p*«
u
\rJ
m m
"
I- v .*** /• s
THE
DISPATCHES
OP
FIELD MARSHAL THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON,
DURING HIS VARIOUS CAMPAIGNS
FROM
1799 TO 1818.
<l Monnmentum asre perenuius
THE
DISPATCHES
OF
FIELD MARSHAL
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON, K.G.
DURING HIS VARIOUS CAMPAIGNS
IN
INDIA, DENMARK, PORTUGAL, SPAIN, THE LOW
COUNTRIES, AND FRANCE.
FROM
1799 TO 1818.
COMPILED FROM OFFICIAL AND AUTHENTIC DOCUMENTS,
BY
LIEUT. COLONEL GURWOOD.
ESQUIRE TO HIS GRACE AS KNIGHT OP THE BATH,
VOLUME THE THIRD;
BEING SUPPLEMENTARY TO VOLUMES I. AND II.
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
MUCCCXXXV.
v«3
LONDON :
PRINTED BY WII.MAM CLOWES,
Duke Street, Lambeth.
P II E F A C E
THIRD OR SUPPLEMENTARY VOLUME.
THE first volume of the Dispatches was published, and the
greater part of the second printed, when a further collection
of papers and letters was placed in the hands of the Com-
piler: he has therefore had them printed in a supple-
mentary volume. These letters are, in fact, supplementary
to the events detailed in the first and second volumes; and
although the repetition may not interest the general reader,
the Compiler has nevertheless thought proper to print them,
as containing much additional matter for the politician, as
well as for the soldier.
The dates will point out their relative places in the
preceding volumes; and an index with the address of each
dispatch, with the page in which it ought to follow in each
volume, is given to facilitate the reference.
INDEX OF THE DISPATCHES
CONTAINED IN
THE THIRD OR SUPPLEMENTARY VOLUME ;
WITH THE PROPER PLACES AT WHICH THEY OUGHT TO FOLLOW IN THE FIRST AND
SECOND VOLUMES, ACCORDING TO THEItt RESPECTIVE DATES.
Page
in
Vol. III.
8
11
15
17
18
21
22
23
25
26
27
28
29
31
32
33
34
36
39
40
Addresses and Dates
of Letters, &c.
at which
to follow in
Vol. I.
Major General Wellesley's j
from 12 Nov.
n i
Journal
• • • )
to 4 Dec. 1802
y i
Lieut. Colonel
Close
1 Jan. 1803
Governor of Bombay . .
20
97
Lieut. Colonel Close . .
21
Memorandum
14 Feb.
1
Lieut. Colonel
Close . .
22 ... ..
[ 103
Lieut. General
Stuart . .
2 March ..
)
______
_____
3
\ 109
Memorandum
1
Lieut. General
Stuart
4
Lieut. Colonel Close
110
Lieut. General
Stuart . .
8
9
[ 116
10 -
I 117
Lieut. General Stuart . .
11
1
..
•
12
118
..
13
Colonel Stevenson
14
Lieut. General
Stuart . .
15
Lieut. Colonel Close
16 ..." ..
. 119
Lieut. General
Stuart . .
17
Captain Cunningham
20
INDEX FOR PLACING LETTERS.
Page
in
Vol. III.
41
43
45
46
47
48
48
49
50
51
52
54
55
56
59
61
64
68
69
70
71
73
74
75
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
91
Addresses and Dates
of Letters, &c.
Proper pager
at which
to follew h*
Vok I.
Lieut. General Stuart . . 20 March 1803
Memorandum .....
Lieut. General Stuart . .22
Lieut. Colonel Close . . 23
.. 25 119
Lieut. Longford . . . 26
Lieut. Colonel Close . . 27
Mr. Piele
Colonel Stevenson . . . 29
Lreut. Colonel Close . , 30 \
Futty Sing Maunia . . 1 April .. /
Lieut. Colonel Close . . 2 1 195
Memorandum '
Colonel Stevenson ... 3 132
.. £ 134
Lieut. General Stuart . . 7 I 135
Lieut. Colonel Close . . .. ..... J
Colonel Stevenson. . . 8 )
Lieut. Colonel Close
Colonel Stevenson . . . 10
Lieut. Colonel Close . . 11 > 137
Memorandum
Bridge of Boats ... IS
Lieut. Colonel Close
Lieut. General Stuart . . 14
Lieut. Colonel Close
Lieut. General Stuart . .15 i
Major Kirkpatrick /
Lieut. Colonel Close . . 16
Lieut. General Stuart . . 17
Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 18
Lieut. Colonel Close v
Lieut. General Stuart
Lieut. Colonel Close . . 20
Lieut. General Stuart . . 21
Lieut. Colonel Close
Colonel Stevenson ... 22 -.
Lieut. Colonel Close ,.&
Colonel Stevenson ... 23 f
Lieut. Colonel Close )
.. 25 147
Colonel Stevenson . . .26 ^
Lieut. Colonel Close I
Colonel Murray |
Lieut. General Stuart . . 27 '
Colonel Stevenson ... 28 >
Lieut. Colonel Close
INDKX FOR PLACING LETTERS.
Page
in
Vol. III.
92 ,
93 ,
94
95
96
97
99
100
101
102
103
105
107
108
109
111
112
113
114
115
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
138
Addresses and Dates
of Letters, &c.
Proper pngo
at which
to follow in
Vol. I.
Governor General ... 29 April 1803 149
Lieut. Colonel Close . .30
Colonel Murray
Colonel Stevenson
Lieut. Colonel Close . . 1 May . ...
Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 2
Colonel Stevenson
Colonel Murray
Lieut. Colonel Close
Colonel Stevenson . . . 3 151
Lieut. Colonel Close
Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 4
Lieut. General Stuart
Lieut. Colonel Close 155
Colonel Murray
Colonel Stevenson . . .5
Lieut. Colonel Close
Officer commanding Pioneers 7
Colonel Stevenson
Colonel Murray
Lieut. General Stuart . . 8
Killadar of Carnallah > 156
Bappoo Rao Angria '
Colonel Murray . .
Colonel Stevenson ... 9
Governor General . . . 10
Lord Hobart
Lieut. General Stuart . .11 »
Colonel Murray . } 159
Lieut. General Stuart . . 12 »
Colonel Stevenson /
Mr. Piele 14 ,
The Hon. H. Wellesley } 163
Colonel Murray .... 15 , 164
Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 16 ... .. |
Governor of Bombay . . 18 ^ j7Q
Colonel Stevenson " J
.. 19 ,
Lieut. General Stuart . . 20 ; 17'2
.. 22
.. 23
Lieut. Colonel Close
Lieut. General Stuart . . 24
Colonel Stevenson ... 25 I74
Major Kirkpatrick
Lieut. General Stuart . .26 . . . . ,
Colonel Murrav
INDEX FOR PLACING LETTERS.
Proper page
Pa««i Addresses and Dates at which
in of Letters, &c. to follow in
Vol. III. Vol.1.
139 . . Lieut. Colonel Close . . 27 May 1803
141 . . Lieut. General Stuart
142 Colonel Stevenson 29
143 . . Major Kirkpatrick
144 . . Memorandum
145 . . Lieut. General Stuart . . . 30
148 . . .. 31 ..
149 . . Colonel Stevenson
151 . . Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 2 June
176
152 . . Lieut. Brown 3
153 . . Colonel Murray
155 . . Governor General ... 4
157 . . Lieut. Colonel Close . .
159 . . Colonel Stevenson ... 5
160 . . Lieut. Colonel Close . .
. . Colonel Murray ...
161 . . Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 6
162 . . Lieut. Colonel Close . . 7
. . Lieut. General Stuart .
165 . . Colonel Stevenson
. . Colonel Murray ,
166 . . Lieut. Colonel Close . . 8
168 . . Colonel Stevenson
.. . . Mr. Piele
169 . . Lieut. General Stuart . . 9
170 . . Lieut. Colonel Close
171 . . .. 10
173 . . Colonel Murray
174 . . Lieut. Colonel Close . .11
175 . . Colonel Murray
176 . . Lieut. Colonel Close . .12
177 . . Colonel Murray
178 . . Lieut. Colonel Maxwell . 13
1 79 Lieut. Colonel Close
178
180
181
182
180 . Colonel Stevenson . . . 14
181 . . Lieut. General Stuart
183 . . Lieut. Colonel Close . . . 16
184 . . .. 17 ]
185 . . .. 18 V 184
186 . . Colonel Murray j
Colonel Stevenson . . . 19 ,
187 . . Lieut. Colonel Close } 186
188 . . Secretary of Gov., Bombay .20 \
189 . . Major Malcolm > 188
192 . Lieut. Colonel Close
INDEX FOR PLACING LETTERS.
Page
Vol. III.
193
195
196
197
201
202
204
205
207
208
210
211
212
214
215
216
217
218
220
223
224
225
226
228
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
238
240
242
243
244
245
Addresses and Dates
of Letters, &c.
Colonel Stevenson
Colonel Murray .
Colonel Stevenson
Lieut. Colonel Close .
Lieut. General Stuart
Lieut. Colonel Close
Lieut. General Stuart
Lieut. Colonel Close
Colonel Murray . .
Major Kirkpatrick .
Colonel Stevenson
Lieut. Colonel Close .
Colonel Murray .
Colonel Stevenson
Lieut. Colonel Close
Colonel Murray . .
Lieut. Colonel Close
Colonel Murray . .
Lieut. Colonel Close
21 June 1803
22
23
25
28
29
30
1 July
2 ..
3 ..
4
Proper page
at which
to follow iu
Vol. I.
192
196
J97
I 207
Colonel Murray
.. 7 '. 214
Governor General . . . 8 216
Lieut. Colonel Close . . .10
Colonel Murray .... 12
Colonel Stevenson ... 13 217
Lieut. Colonel Close
Colonel Stevenson .. . . 14 i
Colonel Murray ) 220
Lieut. General Stuart . . 15 ^
Colonel Stevenson j 224
Colonel Murray . . . 16 225
Lieut. Colonel Close . . 18 }
Colonel Stevenson ... I 230
Colonel Murray J
Lieut. Colonel Close . .20 ..... j
Colonel Harness, &€ I 232
Colonel Murray j
Lieut. General Stuart V 235
Lieut. Colonel Close . .23
.. 24
Colonel Stevenson
Colonel Murray ^ 249
Lieut. General Stuart . . 25 ... ..
Lieut. Colonel Close
INDEX FOR PLACING LETTERS.
Page
in
Vol. III.
245
247
248
251
252
254
255
256
257
260
262
263
264
266
267
268
270
272
273
274
275
276
277
279
280
281
286
287
289
290
291
2'J2
293
294
295
297
Addresses and I)ntus
of Letters, &e.
Governor General
Proper (•...•
at which
to follow HI
Vol. I.
29 July 1803
Colonel Stevenson
Lieut. Genera]
Stuart . .
30
262
Colonel Murray
Colonel Stevenson
1 August ..
274
Lieut. Colonel
Close . , .
Colonel Murray ....
2
279
Ramchunder Pursheram
3
Lieut. Colonel Close
> 287
.
5
Major General
Campbell
6
292
Colonel Stevenson ....
7
294
..
14
308
15
311
..
17
315
Lieut. General
Stuart. . .
19 1
Captain Graham ....
> 320
Colonel Stevenson ....
20
Lieut General
Stuart . .
24
336
..
26
> 341
Lieut. General Stuart . .
Major General Campbell
28
• 342
Colonel Stevenson
30
346
Lieut. General
Stuart
31
Colonel Stevenson
350
Captain Graham ....
3 Sept. ..
Lieut General
Stuart . . .
4
> 355
Colonel Stevenson
.
..
6
Secretary of Gov., Bombay .
7
- 359
Major Malcolm ....
6
Colonel Stevenson . . .
7
361
Lieut. General
Stuart
8 .
Colonel Stevenson
362
..
9
..
12
364
_ __
13
Major General
Campbell
14
372
Lieut. General
Stuart .
15
Major Malcolm ....
15
377
Secretary of Gov., Bombay .
16 )
Colonel Stevenson [
. 380
Major Malcolm J
Colonel Stevenson ....
17
381
INDEX FOR PLACING LETTERS.
Vol. III.
297
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
310
311
312
314
315
317
319
322
323
324
327
328
330
332
333
335
336
337
338
341
342
344
346
347
348
349
Addresses and Dates
of Letters, &c.
Proper page
at which
to follow in
Vol. 1.
Hon. H. Wellesley . . , 17 Sept. 1803 ]
Colonel Stevenson , . . 19 > 381
Lieut. General Stuart J
Captain Graham . . . .21 i
Secretary of Gov., Bombay .21 I
Lieut. General Stuart . . 24 389
- — .. 25 400
Lieut. Colonel Griffin . .26 \
Captain Vesey I
Com. Officer at Ahmednuggur |
Captain Marriott J
Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 28
Captain Graham
Major Malcolm > . .. \ 410
Secretary of Gov., Bombay
Lieut. General Stuart . . '. 29
Captain Graham .... 2 Oct. .. i
Major Malcolm \ .. J 416
Lieut. General Stuart . . 3 \
Colonel Stevenson j- 419
•• 4
Major General Campbell , 5 > 421
Captain Lieut. Brown J
Lieut. General Stuart . . 8 ")
Colonel Stevenson ... V 434
Major General Campbell . 10 j
Colonel Stevenson . , . 11
Major Malcolm
Colonel Stevenson . . . 12
Mr. Piele
Mr. Ravenshaw
Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 13
Governor of Ceylon . . . 14 *
Colonel Stevenson } 449
Captain Graham .... 15 \
Major Malcolm > 453
Lieut. General Stuart . . 16 J
Captain Graham .... 22 "|
Lieut. General Stuart . . 23 I 462
Major Kirkpatrick .. J
Colonel Stevenson ... 24 i
Major Kirkpatrick }
Colonel Stevenson ... 25 1
Secretary of Gov., Bombay .26 > 472
Mr. Piele j
Secretary of Gov., Bombay .28 |
Colonel Stevenson
INDEX FOR PLACING LETTERS.
Page
in
V-il. III.
350
J51
352
353
?54
355
356
357
359
361
362
364
366
367
368
369
371
373
375
376
377
378
379
381
384
386
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
398
399
Addresses and Dates
of Letters, &c.
I'roper page
at which
to follow ill
Vol. I.
Colonel Stevenson . . . 31 Oct. 1803 . 477
Major General Campbell . 2 Nov. .. . 478
Lieut. General Stuart . . . 4 ^
Colonel Stevenson I 434
Secretary of Gov., Bombay
Lieut. General Stuart . 5
/»
' •• ' b ,QQ
Colonel Stevenson ...
Captain Graham
Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 7 i
Colonel Stevenson ... 9
Major Malcolm .... 11
Secretary of Gov., Bombay
Lieut. General Stuart . . 13
Captain Graham . . . .
Major Malcolm . . . .. 505
Captain Lucas
Colonel Stevenson ... 14
Major Malcolm .... 15 ^
Major Cuyler } 506
Lieut. Colonel Harcourt . 19 ... i
} 511
Lieut. General Stuart ... 20
Colonel Stevenson
513
Lieut. General Stuart . . 23
Colonel Stevenson
Remarks on a Memorandum 23 . 517
Colonel Stevenson . . . 25 ]
.. 26 I 527
Lord W. Bentinck J
Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 27 1
.. > 528
Captain Graham J
Lieut. General Stuart . . 3 Dec. .. I
.. 4 [ 53'
Captain Graham . . . . 12 v
Secretary of Gov., Bombay .13 }
Colonel Stevenson . . . 17 561
Lieut. General Stuart 20 i
Major Kirkpatrick ... 21 f
INDEX FOR PLACING LETTERS.
