Thomas W. Knox

“ The engagement at Prome may be regarded as the decisive battle of the first Burmese war. True, it was not a brilliant affair, and in European warfare would rank as little more than a skirmish, but a contrary result would have placed the British in a position of great danger. The European troops were greatly reduced both in numbers and efficiency by the effects of the climate, and the native troops could not be relied on for good work unless with European support. ”

“ By the end of November Maha Bandula had an army of sixty thousand men, and appeared in force in front of the Shoay Dagon, or Golden Pagoda. The British had established a station at Kymyindaing, about seven miles up the river, where they had captured a strong stockade, and the first effort of the Burmese general was to capture this stockade, in which he was unsuccessful. For three or four days General Campbell allowed the Burmese to advance their outposts until they were within fifty yards of his lines and out of the protection of the jungle which had concealed their movements. ”

“ Large levies of troops were made throughout Burmah, and the numbers of the army surrounding Rangoon increased daily. The river was covered with boats bringing men and provisions to the besieging army, and by the end of May the Burmese considered themselves strong enough to defy their enemies. Always on halting a Burmese army entrenches itself or throws up a stockade, according to the condition of the ground or the abundance of stockading material. ”

“ While the British in the early part of the present century were extending their boundaries in the northwest provinces of India, the kingdom of Burmah displayed a desire to aggrandize some of the region lying to the south of the company's territories. About 1798 some 30,000 Mugs, inhabitants of Arracan, in Burmah, fled from the oppression of their Burmese masters and sought refuge in Chittagong, a possession of the British. ”

“ Within a few days the general, in person, made a survey of the country to the north of Shoay Dagon, taking with him two guns, some native infantry, and about three hundred European soldiers. There was no road, and the guns were soon abandoned because of the heavy rains which prevailed, rendering an advance extremely difficult. The troops, however, moved forward, leaving the artillery, which could not be dragged through the mud. ”

“ The land forces comprised about 11,500 men of all arms, the great majority being native troops of India. It was the plan of the commander to move upon Rangoon, near the mouth of the Irrawaddy, and by prompt action capture the city, and thus frighten the king into asking for peace. ”

“ He had now to attack the main force of the Burmese, about 20,000 strong. General Campbell's force for this attack comprised 2,500 Europeans and 1,500 native troops.
The Burmese army held a strong and well fortified position on the heights. It was impossible for the artillery to operate, owing to the nature of the ground, and the position was carried by the infantry regiments unassisted. The British loss was 12 officers and 160 men killed and wounded. The Burmese in these engagements lost between 2,000 and 3,000 men. ”

“ The rainy season was over; the surface of the land was dry, and the land force moved north to Hlaing and thence to Sarawa on the Irrawaddy. It reached Donoobu about March 25th, and found that Bandula was entrenched in a stockaded enclosure on the right bank of the river. ”