Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 22.4
A Translation of the Seir Mutaqherin (Haji Mustafa) 22.4
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22.4.1
At night the besieged battalions were reinforced by some others that flocked from Bardvan, and from other parts; and, the next morning, the whole came out in great order, so as to form a fine sight. The engagement then commenced anew. Then only did Sheh-haibet-ollah and Alem-qhan become sensible of the consequences of the caution which Mahmed-taky-qhan had given them, when he recommended their joining together, and fighting together. Terrified with the endless firing of the English, they seemed, after some fighting and some movements, to have lost their senses; for, now after a short conflict, most of the Djezaiarchies were slain or wounded; and the two Commanders, unable to stand the hot fire of the enemy's, retreated, and then fled towards Mahmed-taky-qhan. The latter ordered the dead to be taken up from the field of battle, but refused to admit the runaways in his camp, or even to give them passage through it, for fear of their disordering his own encampment, and communicating their own terror and dismay to his troops. The English, after this victory, advanced two or three cosses towards their own army; and two or three days after, that is, the fifth of Muharrem, in the year 1177 of the Hegira, Mahmed-taky-qhan came out with a resolution to oppose the enemy's march. Fitting the foot of courage in the stirrup of steadiness, he mounted a horse whose motions were as fleet as the moments of his unfortunate rider's existence;
22.4.2
and, without applying for assistance to those three Commanders, whose duty it was to fight under his orders, he advanced to the field of battle, followed only by his own trained bands; the refractory Commanders continuing motionless in their encampment behind him. As his men were filing off, he spoke to them, reminded them of the character they bore all over the country, exhorted them to support the same, and promised them victory, if they would stand by him. All this was uttered with such an air of familiarity, that he seemed to be rather their companion than their General; and they were so animated with this kindness, and that air of fellowship, that in marching with the utmost alacrity, they were endeavouring to get the start of one another, and swore that they would sacrifice their lives for his honour. The General having formed his troops, and recommended to his officers to march in order, advanced to the enemy. The latter being soon in sight, the engagement commenced; and, as the firing of the cannon and musquetry on both sides grew warm, and both sides kept advancing, those who being overtaken by their fates, were shot at like so many marks, drank up, without hesitation, each in his post, the bitter cup presented them by death. Nevertheless, encouraged by their General, they kept advancing; and an appearance of victory being seen over Mahmed-taky-qhan's troops, some disorder and fluctuation, not unlike a defeat, were observed in the English ranks.
22.4.3
The moment was becoming critical, when a ball of cannon wounded Mahmed-taky-qhan in the foot, and killed his horse, which fell sprawling on the ground. The General, without betraying any anguish, mounted another, and continued to advance, and to exhort his men; and he was now very near The ranks of the English, who, on their side advanced; but it was with this advantage over him, that in compliance with their rules of discipline, they advanced firing. At this moment a musket-ball entering at his shoulder, came out on the opposite side. That brave man, without betraying any emotion, assembled the hem of his garment, and throwing it over his shoulder, to conceal his wound from his men, he still advanced. The English were on the point of retreating; but they had placed an ambuscade at the bottom of a little river, which was full on his passage; and the General being arrived there, was looking out for a passage to come to hand-blows with them, when the ambuscade-men rising at once, made a sudden discharge full in his face, overthrew numbers of his followers, and lodging a bullet in his forehead, that incomparable hero, who was the main prop of Mir-cassem-qhan's fortune, hastened into eternity in the middle of his slaughtered soldiers. The rest, intimidated by the loss of their intrepid Commander, retreated in the utmost confusion, leaving the English in possession of victory, with a full reason for embracing each other.
22.4.4
All this while Sheh-haibet-ollah and his colleagues kept themselves at a great distance, as mere spectators of a shew, but not daring now to stand their ground, they fled on all sides. The victorious English, after raising the wounded, and making them over to their chirurgeons, spent two or three days in taking some rest, and in setting to right their artillery and necessaries, and then they advanced towards Mursbud-abad. On hearing this defeat, Seyd-mahmed-qhan, the Governor of that city, seemed to have lost his senses. Without shewing his face to the enemy, or making the least opposition; without even assembling his people, and securing, by a timely retreat, those numerous effects of his master's, which he had in his custody; without exhibiting a spark of courage or a grain of firmness; he deserted his post, and fled towards Monghyr, in the utmost perturbation of mind. After that retreat, the city remaining without a ruler, Mirza-iredj-qhan, who lived this longwhile utterly neglected by Mir-cassem-qhan, availed himself of the opportunity to repair to the English army, where he congratulated Mir-djaafer-qhan on his accession to the throne, and being invested by him with the command over the city, he returned thither, and proclaimed his new master's accession, by beat of drum; after which, he applied himself to the business of quieting the minds of the people, and of gaining the hearts of the principal citizens. Shortly after, Mir-djaafer-qhan himself arrived.
