The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-19 00:00:00

ordnance, all of which were captured, and a large body of fringement of the engagement, and again draw down on them
men armed with muskets, it is providential that we suffered our arms.
so little. I have particularly to lament the severe wound The following morning the Gooroo returned, accompanied by
that enterprising officer Lieutenant Brooke, Sub-Assistant two inferior Phokuns (the brother of Saum Phokun and Hathee
Commissary-General, received at my side, at my first advance Phokun), with a friendly offering, and a letter front the Chiefs,
to the stockade, but I trust that as the surgeon's report of of which No. 3 is a translation.
his case is favourable, he will soon be restored to health After much desultory conversation, the Gooroo returned with
and the service. I have not been able to ascertain the loss my reply, anti an exchange of presents.
the enemy sustained in this affair, but it cannot, I have every On the following morning a message was brought from the
reason to believe, be less than one hundred men killed and Gooroa by his brother Rutan Pal, stating that, in compliance
wounded. To the whole of the troops employed on this oc- with my terms, one portion was preparing to evacuate the fort
casion my best thanks' are due for the zeal they evinced ; for their own country, and that the remainder were ready to
but I feel it incumbent on me to bring to the notice of the surrender; also that the Chiefs were anxious to wait on me to
13rigade-General commanding the division, the gallantry and adjust the various points of capitulation.
steady conduct of the following officers who had the good for- I accordingly invited them to a conference, and directed the
tune to be more immediately engaged—viz. Major -Waters, officers of my staff to proceed to meet them, and conduct them
my second in command, for the judicious arrangements which to me.
lie adopted, after I had been disabled ;to Captain Waldron, The principal Chiefs, Sawn Phokun, Sheick Phokun, and
commanding a detachment of the 46th regiment i • Captain j Nabaroo Phokun, (Banglee Phokun having joined the other
Martin, commanding the 57th regiment, the right wing of, party and quitted the fort), having been introduced, we pro-
which carried the stockade by assault ; Lieutenant Bedingfield, seeded to arrange the terms of treaty, of which the prinzipal
commanding the artillery, as well as to Lieutenant Bullion, arc as follows :
attached to the same; to Capt. M`Leod, commanding Rung- On the part of Saum Phokun, &c., that all his fellowPers
pore Light Infantry, for taking possession of a commanding should deliver up their arms and warlike stores of all descrip-
position before the enemy were aware of its importance ; and tions ; anti that peeeessiornof the fort be given to us the mo-
to lieutenant Neufville, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster- meat the evacuating party should have quitted it.
General, for his gallant conduct in leadine• the advance, and On our part, that their wives and personal property should
for the correct intelligence he gave me, by • rich means I was , be guaranteed ; tbeir wives and children and all who may be
enabled to form the plan of operations with such success ; and voluntarily attached is them secured to them, in conformity
I trust that our attack on the fort will be equally fortunate, the with instructions from Mr. Scott, A.G.G., that they should
result of which I hope to have the pleasure of reporting in a remain in every respect_in their present situation until the ar-
day or two. rival of Mr. Scott, or instructions from him respecting their
I cannot close this dispatch without recording my approha- ultimate destination ; and that having once entered into the
tion and thanks to Captain Bayldon, Major of Brigade; Lieu- bonds of friendly alliance with us, they shall not eventually be
tenant Neufville, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General; delivered over to the King of Ava in case of a peace, should
Lieut. Brooke, Sub-assistant Commissary-General ; and Lieut. he make such a stipulation, of which they entertained great
Fleming, officiating Sub-assistant Commissary-General, the dread, and were most anxious to receive positive assurances.
staff attached to this force, for the prompt and great assistance These points being settled, the Chiefs expressed their Willing-
I haVe at all times received from them in the execution of their ness to surrender without delay, and I accordingly directed
respective duties. I have, &c. Major Waters to take a party and receive charge, when I had
(Signed) A. RICHARDS, Lieut.-Colonel ' soon the satisfaction of seeing his Majesty's colours flying on
Commanding in Assam. time top of the palace in the inner fort, under a salute frour the
Camp before Rungpore, Assam, Jan. 29, 1825. battery in camp.
The examination of the Fort fully justified the opinion I had
formed of the importance of the acquisition by the mode ,
adopted, and of the utter inadequacy of my means of prevent-
ing the escape of the greater part of the garrison, should we
have proceeded to the eesealt. The place is of -very great ex-
tent and surrounded by deep swamps and jungle, with a ditch ;
the sorties to three gated were strongly defended ; and on them
and the walls were more than 200 pieces of ordnance, ready for
service.
The garrison was reported •.1 consist of 10,000 of all classes,
of whom perhaps one-third were fighting men, of these 700
have surrendered with the Phokuns.
I have the honour to remit a return ef the ordnance, arms,
and military stores captured.
By the acquisition of Rungpore, I may now consider myself
in entire possession of Assam, and it is a source of great self-
gratulation to me, that that important point has been accom-
plished with ao little loss on our side, considering the means of
annoyance possessed by the enemy, in defending a country pe-
culiarly unfavourable to regular military operations.
My total dependence for supplies in the fleet, which is 20
miles distant (at the mouth of the Dikho River, novi not na-
vigable) would have rendered it impossible for me to proceed
farther under any circumstances, until the arrival of laed car-
riage from the provinces, and I therefore consider the prospect
of peaceable evacuation of the remaining portion of the country
as an object gained of the most vital importance, while the
possession of the capital secures a key to all points from whence
any future irruptions may be attempted from the eastward.
I have, &c.
A. RICHARDS, Lieut.-Colonel
Commanding in Assam.
Camp near Rungpore, 3d Feb. 1825.

