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Rh CHAPTER XXIII.

The Anglo-Indian Army takes the Field – Its Numerical Strength – Forces of the Mahratta Confederacy – Advance of the British Armies – Scindia paralysed by a Treaty – The Rajah of Berar joins the Confederacy against the English – Hostile Proceedings at his Capital, Nagpore – The English besieged at the Residency – Battle of Seetabuldee – Gallant and critical Charge of Captain Fitzgerald – Desperate Resistance of the Arabs – Surrender of Nagpore – The Cholera breaks out in the Anglo-Indian Army – Its dreadful Ravages – Flight of the Pindarries – Hostile Proceedings in the Court of Holkar – Battle of Mehidpoor – Submission of Holkar – Pursuit and Destruction of Pindarries – Their complete Dispersion – Surrender of their Chief Kurreem – Romantic Adventures and tragical Death of Cheetoo – Final Extinction of the Pindarries.

The preparations of the Governor-General, now the Marquis of Hastings, being at length completed, the greatest army that England ever had on foot, either in India or elsewhere, took the field about the middle of the year 1817, with the avowed purpose of finally crushing the Pindarries, so long a living pestilence in the East, and of introducing such order amongst the Mahratta and other states as should place our future relations with them on a more satisfactory and stable basis than had ever hitherto existed.

The entire amount of this noble army was estimated at 81,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, of regular troops, of which upwards of 13,000 were British soldiers, to which were added 23,000 irregular cavalry; of these 13,000 were attached to the Deccan army, and 10,000 to that of Bengal. The army of Bengal, designated the "Grand Army," was commanded by the Governor-General in person, and, including irregulars, numbered 44,000 men; the Madras and Bombay troops, designated the "Army of the Deccan," amounted,