"The enemy's force consisted of two gilt chattahs, and about 800 men armed with muskets and spears, with two or three jinjals; their loss I conceive to have been about 25 or 30 men killed. We had not, I am happy to say, a single man wounded. The enemy, however, from the great extent of the village, succeeded in setting fire to it at both ends, but very little damage was done, as we extinguished it almost immediately. The Rajah and all his attendants deserted the place the moment the firing commenced; he has, however, just returned, and appears much more composed, and highly delighted with the result."
November 25th.—"I have the honour to report, for the information of the Commander of the Forces, another affair which we have had with the Burmese this morning.
"A little before day-break we had embarked 20 men of the Royals, and 30 sepoys of the 26th Madras native infantry, in light row-boats, intended to co-operate with Lieut.-Colonel Godwin, on the opposite side of the river. They were just in the act of shoving off from the shore when the enemy, to the amount of 5000 or 6000, made a rush at our works, howling most horribly, and, at the same time, setting fire to the village, which they had entered at all points. We had fortunately got an 18-pounder into battery late yesterday evening, which, added to two 12-pounders which we had before, did great execution. Lieutenant Kellett, R.N., was at this moment shoving off with the row-boats, but instantly returned to our assistance with all his men, and kindly undertook the superintendence of our guns, the well-directed fire of which so mainly contributed to our success. The enemy, after nearly two hours' sharp firing, retired in admirable order, carrying off great numbers of dead and wounded; so much so, that we have not been able to find more than 10 or 12 dead bodies. I am happy to add, that, with the exception of one man slightly grazed in the elbow by a musket-shot, we have not a man either killed or wounded. The Rajah's house was very early in flames, and is burnt to the ground; indeed, I may say the village is completely destroyed. The guns in the boats were of the greatest assistance in scouring the village with grape. We got possession of one jingal and three muskets. The enemy appeared to have several mounted men, but I cannot say what they were."
November 26th.—"The enemy appeared in great force this morning at day-break all along our front, and had a good deal of skirmishing with the piquets; but we could not succeed in drawing them within musket-shot of our works. They are all armed with muskets, and have a great many jinjals, and two or more guns, with which they annoyed us very considerably, having taken up a position in the woody part of the village, from whence they opened a musket fire on the boats. From this I determined to dislodge them, and sent out a strong party for that purpose; these came close upon them, and drove them out, with, I have every reason to believe, considerable loss. They are, however, by no means discomfited, and are, I understand, determined to entrench themselves round us, and make regular approaches, as their orders are peremptory to carry the place. In confirmation of this a number of their entrenching tools were left behind by the killed and wounded. Our only casualty this morning, I am happy to say, is one Lascar severely, but not dangerously, wounded: the shot first grazed the jaw-bone, entered the shoulder, and came out under the arm-pit. From one of the prisoners taken this morning, whom I have, by this opportunity, forwarded to Major Jackson, I learn there are absolutely 5500 men now here, and that a further force is hourly expected from Puttow-down, where, he says, the Setahwoon now is."
Thus 200 British troops resisted the attack of between 5000 and 6000 of the enemy; which occasioned Sir Archibald Campbell to observe in his despatch, "the meritorious conduct of both officers and men, as detailed in the enclosed copies of letters from Captain Deane, will, I am certain, obtain for them the approbation of the Right Honourable the Governor-General in council."
While this detachment was maintaining its post against such very superior numbers of the enemy, Brigadier-General Sir A. Campbell had resolved to make an attack upon every accessible part of the Burmese line, to the east of the Irawaddy, extending from a commanding ridge of hills to two villages about eleven miles north-east of Prome. The enemy's army was divided into three corps, all protected by stockades, and occupying positions of difficult approach; but each separated from the other by local obstructions, so that they could be attacked separately.
Leaving four native regiments for the defence of Prome, the General marched early on the morning of the 1st of December against the enemy's left flank at Simbike; during this movement the battalion companies of the Royals were on board the flotilla under Sir James Brisbane, diverting the attention of the enemy from this movement by an attack upon another part of their position, and otherwise co-operating with the land force. On arriving at the Nawine river the army was divided into two columns. The right, under Brigadier-General Cotton, in which were the flank companies of the Royals, proceeding along the left bank of the river, came in front of the enemy's works, consisting of a series of stockades, covered on both flanks by thick jungle, and by the river in the rear, and defended by a considerable force, in which were 8000 Shans, a people of Laos, under their native chiefs, who bore a high character for gallantry, and these people were inspired with confidence by the presence of a female, whom they considered a prophetess. Notwithstanding the formidable appearance of these works, crowded with Burmese and Shans, and bristling with spears, the flank companies of the Royals, commanded by Captain Harvey, with the 41st and 89th regiments, supported by the 18th Madras native infantry, the whole commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Godwin, instantly stormed the stockades, in gallant style, and carried them in less than ten minutes.[140] The Burmese fled,—the Shans, who had never encountered British troops before, fought manfully a short time, but were soon overpowered, and their prophetess mortally wounded. The enemy left 300 dead, including their veteran commander, Maha Memiow, who was 75 years of age, in the works; also their stores and ammunition, with a considerable quantity of arms, and 100 Cassay horses. The left column, under Sir Archibald Campbell, having crossed the Nawine, came up as the fugitives were retreating, and completed the dispersion of this wing of the Burmese army. The loss of the flank companies of the Royal Regiment in this action was—1 serjeant and 2 rank and file, killed: Ensign Campbell, who died on the succeeding day, and 5 rank and file, wounded.
Following up this advantage, Sir A. Campbell resolved to attack the centre division of the Burmese army, posted on the Napadee hills, which was not effected without considerable difficulty and some loss, but which proved quite successful; the Burmese were driven from their stockades and entrenchments, and forced to seek safety in a precipitate flight.
The battalion companies of the Royals, having quitted the flotilla, joined the division under Brigadier-General Cotton,[141] which crossed the Irawaddy in the course of the night of the 4th of December, to attack the enemy's right wing under Sudda Woon, posted on the left bank of the river. On the following morning the attack was made in conjunction with the navy and flotilla, and the Burmese were soon driven from their extensive works near the banks of the stream. On taking possession of these defences it was discovered, that the enemy had a stockaded work about half a mile in the interior, completely manned and occupied by guns. Against this stockade the troops instantly advanced with their native energy and fortitude;—Brigadier-General Armstrong, of the Royals, Colonel Brodie, and Colonel Godwin, moved against the enemy's centre and right; at the same time Brigadier-General Cotton advanced with the companies of the Royal Regiment against the left, and the work was instantly carried,—the enemy leaving 300 dead on the field, and dispersing in every direction. Several prisoners were taken, and from 300 to 350 muskets, which the Burmese had abandoned in their flight, were broken by the soldiers. Brigadier-General Cotton observed in his despatch,—"I have to add my warmest acknowledgments to Brigadier Armstrong, who commanded the advance; to Colonel Brodie, who had charge of the light companies; and to Colonel Godwin, who commanded the reserve; and to every officer and man engaged. I am happy to say this service was performed with the trifling loss of one man killed and four wounded." Thus in the course of four days the immense army of Ava, which had threatened to envelope Prome, and to swallow up the little body of British troops which had penetrated into the interior of the Burmese empire, was driven from its positions; and, as the timorous herd is put to flight by the lion of the forest, so the legions of Ava fled with precipitation before the fierce attacks of the British, and sought for shelter amongst their thick jungles.