A History of the Mahrattas v2.c52.34

v2.c52.34

grain. This reinforcement had been ordered forward by General Lake as soon as he was apprised of the situation of the detachment at the Mokundra pass; but Brigadier-General Monson, not judging his supplies sufficient, after a long and apparently unnecessary halt, determined to continue his retreat to Kooshalgurh, where he expected to find supplies and to be joined by six of Sindia’s battalions with twenty-one guns; under Sewdasheo Bhow Bhaskur, the officer defeated by Holkar at Poona in October, 1802. After throwing a strong garrison with his field-pieces into Rampoorah, the division, consisting of five battalions and six companies of Bengal Sepoys,¹ with two howitzers, on the morning of the 22d August reached the Bunass, which was so much swollen as to be scarcely fordable for the largest elephants. Three boats were found with which the treasure of the detachment, protected by the six companies of the 21st regiment under Captain Nicholl, were sent across and forwarded to Kooshalgurh. On the 23d August Holkar’s cavalry again made their appearance in force, and on the 24th the river being fordable, Brigadier-General Monson began to send over his baggage and one battalion. Holkar, at the same time, took possession of a village on Monson’s right, but was promptly dislodged from it. The river having decreased considerably, the Mahrattas were enabled to pass it to the right and left, and most of Monson’s baggage having got across, his main body, consisting of three battalions with one of the howitzers, followed. Major James Sinclair was left with one battalion, the 2d battalion 2d regiment, and the picquets of the four corps which had crossed, to protect the passage of the remaining baggage and camp followers. At 4 p.m., however, Holkar’s infantry and guns came up, and opened a heavy cannonade. Major Sinclair desperately charged the guns with the small party that remained, took several of them, and for a moment was victorious; but the enemy, rallied by Jeswunt Rao Holkar in person, charged in turn with overpowering numbers, and the gallant handful of Sepoys was nearly annihilated. Of the brave European officers who led them on, twelve fell with their commander, and the wreck of the party escaped under cover of the fire of their comrades, who lined the opposite