Navy.
At half-past five I had the satisfaction of bearing
ttit..t the last and most formidable of the stockades had
been carried ; tat not without considerable loss on our
part from the great resistance shorn by the enemy.
Amongs, those I have to enumerate as sufferers on this
occasion, I hays to 114S:130 Lieutenant George W.
Rice, of her Msjesty's ship Fox, who received a
severe and painful wound through the rigi:t band,
whilst gallantly ',Zug' his party of searat-n into the
stockade: and as this officer has been specially named by
the Co.-acia.u.derin-Chief at the taking of Rangoon, I
. .

beg ► r,commend him most strongly to their Lordships'
coasideration for promceion.
I feel it my duty, also, to mention the steady conduct
of the R:l7 Marines under the command of First Lieu-
tenant John Elliott; and I ctnnot conclude without ex-
pressing my bast thanks to Commanders Campbell and
Hewett, ol the Indian Navy, for the skill and ability with
which they brought their ships up a river, which has
hitherto ecen but imperfectly surveyed for a distance of
mare than sixty miles. Nor can I refrain from ex-
pressing how much I am indebted to Commanders Dicey
and Barbank, of the Bengal Marine, for the assistance I
received from them; and I attribute our being able to
pet-term this service without accident, to the careful and
judicious manner with which the commander of the
Pluto went in advance and cenntannicated the soundings.
My thanks are general to the officers and men who
served ender me orders on this occasion for the steady,
gallant, and cheer:id conduct with which they performed
the duty. neither can I omit remarking that the most•
perfect unanimity prevailed between the two services.
8. Since my last visit to Negrais, the old Governor
of Seseein ]as been removed, and the Governmeat en-
trusted to another offier, who :arrived here from Ava,
with foe thousand regular troops, which increased the
strengtl of the garrison to six thousand, men.
9. have the honour to forward herewith a list of
ltillrd and 'wounded in the squadron. The casualties
among the troops amounted to three men killed and five
efficers, and seventeen men wounded.
also enclose a return of the number of cannon
oilfired from the enemy.
'W. And I bag permission to brine to their Lord-
atips' notice, Mr. Frederick Morgan, Assistant-Sur-
geon of her Majesty's ship Fox, el, attended with the
storming party, and whose kindness to the wounded on
this oecesion, as well as his unremitting attention to
in the
x
numerous sick, during the protracted stag of the Fo
the Rangoon River, is deserving of every praise.
I have. &e.,
(Signed) GEORGE R. LAMBERT, Commodore.

A. List of Coo Naval Force commanded by Commodore
G. R. Lambert, in the action and capture of the city of
Bassein, oa the 19th of May, 1852.
Honourable India Company's steam-sloop Tenasserirn,
Commander Wm. Dicey (broad pendant of CO3,
mothoe Lambert)—two 8-inch, four 32-pounders;
total 6 guns. Officers and crew, 139. Also on board,
Commodore Lambert, of her Majesty's ship Fox,
James L. Southey, Esq., Secretary, Mr. G. Digby
Morant, Signal Midshipman, and a boat's crew of the
Fox.
Honourable India Company's steam-frigate Sesostris,
Commander C. D. Campbell, I. N.—two 8-inch. two
32-pounders, two 12-pounders; total, 6 ins. Officers
and crew, 168.
Honourable India Company's steam-frigate Mozuffar,
Commander IL H. Hewett, I.N.—five 8-inch, two
_32-pounders; total, 7 guns. Officers and crew, 228.
so 2. India Company's steam-vessel Pluto, Commander
C. Burbank—one 32-pounder, four 12-pounders, two
6-pounders; total, 7 guns. Officers and crew, 80.
A Party of seamen from her teMajesty's ship Fox. Lieu-
ant Geo. W. Rice in command—one 12-pounder;
,c,l. l gun. Officers and crew, 10. Includes Mr.
-M. Liable, Midshipman, and Mr. F. Morgan, As-
sistant '
Ro 1 -Strege"'
:"I ill'ltineti of her Majesty's ship Fox, First Lieute-
lina!lie ez
oshu_Elliott in command. Officers and crew, 45.
%,:ioautai29, osnidheLieutenant Nightingale.
9, 32-peunders, 7, 12 -pounders, 2,
crews ,
,e 7, total of guns, 27; total of officers and
(Signed) GEOT. -,-, -,
—GE B. ia.t.AIRERT, Commodore.
List of Killed and Wounded in the Squadron under the
command of
the city of Bosseinu, out
hle:./a9kithb Lambert, atm ayt, capturehiess2.
Tcmasserim—David
a bullet.
purser, ay
wounded, slightly;
contused wound by
Pluto—Mr. Charles Bolt,
minded, slightly;
contused wound.
Party of seamen from her Majesty's ship Fox under
boatswain's mat - ' ---
the command of Lieutenant George sv- . ,
sho,,,t
George Woolridge, • Rica R N
througheie' e ik11111ZI: d
wt horuontidgehti,
t!I severely; e rheelayd; . letiLgte IZll.inenant,
wrist. George 0:1,9,—r5, A. 8., NvoundPcl, e„ ainu
muskot ball through fleshy part of thigh and testicle
Thomas Mecca'}; A. 1., ar-..-nricled, severely; mu,..,kei
ball through the right .iieurdt.r.
Royegl. Murine:3 c her ,749 jeLty's slip Fox, under 1,6
command of lii.:v. .LOU'iznant John Elliott, Royal
11:4ria,:;—,Tohn Elliol, Fir3t Lieutenant, wounded,
;;giltls ; coat: wl wound Z3y a bullet in right arm.
o,"'"'-'1 Grav, prir- IT vv. t.a.•:_itid dt.ngerously; musket
s,lthrou 1,-* '. "" ' Gorge D,-vic private wounded
glielhtly. g the arm. :U.» vi`,
' Ina'k't .`ll thr 'it: ~ fi -,0-er, George Janes,
private. Wounded" t.
.'"
t"'
wound in tl,
thigh. slightly; blyunet ,

: for Majesty's Totals
ship Fox—
Tenasserina-1 wounded.
1
Pi u t o---I wounded. killed, and 7 wounded.
Grand Total-1 killed, and 9 wounded.
(Signed) GEon LAMBERT,
A Etatorn of Cannon e
captured in the Fortifications
of
the oily of Bassein, on the 19th of May, 1852.
On the works round the city—gone, 30; ginos, 6,