A History of the Mahrattas v2.c37.68

v2.c37.68

Bassein surrendered on the 11th December,¹ and General Goddard, hearing that the whole army had attacked the Bombay division, set off in person at the head of the cavalry and the assembled grenadiers of the Bengal and Madras troops, with whom he reached Colonel Hartley’s camp on the 13th. He expressed his admiration of the judicious position which had been chosen, and of the fortitude shown by the troops on that and on every occasion where harassing service and great privation, from want of their pay, had been borne not only without a murmur, but with the greatest cheerfulness. The whole army was now united under General Goddard; and it unfortunately happened that the orders from the Court of Directors, before alluded to, which made Hartley the junior Lieutenant-Colonel on the Bombay establishment until all those formerly his seniors should be promoted, was at this time promulgated. Lieutenant-Colonel Baillie, of the Madras establishment, though just promoted to that rank, immediately claimed his right, and of course superseded him. Hartley represented the peculiar mortification to which he was subjected; but the order was irrevocable. He quitted the army, repaired to England, and laid his case before the Court of Directors, who, sensible of his merit, although they could not alter the constitution of their service, recommended him to His Majesty, by whom he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the 73d regiment. Although no longer engaged in Mahratta warfare, he was afterwards distinguished on many occasions in India²; and though hitherto best known as Major-General Hartley, his real merit is not less conspicuous in the military annals of our country, when holding the rank of Captain of Sepoys.