1825. CHAP. capital barred by a Burmese force of 9000 men, which XXXIX. occupied a strong stockaded position on the summit of a range of hills, from three to four hundred feet in height, plentifully lined with artillery, and strengthened by escarpment, abattis, and masonry. The position was formidable in the extreme; but with the characteristic daring of British officers, it was resolved to make the attempt to carry it by storm.1 1 Snodgrass, 194, 200; Thornton, v. 61, 62. 67. Arracan. The attack was made at daybreak on the 29th, led by Storming of the light company of the 54th under Lieutenant Clark, March 29. supported by detachments of the 1st and 16th native Madras infantry. The ascent proved exceedingly steep, and as the troops toiled up, they were crushed by huge stones rolled down upon them, and a well-directed fire from above, which they had no means of answering. Notwithstanding these obstacles, the assailants persevered with the most devoted gallantry, and Lieutenant Clark, with several of the 54th, even got their hands on the trench; but all their efforts to penetrate in were unavailing, and the storming party was driven back after every European officer in it had been killed or wounded. The point of attack was now changed, and it was directed against the right of the enemy's position, where the ascent was so precipitous that less care had been taken to strengthen it. To divert the enemy's attention from it, a battery was constructed and a vigorous fire kept up on the pass where the main road traversed the hills, which continued the whole night, and meanwhile, in the dark, the assault on the right was made, and with entire success. The troops, after encountering unnumbered difficulties from the steepness of the ascent, which the enemy had deemed impracticable, reached the summit unperceived, and got in with very little difficulty, and without the loss of a man.2 Upon seeing the British standard flying upon these important heights in the morning, and preparations made to attack the remaining portions of the line, the 2 Thornton, v. 63-65; Snodgrass, 194-201. enemy abandoned the whole position, and Arracan was CHAP. Occupied without further resistance. XXXIX. 1825. 68. difficulties sickness. So far the most brilliant success had attended this expedition, in which both officers and men of the native Renewed service, as well as the European, had displayed the most of the Britbrilliant valour. But soon the wonted difficulties of the ish from climate beset the victors; and the ulterior object of crossing the mountains and joining Sir Archibald Campbell at Prome was rendered impracticable. Soon after Arracan was taken the rainy season commenced, and brought with it the usual amount of fever and dysentery, which soon cut off vast numbers whom the sword had spared. So fearful did the ravages become that sickness in Arracan was soon all but universal; and although the enemy had abandoned the whole province, it was found necessary to withdraw the troops to more healthy stations, leaving detachments only on the islands of Cheduba and Rama. The troops under Sir Archibald Campbell at Prome were suffering hardly less from fever and dysentery, insomuch that active operations were during the rainy season entirely suspended. The Burmese government took advantage of this period of forced inactivity to open negotiations, after the usual Asiatic fashion, to gain time, and meanwhile extensive levies of troops were ordered in all parts of the Burmese dominions. The negotiations, as might have been expected, though protracted as long as possible by the Burmese plenipotentiaries, who were scrupulous in insisting upon every formality which could redound to the honour of the "King of the white elephant," came to nothing; and hostilities having been resumed, the Burmese army in great force advanced against the British. Two unsuc- 1 Snodgrass, cessful attacks on detached bodies of the enemy by 220-228; native troops having been made, the Burmese general v. 65-70; advanced close to the. British lines, cautiously throwing 425. up stockades and intrenchments as he advanced.1 Perceiving that the crisis was approaching, and being Thornton, V. Martin, CHAP. desirous to bring it on before the enemy had materially XXXIX. strengthened their position, Sir Archibald wisely resolved to anticipate them, and attack them in their newly-formed Decisive intrenchments. The assault took place, accordingly, on the British. the 1st of December, and was powerfully aided by the 1825. 