ing of about 1000 each, under cover of their guns, and supported by large bodies of horse, for the same purpose. Both parties succeeded in occupying a part of the village. The Peishwa ascended an eminence about two miles distant, to await the contest, while his principal chiefs gathered round him, flattering him with assurances of the speedy destruction of this small but resolute band.

Koreigaum is a moderate-sized village, immediately overhanging the steep bank of the Bheema; it is very irregularly built, being composed of terraced buildings, some of them substantial and surrounded with a wall. It also contains small choultry (originally a temple), of which the British gained possession; but the most commanding situation was left to the enemy, owing to their superior information of the nature of the village. Good positions were, however, obtained for the two guns, to command the avenues by which the enemy might approach in force; but even this advantage was greatly reduced by their being exposed to "a sniping fire" from neighbouring walls. The village became extremely crowded; both horse and foot, as well as baggage, cattle, and followers, being obliged to take shelter in it, and a multitude of the enemy pressing on them with daring impetuosity. Situated as the two parties were, the British had every reason to expect that even a desperate resistance must soon be overcome; and Captain Staunton, failing in his endeavours to drive the enemy from their strong positions, was reduced to the necessity of defending his own. In this state was the detachment at twelve o'clock at noon, cut off from the water, under a burning sun, after a long night-march, and no subsequent repose. Every foot of ground was disputed; several streets were taken and retaken;

and repeated attacks were repulsed by the bayonet. As a charge of this kind required always to be led by a European officer, the majority of these became disabled by death or wounds. At length, in one of the attacks, the Arabs made themselves masters of the choultry, where three of the officers were lying wounded. Assistant-surgeon Wingate, one of the number, got up, and went out, but was immediately stabbed by the Arabs, and his body was cruelly mangled. Lieutenant Swanston had the presence of mind to advise his remaining companion to suffer the Arabs to rifle them unresistingly, which they did, without committing further violence. In the mean time, a party of the battalion under Lieutenant Jones and Assistant-surgeon Wylie (the only officers besides Captain Staunton who remained unhurt) arrived to their rescue, retook the choultry, avenged the death of Mr. Wingate, and carried their companions to a place of greater safety. The sufferings of the wounded became extreme from thirst; and the men who continued the conflict were fainting, or nearly frantic, from the dreadful privation of water. Some of the artillery-men, all of whom bore a conspicuous part in this heroic defence, proposed to Captain Staunton, that they should surrender if terms could be obtained. His determined refusal did not satisfy them. Lieutenant Chisholm, their officer, being killed, the enemy, encouraged by this circumstance, rushed upon one of the guns, and took it. The adjutant of the battalion was lying mortally wounded ;* but he no sooner heard that the gun was taken, than getting up, he called to the grenadiers once more to follow him, and seizing a musket

* Lieutenant Patterson, the adjutant, was a very powerful man, 6 feet 7 inches in height,

by the muzzle, rushed into the middle of the Arabs, striking them down right and left, until a second ball through his body completely disabled him. The sepoys, thus led, were irresistible; the gun was retaken; and the dead Arabs, literally lying one upon another, proved how desperately it had been defended. The body of Lieutenant Chisholm was found by his gun, with the head off: it had been sent as a trophy to the Peishwa. Captain Staunton pointed it out to the men as a proof how all would be served who fell into the hands of the Mahrattas; on which they declared "they would die to a man ;" and the conflict was resumed by all with the most determined valour. Their situation towards evening was very hopeless; but, as the night fell, the vigour of the attack relaxed, and the men were able to procure a supply of water. By nine o'clock, the firing ceased, and the village was evacuated by the enemy. At day-break, the detachment made preparations for renewing the contest, having taken possession of the strong post occupied by the assailants the day before; but they suffered no further molestation; and the Peishwa's army was descried moving off on the Poonah road. The news of General Smith's approach, it afterwards appeared, led to this movement. Captain Staunton, uninformed of the General's advance, and having reason to believe that the enemy was lying in wait for them in the way to Poonah, (which was the fact,) gave out that it was his intention to proceed thither. As soon as it was dark, he set out in that direction; but then changing his route, retreated to Seroor, where he arrived the next morning, with the guns and wounded, "with drums beating and colours flying." Of 26 artillery-men, 12 were killed, and 8 wounded; of the native infantry, there were 50 killed and 105 wounded; and of the

horse, 96 killed, wounded, and missing. Of the eight European officers, (two of them only assistant-surgeons,) three were killed, and two wounded. The loss of the enemy was estimated at between 6 and 700 Gokla, Appa Dessaye, and Trimbukjee directed the attacks; and at one time, Trimbukjee entered the village.

men.

To commemorate this gallant defence, the Government ordered a monument to be erected at Koreigaum, recording the names of those who fell. Captain Staunton was nominated honorary aide-de-camp to the Governor-General, and had subsequently conferred upon him the command of Ahmednugger. The corps (the 2nd battalion of the 1st Bombay N. I.) was made grenadiers, as their first battalion had been for the defence of Mangalore; and " Mangalore and Koreigaum" became the animating motto of the regiment.+

After leaving Koreigaum, the Peishwa fled towards the Carnatic, followed by General Pritzler with the reserve division of the Deccan army, who took up the pursuit near the Salpee Ghaut. On Bajee Row's arri val at the Gutpurba, he was surprised to find the country already raised against him, and in possession of the British. Turning suddenly round, he passed General Pritzler, recrossed the Krishna, and descended the

* Blacker, 179-182, and App. I. 438. Prinsep, vol. ii. pp. 159-167.

Grant Duff, vol. iii. pp. 432-
What added to the inequa-

lity of the contest, was the superior courage of the Arab infantry. As a proof of the estimation in which they are held by the native powers, it is stated, that their pay in the Peishwa's army was double that of other soldiers. Arabs (natives of Arabia) received fifteen rupees a month; their descendants born in India, ten ditto; Hindoostanees, eight ditto; Mahrattas and Deccanees, six ditto.

† It is remarkable that, in another village of the same name, a defence of a scarcely less heroic character was made under Captain O'Donnell and Lieutenant Morgan in 1803. Blacker, 183.

Salpee Ghaut, going off in the direction of Sholapoor. Generals Smith and Pritzler having united their divisions at Rehmutpoor on the 7th of February, the whole force proceeded to Satarah, which it was thought advisable to reduce, on account of the importance attached to that fortress in the minds of the Mahratta people. It surrendered, after receiving a few shells, on the 10th of February,* when the British colours were hoisted; but on the next day, these were hauled down, and the bhugwa jenda, or standard of Sevajee, was, with due forms, hoisted in its place. A manifesto was at the same time published by the Governor-General's commissioner (Mr. Elphinstone), who accompanied the army, setting forth the reasons which led the British Government to deprive the Peishwa of all public authority for ever, and to take possession of his territory; the whole to be thenceforth under the authority of the Company, excepting a small tract reserved for the Rajah of Satarah. This prince, the Governor-General had resolved to re-instate in a nominal sovereignty, as a counterpoise to the remaining influence of the Brahmins, and with a view to conciliate the Mahratta nation; thereby " leaving an opening for the employment of many persons in their own way, whom it would have been expensive to maintain, and who could not obtain a livelihood under the British administration."

A new distribution of the British forces was now formed; one division, under General Pritzler, being

"The garrison, consisting of 400 sebundies (revenue-troops), were permitted to march out with their arms; for, having shewn themselves so little inclined to use them, it was considered unimportant how they went off." Blacker, 192. Had the kelledar made a resolute defence, the strength of the place would have rendered its reduction a matter of great difficulty.