H I N D O O S T A N. 
106 
a drawbridge, and thus the afiailants were enabled to pafs 
the ditch on the caufeway, and immediately to attack the 
body of the place. General Lake having made many 
attempts to induce the governor, M. Pedron, to furrender, 
but in vain, ordered a Itorming party, under the command 
of the honourable colonel Monfon, on the morning of the 
4-th of September. 
Colonel Monfon conducted the attack with the utmoft 
gallantry and judgment. His party moved on at half-paft 
four o’clock, under cover of a heavy fire from the Britilh 
batteries, and arrived within one hundred yards of the 
fort, before it was difcovered. As foon, however, as 
colonel Monfon faw he was perceived, he endeavoured, 
by pulhing on with the two flank-companies of the 76th, 
to enter the fort, along with the guard ltationed outfide 
its gates behind a ftrong breaft-work, which covered the 
entrance. The colonel fucceeded in palling the breast¬ 
work, but found the firft gate fliut: two ladders were 
immediately applied, on which major M‘Leod, of the 
76th regiment, and two grenadiers, attempted to mount, 
but they were forced to defift, by a molt formidable row 
of pikemen, who menaced every aflailant with certain 
deftruftion A twelve-pounder was then brought up ; 
but fome time elapfed before it could be placed oppofite 
to the gate, which was fituated in an inconvenient direc¬ 
tion, near tire flank of a baftion. Four or five difcharges 
took place before any effect was produced, during which 
time (nearly twenty minutes) the Itorming party were 
expofed to a molt fevere and raking fire of grape, wall- 
pieces, and matchlocks. ' The principal loi's was here 
fuftained. Colonel Monfon was wounded by a pike, fired, 
it is fuppofed, from a gun; at the lpot alio fell four gre¬ 
nadier-officers, the adjutant of the 76th regiment, and 
lieutenant Turton, of the 4th native infantry. As foon 
as the firft gate was blown open, the troops advanced in 
a circular direction, round a ftrong baftion of mafonry, 
along a narrow road, and through two gateways, which 
were eafily forced, to a fourth gateway, leading into the 
body of the place; during which time they were much 
annoyed by a heavy crofs-fire in every direction. It was- 
fome time, attended with great difficulty and danger, 
before the twelve-pounder could be brought up, and 
when it arrived the gate could not be forced. Upon 
this occafion, the perfonal gallantry of major McLeod 
was again confpicuous. In defiance of all oppofition, he 
burft open the wicket, and the party entered the fort with 
refiftlefs impetuosity, and foon compelled the enemy to 
fubmit. The commander, M. Pedron, was here taken 
prifoner, and fome part of the gairifbn fnrrenderedbut 
far the greater proportion endeavouring, as is ufual in 
India, to efcape in every direction, numbers leaped into 
the ditch, and were drowned. This affair, which was as 
brilliant as decifive, lafted more than an hour, the befieged 
having during that time offered a moil gallant and vigo¬ 
rous defence. Their lofs was very great, amounting, in 
killed alone, to more than two thouiand. 
The fall of Ailygur was a circumftance of considerable 
importance to the future profecution of the war; it was 
the ufual place of refidence of M. Perron, and the grand 
depot of his warlike ftores, a considerable quantity of 
which, and fome tumbrils of treafure, fell into the hands 
of the captors. The latter was divided, on the ipot, 
among the ftorming,party, as the reward of their bravery. 
General Lake having garrifoned the fort, and applied a 
drawbridge to the gateway, the place may now be conli 
dered as impregnable to any native power. On the 7th 
ox September, M. Perron applied to tfie commander-in- 
chief for permiffion to proceed, with his fasnily and pro¬ 
perty, to Lucknow, trader Britifh protection; he added, 
that lie had resigned his command in Scindia’s arsny. 
