A History of Assam c20.28

c20.28

"Colonel Richards was induced to accede to these conditions, by his conviction of the impossibility of preventing the escape of the garrison, upon the capture of the fort, or of pursuing them on their flight. It was also to have been apprehended, if the evacuation of the province had been much longer delayed, that it might not have been cleared of the enemy during the campaign, as the want of carriage and supplies would have detained the army some time at Rangpur and might have delayed its movements till the season was too far advanced to admit of its progress far beyond the Capital. By the occupation of Rangpur on the terms granted, much time was saved as well as some loss of life avoided; and the object of the campaign, the expulsion of the Burmese from Assam without the fear of their renewing their irruptions with any success, was peaceably and promptly secured. The persons that surrendered themselves by virtue of these stipulations were the Sām Phukan and about seven hundred of the garrison; the rest, about nine thousand of both sexes and all ages, including two thousand fighting men, withdrew to the frontiers; but many dropped off on the retreat and established themselves in Assam."