Arrangements having been made for the pursuit of Holkur, the troops advanced on the 28th of December, and on the 30th formed a junction with part of the Bombay army, under the command of Major-General Sir William Keir Grant, at Taul. Advancing from thence on the following day, the troops encamped in the beginning of January, 1818, at Mundesoor, and soon afterwards, Holkur's government having been brought to submission, the presence of the 1st division of the army of the Deccan being no longer necessary in this part of India, it marched southward. On the 22nd of January it crossed the Seeprah river, on the 24th it reached Oojain, where it halted until the 28th. On the 30th it was at Indoor; on the 13th of February it recrossed the Nerbuddah, and proceeding in the direction of the Taptee, encamped on the left bank of that river on the 27th, in the vicinity of Talnere, a town and fortress belonging to Holkur, formerly the capital of the sultans of the Adil Shahy dynasty, in the fifteenth century, which, it had been agreed, should be delivered up to the British government, but which, unexpectedly, opened a fire upon the advanced part of the division. A summons was sent to the Killedar, who commanded the garrison, warning him of the consequences of resistance; and, no answer being returned, a battery was brought to bear on the fort, which silenced the enemy's fire in a few hours, but not before several casualties had occurred from the well-directed fire of matchlocks from the walls. On a further examination of the fort, one of the outer gates was discovered to be in a ruinous state; and the flank companies of the Royal Scots and of the Madras European regiment, were placed under the orders of Major Gordon, of the Royal Scots, for the attack of the gate. The garrison offered to capitulate; and an unconditional surrender was demanded without delay; but, the evening being advanced, it was suspected the enemy would attempt to escape during the approaching darkness, and the storming party advanced up to the gate. A passage for single files between the walls and the frame of the outer gate was discovered, and no opposition being offered, the storming party and pioneers entered: they subsequently passed the second gate, and at the third were met by the Killedar and some natives. Lieut.-Colonel Conway, the Adjutant General to the army, with Lieut.-Colonel M'Gregor Murray, had entered with the storming party, and they passed through the third and fourth gates; but at the fifth and last gate they were stopped, though the wicket was opened. A hurried conversation about terms of surrender now took place; and Colonel Murray, concluding that there was an urgent necessity for establishing such a footing as would secure eventual success should the enemy hold out, entered by the wicket with Major Gordon and three grenadiers of the Royal Scots, but refrained from drawing his sword, to show he had no intention of breaking off the parley. Five persons only had passed the wicket when the enemy fell upon them, and in a moment laid them all dead, excepting Colonel Murray, who fell towards the wicket covered with wounds. The enemy attempted to close the wicket, but were prevented by a grenadier, private Sweeny, of the Royal Scots, who thrust his musket into the aperture: Lieut.-Colonel M'Intosh and Captain M'Craith forced the wicket open, and it was held in this state while the captain was with one hand dragging Colonel Murray through, and with the other warding off blows with his sword. A fire was then poured in through the wicket, which cleared the gateway sufficiently for the grenadiers of the Royal Scots, under Captain M'Gregor, who formed the head of the storming party, to enter, and the fort was carried by assault, but at the expense of the captain's life. The garrison was put to the sword, and the Killedar was hanged on the same evening. The Royal Scots had Major Gordon, Captain P. M'Gregor, and 3 private men killed; Lieutenant John M'Gregor (brother to the captain),[132] and 3 rank and file, wounded. The conduct of the Royal Scots on this occasion was spoken of, in general orders, in terms of commendation; and the intrepidity and courage of Major Gordon and Captain M'Gregor were especially noticed.

In the meantime, the 2nd division of the army of the Deccan, with which the eight battalion companies of the Royal Scots were serving, had been withdrawn from Nagpore, and proceeded (22nd January) towards Ellichpoor. In the early part of February, detachments from the division captured the two strong hill-forts of Gawelghur and Narnullah. The division was afterwards encamped at Ootran; in March it proceeded to Copergaum, and on the 17th of that month encamped on the left bank of that noble river the Godavery, near Fooltaumba; at the same time the 1st division was encamped on the opposite bank of the river. Here the 2nd division resumed its former designation of the Hyderabad division. Two flank and three battalion companies of the Royal Scots were directed to proceed to Hyderabad; and the remaining five companies continued in the field with the force under Brigadier-General Doveton. These companies were commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, and on his appointment to the command of a brigade, by Captain Joseph Wetherall,[133] the next officer in seniority.

