A History of Assam c20.3

c20.3

The first active measures were taken in the Surma valley. News having been received that the Burmese Governor of the Brahmaputra valley was contemplating the invasion of Cachar, he was informed that that tract had been taken under British protection, and a detachment of sixteen hundred men was sent to the frontier of Sylhet. On their arrival it was found that three Burmese forces were in the neighbourhood. One of about four thousand men was advancing from Nowgong through North Cachar; another was marching on the same objective by way of the Jaintia hills, while a third, from Manipur, had already arrived in South Cachar and inflicted a defeat on Gambhir Singh's local levies. In reply to a protest that was addressed to them, the Burmese commanders stated that they had received orders from the king of Ava to replace Gobind Chandra on the throne of Cachar and to arrest the three Manipuri chiefs who had ousted him. On receiving this communication, the British commandant determined to take the offensive before the hostile forces had joined hands. On the 17th January, 1824, he marched with his whole detachment against the army from Nowgong, which had stockaded itself at Bikrampur. He came in sight of the enemy at daylight, and, attacking at once, soon put them to flight. The Burmese escaped into the hills, whither he was not strong enough to pursue them, and they subsequently effected a junction with the Manipur force.