The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-07 00:00:00

THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S ARMY.
FROM HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL SIR H. GOUGH,
BA RT., G. C.8.L., COMM A NDER.IN.CHIEF, EAST

INDIES.
To TIE RIGHT HON. THE GOVEKNOR-GENERAL,
Ilead Quarters, Camp, before Gwalior,
4th of January, 1844.
My Lord,—Your Lordship having witnessed the operations of
the 29th, and being in possession, from my frequent communica-
tions, of my military arrangements for the attack on the Mahratta
army, in its strong position of Chonda, I do not feel it necessary
to enter much into detail, either as to the enemy's position or the
dispositions I made for attacking it, I shall here merely observe,
that it was peculiarly v ell chosen and most obstinately defended;
indeed, I may safely assert, that I never witnessed guns better
served, nor a bcdy of infantry apparently more devoted to the pro-
tection of their regimental guns, held by the Mahratta corps as ob.

jects of worship.
previously communicated to your Lordship, that my inten-
tion was to have turned the enemy's left flank by Brigadier
Cureton's brigade of cavalry, consisting of her Majesty's 16th
Lancers, under Lieutenant-Colonel M`Dowell, your Lordship's
body-guard, under Captain Dawkins, Ist Regiment of Light Ca.
valry, under Major Cron-nent), C. 8., 4th Irregular Cavalry under
Major Oldfield, C. 8., with Major Lane's and Major Alexander's
troops of Horse Artill:;ry, under Brigadier Gowan ; the whole
under the orders of Major.Gencral Sir J. Thackwell, K.C.B. and
KJ", commanding the cavalry division.
With this force the 3d Brigade of Infantry, under Major.
General Valiant, K. H., was directed to co-operate, consisting of
her Majesty's 40th Regiment of Foot, under Major Stopford, 2d
Regiment of Grenadiers, under Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton, and
the 16th Regiment of Grenadiers, under Lieutenant-Colonel

M`Laren, C. B.
It is equally known to your Lordship that I purposed to have
attacked the centre with Brigadier Stacey's brigade of the '2d divi.
sion of Infantry, which consisted of the 14th Regiment Native
Infantry, under Lieut.. Col. Gairdner, the 31st Native Infantry
under Lieut.-Col. Weston, and the 43d Light Infantry under
Major Nash, to which was attached No. 17 Light Field Battery
under Captain Browne ; the whale under Major- General Dennis,

commanding the 2d division of Infantry.
This force was to have been supported by Brigadier Wright's
Brigade, composed of her Majesty's 39th Regiment, commanded by
Major Bray, and the 56th Native Infantry, under Major Dick,
with No. 10 Light Field Battery under Brevet-Major Sanders ;
Major. General Littler, commanding the 3d division of Infantry,

superintended the movement of this column.
On the left of this force I placed the 4th Brigade of Cavalry
under Brigadier Scott, C. 8., of her Majesty's 9th Lancers, consist-
ing of the 4th Light Cavalry (Lancers) under Major Mactier, and
the 10th Light Cavalry under Lieutcnant•Celonel Pope, with
Captain Grant's troops of Horse Artillery ; with this force I pro.
posed threatening the right flank of the enemy's position.
Your Lordship is aware of the extreme difficulty of the country,
intersected by deep and almost impassable ravines, which were

. .
only made practicable by the unremitting labour of Major Smith
with the sappers, and that I had to pass the Koharce river in
three columns, at considerable distances, on the morning of the
29th ; but, the judicious movements of their respective leaders,
the whole were in their appointed positions by 8 o'clock A. , about
a mile in front of Maharajpoor.

I found the Mahrattas had occupied this very strong position
during the previous night by seven regiments of infantry, with
their guns, which they entrenched, each corps having four guns,
which opened on our advances. This obliged me to alter in some

measure my disposition.
Major-General Littler's column being exactly in front of Maha-
rajpoor, I ordered it to advance direct, while Major-General
Valiant's brigade took it in reverse both supported by Major.

General Dennis's column and the two light field batteries.
Your Lordship must have witnessed with the same pride and
pleasure that I did the brilliant advance of these columns under
their respective leaders, the European and native soldiers appearing
emulous to prove their loyalty and devotion ; and here I must do
justice to the gallantry of their opponents, who received the
shock without flinching, their guns doing severe execution as
we advanced ; but nothing could withstand the rush of British
soldiers.

