HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



231 



which general Lake had allowed 

 the enemy, no reply having been 

 received, the British infantry ad- 

 vanced to the attack, moving along 

 the bank of the rivulet, throngh 

 high grass and broken ground, 

 which atibrdcd some cover. As soon 

 as it became exposed to the enemy's 

 ^iins, the fui'.r .British batteries 

 'commenced their fire, and conti- 

 nued to advance, notwithstanding 

 the vast superiority of the enemy's 

 arfiilery. The cannonade on both 

 sides was extremely severe, and 

 maintained wiih the greatest vigour 

 and spirit. The ef illery of the 

 enemy was extreme ly well served, 

 and they threw graj)e from large 

 mortars, as m ell as from guns of a 

 very heavy calibre. 



When the 7Gth regiment, which 

 headed the attack, had arrived 

 within one hundred and fifty paces 

 of the enemy, it was so much ex- 

 posed, and men fell so fast, that 

 the commander-in-chief judged it 

 preferable to proceed to the_ at- 

 tack with that regiment, and as 

 many of the native infantry as had 

 closed to the front, rather than wait 

 till the remainder of the column, 

 which had been much impeded in 

 its advance, should be able to form. 

 As soon as this small body of brave 

 men arrived within reach of the ene- 

 my's cannister.shot, a most tre- 

 mendous fire opened upon them. 

 The loss sustained was severe, and, 

 under such a cannonade, it was im- 

 possible to make a regular advance. 

 The enemy's cavalry now attempted 

 to charge, but was repulsed by the 

 fire of this gallant body of British 

 infantry ; it rallied, however, at a 

 ijhort distance, and assumed so me- 

 nacing an aspect, that the comman- 

 der-in-chief ordered it to be charged 

 in its turn, by tlie British horse, 



which was executed with the ut- 

 most gallantry and success, by the 

 29th regiment of dragoons, under 

 the command of captairt Wade, ma- 

 jor Griffith being at that instant un- 

 fortunately killed by a cannon shot. 

 The remainder of the iufantry ar- 

 rived in time to join in the attack of 

 the enemy's reserve, A\hlch was 

 formed in the rear of their first line. 



About this time general Ware 

 fell dead, by a cannon-shot ; which 

 event, from the courage and skill 

 which always distinguished that gal- 

 lant officer, may well be regarded 

 as a public loss. The command of 

 his column devolved upon colonel 

 Macdonald, who, though wounded, 

 executed its important duties, at 

 this trying moment, in the most ex- 

 emplary manner. 



The enemy opposed a vigorous 

 resistance to the last, and did not 

 abandon their position, until they 

 had lost all their guns. Even then 

 their left wing endeavoured to re- 

 treat in good order, but they were 

 broken in upon by lieutenant-colo- 

 nel Vandeleur's division of cavalry, 

 which cut several of them to pieces, 

 and drove the rest in prisoners, with 

 the whole of the enemy's baggage. 



Tlie loss sustained by the British 

 troops, in the achievement of this 

 complete victory, vvas severe, 

 amounting to nearly two hmdred 

 killed, (in which number were Li- 

 cluded several valuable officers) and 

 nearly seven hundred wounded. 

 Of the enemy, two thousand were 

 made prisoners, and by far the 

 greater number of the remainder 

 were destroyed upon the field of 

 battle ! 



There remained in the possession 

 of the British troops, after the bat- 

 tle, the whole of (he enemy's bag- 

 gage and camp equipage ; all their ele- 



Q 4 phants 



