After

quit the field from a stroke of the sun, were in reserve. an advance for about a mile the ground became very difficult, barely admitting of the 80th. and 18th. occupying it in close order. The troops also suffered from a heavy fire, when an immediate assault was determined upon. The storming party was formed of a wing of the 80th., under Major Lockhart, two companies of the 18th., under Lieutenant Hewitt, and two companies of the 40th. Bengal Native Infantry, under Lieutenant White, the whole commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Coote, of the Royal Irish; Captain Latter, accompanying the party to show the road. Captain J. Wood, who was specially mentioned, commanded the 18th. regiment. The golden pagoda a most sacred temple-was soon carried, and all the country fell with it, the once strong post of Kemmendine having been abandoned and destroyed.

During the attack and storming of Rangoon, on the 11th., 12th., and 14th. of April, the British had two officers and fifteen men killed, and fourteen officers and one hundred and eighteen men wounded. The casualties in the fleet were

seventeen.

General Godwin and Commodore Lambert in May planned an attack on Bassein, one of the three chief ports of Burmah; and the two commanders, with four steamers of the East India Company, having on board about eight hundred men, proceeded to carry their design into execution. On May 18th. the squadron anchored in front of the town, and the troops landed under cover of the guns.

Major Errington with his force, of which four hundred of the 51st. formed a portion, advanced on the chief pagoda and carried it in grand style: the citadel, a strong mud fort, was next assaulted by a company of the 51st. and two of the Madras Native Infantry, under Captains Rice and Borthwick. Captain Rice, whilst gallantly leading his company, was shot through the lower part of the neck, when his place was taken by Lieutenant Carter, who, followed by his men, was the first on the parapet; here he was struck down by a musket-ball, and rolled over the exterior slope, but still insisted upon being carried into the work. Although the defence was obstinate, yet in forty minutes after the landing, the whole of the works

were in possession of the British. Eighty cannon and wall pieces were captured, and the stockades burnt. This dashing operation occasioned the officers and men of Captain Rice's company to be specially thanked in orders. Major Errington, who commanded the troops, was wounded. After leaving a garrison in Bassein the remainder of the troops returned to Rangoon.

Martaban was attacked by a Burmese force of upwards of one thousand men on the 26th. of May, but they were gallantly repulsed by the garrison, consisting of the 49th. Madras Native Infantry, under Major Hall. The 51st. regiment, which had been sent to reinforce the garrison, assisted in driving back the enemy from the stockade, and pursued him some distance.

During the middle of September, the 18th. and 80th. regiments embarked at Rangoon for Prome, and arrived there on the morning of the 9th. of October. The troops were landed in the evening in a suburb to the north of and beyond the town. As they advanced towards the position selected for the night, a very smart fire of musketry and jingalls was simultaneously opened from some jungle and houses on the British left, and a small pagoda in the front. The grenadiers of the 80th. under Captain Christie, and two companies of the same regiment under Captain Welsh, accompanied by Brigadier Reignolds, Lieutenant-Colonel of the 18th. regiment, in a short time most gallantly drove the enemy from their position. The remainder of the troops were landed on the following morning, when the place was found evacuated by the Burmese. Thus the important city of Prome was gained, with the small loss of one killed and eight wounded.

Captain Loch, H.M.S. "Winchester," subsequently destroyed several strong fortifications in the neighbourhood of Prome. One at Akouktoung, armed with five guns and garrisoned by four hundred men, completely commanded the river, being situated on a hill three hundred feet high. Captain Loch with eighty men scaled the hill overgrown with jungle, the enemy fled, and the battery was taken and demolished.

On Sunday, the 21st of November, Pegu was attacked by a force under Brigadier Mc.Neill, of the Madras Army, com

posed of the 1st. Bengal Fusiliers, under Lieutenant-Colonel Tudor, three hundred; 1st. Madras Fusiliers, Major Hill, three hundred; 5th. Madras Native Infantry, Major Shubrick, four hundred; seventy Sappers; and thirty-two Artillery. The morning was foggy, and the Burmese were taken by surprise. They retreated to the pagoda, but after some sharp fighting were driven out, and the city captured. It had been taken by a handful of soldiers and seamen under Commander Tarleton three months before, but the force being too small to occupy the place returned to Rangoon.

When the news of the capture of this city was received at Calcutta, a proclamation was issued annexing the whole province of Pegu to the British territories.

On the 8th. of December the enemy attacked Prome in force, but were repulsed with loss; the engagement lasted from midnight until four o'clock in the morning of the 9th. The 51st. shared in this action.

