158 7UAHRATTA WAR. 



to the village of Assave, he discovered their whole armv, 

 including every description of troops, and amounting to 

 upwards of 50,000 men, drawn up in order of battle. His 

 own force, though composed of veteran soldiers, did not 

 exceed 4500; yet he determined to proceed to the attack ; 

 while his men, far from being struck with any apprehension, 

 exultingly exclaimed, " They cannot escape us !" As they 

 advanced, however, the enemy's artillery, the best organized 

 part of their force, opened a most destructive fire, which 

 greatly thinned the British ranks. The general, being 

 informed by one of the officers in command that his guns 

 could not be got forward, owing to the number of men and 

 bullocks that were disabled, said, " Well, tell him to get on 

 without them." The British infantry, therefore, moved 

 forward in the face of this tremendous fire with a steady 

 pace, and bore down all opposition. The enemy's cavalry, 

 however, on seeing the opposite ranks so much reduced, 

 made a desperate attempt to break them ; but they then 

 encountered a most gallant charge by the English hi 

 which soon compelled them to join the retreat of the infantry. 

 The victory seemed complete, when it was for a moment 

 rendered doubtful by a very unexpected incident. By a 

 stratagem not unexampled in the East, a considerable num- 

 ber of Indians had thrown themselves on the ground, and 

 been passed as dead by the advancing troops. They now 

 started up, seized some of the captured guns and com- 

 menced a brisk fire from behind, under Favour of which a 

 few of the flying squadrons rallied. General Wellesley, 

 however, with his usual presence of mind, detached several 

 corps, by whom this alarming resurrection was soon put 

 down; and the whole Indian host was forthwith involved in 

 one promiscuous flight, leaving on the field twelve hundred 

 dead, with nearly the w hole 01 their artillery. The British 

 on their side lost about a third of their force in killed and 

 wounded. 



Such was the battle of Assave, which established the fame 

 of the greatest commander of the age, and fixed the dominion 

 of Britain over prostrate India. Vet his conduct on this 

 occasion has been the subject of considerable controversy, 

 and many consider that the British troops were too daringly 

 led on to an unequal combat. The panegyrists of the 

 general, on the other hand, anjue, that he availed himself 



