The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-05-09 00:00:00

THE VICTORY OF MEEANEE

To THE RIGHT HON. LORD ELLENROROUGH, GOVERNOR-
-GENERAL OF INDIA, &c.

Meeanee, 6 miles from Hyderabad, Feb. 18, 1841

My Lord,—The forces under my command have gained a
decisive victory over the army of the Ameers of Upper and
Lower Scinde. On the 14th inst. the whole body of the
Ameers assembled, in full durbar, formally affixed their seals
to the draught treaty. On leaving the durbar, Major Outram
and his companions were in great peril, a plot had been laid
to murder them all. They were saved by the guards of the
Ameers ; but the next day (the 15th) the residence of Major
Outram was attacked by 8,000 of the Ameers' troops, headed
by one or more of the Amcers. On the 16th I marched to
Muttaree : having there ascertained that the Ameers were in
position at Meeauee (10 miles distance) to the number of
22,000 men, and well knowing that a delay for reinforcements
would both strengthen their confidence and add to their
numbers, already seven times that which I commanded, I
resolved to attack them, and we marched at 4 a.m. On the
morning of the lith at 8 o'clock the advanced guard dis-
covered their camp ; at 9 o'clock we formed in order of bat-
tle, about 2,800 men of all arms and 12 pieces of artilleey.
We were now within range of the enemy's guns and 15 pieces
of artillery opened upon us and were answered by our cannon.
The enemy were very strongly posted, woods were on their
flanks. which I did not think could be turned. _ _

IThe enemy was 1,000 yards from our line, which soon
traversed the intervening space. Our fire of musketry opened
at about 100 yards from the bank in reply to that of the
enemy, and in a few minutes the engagement became general
along the bank of the river, on which the combatants fought
for about three hours or more with great fury, man to man.
Then, my Lord, was seen the superiority of the musket and
bayonet over the sword and shield, and matchlock. The
brave BelocheeS, first discharging their matchlock and pis-
tols, dashed over the bank with desperate resolution ; but
down went these bold and skilful swordsmen under the su-
perior power of the musket and bayonet. At one time, my
Lord, the courage and the numbers of the enemy against the
22d, the 25th, and the 12th Regiments, bore heavily in that
part of the battle. There was no time to be lost, and I sent
orders to the cavalry to force the right of the enemy's line.
This order was very gallantly executed by the 9th Bengal
Cavalry and the Scinde Horse, the details of which shall be
afterwards stated to your Lordship, for the struggle on our
right and centre was at that moment so fierce, that I could
not go to. the left. In this charge the 9th Light Cavalry
took a standard and several pieces of artillery, and the Scinde
Horse took the enemy's camp, from which a vast body of
their cavalry slowly ret►red fighting. Lieutenant Fitzgerald
gallantly pursued them for two miles, and, I understand,
slew three of the enemy in single combat. The brilliant
conduct of these two cavalry regiments decided, in my opi-
nion, the crisis of the action; for, from the moment the
cavalry were seen in rear of their right flank, the resistance
of our opponents slackened, the 22d Regiment forced the
bank, the 25th and 12th did the same, the latter regiment
capturing several guns, and the victory was decided. The
artillery made great havoc among the dense masses of the
enemy, and dismounted several of their guns. The whole
of the enemy's artillery, ammunition, standards, and camp,
with considerable stores and some treasure, were taken.
Meer Roostum Khan, and Meer Nusseer Khan ; Meer
Wullee Mahomed, of Khyrpore ; Meer Nusseer Khan, Meer
Shaded Khan, and Meer Hocsein Khan, all of Hyderabad,
came into my came and surrendered their swords as prisoners
of war. Their misfortunes are of their own creation, but as