Camp before Rungpore, Assam, Jan. 29, 1825.
General. Return of Killed, Wounded, and Missing, of the
Force under command of Lieut.-Colonel Richards, in action
with the enemy near Rungpore, on the 29th of January,
1825.

Head-quarters, near Rungpore, Jan. 29, 1825.
General Staff—Wounded—One Lieut.-Colonel and one
Lieutenant.
45th Regiment.,—Wounded—One havildar, four rank and
file, severely; one jemidar, two havildars, 21 rank and file,
slightly. -
57th Regiment.—Wounded--Eleven rank and file, severely;
1 subadar, I havildar, and 7 rank and file, slightly.
Rungpore Light Infantry.—Killed—Two rank and file.
Names of Officers Wounded.—Lieutenant-Colonel A. Ri-
chards (slightly), commanding the force; Lieut. J. Brook( se-
verely, not dangerously), Sub-Assistant Commissary-General.
(Signed) R. BA YLDON,
Return of Ordnance, &c., captured at the Stockade and forti-
fied Tank near Rungpore, on the 29th of January, 1825, by
the Force under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Richards :
Brass guns—One two-pounder.
Iron guns—Three two-pounders and 19 swivels.
Iron balls, of sizes-250.
(Signed) R. G. BEDINGFELD,
Lieutenant Commanding Artillery Detachment.
Published by order of the Right Lion. the Governor-General
in Council,
GEORGE SWINTON, Secretary to Government.

(From the Government Gazette of last night.)
OFFICIAL.

Political Department, Feb. 25, 1825.
The following extract of a dispatch from the agent to the
Governor-General on the N. E. Frontier of Bengal, with
copies of its enclosures, are herewith published for general in-
formation.

Extract of a Dispatch from David Scott, Esq., to the Secretary
to Government, in the Secret and Political Department,
dated Kulliabur, 9th February, 1825.
I have the honour to forward for the information of the Right
Honourable the Governor-General in Council, copies cl
dispatches received from Lieut.-Colonel Richards, together
with copies of the correspondence alluded to in the 7th and Bth
paragraphs of that Officer's letter to the address of Captain
Shuldb am.

To D. Scott, Esq., Agent to the Governor-General.

N. E. Frontier.

Sir,—l have the honour to enclose for your information the
accompanying documents relative to the surrender of the fort
of Rungpore. t have, &c.
(Signed) A. RICHARDS, Lieut.-Col.
Corng. in Assam.
Camp near Rungpore, Feb. 4, 1825.

To Captain Shuldliam, Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General.
Eastern Division.
_

Sir—ln continuation of my dispatch of the 29th ult., I have
the honour to acquaint you for the information of Brigadier-
General Shuldham, commanding eastern division of the army,
that on the moon setting, on the morning of the 39th, the ene-
my in small parties came out and attacked the picquets, but
were soon compelled to retire, with the loss on our side of two
sentries killed, and op their part, as far a$ is known, of ope
roan killed.

The firing from the fort continued during the whole of the
night and morning at intervals; but as they had not the range
of our camp, I did not return a shot, as the place is too exten-
sive to have made any great impression, and our supply of
ammunition being but small, I was anxious to reserve it for the
day of attack.

