The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-11 00:00:00

and the destruction of so many of their forts, will be pro-
ductive of the most beneficial effects.—l have, &c.

(Signed) G. POLLOCK, Major-General.
Commanding Troops West of Indus.
Camp, Jelialabad, July 29, 1842. •
FROM MAJOR-GENERAL POLLOCK, C. 8., TO MAJOR-GEN-
. ERAL LUMLEY, ADJUTANT-GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

Sir—l have the honour to forward for the information
of his Excellency the Commander in Chief a copy of a
letter, dated Camp Mazeena, 27th instant, from Brigadier
Monteath, C. 8., commanding the troops in the Shinwaree
Valley, together with copies of the documents to which it
refers. Although the loss of the enemy on this occasion
has not been stated by Brigadier Monteath, I have every
reason to be from authentic sources, it has been
considerablel'One of the chiefs, Shadoo, had a nephew
and a first cousin killed in the action, and another chief,
Hoosain, also lost a son.

The enemy were busily employed during the afternoon
of the 26th in burying their dead, and on the day subse-
quent to the engagement the Shinwaree chiefs sent into
camp to express their willingness to pay the revenue.—
I have, &c.

(Signed) G. POLLOCK, Major-General.
FROM BRIGADIER MONTEATH, C. 8., COMMANDING FIELD
FORCE, TO CAPTAIN PONSONBY, ASSISTANT ADJUTANT •
GENERAL.

• Camp, Mazeena, July 27, 1842.
Sir—l have the honour of addressing you to state for
the information of Major-General Pollock' C. 8., that in
accordance with the intention expressed by me in my
letter of the 24th inst., I marched out yesterday morning
at daylight to attack the enemy with the following troops
and guns :
Five 9-pounders, one 24-pounder howitzer, 50 Sappers
and Miners, one squadron lgt Light Cavalry, seven com-
panies her Majesty's 31st Regiment, seven companies
33d N. 1., seven companies 53d N. 1., and Ferris's corps of
Jezailchees.

As the road into the enemy's country was nearly im-
practicable for loaded animals, and we must have lost a
great many camels had. I attempted to move with our
baggage, I resolved on returning to my present position
after the operations I had in view had been concluded ;
therefore, having compressed the camp as much as pos-
sible by striking a portion of it, and collecting the tents
and baggage on one spot, I left it in charge of Major
Hewitt, 33d Regiment, with the following trolps:—
. Two companies of her Majesty's 31st Regiment, ditto
33d Native Infantry, ditto 53d Native Infantry, two
squadrons of light cavalry, 50 Jezailchees, and 100 of
Torabaz Khan's men.

On the troops gaining the left ridge of the Shinwaree
Valley, which was the most practicable, the enemy re-
tired out of their forts, and I detached Lieutenant
Beecher, of the corps of Engineers, with the sappers and
miners, to set fire to them. which he did in succession up
to the fort of Secunder Khan, at the head of the valley,
the force moving parallel along the ridge for the protec-
tion of the party. Thus, at one time the interiors of 35
forts were in a blaze along the valley, the enemy con-
templating the scene from the heights in the vicinity of
Secunder Khan's fort, where they had taken positions,
and from whence they were driven in gallant style by the
advance, consisting of the Light and two battalion com-
panies of her Majesty's 31st regiment.
At this moment the guns, having been brought into
position by Captain Abbott, opened a fro of shrapnell
shells upon them, which did considerable exectition, and
so disconcerted iem, that parties left the field altogether
and never returned. _ _

Having effected everything in the way of destruction,
I caused two companies of the 53d Regiment to be ex-
tended along a ridge below that from whence the ad-
vance had driven the enemy, and of which it remained
in possession. In rear of the companies of the 53d a com-
pany of the 33d was extended along the top of another
ridge, and in the rear of that company, on a higher
ridge, two guns were placed in position, to aid in cover•
ing the retirement of the advance from the enemy, who
were all ready to attack them, as soon as they should
commence their descent from the heights. On these ar-
rangements being completed, the recal was sounded to
the advance, and. I am happy to say, the whole joined
the main body, without a single casualty occurring.
Major Skinner's party being exceedingly fatigued, for
the heat had been excessive and the labour great, I di-
rected them to fall in with the main column, and ordered
out two companies from each of the three regiments to
cover our retrogression homewards. These were formed
into two parties, and extended across the ridge in two
lines of skirmishers. In rear of the second line I placed
tilo guns, with a company of her Majesty's 31st Regi-
ment flanking each of them, also a party of forty cavalry,
and a line of skirmishers was thrown out along the
whole right flank of the coltimn to the edge of the ridge
(where the ground from its broken character was most
favourable for the enemy), and which communicated
with the rear line of the covering force placed under the
command of Lieutenant-Colonel Bolton, of her Majesty's
31st Regiment, at his own solicitation.
In this order we retired seven miles and a-half over as
bad a road as can well, be supposed, and although I had
anticipated loss and great annoyance from the enemy
throughout the march, yet it seemed as if they had had
enough, as their attacks were languid and remarkably
cautious throughout, and I am rejoiced to say, that at
half-past three p.m. we arrived in camp wahout loss or
injury of any kind.
It gives me great pleasure to record the zealous con-
duct of the troops generally, and the cheerful and praise-
worthy manner in which the soldiers of her Majesty's
31st Regiment laboured to drag the guns up such places
as the horses, notwithstanding their unequalled qualities,
were incapable of doing.
Herewith I beg to enclose Major Skinner's report, and
I can myself bear ample testimony to the gallant con-
duct of himself, and those under his command, and I
should be unjust were I not to say that the conduct of
Captain Ferris; his native commandant, Hyder Ali, and
the whole corps ofjezailchees was highly distinguished.
My thanks are are very justly due to Lieutenant-Co-
lonel Bolton, her Majesty's 31st. Regiment, for the able
manner in which he conducted the duties of coveting- the
retirement of the force, and particularly so to Major
Skinner, for the zealous and gallant manner in which be
led the advance against the enemy ;—to Captain Ferris,
for the gallant manner in which, with his corps of Jezail-
chees, he drove the enemy from their position on the
heights ;—to Captain Abbott and Lieutenant Dawes, for
the very successful practice of the guns ;—to Lieutenant
Beecher, for the zealous and satisfactory manner in which
he, with the detachment of Sappers and Miners, con-
structed a road for the guns, and fired the enemy's forts
in the valley ; and to Lieutenant Lugard, her Majesty's
31st Regiment, Major of Brigade ; Lieutenant Mayne,
Assistant-Quartermaster-General ; Captain Lloyd, Sub-
Assistant-Cotnmissary-General ; and Captain Robert-
son, Field Engineer, for the assistance afforded me by
them in the field

