JOS HINDOOSTAN. 
Shumlhere Bahadur, who, though in fact an officer of the 
peilhwa, had, from the imbecility of the court of Poonah, 
fucceeded in making himfelf nearly independent in Bun- 
delcund. After fome petty fuccelTes, colonel Powel 
eroded the Cane on the 12th, and, having fucceeded in 
forcing the enemy to a general engagement, entirely de¬ 
feated him after a Ihort though fliarp contelt. In confe- 
quence of this event, the whole province was freed from 
the armies of Shumfliere Bahadur ; and the numerous in¬ 
habitants of that valuable diftrift became the friends and 
fupporters of the Britiih caufe. 
On the 2d of October general Lake reached the city of 
Matura, or Muttra, where he joined colonel Vandeleur, 
who had occupied it with his detachment. To the lat¬ 
ter, fome few days before, M. Dodernaigue and two other 
French officers, who had been detached by Scindia at the 
head of lome regular battalions, to reinforce M. Perron 
in July, furrendered themfelves prifoners. At Matura 
alfo, colonel Vandeleur had polfelfed himfelf of one of M. 
Perron’s principal founderies forcafting cannon. 
In two days the whole army reached Agra, which was 
immediately lummoned to furrender; but no anfwer was 
returned, owing, as it afterwards appeared, to the diilrull 
which the garrifon had conceived of their European offi¬ 
cers, whom they had put into clofe confinement. On a 
nearer view of the defences of the place, it was found that 
feven battalions of the enemy’s regular infantry, with 
fome ordnance, were encamped on the outfide of the fort, 
and occupied the town and the principal molque of 
Agra, as well as fome ravines which led through broken 
ground, from the Britifh camp to the ditch on the fouth 
fide of the fort, and to the Delhi gateway. Thefe ravines 
general Lake determined to feize, and to dillodge the 
enemy from the town, before he proceeded further againft 
the fortrefs. Accordingly, after a long and fevere con¬ 
telt on the morning of the 10th of Oftober, both thefe 
objects were attained, although with confiderable lofs in 
men and officers. The enemy were entirely defeated, 
having fix hundred men killed, and lofing twenty-fix 
guns, with feveral tumbrils of ammunition. The remain¬ 
der of their battalions, to the number of 2500, agreed to 
lurrender to general Lake ; and marched into the Britiih 
camp, prifoners of war, on the following morning. Af¬ 
ter fome inlidious attempts of the garrifon in the fort to 
protradt the period of negociation, and its treacheroully 
firing upon the Britiih torce while it was actually de¬ 
pending, general Lake determined upon taking the place 
by ftorm ; accordingly the breaching-batteries were open¬ 
ed on the morning of the 17th, and, confiderable impref- 
iion being made on the walls in the courfe of the day, 
the fort capitulated in the evening. At noon on the day 
following, the garrifon, confiding of five thouland men, 
marched out, and the place was immediately occupied by 
the Britiih troops. An immenfe quantity of ammunition 
and ftores, and many guns, were found in the fortrefs, 
together with tumbrils containing treafure to the value 
of twenty-four lacks of rupees, about 280,000k By this 
important conquelt, that of Delhi, and of Matura, one 
of the great propoled objefts of general Lake’s'operations 
was completely obtained; namely, of fecuring the navi¬ 
gation of the river Jumna, by a line of polls along its 
banks, and the co-operation and alliance of the indepen¬ 
dent chieftains in that quarter. 
The attention of the commander-in-chief was now di¬ 
rected towards the purfuit of a force of the enemy, com- 
pofed of fifteen of M. Perron’s regular battalions, (thole 
which formed the detachment under M. Dodernaigue,) and 
of two which had efcaped from the battle of Delhi, with 
a numerous and well-appointed train of artillery. This 
powerful body, during the fiege of Agra, occupied a po- 
htion about thirty miles in the rear of the Britiih army; 
and it was now l'uppofed that its objeft was to attempt 
the recovery of the important poll of Delhi. To frul- 
trate this defign, and to dellroy lo formidable a force, ge¬ 
neral Lake moved from Agra on the 27th of OClober, 
and on the 29th took un his ground on the north-well of 
Futtypour Sikree. On the 30th, the army made a march 
of twenty miles, leaving their guns and baggage behind, 
properly proteCled, _ in order to gain upon the enemy. 