! About 10 o'clock on the morning of the 30th, a flag of truce
was seen couling from the fort. and I sent out Captain Bay'-
. don, M. 13., and Lieut. Nettfville, Deputy Assistant Quarter-
master-General, to receive it.
Those Officers having met the Herald and conducted him to
the outer picquet, reported to me that he represented himself
to be a native of Ceylon, by name Durrnadur Bhurtnacharee,
many years resident in Bengai and the Eastern Islands, in the
employment of various well-known public servants, and con-
versant with our manners and customs, at present Raj Gooroo
or chief priest to the Saum and Burmese Authorities in Assam,
and an :rccredited messenger from Saum and Baglee Phokuns
to me.

(Signed)

General Order by the Right !I onourable the Governor-General-

in-Council.

• Fort William, 2rith Feb. 1325.
A royal salute and three volleys of musketry to be fired at all
the stations of the land forces in the East Indies, in honour of
the surrender to the forces under Lieutenant. Colonel A.
Richards, of the fort and capital of the kingdom of Assam, the
expulsion of the Burmese from that country, and its entire sub-
jugation by the British arms.
By command of the Right Honourable the Governor-General
in Council, GEO. SWINTON,
Secretary to the Government.

• [Extracts from various Calcutta Papers.
SIAM ANI) PEG IT. —We have seen a variety of letters from
the southern seat of war, handed to us by the kindness of
friends, and we notice them, as all corroborating the view we
are inclined to take, that a fairer prospect of success now pre-
sents itself than at an former period of the contest. The Pe-
guers are coming in in great numbers, and a party had been
dispatched in boats to Elephant Point, to transport them to
Rangoon. The Siamese arc likewise deserting the standard of
Ara in numbers, tired of conscriptions, and harassed by the
measures of their Burmah lords. In short, a complete disor-
gatization of the Ava power, in that part of the empire, seems
to be at length taking place, in consequence of our pertinacity
in retaining our position at Rangoon under all its disad-
vantageE,
ARA cm.t.—Letters from the eastward state, that the enemy
had stockaded the entrance of the Atscats river, and planted
guns for its defence against our naval force, under orders of
Commodore Haves. The Commodore had dispatched some
light vessels to take the soundings in this river, that the flotilla
may proceed up to the capital with as little delay as possible,
no doubt being entertained of our being able to drive the Bur-
mese from their stockades with great ease. It is said that the
stockade at Laudhung, destroyed by Colonel Richards, was
very strong, and capable of containing 4,000 men.—(John
Bull, Feb. 25.)
_ _

I accordingly directed him to be admitted under the usual
forms or precaution.
After his introduction, he said that he was deputed by the
Phokuns to inquire what were the objects of our present advance
upon Rungpore ; to which I replied that my instructions were
to clear the country of Assam of all opposing forces, and to oc-
cupy it on tile part of the British Government, for the protec-
tion of the inhabitants ; that I was surprised at the question,
since I conceived the Phokuns must have heen already apprised
of our intentions by Mr. Scott's (A.G.G.) communication in
reply to tieirs.
The Guoroo expressing his total ignorance of the receipt by
the Phokuns of Mr. Scott's letter, I explained the general te-
nour of the contents, which he promised faithfully to deliver to
the Phokuns, and to return in the course of the clay with their
reply. I also wok the opportunity of bringing forward a mes-
senger of the Phokuns returning with dispatches from Mr.
Scott, who had arrived in camp the same morning, and of de-
livering the letters to the Gooroo for transmission to the
Phokuns.

We have seen letters from Mungdoo of the 14th instant.—
Brigadier Richards was to remain there until the bullock-s, suf-
ficient to convey three weeks' supplies to the army, should cross
the Naar; and it was not expected that Aracan would be
reached so early as we had been led to suppose.—( Ibid.)
CACHAR.—The force under Brigadier-General Shttldham
in,Cachar appears to he tr,aking some progress, although des-
tined to encounter very formidable difficulties. Munnipore
is the point in the enemy's country un which it is bearing,
and by the last accounts the troops were distant front this
place about 120 miles, and the very near approach already
effected towards this frontier cannot fail to distract the atten-
tion of the Burmese, more especially as they must have con-
sidered the route from Bengal to Munnipoor altogether im-
practicable. It is said, however, that a body of pioneers had
penetrated to within 24 miles of Munipore. Ilow far the
Zumroo river, which passes Munnipore, aflbrds water enough
for navigable purposes, we I•ave no means of knowing; but
after it forms a junction with the Ningtee, it is probable it
becomes navigable for small vessels in the rainy season. It is
then called the Kyanduavn river, anti falls into the Erawuddy,
between 70 and SO miles below Untrapoora, and about the same
distance above Sumbewnghewn, the point to which we suppose
General Morrison's force is destined. The direct distance,
however, from Munnipore to Ifinrapoora may be about 200
Calcutta John Bull, Feb. 23.)
(Front the Calcutta Gov.7rnment Gazette, Feb. 24.)
By the Adrian, from Rangoon, the 4th instant, some curious
and interesting information respecting occurrences in that quar-
ter has been received. The following extracts may be consi-
dered demi-official:_...