The small garrison left in Pegu was constantly harassed by the attacks of the Burmese army, encamped at a short distance, which were gallantly repulsed by Major Hill, of the Madras Fusiliers. A reinforcement of twelve hundred men left Rangoon on the 11th. of December, and arrived at Pegu on the 14th; when, after a toilsome march through a close country without a road, and an attack from a large body of skirmishers, the relief was effected. A further advance into the country, with a view to bring on a general action, was made on the 17th., and an attack subsequently ensued, when the Burmese rapidly abandoned their entrenched position and took to flight; after a further march of two days, the enemy avoiding a general engagement, the state of the commissariat forced the British general to return to Pegu, and subsequently to Prome.

An expedition proceeded under Brigadier-General Sir John Cheape, K.C.B., to the Donabew district of Pegu, in order to reduce the stronghold of Myat-toon, a robber-chief. The force was actively engaged on the 17th., 18th., and 19th. of March, 1853; after a severe struggle of four hours' duration the place was stormed and destroyed. The left wing was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Sturt, of the 67th. Bengal Native Infantry, and the right wing by Major Wigstone, of

the 18th. Royal Irish, who was severely wounded. The total loss amounted to twenty-two killed, and one hundred and eight wounded, fourteen being officers. The casualties sustained by the 18th., 51st., and 80th. regiments, amounted to thirteen killed and sixty-five wounded.

A short time before, a combined naval and military force, commanded by Captain Loch, of about five hundred men with three guns, had been repulsed with loss, in an attempt to dislodge this freebooter. In this affair, Lieutenant Kennedy, H.M.S. "Fox," and Captain Price of the 67th. Bengal Infantry were killed, and Captain Loch mortally wounded.

On the 30th. of June, 1853, the termination of the war was officially announced, and although the king of Ava refused to sign a formal treaty of peace, yet as all the concessions demanded were agreed to, the Governor-General proclaimed that hostilities would not be resumed so long as the British possession of Pegu remained undisputed. All the captives in Ava were released, and the navigation of the Irrawaddy was declared to be free for the purposes of trade between the two countries.

The British regiments that took part in this war were the 18th., 51st., and 80th. Foot, also the men of the Naval Brigade.

THE PERSIAN CAMPAIGN.

1856-1857.

A RUPTURE Occurred with Persia, in consequence of that power having taken possession of Herat on the 25th. of October, and war was declared on the 1st. November following. An expedition accordingly proceeded to the Persian Gulf, under Major-General Stalker, C.B., and the Island of Karrack was taken formal possession of on the 3rd. of December without opposition. The troops landed on the 7th. at Ras Halala, about fifteen miles below Bushire, and two days afterwards stormed the position at the old Dutch fort of Reshire, which

was taken, the place being carried at the point of the bayonet.* The casualties were principally confined to the officers, amongst whom was Brigadier James Stopford, C.B., of the 64th., killed.

On the morning of the 10th. the British marched on Bushire, a walled town, which surrendered unconditionally, after a bombardment of upward of four hours. No loss was sustained; sixty-five guns, with large quantities of ammunition and warlike stores, were here captured. The garrison, consisting of about two thousand, (a large number having previously effected their escape, and several drowned in the attempt), grounded their arms in front of the British line, and were on the following morning escorted by the cavalry some distance into the country, and then set at liberty. Her Majesty's 64th., under Major Stirling, shared in this success.

A stronger expedition subsequently proceeded from Bombay, commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir James Outram; this was composed of two divisions, one of which was under Brigadier-General Havelock, and the other under Major-General Stalker; the 78th. Highlanders were added to this force. On the evening of the 3rd. of February, 1857, Sir James Outram marched against Sooja-ool-Moolk, strongly posted in an entrenched camp at Borazgoon. Each man carried his great coat, blanket, and two days' provisions, but without any tents or other equipage; the rain fell heavily, and the nights were bitterly cold. The position was reached in the afternoon of the 5th. of February, when the Persians rapidly retreated, leaving their camp, ammunition and equipage in the hands of the British.

Captain John Augustus Wood, of the 20th. Bombay Native Infantry, gained the Victoria Cross for his gallantry on the 9th. of December. On that day he led the grenadier company, which formed the head of the assaulting column. He was the first man on the parapet of the fort, where he was instantly attacked by a large number of the garrison, who suddenly sprang on him from a trench cut in the parapet itself. These men fired a volley at Captain Wood and the head of the storming party, when only a yard or two distant; although struck by no less than seven musket-balls, he at once threw himself upon the enemy, passed his sword through the body of their leader, and, being closely followed by the men of his company, speedily overcame all opposition, and established himself in the place. His wounds compelled him to leave the force for a time; but with the true spirit of a good soldier, he rejoined his regiment, and returned to his duty at Bushire before the wounds were properly healed.

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