ditto
ditto

ditto

1st Battalion 20th Bengal Regiment,

14th October,

1st October,

1st ditto,

Ditto 1st Battalion 9th Madras Regiment, Ahmedpoor, 24th September,

14th ditto,

Beirpoorshuttumpoor, 1st October,

At the Fort of Barrabutty, 14th Oct.

1st October,
14th October,

TOTAL

2 2

1st Battalion 19th Madras Regiment Ahmedpoor, 24th September,

14

24

SIR,

To CAPTAIN ARMSTRONG,

Acting Military Secretary, &c. &c.

English Factory House, Balasore, Sept. 22, 1803.

My letter of the 20th, from the entrance of the Balasore River, and that of last night, to Lieutenant Colonel Fegusson, copies of which I requested might be sent to you for the information of His Excellency the most noble the Governor General, &c. &c. will, in a small degree, have apprized you of the operations of the detachment which His Lordship was pleased to honor me with the command of for the last two days; but, for his better information, I shall proceed to state circumstances in detail from the fleet of transports leaving Kedgeree on the 14th instant.

Owing to adverse winds, the transports, &c. as per margin*, only made the Neelgharee Hills in the afternoon of the 17th instant, distant from the Bar, at the entrance of the Balasore River, about sixteen miles.

Early in the morning of the 18th, Mr. Wright, the pilot, left the Alexander, and proceeded to explore the Bar, and, if possible, obtain, by amicable means, some native pilots, but without effect; as at Bellanghurry House, near to the entrance into the river, was a post of Marhatta infantry, who, in failing to entice him on shore, fired into his boat without doing any injury.

Mr. Wright then returned to the Bar, and, with the assistance of Mr. Pike, the pilot from the George, in another boat, by his perseverance, zeal, and superior abilities, found out the channel, and took the proper bearings, &c. for conducting the transports over it.

Early in the morning of the 19th, we observed the pilots returning to the Alexander, when the troops on board the Alexander and Anne were shifted to the George, Charles, Fairlie, and Lizard, with the least possible delay. About ten o'clock those transports, with the gun vessel, (leaving the Alexander and Anne, with the sick of the detachment, and the whole of the baggage, &c. at'

* Alexander, Anne, George, Charles, Fairlie, Lizard hired brig; Scourge gun vessel, and two long-boats.

anchor)

anchor) moved down for the entrance of the river, but were obliged to anchor close to the Bar, to wait for the next day's flood tide; soon after which came on a severe gale of wind, which continued until the flood had pretty well made about nine o'clock in the morning of the 20th, when the vessels as per margin* crossed the Bar, entered the Balasore River, and anchored nearly opposite Bulramghurry House; leaving the Lizard brig at anchor on the outside the Bar, Mr. Wright being in dread of her striking on it from the report of her draft of water; however, in passing the Bar, we found, to our great satisfaction, full fourteen feet water on it at the height of the flood.

One of the Indiamen's long-boats was left with the Lizard, when the gale should subside a little, to bring off the two 6-pounders, &c. and the remaining part of the detachment of artillery, proportion of ammunition, &c. and which joined us in the river about five o'clock in the evening.

The party of Marhattas stationed at Bulramghurry House, on seeing the vessels coming over the Bar, fled towards Balasore.

The Lizard hired brig, being much lightened by the detachment of artillery, two guns, ammunition, &c. taken out of her, Mr. Wright is confident she can come over the Bar without much risk; and Mr. Pike, with another pilot, is left with her for that purpose. She could not yesterday attempt it for want of wind, but I am in great hopes it has been accomplished this day, or will be to

morrow.

The inhabitants from the villages adjacent to the entrance of the river flocked to our vessels, and put on board each a native pilot to conduct them up the river to this place; expressing their extreme abhorrence of the savage Marhattas, and congratulating each other on the happy day that brings them under the British government.

up

Between six and seven o'clock P. M. the fleet got under weigh to proceed the river, but, from the darkness of the night, and a very heavy fall of rain, with the native pilots objecting to proceed, they were obliged, almost immediately, to come to anchor again.