22.4.5
It was on the twelfth of Muharrem, in the year 1177 of the Hegira. He made his entry into the city at the head of the English army, at which time there happened some commotions, and some disorders; the mob having found means to commit insolencies, and even to make some booty. After a stay of seven days, in which time he constantly resided in Aaly-verdy-qhan's palace, which had become the seat of Government ever since that Prince's demise, he on the seventh day quitted it with the English army, and marched against the enemy. The death of such a Commander as Mahmed-taky-qhan could not but greatly affect his master, who, however, behaved with firmness on the occasion. He sent orders to Sheh-haibet-ollah, to make a stand in the plains of Sooty, and he dispatched thither a number of forces capable to face with effect a victorious enemy. This detachment was composed of six or seven thousand horse, under the command of Assed-ollah-qhan, Fodjdar of Narhoot-semay, to which he added seven or eight regiments of Talingas, commanded by Marcar the Armenian, and by Somro the European, who had besides sixteen pieces of cannon, well mounted and well served. To these he joined a body of rocket-men, under the command of Mir-nassur, after having cautioned them all against dissensions and jealousies; his orders being to attack the enemy in the plain of Sooty, and to fight in concert.
22.4.6
An order was also dispatched to Shir-aaly-qhan, Fodjdar of P衝raniah, to assemble his forces and to cross the Ganga, in order to join the army at Sooty. This Shir-aaly-qhan, from being one of the meanest of Faqhr-eddin-hussein-qhan's dependants, had been raised by Mir-cassem-qhan to high dignities; so that he came to command in the same place where had commanded Seyd ahmed-qhan, and his own master, Faqhr-eddin-hussein-qhan. Shir-aaly-qhan, on receiving the order, crossed the Ganga, and soon joined Assed-ollah-qhan; and these two Generals, by hastening their march, arrived at Sooty time enough to face the English. The two armies, as soon as they came in sight of each other, (and this happened on the 21st of Muharrem) proceeded directly to an engagement. Marcar the Armenian, and Somro the European, ranged their troops in lines upon the highway. Assed-ollah-qhan took his post on their right, with seven or eight thousand horse, and ten or twelve thousand foot; and at the left, Shir-aaly-qhan took his station, with two or three thousand of his men. On the opposite side, the English, who did not amount to more than three thousand men, ranged themselves in great order; and the engagement commenced immediately. But as the distance was such, that only the cannon on both sides could do any execution, the English kept advancing foot after foot with a measured pace;
22.4.7
so that Assed-ollah-qhan, who pretended to much bravery and personal prowess, advanced likewise with his troops to about half a mile. At this very time the English were gaining a superiority over Marcar's and Somro's troops; so that on his being arrived so near, he proposed to come to hand-blows with the English; and all his officers being of the same opinion, Mir-beder-eddin-qhan, one of them, who commanded only a body of eighty horse, displayed his standard, and parted company with the main. I now part with you, said he, at the head of my little troop, but it is only to shew the way; and, rest assured, that the moment I hear you raise your war-cry, and see you put your horse to a gallop, I will overtake, and then pass you. Only remember, that between putting your cavalry on a gallop, and falling pell-mell amongst the enemy, there must be no pause at all; and then, when we shall come to hand-blows, we shall behave as becomes brave men, and shall submit to whatever is to be our lot. After saying so much, he parted with the main, and stood upon the watch; when, on hearing the cry of Allah Ecber everywhere, and seeing that large body of horse in motion, he exhorted his men to follow him; and spurring his horse towards the enemy, he advanced on a full gallop.
