The Sun.
London, England, 1852-06-01 00:00:00

party was formed of four companies of the 51st Light
Infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel St. Maur, with the
Madras Sappers, under Major H. Fraser, commanding,
engineer, and advanced under cover of a jungle, on get-
ting through which the musketry was so steady and
effective from the stockades and adjoining buildings, that
s great many of our party were killed and wounded,
amongst whom were several officers. I have to deplore
the temporary loss of Lieutenant-Colonel Bogle, the
Commissioner of the Tentusserim Provinces, who was
very braitely attending the army to witness its opera-
tions. Major Fraser took the ladders to the stockade
most gallantly, and alone mounted the defences of the
enemy, where his example soon brought around him the
storming party, which carried the stockade, but at a
very severe loss on our part.
" It was my intention to move on to the main object
of our operations, but on looking around me at the com-
plete exhaustion of the storming party, it now being
eleven o'clock, under a sun that may be understood,
since Major Oakes, of the Madras Artillery, was struck
down by it at his battery, and died, Breve'-Major Grif-
fith, Madras Army, while conveying an order, died on
the read; Lieutenant-Colonel Foord, Commandant of
Artillery, was .nearly a victim to the heat, and obliged
to quit the field; Brigadier Warren and Lieutenant-
Colonel St. Maur also suffered greatly; so that, under
such destruction, I resolved to halt where I was, and to
concentrate the force in as strong a position as the coun-
try admitted of. We were teazel by parties of the
enemy hovering armed us till the night closed, whet
all was quiet under the protection of our guns, which
had been brought up to the front.
"On Tuesday, the 13th, it was reported the heavy
battery guns could not be landed, and with me, before
the middle of that day, and also that ratioes for the
troops could not be prepared in time to enable me to
advance. I therefore held my position till the next
morning.
" His Lordship in Council knows well the of where
I proposed to force my way into the Great
agoda; and
the road I was about to move on entirely turned all the
defences of this real stronghold. The present position
wh. stood on the river bank,
of Rangoon is entirely altered. sie last war; within
a few years the old town,
has been utterly destroyed, its bricks now lying in heaps
on its site. A new town has been formed about a mile
Mid a quarter from the river; it is nearly a square, with
a band or mud wall about sixteen feet high and eight
broad; a ditch runs along each side of the square, and
ODbeen
Very north aide, where the Pagoda stands, it has bet
Very cleverly worked into the defences, to which it feriae
a sort of citadel. The distance from the Pagoda to the
south entrance of the lowa is about three-quarters of a
mile, and it is something more than that breadth from
east to west. The old road from the river to the Pa-
goda comes up to the south gate, running through the
new town, and it was by this road the Burmese had
settled that we should attack it, and where they had
made every preparation to receive us, having
armed the defences with nearly one hundred
pieces of cannon and other missiles, and with a garri-
son of at least 10;000 men. The attempt to assault
on this side would, I am convinced, from the steady way
the Burmese defend their works, have cost us half our
force.
"On Wednesday, the 14th, the troops were under
arms at 5 .LDI.; all in as fine a temper as ever men
were. Our march was to the north-west, through th;ck
jungle; four light guns, 9-poundere, 'their flanks pro-
tected by two companies of her Majesty's 80th Regi•
merit. the rest of the wing of that corps following, with
two more guns, and the 18th Royal Irish and the 40th
Bengal Native Infantry, formed the advance. The 51st
Light Infantry and the 35th Madras Native Infantry
were in reserve; the 9th Madras Native Infantry keep-
ing open the communication with the shipping. We pro-
ceeded in this order for about a mile, when we opened
the Great Pagoda, and its fire was turned on us. An
excellent position for two guns was taken by Major
Turton to our left flank; these were left under the cog
mand of Major Montgomery, of the Madras Artillery,
who served them well. The ground to the front getting
very difficult barely admitted of the 80:h and Royal
Irish occupying it in close order. We had now
completely turned the enemy's position, having
passed their etockaded toper, and got opposite
the east side of the° Great Pagoda, our main
object. Major Tartan iuforined me that he had a favour-
able position to place in battery his heavy guns; but it
took some time to bring them up, a service in which the
navy brigade ofeabout 120 men, under the command of
Lieut. Dorville; of her Majesty's frigate Fox, assisted
by the Artillery, rendered their invaluable atd. under a
heavy fire of guns and wall pieces from the Great Pa-
goda and town, from which they suffered severely.
While this was going on the enemy's artillery had got
the range of our crowded position, and their skirmishers
had somewhat closed upon us, and it took 500 men to
keep down their fire. The practice of the heavy battery,
under Major if.ck, was very effective. My intention
was to have stormed the Pagoda at noon, but at a little
after 11 Captain Latter, of the Bengal Army, my inter-
preter, assure d me he felt confident, from what he
could see of the east entrance of the Pagoda,
on which our battery was playing, that the en-
trance was clear, and that he was prepared to
show the way. As our people were dropping. fast
where we stood, I determiued on an immediate
assault. The storming party was formed of the wing
of her Majest)'• 80th Regiment, under Major Lockhart,
two companies of the Re) al Irish, under Lieutenant
Hewitt, and of two companies of the 40 h Bengal Native
Infantry, under Lieutenant White, the whole com-
manded by Lieutenant-CJleuel Coote, of the 18th Royal
Irish, Captain Latter accompant iug the party to show
the road. Tee advance to the east entrance of the
Pagoda was or .beut 800 yard which the troops crossed
in a most steady manner, under the fire of the wtrls,
crowded with the enemy, the remainder of the force fol-
lowing closely. W hen the storming party reached the
step,. a tremendous rush was made to he upper terrace,
and a deafs-ning cheer told that the rzgod,a no longer
belonged to the Bur Lee:“,. The enemy ran in confusion
from 'the southern and vv‘stc,rii gates, where they• were
met by the fire of the steamers. Ail the country around
has fallen with toe Pagois; acid, I unf!trstand, the once
strong post of Keneiaendine has been abaudoued and
destroyed.
