GENERAL HISTORY. 



[185 



the effect of the batteries, sent to 

 solicit terms. He was desired to 

 open his gates, and to surrender 

 himself and his garrison uncondi- 

 tionally, which he promised to 

 do : some delay, however, taking 

 place, and the day beginning to 

 decline, the guns and Europeans 

 ■were brought up to the first gate, 

 which was entered by the Euro- 

 peans at the side by single files, 

 without requiring to be blown 

 open. The next gate was found 

 open; and at the third the Killedar 

 came oat by the wicket, with a 

 number of banyans, whom he had 

 on the previous evening forced 

 into the fort from the pettah, and 

 surrendered himself to the Ad- 

 jutant-general. The party ad- 

 vanced through another gate, and 

 found the fifth, which led into the 

 body of the place, shut, and the 

 Arabs within still insisting upon 

 ■ terms. After some delay, the 

 wicket of this gate was opened 

 from within, and Lieut.-colonel 

 iNIacgregor Murray, and Major 

 Gordon entered by it, with two 

 or three officers and ten or twelve 

 grenailiers of the Royal Scots 

 who were leading. I lament to 

 state to your lordship that this 

 gallant band was immediately 

 attacked by the treacherous 

 Arabs within, before adequate 

 aid could be given from the 

 wicktt ; in a moment they were 

 fired upon and struck down with 

 spears and arrows. The intrepid 

 Major Gordon and Captain Mac- 

 gregor resigned their invaluable 

 lives at this spot, and Lieut.- 

 colonel ?i/Iurray was wounded in 

 several places with daggers before 

 he iiad time to draw his sword to 

 ilcfond iiimself. 



WlitJii the attack commenced 



at the inoer gate, the outer one 

 was directed to be blown open, 

 while the fire from the batteries 

 covered the assault. Thirty or 

 forty of the leading grenadiers 

 having, in the meantime, suc- 

 ceeded in getting through the 

 wicket, the garrison took shelter 

 in the houses in the fort, whence 

 the}^ still opposed an obstinate 

 resistance; but the reinainder of 

 the storming party having by this 

 time got into the place, the whole 

 of the garrison, consisting of 

 about three hundred men, of 

 whom a considerable number 

 were Arabs, were put to the 

 sword ; a severe example indeed, 

 but absolutely necessary, and one 

 which I have no doubt will pro- 

 duce a most salutary effect on 

 the future operations in this pro- 

 vince. The Killedar I ordered 

 to be hanged on one of the bas- 

 tions immediately after the place 

 fell. Whether he was accessory 

 or not to the subsequent treachery 

 of his men, his execution was 

 justly due to his rebellion in the 

 first instance, particularly after 

 the warning he had received in 

 tlie morning." 



The India board having re- 

 ceived dispatches, dated Sept. 28, 

 from the Governor in Council at 

 Bombay of the date of March 25, 

 the following are part of the 

 contents communicated to the 

 Secret Committee. 



A report from Brigadier-gen. 

 Prilzler, addressed to the Adju- 

 tant General of the army, relat- 

 ing to his capture of Singhur, a 

 strong hill fort, contains the sub- 

 sequent particulars. The General 

 invested the fort of Singhur on 

 the 20th of February, and on the 

 22iid a battery of i mortars and 

 2 howitzer* 