This meafure was probably in part owing to the furrender 
of Ailygur; but M. Perron bimfelf a Signed as his motive, 
that he was about to be fuperfeded by Scindia; asid that 
the defection, treachery, arid ingratitude, of his European 
officers, had convinced him, that further refiitancerto the 
Britifh arms was ufelefs and ineffectual. General Lake 
complied with M. Perron’s requeft, and he was conducted 
(efcorted by the general’s bwn body-guard) to Lucknow, 
where, and upon his route, he was treated with every 
mark of refpeCt and honour. 
On the following day, the army advanced to Koorjah, 
a fort of fome ftrength, about thirty miles from Ailygur, 
and which had been evacuated by its garrifon, on intel¬ 
ligence being received of the fall of that fortrefs. It was 
here that the commander-in-chief received advice of the 
furrender of lieutenant-colonel Conyngham, with five 
companies of fepoys, and one gun, to a numerous body 
of the enemy’s cavalry, commanded by M. Fleury, a, 
French officer, at Shekoabad. This little force had only 
capitulated, after repeated attacks from a body tar more 
numerous, and after having expended its ammunition. 
To counteract the impreffion which this unpleafant affair 
(flight as the lofs was in reality) might make upon the 
mind of the enemy, the commander-in-chief immediately 
detached a ftrong body of cavalry, and a brigade of in¬ 
fantry, to beat up M. Fleury’s quarters; but before thefe 
detachments could efl’eCt a junCliori with colonel Vandeleur, 
with whom they were to have co-operated, at Futtygur, 
the enemy had re-crofled the Jumna, and afterwards dif- 
perfed. 
The main army, under general Lake, reached Secundm 
on the 9th of September ; on the morning of the 10th, it 
made a fliort march to the weftward, and on that of the 
nth reached its ground of encampment near the Jehna 
Nullah, about fix miles from the city of Delhi. On the 
march, intelligence was received that Scindia’s force, 
under M. Louis Bourquein, (who had fucceeded M. Per¬ 
ron,) to the number of thirteen thoufand regular infantry, 
fix thoufand horfe, and a confiderable train of ordnance, 
had crofled the Jumna in the night, for the purpofe of 
attacking the Britifh army. 
The troops, much fatigued with a march of eighteen 
miles, had icarcely time to pitch their tents, when the 
enemy appeared in fuch ftrength, in front, as obliged the 
commander-in-chief to order the grand guard and ad¬ 
vanced picquets to turn out, while he proceeded in perfon 
to reconnoitre with the whole of the cavalry, (three regi 7 
ments,) and found the enemy drawn up in order of battle, 
and in full force. Their pofition was taken very judi- 
cioufly on riling ground, each flank covered by a fwaiiip, 
beyond which their cavalry was pofted : their numerous 
artillery covered the front, which was further protested 
by a line of entrenchments, nor could they be attacked ill 
any other direction. As the Britifh cavalry advanced, 
the enemy began a moft heavy and deftrudtive cannonade.- 
At this moment orders were fent to the camp, to bring 
up the infantry and artillery; upon receiving which, the 
line was directed to fall in, and move to the front, by 
columns of grand divisions from each battalion, while the 
camp was left ftanding under the prote&ion of the ad¬ 
vanced picquets, and a part of the 17th regiment of native 
infantry. The whole of the Britifh troops, who could be- 
brought i * o aftion on this ever-meruorable day, amounted 
to about four thoufand five hundred, of which number, 
the 27th of dragoons, the 76th of foot, and the artillery, 
were European alone. 
Notwithftanding the alacrity and expedition with which 
the Britifh troops were got under arms, an hour elapfed 
before the infantry could join the cavalry, who were ad'- 
vanced two miles in front, and had already 1'offered a con¬ 
fiderable lofs both in men and horfes: during this inter¬ 
val the commander-in-chief had a horfe fhot under him. 
Finding that it would be difficult to defeat the etleihy, 
in their preftnt ftroftg pofition, general Lake, with th’p 
moft confummate judgment, determined on a feint, to 
caufe them to quit their entrenchments, and advance on 
the plain. With this view the Britifh Cavalry was or¬ 
dered to retire, both for the purpofe of drawing the ene¬ 
my into a purfult, and to cover the advance of the infan¬ 
try. This movement was performed with the greateft or- 
, a der 