I have also to express my thanks to Captain M‘Gregor,
Political Agent, who, when the opportunity offered itself,
served with the guns.
Inclosed is a return of killed and wounded of the force
employed, and one of ammunition expended.—l have, &c.,
T. MONTEATH, Brigadier, Command-
ing the Field Force.
FROM MAJOR SKINNER TO BRIGADIER MONTEATH, C.Bi
Camp Mazeena, 27th July, 1842.

Sir—l have the honour to report to you, that when
the advance guard, composed of the following details,
viz. :—the eight light companies of the brigade, with two
battalion companies of her Majesty's 31st Regiment, and
the corps of Jezaikhees, reached the crest of the ridge
over which the main column was moving abotu, eight
o'clock A.M., I observed the enemy posted in small bodies
upon the different heights and ridges in my front, while
several parties occupied gardens and broken walls at the
foot of the line of hills I was upon, above the valley on
the right hand.
A sharp fire was opened upon the line of skirmishers,
who quickly advanced and drove the enemy off. The
corps of Jezailchees swept the front, the left hills were
cleared by the light company of the 31st Foot ; and the
light company of the 33d Native Infantry on the right
skirmished throughout that part of the valley nearest the
ridge : the remaining companies were in Support. We
advanced to Secunder Khan's Fort " Muriaz" over very
broken and difficult country, with.frequent descents and
ascents, the enemy sometimes keeping up a good fire, but
always abandoning the lines of heights as we ascended,
and falling back to others. I halted at Secunder Khan's
Fort, from which a few shots were fired as we advanced,
when it was evacuated.

This fort hangs over a narrow valley on the right
hand, fields of rice in many parts of it now under water.
A narrow stony ridge in the midst of this valley was
occupied by the enemy, and commanded the post among
trees at the foot of the fort, which I wished to hold ; the
enemy
eebssasunder
was
krnydet
ortsooc
aon
Captain
tidri
drive
driven
higher
eetrhn o
Ferris
epmeff i;tch,it
ne
fhrivosfirstemry wasNgv parthodoiocdhno
done by
style,itbth etrchwi
became
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izaiael
ils
ido.
fenehelcel
it till withdrawn. At the head of the valley in which we
now were, stands a high hill with a fort upon its summit,
a considerable distance off. All the ridges from which
the enemy had been driven appear to draw to a point at
this fort, and their retreat was always towards it.
Alany men were collected there, and large parties
were sent out to my right ; this induced me to draw the
companies of the 31st Foot on the left, nearer to me.
The enemy soon appearing on the summit of a hill
above my left, however, I sent one company of the 31st
Regiment to drive him away and occupy the hill. This
duty was remarkably well performed by Captain Mar-
shall, of her Majesty's 31st Regiment, whose company
was employed upon it. The enemy retreated with some
loss, and took up another position under cover of a
sungah or breastwork of stone within shot. He was
driven from it with great gallantry by Lieut. A.l.llveen,
of the 31st Regiment, and a party of No. 7 Company of
that corps. Lieut. M'llveen, a very promising young
officer indeed, was, I regret to say, killed in this assault
upon the sungah.
A narrow valley of rice fields, completely swamped,
separated the ridge, on which my right was, from two
small forts ; a garden at one end of the rice valley below
the ridge towards the first of the two forts was held by
the light company of the 33d Native Infantry ; the
enemy descended rrom a high line of sand hills, and
occupying these two forts, annoyed my position a good
deal. He was driven from them by the light company and
Part of No. 6 of the 31st Regiment, who had no other
ground to advance on but the narrow ridges that di-
vided the terraces of rice ; they moved along these under
a sharp fire, and drove the enemy from his position. I
occupied these forts, and leaving Brevet Major Urmston,
of the 31st Regiment, in command of the post, ceased
from further operations. None of the forts I have men-
tioned were tenable by the enemy, the walls were
breached in many places by the earthquake in February
last. When I was ordered to fall back on the main body,
about half-past one P.M., Major Urmston retired in good
order (followed at a distance by the enemy, who had
fired constantly into the forts when we occupied them)
h e having
left
tsheetmfi.r e t o
overthe vtihnea
gdeistfiNcvui
tlht
ng ground bed
obefohri ntsd
The advance guard, being collected together above
b ehfiomr
Seconder Khan's fort, joined the main column. I have
great pleasure in assuring you that, during several hours
of the most active operations over the difficult country