Proper page
Page Addresses and Dates at which
in of Letters, &c. to follow in
Vol. III. Vol. I.
403 . . Memorandum 23 Dec. 1803 \
405 . . Proclamation > 562
406 . . Lieut. Colonel Havcourt . . 24 i
. . Secretary of Gov., Bombay .25 I
Ditto in
Vol. II.
411 . . Jeswunt Rao Holkar . . 5 Jan. 1804 *
412 . . Dowlut Rao Scindiah j
. Captain Graham .... 5 6
413 . . Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 8 .. .
414 . .
Captain Graham
415 . . Officer at Gawilghur
. . Major Malcolm .... 10 18
416 . . Lieut. General Stuart . . 11 i
420 . . Major Malcolm . . ' 13 J 29
422 . . Major General Campbell . 15 v
. Major Graham . } ^
423 . . Lieut. General Stuart . . 17 51
424 . . Major Malcolm . . . . 19 ]
426 . . Secretary of Gov., Bombay .20 > 59
430 . . 21 ]
. Major Malcolm .... 23 \
432 . . .. 24
.. . . Secretary of Gov., Bombay .24 69
433 . . .. 26
. . Major Malcolm
434 . . .. 27 .. .
437 . . Major Kirkpatrick . .
438 .. • > 88
1
1"
. . Rajah Mohiput Ram
439 . . Major Kirkpatrick
. Major Malcolm .... 29
441 . . Lieut. General Stuart
449 . . Major Malcolm .... 30 ...
444 . . Major General Campbell .31
445 . . Major Malcolm
446 . . Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 2 Feb. ... j 95
. . Major Malcolm j
447 . . Instructions 4 .. 97
448 . . Lieut. General Stuart . . 5 99
. . Major General Campbell . 6 i
449 .. . Colonel Stevenson ... 7 J 100
450 . . Major Kirkpatrick ... 9 ...
451 . . Major Malcolm .... 10 )• 104
. . Secretary of Bombay . .
Pa*?
in
Vwl. HI.
452 .
453 .
454 .
45G .
462 .
463 .
464 .
465 .
466 .
467 .
468 .
469 .
470 .
471 .
472 .
473 .
474 .
475 .
476 .
477 .
478 .
479 .
480 .
481 .
483 .
486 .
490 .
491 .
494 .
495 .
496 .
499 .
500 .
501 .
502 .
503 .
504
INDEX FOR PLACING LETTERS.
Addresses and Dates
of Letters, See.
Proper page
at which
tol'i)llo\\ in
Vol. II.
Limit. Colonel Gore . . „ 10 Feb. 1804 . 104
Colonel Stevenson . . ,11 )
Major Malcolm . * '
Lieut. Colonel Wallace . . 14
Lieut. General Stuart
Major Malcolm . . . . 16
Secretary of Gov., Bombay f
Captain Vernon
Captain Munt
Major General Campbell
Major Graham .... 17 ... 1
Major Malcolm . . . . 18 > 117
Lieut. Colonel Wallace
Major Malcolm .... 20 1
Captain Wilks ... 21 .. ..I 118
Major Malcolm » J
Lieut. General Stuart . . 22 121
Major General Campbell .29 \
Major Graham > 132
Agent at Benares J
Major General Campbell . 2 March
Lieut. Colonel Wallace
Major Malcolm
Secretary of Gov., Bombay 135
Major Graham
Major Malcolm .... 3
Lieut. Colonel Wallace
Captain Wilks .... 8 150
Major Malcolm .... 13 I no
Captain Wilks f
.. ... 14 ) 1<}8
Major General Campbell .16 >
Lieut. General Stuart . „ 17 ]
Major Malcolm > 178
Hon. IT. Wellesley ... 18 j
Lieut. General Stuart . . 20 181
Major Malcolm .... 22 184
Lieut. Colonel Wallace . . 27 1 188
Lieut. Colonel Adams >
Major Malcolm .... 29 \
Major Graham I
Major Malcolm .... 30 f
.. 1 April . .. J
Major**** .... 3 r
Captain Wilks >
INDEX FOR PLACING LETTERS.
Page Addresses and Dates at which
in of Letters, &c. to follow i
Vol. III. Vol. II.
505 . . Lieut. Colonel Adams . . 6 April 1 804 \
.. . . Lieut. Colonel Wallace > 191
. Major Graham J
506 . . Lieut. General Stuart .. 7 197
509 . . Major Malcolm .... 9 )
510 . . Lieut. Colonel Wallace . . 10 > 200
511 . . Major Malcolm J
.. . . Lieut. Colonel Wallace . . 11 ^
512 . . Major Malcolm
513 . . Major General Campbell .13 j
. Major Malcolm J
514 . . Lieut. Colonel Wallace . .17 \
515 . . Major Malcolm V 209
516 . . .. 1,8 J
517 . . Lieut. Colonel Wallace . . 19 1
. . Major Malcolm .... 20 > 211
519 . . Lieut. Colonel Wallace . . 21 j
520 . . Major Malcolm .... 23 ^
. Major Kirkpatrick I 216
. . Lieut. Colonel Wallace j
521 . . Major General Campbell. .28 221
, . Major Malcolm .... 2 May ... ^
522 • . Major Graham .... 5 J 225
. Lieut. General Stuart . 7
524 . . Captain Wilks .... 9
525 . . Major Graham
. . Lieut. Colonel Wallace . . 11
526 . . Captain Browne .... 14 244
. . Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 15 1
528 . . Lieut. Colonel Wallace .
.... — .. — 16 *»
. . Captain Wilks J
529 . . Major Ir ton 19 ]
. . Lieut. General Stuart . . 21 I 261
530 . . Major Kirkpatrick J
531 . . Major Malcolm .... 22
532 . . Lieut. General Stuart . .23
534 . . Secretary of Gov., Bombay
. . Lord W. Bentinck ... 27
536 . . General Lake
537 . . Secretary of Gov., Bombay
538 . . Lieut. General Stuart . . 28
539 . . Captain Wilks .... 30 .......
540 . . Major Graham
541 . . Secretary of Gov., Bombay .31 281
INDEX FOR PLACING LETTERS.
Addresses and Dates
of Letters, &c.
Vol. III.
542
543
544
546
548
549
550
551
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
564
571
572
Proper page
at which
to follow in
Vol. II.
Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 1 June, 1804 » ^Sl
Captain Wilks J
Lieut. Colonel Gore ... 7 } 292
Major Kirkpatrick
Major General Campbell . 9 ..... "j
Lieut. General Stuart > 295
Captain Harvey . . . .10
Lieut. General Stuart . .11 1
Captain Wilks .... 12 > 298
Lieut. General Stuart . . 18 J
Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 19
Lieut. General Stuart . . 20
Major Kirkpatrick . . . : ^ _
Lord W. Bentinck
Captain Wilks
Major Graham
Lieut. Colonel Hill ... 24 302
Lieut. Colonel Brunton . . 26
Secretary of Gov., Bombay .27
Major Kirkpatrick , 313
Major Macauley
Captain Wilks
Lieut. General Stuart . . 28 ]
Lieut. Colonel Wallace > 319
Lieut. General Stuart . . 29 j
.. 3 July . .. 1
Secretary of Gov., Bombay . 6 / 323
Major General Campbell .11 334
Lieut. **** . 17 347
MILITARY NARRATIVE
OF THE EARLY SERVICES OF
FIELD MARSHAL THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON,
IN
INDIA.
WITH THE OFFICIAL AND OTHER DISPATCHES,
SUPPLEMENT TO VOLUME I.
Journal of the Measures taken, Arrangements made, and Orders given,
in consequence of the notice received from Mr. Webbe and the
Commander in Chief, that it was probable that an Army would be
^assembled on the Toombuddra, with a view to Operations in the
Marhatta Territory.
« 12th November, 1802. Received a letter from Mr. Webbe,
dated the 9th, giving me notice of the probability that an
army would be assembled on the Toombuddra.
' I had a communication with Mr. Piele, in which I
urged him to desire Purneah to put the forts of Hurry-
hur and Hoonelly in decent repair. I gave him notice of
the probable want of grain and rice, and desired him to
urge the Dewan to stop the exportation of the former
entirely, and of the latter from the countries bordering
on the Ghauts. I likewise desired him to give notice to
the Dewan that we should want 20,000 sheep per men-
sem, and that they ought to begin to collect between Sera
and Chittledroog. I desired the Commissary of Stores
of Seringapatam to prepare an equipment for a force
which would require twenty field pieces, and to repair all
the carriages that required it.
'I wrote to Captain Johnson, of the Bombay En-
VOL. in. B
PREPARATIONS FOR
1802.
gineers, to desire that he would carry into execution his
plan for removing six 12-pounders from Goa to Hulli-
hall.
fl wrote to Lieutenant Dillon, the Acting Resident
at Goa, to request that he would undertake to remove to
Hullihall all the Company's stores at Goa, beginning
with the arrack and the 12-pounder shot.
' I wrote to Mr. Reeves, the Paymaster ; Major
Doolan, the commanding officer at Goa ; and Mr. Read,
the Collector, to urge the adoption of all the measures
which could facilitate these operations.
4 1 ordered Mr. Gordon to lay in thirty garces of rice,
at Hullihall in Soondah.
' I wrote to Mr. Read, to request he would facilitate
this measure, and that he would let me know how much
more Soondah could supply.
* Captain Barclay wrote, by my orders, to the Brin-
jarry gomastah, Mutrin Lallah, to desire him to come up
from Conjeveram immediately, and to inform him that all
the brinjarries in the Carnatic, Mysore, and ceded dis-
tricts, would be immediately wanted ; that they were to
load and join the army.
c He also wrote to all the Naigs of the brinjarries, di-
recting them to load and wait for orders to move.
' I received a letter from General Stuart, of the 9th,
ordering certain corps to be prepared for the field, and
certain other preparations, and desiring my opinions on
certain points. I gave him those opinions in a letter of
this date.
' 13th November. Captain Barclay, by my orders, gave direc-
tions to the Garrison Storekeeper to prepare 30.,0001bs.
of salt beef for the European troops, and kegs for it.
' He also desired him to entertain 3000 carriage bul-
locks. He also desired him to stop the sale of gram at
Chittledroog. To beat out the paddy at Chittledroog
and Hullihall. To purchase rice in this neighbourhood,
and to report when 1000 bags would be ready.
* 14th November. The officers commanding the 5th and 7th
regiments of cavalry were ordered to hold their corps in
1802. THE ADVANCE TO POONAH. 3
readiness for field service, and to make the necessary pre-
parations.
' 15th November. I gave authority to make advances to the
bullock owners, of two pagodas for each bullock.
* 16th November. I made a report to General Stuart upon
the subject of the bullock establishment, in a letter of
this date.
' 17th November. I received a letter from the Secretary of
the Military Board, dated 12th November, ordering doo-
lies to be repaired. Ordered. I received from General
Stuart a letter of the 13th of November, apprizing me of
stores being sent from Madras, requiring gunny bags
from Cannanore and Tellicherry, information regarding
the galloper carriages attached to corps of cavalry in
Mysore, and brinjarries.
6 1 reported to the General, in a letter of this date, the
state of the galloper guns of the regiments ; the num-
ber of brinjarry cattle, as far as I had accounts of them ;
the arrangement of the proposed depots at Hurryhur. I
wrote to Lieut. Colonel Boles, to order up the rice bags
from Tellicherry and Cannanore. It was reported to me
that the arrack kegs in store, at Hullihall in Soondah,
were in bad order. I wrote to Lieutenant Dillon, the
Acting Resident at Goa, to desire that he would take
measures to have them repaired ; I desired that he would
send for them, if he should require them, to carry up the
arrack from Goa. I apprized him that I had applied for
arrack and salt provisions to Mr. Duncan, which I
begged him to forward to Hullihall.
6 1 wrote to Major Doolan, to desire he would also
assist in repairing the arrack kegs at Hullihall, and in
removing them to Goa, if wanted.
' I wrote to Mr. Duncan, to request that he would
send arrack in large quantities to Goa, consigned to the
care of the Acting Resident, and four hundred kegs with
iron hoops, of four gallons each. Also 30,0001bs. of salt
provisions, packed in kegs of 451bs. each.
6 Captain Barclay gave directions, by my order, to the
1st of the 2nd, 2nd of the 3rd, 2nd of the 18th, and 2nd
PREPARATIONS FOR
1802.
of the 10th, to prepare for field service, and to provide
carriages for the sick.
• 18th November. I had a conversation with Mr. Anderson
upon the subject of the medical arrangements of the
troops in the field; in consequence of which, I gave Mr.
Piele a memorandum of articles which would be required
to construct temporary buildings at Hurryhur for a field
hospital.
' I reported to General Stuart the request I had made
to Mr. Duncan, and recommended that a Resident might
still be kept at Goa, although our troops were withdrawn.
* I ordered fifty artillery men from Malabar, with one
hundred and twenty gun lascars.
S19th November. I forwarded to General Stuart Mr.
Anderson's proposed medical arrangements, with my
remarks. I reported to him that there were twenty
tents in store for the 1st battalion of artillery at
Seringapatam. I ordered that as many gunny bags as
could be procured in a month should be made at Seringa-
patam, Chittledroog, Paughur, Hullihall, Mudgerry, and
Nuggur.
* Likewise that 30,0001bs. of biscuit should be prepared.
« 20th November. Received a letter from General Stuart, of
the 16th, desiring me to order ammunition, &c., to be
prepared for six 12- pounders, with a proportion of shells.
Ordered.
' Likewise allowing me to order lead from Paughur,
Mudgerry, and Mergasy to Chittledroog, or elsewhere.
' 21st November. I wrote to Captain Baynes, to order it to
Chittledroog, notwithstanding orders to the contrary he
might receive from the Military Board.
6 Likewise desiring me to send off as many cattle as
might be spared from the Mysore equipments. I ordered
four hundred to Madras.
1 1 received a letter from the Military Board, of the
16th, ordering 500 000 musket, and 20,000 carbine balls
to be cast ; and wooden bottoms of sizes for shot to be
prepared in the arsenal of Seringapatam. Ordered.
' I received a letter from the Military Board, desiring
that four howitzer carnages at Seringapatam might be
1802. THE ADVANCE TO POONAII. 5
repaired. I reported to the Board that they were repair-
able for garrison purposes only, in a letter of this date.
1 I wrote a letter to General Stuart, in which I again
recommended that the cattle might not be sent to the
Carnatic.
6 I observed upon the number of guns to be sent from
the Carnatic, and compared them with those ordered here,
and those that could be provided in this country. I re-
commended that the whole equipment, excepting the four
18-pounders and four howitzers, might be provided in
this country.
1 I received a letter from General Stuart, dated the
17th, in which he desires I will order Captain Scott to
prepare platform carts.
'522nd November. I wrote to General Stuart, and informed
him that it appeared that Captain Scott could prepare the
6-pounder gallopers, and not the platform carts ; that I
therefore indented for twenty carts.
* In consequence of my proposition of yesterday to
General Stuart, to prepare twenty six field pieces in
Mysore, I wrote to Colonel Whitelocke, to prepare six
field pieces, and to send nineteen tumbrils to Seringa-
patam, by bullocks, which were sent off for that purpose.
* To examine the musket ammunition in store.
