Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c58.s6.8

v4.c58.s6.8

A storm of fire burst upon these two isolated corps from Assaye and the Maratha line outside it; all their own guns had now been thrown out of action by the enemy’s artillery. Orrock’s advance stopped, still Wellesley sent him an urgent order to move on without any gun. The advancing British line was mown down by the fire of a hundred guns, well posted and rapidly served. The havoc was severest in the right wing, where the picquets lost one third of their number. Assailed in front and flank, unable to match gun to gun, Orrock’s men at last broke and ran back in confusion upon the 74th marching behind them. Just then these Highlanders had lost their order in crossing some cactus hedges. Seizing this opportunity, the Household cavalry (*huzurāt*) of Sindhia charged, cutting down the soldiers.* The cavalry horde swept through the British right and charged back through them to its own place. Thereafter one of their leaders (Jādo Rao Bhāskar) "lounged his horse about near the 74th and every now and then dashed forward and killed a European." [Elph. i. 76.]