Her Majesty's 39th Foot, with their accustomed dash, ably sup-
ported Gy the 56th Regiment Native Infantry, drove the enemy
from their guns into the village, bayonetting the gunners at their
posts. Here a most sanguinary conflict ensued ; the Mahratta
troops, after discharging their matchlocks, fought sword in hand
with the most determined courage.
General Valiant's brigade, with equal enthusiasm, took Maharaj.
poor in reverse, and 28 guns were captured by this combined move-
ment ; so desperate was the resistance, that very few of the de-
fenders of this very strong position escaped. During these opera-
tions, Brigadier Scott was opposed by a body of the enemy's cavalry
on the extreme left, and made some well executed charges with
the 10th Light Cavalry, most ably supported by Captain Grant's
troop of horse Artillery and 4th Lancers, capturing some guns
and taking two standards, thus threatening the right flank of the
enemy.
In conformity with the previous instructions, Major-General
Valiant, supported by the 3d Cavalry Brigade, moved on the right
of the enemy's position at Chonda. During the advance Major.
General Valiant had to take, in succession, three strong intrenched
positions, where the enemy defended their guns with frantic despe-
ration ; her Majesty's 40th Regiment losing two successive corn.
manding officers, Major Stopford and Captain Coddington, who fell
wounded at the very muzzles of the guns, and capturing four regi-
mental standards. This corps was ably and nobly supported by
the 2d Grenadiers, who captured two regimental standards, and by
the 10th Grenadiers, under Lieutenant-Colonels Hamilton and
M`Laren ; too much praise cannot be given to these three regiments.
Major-General Littler, with Brigadier Wright's brigade, after
dispersing the rightof the enemy's position at Maharajpoor, steadily
advanced to fulfil his instructions of attacking the main position at
Chonda, in front, supported most ably by Captain Grant's troop of
Horse Artillery, and the Ist Regiment of Light Cavalry ; this
column had to advance under a very severe fire, over a very diffi.
cult ground, but is hen within a short distance, again the rush of
the 39th Regiment, as before, under Major Bray, gallantly sup.
ported by the 56th Regiment, under Major Dick, carried every.
thing before Wens, and thus gained the intrenched main position
of Chonda. In this charge, the 39th Regiment lest the services
of its brave commanding officer, Major Bray, who was desperately
wounded by the blowing up of one of the enemy's tumbrils in the
midst of the corps, and were ably brought out of action by Major
Straubenzee. This gallant corps on this occasion captured two regi-
mental standards.
A small work of four guns, on the left of this position, was long
and obstinately defended, but subsequently carried, and the guns
captured by the Grenadiers of the 39th, under Captain Campbell,
admirably supported by a wing of the 50th Native Infantry, under
Major Phillips.
Brigadier Cureton's brigade of cavalry taking advantage of
every opportunity, manceuvred most judiciously on the right, and
would have got in rear of the positions, and cut off the retreat of
the whole, had they not been prevented by an impassible ravine.
I witnessed with much pride the rapidity of movement of the
three troops of Horse Artillery, which bore a conspicuous part
in this well-contested action ; their leaders prominently brought
them forward in every available position, and the precision of
their fire was admirable. With the two light field batteries I have
every reason to be pleased; they well supported the high character
of the Bengal Artillery.
I was greatly gratified with a spirited charge made by Major Old-
field, C. 8., of the 4th Irregular Cavalry, who had been left to cover
Major Alexander's troop of Horse Artillery, and who charged by
my orders a considerable body of the enemy's infantry, who were
moving off front the right position of Maharajpoor, Two guns and
tss o standards rewarded this, charge.
I was likewise much pleased with a charge made by my personal
escort, under Cornet Stannus, which did great credit to himself and
the small body of the sth Light Cavalay which formed it.
Several acts cf individual heroism occurred on this day: none
exceeded those of Major-General Churchill, C. 8., Quartermaster-
General of her Majesty's Forces in India, and Captain Somerset
of the Grenadier Guards, your Lordship's Military Secretary,
whom you kindly allowed to act on my staff, and whom I sent with
Brigadier Cureton's brigade to communicate to me the movements
of that corps. The two gallant officers nobly fell, having received
several wounds in personal rencontre. In Major-General Churchill
her Majesty's service will experience a great loss : he died during
the night, after amputation of the leg ; but I am glad to add there
is every hope that Captain Somerset will do well, though severely
wounded.
I regret to say that our loss has been very severe, infinitely be-
yond what I calculated on; indeed I did not do justice to the gal-
lantry of my opponents. Their force however so greatly exceeded
ours, particularly in artillery, the position of their guns was so
commanding, they were so well served, and determinedly de-
fended, both by their gunners and their infantry, and the peculiar
difficulties of the country giving the defending force so great ad-