On the morning of the 21st, the vessels came up as far as possible, but, finding they made but little progress, and hearing different reports that a party

* Scourge gun-vessel, George, Charles, and Fairlie.

of

of Marhattas, who had been detached from Balasore, to support their posts at the Gauts between this and Jelasore, was returning by forced marches to the defence, or to plunder and destroy the town (the latter the most probable report), I came to the determination, with the most cordial concurrence of Captain Peter Grant, of immediately quitting the gun-vessel and transports, and proceeding up the river as far as possible, with two 6-pounders, &c. and as many fighting men as the boats would hold. After two hours great exertion, we arrived at a clear spot of ground, the ebb tide having set in. We were told by some of the inhabitants that it was only four miles by land to Balasore, but that it would take two or three more flood tides to carry us up to it. I deemed it necessary to consult with Captain P. Grant on the practicability of carrying the town, &c. without our guns, and he being fully of opinion with me (on our seeing the state of the country leading to it) that no time. should be lost in making the attempt; in consequence of which we landed near 300 from the boats, rank and file, and directed our march towards the town over paddy fields, inundated from one to three feet in water.

On approaching the town the detachment halted, to rest and refresh the men, when I made the best disposition of my force that I was able for the

attack.

About this period intelligence was brought me that the military commander of the enemy, by name Nana, had put the Fouzdar Moro Pundit in confinement, because he wished to come over to the English; and that Nana, with the force under his command, was determined to dispute our getting possession of the town and Factory House.

The entrance into the town, and until near the Factory House, is one continued strong defile, which we soon found was lined with both cavalry and infantry, by their firing on our advanced party; but that party pushing forward until very near them, and a flanking party I had detached approaching them at the same period, both giving a steady and well-directed fire, the enemy was instantly routed from their first position with considerable loss; they say, in all, ten or twelve men fell. The detachment kept moving forward, under a tedious fire from the tops of houses, the entrances of lanes, and from behind walls and heights; returning a spirited fire, at intervals, until it gained the 3 Factory

Factory House, with a loss only of one Sepoy killed, and three wounded; when the whole business subsided.

Parties were immediately posted in all directions outside of the Factory House, to keep in awe some of the enemy, who were sniping at us; and from which I attribute his not being able to annoy us further.

I had written a letter to Moro Pundit, the Fouzdar, from the entrance of the Balasore River, advising him of my having a letter for him from His Excellency the most noble the Governor General, &c. and wished he would point out some means of my communicating with him, and for which purpose a gentleman with me would be ready to meet him, or any person he should depute. I received, in return, a verbal answer of Salam, and that he had received my letter.

His Excellency's letter I sent, immediately after gaining possession of the Factory House, to a part of the outside of the town called the Marhatta Fort, to Moro Pundit; but only a similar answer to the foregoing was returned. The men who carried the letter informed me that the enemy was quitting it with precipitation, and at day-break this morning I took possession of it.

We found in it three old unserviceable iron guns, on decayed carriages; one apparently a six-pounder, another a four-pounder, and a one-pounder. No shot, or ammunition of any description. A small quantity of grain of different kinds, and two chests, containing papers relative to the Sirkar, which shall be taken the greatest care of.

I have directed Ensign Wilson, of the engineers, to report on state of the post, which is certainly much superior in strength and convenience to the one we now possess ; likewise on the Factory House and Compound; which shall be sent to you in the course of a few days.

The proclamation in English, with a translation of the same in Hindoostanee, were issued this morning, and similar ones sent round and proclaimed by beat of drum through the town and the villages near; and it is with peculiar pleasure I report the inhabitants returning to every house in great numbers.

Many of the principal inhabitants, merchants, &c. waited on me last night and this morning, expressing uncommon satisfaction at being taken under the protection of the British government.