The division was engaged in operations against Peishwah Bajee Rao (one of the Mahratta confederacy), who, with an army of cavalry said to amount to 20,000 men, studiously avoided a conflict with the British field force, and sought to accomplish his object by sudden marches and surprises. Information having been received of an intended attack of this chief on the cantonments of Jaulnah, the Hyderabad division, with which were three companies of the Royal Scots, commanded by Captain Wetherall (the other two companies remaining at Fooltaumba), proceeded seventy-two miles in two forced marches, and before the remaining thirty miles were accomplished, the Peishwah had proceeded in another direction. After a short halt, the division continued the pursuit of the flying enemy, encountering many difficulties while traversing parts of the country which had never before witnessed the presence of a British army, and using the most indefatigable exertions, it frequently occurring that the troops occupied the ground which Bajee Rao had left on the preceding day. After a circuitous route, having performed forty-one marches in forty days, at the hottest period of the year, during which time the division had only two halts, the troops returned for supplies to Jaulnah, where they encamped on the 11th of May. In this difficult service the European soldiers had not evinced any want of physical power; they had performed their marches cheerfully, and their only complaint was not being able to overtake the flying enemy. After a halt of two days, the division again resumed the chase of its flying foe, and continued the pursuit until the Peishwah surrendered himself to the British government, when it returned to Jaulnah.

Meanwhile the two companies of the Royal Scots left at Fooltaumba, under the command of Lieutenant Bland, had marched with a body of troops, under Lieut.-Colonel M'Dowall, of the East India Company's service, into the Candeish country, and had captured the fort of Unkye, situated on the summit of the Candeish Ghats, also the forts of Rajdeir and Inderye, in which service the two companies had a few private men wounded. They were next engaged in the reduction of the strong hill-fort of Trimbuck, situated near the source of the river Godavery, which surrendered on the 25th of April; their loss on this occasion was 1 serjeant, 1 drummer, and 8 private men, wounded. The conduct of the Royal Scots in this service was spoken of in terms of commendation in detachment orders. The capture of Trimbuck was followed by the surrender of seventeen other forts.

After this service the detachment proceeded to the strong fort of Malleygaum, situated on the river Moassum, and defended by a party of the Arabs, who surrendered to Brigadier-General Doveton at Nagpore. This place was defended by two lines of works, with very high walls, the inner one of superior masonry and surrounded by a ditch 25 feet deep and 16 feet wide. On the 18th of May a sortie of the garrison was repulsed; and on the 19th two batteries opened their fire. A breach having been effected, an attempt was made to carry the fort by storm: 2 officers and 50 rank and file of the Royal Scots, commanded by Lieutenant Bland, formed part of the principal storming party against the breach, and Lieutenant Orrock and 25 rank and file part of a column destined to make an attack on another point; but success was found impracticable, and the storming party was withdrawn. Another point of attack was afterwards selected, and new batteries raised. Two of the enemy's magazines having been blown up, the garrison surrendered, and the British flag was hoisted on the walls of Malleygaum, on the morning of the 13th of June. The Royal Scots lost in this siege 5 rank and file killed; Ensign Thomas, 1 serjeant, 1 drummer, and 11 rank and file, wounded.

