STORM OF ALLIGHUR. 4th. September, 1803.
Reading edition
This service occurred during the Mahratta war. The empire of the Mahrattas, of which Sevajee was the founder, had become a confederacy of five chieftains, the Peishwah, Scindiah, Holkar, the Rajah of Berar, and the Guicowar; each of whom, although acknowledging a kind of fealty to the descendant of Sevajee, was independent of the other. The 18Peishwah, who was regarded as the nominal head of the confederation, was considered only as an instrument in the hands of the strongest. Dowlut Rao Scindiah, who ruled over Malwa and Candeish, had acquired an absolute control in the councils of Bajee Rao, the Peishwah, and was regarded with great jealousy by his rival Holkar. Both these chieftains had armies officered by Europeans, principally Frenchmen. Holkar suddenly crossed the Nerbudda, marched on Poonah, and having defeated the united troops of Scindiah and the Peishwah, the latter placed himself under the protection of the British, and after his restoration in May, 1803, it was ascertained that Scindiah was in négociation with Holkar and the Berar Rajah, with a view to subvert the British alliance with the Peishwah. After the evasions and procrastinations inseparable from oriental diplomacy, hostilities commenced, Major-General the Honourable Arthur Wellesley being appointed to the chief command of the British and allied troops in the territories of the Peishwah, of the Nizam, and of any Mahratta state; subject alone to the orders of General Stuart and General Lake, the Commander-in-Chief in India.
General Lake was instructed to conquer the whole of Scindiah’s territory between the Jumna and the Ganges, to seize upon Delhi and Agra, and to destroy the army commanded by General Perron, a French officer. On the 7th. of August, 1803, the troops advanced from Cawnpore, and entered the Mahratta territory on the morning of the 29th. of that month. Perron occupied a strong position, with about fifteen thousand men, in the vicinity of Coel. General Lake resolved to turn his left flank, against which he advanced, but the enemy retired after firing a few rounds, without venturing a regular engagement; the rapidity of his flight rendering the several attempts made to charge him quite ineffectual. After this affair, Perron took up a position between the town of Coel and the fortress of Allighur, and every effort to induce the governor to surrender proving unsuccessful, the necessary arrangements were made for the assault of the fort.
Allighur was a place of considerable strength, the country being levelled around and open to its fire in every direction. It was provided with a broad ditch and a fine glacis, and 19had only one entrance, which was very intricate, and over a narrow causeway. On the 4th. of September, a storming party, consisting of four companies of the 76th., with two battalions and four companies of native infantry, was placed under the orders of the Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel Monson. At half-past four o’clock in the morning it had advanced within a few hundred yards of the place before being discovered; when, a tremendous fire being opened, the colonel rushed forward with the flank companies of the regiment, in the hope of being able to enter the main gateway with a fugitive guard which had been stationed in a breastwork outside the place. In this he was disappointed, and, as the enemy’s cross fire was very severe, Major Macleod, and two grenadiers of the regiment, endeavoured to scale the wall, but encountered such a powerful phalanx of pikemen that they were compelled to fall back. A gun was with some difficulty placed opposite to the gate, which, after a few discharges, was blown open. During these operations the party for twenty minutes was exposed to a raking fire of grape, wall pieces, and matchlocks. Colonel Monson was severely wounded by a pike discharged from a gun, and the adjutant and four officers of grenadiers were killed.
After clearing the first gate, a long and intricate passage conducted the troops, in the midst of a heavy cross fire, through a second and third gateway, which were easily forced, to a fourth, that led immediately into the body of the place. With great difficulty the gun was brought up, but the gate could not be blown open. At last the grenadiers, with Major Macleod at their head, succeeded in pushing through the wicket, and mounted the ramparts, after which but little opposition was offered by the Mahrattas, who for the space of an hour had made a most vigorous defence. They lost about two thousand men, while the casualties of the assailants were likewise severe.
As Allighur was the chief residence and principal depôt of General Perron, a large quantity of ordnance and military stores were captured, and several carriages were found laden with treasure, which the victors divided amongst themselves on the spot. A few days after the fall of this fortress, General Perron withdrew from the Mahratta service; his popularity amongst the natives had excited the jealousy of Scindiah, whose conduct would have palliated a severe retaliation; but the high-minded Frenchman, disdaining an unworthy action, resigned the command under circumstances most honourable to his personal character.
The 76th. may feel proud of the praise which was bestowed upon the regiment and its officers by the Governor-General for their gallantry.[11]
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