vantages, that it could not be otherwise.
In the return of killed I have greatly to deplore the loss of Lieu-
tenant-Colonel E. Sanders, C. 8., of the Engineers, than whom this
army, with its numerous list of devoted soldiers, could not boast
a more enthusiastic officer.
It is also my painful duty to record my deep regret at the loss
of a most valuable officer, Major Crommelin, C. 8., of the Ist Light
Cavalry, who died of wounds received when nobly leading his
corps in support of the sth Brigade of Infantry.
Your Lordship is aware that I had collected a strong force in
Bundlecund, under Majar-General J. Grey, C. 8., to co-operate
with me, and that both corps crossed the Sindean frontiers from
the north-cast and south-west at the same time. It may, there-
fore, be necessary here to observe, that on finding that all your
Lordship's strenuous attempts to maintain those friendly relations
which had hitherto existed between the two Governments were
fruitless, and that the Mahratta army, the ruling power, appeared
determined to rest the fate of their country on the hazard of a
general action, I instructed Major-General Grey, with the troops
under his command, to push as rapidly as practicable to Funnier,
12 miles south-west of Gwalior ; thus placing the Mahratta army
between two corps capable of supporting each other, should it re-
main in the vicinity of its capital, or ofssubdividing that army to
repel or attack these two columns. They adopted the latter alter.
native, and, under Divine guidance, the consequence has been
most decisive and honourable to the British arms.
I beg now to enclose Major-General Grey's report, detailing his
movements and operations, which were as creditable to this meri-
torious officer as the result nas proved highly honourable to the
brave troops under his command; and I beg earnestly to draw your
Lordship's favourable attention to their conduct, and to the recom.
mendations of Major. General Grey.
I beg also to bring under your Lordship's notice the several officers
named by those in command of the separate columns. In this list
I shall not re-name those whom it is my intention to bring to your
Lordship's favourable consideration as commanding divisions and
brigades, and on the staff, at the conclusion of this report.
Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, commanding the cavalry
division, mentions having received every assistance from Captain
Pratt, 16th Lancers, Assistant-Adjutant-Genet al; Captain Clayton,
4th Light Cavalry, Assistant Quartermaster-General, and Lieut.
Pattinson, 16th Lancers, Brigade-Major of cavalry; Lieut.
Cowell, 3d Light Dragoons, Aide-de-Camp and Captain Herries,
3d Light Dragoons, your Lordship's Aide-de-Camp, who acted as
Aide-de-Camp to Sir J. Thackwell on this occasion, and Lieut.
Benny, of the Engineers, attached to the cavalry division.
Major-General Dennis mentions having derived every assistance
from Captain M`Kie, of her Majesty's 3d Buffs, Assistant- Adju-
tant. General ; Lieutenant Sneyd, 57th Native Infantry, Acting
Deputy. Assistant-Quartermaster. General of the 2d Division of
Infantry; and Lieutenant Dowman, of her Majesty's 40th Foot,
Acting Aide-de-Camp.
Major-General Littler strongly brings to notice Major Bray,
commanding the 39th Regiment (severely wounded), and Major
Straubcnzee, of her Majesty's 39th Regiment ; Majors Dick and
Phillips, 56th Native Infantry; Major Ryan, of her Majesty's
50th Regiment ; Captain Nixon, of her Majesty's 39th Regiment ;
Brigade-Major Captain Campbell, of her Majesty's 39th Grenadier
Company; Captain Graves, of 16th Grenadiers, Assistant- Adju.
tant-General ; and Lieutenant Croker, her Majesty's 39th Regi.
ment, Assistant Quartermaster-General, sth Brigade of Infantry;
Captain Harris, 70th Native Infantry, his Aide-de Camp; and
Captain Alcock, 46th ; Captain Johnston, 46th; and Lieutenant
Vaughan, 21st Native Infantry, acting Aide-de-Camp.
Major-General Valiant has also strongly brought to my notice
the conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel ISPLaren, C. 8., 16th Grena-
diers, Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton, 2d Grenadiers, Major Stopford
and Captain Coddington (both severely wounded), and Captain Oli-
ver, successively commanding her Majesty's 40th Regiment, Captain
Manning, 16th Grenadiers, Captain Young, 2d Grenadiers, Bri.
gade.Major Captain Abercrombie, Engineers, and Lieut. Nelson,
her Majesty's 40th Foot, his Aide-de-Camp.
Brigadier Gowan strongly recommends Captain WDonald, De-
puty-Assistant Adjutant. General of Artillery.
Although it was not their good fortune to come into actions, I feel
it due to Brigadier Tennant, and the officers and men of the Foot
Artillery, to express my thanks for the great exertions they made
to bring up the heavy ordnance, which alone was prevented from
opening on Maharajpoor by the rapidity of the movement of the
attacking columns, and from the action having commenced earlier
than I expected. My thanks are likewise due to Brigadier Riley,
and that portion of the 6th Brigade of Infantry which formed the
rear guard, for the manner in which he protected and brought for-
ward the immense train of provisions and baggage which accom-
panied the army over so great an extent of the enemy's country.
I have thus, my Lord, attempted to detail a seriev of move!