Meanwhile the Burmese recovered from the consternation into which they had been thrown, and a veteran chief, named Maha Bandoola, was appointed commander of the army of Ava. This chief approached the British position on the 1st of December, with upwards of fifty thousand foot, a body of Cassay horse, and three hundred pieces of artillery, and commenced forming entrenchments. The British beheld the legions of Ava, ten times more numerous than themselves, without dismay; and the left of the Burmese line presenting a favourable opportunity for an attack, Major Sale advanced with two hundred of the Thirteenth Light Infantry, under Major Dennie, and two hundred and fifty of the eighteenth Native Infantry, under Captain Ross, and stormed the entrenchments with distinguished gallantry, in sight of the whole army. The soldiers of the Thirteenth led the charge with great intrepidity; they burst through the entrenchments, overthrew all opposition, and spread terror and dismay on the enemy’s flank. The native infantry followed the example; the Burmese fled, and the victorious British soldiers returned to their posts laden with trophies.[14]
The Thirteenth foot had Lieutenant O’Shea, one serjeant, and three rank and file killed; Captain Clark died of his wounds: Ensigns Blackwall and Croker, one serjeant, and twenty rank and file wounded.
This victory was followed by a decisive triumph over the left wing of the Burmese army, on the 5th of December, on which occasion two hundred and forty-five rank and file of the Thirteenth, under Major Dennie, formed part of the first column of attack, under Major Sale, which penetrated the enemy’s lines, and routed the legions of Ava with a facility which proved the superior prowess of British soldiers. The first advantage was followed up, the powerful army of the enemy was overthrown, and of the three hundred pieces of ordnance which the enemy had in position, two hundred and forty were brought into the British camp.[15] The loss of the regiment was six rank and file wounded.
Anxious to retrieve his disgrace, the Burmese commander rallied his broken legions, called reinforcements to his aid, and took up another position, which he fortified with great labour and art. These formidable works were attacked on the 15th of December, when two hundred of the Thirteenth, under Major Sale, formed part of the column of attack under Brigadier-General Cotton, which made a detour round the enemy’s left to gain the rear of his position at Kokien, which was to be attacked in front by another column. On arriving in front of the position it presented a very formidable appearance; but the English general knew from experience the character of the troops he commanded, and he gave the signal for the attack, when the soldiers rushed forward with the most determined and enthusiastic bravery, and in less than fifteen minutes they were in full possession of these stupendous works. The Thirteenth met with very determined resistance; their commanding officer, Major Sale, received a severe wound in the head; he was succeeded by Major Dennie, who was wounded in the hand, but who continued at the head of the regiment until the action was over. The Burmese only resisted a short time, and then fled in a panic, leaving their camp standing, all their baggage, and a great portion of their arms and ammunition behind them.
Lieutenants Darby, Petry, and Jones, two serjeants, and seven rank and file, of the Thirteenth, were killed; Majors Sale[16] and Dennie, Captains Thornhill (Brevet Major) and James M‘Pherson, Lieutenants M. Fenton and Pattisson, Ensigns Wilkinson and Blackwell, two serjeants, and forty rank and file wounded.
1825
These splendid successes, connected with the services of the royal navy, had produced important results; the maritime provinces of Mergui, Tavoy, Yeb, and Martuban, had been captured, and seven hundred pieces of artillery had been taken from the Burmese. To wrest additional territory from the court of Ava, the Thirteenth regiment was detached, under Major Dennie, with other troops, the whole under Major Sale, against the city of Bassein, in the south-west part of the ancient kingdom of Pegu, which constituted part of the Burmese empire. The regiment embarked on this service on the 10th of February, and after a tedious passage arrived, on the evening of the 14th, off Pagoda Point, Great Negrais. On the 26th the expedition entered the river, and the Thirteenth, thirty-eighth, and twelfth Native Infantry landed and captured a stockade. The troops afterwards re-embarked, and proceeded to the next stockade, which the Burmese abandoned as the soldiers went on shore to storm the works; and so great was the consternation of the enemy, that the city of Bassein was set on fire and abandoned. The expedition anchored opposite the smoking ruins on the 3rd of March, when the troops landed and took post in the area of the principal pagoda: many private houses were not destroyed, and the inhabitants were induced to return to their homes. On the 13th of March, Major Dennie made a reconnoissance up the Bassein river; he was afterwards joined by another party under Major Sale, and the whole proceeded one hundred and twenty miles up the river, to Lanrince, and returned to Bassein on the 23rd, having had two men wounded.
No resistance being met with in the province of Bassein, the Thirteenth regiment embarked for Rangoon, where it arrived on the 2nd of May; meanwhile the army under Lieut.-General Sir Archibald Campbell had advanced up the country, and had captured several strong towns.
On the 8th of August, the regiment embarked from Rangoon, to join the army at Prome, where it arrived in boats on the 25th. Soon afterwards overtures of peace were made by the Burmese, but hostilities were resumed in the middle of November; and the army of Ava having repulsed the attack of three bodies of sepoys, became suddenly elevated with a high idea of its own power, and advanced to envelop the British troops at Prome.