BATTLE OF DEEG. 167 



tion from Cawnpoor, and having assembled his forces at 

 Secundra, marched against the Mahratta army, which then 

 relinquished its position. The Indian chief, however, con 

 trived, by alternately advancing and retreating with hi 

 cavalry, to occupy the attention of the British commander, 

 while his infantry, by a rapid movement, succeeded in 

 reaching Delhi on the 8th October, and immediately invested 

 it. The city, ten miles in circumference, with a ruinous 

 wall, was guarded only by a small body of sepoys. Lieu- 

 tenant-colonels Ochterlony and Burn, however, led on these 

 troops with such spirit and judgment that all the enemy's 

 attacks were repulsed, and after seven days of persevering 

 efforts they were obliged to raise the siege. 



General Lake, on receiving intelligence of the danger of 

 Delhi, hastened to that capital, which he reached on the 

 17th October. Learning there that Holkar with his cavalry 

 had beaun a course of devastation along the Doab, he set 

 out in pursuit of him. He sent at the same time his in- 

 fantry under General Fraser, to attack that of the enemy, 

 now stationed at Deeg, a strong fort belonging to the Rajah 

 of Bhurtpore, who on seeing the scale of fortune turn 

 against the English, had embraced the opposite interest. 

 Fraser found them on the 13th, strongly intrenched under 

 the stronghold just named, their front covered by a morass, 

 and their left by a fortified village. The battle was a repe- 

 tition of the usual scene ; the English rushing on in the 

 face of a destructive fire from numerous batteries, and suffer- 

 ing severely till they came to close quarters, then charging 

 with the bayonet, and carrying all before them. There 

 were here successive lines of guns, which it was necessary 

 to capture by repeated charges. The general, a gallant 

 commander, received a wound that obliged him to quit the 

 field, and afterward proved mortal ; the victory was com- 

 pleted by Colonel Monson. This action, like that of Assaye, 

 was distinguished by a manoeuvre on the part of the Indian 

 cavalry. Wheeling round and recovering se\eral of the 

 first line of guns, they turned them on the English rear ; 

 but they were soon chased off the field by twenty-eight men 

 of the 76th, headed by Captain Norford, who, however, 

 lost his life in the performance of this memorable exploit. 

 At length the enemy were driven to the walls of the fort 

 with the loss of the greater part of their artillery, among 