On the next day, another march of twenty miles was 
made, and the commander-in-chief encamped nearly on 
the ground which the enemy had quitted in the morning. 
Animated to the greatell exertion by this intelligence, 
the purfuit became notv much more eager; and general 
Lake determined to pulh on the whole of the cavalry, in 
the hope of delaying the enemy by a light engagement, 
until the Britiih infantry fiiould come up ; and alfo to 
take advantage of any confufion which might arile in the 
attack upon the enemy’s guns and baggage. With thefe 
views, the commander-in-chief, with the cavalry, pro¬ 
ceeded in the purfuit at twelve o’clock the fame night, 
and, having marched a diltance of twenty-five miles in 
little more than fix hours, came up with the enemy about 
fey.en o’clock the following morning, whofe force amount¬ 
ed to about nine thoufand regular infantry, feventy-two 
guns, and from four to five thoufand horle. Previoufiy 
to this extraordinary march, the infantry were ordered to 
follow at three o’clock in the morning. 
When the Britiih troops reached the enemy, the latter 
appeared to be retreating in fuch confufion, that general 
Lake was induced to try the effect of an attack with ca¬ 
valry alone. The enemy, however, whofe operations were 
concealed by the clouds of dull, raifed by the movement 
of fo large a body of horfe, fucceeded in preventing for 
a period its rapid advance, by cutting through a large 
refervoir of water, and thus rendering the road nearly 
impaffable. In confequence of which delay, they were 
enabled to take up a moll advantageous pofition, having 
their right in front of the village of Lafiuarce, and thrown 
back upon a rivulet, whofe banks were lleep and difficult 
of accefs ; their left upon the village of Mohaulpour, and 
their whole front concealed by high grafs, and protected 
by a powerful line of artillery. Not aware of this'change 
in the enemy’s difpofition, general Lake proceeded in his 
original intention, and diredled the advanced guard, and 
the ill brigade of cavalry, to move upon the point where 
the enemy had been obferved in motion, but which pro¬ 
ved to be the left of their new pofition. The remainder 
of the cavalry was ordered to attack in lucceffion, as foon 
as they could form after palling the rivulet. 
In confequence of this order, colonel Vandeleur, and 
major Griffiths, at the head of their corps, made a charge 
with the utmoft gallantry and effect. The enemy’s line 
was forced, and the cavalry penetrated into the village, 
and captured feveral guns ; the fucceffive attacks of the 
other brigades of cavalry were condufted with the fame 
fpirit, and equal fuccefs. But the fire from the enemy’s 
remaining artillery was fo galling, that it was found pru¬ 
dent to withdraw the cavalry out of its reach ; which was 
effected with perfect order and lleadinefs, fome of the 
enemy’s ordnance Hill remaining in its polfeffion. 
About noon on this ever-memorable day, the Britiih 
infantry arrived on the banks of the rivulet. As reft and 
refreffiment were abfolutely neceflary, during the time that 
they halted for this purpofe, the enemy lent a meffage to 
the commander-in-chief, offering to furrender their guns 
on certain conditions. Anxious to prevent the effufion 
of blood, general Lake directed a reply to be written, in 
which he acquiefced in the propofition, but limited them 
to one hour to execute its terms. In the mean while the 
following difpofition of the whole force was made for a 
general attack, Ihould the enemy allow the prel’cribed 
time to elapfe. 
The Britiih infantry was formed into two columns on 
■the left; the firft, compofed of the right wing, under ma¬ 
jor-general Ware, was deftined to alfault the village of 
Mohaulpour, and to turn the enemy’s right flank, which, 
iince the morning had been thrown back, leaving a con¬ 
fiderable 