69. victories of Dec. 1. flotilla under the command of Sir James Brisbane. Two all the stockades opposed to him in ten minutes, and drove out the enemy's masses with great slaughter, and in the course of their flight they were opened upon, when endeavouring to cross a river, by Campbell's horse-artillery, which did dreadful execution. At this point fell MahaNamion, a gallant old chief, seventy-five years of age, who had been brought out in a litter, at his own request, to take part in the action. By this success the Burmese position on the left was entirely carried, and the troops in it thrown back upon the centre; but there, and on the right, they stood firm. The attack on these points was accordingly renewed on the succeeding day, when, after a vigorous cannonade both from the land-batteries and the flotilla, an attack was made on the enemy's centre. It was led by the 13th and 38th regiments, under Major Howlett and Major Frith, supported by part of the 87th, who made a supporting attack in flank. The 38th headed the storm, which was executed in the most gallant style, and the whole intrenchments in the centre, above two miles in length, were carried, while at the same time the flotilla took or destroyed all the boats 238, 250; and stores which had been brought down for the use of the army. Nothing remained now to the enemy but their intrenchments on the right, which were attacked and carried, after a feeble resistance, by the British left.1 Dec. 2. Dec. 5. 1 Snodgrass, Thornton, v. 70-73; Martin, 425. XXXIX. Upon this the whole Burmese army broke and dispersed CHAP. in the woods, leaving their artillery, ammunition, and stores of every description, to the victors. 1826. 70. the British capital, and mese. 1826. The military strength of the Burmese was now effectually broken, and the British army continued its march, Advance of unopposed by any considerable military force, towards towards the the capital. But here again sickness appeared in the submission most appalling shape; cholera, in its worst form, broke of the Barout among the troops; and on more than one occasion Jan. 2, their advance was stopped by the absolute impossibility of finding food in the dense jungles or inhospitable swamps through which their march lay. Aware, however, of the importance of striking before the enemy had recovered from their consternation, Sir Archibald pressed forward in spite of these obstacles, and the spectacles of horror which their retreat everywhere presented; and as the Burmese government had no longer the means of resistance, they were obliged now in good earnest to propose terms of submission and accommodation. The country through which the army advanced towards the capital, exhibited at every step melancholy proofs of the ravages of war, and the extent of the misery which it had brought upon the wretched inhabitants. For fifty miles up the river, and all along the road by which the enemy had retired, the ground was strewed with dead bodies; all the villages were burned or in ruins; room could scarcely be found for pitching the tents without removing the corpses with which the ground was encumbered, and in many places a dog, stretched on a newly-made grave, faithfully repelled the efforts of the voracious of his tribe to violate the sepulchre, and mangle the muchloved remains. These scenes of horror both depressed the spirits and augmented the sickness of the British army; and as the expected co-operation from the side of 250, 256; Arracan had not taken place, Sir Archibald's position v. 73-75; was by no means free from anxiety. It was with much 425. satisfaction, therefore, that, on the 29th December, when 1 Snodgrass, Thornton, Martin, 1826. at Patanagoh, not far from the Burmese capital, the XXXIX. British general received proposals of peace from the Burmese government, and they were soon reduced to a formal treaty, which was signed by the British plenipotentiaries on the 2d January, and the Burmese on the 3d. 71. hostilities, and final defeat of the Burmese. Jan. 19. It was with reason supposed in both armies that the Renewal of contest was now terminated; but the overweening selfconfidence of the Burmese, and the intelligence they received of Campbell's not having been joined, as he expected, by the troops from Arracan, induced them once more to try the fate of arms. The pretext taken for breaking off the treaty before it had been ratified by the King, was a refusal on the part of the British to retreat to Prome unless the Burmese retired to Ava. Hostilities in consequence were resumed, and eighteen thousand Burmese, styled "Retrievers of the King's glory," were assembled in the intrenched camp of Milloon, covering the approach to the capital, under Nuring Thuring, or the Prince of Sunset. Eight-and-twenty guns were speedily placed in battery by the British on the morning of the 19th, and the troops advanced to the assault. Three brigades attacked by land, and one was landed from the boats. The troops in the boats, under Colonel Sale and Major Frith, landed before the others could get forward, and rushing up, carried the works alone, though defended by ten thousand men, with all their artillery and stores. Immediately after this success, the whole advanced, and were met by commissioners empowered to treat for peace. As the Burmese, however, were evidently adopting their old policy of negotiating to gain time, the British army continued to advance, the enemy retreating before them, and on the 9th February, the whole Burmese force, eighteen thousand strong, was attacked by eighteen hundred British under Sir Archibald Campbell. The enemy were drawn up in the form of a semicircle, with their guns all bearing on Feb. 9. |