The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-09-15 00:00:00

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'2l, 1809.

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tersected with ravines, fr.im tell to fourtega
feel deep, and beset with thorns and brush.
wood, wbero they half no resunroe but to errata.
tile upon their hands and feet. Throngttuert
this fatiguing and painful operation, the exertions
of Major Welsh were connpicuqus. He halted,
from time to ti use, tugive those in the rear an op.
portenity of cloning ep—ke animated the dr.°
'big hopes of his men, assigned his post to each 1,,.
divi dual, And directed the European party, as so is
as the attack should c,immence, to advance by •,.
ternate sections, tiring off and filing to the r r.
Observing, at the same time, that many beg ,n 'a
doubt altogether of ultimate success, be deter min. d
to lead the forlorn hope, consisting of two non.
commissioned officers and twelve privates, in per.
son, and at the same time took the necessary pre.
cautions for s. curing n rctreat in the event of M.
lure. Having proceeded in this manner for several
hours, and surmounted many difficulties, with great
labour and anxiety, Major Welsh sill at once dis.
covered, that the greater part of his troops were
n-issing, and that be was left with only the forlorn
hope, Lieut. Bertram, his bugle, and about font
of his pioneers in company. The men whistled,
but' received no answer. Their comrades had taken
another route, and were now at too great a distance
to hear them. Major Welsh ordered his small
party to halt, and waited for the space of about a
quarter of an hour ; w hest finding that all further
delay would be raj*, and being now within a short
distance of the works, he resolved to proceed. The
brave forlorn hope assured him of their determi.
nation to stand by him to the last. He directed
toed to fix their bayonets, and to carry every
thing without tiring a shot. Having at length
reached the walls, they crept under them in si.
lencc. And here another difficulty arose. It was
found that iu consequence of the uparstiun of
the main body, they were left with ladders....
Nothing remained bet to attempt to scale the wall,
by mounting ou each other's shoulders. This was
at length happily effected, though with much la.
boar and difficulty. Two Europeans iiiivinggained
the summit, assisted in dragging up Major Welsh,
and the rest of the party, in succession. It was
now four o'clock in the morning, and, after hours
of incessant labour, the men sat themselves down
in anxious suspense, to wait the arrival of their
comrades. Their anxiety was presently relieved
'by a loud peal of inusquAry from the lower part
of the hill, about 20i, yards Oo the right of their
position. This proceeded frail the main body,
who, having reached the' wallaby a different route,
tied scaled them in silence, with their ladders, and
immediately opened their fire, which was &thawed
by the guns and blue lights of klbe enemy. Major
Welsh seeing the fire commencskot a point so far
down the hill, was at first apprehensive that the
troops had been discovered befory they could get
within the walls. There was nolainse, however,
for hesitation. He ordered the bugle to be sound.
ed, and this small party, with three sheets, which
were answered from one end of the hill to the
other, pushed on rapidly to Ike summit. Here
the gallant Major Welsh, exhausted by fatigue,
and by the falls which he had received in scram.
being over the rocks, was deprived, fur a time, of
the use of his limbs,
.and, repeatedly fainting
assay, was carried into the action by sonic of the
light company of the Ist battalion, who joined
him from below.

When the day broke,our troops found the.whole
hill in their posseuion. The colours of the 2cl bat.
talion were hoisted on a conspicuous ruck, and the
guns of tho redoubt were turned upon the mails
-lines, which they completely commanded, as far as
the gate.. Meanwhile, Col. St: Leger dispatched a
reinforcement, consisting of one company of the
69th, and three of the 13th native infantry, under
Cato: Hodgson, who forced their wsy, by the same
dials:ell route, to Major Welsh's assistance. Sue.
ing ,tiitparty, u well as all the rest of the force
*Rhin the walls, coming up rapidly to his sup.
port, Major. Welsh immediately sent a detachment
.down the rock, who dashed into the lines, at.
•tacked those of the enemy, who still stood to
their guns, and put th,•m completely to the rout.
The panic spread to the won in the north redoubt,
Who also lied in time utmost confusion and dismay,
and kft us (about the hour of eight in the morn.
-ieg) in full possession of the whole works.—Thus
fell, by a successful coup-de-tnain, the formidable
lines of Travancore—the extent of which is so
great, that a .garrison of ten thousand soldiers
is requisite to man them. The loss of the enemy,
in killed and wounded, was severe. We have also
to regret the death of Capt. Cunningham, and of
tither gallant soldiers; but, when compared with
the object achieved, our loss was inconsidera.
ble. By nine o'clock, nut a man of the enemy
was to he seen from the heights ; and Colonel St.
Leger pitched his camp two miles within the Arum.
booly gate. Many valuable pieces of ordnance
were found on the works ; and as abisodant sup.
ply of guns, muskets, pikes, ammunition and
stores of every description, in the arsenal. When
the lest advices came away, the troops were busily
employed in blowing up the lines, and bursting
the iron cannon. Such of the ordnance as were
valuable, would of coarse be preserved. We have
the pleasure to subjoin the complimentary Orders
published by Colonel St. Leger after the storm.

" GENERAL ORDERS,
" RV TIE lon. LIRVIRIUNT-COLORRI. A. IT. LIORR.
" Perak was.su—Countersign, fikcctss. •
" Camp, two miles iiitrrior of Arombooly-
•
• Gate, Pelt. /0, 1809.
•
" Lieutenant-Colonel the Hea. A. St. Leger bar mach sa-
tisfaction in conveying to the-troops minder his command, the
mod sincere congratabitines on the brilliant achievement of
this inonsisg. The Liontement-Colosel deems it a duty be
owes to justice, to than pobliely mot his high considentiou
thdpenteverance, jedgmest, and ability, ditplayed by
Nst, cossmaadiag the 3d Regiment of Native le-
. assault of.this taantimg, wherein the ifeal-
esterpslie meld only be eqoalled by the morn
The Lleutenant-Colonel requests Mader
ea the Olken and Men who composed
escalade, muter his command, his most
!too a their gallant ezemons in aeon -
Aids =4;t ever be coat i& ed es ardled
military record."—(Ole. MIA)
Eibrd.

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