The whole of the hill-forts in the Candeish being reduced, the two companies of the Royal Scots proceeded to Jaulnah, and joined the other three companies of the battalion, with the Hyderabad division at that place. Here the troops expected to take up their monsoon quarters; but, when all who were obliged to live under canvass were busily engaged in making arrangements to mitigate the severity of the approaching rains, the division was ordered to proceed with all possible expedition to Nagpore. Quitting Jaulnah on the 7th of August, the troops commenced the march, and the dreaded rains immediately set in; the roads became almost impassable; the baggage was unable to keep up with the troops, and the tents were consequently in the rear, so that the men were frequently exposed for twenty-four hours to incessant rain; no shelter could be procured in the villages, and every comfort was wanting. Exposed to these calamities, the troops arrived at Ellichpoor on the 3rd of September in such a state as to be totally unfit to proceed any further. Here they halted until the 21st of December, when they were again put in motion, and halted at Walkeira on the 30th, where the five companies of the Royal Scots were, in consequence of their long service in the field, relieved by a division of His Majesty's 30th regiment from Hyderabad. The five companies then returned to Jaulnah, expecting to continue their march to the Deccan, but were ordered to proceed to Boorhaunpoor in charge of a battering train which lay at Jaulnah. On the 1st of March, 1819, they rejoined the Hyderabad division, encamped near the city of Boorhaunpoor, and marched to engage in the siege of the celebrated fortress of Asseerghur, which, on account of its strength, was termed "the Gibraltar of the East." This fortress is situated on a detached hill, not commanded by any other in its neighbourhood. It consists of an upper and lower fort; the upper one, of an irregular form, about 1100 yards from east to west, and about 600 from north to south; it crowns the top of the hill, which is about 750 feet in height; and all round it, with the exception of one place which is strongly fortified, there is a perpendicular precipice from 80 to 120 feet, surmounted with a low wall full of loop-holes. Below this are two lines of works, the outer one forming the lower fort, which rises directly above the pettah, and the entrance to which is protected by strong gateways and flanking works; and immense labour and great skill had been employed in rendering this naturally strong post almost impregnable. Such was the formidable fortress against which the five companies of the Royal Scots were about to be employed.

The Hyderabad division was encamped at Neembolah, about seven miles from this celebrated fortress, belonging to his Highness Doulat Rao Scindia, and, negotiations having failed, about twelve o'clock on the night of the 17th of March, five companies of the Royal Scots,[134] commanded by Captain J. Wetherall, with the flank companies of the 30th, 67th, and Madras European regiments, five companies of native infantry, and a detachment of sappers and miners, the whole commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, of the Royal Scots, and a reserve, commanded by Major Dalrymple, of the 30th, assembled at the camp for the attack of the pettah of Asseer; another party was also directed to co-operate in this service from Sir J. Malcolm's division.

Between one and two o'clock the column commenced its march; advancing up the bed of a deep nullah, or small river, nearly dry at the time, the assaulting party arrived unobserved within 500 yards of the pettah, then rushed upon the gate with the greatest ardour and steadiness, the five companies of the Royal Scots leading the way. The enemy was surprised, and, after discharging a few rounds of grape, retired without making further opposition. The head of the attacking column forced the gate, and, proceeding up the main street, encountered an advanced piquet of the enemy, which retired to the lower fort, firing occasionally at the head of the column. Major Charles M'Leod, of the East India Company's service, Deputy Quartermaster-General, acted as guide on the occasion, and by his direction the leading files of the Royal Scots pursued the enemy close under the walls of the fortress, from whence an incessant fire of artillery and matchlocks was kept up, and a few ill-directed rockets were also discharged. The leading sections of the Royal Scots, which had pursued the enemy up the hill, were joined by one or two files of the 30th and 67th regiments, the whole amounting to about 25 or 30 men; and as soon as the enemy saw the small force before which they had so precipitately fled, they immediately rallied, and came shouting down the hill with augmented numbers to attack this small party, but were repulsed by a spirited charge with the bayonet, which, with a few rounds of musketry, obliged them to retreat within the works, some of which were within 50 or 60 yards of this handful of men, leaving their chief, who was shot by a soldier of the Royal Scots, and several men, on the ground. Major M'Leod, being wounded, proceeded to the rear; and the enemy having established a cross fire from the walls of the lower fort and from two cavaliers, Captain Wetherall ordered the advanced party to retire a short distance to a post established by Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, where there was some cover for the men. The loss of the leading sections in this affair was 1 private soldier killed; Major M'Leod, Lieutenant Bland, and 11 rank and file, wounded. The remainder of the column did not sustain any loss, the men being protected from the enemy's fire by the houses in which they had established themselves.[135]

The assaulting party maintained its post until night, when it was relieved by fresh troops, and the five companies of the Royal Scots returned to their tents, which had been left standing at Neembolah; but Lieut.-Colonel Fraser remained in command of the troops at the pettah. At day-break on the 19th a heavy gun battery opened against the fort. At dusk in the evening a party of the enemy issued from the lower fort, crept unperceived down a deep ravine to the rear of the pettah, and gained the main street, where they encountered the British troops, and were repulsed and forced to abandon their enterprise. Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, of the Royal Scots, while in the act of gallantly encouraging the soldiers, and directing them to withhold their fire and give the enemy the bayonet, was shot in the head and fell dead on the spot: his body was afterwards conveyed to the camp at Neembolah and interred with military honours.[136]

