190 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



preparations to be made for an at- 

 tack on the following daj', when 

 intelligence arrived that the Wind- 

 ham had sailed for Cheribon with 

 some troops, and several vessels 

 were seen in the otfing ; I there- 

 fore countermanded the orders, in 

 the expectation of succours ; but 

 the admiral, anxious, on account of 

 the approaching unfavourable sea- 

 son, to secure a safe anchorage for 

 the ships, sailed in the morning, 

 with two ships of the line and three 

 frigates, to attack Fort Louis, and, 

 if successful, to occupy the harbour 

 of Sourabaya. 



The Windham alone arrived in 

 the course of the night, and even 

 the very slender reinforcement 

 which she brought was, situated 

 as we were, of great importance, 

 and it enabled me to withdraw all 

 the European garrison from the 

 fort of Saraarang, and to add a 

 company of Sepoys to the field 

 force, which thus strengthened did 

 not exceed one thousand one hun- 

 dred infantry, and the necessary 

 artillery to man four six pounders, 

 with some pioneers. 



I did not think it proper to as- 

 sume the direct command of so 

 small a detachment : I conBded it 

 to Colonel Gibbs, of his Majesty's 

 69th regiment, proceeding, how- 

 ever, with the troops, that 1 might 

 be at hand to profit by any fortu- 

 nate result of the attack. 



Experience had warranted my 

 reposing the fullest confidence in 

 the valour and discipline of the 

 troops I had the good fortune to 

 command, and taught me to ap- 

 preciate those which the enemy 

 could oppose to them. Many of 

 the fugitives from Cornelius were 

 in their ranks, and the rest of 

 their forces were strongly impress- 



ed, by their exaggerated accountsy 

 with the dangers to be dreaded 

 from the impel uosity of our troops. 

 I did not, therefore, feel appre- 

 hension of any unfortunate result 

 from attacking the enemy with 

 numbers so very disproportionate ; 

 but from our total want of cavalry, 

 I did not expect to derive from it 

 any very decisive advantage, be- 

 yond that of driving them from the 

 position they had chosen. 



The small party of cavalry, of 

 which I had been disappointed by 

 the absence of the transports which 

 conveyed them, would have been 

 invaluable ; much of the enemy's 

 force was mounted, and they had 

 some horse artillery, while not 

 even the horses of my staff were 

 arrived, and our artillery and am- 

 munition were to be moved by 

 hand by the lascars and pioneers, 

 who for this purpose were attached 

 to the field-pieces. 



Colonel Gibbs marched at two 

 o'clock on the morning of the 16th 

 from Samarang, and after ascend- 

 ing some steep hills, at the distance 

 of near six miles, the fires of the 

 enemy appeared a little before the 

 dawn of day extending along the 

 summit of a hill, which crossed 

 our front at Jattee Allee, and over 

 part of which the road was cut ; 

 the doubtful light, and great height 

 of the hill they occupied, made the 

 position appear at first most formid- 

 able. It was resolved to attack it 

 immediately ; and as the leading 

 division or advance of the detach- 

 ments moved forward to turn the 

 enemy's left, a fire was opened on 

 them from many guns placed on 

 the summit of the hill, and various 

 positions on its face, which com- 

 pletely commanded the road ; these 

 were answered by our field-pieces 



as 