' In this united service there hits been not only a cor-
dial co-opsration between the army and navy, but so
much good-heartednesa that toeir joint efforts have
tended to secure the rapid success of this expedition. I
cannot presume to say of Rear-Adenirel Austen, C. 8.,
commanding the navy, mere than to express my admi-
ration and respect fur his qualitien'and to thank him for
his able and never fading assistance. Commodore
Lambert, whose epii it never is at rest whilst anything is
to be done, and whose heart is ever ready to accomplish
what he undeinakes, has my cordial thanks and warmest
gratitude. I particularly wish to draw the. attention of
his Lordship in Council to Commander Fish bourne, of
her Majesty's steamer Hermes, who from the first fitting
out of the expedition in Calcutta to the close of these
operations has been inde''atigable in assisting in the
embarnation of stores and troops, and in removing diffi-
culties, and finding resources, which alone-enabled the
expedition to sail at the time appointed, and nothing
will give me such satisfoctien as his aid, were a forward
movement to be made hereafter.
" My most difficult task now commences, that of re-
bel:emending to the protection of the Governor General
• in Council a number of brave men who hr.ve had oppor-
tunities of distinguishing themselrea in a service where
!ie utmost emulation and gallant devotion were shown
by all.
"I be the Governor-General's consideration of the
services of Brigadier Elliot, who was conspicuous in
every placecokeueliteiriacre he could be useful; of Lieutenant-
.
in cotisetaeZPldd' who commands the Bengal brigade,
who
Brigadier Warren's prostration by
the sun, Isala h
has borne a very large share in these
operations, -
Cootet, of the eating Manahan; of Lieutenat-Colonel
storming piety, whQiitioyal Ir.sh, who commanded the
he was seVerely wounded; of
Lieutenant-Colonel
Bengal Native Infintr Thomson commanding the 40th
of Major Lock-
hart, commanding th„Y.„T the assault;
of tvijorrx:f her Majesty's 80th on the
same occasion;
our
distinguished
Engineer
of the Force, who not
RoLe himself most
gallantly at the White
aStockade, but whose inde-
fatigable exertions never foT
Mitten, who commanded the rtr-mt ceased; of Major
after Lirntenant-
fromery
Colonel Foord'is retirement
labours in his department have been"lifeess' and whose
sufferiog, I regret to say, under severe '-e cause of his
the present moment; of Majors Reictof indisposition
t_ at
Montgomery, of the Madras
ands'Artiller ch_e_ Bengal, and
dall, commanding tne Sereera MitietjaPtain Run-
indebted. rat to all of
whom I am deeply
' "The Assistant-Adjutant-General of the f_
fain Mayhew, was everywhere present au4Trice, Ca
fain
days' operations' and the assistance h, g these
derail m© on. all occasions bus been very bas leen.
Major Allan, the Aseistant Quartermaster-Gear...liable:
severely wounded at the Wince house Stoenaea'rtewas
when Major. Bouldersen, Deputy-Judge-Advocate-
General, General, has been performing his duties, and has rent,
dared eseential assistance since the operations eons.
menced. I beg to bring all three to the notice of Go.
vernment.
" The officers commanding brigades have recora.
mended to my notice the valuatile aid they have received
from their respective Brigade-Majors. Captain Call, of
the 18th Royal Irish, and Captain Smith, of the 13th
Madras Native Infantry ; and Major Turton has brought
to my attention the indefatigable exertions of Lieutenant
Robertson, the Deputy c •
ommissary of Ordnance,
in
landing his guns and stores.
"I beg leave to bring to his Lordship's notice the as-
sistance I have received from my aides•de•camp Lieu-
tenant Chads, of her Majesty's 64th Regiment, who
was wounded at the White house Stokade, but did not
leave me during the operations, and Lieutenant Lambert,
of the 56th Bengal Native Infantry, wo •
o, after great
exertion, was one of the eictims to the sun on that day,
Which obliges him to geturre to Calcutta, and tho will
cOnvey these dispatches.
"In conclusion I regret that the order of landing of
the troops did not afford me an opportunity of
availing
myself of the services of the 9'h Madrite Native Infantry
and 35th Madriis Native Litar.try in ttie ;rent, but they
tended greatly to give fr .endom to
and will• • leading column
honour to' from
theh e'r
baring, doubtless do
when they a distinguished service to which they belong
re brought more closely under fire.
" I have, &e
" HENRY Go DV l?UtOriat t- Gencral."

"RETURN OF RILLED,WoUNDED AND MISSING, AT THE
AITTACK AND SToRmiNG OP RANGOON ON THE 11TII,
" Ass:smut-A(lj
12TH, AND 14th oP APRIL, 1852.
NEU'S I- 'pk-Py..,.ki want-General's-office, •
I Eti,rt.,
Rsogoon, April 17.
Nan -.facer wounded.
L../...1,,;.1/4.`„ . ersonai Staff-
1▪ 4'7'4 '-' - ';;IP ... neral. Stiff-1 European
, i'•
I'. ''''' .-;.":14X a
ct. officer, 1 sergeant,
,f4A. ~../ ---i,,i.yi 1 2 European Offioers, I sergeant,wounded.:
......
1--vt.lo-or ta -,
-.-
'.4. l' gineer Department-3 European officers wounded.:
W. f,. 'l9 scira% Sappers and Minera-3 rank
and filo
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