4 1 gave Mr. Piele a detailed memorandum regarding
the mode of supplying gram * for three objects : viz., to
have 7000 stock in the Gram Agent General's depart-
ment on the frontier ; to have a bullock load for each
horse in the regimental stock on the frontier ; to have a
supply of gram in stations there, so that none in the Gram
Agent General's stock should be touched.
' I ordered up the gun bullocks stationed at Mangalore.
' 23rd November. I ordered that the grain at Chittledroog,
and arrack kegs, &c., at Hullihall, might not be sold ac-
cording to the orders of the Military Board, and reported
this to the Commander in Chief.
* 24th November. I received a letter from General Stuart, in
which he informed me that he should require field pieces
from Mysore, only for the seven corps which would pass
through Mysore from the southward, and come from garri-
* Gram, a brown pea or pulse for horses and cattle.
> PREPARATIONS FOR 1802.
sons in this country, and for the 33rd regiment, and
four iron 12-pounders from Chittledroog, and in answer
to mine of the 13th.
' I reported to the General, in a letter of this date, my
notion of a depot at Hurryhur; likewise the arrange-
ments made for the supply of gram.
' I received a report from Colonel Boles, that the
gunny bags were sand bags.
25th November. In consequence of General Stuart's letter of
the 19th, I countermanded the 6- pounders ordered on
the 22nd, at Chittledroog, and directed four iron 18-
pounders to be completed there.
* I likewise countermanded four 6-pounders at Se-
ringapatam, and ordered four tumbrils, with fixed am-
munition, to be prepared for four iron guns at Chittle-
droog.
' I gave Mr. Gordon orders to prepare servants for
the depot at Hurryhur; likewise to lay in grain at that
station. My reason for deferring to give these orders to
this period is, that I know the grain was to be in bags, of
which we had none ; that the first of it would go from
Seringapatam, and that the bullocks are only now ready.
26th November. I received a letter from Captain Walker
of the 23rd, in which he requires the communication of
my sentiments upon two points connected with his de-
partment : viz., the mode of paying for gram procured
in Mysore, and that of procuring it. I answered this
letter, and gave my opinion upon both points in detail,
and pointed out the object of the arrangements for pro-
curing gram, and how they were to be carried into exe-
cution. (Vide letter of this date.)
* I received a letter from General Stuart of the 22nd of
November, in which he tells me that he approves of not
sending the public cattle to Madras. I countermanded
those ordered away on the 21st.
' I gave Mr. Piele a memorandum upon the subject of
the depot at Hurryhur, in which I required that Purneah
might repair the pagodas there ; that he might give me
the list of the names of places in that neighbourhood in
which rice could be procured ; that he would try to get
some gunny bags for the service from Purneah.
1802. THE ADVANCE TO POONAH. 7
e 80th November. Received from General Stuart a letter of
the 26th, in which he details the pieces of ordnance re-
quired from Mysore, amounting to twenty field pieces.
In consequence thereof wrote to Colonel Whitelocke, to
prepare four field pieces, with six tumbrils, including the
two field pieces heretofore ordered. Desired him also to
send here only eighteen instead of nineteen tumbrils,
heretofore ordered.
6 Received a letter from the Military Board of the
26th, ordering from 2000 to 2500 four and half inch
shells, 600 to be filled, fused, &c., and arms and accou-
trements for the 1st of the 3rd. — Ordered.
' I wrote to General Stuart, and pointed out that if
the shells above mentioned were surplus to 300 he had
ordered, we should require twelve tumbrils to carry
them ; if not, six tumbrils.
4 1st December. Conceiving there was a mistake respecting
the report from Colonel Boles, that the gunny bags in
Malabar were sand bags, I wrote to Colonel Montresor
to desire that he would inquire whether there were none
in charge of the Garrison Storekeeper, and if there were
any, to send them up.
* 2nd December. I this day ordered Mr. Gordon to entertain
1000 more bullocks, making in the whole 5000.
* 4th December. I had a conversation with the vakeel of
Goklah, upon the subject of the disposition of his master,
and of the other Marhatta chiefs on the frontier, in the
present crisis, and reported the result to General Stuart,
in a letter of this date. I desired Butcha Rao to send
for Govind Rao, whom I intend to dispatch into the
Marhatta country to gain intelligence upon the same
points.
1 1 wrote to the Resident at Goa, to desire him to pur-
chase thirty leguers of arrack, which he reported to be in
a ship in Goa roads-
1 I wrote to Colonel Montresor, to desire him to send
the 1st of the 8th out of Wynaad, so that they may be
hereby the 15th*.'
* This Journal was commenced that nothing might be omitted or forgotten
in the various equipments and arrangements required in the projected expedition j
which being completed, the Journal was discontinued.
8 PREPARATIONS FOR 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close, Resident
at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Seringapatam, 1st Jan., 1803.
' Webbe has desired me to write to you upon the subject of
our operations to the northward ; and although it is difficult to
form an opinion on the subject of any military operations,
without knowing precisely their object, I comply with pleasure
with his wishes, and I shall be happy if what I may write will
prove at all serviceable.
' I shall suppose our object to be to march the army to
Poonah, there to re-establish the Peshwah's authority. At this
season of the year, I do not know of any natural obstacle to
impede our progress, excepting the great distance. The
principal obstacle of art is the fort of Darwar, which I con-
clude that the Peshwah will have ordered thekilladar to deliver
up to us. If his Highness should not have given these orders,
or if the killadar should not think it proper, we must make
ourselves masters of that fortress. I am of opinion that it is
to be taken by a coup de main, and I should certainly attempt
it. It may not, however, be thought proper to attack the
place in this manner ; but at all events, I do not conceive
that it will stop the British army more than a few days. It
will also take three or four days to arrange our garrison in
the place, and to remove thither our stores, grain, &c., from
Hullihall in Soondah.
< After Darwar shall be in our possession, I do not know of
any place that will stop the British army for a moment.
' I will suppose that the army shall have arrived upon the
Toombuddra, and that General Stuart will be prepared to
advance from Hurryhur on the 1st of March. I do not think
it possible that he could be there sooner ; he has a very large
and heavy equipment, which he brings from Madras ; he has
Carnatic cattle to move it ; and he meets with the old disap-
pointments in procuring them. He does not quit Madras till
the 15th of this month ; his troops and stores about the 12th ;
he has then four hundred miles to march to Hurryhur, which
will take him more than six weeks.
' After quitting Hurryhur, he will have eight marches to
Darwar, and from thence, twenty two to Poonah, by Pad-
shappoor, Chickoreh, Meritch, and Tazgaom ; and one more,
if he should go by Shahpoor and Belgaum to Meritch. I
1803. THE ADVANCE TO POONA1I. 9
should recommend the latter road, because I believe that it
will be convenient, if not necessary to us, to have possession of
Belgaum ; and that by that road we shall be more certain of
finding water than by the other.
* According to this account, I do not think that you ought
to look out for us at Poonah before the end of April.
' In this estimate of the time which will elapse before we
arrive at Poonah, I have concluded that we shall meet with no
impediments on our progress, occasioned by the efforts of the
enemy ; I am far from thinking, however, that we shall not
meet with such impediments, and if we do, our progress must
be considerably slower than I have supposed that it will be,
and the period of our arrival at Poonah be considerably
delayed.
' I have not yet had any satisfactory communication from
the Putwurdun family of their intentions upon the present
occasion : it appears that they and Rastia's family are leagued
against Goklah, whose troops they are driving from the Kistna
towards the Toombuddra. It is possible, that when they
shall see our army in the field, they may be induced to join
our standard, but at present I very much doubt their in-
tentions. It will not be very practicable to make great pro-
gress through the southern Marhatta territories with such a
heavy equipment as General Stuart has proposed, if the chiefs
of this family and Rastia are united against us.
' At all events, at present, owing to the confusion at Poonah,
and the delay in assembling our troops on the frontier, the
countries on the other side of the Toombuddra are in a sad state
of disorder. The heads of districts and of villages have
seized the supreme authority, and have raised troops and are
carrying on against each other a petty warfare, which will be
as destructive to our supplies and our communications with
Mysore, as it is to the country itself. Unless, therefore, the
Putwurdun, and all the chiefs in this part of the empire, join
cordially with us, and take advantage of our presence to settle
the country, it is very obvious that we shall lose our com-
munication with Mysore on the day we shall quit the Toom-
buddra.
' These circumstances have made me turn my mind seriously
to a project which the great distance between Mysore and
Poonah had induced me before to take into consideration ; viz.,
10 PREPARATIONS FOR 1803.
to establish a depot, by means of the Bombay government,
either at Pan well or Bassein, or some other place on the coast
opposite to the island of Bombay, or Salsette, of not very
difficult access from the ghauts: this post to be occupied by
the Bombay troops, and to be filled with rice, arrack, salt
provisions, and military stores for a field train, if we should
have fought an action. By this arrangement we should carry
on the war at Poonah with an army provided with cattle, &c.,
from the eastern side of the peninsula, and with the resources
of Bombay ; and we should shorten our line of communica-
tion many hundred miles.
* I propose this plan to General Stuart, and if he should
adopt it, I shall write a detail upon the subject to Mr. Duncan.
In the mean time, it will be well if you turn it in your mind,
and if you should agree in opinion with me of its propriety, and
should think it practicable, fix upon a place upon the coast,
which the Peshwah must be requested to give up to us.
' I cannot conclude this letter without letting you know how
amply Mysore has contributed to the supply and equipment
of the army to be assembled on its frontier 5 and how readily
our little friend Purneah has come into all my plans for the
service.
' First. I have raised here 8000 bullocks before they had
got one at Madras; besides the bullocks for the cavalry gram.
* Secondly. At the end of the gram harvest, one month
before the new gram comes in, the cavalry Gram Agent General
is supplied with 7000 loads ; and the cavalry are brought upon
the frontier, with 500 loads each regiment,, where they find
6000 loads to supply their consumption while they remain
there.
' Thirdly. A depot is formed of 7000 loads of rice at
Hurryhur.
' Fourthly. Mysore alone gives 32,000 brinjarry bullocks
loaded, which will meet the General at the back of the Chittle-
droog hills, at the end of this month.
* Fifthly. 60,000 sheep, assembled in different flocks be-
tween Sera and Chittledroog ; and
* Sixthly. A body of silladar horse, amounting to above
5000.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. THE ADVANCE TO POONAH. 11
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Governor of Bombay.
' MY DEAR SIR, ' Seringapatam, 20th Jan., 1803.
' General Stuart will have informed you that, adverting to,
the probability of the march of the army to Poonah, and the
possibility that our communication with Mysore and the seats
of the resources of the army on this side of India might be
precarious, and at all events would be difficult, on account of
its length ; I had proposed to him a plan for the formation of
a depot at Pan well or Bassein, or some other place on the
coast opposite to the islands of Bombay or Salsette, by means
of the government of Bombay. He has been pleased to
approve of this plan, and has desired me to write to you upon
the subject in detail. You may recollect that I before hinted
the subject to you, and I should have written to you upon it
more particularly, before now, if I had seen clearly the object
which General Stuart proposed for the campaign. It is clear
now that our object must be Poonah, and to re-establish the
government of the Peshwah in that city ; and we must pro-
vide for our subsistence while in that neighbourhood, sup-
posing that the object of our enemy should be to cut off our
communication with the source of our supplies, or that, from
its length and difficulty, our subsistence should become
precarious.
f The first point for consideration, is the situation for the
proposed depot. It should be somewhere on the coast, within
reach of water carriage from Bombay, both that the depot
may be formed without difficulty or great expense, and that
it may be in the power of the government of Bombay to pro-
vide for its defence with ease, supposing that the enemy should
have a design to attack it. It should be at no great distance,
and of easy access, from the ghaut leading to Poonah. It
should have two gates at least, if not more, all of easy access to
cattle ; and it should be of such strength as to render it pro-
bable that a small body of troops could keep it till reinforce-
ments could be sent from Bombay. I say nothing of the
buildings which the fort ought to have, in order to hold the
articles which I am about to detail as a list of our probable
wants, for I know that temporary buildings can be constructed
with great celerity every where, particularly when Bombay can
furnish such quantities of materials and workmen.
12 PREPARATIONS FOR 1803.
' From this description of the kind of place wanted, and of
the situation in which it ought to be, you will be the best
judge on what place upon the coast to fix ; and you will of
course communicate your wishes upon that subject to Lieut.
Colonel Close.
' The articles of which we shall be principally in want, are
food for our Europeans, for our native troops and followers,
and for our horses, military stores, medical stores, and money.
' First. For the Europeans we ought to have 10,000 gallons
of arrack, in kegs of six gallons each, well fortified with iron
hoops. It will not be possible for you, I should imagine, to
procure the number of kegs that will be necessary to hold all
this arrack ; but the greater the number you can procure the
better : that part for which kegs cannot be procured, might
be sent in casks of fifty or sixty gallons each, for which
the General might send his carts, if the state of the road would
permit it ; and if not, there will be a proportion of kegs with
the army.
«" For the European troops, 90,000 pounds of salted meat
will be required, also packed in kegs well fortified, 45 pounds
in each keg, besides pickle, &c. ; and the same quantity of
biscuits in round baskets, containing 60 pounds each ; these
baskets to be covered with waxed cloth. Slaughter cattle for
3000 Europeans for one month, would likewise be useful;
but these might remain in a situation in which it would be
probable they might get some food, and would be attended to
till the army should be prepared to send for them.
' Secondly. For the natives, all that we shall require is
600 garces of rice. Each garce contains 4800 pucca seers,
each seer two pounds.
4 It would be desirable that encouragement should be given
to some of the traders at Bombay to have ready for those of
our camp, ghee *, turmerick, doll f , and other bazaar articles :
but in the formation of a depot of this kind, it is impossible
to enumerate these, or for the government to lay them in.
' Salt, however, is an article of necessary consumption, both
to the European and the native troops ; and of this article,
it is desirable that there should be in the dep6t 60 garces.
* Thirdly. We shall want military stores only in case we
* Ghee, a kind of laid made of buffalo's milk,
f Doll, a yellow pea or pulse.
1803. THE ADVANCE TO POONAH. 13
should have fought an action previously to our arrival at
Poonah ; but it would be as well that they should be prepared
for us : the expense of them is not great, and if we do not
want them, they will be available hereafter in the arsenal of
Bombay.
* Enclosed I have the honor to send an account of the
ordnance we shall have with us, for which a quarter equip-
ment ought to be prepared according to the Madras regula-
tions ; or if that book should not be at Bombay, according to
those of the Bombay government.
* Fourthly. In respect to food for our horses, I am afraid
that that which they use is not procurable at Bombay, viz.,
coulthee * ; but if coulthee is procurable, there ought to be 150
garces of that grain in the depot ; if not, an equal quantity of
chenna.
' Fifthly. Medical stores — we ought to have three months'
consumption of these for 3000 Europeans and 15,000 native
troops, particularly bark, Madeira wine, mercurial ointment,
calomel, and not forgetting nitrous acid.
' Sixthly. In respect to money, I conclude that General
Stuart will write to you particularly. I have not the means
of estimating our expenses ; but I think you ought to be pre-
pared to send us sixteen lacs of rupees.
' The next point to which I beg to draw your attention, is
the mode of taking care of this depot, and in which its contents
are to be delivered to those whom General Stuart will send
for them.
' The provision stores for the Europeans will not be very
bulky, and not very difficult to be counted and delivered from
the charge of one person to that of another; it will not be
necessary, therefore, to employ many persons in the charge of
these stores, and they might be under the superintendence of
the person who will have charge of the rice.
