detached to attack the strong hill-forts immediately south of Poonah, while General Smith again set out with the other, in quest of Bajee Row. Other divisions were likewise employed in occupying the Concan. From Sholapoor, where he was joined by a body of horse from Nagpoor under Gunput Row, the Peishwa moved first to the westward, and then turned off from the Punderpoor road to Ashta (or Ashtee). Here, on the 20th of February, General Smith, with the cavalry and horse artillery, came in sight of the Mahratta army just as it was moving off the ground. The Peishwa sent Gokla a taunting message for having suffered the army to be surprised; to which the latter replied, that he would either guard his rear or lose his own life. Before the British squadrons gained sight of the plain, they heard the tooteries and tom-toms (long trumpets and drums) shrilly and loudly proclaiming surprise and confusion on the part of the enemy. The Peishwa, not considering himself safe in a palankeen, mounted a horse, and fled precipitately with a sufficient guard, leaving Gokla with from eight to ten thousand cavalry, to cover his retreat. It appears to have been supposed, that the entire fourth division of the British was advancing. When the cavalry alone were discovered moving over the hill, Gokla resolved to await their approach. His ground was chosen with great judgement, behind a nullah of difficult passage, and the ruggedness of the ground impeded the advance of the horse-artillery. The appearance of the Mahrattas was sufficiently formidable; the front ranks of their line having their spears couched, while the rear ranks were drawn up on higher ground, armed with matchlocks. "They opened a heavy fire upon the cavalry when within 150 yards of their line, which the latter did not return till they had advanced within a few paces of the Mahratta front ; when the 22d dragoons, discharging their pistols in the faces of the enemy, charged their centre, and the action became close and warm for a few seconds. The horseartillery, at this time, on the right, could not fire; and General Smith, full of anxiety to see the cavalry close with the enemy, had galloped into the space between the right of the 7th cavalry and the left of the guns, where he was much exposed. Gokla had a chosen body in reserve behind his left wing, for the purpose of attacking the rear or flank; and when the shock of this charge made by the 22d dragoons, had forced his centre to give way, he wheeled with the greatest rapidity round his left, and passing between the guns and the right of the British line, attacked the 7th cavalry with great impetuosity. General Smith was cut down, and some confusion was produced on the right; but Major Dawes, with the reserve of the 22d, charged Gokla, who was killed in this desperate but brave attempt; and now the whole of the Mahrattas fled in confusion." * Their main body never came into action. They were pursued for nearly ten miles, and twelve elephants, fifty-seven camels, and all the rear of the Peishwa's baggage were taken. The booty was immense. But the most important result of the victory was the liberation of the Rajah of Satarah, with his mother and two brothers, all of whom voluntarily threw themselves on the British *Fifteen Years in India," pp. 518-21. The author of this work was in the engagement. A critical account of this brilliant affair will be found in Blacker, pp. 249-253. Few similar actions, between horse only, occur in the history of the Indian campaigns. General Smith is said to have been ignorant of the art of manoeuvring cavalry; and he was opposed by the ablest Mahratta general, justly denominated by his master, the Sword of the Empire. Gokla's skill and judgement were equal to his valour. protection. The enemy lost about 200 killed, while the British loss amounted to only 14 Europeans and 5 native cavalry killed and wounded, including the General, whose wound did not prove dangerous.* This defeat, together with the capture of Satarah and its Rajah, made even the most sanguine of the Mahrattas regard the cause of their chief as now altogether desperate; and his people began, immediately after, to return to their homes. This impression of despondency was confirmed by the daily fall of some one or other of his southern forts before General Pritzler. General Smith ("after the sale of the prize property") returned towards Poonah, for the purpose of placing the Rajah under the care of Mr. Elphinstone. His Highness now assumed all the external pomp of an eastern monarch, and with his train, formed an imposing pageant at the head of the British line. Upon approaching a town or village, the tooteries were sounded, and the musicians, who rode on camels, began to beat their nagarras, or tom-toms, upon which the inhabitants came out in crowds, and prostrated themselves before their "legitimate sovereign,"legitimate," Mr. Blacker justly remarks, majority of Indian dynasties." 66 66 as as the Having surrendered his charge, General Smith resumed the harassing pursuit of the deposed Peishwa. The heat of the weather had now increased so much, that, during every long march, some of the men fell under coups de soleil, and the hospitals were soon • Only one man was killed on our side. Captain Grant Duff states the Mahratta loss, in the charge and during the pursuit, at only 100 men, and speaks of the affair as trifling, although it had a very material effect in hastening the termination of the war. The author of Fifteen Years in India says, that when the main body was overtaken, the carnage was dreadful. crowded. But the campaign was now drawing to a close. Bajee Row remained for some time at Kopergaum, where he was joined by Ram Deen, a partizan of Holkar's, but was deserted by several of his jagheerdars. He next continued his route towards Chandore, intending ultimately to proceed to Nagpoor; but the approach of the divisions under Sir Thomas Hislop and General Doveton, compelled him to alter his course; and he hastened towards Chandah in the Nagpoor territory, sending forward Gunput Row by a different route to the assistance of his master.* The Mahratta officer was met on the banks of the Wurda, as already men. tioned, by the division under Colonel Adams; and the Peishwa himself, in endeavouring to avoid General Doveton, was driven upon the same army near Seonee, where a considerable number of his followers were killed, the rest of his treasure was taken, and most of his jagheerdars who yet adhered to his standard, took the opportunity of dispersing. Chandah, which was held by his partizans, was, after a short siege, carried by assault. Bajee Row, followed by General Doveton, now fled in great consternation and distress to the northward. He had made many overtures to Mr. Elphinstone; but, as they always implied an ability to treat, he was distinctly told, that his submission only could be accepted. After a flight of several hundred miles, he reached the borders of Khandeish; and on the 5th of May, was advancing towards Sindwa, intending there to cross the Nerbuddah, when he found that Sir John Malcolm had made every preparation to intercept him in that quarter. He, therefore, sent forward two vakeels, with a letter to the * It was at Chandah, that Appa Sahib had engaged to meet the Peishwa with all the troops he could muster. General, and retired to wait the result at Dholkote, near Asseerghur. His force still amounted to upwards of 5000 horse and 4000 foot, of whom half were Arabs. On receiving the Peishwa's overtures, Sir John Malcolin resolved to make his letter the basis of a negotiation for his surrender; and two of his officers were despatched towards the Mahratta camp, to announce the preliminary terms, upon which Sir John promised to become the medium of an adjustment with the British Government. He was required to renounce for himself and family for ever, all sovereignty in the Deccan, to which he was never to return; to separate himself immediately from Ram Deen, and all proscribed rebels and Pindarries; and to advance to meet Sir John Malcolm. After a protracted negotiation, Bajee Row surrendered himself on the 3rd of June, on condition that the stipulated maintenance should not be less than eight laks of rupees a-year. Although these terms were considered by the Governor General as the extreme of liberality, he did not hesitate to ratify the treaty concluded by his political agent; and Beithoor, a place of sanctity near Cawnpoor, was appointed for Bajee Row's future residence, to which he was immediately conducted. Trimbukjee escaped to the southward, and, for a time, attempted to collect adherents, and to conceal himself, as before; but, the place of his retreat being discovered, he was surprised and seized by a party of irregular horse under Lieutenant Swanston, (one of the defenders of Koreigaum,) and was sent a prisoner to the fort of Chunargurh in Bengal. The surrender of Bajee Row was of the greater importance, from the escape of Appa Sahib; and the pension conceded to him was a cheap price for the conclusion of a contest, the pro |