Star.
London, England, 1815-11-13 00:00:00

INDIA.

CALCUTTA GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY,
THURSDAY, MAY 11.
FORT WILLIAM, MAY I i.
The Honourable the Vice-President in Council has
the highest satisfaction in publishing, for general in-
formation, the following letter and its enclosures,
from Major-General Ochtetiony, dated the 17th ult.
containing a detailed report of the combined opera-
tions, directed by that able and gallant oificer, against
the enemy's fortified position on the MaLiven range
of mountains, on the 14th and 15th of April, which
terminated in the establishment of the British troops
on that range; the evacuation by the enemy of Soornj-
gurth and all the dependent southern stockades, and
in his complete repulse and defeat on the mornoig of
the 16th, after a desperate attempt, directed by the
Goorklia Commander in person, to carry by assault
the position occupied by the reserve under Lime-
nant-Colonel Thompson.
66 LIEGTENANT.CILONEL FAGAN, ADJUTANT•GENERAL.
66 SIN—I hid the honour to send you by express,
a plan of my intended operations for the night of the
14th, and morning of the 15th, together with a
briet account of the repulse of the enemy in a most
daring and desperate attack on the position of Lieu-
tenant Colonel Thompson.
" To that sketch, and the general memorandum
to officers in command of columns, I must beg leaqv
to refer his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief for
an elucidation of the following detail :
66 On the night of the 14th, two companies of
light infantry, under the command of Lieutenants
Fleming and Grant, of the 19th Native Regimen',
300 of the Hindoor Rajah's household troops, 300
of the Nussceree Coot khas, and about 3(10 of the
Molina Magra auxiliaries, marched from due viilagc
1 of Punjur, and about one o'clock gained the post
they were inte,lded to occupy between' Dab and the
first D:entlieel, without opposition, which was iin-
I tit2diately strengthened, as well as the time and cir-
cumstances could admit before morning. The pre.
concerted signal being given of the possession of that
post, it was answered from a *hill in the rear of my
camp, and the several columns moved down to the
(janitor-a, to proceed at dawn to the several points
laid down in my instructions.
" Toe columns under Lieutenant-Colonel Thomp-
son and Major Lawrie, gained the heights of tile
second Deentheel, almost at the same moment, and
having ascended in vety gallant style, were proceed.
ing along .the ridge to gain an advanced post, when
the head of the column (consisting of light infantry)
received a check, by a charge from the enemy, sword
in hand, which induced them to fall back on 'the
m tin body, by this time posted on the second Deen-
theel, and the ground thus lost we were not able to
regain in the course of that day. The enemy strongly
reinforcing their advanced body, were; able to give
us great annoyance, by sniping from the cover winch
the jungle afforded, and from behind the rocks b..-
tween the post and Manila Kite, whilst they were
unexposed to the snipers thrown out by Colonel
Thompson.
64 During the whole day the pioneers wete most
buiily employed in strengthening the post under Ilk
directions of • Lieutenant Hutchinson, Assistant-En-
gineer, and the orders of Lieutenant A 1 MS 11-,'ii g,'
whose indefatigable exertions I cannot snilicientiy
commend; but as the labour was vet y great, and
many of the pioneers, with Lieutenant 13.4g0t Once
dead,) welt: reported to be wounded, I requested the
Hindoor Rajah to collect every man he possibly
could, accustomed to labour, and dispatched them
to aid Lieutenant Armstrong in his laborious duties.
They were, 1 hope, of some use, and the Lieute
nant-Colonel's position. though not strong, was as
much strengthened as possible. Some false alarms
occurred in the course of the night, alluded to in
Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson's report ; and at the
earliest dawn of day, a most bold and desperate at-
tack was made by near 2,000 of the enemy on all
sides of the post, excepting Singe, which, after a
contest of more than two hours, and the death of
Bhugtee Tirappa, who led the attack, terminated in
the total repulse and defeat of the enemy with very
severe loss.
" Ummer Sing in person was at musket-shot dis-
tance, with a stand of colours, encouraging his mere.;
and
.to mention the impetuous courage of the enemy,
is only to bestow the due meed of praise on the con.
duct and valour of dime who resisted one of the most
daring ant impetuous assaults ever sustained.
" Lieutenant Cartwright, of the artillery, was left'
with only one man, wounded, and with that one man
secured his gun, whilst the other was manned by
Lieutenants Armstrong and Hutchinson, and two of
the pioneer serjeants.
' 64 Many instances of individual exertion and cou-
rage occurred both amongst the regulars and irregu-
lars, in this arduous contest ; and the conduct of the
latter, as being less expected, I shall consider it a
dirty to bring to his Excellency's notice in a separate
dispatch.
66 Major Innes's column moved from my own
camp, and proceeded in admirable order to the post,
already occupied by the night movement, whilst
Captain Hamilton shewed his judgment, where no
attack was intended, by moving very briskly under
the fire of the first Deentheel stockade to the same
•
point.
" As this point was found very limited, and very
strong, I was enabled to draw from it during the day
two companies of, grenadiers mid Captain Hamilton's

denchment, and by OM r "moot.
meat of 15t), and snlyegnently a company rrom the
2,1 Battalion 6tla Native Regiment to Lieutenant-
Coli,nel Th•impson.
It In the columns of .diversion under Ca: taint
Showers and B,,wyer, I have to xpr-ss inv entire ap•
prohatinn of the conduct of Captain yer And of
Denten int Rutledge, on %Orin, the cn.nmAnd de-
volved, and to Lament the loss of a rnr-,t zeal .rii,
brave, and excellent officer in Cii,tAin Sowc:.:, Who
fell gallantly, setting an ex impie of lior,ism to
men which might have hen of the utp,st impor•
tance, had not his death, in 4 mnst ctiticol moment,
staggered his troops, and given conti.letice to the
enemy.