' It is not probable that the rice will remain any length of
time in store, and therefore there does not appear any neces-
sity for its being in bags ; particularly as every head of cattle
which will be sent from the army to carry it away, will have
its bags. It is essentially necessary, however, for the sake
of regularity and expedition, that there should be a great
number of conicoplies, measuring men, and servers, attached
* Coulthee, a grain for horses.
14 PREPARATIONS FOR 1803.
to this grain ; and that it should be stored in buildings in dif-
ferent parts of the fort, all of easy access from the gates. One
gentleman should be appointed to superintend this department,
that of the provisions for the Europeans, and that of the grain
for the horses ; for the care, measuring, and delivering of which,
the same measures ought to be taken as for the rice.
' The medical and military stores ought each to be under
charge of an officer of the departments to which they belong,
with the proper number of servants for their care and delivery.
The treasure might remain at Bombay till the General should
call for it.
* It has occurred to me, that you may find some difficulty
in procuring the large quantity of rice for which I have called
as above ; but I have provided for this difficulty, and I wish
I could do so for all the others in which you may be involved
by this call upon your resources. I have written by desire of
General Stuart to the collectors in Canara, and have apprized
them of the possibility of your wanting a large store of rice ;
and I have requested them to stop the exportation from that
province till they should hear from you whether you would
want it or not. If you should want any, they could send
you any quantity that you can require ; if you should not
want it, I beg you to desire your secretary to apprize them of
it, in order that they may take off the embargo which I con-
clude they will lay on in consequence of my request.
* I believe that I have now adverted to all the points which
I had to detail to you ; but if I should not have done so, and
should recollect any thing further, I am sure that you will
excuse my troubling you again upon this subject.
• Jonathan Duncan, Esq. * I have the honor to be, &c.
Governor of Bombay: < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1 I have omitted in this letter to mention draught and carriage
bullocks to you, because General Stuart tells me that ne has
already drawn your attention to this part of our equipments.
I beg leave, however, to call to your recollection the necessity
that every carriage bullock with which you will supply the
army, should have a saddle. I conclude that you will not be
able to procure any cattle for hire at Bombay, as we do in
this part of India ; and that all those with which you will
supply us, will be Company's property, and their drivers in
the Company's service.
1803. THE ADVANCE TO POONAH. 15
* Wheat is not an article for depot in general ; but it is one
very necessary for the consumption of the European officers
and soldiers of the army, and ought not, if possible, to be left
to chance. It would therefore be very desirable that there
should be four or five garces of wheat in the depot.
' It is likewise desirable that the traders at Bombay should
be encouraged to have ready to be purchased by the dealers
of our camp, sheep, or slaughter cattle.1
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close, Resident
at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Seringapatam, 21st Jan., 1803.
' I have just received from Sir William Clarke a copy of
your letter of the 6th, to Mr. Grant, the Secretary of Govern-
ment at Bombay, in which you desire to have from Sir Wil-
liam a particular account of the intentions of Appah Saheb,
and the other chiefs in the Marhatta territories towards the
Toombuddra, in the present crisis of Marhatta affairs. In
my letter of the 1st instant, I alluded to this topic, as the in-
tentions of these chiefs might affect our military operations,
and might retard our progress towards Poonah ; and I stated
some facts regarding the Putwurdun, and Rastia's family,
and Goklah.
' Matters regarding these three chiefs remain nearly as they
were when I then wrote. Goklah is encamped near Savanore,
and he has a detachment at Anee upon the Toombuddra.
Rastia's son has a force near Jellahaul, which drove Goklah
down to his present position from the neighbourhood of the
Kistna.
' I have the most positive assurances that our army will be
joined by Goklah, and I believe them to be sincere ; as his
vakeel, who was here, told me that his master had nothing to
hope from Holkar, as he had taken and given up to Ballojee
Koonger the brother of Holkar, who had been put to death.
His only reliance, therefore, was upon the English, and their
endeavors to restore the power of the Peshwah. I have not
had hitherto any communication with any of the Putwurduns,
excepting a civil letter from Chintomeny Rao, and an answer
from Ball Kischen Bhow, to a letter which I wrote to him and
sent by Govind Rao. I at the same time desired Govind Rao
to discover the intentions of the Putwurduns upon the present
16 PREPARATIONS FOR 1803»
occasion. Ball Kischen Bhow declared that he considered
himself as belonging to the English, and should join our army
himself, and should do every thing in his power to influence
the others to adopt the same line of conduct. But he said he
could not answer for the others of the family ; and he and
Govind Rao are gone together to Hurrypoor upon the Kistna,
where the whole family are encamped, to discover their inten-
tions. I shall hear from Govind Rao in a few days, and I
shall let you know what he will write.
' I have had no communication with Rastia, and do not know
his intentions ; but I am certain that if I were to go to the
frontier with the army, I should have vakeels from him and
all these chiefs.
' The Rajah of Kittoor has a vakeel here now, with a pro-
position to join us with 4000 horse and 7000 infantry, and
a desire to be taken under our protection. I have informed
Lord Clive of the arrival of this vakeel, and have treated him
with attention.
' Futty Sing was encamped with the armies of the Putwur-
dun at Hurrypoor, and the avowed intention of this junction
was to punish the Rajah of Kolapoor. But Futty Sing has
now returned towards Poonah, having been recalled, as it is
said, by Holkar, as Scindiah's army was advancing rapidly
to the southward from Burhampoor.
< I can say nothing positive relating to Appah Saheb's re-
conciliation with the Peshwah ; but I shall hear every thing
from Govind Rao, to whom I have given detailed instructions
to ascertain those points which could lead me to form a judg-
ment of the real intentions and wishes of every chief in that
part of the empire.
' I have not heard any thing of the horse which you say
was sent up the ghauts from Mharr, under the chiefs named
by you, to remain on the road between the Kistna and
Poonah.
< You will hear from Mr. Duncan that General Stuart has
approved of the plan for the depot ; and I wrote yesterday
to Mr. Duncan in detail upon the subject of the General's
desire.
* Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WKLLESLEY.
1803. THE ADVANCE TO POONAH. 17
Memorandum in answer to Captain Moor's Paper, enclosed in a
Letter from Lieut. Colonel Close,
1 14th February, 1803,
* 1. I see no material objection to the formation of the depot
at Bombay, and to the delivery of its contents to the army
from boats, provided the gentlemen at Bombay are of opinion
that the navigation to Pan well is practicable during the mon-
soon. If it should not be so, the troops may never enjoy the
advantage of the depot, unless it should be placed in security
on the coast before the monsoon sets in.
' 2. I concur in Captain Moor's proposal in regard to the
packages, particularly if the contents of the depot are to be
brought to the coast in boats and delivered as wanted. But
the rice and the grain ought to be packed in packages, each
of three mercals, and each mercal twelve pucca seers, each
seer two pounds.
6 3. The suggestion in the 10th paragraph must of course
be attended to.
4 4. Boats must of course be established on the two rivers
noticed in paragraphs 23 and 24. There will be no difficulty
in crossing the cattle.
* 5. The rivers in the southern part of the peninsula, VIE.,
the Malpoorba, the Werdah, the Toombuddra, the Cauvery,
and the Cubbany, do not fill till between the 15th and 20th of
June. I write this from the experience of four years. The rains
set in to the southward before they begin to the northward ;
it is therefore to be supposed that the rivers which rise in the
hills to the southward will fill first. I mention this in order
that the exact time at which these rivers may be expected to
fill may be investigated ; as to procure boats to pass them is
an object of much importance, and one which will take much
time.
' 6. Skins to cover the boats, which must be of the basket
kind, might be prepared at Bombay.
( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close, Resident
at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
' Camp at Hooly Honore,
« MY DEAR COLONEL, 22nd Feb. 1803.
4 I enclose a letter from Govind Rao, and another from Ball
IQ PREPARATIONS FOR 1803.
Kischen Bhow, by which you will perceive that the dispositions
of the chiefs of the Putwurdun family are favorable to the
Peshwah. They are all encamped on the Kistna. I shall send
you Govind Rao's detail as soon as I receive it.
' I might arrive at Hurryhur on the 25th, and I am finely
equipped for the service in every respect. I make long
marches with the greatest facility, and my cattle are all fresh.
I wish I could say as much for General Stuart ; but he is
badly off indeed. He has lost a number of cattle, and those
which remain are in a very bad state.
• We are to halt in three divisions ; General Stuart at
Mayaconda, General Campbell at Harponelly, and myself at
Hoonelly, till further orders are received. General Stuart's
cattle will recruit a little there, but not much ; and I see no
remedy but that which I have recommended to him, viz., to
diminish his monstrous equipment, and to leave behind every
thing not absolutely necessary. I shall see him at Mayaconda
on the 26th, and will try to persuade him to adopt this
measure.
' I have not heard where Gungurdhur is, but Bappojee
Sciudiah will certainly refuse to give him up Darwar till he sees
our army approach it. The threat to use six baums of rope
may then be useful. But at all events I think we can take it
by a coup de main.
' Believe me, &c.
• Lieut. Colonel Close: 6 ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp at Hoonelly, 2nd March, 1803.
4 I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 1st.
The cavalry of this division will march to-morrow morning for
Soolekairy. I delayed ordering their march till I should arrive
here, purposely that 1 might make arrangements for supply-
ing them while at that place. They have all got good ba-
zaars, and will take from hence as much rice as their bazaar
people can carry ; and I shall do my utmost to keep them
supplied hereafter. I wrote yesterday to Colonel Dallas, on
this subject, and recommended that in case the bullocks
attached to the bazaar of this camp could not supply his
1803. THE ADVANCE TO POONAH. 19
wants regularly, on account of the greater distance, he should
apply to you, through Lieutenant Blacker, for some of the
brinjarry rice. If you should consent to grant him any, their
bags may be filled again in the same manner as those emptied
in your camp. I have, however, hopes that I shall be able to
supply his wants without coming upon the brinjarries, or any
public store ; the only doubt I have of it is the distance he is
from me.
6 Mr. Gordon's bullocks that are in this camp are very
well supplied with drivers, indeed better than any that I have
yet seen. It is not improbable but that some of the drivers of
those sent to you may be at Hurryhur with the owners and
maistries, who are there settling their accounts. As soon as I
ordered these bullocks to your camp, I sent Mr. Gordon's
servant from hence to settle their accounts, in order that they
might be delivered over in every respect clear to Major Symons.
I dare say they will be found not deficient in drivers, and I
know that they left Seringapatam complete.
' The bullocks which left Seringapatam on the 18th of
February, are marching to join you by the road of Serra and
Chittledroog, and not by the lower road, as I imagined. They
are in charge of a guard of the 1st of the 2nd, and may be
expected every day.
f I had a conversation with the Dewan yesterday respecting
draft cattle ; he promises to supply 400 for sale. They will
be all trained cattle, and fit for immediate work. I shall
report upon them from time to time as they arrive.
' I also mentioned to the Dewan your wishes respecting the
pay of the shepherds, to which he has readily consented ; viz.,
that they are to have the country pay, 1£ pagodas, while
within the Rajah's territories, and two pagodas when they
shall pass the frontiers.
' I settled with him that his servants were to take charge, for
the Company, of 40,000 sheep, as many within, and as many
beyond, the frontier as you might think proper ; that shep-
herds were to be entertained and kept up for this number ;
that he has also to keep up that stock of sheep, and if at any
time there should be a few more, the same number of shep-
herds should take care of them.
' By this arrangement much of the expense will be saved,
you will always have a stock of sheep at your command, and a
c 2
20 PREPARATIONS FOR 1803.
difficulty will be avoided in settling a detailed account of
shepherds' wages according to the number of sheep in the
charge of the Rajah's officers, which must vary daily. Besides,
it would be hard to discharge a number of shepherds at a dis-
tance from the frontier when the sheep would be consumed ;
and equally so to throw the expense of maintaining them upon
the Rajah. By this mode his officers in camp, in charge of
the sheep concern, will take care to send the shepherds back to
the depot flock in Mysore, in proportion as the flocks in camp
shall be delivered over to the commissary.
' I beg to know from you whether you approve of this
arrangement ? I believe it would be proper that I should leave
to Colonel Dallas the order of the casting committees on the
cavalry horses; or if you wish that I should still order these
committees, and give them instructions according to the
General Orders of the 28th of February, I shall do so, and
shall go over to see the horses which the committee may cast.
' Upon a reference to Major Munro's last letter to Captain
Barclay, I find that he has not received your orders, not to
forward on to the frontier of Mysore the depot formed at
Bellary, and he is still paying Wurdy bullocks for this pur-
pose. The Wurdy bullocks will be useful to you empty,
and under present arrangements the depot at Bellary will be
more useful there than it can be elsewhere.
4 It would be well if a hircarrah camel were dispatched
from your camp to Bellary, with a letter to Mr. Cochrane,
(Major Munro is gone to Adoni) to desire that he would send
you the Wurdy bullocks without loads, without loss of time,
consigned to Major Symons.
' I enclose a memorandum upon the subject of the salary of
the superintendent of supplies and his establishments, by
which you will observe that Major Macleod's salary was 300
pagodas, and not 500, as I imagined ; and that Captain Bar-
clay had, when he was acting in that capacity under me, 100
pagodas, the scale which you fixed as that to be paid to Lieu-
tenant Blacker.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. THE ADVANCE TO PUONAII.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart.
* SIR, * Camp at Hoonelly, 3rd March, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 2nd
instant. The failure of the Seringapatam cattle is very extra-
ordinary indeed. They are not hired under any particular
bargain, and there is nothing to prevent the rejection of those
deemed unserviceable. I find that some of the drivers were at
Hurryhur settling their accounts, which is probably one cause
of a deficiency of these people found at muster. The cattle
were very fine and complete in drivers when they left Serin-
gapatam.
* Besides the cattle in your camp, 973, including spare, are
gone to Chittledroog, to take thither the loads of stores left
in that garrison.
' I now enclose a state of our wheel carriages, and the draft
cattle required for them. The number of spare is 180, and
they will go off to your camp to-morrow morning. This
number will soon be increased by the emptying the treasure
tumbrils, and by transferring to the horses the cavalry guns
and tumbrils.
' But till these measures are effected it would answer no
purpose to send away more bullocks, and would render it
necessary to leave carriages behind, if you should order me
suddenly to march.
* I also expect some deliveries of cattle immediately from
Purneah ; 136 carriage bullocks will also go to your camp to-
morrow morning; these are above the number required for this
camp, and will make the total number delivered to Major
Symons stand as follows; mustered by Major Symons 1928;
sent to Chittledroog for the stores 973 ; and from this camp
136— total 3037.
6 Mr. Gordon's man tells me that the owners will replace
the bullocks which Major Symons has rejected. I sent some
rice to Colonel Dallas's camp this morning, and I shall send
some more to-morrow.
* Upon looking over the memorandum 1 sent you this
morning, I find that the paper No. 1 is erroneous, as it in-
cludes four tumbrils, with fixed ammunition for iron twelve-
pounders, to be transferred from the grand army to this camp,
whereas these tumbrils are now here.
22 PREPARATIONS FOR 1803.
« I enclose another paper No. 1, corrected ; and I shall be
obliged to you, if you will destroy that which I sent this
morning.
( I have the honor to be, &c.
• Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wdlesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
i gIR^ * Camp at Hoonelly, 3rd March, 1803.
' I have the honor to enclose a memorandum and certain
other papers, upon the subject on which you have desired my
sentiments, of which I hope you will approve.
