Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-06-17

|
! The first point Of consideration is the discerna-
| bic power of the Burmese. As the resistance Of
| Tered BY an enemy is seldom undervalued in the
| dispatches of the conquer0rs, we may conclude
that we learn the worst Of our opponents, aud it
can hardly be thought that they have proved
more formidable than was expected. Their for
] tihcatioas appear to have been substantial and
their artillery aud musketry practice is spoken of
| IN tone of some respect
Ihey successfully corrected, during action, the
range OF one OF their batteries, and at one period
| OF the engagement they compelleda shi p-of- war
| TO retire. They received the storming column
with great steadiness at their citadel of Pagoda,
ana II gate of this fortress had not been found &C
| cldentally open, it is possible the assault might
have cost us more dearly. Still, after all these
incidents have been allowed their due weight, it
VIII De oiincult, II we measure their strength by
Its effects to attach any very formidable character
| to the military prowess ofthe Burmese.
:, Though unpreparsd, perhaps, for the imme-
dlate assaults, they had certainly bestowed great
care upon the detences of Rangoon and Marta
| ban; they had strengthened their garrisoDs by
large reinforcements; and 1.-two places, thus held
| and fortified, could fall into our hands at n few
hours notice, with no greater loss than II killed.
it is impossible to look upon such an enemy with
any serious apprehension
| On the other hand as if to exemplify what n
fearful antagonist we shall find in the climate. If
|
during the three days operations were actually
mole fatal to officers than the shot of the en-
| envy. Two subalterns killed and one mortallv
wounded are all that be set to the account ofthe
! Burmese, whereas from the more terrible strokes
of Rangoon sun, two field officers died on tie
| field, and three commanding officers were struck
Gown and placed hors de combat.
| Moreover, although the rains have not vet set
in, and the sickness of the season therefore
has not regularly commenced, cholera has already
begun is ravages among the troops, and disease is
said to be actually prevailing to ga very great
EXTENT At the same time, the powers of steam
and the advantages deriyable in sanitary respect
| from the British stations Oh the coast have been
very remarkably exhibited. To carry troops
! from the Rangoon river to Moulmein, or
back again, is the work only Of "a hours and as
far as such facilities concerned there is
reason why every soldier of the expedition should
not pass the rainy season in one of the company's
own garrisons.
On the most interesting point of these transac-
lions necessarily left to the aids of conjec-
ture alone. No information has reached us respec-
ting the probable disposition of the Burmese Gov
ernment on the receipt of these tidings from
Rangoon. As far as any terror could be struck by
| prompttude Corporations, any warning conveyed
by practical manifestation of power, the capture
OF the two places under the circumstances related
ought certainly to produce effect, but these
calculations are too loose to be relied upon aud we
scarcely avoid thinking that the resolution with
which the Burmese awaited our onset, the care
with which they have carried off the dead, and
the general attitude which they have assumed in
dictate determination to resist.
In the last war neither the fall of Rangoon as
that ofMartaban operated with any great influence
on the Court of Ava. On the contrary, Rangoon
seemed to have been set open for trap, and
1t was not until we had cooped ourselves within its
walls that our difficulties commenced The cap
ture OF the place without loss difficulty was
nounced exactly as on the present OCCASION on the
18th of May, 1924 but the treaty which at last
brought us an imperfect compensation for our
victories was not signed until the oath ofFebru-
airy, 1926.
On the whole, there is every reason to be salts
fed, not only with the conduct ofthe troops, which
was never doubtful, but with the of the ex
petition, and its immunity, up to this point, from
the ordinary penalties Of war.
From the Northwest frontier of India advces
are less satisfactory to the British The reyolted
hlltribes keep up harrassng warfare on the out
posts Their tactics are to surround the garrisons
in bodies OF 5000 to 5000, retiring toward the
hills as the troops advance, and following them
again as they return to the forts. Reinforcements
have been sent to endeavorto bring them to action.
One regiment, the SD British, was despatched
from Peshawar, mounted on 100 elephants.
An instruction against tho Government of
Dhost Mahommed has broken out in Caboo His
troops have been worsted
The state of the Nizam's territory is as bad as
1t can be. Government credit it at an end, there
Is no revenue, and the country is covered with
predatory bands. This state of things is favorable
for the absorption of the territory by the Eng
fish.