The Sun.
London, England, 1825-03-23 00:00:00

INDIA.

tZXTRACTS OF LETTERS FROM
.MADRAS AXD DARWAR.I
MADRAS, Trit Nov. 1821.—" Our accounts from Ran-
goon are very melancholy ; they come down to the Ist October ;
the Europeans have suffered most dreadfully ; I believe I am
within bounds, when I say, 600 have been buried; but this
is not the worst of it ;' the remainder are so much knocked up
that _ tells me they can scarcely be deemed effectual ;
they have been almost literally starved. We hear that Colonel
Miles has been successful with his Expedition towards
Mer-
gine. Our Brigade at Chittagong is remarkably healthy and
comfortable, and the Benralee Sepoys very unhealthy.
I beg to enclose an account of a most unpleasant business at
Kittoor. All the troops on rout to Nagpoor are moving upon
Kittoor, which lies between Darwar and Belgaum. It is
thought that the whole country is up, but I see no grounds for
it, and hope it will prove a false alarm. Exclusive of the
Poonah forces which arc moving upon Belgaum, two-thirds of
the Native 46th Foot are there. Three companies of the Com-
pany's Artillery one of Golemdauze, two regiments of cavalry
and about eight battalions, enough to thrash all the Mahrattas
together. I hope it will be soon settled,
The Burmese War has been most strangely mismanaged. I
fear it will prove a second Walcheren. I hope a new Governor
General is on the way out ; we were never in greater want of a
good one. We have had a dreadful season, but the monsoon
having set in, I hope it will soon cease. Cholera as well as fever
have been very prevalent, the layer almost universal."

" DARWAR, OCT. 30, 182-I.—l will now attempt to give
you a detailed and accurate account of calamitous affair on
the 23d, at Kittoor, with the various circumstances which
led to it.

" The Rajah of Kittoor died last month without an heir, but
several of the Sardars pretended that he had adopted a boy,
whom they therefore wished to place upon the 'Musmid. Mr.
Thackry, when investigating the matter, discovered this to be
false, and that the pretended adoption was a mere trick, per-
formed by some of the principal men at Kittoor, after the death
of the Rajah, with the expectation, that in this way they
would be able to secure to themselves their present appoint-
ments. Upon this discovery, Mr. Thackry ordered the box
to be given up to him, which was not complied with. He,
therefore, thought, that by having a few troops at Kittoor, the
Kittoor people would be frightened into compliance with his
request. The 3d Native Troop of Horse Artillery, and
eighty men of the sth Regt. Native Infantry, were accordingly
ordered to Kittoor, on the evening of the 22d of this month.
Mr. Thackry, and two other Civilians, Messrs. Stevenson
and Elliott, were transacting business in the Palace in the Fort,
where some of the Sardars exhibited a disposition to be insolent
and disobedient, which induced Mr. Thackry to write to Capt.
Black to come down immediately with two of his guns ; Capt. B.
accordingly proceeded immediately to the-Fort, with two guns
with their complement of men, which (after the horses were
withdrawn) were left, according to Mr. Theckry's request, with
all the infantry, as a picquet in the Fort all night. This, I
understood, was done contrary to the suggestion of Captain
Black. Early next morning, Captain Black sent some of his
men to relieve the picquet, but admittance was denied them, as
well as egress to those who remained in the Fort over night. '
Mr. Thackry therefore ordered Captain Black to bring down
his .two remaining guns, and threatened to blow open the
gates in the event of their persisting in their refusal to open
them. There were only four guns with the troop, the
other four being left at Belgaum, for the purpose of having
their careiages repaired. Captain Block accordingly brought
his two remaining guns to the fort, one of which was
placed close to the gate, and the other at a short distance be-
hind. The people in the Fort still persisting in the refusal to
open the gates, Capt. B. sent to Mr. T. for further instructions ;
■pon which Mr. T. directed him to mention through the gate
that they would be allowed one Gurree (25 minutes) to consider
what to do ; that then, if they were not opened, they must be
blown open. Not having been opened within the time requir-
ed, Capt. B. blew open first the outer, and then the inner gate,
and came up with one of the guns that had been left in the
Fort all night. Immediately upon the first gate being blown
open, a heavy fire of matchlocks was directed upon our men.—
Captain B. now ordered Serjeant Avynge to direct an alternate
fire of round and grape shot on the Palace, on the roof of which
were numbers of the enemy, and the other gun, which was
under Lieutenant Dig:A.on, played upon the walls above
the gates. Dighton was killed at this time by a shot passing
through his breast. Serjeant Avynge wus shortly afterwards
wounded under the shoulder., and Capt. B. was also severely
wounded, all of whom were carried into a neighbouring Choul-
try. The Serjeant-Major was now the only European left with
the two guns. Capt. B. continued, notwithstanding his weak-
ness, to encourage his men, and at length, when he saw that
the greatest exertions were necessary, he mustered all his
strength to take an active command outside. He found, how-
ever, the number of the enemy so disproportioned to his hand-
ful of men, and that by remaining he only exposed his men to
inevitable destruction, he determined upon retiring with his
guns. But his number of men were quite insaflicient for the
purpose of dragging out the guns ; and, as the artillery were
not now well supported by the infantry, neither of the guns
could be brought away, although one of them was dragged
out between the two gates. On the first attempt to retreat,
that party was driven back by a crowd of the rebels ; but, upon
a second attempt, they succeeeded in getting out of the fort, and
Capt.B. who was the last to leave the fort,was cut down by swords-
men near Mr. T.'S tenni; the'other gun, which I have already
mentioned as being a little behind outside of the fort, was under
the command of Lieut. Sewell, and was occupied in keeping
the walls clear with grape ; it was fired upon from two sides,
according as it was turned round to fire in the opposite
direction ; at length the enemy rushed down from a sort
of sleds, so as to storm and take the gun ; previous to
which Lieutenant Sewell was shot through the right breast,
and conveyed to Mr. Thackry's tents, followed shortly after
by the Serjeants and remainder of the men. I will, however,
detail the circumstances reported to me by one of the party,
who says, he proceeded to the fort with Capt. Black, who or-
dered him, as soon as he got inside the inner gate, to proceed
with some of the sth Native Infantry to scour part of the walls,
and to communicate with Serjeant Platt, who was with the
other gun that remained in the fort over night, and was
situated near the palace. This gun was loaded upon the
first report of Captain Black's guns being beard, but it
could not be fired, not even .when the vent had been prick-
ed ; nobody could discover the cause of this failure, and
as the gun appeared to be properly loaded, it is evident
that such an accident might have occurred under any other
circumstances. Denton, however, returned to Captain Black,
after having received a gun-shot wound in each arm ; and after
being exposed during the whole time to a very heavy fire from
matchlocks from the walls and houses, retired with Captain
B. He also mentioned what he saw, at the time Capt. Black
went with his guns to the fort, when my informant proceeded
to ;The vs tents and remained there all the mornins. Whilst