On the 21st of March the five companies of the Royal Scots took their turn of duty in the pettah, where they arrived a little before day-break. As soon as it was light a heavy gun battery opened on the forts with great effect, but it had only fired about a dozen rounds when, from some accident which could not be explained, the magazine in the rear of it, containing 130 barrels of gunpowder, exploded, killing a conductor of ordnance, a native officer, and 34 non-commissioned officers and rank and file, and wounding another native officer and 65 non-commissioned officers and rank and file. Such was the violence of the explosion that about six inches of the top of a bayonet was blown nearly six hundred yards from the battery. From this period until the 29th new batteries of heavy guns and mortars were erected, and, a breach having been effected in the wall of the lower fort, the enemy abandoned it and retired to the upper one: the lower fort was taken possession of on the morning of the 30th by part of Sir John Malcolm's division.

The Royal Scots, with the remainder of the Hyderabad division, had in the meantime removed from their ground at Neembolah and occupied a position three miles north-east of the fortress. During the progress of constructing the new batteries on elevated and commanding situations, the dragging of ordnance into many of them was performed by the European soldiers, who literally worked like horses; and during the whole of the time they were annoyed by a constant fire of matchlocks from the walls of the upper fort, but which was too distant to prevent the execution of this herculean labour, which was performed with that ardour and cheerfulness so characteristic of British soldiers, when necessity demands any extraordinary exertions from them.

On the 31st of March part of the Bengal army, consisting of 2,200 native troops, with 22 pieces of heavy ordnance, commanded by Brigadier-General Watson, joined the besieging force; and these guns were soon placed in battery, and opened on the fort. The storm of war now raged round Asseerghur with awful fury; the shot and shells from the numerous British batteries flew in showers, a dozen shells sometimes exploding within the area of the upper fort at the same moment, and a breach was soon effected in the outer retaining wall at the only assailable part of the fort; at the same time two batteries of 18 and 24-pounders were directed against the inner wall. This unremitting fire was continued until the 6th of April, when the garrison, apprehending the consequences of having to sustain an attack on the works by storm, forced the Killedar to sue for terms, namely, "liberty to preserve their arms and to depart with their personal property." These conditions being refused, hostilities recommenced; the Killedar, however, accepted the terms offered on the 8th, and agreed on his part to surrender the fort on the morning of the 9th, and the firing ceased; but, as he said he could not answer for the garrison, the control of which he had lost, preparations were made for renewing operations in case of refusal. The garrison, however, submitted; a British guard took possession of the gates at the appointed hour; and a union flag was sent, with an escort of 100 Europeans and the like number of native infantry, to the upper fort, and hoisted under a royal salute from all the batteries. The garrison, amounting to 1200 men, marched out at noon and grounded their arms. Their loss was inconsiderable, from having such good cover from the fire of the British batteries, being only 43 killed, and 95 wounded; and this was chiefly occasioned by the bursting of shells. The loss of the besieging army was 11 European and 4 native officers, and 95 European and 213 native soldiers killed and wounded, including the loss at the explosion of the magazine on the 21st of March. Of this number the Royal Scots had only 7 rank and file killed and wounded in addition to the loss on the 18th of March. The force employed against Asseerghur amounted to about 20,000 men; the ordnance of all calibre to 61 guns and 40 mortars and howitzers: the enemy had 119 guns and mortars mounted on the works, and some of the guns were of immense calibre—one a 384-pounder.[137]

In a general order, dated Madras, 28th April, 1819, the conduct of the five companies of the regiment was spoken of in the following terms:—

"The conduct of the detachment of His Majesty's Royal Scots under the command of Captain Wetherall, and of His Majesty's 30th Foot, under Major Dalrymple, during the siege of Asseer, has been most exemplary, and such as to reflect the most distinguished credit on their several commanding officers, as well as on the whole of the officers and men composing those detachments."

After the capture of this fortress the services of the five companies of the Royal Scots being no longer required with the Hyderabad division, on the morning of the 11th of April they commenced their march for the Deccan, for the purpose of joining the head-quarters and the other five companies, which had quitted Hyderabad in December, 1818, and had proceeded to Wallajahbad, forty-seven miles from Madras: and on the 24th of July the several companies of the battalion were united at that station.

The battalion remained at Wallajahbad until the 21st of December, when it marched for Trichinopoly, where it arrived on the 11th of January, 1820.

