A History of the Mahrattas v2.c36.57

v2.c36.57

On the 9th of January the army reached Tullygaom, where the Mahrattas made a show of resistance; but when the line advanced in order of battle they retired. The village had been destroyed by order of Nana Furnuwees, and the committee heard that similar orders had been given for burning Chinchore ² and Poona. On receiving this intelligence, instead of pushing forward eighteen miles, the distance between Tullygaom and the capital, the apparent determination of the enemy alarmed them; and Rugoba’s assurance that no person of consequence would declare for him until some advantage had been obtained had quite a contrary effect from what he had intended, and instead of being animated to exertion the committee sank into despondency. With eighteen days’ provisions for their troops, they in the same breath came to a resolution, first of negotiating with some of the chiefs, and then of retreating. Mr. Lewis, who had remained at Poona till the last moment and had made good his way to Bombay, was with the army, and at this moment assured the committee that a party of horse in the interests of Moraba were in the Concan, and might soon be expected to join their army; but this circumstance was disregarded. When Mr. Carnac proposed a retreat to Lieutenant-Colonel Cockburn, Captain Hartley and Mr. Holmes of the civil service were present, and both these gentlemen ventured to suggest that it would be better to await the result of the negotiation where they then were. Lieutenant-Colonel Cockburn on being called upon for his opinion, said he had no doubt that he could carry the army to Poona, but apprehended the impossibility of protecting the baggage, provisions, and cattle; of which last, of bullocks alone, there were 19,000. The committee, however, determined to adhere to their resolution of retreating.¹ Rugonath Rao, whose advice at such a moment was of great importance, earnestly begged of them to defer their resolution; but the man who had led fifty thousand horse from the Nerbuddah to the Attock was equally odious to his countrymen and despicable among his allies; not one day would the committee delay in deference to his opinion, and at eleven o'clock on the night of the 11th of January, the heavy guns having been thrown into a large tank and a quantity of stores burnt, an army of two thousand six hundred British troops began its retreat, secretly as was supposed, before fifty thousand Mahrattas.²