HISTORY OF EUROPE. 





At this moment orders were sent to 

 the camp, to order up the infantry 

 and artillerj' ; upon receiving which, 

 the line was direfted to fall in, and 

 move \o the front, by columns of 

 grand divisions from each batialion, 

 while the camp was left standing 

 under the protection of the advanced 

 picqucts, and a part of the 17th re- 

 giment of native infantry. The 

 whole of the British troops Mho 

 could be brought into action on this 

 ever-memorable day amonntejl to 

 about 4,500, of which number, the 

 27th of dragoons, the 76th of foot, 

 and the artillery, were European 

 alone. 



Notwithstanding the alacrity and 

 expedition with which the British 

 troops were got under arms, an 

 hour elapsed before the infantry- 

 could join the cavalry, who were 

 advanced two miles in front, and 

 had already suffered a considerable 

 loss both in men and horses : during 

 this interval the commander in chief's 

 horse was shot under him. 



Finding that it would be difficult 

 to defeat the enemy in their present 

 strong position, general Lake, with 

 the most consummate judgment, de- 

 termined on a feint, to cause them 

 to quit their intrenchments, and ad- 

 vance on the plain. With this view 

 the British cavalry was ordered to 

 retire, both for the purpose of 

 drawing the enemy into a pursuit, 

 and to cover the advance of the in- 

 fantry. This movement was per- 

 formed with the greatest order and 

 steadiness, until the moment when a 

 junftion was formed with the infan- 

 try, which, on a sufficient interval 

 being left for that purpose, advanced 

 in front, forming one line ; the ca- 

 Talry, who had now faced about, 

 being in a second, about forty yards 

 in the rear of the right wing : the 

 Vol. XLVI. 



whole of the British force then ad- 

 vanced towards the enemy, the gal- 

 lant commander in chief leading it, 

 at the head of the 76th regiment. 



As soon as the cavalry began io 

 retire, the enemy, conceiving this 

 movement to be a real retreat, im- 

 mediately quitted their strong posi- 

 tion, and advanced with the whole 

 of their guns, shouting, and display- 

 ing every confidence in their future 

 triumph. They halted, however, 

 OB the unexpcdted and steady ad- 

 vance of the British infantry, and 

 then commenced a tremeudous fire 

 of round, grape, and chain-shot, 

 which did terrible execution. In the 

 mean while, the British line, led by 

 general Lake, with undaunted bra- 

 very and the utmost coolness, with- 

 out taking their muskets from their 

 shoulders, moved on towards the 

 enemy, until within a hundred paces 

 of their line, which then commenced 

 a general discharge of grape-shot 

 from all their artillery. Orders were 

 instanti}' given to charge the enemy 

 with bayonets : the whole British 

 line fired a volley, and, with their 

 illustrious commander in chief at 

 their head, rushed on with such im- 

 petuosity, as to force their opponents 

 to give way, and fly in every direc- 

 tion. As soon as the British troops 

 halted, after the charge, general 

 Lake, with his accustomed judg- 

 ment, ordered the line to break into 

 columns of companies, to allow the 

 cavalry to charge through the inter- 

 vals with their galloper-guns, which 

 completed the victory. The enemy 

 was pursued to the banks of the 

 Jumna, and vast numbers were 

 driven into the river. While these 

 operations took place on the right, 

 those on the left, under major-gene- 

 ral St. John, were equally success- 

 ful. The enemy left the whole of 



Q— Z llieir 