On the 23rd of January, 1820, the much-lamented event, the decease of His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, occurred, which occasioned great grief to the corps, His Royal Highness having always evinced a constancy of attention to, and interest in, the welfare and credit of the regiment, which endeared his name in the grateful remembrance of the officers and men.

The Colonelcy of the regiment was conferred, on the 29th of January, on Lieut.-General George Marquis of Huntly, only surviving son of Alexander, fourth Duke of Gordon, from the 42nd Highlanders.

In August of the following year His Majesty King George IV. was pleased to approve of the regiment resuming its designation of the "First, or the Royal, Regiment of Foot," instead of the "First, or Royal Scots, Regiment of Foot."

The 2nd battalion remained stationary at Trichinopoly until June, 1824, when it marched to Madras, where it halted until September. In the meantime hostilities had commenced between the British and the Burmese empire; and in September the battalion embarked from Madras and sailed for Calcutta, where it arrived on the 10th of October. Towards the end of the year it marched to Barrackpore for the purpose of suppressing a mutiny amongst the Company's native troops at that place; and after the performance of this painful duty it returned to Calcutta.

In the middle of January, 1825, it received orders to proceed to Rangoon, a city and principal port of the Burmese empire, situated on the north bank of the river Irawaddy, thirty miles from the sea, to reinforce the troops under Brigadier-General Sir Archibald Campbell,[138] employed against the Burmese army. It accordingly embarked from Calcutta under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Armstrong,[139] on the 15th of that month; and on its arrival at Rangoon, the enemy having been driven from his position in its vicinity, the flank companies advanced with the army upon Prome, a city situated about 150 miles up the river Irawaddy, while the battalion companies formed part of the reserve.

The advance was commenced on the 12th of February; owing to the nature of the country and the want of sufficient means for transporting the necessary military stores, part of the force proceeded by land, and the remainder in boats up the river Irawaddy. The flank companies of the Royals, commanded by Captain Tenison, formed the advance-guard of the land column, which was commanded by Brigadier-General Sir A. Campbell. Proceeding along a narrow and difficult path, tending obliquely toward the Irawaddy river, the column marched through the provinces of Lyng and Sarrawah; and on its arrival at Mophi, between two and three thousand Burmese, commanded by Maha Silwah, quitted an old pegaun fort, where they had evinced some determination to resist, and dispersed into a close jungle in the rear. From Mophi the column continued its progress, uninterrupted by the enemy, and forded the river Lyng at Thaboon on the 1st of March. The Carian inhabitants of the country through which the army marched viewed the expulsion of the Burmese with much satisfaction, and assisted the troops in making roads and in procuring supplies of rice and buffaloes. On the 2nd of March the division arrived at Sarrawah, on the Irawaddy, where its junction with the water column had been intended. This column had destroyed several of the enemy's stockades, and had continued its course up the river until it arrived within sight of Donabew, where a series of formidable stockades extending nearly a mile along the banks of the Irawaddy, and protected by about 15,000 Burmese, presented a formidable opposition. Information was received of a gallant but unsuccessful attack having been made on this post by the water column; and Sir Archibald Campbell resolved to retrace his steps with the land column, and concentrate his force for the reduction of this formidable position. He accordingly crossed the Irawaddy at Sarrawah by means of canoes and rafts, which, owing to the insufficiency of the craft employed, was not effected in less than five days. After halting two days at Henzada, the column pursued its march along the right bank of the river, and arrived before Donabew on the 25th of March: on the 27th a communication was opened with the water column, under Brigadier-General Cotton, of the 47th regiment, and both columns co-operated in the reduction of the place. Batteries were constructed without delay, and during the progress of these operations the enemy made several spirited sorties: on one occasion seventeen elephants were sent out, each carrying a complement of men, supported by a body of infantry; but the result proved the inutility of employing such means against British troops. In the beginning of April the batteries opened their fire, and shortly afterwards, the Burmese commander, Maha Bandoola, having been killed by the bursting of a shell, the enemy deserted the place and retreated through the jungles in the direction of Lamina. The intrenchments were immediately taken possession of, and considerable stores of grain and ammunition, with a number of guns of various descriptions, fell into the hands of the British. The Royals at this place had only one private man wounded.