22.4.8
Meanwhile, Mir-nasser with the rocket-men had marched up to the English, whom he engaged so warmly, that the English Talingas opposed to Mir-bedr-eddin-qhan, to the number of about one battalion, fell into disorder, and retreated as far as the riverside, where numbers threw themselves and perished, the water being somewhere above their armpits, and somewhere up to their necks. But in this charge, Mir-bedr-eddin had lost most of his men; and he had no more now than thirteen of them remaining, when a ball of a cannon threw his horse headlong on the ground, whilst another overthrew his brother. This was the time for Assed-ollah-qhan to appear; but, those that had followed that General, having seen numbers of their companions killed, and numbers wounded, had now lost courage on beholding so much carnage, and so many horses sprawling on the ground; and would not move any more, but paused at some distance from Mir-bedr-eddin. The latter, who had found his course stopped by a wall and a ditch, called out with all his might, and made many signs to Assed-ollah-qhan, to turn the Talingas with some infantry, and to cut their retreat; but he spoke to deaf men. Assed-ollah-qhan, intimidated by his loss, did not move at all; and the English officers, availing themselves of that pause, soon formed again, disengaged their artillery, and presented again a regular front to the enemy.
22.4.9
On the other hand, Mir-nasser, who with his rocket-men had so closely engaged the English as to make them lose ground, finding that no one would come to his assistance, was thinking of a retreat; but even that being now unattainable, his men continued engaging the enemy, like people that held each other by the throat. The English, hard pressed, received from Major Adams orders to fix to the muzzles of their muskets certain iron spikes, like those of a spear; and this being done, the English, by applying their muskets to their breasts, presented a wall of spikes, which no enemy could pretend to pass, in order to come to hand-blows with them. This particular I had from several creditable persons of both nations, that were in the engagement, and present at the particular spot; and I have since heard it from Colonel Goddard, who was either a Captain or a Lieutenant at that engagement; and who affirmed likewise, that at S68ty the English had been fairly gone for, had the enemy kept them in play a few days more in that sultry plain. Mir-nasser, unable to push upon that row of pikes so as to approach nearer, was making, but in vain, signs with the hand and voice all the while, without being able to descry anyone moving to his assistance. At last he despaired of victory;
22.4.10
and, at this very moment, the English officers that had Marcar and Somro in front, seeing that those two Commanders were retreating, and leaving the field on that side clear of the enemy, detached three or four companies of Talingas to the assistance of that part of their army which was in distress; and those were no sooner re-inforced so unexpectedly, than they fell with fresh courage on the small unsupported number of those that had hitherto pressed so hard upon them. On the appearance of this re-inforcement, Mir-bedr-eddin quitted the engagement, and retreated leisurely; but Mir-nasser, who had the imprudence to stay with his little troop, had soon reason to repent of his temerity. He was soon fired at by the fresh detachment, and left his life in the field of braves. By this time Marcar the Armenian, and Somro the European, had already quitted the field of battle, to their eternal shame and infamy, and were retreating along the highway. They were soon followed by Assed-ollah-qhan, who soon lost himself in that field of dishonour and disgrace. Some others that yet stood their ground, finding themselves abandoned by their main, quitted the field of battle by troops; and the zephyr of success and victory blowing gently on the flagging standards of the English, unfurled their folds, and put them in the full possession of victory. The victors had the generosity to take up the wounded, and to make them over to those that could take care of them;
22.4.11
and here I cannot help mentioning a singular fact which I have heard several times from Colonel Goddard, an officer who was only Lieutenant or Captain in that battle, and cuts now so great a figure at the head of the English forces in Decan: He used to say, that amongst the wounded spread in the field, and then taken up by the English, he had seen a man of Mir-cassem's troops, who had received such a stroke of a sabre, as had cleft his skull in two pieces, so that the brains were set open. The man was half dead, nor were any hopes entertained of his remaining alive many hours more; nevertheless, as he was still breathing, the Doctor bound his head with his turband, and sent him to a place of shelter with the other wounded. Three days after, as Goddard was taking a survey of the wounded, about whom the Doctor was actually busy, he was astonished to see that the man whom he had seen before, was now sitting upon his hams, holding an hocca of clay with both his hands, and smoking with a deal of composure; he seemed quite recovered of his wound, but, what is singular, had lost his sight entirely. Such was that miracle of Providence, and such that token of Divine dispensations! The enemy, dispersed and disheartened, made haste to the little stream of Suda-nala, where Mir-cassem had fortified a strong post against such emergencies as these, and here they stopped;
22.4.12
and, after recovering from their fright, they joined those that were on duty in that post, and prepared for a vigorous defence.