" In mentioning the columns of division, I hope IL
may be Ile' mitted to indulge my personal f•elings„
in expri-ssinil ornaments of gratitude and obliga-
tion to Colonel Arnold, whop tinding tae Sirkh auxi-
liaries did nor arpt..tr, as ordered, to join Captain
Showers' column, strengthened it from the smart
body of regulars left to deiend his own position.
Hiving now given a brief and very inadeignate
detail of the operations of the I 4th, 1511 i, anti iiirb,
it only remains
.for n.e to express my aknowledg:
Pants to Lieutenant-Colonel "rhompson, in coin.
nand of the lint or principal column ; and or Major
Lawrie, fir the able and gallant nutinier in which
they conducted them to the heights of the seennd
Deentheel ; and to Lieutenant-Colonel Thompoii,
for the whole of his conduct from the time of his ar-
rival to the moment of the defeat of the enemy, a
long interval, in which the whole force were :aces•
sandy harassed by a concealed and galling fife, and
suffered the greatest inconvenience and privations
with a cheeifuluess and zeal, which, 1 am fully per.
suadvd, will ensure to all the officers and men the
strongest expression of his Excelleti.4's approbuirns.
My thanks are not less due to Major lanes and to
Captain H:imilton.

•"‘ Li:uten tnt Lawrie accompanied the night move.,
meat, and evinced his usual zeal and ioite,atigable
activity ; an.l it is to the intelligent mind. the dili-
gent enquiry, and personal observations of this
officer, that I feel indebted for the knowledge which
enabled me to have the oullines of a plan which has
been crowned wiih ii.:eit;,er, more important, and
earlier success, than my most inguine expect:stir:rig
had anticipated. a. the resift,. has terminated in the
evacts Won of the tort of Soarnjgurh, and all the sou-
thern dependent stockades. _ _ _

64 SOM" given catty in the evening in.
duced Lieutt-natit hlutray, in command of the this-
doorialis, ut stispcct this flight, and by a happy tore•
si;ht, in which he displayed equal judgment and
discretion, he placed liiinsett in a :siltation to obstruct
their retreat, tr, which 1:e was eminently successful,
and afforded an oppoe,,mity to the liitidoorialis to
manitcst an additional pro fof their devoiion to the
cause, by a displ ty of courage highly creditable.
66 Lieutenant ainbar, who was selected by Colonel
Arnold long since tor 'his particular acquaints:ice
with the language and customs fit the natives, has
on alt occasions obtained my ni-probation, aria nn the
lath, with a small bo‘it• of regulars and itregulArs,
was intendiid to form a carps of rebei-ve for the co-
lumns of division to retire on. but setti,:g the shanse-
ftil flight of the S;kli anaiiiaii.s, advitn..ea au.l iuttwd
Captain Bowyer. wilt) has noticed in II; rel,ol t the
good effect ot this movement, And his obligailns to
Lieutenant Dtiobar.

Having :n an early p.trt of this Teri.: 11.1 d occa•
sine to mention the conduct d Lieutenants Arttistrtong
and Hutchinson, it is perhaps hardly nr.:essary
s.ty, that the smut zeal and the same activity were
shewn in strengthening. the position. and claim my
best tittuks.

.• ietith I 14.ive the honour to um: quit returns
of the killed, v..oundvd, and missing, during these
cninhimd ..per.stiiins end nine:men:s.

WO..tirEttt.oxr. Ativ.vameral.
(T 1 tie copy.) (tilgi.t.l) .1 G. 11. Ifii.u.tA .1. t.;"
" Camp, Btittoh, April 17."

[lime follows a report from Colonel Arnold, con.
twining the details of the operati,lis ,4 the div,,i„n
under his command. Captain Showers was killed at
the head of his detachment, when he than half
ascended the immense steep ridge t: the till tift‘, een
the Kuckre stockade and the fort of Matown. The
detachment immediately full back to the villave of
Lag, pursued by the Goorkha. There the Britith
rallied ani repulsed the enemy, and pursued them up
the steep hill again to some distance Iro' the village.]
Abstract Return of the Killed and Wounded of the Troops under
the command of MajJr•General thin Ett LON T, its Mu actions
with the enemy on the 111.ilown ltangc sit Mountain., on the
15th and 16th of Apiil, 1815.
KILLED.

Lieutenant-Culond Thompson', detachment, 1 subadar, 1 havil-
dar, 4 smacks, 24 seroys.—Total, Su.
Captain Showers's detachment, 1 Captain, 1 subadar, 2 havildars,
23 sepoys —Total, £7.
Lieutenant Duabar's ditto, 4 sepoys.
Captain Bowyer's ditto, 1 sepoy.
Party at Ruttungbur, under a native Officer, 1 subaJar.