After the capture of Donabew the troops resumed their march; and having crossed the Irawaddy on the 7th of April, at Sarrawah, were joined at that place by the reserve from Rangoon, consisting of eight companies of the Royals, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Armstrong, a regiment of native infantry, and a supply of elephants; the whole under the orders of Brigadier-General M'Creagh. Thus reinforced the army pushed forward; the Burmese retreated; and the British troops arrived before Prome without the necessity of firing a shot: this city, though strongly fortified, was deserted, and in part burnt. Shortly afterwards the wet season set in, and during the heavy rains the army remained inactive; but no opportunity was omitted of entering upon pacific negociations with the Burmese government.

Information having been received of the approach of the enemy with a considerable force towards the British position, a reconnoissance was made up the river in a steam-boat by fifty men of the Royal Regiment, under Brigadier-General Cotton; and on the 15th of August the enemy was discovered at Meeaday, on the left bank of the river, about forty miles from Prome, with a force of between 16,000 and 20,000 men, who appeared all armed with muskets: they had also a small force on the right bank of the river. The Burmese opened a battery of 16 guns upon the reconnoitring party, but the width of the river being upwards of three-quarters of a mile, their shot fell short. On the 16th the steam-boat returned to Prome.

In the early part of September pacific overtures were made by the enemy, and an armistice was afterwards concluded, when the Royals were selected to preserve the line of demarcation between the two armies. Terms of peace were also proposed, namely,—"a large portion of territory was to be ceded by the Burmese, and two crores of rupees paid as an indemnification for the expenses of the war." These conditions produced the utmost indignation at the court of Ava, and a determination to resist their invaders and prosecute the war with vigour. Hostilities recommenced on the 16th of November; and three bodies of British native infantry were soon afterwards repulsed in an attack upon the enemy's advanced position;—the Burmese being in greater force than was anticipated, and the troops sent against them insufficient to contend against so considerable a superiority of numbers.

The result of this attack inspired the Burmese generals with a high but false idea of their own power; and they advanced from their position with their whole force, amounting to between 50,000 and 60,000 men. Brigadier-General Campbell had only about 6000 men to oppose to this formidable host, which threatened to surround him; but though so very inferior in numbers to the enemy, he calmly awaited their approach, and determined to avail himself of any favourable opportunity of attacking them. In the meantime, in order to prevent the enemy's attempts to intercept his communication with Rangoon, and cut off his supplies, which had to be brought a distance of 150 miles up the river Irawaddy, the British commander established 100 men of the Royal Regiment, and an equal number of native infantry, under the command of Captain Deane of the Royals, at Pagahm-Mew, a few miles below Prome, on the Irawaddy, supported by a division of the flotilla on the river under Lieutenant Kellett, of the Royal Navy. This detachment was frequently attacked by superior numbers, and the meritorious conduct of both officers and men is detailed in the following copies of letters from Captain Deane to the Adjutant-General of the Forces serving in Ava:—

20th November.—"I have the honour to report, for the information of the Commander of the Forces, a brush which took place between the party under my command and the enemy this morning.

"In the early part of the morning the fog was so thick as to preclude our seeing anything in our front, and on its clearing up I discovered, by means of a reconnoitring party, that the enemy were in considerable force on the edge of the jungle in front of my left, and shortly afterwards I discovered them marching in three columns across my front, for the attack of my right, left, and centre;—their main object being evidently to gain the right of the village. I, consequently, detached a party to turn their left, and had, in a few minutes, the satisfaction to observe that column retiring in confusion, and with considerable loss. I then moved forward with the remainder of my party to attack their centre, which also retired in confusion after a very few rounds: during this time their right was engaged with a strong piquet which I had placed to dispute the passage of a bridge on the left of the village—this the piquet effectually did. In both the defence of my centre and left, I was much indebted to the prompt assistance afforded me by Lieutenant Kellett, R.N.

"The enemy's force consisted of two gilt chattahs, and about 800 men armed with muskets and spears, with two or three jinjals; their loss I conceive to have been about 25 or 30 men killed. We had not, I am happy to say, a single man wounded. The enemy, however, from the great extent of the village, succeeded in setting fire to it at both ends, but very little damage was done, as we extinguished it almost immediately. The Rajah and all his attendants deserted the place the moment the firing commenced; he has, however, just returned, and appears much more composed, and highly delighted with the result."

November 25th.—"I have the honour to report, for the information of the Commander of the Forces, another affair which we have had with the Burmese this morning.

