A History of the Mahrattas v2.c36.91

v2.c36.91

Although Colonel Goddard, prior to the receipt of this requisition, was in possession of the order which withdrew him from the authority of the Bombay Government, he considered the interest of his country so much at stake, that without hesitation he resolved to march straight to the west coast. This decision was extremely creditable, as Colonel Goddard had not merely to fight his way through the Mahratta army, but he incurred the serious responsibility of acting on his own judgement, where failure might be ruin in every sense of the word, and where he personally risked nothing by waiting for orders at Hoossingabad.¹ He commenced his march about the 26th January, and arrived at Burhanpoor on the 30th of that month. The contradictory letters, written by the field committee, during and subsequent to the convention, though they afforded no information of the state of affairs and might have perplexed most men, only induced Goddard to quicken his progress. After refreshing his men at Burhanpoor, he resumed his march on the 6th February, and in twenty days reached Surat, a distance of three hundred miles, and by the expedition thus used avoided a body of twenty thousand horse, which were dispatched from Poona to intercept him.