' It may appear extraordinary that it should be necessary
that this detachment should be so much stronger than that
which is advancing from Hyderabad : but it must be recol-
lected, first, that the latter will not advance beyond the
Nizam's frontier, till the former shall be at hand to join it ;
and that the supposed enemy will be much disinclined to pass
that frontier to attack it. Secondly, that this detachment
must be not only of sufficient strength to defend itself, but
also to give confidence to, and keep together the Peshwah's
party in the state.
4 It is not so strong in the essential points, cavalry and
European infantry, as that which I commanded in the country
heretofore; but I think it is respectable, and I know it
is so well equipped, that it will answer all the objects in
view.
' If you should take the command of it yourself, I hope
you will do me the favor to allow me to accompany you in
any capacity whatever. All that is known of that country
and its inhabitants, in a military point of view, was learned
when I was in it, and I shall do every thing in my power to
make myself useful to you. If you should not think proper
to take the command of this detachment yourself, and in con-
sideration of the information which I have had opportunities
of gaining of that country and its inhabitants, and the com-
munications which I have constantly held with its chiefs, you
should be pleased to intrust it to me, I shall be infinitely
gratified, and shall do every thing in my power to forward
your views.
1803. THE ADVANCE TO I'OONAII. 23
' Although I have in this letter adverted to the command of
the detachment to be sent forward, I am by no means de-
sirous to press you to make known your sentiments upon it till
the proper time.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Memorandum submitted by Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to
Lieut. General Stuart, Commander in Chief.
' It appears now to be intended that a detachment from the
army upon the frontier shall enter the Marhatta territory, and
that the main body shall remain within the territories of the
Company.
' Upon this subject several questions are to be considered,
upon which I shall enter into detail.
' The first of these is the number and description of the
troops and equipments that would be required to form a
detachment which could with safety be trusted within the
Marhatta frontier, until a junction should be formed with the
detachment from Hyderabad.
' Secondly, the quantity of provisions which this detach-
ment ought to have with it.
' Thirdly, the mode according to which this detachment is
to subsist in the Marhatta territories.
' Fourthly, the. situation in which it would be most conve-
nient for the main body of the army to be placed, with a view
to the subsistence of the advanced detachment, and giving it
support and countenance, and to the general defence of the
frontier.
4 Fifthly, the manner in which the main body of the army is
to be fed in this position.
' 1st. It is my opinion that a detachment, consisting of either
the 25th dragoons and the 1st and 4th regiments of cavalry,
or the 19th dragoons and the 2nd, 5th, and 7th regiments
of cavalry, with the five companies of the 33rd regiment,
another regiment of European infantry, (the 73rd would
answer best, as that corps has been in that country before,)
150 artillery, six battalions of native infantry, one corps of
pioneers, four iron 12 pounders, two brass 12 pounders, six-
teen 6 pounders for the line, and as many guns drawn by
24 PRKPARATIONS FOR 1803.
horses as could be fitted out, would be, with the Rajah's and
Marhatta horse, such a detachment as could be sent with
safety into the Marhatta territory. The Seringapatam equip-
ment, having ten lacs of musket ammunition, would be suffi-
cient for this detachment.
' 2ndly. It ought to carry with it two months' arrack at
full allowance ; and provisions for 1500 European troops, and
2000 loads of rice in the grain department.
* 3rdly. The Mysore brinjarries, amounting at present to
26,000, ought to be sent with it, all full. What will remain
of the depot collected at Hurry hur, as well as that at Hulli-
hall, ought to be allotted to it, as well as all the resources
which the Mysore country can afford. Besides these, the
bullocks attached to the Mysore bazaar will be able to supply
the camp with the resources of the country in which the de-
tachment may be situated.
4 4thly. With a view that this advanced detachment may
have the full advantage of the resources of provisions above
stated, it would be necessary that the army should move out
of Mysore, as soon as the arrangements for the advance of the
detachment shall be made.
' Under present circumstances, the best defensive position
which the army could take would be in the Ceded districts on
the Toombuddra, in advance of Bellary, and probably of
Anagoondy, with Purneah's army in Mysore, on the Toom-
buddra, near Hoonelly.
4 They would then be able to move forward to the support
of the advanced detachment ; they would protect the Ceded
districts, if the enemy should attempt to penetrate into those
countries, or by a movement to their left, Mysore, if he should
attempt to penetrate into that country.
* 5thly. The army might be fed in this position : first,
by the 22,000 brinjarries belonging to the Ceded districts;
secondly, by 14,000 brinjarries belonging to the Baramahl,
and which are now on their march to join the army ; thirdly,
by the depot formed at Bellary, which can be increased
to any extent that may be thought proper ; and fourthly, by
the resources of the Ceded districts. The 5000 loads of rice
also, brought up in the grain department from the Carnatic,
are not disposed of in this memorandum, and would be appli-
cable to the subsistence of the main bodv.
1803. THE ADVANCE TO POONAH. 25
e The annexed papers will show the detail of every thing
excepting money, medicines, and gram, that will be required
by the advanced detachment of the strength supposed. I
have no means of calculating the two former, and the quan-
tity of the latter to be sent must depend upon the number
of horses of which the detachment of cavalry will be com-
posed.
c ARTHUR WELLESLEY.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellealey to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Hoonelly, 4th March, 1803.
f I had the honor of receiving yesterday your first letter
of the 3rd, and I have stopped here this day in order to see
the vakeels, to write letters to the sirdars upon the frontier,
and to make various arrangements preparatory to the march of
the troops. I shall go to Hurryhur to-morrow morning, and
shall join you at Kurdewarrah on the 6th. This division will
march from hence on the 6th, and will be at Hurryhur' on
the 7th.
6 I have given orders that the brinjarries may be collected.
They will be in good time. Major Robertson will give his
own directions to Kischen Rao, who is in your camp, regard-
ing the sheep ; but I have sent to Purneah on the subject.
' I am entirely at a loss whom to recommend for the offices
mentioned in your second letter of the 3rd ; as all the officers
who have been employed with me heretofore have been
selected by you for situations of importance in the army. It
occurs to me, however, that as the business of all the depart-
ments of the army will, under present arrangements, be much
less than was expected when the appointments were made, the
business both of the army and of the advanced detachment
might be done by the same officers, only by a different ar-
rangement of it. Major Robertson might superintend the
business of Major Sympns' bullock department in the army,
and Major Symons might superintend Major Robertson's
grain and provision department, and Mr. Darval's pay depart-
ment with the advanced detachment ; or vice versa, Major
Robertson might take charge in the advanced detachment of
Major Symons'' and Mr. Darval's departments, and Myjor
Symons of his in the army.
26 PREPARATIONS FOR 1803.
* I should, however, prefer to have Major Symons with the
advanced detachment, because he could give me a little assist-
ance in the language, of which I stand much in need, my Per-
sian interpreter being at Seringapatam, doing his duty at that
place.
* In case you should adopt this proposal, it would be neces-
sary that the gentlemen at the heads of departments should
send with the advanced detachment,, or leave with the army,
as the case may be, proper servants to carry on their respec-
tive duties.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
• Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. JVellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Hoonelly, 4lh March, 1803.
' You will have learned from Lord Clive's instructions to
General Stuart, of the 27th of February, that every thing
ends, at last, in my going forward with a detachment ; and that
the main body of the army is to remain on the frontier with a
view to its defence, or to giving support to the advanced divi-
sion, if it should be necessary.
' The army joins, consequently, at Hurryhur, on the 7th,
and I shall move forward as soon afterwards as circumstances
will permit ; but as I sent to General Stuart, yesterday, de-
tailed arrangements for detaching a body of about the strength
stated in Lord Clive's instructions, I imagine that all the pre-
parations for my march will be in readiness in a very few
hours after the army will join. I leave this to-morrow for
General Stuart's camp, to forward them, and you may depend
upon my not losing one moment of time.
1 I enclose my last letters from Govind Rao, from which you
will perceive the state of the opinions and intentions of the
jaghiredars upon the frontier. Besides this, Goklah's vakeel in
my camp still assures me of the determination of his master to
adhere to the cause of the Peshwah and to join me.
6 1 have desired Govind Rao to urge Ball Kischen Gun-
gurdhur to come and meet me ; and if Darwar is not to be
got by force, I shall, at least, try what I can do by fair means
and threats.
1803. THE ADVANCE TO POONAH. 27
' I return you a copy of Captain Moor's memorandum,
with a memorandum in answer thereto. I like the depot at
Bombay well, particularly as I find from General Stuart that
the harbour at Bombay is, at all seasons, practicable for boats.
' I shall keep you informed of every thing that occurs.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close, Resident
at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
* Camp upon the Toombuddra,
* MY DEAR COLONEL, opposite Anee, 8th March, 1803.
* In my last letter I told you that I should not be very long
arranging the detachment to proceed under my command
towards Poonah. Accordingly I moved into camp yesterday,
and am this day six miles in advance of it, and I shall pro-
ceed on my march to-morrow. I have with me the 19th Light
Dragoons, 4th, 5th, and 7th regiments of cavalry, under Co-
lonel Dallas; the 74th and Scotch brigade, and six complete
battalions of native infantry ; four iron 12 pounders, two brass
12 pounders, sixteen 6 pounders, four galloper 6 pounders,
besides the guns attached to the cavalry. I cannot cross the
river till I shall be opposite Havanoor, because there is no
water between Rany Bednore and Havey.
1 Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close." t ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
6 SIR, ' Camp at Gubgurry, 9th March, 1803.
4 Every thing allotted to this detachment arrived in camp
yesterday evening, excepting the medicines, which I knew
from Mr. Anderson were not to be sent from the army till this
morning, and I marched to this place this day. I expect the
medicines this evening, and I propose to commence my march
to-morrow morning. All the brinjarries have not yet joined
me ; indeed, some that engaged in the service, I believe, will
not come at all. I have desired Captain Baynes to march on
the 12th, with a certain number that will be collected at
Hurryhur before that day; and I have requested Mr, Piele
28 ADVANCE TO PUONAH. 1803.
to arrange that a party of the Rajah's horse shall wait for
others expected at Hurryhur on the 15th or 16th. By taking
care to keep the bags filled of those I have with me, by giving
them orders upon Hurry hur as long as I am in this neigh-
bourhood, and upon Hullihall when I get more forward, I
have little doubt but that I shall have plenty. It is neces-
sary, however, that Lieutenant Blacker should give directions
that none of the brinjarries allotted to this detachment should
be allowed to remain with the army ; and that all the persons
attached to my bazaar may be sent after me with Captain
Baynes.
' I send with this, for Hullihall, to be forwarded by the
tappal, a letter which contains orders regarding the prepara-
tions to be made for issuing the supplies at that place, so that
the cattle, &c., may not be delayed there.
« I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Lieut. General Stuart: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp at Oollull, 10th March, 1803.
' I have received a letter from the minister of the Rajah of
Kolapoor, in which he asks me by what route it is proposed
that the troops shall march, as it is his master's intention to
join with his troops. The Rajah of Kolapoor is attached to
Scindiah.
' I have desired Colonel Carlisle to send the galloper 12
pounders and their harness to your camp ; also all the bullocks
which Mr. Gordon may have hired at Seringapatam. I do
not want any ; and if I did, those behind me now would not
be able to catch me.
' I have ordered a company under an European officer from
the garrison of Nuggur to Hooly Honore, on the Toom-
buddra, to relieve the escorts from the garrison of Seringa-
patam, and to have a look out for all that is coming from
thence, and to correspond with Colonel Carlisle and the gen-
tlemen in your camp. You will find them useful in this
position.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. ADVANCE TO POOS AH. 29
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to the Adjutant General.
< SIR, ' Camp at Oollull, 10th March, 1803.
' I have the honor to enclose a letter which I have received
from Lieut. Colonel Whitelocke, commanding at Chittledroog,
and I beg leave to recommend that Lieutenant Moore may be
appointed to act as Fort Adjutant at Chittledroog, during the
absence of Lieutenant Carfrae.
* I likewise enclose the proceedings of a committee, which
has examined the lot of remount horses brought to camp by
Lieutenant Monteith, one of which has been taken by Cornet
Atkins, in consequence of the permission of the Commander in
Chief. I have directed that the other horses may be divided
equally between the 5th and 7th regiments of cavalry.
f I likewise enclose an order issued by me regarding certain
horses which I had purchased in consequence of orders from
the Commander in Chief, and had placed, with his approba-
tion, in the 2nd regiment of cavalry. I now request the con-
firmation of the enclosed order.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
« The Adjutant General: f ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, * Camp at Oollull, llth March, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 10th.
The tumbrils will leave this camp to-morrow morning, but I
cannot yet say in what numbers, as the Paymaster's people
have not yet completed their payments, and I do not know
what sum in silver will remain to be carried in them. None
of them are very good, and two of them are quite unservice-
able. Indeed all the tumbrils are old and very bad. They
have been in every campaign in the Mysore country since the
year 1798, and 1 sent the greater number of them into Chit-
tledroog in an unserviceable state, in the year 1800.
' Goklah's letter was only complimentary, and to request
that I would protect his country. He also informs me that
he is sending to me a man, whom I know to be his uncle. I
have besides received, through Govind Rao, letters from
Appah Saheb and other sirdars, and one from the killadar of
30 ADVANCE TO POOXAH. 1803.
Darwar. This man said to Govind Rao that he was the Pesh-
wah's servant, and was willing to obey all orders that he should
receive from him. I learn, however, from a man at Darwar,
that the killadar is much afraid that we shall attack his place ;
but I have desired this man to give him assurances that we
were the enemies of nobody ; and that if he remained quiet,
offered us no interruption, and allowed us to enjoy the re-
sources of the country, he should not be molested ; and that
we were advancing at the call of the Peshwah, whose orders
must be obeyed.
f The route which I sent you yesterday did not contain the
marches which must be made to join Colonel Stevenson The
reason is, that, from the want of sufficient information, I have
not yet determined by what route they shall be. I am, how-
ever, making inquiries upon the subject, and I hope in a few
days to be able to give you a decided answer upon it. I am
obliged to conduct these inquiries with caution, lest in appear-
ing too anxious to form this junction, they should suspect
that I think myself weak ; and that the junction is absolutely
necessary for the safety of both detachments.
' The want of water in the country will oblige both detach-
ments to keep upon the rivers as much as possible ; and I
rather believe that I must proceed by the way of Beejapoor
to the Beemah, and march up that river ; and that Colonel
Stevenson should advance and join me upon it. By that
mode the Nizam's frontier will not be uncovered for a
moment.
' Mr. Darval has equipped us but badly with servants; but
that is his own affair ; he will be the loser if the accounts are
not regularly kept. I take care of the money, which is the
principal point, and have it always in front of my tent, under
an officer's guard.
'I write to Major Robertson also, respecting some shep-
herds, whom I request he will send with Captain Baynes to-
morrow.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
• Lieut. General Stuart.' ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAH. 31
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp at Richter, 12th March, 1803.
4 I crossed the Toombuddra into the Marhatta territory at
Havanoor this morning, and marched to this place, which is
upon the Werdah. The inhabitants are all in their villages,
and have promised to supply the camp with every thing that
the country can afford.
' I sent off four tumbrils to your camp this morning, some
of them containing the treasure which remains after paying the
troops in this camp, out of the lac of pagodas sent here for that
purpose. I cannot say exactly what the sum is, as I could not
procure any account of it from Mr. Darval's servant. Besides
this sum, there are 30,070 £ rupees belonging to the money
allotted to this detachment in Mr. Piele's tumbril. It is part
of the 80,000 pagodas sent by Mr. Ravenshaw. These rupees
were put in Mr. Piele's tumbril for the convenience of carnage,
and were forgotten by Mr Darval's servants. I have, how-
ever, retained 30, 070^ rupees of the surplus money ; so that
I have in camp three lacs of pagodas clear, and I have written
to Mr. Piele to request that he will pay Mr. Darval the
money which he has in his tumbril.
