Quitting Hoobly in the beginning of 1819, the flank companies proceeded to Belgaum, and after taking part in several movements, they were engaged in the siege of the hill-fort of Copaul Droog, which was invested on the 10th of May, and captured by assault three days afterwards, after an obstinate resistance from the enemy. The following paragraph appeared in general orders, dated Madras, 22nd June, 1819.
“The conduct of three troops of His Majesty’s Twenty-second Light Dragoons, with the Artillery troop under Captain Mills, and the flank battalion commanded by Captain Tew, of His Majesty’s Thirty-fourth Regiment, employed during the siege of Capaul Droog, was such as to draw from me, (Brigadier-General Pritzler), the highest encomiums, particularly that of the Artillery troops of the Twenty-second Dragoons, which served in the batteries, and the flank battalion which protected the batteries, and led the assault of the place, in which the services of Captains Tew, Thirty-fourth; Cuppaidge, Fifty-third; Jenour and Jones, Sixty-ninth Regiment; and Lieutenant Silver, Fifty-third, were most conspicuous.”
The flank companies of the Thirty-fourth were again stationed at Belgaum, until October, when they marched, with a small native force, against Sanglee, which place they forced to submit, and afterwards returned to Belgaum.
1820
On the 25th of May, 1820, the head-quarters and battalion companies of the regiment marched from Bangalore, on route for Madras, where they arrived on the 2nd of July, and were joined by the flank companies from Belgaum on the 29th of December. These companies had been absent three years and eight months, and had lost one subaltern and eighty-one rank and file. On the breaking up of the flank battalion, it was stated in orders,—
“From the period of the battalion joining the force to the present Colonel Pritzler has, in no instance, had the slightest cause of complaint, and has never had occasion to bring a non-commissioned officer or private to a court-martial; but he has had frequent opportunities of bearing testimony of the excellent conduct of this corps, which has been equally conspicuous for its gallantry in the field, as for its order and regularity in camp, and which he attributes to the unwearied attention of Major Giles, and the officers under his command, and to the excellent disposition and discipline of the non-commissioned officers and soldiers. Colonel Pritzler cannot therefore, but regret the departure of the corps from under his command.
“It has frequently fallen to Captain Tew to command the battalion, in the absence of Major Giles on other duties, which gave him an opportunity of showing that he was, in every way, competent to fill the situation, with great credit to himself and advantage to His Majesty’s service.”
The conduct of the battalion was also commended in general orders, by Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Hislop, Bart., G.C.B.
1821
On the departure of the regiment from Madras, for Wallajabad, in 1821, when arrangements were in progress for its return to England, it was stated in general orders,—