"A little before day-break we had embarked 20 men of the Royals, and 30 sepoys of the 26th Madras native infantry, in light row-boats, intended to co-operate with Lieut.-Colonel Godwin, on the opposite side of the river. They were just in the act of shoving off from the shore when the enemy, to the amount of 5000 or 6000, made a rush at our works, howling most horribly, and, at the same time, setting fire to the village, which they had entered at all points. We had fortunately got an 18-pounder into battery late yesterday evening, which, added to two 12-pounders which we had before, did great execution. Lieutenant Kellett, R.N., was at this moment shoving off with the row-boats, but instantly returned to our assistance with all his men, and kindly undertook the superintendence of our guns, the well-directed fire of which so mainly contributed to our success. The enemy, after nearly two hours' sharp firing, retired in admirable order, carrying off great numbers of dead and wounded; so much so, that we have not been able to find more than 10 or 12 dead bodies. I am happy to add, that, with the exception of one man slightly grazed in the elbow by a musket-shot, we have not a man either killed or wounded. The Rajah's house was very early in flames, and is burnt to the ground; indeed, I may say the village is completely destroyed. The guns in the boats were of the greatest assistance in scouring the village with grape. We got possession of one jingal and three muskets. The enemy appeared to have several mounted men, but I cannot say what they were."

November 26th.—"The enemy appeared in great force this morning at day-break all along our front, and had a good deal of skirmishing with the piquets; but we could not succeed in drawing them within musket-shot of our works. They are all armed with muskets, and have a great many jinjals, and two or more guns, with which they annoyed us very considerably, having taken up a position in the woody part of the village, from whence they opened a musket fire on the boats. From this I determined to dislodge them, and sent out a strong party for that purpose; these came close upon them, and drove them out, with, I have every reason to believe, considerable loss. They are, however, by no means discomfited, and are, I understand, determined to entrench themselves round us, and make regular approaches, as their orders are peremptory to carry the place. In confirmation of this a number of their entrenching tools were left behind by the killed and wounded. Our only casualty this morning, I am happy to say, is one Lascar severely, but not dangerously, wounded: the shot first grazed the jaw-bone, entered the shoulder, and came out under the arm-pit. From one of the prisoners taken this morning, whom I have, by this opportunity, forwarded to Major Jackson, I learn there are absolutely 5500 men now here, and that a further force is hourly expected from Puttow-down, where, he says, the Setahwoon now is."

Thus 200 British troops resisted the attack of between 5000 and 6000 of the enemy; which occasioned Sir Archibald Campbell to observe in his despatch, "the meritorious conduct of both officers and men, as detailed in the enclosed copies of letters from Captain Deane, will, I am certain, obtain for them the approbation of the Right Honourable the Governor-General in council."

While this detachment was maintaining its post against such very superior numbers of the enemy, Brigadier-General Sir A. Campbell had resolved to make an attack upon every accessible part of the Burmese line, to the east of the Irawaddy, extending from a commanding ridge of hills to two villages about eleven miles north-east of Prome. The enemy's army was divided into three corps, all protected by stockades, and occupying positions of difficult approach; but each separated from the other by local obstructions, so that they could be attacked separately.

Leaving four native regiments for the defence of Prome, the General marched early on the morning of the 1st of December against the enemy's left flank at Simbike; during this movement the battalion companies of the Royals were on board the flotilla under Sir James Brisbane, diverting the attention of the enemy from this movement by an attack upon another part of their position, and otherwise co-operating with the land force. On arriving at the Nawine river the army was divided into two columns. The right, under Brigadier-General Cotton, in which were the flank companies of the Royals, proceeding along the left bank of the river, came in front of the enemy's works, consisting of a series of stockades, covered on both flanks by thick jungle, and by the river in the rear, and defended by a considerable force, in which were 8000 Shans, a people of Laos, under their native chiefs, who bore a high character for gallantry, and these people were inspired with confidence by the presence of a female, whom they considered a prophetess. Notwithstanding the formidable appearance of these works, crowded with Burmese and Shans, and bristling with spears, the flank companies of the Royals, commanded by Captain Harvey, with the 41st and 89th regiments, supported by the 18th Madras native infantry, the whole commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Godwin, instantly stormed the stockades, in gallant style, and carried them in less than ten minutes.[140] The Burmese fled,—the Shans, who had never encountered British troops before, fought manfully a short time, but were soon overpowered, and their prophetess mortally wounded. The enemy left 300 dead, including their veteran commander, Maha Memiow, who was 75 years of age, in the works; also their stores and ammunition, with a considerable quantity of arms, and 100 Cassay horses. The left column, under Sir Archibald Campbell, having crossed the Nawine, came up as the fugitives were retreating, and completed the dispersion of this wing of the Burmese army. The loss of the flank companies of the Royal Regiment in this action was—1 serjeant and 2 rank and file, killed: Ensign Campbell, who died on the succeeding day, and 5 rank and file, wounded.