« The money tumbrils are all in a very bad state; indeed
I am surprised that even one of them has come on so far as it
has ; and I think it very probable that, although empty, it
will not get back to your camp. There are forty eight of the
Company's draught bullocks drawing these tumbrils. Those
in the cavalry guns cannot be sent yet ; as, owing to some mis-
take between the gentlemen of the cavalry and Captain Mac-
kay, the bandy with the harness was left behind in the cavalry
lines at Gubgurry ; but I hope it will join this day, and if it
does, these bullocks will also be sent to you to-morrow.
' We had some deserting last night, both of sepoys and
followers; many of the bazaar people, and others attached to
this bazaar with bullocks, have joined the army. However, we
are well supplied, and by means of the stores at Hurryhur and
Hullihall, I think we shall quit the Malpoorba with every
bag full.
6 I have the honor to be, &c.
'Lieut. General Stuart.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
32 ADVANCK TO POONAH. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
( SIR, ' Camp at Karisgy, 13th March, 1803.
' The bandy, with the harness, arrived in camp yesterday,
after I wrote to you ; and to-morrow I shall send you the bul-
locks which have been employed in drawing the cavalry guns.
I heard yesterday evening that one of the empty treasure
tumbrils had broken down near Oollull ; at which indeed I am
not astonished, as it has been in a very bad state ever since it
came from the army.
1 I find that the brinjarries like the mode of filling the bags
at the stores so well, and are so active in carrying it into execu-
tion, that I think it probable that 1 shall be able to advance
from the Malpoorba with every bag full. In that case it will
be necessary that I should have 500 bullocks more to carry on
the salt beef, and 400 kegs of arrack in store at Hullihall,
and sent from Bombay. I have accordingly arranged with the
bullock owners in this camp to raise that number, which they
say they can procure with great ease. I write to your Secre-
tary on this subject.
' I have a letter from Seringapatam, by which I learn that
four carriages, for 6 pounders, with brass naves, are preparing
at that place ; would you wish that they should be sent to
your camp?
' I enclose a paper of intelligence received from Sir W.
Clarke. Ram Rao, who resides at Darwar, wrote on the 4th,
that Bappojee Scindiah was in Darwar with his troops, and
much afraid of being attacked, and he did not allude in the
most distant manner to this agent of Holkar, nor have I
received an account of him from any body else. It is very
improbable that Bappojee Scindiah will give up his fort to
a Bramin sent to take it without troops. If his disposition
be thus friendly to Holkar, he would probably be the fittest
person for Holkar to leave in the charge of the fort, and it
would not be necessary to send any other to take it.
' Therefore I do not believe that this intelligence of Sir W.
Clarke is true. But if it should be true, it is a matter of some
consequence. The question, in that case, will be, whether we
ought not to send for Ball Kischen Gungurdhur, and call
upon the present possessors of the fort to give it up to him, as
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAH. 33
the killadar appointed by the Peshwah. With such a force
as I have, and with all the people of the country on our side, I
do not think that they would refuse it ; or if they did, it is, in
fact, not a strong place, or one to reduce which would take
much time. I should be glad to be favored with your direc-
tions upon this subject.
1 1 have proceeded hitherto, in regard to Darwar, in this
manner : I wrote to Ram Rao, and desired him to calm the
apprehensions of Bappojee Scindiah ; to assure him that I was
not ordered to attack him, or any body, that did not molest
the British troops; that the English were the allies of the
Peshwah, and that all we required from the country was, to
be treated as friends by his officers and servants, and to enjoy
our share of its resources which were necessary to us. I, at
the same time, gave him a hint that the Peshwah's orders,
whatever they were, must be obeyed ; and I did this, lest,
notwithstanding the late orders of the Governor of Fort St.
George, and your present intention that Bappojee Scindiah
should not be attacked, the Peshwah should press the taking
possession of the fort for Ball Kischen Gungurdhur, and that
it should consequently be necessary to attack it with British
troops.
* As I do not credit this intelligence of Sir W. Clarke's, I
shall still proceed upon the same principle in all my commu-
nications with Bappojee Scindiah ; and as he is a clever fellow,
it is not improbable but that, if not already in the hands of
Holkar, we may make him our friend ; and the fort may be as
useful to us in his hands, as if it were in our own.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart.' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Deogerry, 14th March, 1803.
' I arrived here this morning, and I propose to continue my
marches forward on the day after to-morrow. You wiil pro-
bably have received from General Stuart a copy of my in-
structions, in which I am urgently desired to take the earliest
opportunity of effecting a junction with you. You will ob-
serve, however, that other objects are also held out to my
attention ; the collection of, and junction with, the southern
jaghiredars, and the junction with the Peshwah, should his
VOL. III. I)
34 ADVANCE TO POONAII. 1803.
Highness come to Meritch. At present, I think that none of
these objects are incompatible. I can collect and join myself
with the southern jaghiredars on my road towards you ; and if
his Highness should come from Bassein, and join his army
upon the Kistna, I can also join myself to him. The only
inconveniences attending these different objects are, that they
will take time, and that I cannot fix that at which I shall be
in your neighbourhood. However, every thing cannot go on
as we could wish.
' I shall make you acquainted in this letter with my inten-
tions, as far as I can determine them ; and you must make
your own calculations where I cannot. I intend to march to
Meritch on the Kistna, by the route of Darwar, Belgaum, and
Chickoreh. I shall be at Darwar on the 22nd, at Belgaum on
the 27th, at Chickoreh on the 1st of April, and at Meritch on
the 5th. All this, however, will depend much upon my being
able to find water on the road, of which I have not very
favorable accounts. If 1 should be able to go by the pro-
posed road, and should not be obliged to deviate from it, to
find water, I shall certainly make the marches above stated.
How long I shall be obliged to remain at Meritch, God knows ;
but my route to join you ought to be by Punderpoor. I do
not know yet whether there is a road direct from Meritch to
Punderpoor, or the nature of it; but I imagine there must be
one. At all events, there is the circuitous road by Beejapoor,
mentioned in Moore's book, on which I shall certainly be able
to march.
' When once I arrive upon the Beemah our junction will
not be very difficult.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson." 'ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
* SIR, 'Camp at Deogerry, 15th March, 1803.
* I arrived here yesterday, and halted this day, to give some
rest to my brinjarries, who have joined, with Captain Baynes.
Ball Kischen Letchma, one of the Putwurdun family, arrived
in this camp yesterday evening, and gives the strongest assu-
rances of the cordial co operation of all the sirdars of that
1803. ADVANCK TO POONAH. 35
family, in our measures for the restoration of the Peshwah's
government.
' Govind Rao also, who was employed by me, by your
desire, for the purpose of ascertaining the dispositions of the
different chiefs in the same cause, gives a most favorable
account of them. He had seen the killadar of Darwar, Bap-
pojee Scindiah, who told him that it was reported that the
British troops were to attack the fort ; that it was not neces-
sary to attack it, for if we wanted it, he would withdraw with
his family, and would give it up. The garrison is very small,
consisting of about 500 horse and 1000 peons, ill paid ; and
Govind Rao has no doubt whatever but that the fort would
be given up upon our demand of it. I have sent off the let-
ters to the different sirdars, and have written to each to inform
them of my approach, and to desire they would join me.
( Upon a perusal of the letters respecting the killadary of
Darwar, I do not find that any mention is made, in the copy
which I have got, of the delivery of the fort to the officer
commanding the British troops. It may be mentioned, how-
ever, in the sealed letter to Ball Kischen Gungurdhur. Un-
der these circumstances, I have many doubts whether it would
be proper to take any steps to get possession of this fort, even
if the measure had been left to my discretion ; which as you
have desired to have my opinion upon all points, I shall detail
to you.
* The advantage of having this fort is the security it would
give to our rear, and the hold which it would give us of the
country. In case of an accident also, it might be ruinous
to us if in the hands of an enemy. In respect, however,
to these advantages and benefits, I have to observe, that so
long as your army remains upon the frontier, we shall enjoy
them whether we have the fort or not, supposing that the
killadar should not be decidedly hostile to us ; and if he
should be so, or should become so, and if any accident should
happen to us, it would always be in your power to get pos-
session of that fort.
On the other hand, it may not be so certain that Bappojee
Scindiah is inclined or willing to give up this fort ; and if it is
asked for and refused, it must be taken. To take it will not
require time, but it may occasion the loss of lives ; there will
be some wounded, at all events, and it would be necessary to
36 ADVANCE TO POONAIl. 1803
halt to make arrangements for establishing an hospital, and a
garrison in it. At the same time, I have no doubt whatever
but that to take the fort, particularly if the killadar is friendly
to us, and gives promises and security that he will not inter-
rupt our communication, will occasion great jealousy of our
views among the jaghiredars, and will make them less hearty
in our cause.
* This will be the case, particularly if be true that the Pesh-
wah has not given an order to Ball Kischen Gungurdhur to
deliver the fort to the British commander ; which order cer-
tainly does not appear in the copy of the letter to that chief
transmitted to me.
' Upon the whole, therefore, I think that to ask for the fort
is attended with risk ; that even to have possession of it may
be disadvantageous to the line of measures which are carrying
on ; and that all the advantages which can be expected from
the possession of it will be ours, whether we have it or not, in
consequence of your position on the frontier.
* A salute in your camp was heard here this morning, by
which I conclude that Malcolm is arrived ; I do not therefore
delay to send off this letter.
' Believe me, &c.
4 Lieut. General Stuart: 'ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
'Mv DEAR COLONEL, 'Camp at Kandegy, 16th March, 1803.
' I have the pleasure to inform you that I am getting on as
well as I could wish. On account of the want of water on
the direct road from Hurryhur to Savanore, I have been
obliged to come by a circuitous route, which has detained me
longer than I should have been otherwise; but I expect to be
at or near Darwar on the 21st or 22nd, at Belgaum on the
' o
27th, and at Meritch on the 5th of April. From thence,
even if obliged to go by Punderpoor, to join Colonel Steven-
son, I shall be at Poonah before the time at which I told you
in my letter of the 1st January, that I thought it probable
that General Stuart would arrive there with his army.
' My cattle are in good order ; I get plenty of forage, and
I have little doubt of bringing up my detachment in good
1803. ADVANCE TO POOXAII. 37
style, at least as far as the Kistna. Our cattle afterwards will
depend upon the state of the country for forage, of which,
particularly in the neighbourhood of Poonah, I have but bad
accounts.
* I have sent the Peshwah's letters to the sirdars to whom
they were addressed, with a short letter from myself, stating
that I had entered the country with the army, and was anxious
to be joined by them. I also enclosed them a copy of my
proclamation on entering the country. To these letters suffi-
cient time has not yet elapsed for me to receive answers ; but
by the accounts which I have received from Govind Rao, of
the disposition of all the chiefs in this part of the empire ; and
from the letters which I have from Goklah, the Putwurdun,
and others of inferior note, I have little doubt that all will
come forward in the Pesh wall's service in this crisis. You
shall hear from me as soon as I receive any answers to my
letters. The people of the country have received me well ;
my communication is perfectly free and secure, and the camp
is supplied with all that the country affords. I believe that
my passport is the only safe conduct through the country at
the present moment. I enclose a copy of my proclamation, also
a copy of a memorandum from Appah Saheb, and one from
Goklah, with my answers. You will have observed in my
instructions, that General Stuart has desired me not to at-
tempt to take Darwar. I think that place of great import-
ance in a military point of view ; but as this expedition of
mine partakes as much of politics as of military operations,
I am of opinion that it is best I should not meddle with Dar-
war ; particularly as in case of accident, or if the killadar
should misbehave, or attempt to use the means given him by
the position of his fort, to annoy my communication with My-
sore, General Stuart will be at hand to take his fort from him.
I observe that the copy of the letter from the Peshwah to Ball
Kischen Gungurdhur, which I have got, does not contain the
orders to deliver the fort to the British commander. They
may, however, be in the sealed letters which I have sent to
that chief.
( The fort of Darwar gives such a hold of this country, that
the possession of it by us, in any manner, would create great
jealousy of our views in the minds of all the chiefs ; but it
would do this particularly, if we were to take possession with-
38 ADVANCE TO POONAH. 1803.
out communication with Ball Kischen Gungurdhur, who is I
do not know where, and without the Peshwah's orders to him
to deliver it.
' Govind Rao has communicated with Bappojee Scindiah,
who said he heard that we intended to attack his fort ; that if
we wanted it we had only to ask for it, and that he would
withdraw with his family, and deliver possession of it. Govind
Rao says also, that the garrison is very weak and ill paid. I
look upon it, however, to be not so certain that Bappojee
Scindiah will deliver the fort when asked for it : if it is asked
for and refused, it must be attacked ; and then force com-
mences, which the Governor General deprecates, and from
which he has ordered us to desist as long as possible. If,
along with this, we consider that the possession of the fort, in
whatever manner it is obtained, will create jealousy ; and that
in consequence of General Stuart's position upon the frontier,
it is not absolutely necessary, even in a military point of view,
there appears every reason for my refraining from interfering
with it at all. Ram Rao, our agent at Darwar, wrote me
word that Bappojee Scindiah was much alarmed in conse-
quence of the report that we intended to attack his fort : upon
receiving this letter, I desired Ram Rao to tell him that I
had no instructions to attack his fort, and that I did not in-
tend to molest any body that did not interfere with me. I, at
the same time, hinted, that the Peshwah's orders must be
obeyed ; and I did this, lest it should be necessary hereafter
for any body of British troops to attack this fort, in order
to put the Peshwah's officer in possession of it. . t propose
now to proceed in regard to Darwar as follows : I shall send
Govind Rao to Bappojee Scindiah to-morrow, to tell him
that I am marching near his fort, and that I have no intention
to interfere with it ; that I require from him an engagement
of fidelity to the Peshwah, and an assurance that he will not
interfere with my communications.
' I shall desire Govind Rao to hint to him that we have
orders to put Gungurdhur in possession of the fort, with which
I doubt not he is acquainted already ; and that General
Stuart is at hand to carry into execution that measure, if I
should receive any thing from the fort of Darwar but assist-
ance. I shall also instruct Govind Rao not to make a direct
proposition of it ; but to urge him to satisfy me of his intcn-
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAI1. 39
tions by sending his son to my camp. I am nearly indiffer-
ent whether he sends him or not, as I know that his fears of
General Stuart, and his hopes of future favor, will be more
likely to keep him in order than any thing else ; but to have
his son in my camp will have a good appearance.
* The Peshwah will not be pleased that the fort is not taken
possession of immediately for Gungurdhur; but he must recol-
lect that that chief is not upon the spot, and not to be found
at present. You shall hear the result of this negotiation at
Darwar.
'I omitted to mention that I intend to desire Bappojee
Scindiah to desist from annoying the Rajah of Kittoor, from
whom I shall receive the greatest assistance in grain, &c., while
in his neighbourhood.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut Colonel Close.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
4 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Kandegy, 16th March, 1803.
1 The Futwurdun family are particularly anxious that I
should give their letter to you, to request that you would re-
commend them to the Peshwah. I have every reason to
believe that every member of this family will come forward in
his Highnesses service in the present crisis of his affairs, and I
therefore recommend this family to your good offices.
{ Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
« SIR, ' Camp at Tuddus, 17th March, 1803.
