The Burmese army continued in great force in the neighbourhood of Rangoon, under the protection of fortifications of wood, called stockades, and of the thick jungle which covered the face of the country.
On the 28th of May, a hundred rank and file of the Thirteenth regiment, commanded by Major William H. Dennie, with a detachment of the thirty-eighth, advanced, under Sir Archibald Campbell, and attacked two stockades by storm, without ladders, captured the works with the bayonet, and killed about five hundred of the enemy. The Thirteenth had Lieutenant A. Howard killed; one bugler, and nine rank and file wounded.
When driven from one series of stockades, the Burmese erected another at a greater distance. On the 10th of June, two companies of the Thirteenth, under Major Robert Henry Sale, advanced with other troops, to attack the enemy’s stronghold at Kemmendine; when about two miles from the town, the head of the column was stopped by a strong stockade, full of men, against which the British artillery opened a well-directed fire, and in half an hour a breach was made. The forty-first, and part of the Madras European regiment, stormed the works in front; and the detachments of the Thirteenth and thirty-eighth assaulted the rear face which was ten feet high. The soldiers being encouraged and animated by the spirited conduct of Major Sale, who showed an example of valour and personal agility, climbed the works, one helping another up, and entering simultaneously with the party by the breach, they bayoneted every man that opposed them. The loss of the Thirteenth was limited to one private soldier killed; Lieutenant Petry, and ten soldiers wounded.[12]
This point being gained, the column advanced about a mile, and at four o’clock in the afternoon, took up a position against the enemy’s principal stockade; batteries were erected during the night, the artillery opened a heavy fire at daylight, and the Burmese forsook their works and fled.
On the 17th of June, Brigadier-General M‘Creagh joined with the three companies from the island of Cheduba.
In the beginning of July numerous columns of Burmese warriors were seen in front of the British position, when four companies were ordered to make a reconnoissance under the command of Major Dennie: they discovered the enemy in force on the plains of Kumaroot, and returned with the loss of one man wounded. On the same day, the Burmese attacked the British posts, but were repulsed: the Thirteenth had two men wounded.
The Burmese position in the rear of the great pagoda was attacked on the 5th of July, when the regiment had one private soldier killed; Lieutenant Knox Barrett, one serjeant, and sixteen rank and file wounded.
A general attack was made on the 8th of July, and three hundred men of the Thirteenth, under Brigadier-General M‘Creagh, formed part of the force detached, under Brigadier-General M‘Bean, to storm the enemy’s works. The attack was led by Major Sale, at the head of the soldiers of the Thirteenth regiment, with heroic gallantry, and seven stockades were carried in rapid succession. Major Sale encountered the Burmese commander-in-chief in the works, and slew him in single combat, taking from him a valuable gold-hilted sword and scabbard. Three other stockades were captured by other portions of the armament; and the men, under Brigadier-General M‘Bean, fell in with a number of Burmese flying from a stockade attacked by the shipping, of whom they bayoneted a great number. Eight hundred Burmese were killed on this occasion, and thirty-eight pieces of artillery, forty swivels, and three hundred muskets were captured.[13]
Two serjeants of the Thirteenth were killed; Captain Johnson, two corporals, and five private soldiers were wounded.
The terror of these attacks caused the Burmese troops to remove to a greater distance; and the difficult character of the country, rainy weather, inundations, and the necessity for procuring a large supply of provisions before the army advanced, detained the British some time in the neighbourhood of Rangoon.