Following up this advantage, Sir A. Campbell resolved to attack the centre division of the Burmese army, posted on the Napadee hills, which was not effected without considerable difficulty and some loss, but which proved quite successful; the Burmese were driven from their stockades and entrenchments, and forced to seek safety in a precipitate flight.

The battalion companies of the Royals, having quitted the flotilla, joined the division under Brigadier-General Cotton,[141] which crossed the Irawaddy in the course of the night of the 4th of December, to attack the enemy's right wing under Sudda Woon, posted on the left bank of the river. On the following morning the attack was made in conjunction with the navy and flotilla, and the Burmese were soon driven from their extensive works near the banks of the stream. On taking possession of these defences it was discovered, that the enemy had a stockaded work about half a mile in the interior, completely manned and occupied by guns. Against this stockade the troops instantly advanced with their native energy and fortitude;—Brigadier-General Armstrong, of the Royals, Colonel Brodie, and Colonel Godwin, moved against the enemy's centre and right; at the same time Brigadier-General Cotton advanced with the companies of the Royal Regiment against the left, and the work was instantly carried,—the enemy leaving 300 dead on the field, and dispersing in every direction. Several prisoners were taken, and from 300 to 350 muskets, which the Burmese had abandoned in their flight, were broken by the soldiers. Brigadier-General Cotton observed in his despatch,—"I have to add my warmest acknowledgments to Brigadier Armstrong, who commanded the advance; to Colonel Brodie, who had charge of the light companies; and to Colonel Godwin, who commanded the reserve; and to every officer and man engaged. I am happy to say this service was performed with the trifling loss of one man killed and four wounded." Thus in the course of four days the immense army of Ava, which had threatened to envelope Prome, and to swallow up the little body of British troops which had penetrated into the interior of the Burmese empire, was driven from its positions; and, as the timorous herd is put to flight by the lion of the forest, so the legions of Ava fled with precipitation before the fierce attacks of the British, and sought for shelter amongst their thick jungles.

The British force was now at liberty to advance upon Ummerapoora, the modern capital of the Burmese empire, situated on the shores of a romantic lake at a short distance from the left bank of the Irawaddy. Part of the Burmese army had been rallied and had taken post on some strong positions near Meeaday. Against these positions the British troops advanced in two divisions; the Royals were embarked and sailed up the river in the flotilla, to support one of the land divisions under Brigadier-General Cotton. During the first stages of the march the troops proceeded along a difficult road through thick jungle, and the men were frequently deluged with rain, which proved injurious to their health, and many of them suffered from attacks of the cholera. When the troops drew near to Meeaday the Burmese evacuated their position and took post at Melloone, on the right bank of the Irawaddy, on a series of fortified heights, and a formidable stockade, which was considered the chef-d'œuvre of the Burmese engineers. The British troops took post at Patanagoh, on the left bank of the river, opposite the enemy's works. The Burmese sent a flag of truce, and expressed a desire to put an end to the war; they also not only permitted the flotilla, on which the Royals had embarked, to pass close under their works without interruption, but likewise sent out two gaudy war-boats to act as pilots, and the British naval force anchored above the town, by which the enemy's retreat by the river was cut off. The conditions of the treaty were afterwards discussed. The Burmese negotiators objected to the payment of money, and stated they were unable to raise such a sum. They stated they might, by using great economy, pay a million baskets of rice within a year, but they did not grow rupees; and, if the British had any objection to the rice, there were abundance of fine trees in the forests which they might cut down and take away instead of the money. Finding these and other arguments unavailing, the treaty was concluded, and a limited time given for its being ratified. In the meantime a cessation of hostilities had been agreed upon until the 18th of January, 1826, and the troops remained stationary.