' I have received a letter from Colonel Montresor, from
Calicut, of the 6th, from which I learn that the rebellion has
spread much in Malabar, and that the rebels were in force not
far from that place. The criminals confined in the gaol at
Calicut had also got loose ; sixty had made their escape, many
were killed and some wounded in attempting it. The guard
40 ADVANCE TO POONAH. 1803.
over the gaol had been surprised. Those people were chiefly
rebels confined by Colonel Stevenson.
' I mislaid Colonel Montresor's letter yesterday evening,
otherwise I should send it to you, but I have above stated the
outlines of the information which it gives. I now enclose a
letter which I have written to Colonel Montresor upon this
subject, and if you should approve the directions it contains,
I beg you will allow it to be forwarded to him, In fact, no
more can be done in this season than I have there stated. It
willjbe useless to leave more posts, or to have more men in
Wynaad than the post at Manuntwaddy and those on the
tops of the ghauts. If there were two battalions in that dis-
trict they would be obliged to remain shut up in their posts,
where they would be useless ; at the same time, the greater the
number of troops to be left in Wynaad, the greater will be the
difficulty of providing for them.
' I received yesterday your letter of the 15th instant. I
have sent Govind Rao with a message to Bappojee Scindiah*of
the same kind with that which I formerly sent, of which you
approved.
' I shall march to-morrow to Misserycotta, where I shall
halt next day to allow Major Malcolm to join me, and to give
time to Govind Rao to arrange every thing with Bappojee
Scindiah.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Cunningham.
* SIR, ' Camp at Hoobly, 20th March, 1803.
' By the description rolls of remount horses which I have
received from you up to the 14th instant, it appears that you
have now at Mangalore 30 mares for the stud and 308 horses.
Upon the receipt of this letter you will be so kind as to make
arrangements according to the orders you heretofore received,
to send to Fort St. George the mares and the number of horses
required for the remount of the body guards of his Excellency
the Governor General, and of the Right Honorable the Go-
vernor in Council of Fort St. George ; and the remainder of
the horses are to be sent by the route heretofore given to you
1803, ADVANCE TO POONAII. 41
for Santa Bednore to the Soolikainy Lake, to which place
further orders respecting them will be sent.
e I wrote to the .Dewan this day, to request that prepara-
tions of grain and forage may be made at each stage on the
road to Botnunghur for 100 horses, and at each stage on the
road to Santa Bednore for 250 ; so that there will be no want.
I informed him also, that you will settle with Mr. Piele
whether you will take the grain, giving a receipt for it, or you
will pay for it as it is received. You will accordingly imme-
diately acquaint Mr. Piele at Hurryhur with your wishes upon
this subject.
* I have the honor to be, Sec.
' Captain Cunningham.' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' P. S. As I apprehend there will be a scarcity of water
between Belloor and the Lake, by the route of Adjumpoor, I
recommend that the horses should be sent from Belloor to
Terrakerra, Benkeypoor, Hooly Honore, Soolikainy Lake.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp at Hoobly, 20th March, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letters of the 17th
and 18th ; to the former of which I should have yesterday
written an answer, only that Major Malcolm arrived in the
morning, and the whole day was passed in discussions with
him. He will have informed you that he proposes accom-
panying the detachment, at least as far as Meritch, which I
think may be attended by the best consequences. I yesterday
received an answer from Bappojee Scindiah, to a message I
sent him by Govind Rao. I enclose translations of letters
from that chief and Govind Rao, which will point out the
nature of the arrangement with him.
' I desired Govind Rao to hint that in case any harm should
be done to my followers, you would instantly fall upon his
fort ; that the Peshwah had given orders that it should be
given over to another person ; and that his only chance of saving
it would be to be faithful to his Highness in the present crisis
of his affairs. I expect his son in camp this day.
' My letter to Colonel Montresor will have settled the Mala-
42 ADVANCK TO POONA1I. 1803.
bar question. If your whole army was to move that way, you
could effect no more in this season than I have suggested to
him.
* I am concerned that you have been disappointed in the
number of brinjarries expected from the Ceded districts. Cap-
tain Barclay has sent to Captain Blacker all Major Munro's
letters, by which it appears that the number he expected from
the Ceded districts was 22,000. I cannot conceive in what
manner he can have been disappointed. Mr. Cockburne wrote
on the 7th of February, that 7000 brinjarry bullocks, loaded
with rice, had on that day commenced their march for the
army, and 7000 more loading. Since that time he has sent no
intelligence of either party.
« I have been disappointed in the number of those people I
expected from Mysore, but I know the cause of their absence.
Some of those, also to the amount of 6000, have been
counted among the Ceded districts and Baramahl brinjarries,
and are to join your army. But I am so well supplied from
the country, that I think if Colonel Stevenson is supplied at
all, I shall still have enough. I now enclose the memorandum
upon the subject of boats, which I had drawn up some days
ago, but which I detained till Major Malcolm should arrive ;
as before I should submit it to you, I wished to consult him
upon a point connected with politics relating to this subject.
You will observe that in the memorandum I propose that a
post should be established in a redoubt to be constructed on
each of the rivers.
' It appears to me that it would add essentially to the safety
and convenience of the advanced detachment, if these redoubts
were to be constructed and the troops established in them im-
mediately ; and Major Malcolm agrees in opinion with me, that
however it may secure our communication with Mysore, and
give confidence to those inclined to come to us, the measure
will not create any jealousy in the minds of any of the jag-
hiredars in this part of the country. If you should be of that
opinion, the first post to be established is that on the Werdah.
There is already a redoubt there constructed by me in 1800,
which could be repaired by 300 pioneers in a few days. It
wants only a gate and a bridge, either of hurdle or plank,
and the earth which has been washed from the parapet into
the ditch to be cleared out. If you can spare the pioneers
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAH. 43
from your camp for this service it would be most convenient ;
and in case you should approve of the plan, and of occupying
those posts directly, I enclose a letter to the commanding
officer of Nuggur, to send a company to the Werdah, which I
request you will allow to be forwarded. The road from
Oollull to the Werdah is by llichter and Deogerry. The
redoubt is on the river about a mile from Deogerry.
' At all events, whether or not ihe post is now established
upon the Werdah, it will be necessary for me to take measures
to establish one upon the Malpoorba. We have several sick
men, particularly in the Scotch brigade, and it is necessary to
have a field hospital at some place or other. Whenever we
have such an establishment we must have a guard for it ; and
it is as well to establish it at once in a place in which we must
have one eventually. I therefore now propose to establish the
hospital at Sungoly, a village in which I had heretofore the
guard over the boats on the Malpoorba. If I find that village
will hereafter answer all the purposes of the redoubt, it will be
unnecessary to construct one ; if not, it would be desirable that
the 800 pioneers should proceed to Sungoly, as soon as they
will have finished the work upon the Werdah.
' Upon this point, however, I have to observe, that I am
well provided with pioneers, and that I can spare the number
which will be required for this work ; although I am aware
that eventually I may have great occasion for their services.
I consider always that your army may be obliged to move,
and it will not answer to cripple you for my convenience ; but
if your 300 pioneers can be spared, it would be desirable that
they should finish these works.
6 With a view to the establishment of the hospital, I have
ordered a company from Hullihall to the Malpoorba ; and in
case you should approve of the plan of establishing our posts
directly, I shall order forward the two other companies from
the garrison of Hullihall for the posts on the Gutpurba and
Kistna.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
MEMORANDUM ON BOATS.
4 Between the 14th and 20th of June, the rivers Toom-
buddra, Werdah, Mulpoorba, Gutpurba, and Kistna will fill,
44 ADVANCE TO POONAII. 180.3.
and it will be necessary to cross them in boats. Those which
have been found most convenient for this purpose are the
common country basket boats, which ought to be covered with
double skins of leather. They can be made with ease in all
parts of the country, and can be transported from one river to
another.
* There ought, however, to be a permanent establishment of
twenty boats upon each of those rivers. Each boat ought to
have three boatmen.
* For the care of these boats there ought to be a guard at
each of the rivers ; and in order to preserve regularity in the
passage of them, and the regular payment of the boat people,
without which they will not stay in the service, this guard
ought to be commanded by an European officer.
* The whole of the boats might be placed under the super-
intendence of Captain Cunningham, who managed this concern
heretofore, and who might reside at a central situation.
* The boats for the passage of the Toombuddra ought to be
at Hurryhur ; those for the passage of the Werdah at Deo-
gerry. I shall hereafter point out the places at which it would
be most convenient to have those for the passage of the other
rivers.
' I shall write to Purneah to take measures to have prepared
twenty boats of a proper description at Hurryhur upon the
Toombuddra; likewise to prepare a similar number at Chau-
dergooty and Anawooty, and to float them down the Werdah
to Deogerry.
4 I propose to give directions to the amildar at Hullihall
in Soonda, to prepare forty boats, which will be carried to the
Gutpurba and the Kistna. Major Munro might make up the
remainder in his districts, and send them to the Malpoorba.
' The whole number of boat people that will be required is
300 ; viz., 60 at each river. I shall write to Purneah, to make
arrangements to furnish as many of these as he can. Major
Munro likewise might furnish some. We cannot depend upon
the country for any. Besides these people, there ought to be
a mutaseddee, at ten pagodas per mensem, four chucklers,
and two basket makers, with the establishment at each
river.
4 The pay heretofore given to each boatman was one gold
fanam for every day he did not work, and two gold fanaras
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAH. 45
for every day he did. The same pay ought to be given to
them now, and they ought to be paid daily.
* In case this plan should be approved of, it will be neces-
sary to appoint troops as guards to the boats on each river,
and to construct posts for their security. The troops at Hur-
ryhur will guard the boats on the Toombuddra; a company
from the garrison of Nuggur may be sent to Deogerry on the
Werdah ; and three companies from the corps at Hullihall in
Soonda to each of the Malpoorba, Gutpurba, and Kistna.
' A gun may be placed in each post, which the garrison of
Hullihall could supply.
< In case this plan should be approved of, a proportion of
ammunition and three months' provisions ought to be placed in
each post. The post of Hurryhur is supplied already. Major
Robertson might supply that upon the Werdah, and his assist-
ants with this detachment, those upon the other three rivers.
One grain conicoply must be left in each post.
' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.'
Major Gen. the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp, 12 miles north of Darwar, 22nd March, 1803.
' You will have observed that the old iron in the carriages
made at the manufactory at Seringapatam does not work
up well, and I much fear that the country iron will not
answer.
' At all events, we know that it will take more working, and
will require a greater expenditure of charcoal than that brought
from Europe ; and consequently, the latter is preferable, even
if it does not possess other superior advantages. I have had a
correspondence with Captain Scott upon this subject, since
the carriages he first made broke down ; and he has proposed
that an indent should be sent to England for iron which might
come out in the Company's ships as ballast, and might be
landed at Cannanore ; from thence it could be moved without
expense, or at a very moderate one, to Seringapatam.
' Enclosed, I have the honor to send a list of articles of iron,
for which Captain Scott would propose to indent, if you have
no objection to the measure. In the mean time, we can make
a fair trial of the new country iron ; and if it should be found
46 ADVANCE TO POONAM.
not to answer, this will arrive in India in time for the manu-
factory in the next year.
' Nothing new here this day. I propose to transmit to you
an account of my route, in order that you may see at what
places you will find water, in case you should have occasion to
move forward.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Sungoly, 23rd March, 1803.
4 I have had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the 15th.
* I sent to Bappojee Scindiah regarding the fort of Darwar,
as I told you I would. The result of my message to him,
was a promise on his part to be faithful to the Peshwah ; an
engagement that he would not molest our supplies ; that he
would refrain from attacking the Rajah of Kittoor ; and he
has sent his son to this camp as a security for his good
behavior.
6 I sent Govind Rao to hint to him, that General Stuart
was upon the frontier with a large army ; and that he must
expect that Darwar would be attacked by the General, if he
departed from his engagements upon this occasion : he also
hinted to him, that the Peshwah had given the command of
Darwar to another sirdar.
* I am getting on well, and shall be at Meritch before the
5th. Every thing continues in the highest style. I have not
yet been joined by any of the sirdars \ but I expect some of
them to-morrow from Manowly, on this river. Goklah is
gone forward, and proposes to join on the Gutpurba.
' Malcolm, who is in this camp, and I, are very anxious to
receive accounts of the Peshwah's intentions regarding joining
his army in the neighbourhood of Meritch. It is exceedingly
desirable that he should join, and almost absolutely necessary
that we should communicate with you. Indeed, without this
communication, I do not think it possible to be able to settle
this business in the manner wished for by the Governor
General; and in this crisis of our affairs in Europe, as well as
in India, this mode of settling it appears most desirable. I
1803. AmANCK TO POONAH. 47
hope, therefore, that we shall soon hear from you upon this
point decidedly, whether the Peshwah will join his army at
Meritch or not.
' it is unfortunate that his Highness cannot be prevailed
upon to make some offer to Holkar ; even supposing that it
should be such a one as it is certain that Holkar could not
accept, the negotiation upon this point would be something
gained. It would prevent that Chief from making any
attempt upon Colonel Stevenson or the Nizam's contingent,
which I now consider our weak point ; and on the other hand,
it might prevent him from concluding with Scindiah. In the
mean time, I should be in Colonel Stevenson's neighbourhood ;
and although we might fail in making the peaceable arrange-
ment of which the Governor General is desirous, we should at
least be certain that no disaster could happen to any of us.
' Hitherto, I have not been able to send Colonel Stevenson
any positive instructions. The Commander in Chief has
directed him to take a position in the neighbourhood of
Perinda, and to wait there till he should receive further orders
from me.
' He is not strong enough alone, or even reinforced by the
Nizam's troops, to contend with Holkar ; and therefore, I
cannot desire him to move till I shall arrive within reach of
him. I have apprised him of my marches towards Meritch,
arid of my intention afterwards to move towards Punderpoor.
' Believe me, &c.
• Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wdlesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
< MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Nassary, 25th March, 1803.
' Siddajee Rao Nimbilkur, commonly called Appah Des-
saye, joined my camp yesterday ; and in an interview which I
had with him, he promised to do every thing I should desire
him in the support of the cause of the Peshwah, and has de-
sired me to give him a letter to you, to apprise you of this
circumstance.
f Believe me, &c.,
' Lieut. Colonel Close.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
48 ADVANCE TO POONATI. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Longford.
* Suj * Camp, 26th March, 1803.
' Mr. Piele has informed me that you have made a demand
upon the Rajah's servants of the keys of the fort of Hurryhur,,
the propriety of complying with which has been referred
to me.
' I have no doubt whatever regarding who ought to have
the keys of forts in the territories of the Rajah of Mysore,
occupied by the Company's troops : but I do not think it
material to decide upon the present occasion who should keep
the keys of Hurryhur ; I therefore request that you will cease
to demand those keys ; and I beg you will in all cases endeavor
to conciliate the servants of the Rajah's government. You
will be so kind as to desire Mr. Gordon's servant at Hurryhur
to receive into store at that place, and carry to account on the
books, all the grain which the Rajah's servants may throw in
there.
f I have received your letter upon the subject of clothing
for the corps in this detachment; and I beg that you will
detain it at Hurryhur till I send you further directions.
' I have the honor to be, Sec.
4 Lieut. Longford.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
' Camp upon the Ankoley Nullah, 3 miles
c MY DEAR COLONEL, south of Padshappoor, 27th March, 1803.
' I enclose the answers which I have received from some of
the sirdars, and a letter from Chintomeny Rao to the Peshwah.
You will observe that the former are as favorable as I could
expect them to be.
