by John Marshall

“ During the heavy cannonade that took place between the flotilla and the stockade, Maha Bandoola, who was superintending the practice of his artillery, gave his garrison a specimen of the discipline he meant to enforce, in this last struggle to retrieve his lost character and reputation. A Burmese officer being killed while pointing a gun, by a shot from the flotilla, his comrades, instantly abandoning the dangerous post, could not be brought back to their duty by any remonstrances of their chief ”

“ The passage by water from Donoobew to Prome was excessively tedious and fatiguing, owing to calms and the strength of the current; the flotilla, however, maintained a communication with Sir Archibald Campbell; and on the 19th Captain Alexander sent him an elderly man, the bearer of a pacific communication from the chiefs of the Burman army. “An answer was returned, expressive of the readiness of the Supreme Government to conclude a peace, and that upon the arrival of the combined force at Prome, every opportunity and facility in opening negociations would be afforded [18] .” ”

“ On the morning of the 27th, the Diana, with one mortar-boat, four gun-vessels, and a number of flats, &c. in tow, the latter carrying provisions and breaching guns recently arrived from Panlang, pushed past the enemy’s works, and formed a junction with the land column, then vigorously employed in digging trenches, and throwing up batteries for guns and mortars. The flotilla was no sooner observed in motion than the garrison of Donoobew sortied in considerable force, infantry and cavalry, with seventeen war-elephants, fully caparisoned, and carrying a proportion of armed men. ”

“ I now beg leave to acknowledge my obligations to Captain Alexander C.B., senior naval officer, and commanding the flotilla, for his hearty and cordial co-operation on all occasions since we have served together, and for his very great exertions on the present occasion, in bringing up stores and provisions. Since we have been before Donoobew, eleven of the enemy’s large class war-boats have been captured by our advanced boats, under his own immediate orders; making, with others, evacuated by their crews, thirty-eight first-rate war-boats now in our possession ”

“ Sir Archibald Campbell found he could not move with comfort to his troops before, perhaps, the middle of November. On the representation of Sir Archibald Campbell, the Kee-Wongee pledged himself, that all British and American subjects detained at Ava, “under the Golden Feet,” should immediately be set at liberty; in return for which, the British were to liberate the whole of the Burmese then confined in Bengal. ”

“ In forcing the passage past Donoobew, the flotilla, although exposed to a very heavy fire for an hour and a half, had only eight men wounded. One of the gun-vessels received a shot between wind and water, but fortunately reached the shore before she filled. On the 28th, “the working parties continued making approaches towards the place; and the steam-vessel and some light boats, pushing up the river after the enemy’s war boats, succeeded in capturing nine of them: their crews, when likely to be run down by the steam-boat, jumping into the river, effected their escape.” ”

“ On the latter day, three newly built, but unoccupied stockades, were destroyed at Thesit, by the combined force under Brigadier-General Cotton and Captain Alexander. From thence to Panlang were numerous strong breast-works, and both banks of the river covered with fire-rafts. A few miles above Thesit, the light division of boats, under Lieutenant William Smith, of the Alligator, had two men mortally wounded by musketry from a stockade, which our sailors soon burnt to the ground, the enemy flying as they advanced to storm it. All the other works were found deserted. ”

“ This force was directed to pass up the Panlang river to the Irrawaddy, and driving the enemy from his stockades, to push on with all possible expedition to Donoobew [6] . A third division, 780 strong, under Major Sale, accompanied by the Lame and Mercury, was sent up the western branch of the great river, to attack Bassein; after reducing which, it was expected sufficient land-carriage might be obtained in the district, to enable it to push on to Donoobew, and form a junction with the water column, or to Henzedah, where a communication with the land division might be opened ”

“ Sir Archibald replied, that they were rightly informed, as the desire of his government was to be on terms of peace and cordiality with all its neighbours, and he made no doubt, if the feeling was mutual, that that most desirable event would soon be brought about. ”

“ This attack was, as usual, directed upon the right of the line; and while the flotilla came up in full sail under all the fire of the enemy’s works, “the British cavalry, covered by the horse-artillery, was ordered to charge the advancing monsters: the scene was novel and interesting; and although neither the elephants nor their riders can ever be very formidable in modern warfare, they stood the charge with a steadiness and courage these animals can be rarely brought to show. Their riders were mostly shot ”

“ The rest of the force at Rangoon (3781 effective men, and 134 fit only for garrison duty) was left there under Brigadier ‘’Creagh, who was to form a reserve column as soon as means of transport could be collected, and to follow the advance of Sir Archibald Campbell. These arrangements completed, the commander-in-chief began his march on the 13th February; the water column moved on the 16th, and the expedition against Bassein .sailed on the 17th of the same month. The charge of the shipping at Rangoon was entrusted to Captain Ryves. ”

“ The force displayed by the Burmese was estimated at between 16,000 and 20,000 men, who appeared to be all armed with muskets ; and twenty golden chattahs were counted. They had also a small force on the right bank, with jingals, opposite to the right of their line, as it faced the river. On the return of the party, the gun-boats, under Captain Alexander, cannonaded the enemy’s line, to make them develope their whole force ”

“ On the 27th, it was found necessary to unload the Diana and the gun-vessels, the last of which did not get into the Irrawaddy before the 5th March, there being no more than five feet water on the bar at Yan-gain-chay-a. Previous thereto, the light division had put thirteen war-boats to flight, while a few soldiers of the 89th regiment were landed, who drove the enemy from an outpost on the left bank of the river, killed several men, and brought off one prisoner. ”

“ Never were there a better spirit and mutual good will shewn between the two services than on this occasion; every individual, military and naval, did his duty with the greatest cheerfulness and gallantry. Some of the troops were left to occupy the captured stockade as a military post, and the Prince of Wales was ordered by Captain Chads to remain there, with four gun-boats, for its support. ”

“ Cotton, consisted of 799 European infantry, 250 sepoys, 108 foot-artillery, and twelve of the rocket corps: these were embarked in the flotilla, consisting of two mortar-boats, six gun-vessels, thirty armed row-boats, about sixty launches, flats, canoes, &c. and all the boats of the men-of-war remaining at Rangoon, containing every disposable officer and man of the Alligator, Arachne, and Sophie; the whole escorted by the Diana and Satellite, and under the immediate command of Captain Alexander. ”

“ On the ensuing day, another meeting took place, at which Sir Archibald Campbell, Sir James Brisbane, Brigadier-General Cotton, Captain Alexander, R.N., Brigadier M‘Creagh, Lieutenant-Colonel Tidy, and Captain John James Snodgrass (military secretary and aid-de-camp to Sir Archibald) , were the only British officers present; the Kee-Wongee having requested that no more than six chiefs on each side should take part in the discussions. ”

“ Pegu was at this period occupied by 200 sepoys, who were frequently threatened with attacks; and on one occasion Lieutenant Keele was detached with a party of seamen to their support. Two divisions of gun-boats, armed with 24-pounder carronades, having now arrived from Arracan, under the command of Mr. Ravenscroft, of the Bengal pilot service, and got into the Irrawaddy by the way of Bassein, all the gun-vessels were stationed at regular distances, so as to form a chain of posts up to Prome,for the protection of boats proceeding thither with provisions, &c. ”