RANGOON', „lAN. 31.—The enemy, we are led to suppose,
is in fall force at Lying and Pentang, and at these places our
first rencontre will take place. Many and strange are the re-
ports upon the state of affairs higher up the river. Bundoola
is said to maintain a sullen and suspicious attitude in the Man-
gos Grove at I)enobew, and to be busily employed in repairing
an old fort, near the village; whilst Moun-shoe-za is encamped
in his immediate front with 20,000 men, vainly endeavouring
to gain access to the fallen Chief, who, doubtful of his country-
man's sincerity, or dreading his Sovereign's resentment, will
hold no coniniunieation with any one not living within the pale
of his own defences, and will not even receive or listen to the
friendly protestations of Moun-shoe-za's emissaries. Should
such a state of affairs actually exist, we must of course soon
reap advantage from it.
"Our accounts from the eastward are most satisfactory.—
The 'country towns and villages enjoy profound tranquillity,
and the frontier Chiefs of Siam seem well-disposed to respect
our occupation of the conquered provinces. An embassy of
Taliens (the ancient Peguers) who have lived under the pro-
tection of the Siamese Government, is now on its way from
Alartaban, to confer with the British General at Rangoon.—
They denominate themselves the representatives of the most
degraded and humbled country in the world, who, at this im-
portant juncture, wish to assert their ancient rights, and who
have an arm of 5,000 men ready at the word of the Itritish
General, to enter the territory of their cruel and implacable foe,
and revenge the slaughter of their fathers and grandfathers.—
They state that they come with the full sanction and approba-
tion of his Siamese Majesty, who they declare is also ready to
act in conjunction with the British, should such be their wish,
by ordering a corps of obserVation of 30,000 men, now stationed
upon the Burman frontier, to move upon any given
point in
the enemy's dominions.
" Here matters are gradually assuming a more favourable
appearance. Since yesterday no fewer than 500
people, men,
women and children, have come into Rangoon, and thrown
themselves upon our mercy. Their example will be followed
by the mass of the population, the instant escape can be ef-
fected.
" 2.d Feb.—The Siamese, there is reason to think, will now

These proved to be the delayed communication above ad-
verted to.

Within the period stipulated in the armistice, the Gooroo
returned, stating that he had not met with any opportunity of
delivering the letters privately, which it was necessary to do,
to avoid the jealous suspicions of the numerous conflicting
factions into which the enemy were divided ; that he had every
reason to believe the two great chiefs Saum and Baglee Phu-
kuns to be unanimous and disposed to enter into treaty with
us; that he trusted much to his own sacred influence over
them and all the others, to bring matters to an amicable ad-
justment; and requested a continuance of the truce till the
morrow. He also asked for sonic definite explanation of our
wishes.

To this I acceded, adding, that he was authorised to say to
the Phokuns, that if they decided on making terms of alliance
with us, I was ready to meet them ; if on fighting, I was
equally ready ; and if they wished to retire out of Assam into
their own country, I was willing to permit them to do so, pro-
vid.:Al that they took the direct route, committed no ravages
on the road, and carried away none of the inhabitants now in
tt:eir possessions, by compulsion. To this latter alternative I
was induced, by finding from the Goroo the impracticability of
a plan proposed by me to separate the two factions by ad-
mitting the friendly-disposed portion to the benefit of terms,
provided they would come over and abandon the others to
their fate in a continuance of hostilities with us. This lie de-
clared impossible, since the latter considerably preponderated in
strength over the former, though headed by the Chiefs, and
that the slightest suspicion of such an inclination would entail
bloodshed and destruction, not only on their families here, but
in their own country. I was aiso compelled reluctantly to re-
flect on the total want of means in my power to prevent their
escape, or to pursue them, in which case all hope of rescuing
the captive Assamese inhabitants must have been abandoned.
It was at the same time clearly pointed out to the Phokuns,
and understood by them, that any act of plunder or aggression
committed by the retiring party in progress through Assam, or
ID thaterriuries of out allies, would be t4113.1=0W3t tO AD i4t.