there, be was told the behaviour of the Kittoorlpeople was con-
sidered more in the light of that of restless discontented boys
than as any thing to be dreaded, and that it was thought they
would be soon frightened into obedience. The event has,
however, proved otherwise; and when Mr. T. found that
they were determined to make the most powerful resistance,
he evidently became apprehensive, and sent for further
aid, as he had not then a single sepoy to guard his tents.—
My informant accordingly went over and brought an Havildar,
one Naigue, and ten Sepoys, leaving fifteen men to guard that
camp. Mr. T.'s tents were situated at no great distance from
the lower fort, and immediately under the north-west side of
the upper fort, which is situated on a small gently rising hill,
the horse artillery lines were 800 or 1,000 yards to the south of
the upper fort; when he returned to Mr. Thackry he dis-•
patched a letter to Belgaum and another to Darwar for troops,
and proceeded to the fort on one of our Sepoy's horses ; this was
the last time my informant saw him. Ile was shortly afterwards,
killed by being severely cut over the head by the Kittour Peons.
At this time Sewell was brought to the tent where my informant
still was, but a fire was immediately directed upon the tents from
the neighbouring heights ; they therefore deemed it advisable to
proceed immediately to the horse artillery lines, and accordingly
he and some of the.Sepoys who had left Sewell's gun galloped i
through the Pettah, having for the greater part of the way
a fire directed upon them by matchlock men, who were'
ranged along the height upon which the upper Fort stands, after
having bean an hour in the lines. My informant found, from
the various reports respecting the strengh and apßoach of the
enemy, that it would he advisable for Sewell to proceed towards 1
Darwar; be was, therefore, sent off in a palanquin, which was
fortunately in readiness. Two of the Serjeants, who were then
in the lines, suggested the propriety of retreating to Bclquam,
in consequence of nearly 500 horsemen being almost close
upon them. The.y were recommended to remain until they found
a retreat unavoidable, and at the same time to have every thing
in readiness to retire in good order, and to bring away the remain-
ing horses, ammunition, &c. Shortly after this some of our Se-
poys, infantry as well as horse artillery, fled towards our camp,
and reported that the enemy was close upon them in pursuit;
which being communicated to Lieutenant Sewell, he ordered
a retreat--which was accordingly communicated to one of the
Serjeants, and the retreat was therefore made. The enemy did
not fbllow them beyond our lines. My informant rode for
some miles alongside of. Sewell's palanquin, and afterwards
gallopped into Garwar, for the purpose of getting bearers,
doolies, &c. speedily as possible for the carriage of the wounded.
3lessrs. Stevenson and Elliott being unfortunately unpro.
videtl with horses, could not effect their escape, and were taken
prisoners; they were led into the Fort, and was several times
under the greatest danger of being murdered by the infuriated
rabble. They were saved, however, by the interference of some
of the principal Sardars. It afterwards turned out that Quarter-
master Denton and Sergeant Platt were not killed, as had been
formerly reported, but the latter, and the infantry and the
artillery who were along with him, did not surrender until
the firing had entirely ceased, and not until Messrs. Elliott and
Stevenson were led prisoners into the fort; except these two gen-
tlemen all the prisoners have been released ; Quarter-Master
Denton escaped. Eighteen horses are missing, thirteen of
which were certainly killed, all the tents were lost, all the
camels, and I believe all the ammunition that remained after
the action, have been saved ; all the stores, as well as a large
quantity of harness and saddlery, have been lost.
In compliance with a requisition from Mr. Eden, all our re-
maining effective men, including all the European effective
Serjeants, have proceeded, as an escort, with that gentleman to
Belgaum. I cannot speak confidently of poor Sewell's chance
of recovery, but he certainly is not yet out of danger. Messrs.
Elliott and Stevenson are still in close confinement, but are in
other respects well treated ; they are allowed to write to their
fri-nds here, and to receive letters in return. A considerable
force has left Bclgaum, and is to take up a position bet Ween
this and KittOo. There can be no doubt but that all our
men, infantry as well as 'artillery, behaved remarkably well,
except in the single instance already mentioned, of the in-
fantry not having lent sufficient assistance for the purpose of
bringing away the guns ; great allowances:must be made, how-
ever, when we consider they had no officers, and that they were
then surrounded by the enemy, who kept up a constant and
most destructive fire.