' I get on as well as I could wish. I shall be on the Gut-
purba to-morrow, and on the Kistna, at Erroor, on the 1st of
April.
' Believe me, Ssc.
Lieut. Colonel Close' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to J. H. Piele, Esq.
' MY DEAR PIELE, ' Camp, 27th March, 1803.
* It is possible that the detachment of the army under my
1803. ADVANCE TO FOONAH. 49
command may remain in the Marhatta territory after the rains
may have commenced, and the rivers which run in the western
ghauts will have filled ; and it is necessary to take measures
immediately to provide for this contingency. I propose to
have twenty basket boats upon each river ; and I wish you to
request Purneah to provide those to be placed upon the Toom-
buddra at Hurryhur, and upon the Werdah at the redoubt
under Deogerry. These last may be made at Anawooty and
Chandergooty, and may be floated down the river to their
stations.
e I enclose a memorandum stating the size of which the
boats ought to be, and the mode in which they ought to be
constructed : I beg you to have it translated and commu-
nicated to Purneah. The object now is to take measures to
procure a sufficient quantity of leather, well tanned ; respect-
ing which, I should imagine, if measures are taken in time,
there will be no difficulty. Besides boats, I must look to Pur-
neah's districts for a large supply of boatmen. I shall
altogether want three hundred of this description of people.
I have called for an account from Soonda of the number of
people of that description which that province can afford ; but
I imagine that I shall not find many. I must therefore de-
pend upon Purneah for all that he can get for me; their pay
shall be a gold fanam for every day they do not work, and two
gold fanams for every day they do. I commence from the
day on which they shall leave their villages for this service,
besides payment to the muttaseddees and duffadars, &c., whom
Purneah may place over them. The rivers will fill on some
day between the 14th and 20th of June ; all our arrangements,
therefore, will be in readiness at the commencement of that
month.
* Believe me, Sec.
' J. H. Peile, Esq.* * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. IVellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* Camp, 12 miles N. of the Gufpurba,
4 MY DEAR COLONEL, 29th March. 1803.
* I enclose a duplicate of my letter of the 14th. I have
nothing to add to it, excepting that I am getting on as well as
I could wish ; and that I shall be at Meritch two days sooner
than I told you in that letter. My motions afterwards must
VOL. III. E
50 ADVANCE TO POONAll. 1803.
be guided by the accounts I may receive of you, of Holkar,
and of the Peshwah.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
' MY DEAR COLON KL, ' 30th March, 1803.
' 1 enclose an extract of a letter, and of its enclosure, that
I have addressed to General Stuart upon a subject of some
consequence, which will explain itself.
' I shall be on the Kistna at Erroor to-morrow, where I
shall halt one day; and at Meritch on the 3rd. The accounts
which I have received are that Holkar has gone towards
Chandore with his army ; and it appears to me to be of the
utmost importance that I should reach Poonah with the least
possible delay. If I find, therefore, that it is true that Hol-
kar is gone to the northward, I shall march directly to
Jejoory ; and I shall send orders to Colonel Stevenson to
arrive at Gardoon, on the Beemah, on the day that I shall
reach Jejoory. I shall then move by my left to Poonah, and
bring him either to Jejoory, or in front of that placemen the
Beemah, leaving the Nizam's troops at Gardoon.
( If Holkar should remain at a small distance from us, it
will be necessary to alter this plan thus far : viz., that Colonel
Stevenson and the Nizam's troops should either join me, or
be at one march from me on my right ; or march towards
Poonah on the direct road from Gardoon, while I inarch by
that from Jejoory.
' If it should not be true that Holkar is gone to the north-
ward, and he should post himself in such a manner as appa-
rently to have an intention to impede the junction of Colonel
Stevenson with me, or to have the power of impeding it, I
shall move towards Colonel Stevenson at Perinda, before I
proceed to Jejoory.
* In any one of these cases, I hope to reach Poonah about
the 20th of April.
' After my arrival there, in my opinion, it will be necessary
that the Peshwah should come up the ghauts as soon as pos-
sible ; and I conclude that you will have formed all your
arrangements for that purpose.
180,'J. ADVANCE TO POONAH. 5L
' Of course my movements from Poonah must be guided in
a great degree by those of Holkar ; but if he should have gone
off to the northward, I shall stretch out towards the Ghauts,
as well to open the communication with Bombay, at the earliest
possible period, as to provide for the Peshwah's safety on his
journey from Bassein.
4 You will observe that this letter is written under the im-
pression that I shall not see you at Meritch, of which I think
there is at present no prospect.
1 Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Futty Sing Maunia.
' 1st April, 1803.
* I hear that you are encamped with your army at .
' I am advancing with the British troops on the Peshwah's
business. I hear from Colonel Close that he has held com-
munications of a friendly nature with your master, Jeswunt
Rao Holkar; and I should be much concerned that there
should be any interruption of these friendly communications.
' I therefore recommend that you should draw off with your
troops to the northward of Poonah, and wait there the further
orders of your master.
6 I send Kawder Nawaz Khan, a person of consequence, to
you, who will converse with and inform you of various reasons
which render this measure expedient.
' Futty Sing Maunia.' « ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
* Camp at Erroor, North Bank of the Kistna,
* MY DEAR COLONEL, 2nd April, 1803.
' I have this morning had a long conversation with Goklah
and his vakeels ; in the course of which he represented strongly
the distresses under which he labors. He has requested me
to write to you upon the subject. It is very desirable that
some steps should be immediately taken by the Peshwah for
his relief; and I shall be obliged to you if you will speak to
his Highness upon that subject.
{ If his Highness should be disposed to relieve his distresses,
I can, at your desire, advance him a sum of money amounting
52 ADVANCE TO POOXA1I. 180.1
to 50,000 rupees, without incuring the risk of distressing my
own troops.
4 I have had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the
23rd March. My future line of march still remains in the
same state of uncertainty in which it was when I last wrote to
you. It is still reported here that Holkar is gone to the
Nimderrah Ghaut : but he has left Futty Sing Maunia and
Meer Khan to the southward ; there is, therefore, reason to
apprehend, that his line of operation does not lay on the road
by which he has moved himself. With a view, however, to
ascertain the intentions of Futty Sing, I have sent off Kawder
Nawaz Khan with a letter to that chief, of which the enclosed
is a copy, and I shall hereafter have a similar communication
with Meer Khan.
4 1 shall march from hence to-morrow, and I am still in style.
* In regard to the depot, I enclose a memorandum for
Captain Moor, which will explain particularly what I shall
first want. In your letter of the 23rd, you talk of bringing
up a convoy with the detachment which will attend the Pesh-
wah's person; but you forget that the bullocks from this divi-
sion will not have reached Panwell at the time at which you
will march from thence. I conclude, therefore, that all that
you will be able to bring will be loads on the bullocks which
Mr. Duncan will have provided for the service of the army.
* The loads which I should wish to have on them, whatever
may be their number, is rice ; we have plenty of arrack and of
every thing else.
* In the memorandum which goes enclosed, you will observe
that I have pointed out to Captain Moor the number of bul-
locks which I imagine that I shall first send down, and the
loads which I should wish to have prepared for them. These
bullocks are exclusive of those which I suppose will be sent
with the Pesh wah's detachment with loads of rice.
6 Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close? ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Memorandum for Captain Moor.
' 1. Major General Wellesley is well satisfied with the loads
as prepared by Captain Moor, viz., each of ISO pounds.
' 2. At the end of April, or the beginning of May, the follow-
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAH. 53
ing number of bullocks will be sent to Panwell, to receive a
corresponding number of loads.
* Grain department : — 1700 bullocks for rice.
' Provision department : — 500 bullocks for salt provision ;
200 for arrack; 20 casks, of sixty gallons each, to be filled
with arrack.
' Gram department : — 3000 bullocks for gram.
« Brinjarries : — 10,000 bullocks for rice ; 2000 bullocks for
gram ; 200 bullocks for wheat ; 500 bullocks for salt.
* 3. In this estimate is included the probable first call of the
detachments of troops expected from Hyderabad ; and the
quantity of articles which Major General Wellesley requested
Mr. Duncan to have prepared, with a view to the supply of
the troops under Lieut. General Stuart, will answer for these
which, it may be expected, will be assembled in the neigh-
bourhood of Poonah.
' 4. It is recommended that the articles for each department,
above specified in paragraph 2, may be in separate boats.
The boats for each department to be distinguished by a flag.
' Those of the grain, red ; those of the provisions, white ;
those of the gram, blue; those of the brinjarries, red and white
cross.
' 5. The heads of departments will indent regularly upon
the Garrison Storekeeper at Bombay, for the articles which
they will require and can carry away ; and these indents will
be countersigned by Major General Wellesley.
' 6. The brinjarries will have orders for the delivery of the
number of loads required by them, signed by Captain Bar-
clay, the superintendent of supplies, for which a gomastah of
brinjarries will pass his receipt in duplicate : one copy of this
receipt to be kept by the officer who will deliver the grain ;
the other to be forwarded to Captain Barclay in camp. The
brinjarries will afterwards pay for the rice in camp ; and this
account will be one to be settled between the governments of
Fort St. George and Bombay.
' Major General Wellesley will write upon this subject fully
to the government of Bombay.
* 7. As the heads and servants of the departments will be
strictly accountable for every article they shall receive, it is
doubtful whether they will be willing to receive them by tale.
The brinjarries will certainly require to measure the grain in
54 ADVANCE TO POONAH. 1803.
some of the bags which they will receive ; and therefore Major
General Wellesley recommends that besides intelligent ac-
countants to keep the accounts, and make the deliveries
with regularity, there should be a number of measuring men
and sewers in readiness at Panwell.
' 8. It is also desirable that there should be in readiness in
the service of the public, three or four hundred coolies, to
assist in the removal of the loads from the boats to the bul-
locks, so that there may be no delay.
' 9. If the neighbourhood of Panwell should not be well
supplied with forage, a few boats loaded with straw, to be sold
at a reasonable rate, would be very necessary.
4 10. Answers will be given hereafter to the other para-
graphs of the memorandum.
' Captain Moor." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* Camp, 3 miles south of Meritch,
* MY DEAR COLONEL, 3rd April, 1803.
* I arrived here this morning, and received your letter of
the 23rd of March. I have just heard that Futty Sing
Maunia, who was in my front, has moved off to the eastward,
it is supposed, with an intention to join Meer Khan. This
movement enables me to decide to march towards you imme-
diately.
' If they hang about the Beemah, I shall go to Punderpoor ;
from which place you shall hear further from me, and I shall
then point out to you the modes by which I propose that we
should join. In that case I shall be at Punderpoor on the
llth, or 12th.
1 If they follow their master to the northward, which I think
most probable, I shall not go so far to the eastward as Pun-
derpoor ; but shall endeavor to reach the Beemah river by a
direct route. In that case also I shall communicate, with all
possible speed, by what route I wish you to join me.
' Believe me, &c.
4 Colonel Stevenson: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. ADVANCE TO POONA1I 55
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' Camp at Hingengaum, 20 miles N.E. from Meritch,
6 MY DEAR COLONEL, 5th April, 1803.
{ I am now on my march towards Punderpoor,, with a view
of forming a junction with you. I have received your letter
of the 28th.
' If you should not have received any intelligence of Hol-
kar's return from the neighbourhood of Ahmednuggur, or of
his threatening the Nizam's territories to the northward, you
will be so kind to commence your march towards Punderpoor,
to join me as soon as convenient, after you shall receive this
letter.
' I propose to be at Punderpoor on the llth ; but, before I
arrive there, it is probable that I* may receive intelligence of
the movements of Futty Sing Maunia, which will enable me
to turn at once to the northward. I shall, in that case, move
immediately towards Jejoory, and I shall request you to direct
your march upon that place.
* I recommend that you should leave the Nizam's troops
within the Nizam's territories, unless you should think it
necessary to have them with you ; and, at all events, that they
should not cross the Beemah. They can march in a separate
column up the river as far as opposite Gardoon, where you
will turn to the northward.
' I must request you to preserve the most strict discipline
among your troops, when in the Marhatta territory ; and that
you will take measures to make them pay for every thing.
We have got on by these precautions.
' The Nizam has accepted the proposition of Meer Khan to
be taken into his service.
•' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: « ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' SIR, ' Camp at Nogeze, 7th April, 1803.
' I hear that Futty Sing Maunia and Meer Khan are about
to join, and will then move off to the northward. They are
about twelve coss from this camp. I have arranged with Ma-
jor Malcolm that he is to give the Nabob of Savanore an order
upon Mr. Piele for 5000 rupees, which he is to receive. This
56 ADVANCE TO POONAfl. 180'J,
arrangement will save our funds here, and will be more con-
venient to the Nabob than any other could be.
* I wish to have your directions regarding the mode in
which I shall charge for the carriage of the tappall for this
detachment. The peons who carry the letters are matchlock
men, in Purneah's service: there are five of them at present
at each station, and as they were brought from the Mysore
country early in March, they have been paid from the begin-
ning of that month. You will observe that the arms in the
hands of these runners, and an additional number at each
stage beyond the usual proportion, are necessary in this coun-
try, in which every second man that is met is a soldier ; and
that it was but fair to pay the peons from the time that they
were employed exclusively in our service. This, however,
will make the expense greater than that of the army tappall,
and much greater than the receipts. I therefore take the
liberty of suggesting that I should charge the expense monthly,
as an extraordinary, not provided for by the regulations, sup-
ported by the necessary vouchers. This appears to me to be a
more simple mode than to have the bills sent with all their
long explanation to the Postmaster General.
6 The company have arrived upon the Werdah, but they
have no spare ammunition. It would be very convenient if
four or five bullock loads could be sent to them from the army.
' I have received from Colonel Close a letter of the 28th of
March, which, however, contains no news. He had received a
letter from me of the 18th, in which I detailed the plan
according to which I proposed to proceed at Darwar, with
which he was perfectly satisfied.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
1 Lieut. General Stuart." 'ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident al Poonah, but ivith the Peshwah at Bassein.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, 'Camp atNogeze, 7th April, 1803.
( I have just received your letter of the 28th March. I am
now upon my march towards the Beemah, with an intention
of forming a junction with Colonel Stevenson. When I
arrived in the neighbourhood of Meritch, I found that Futty
Sing Maunia, who had been upon the Kistna, and Meer
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAH. 57
Khan, who had been upon the Beemah, drew off, apparently
with an intention to form a junction somewhere in the neigh-
bourhood of Punderpoor. The march of Futty Sing made
the chiefs on the Kistna easy regarding the safety of their
possessions during their absence from them, and enabled me
immediately to urge them to accompany me on my march
towards Colonel Stevenson ; which was rendered more neces-
sary, as Futty Sing and Meer Khan were about to join in his
neighbourhood. I saw the probability that, when joined, they
would draw off to the northward ; but still they were not to be
trusted, and my junction with Colonel Stevenson was likely to
insure the safety of both, and eventually the success of all our
future operations. Since forming the determination to effect
this junction, and giving Colonel Stevenson orders accord-
ingly, 1 have received information that the Nizam has accepted
Meer Khan's offers of service ; that both he and Futty Sing
are in full march to the northward ; and you tell me that the
Peshwah is in treaty with Futty Sing. By whatever route,
therefore, I should approach Poonah, it is probable that Colo-
nel Stevenson and I could both be in safety ; but I persevere
in my march to the Beemah : first, because that route to Poo-
nah is nearly as short as that by which I must have gone
from the place where I heard of the change of circumstances
which no longer rendered the junction necessary : secondly,
because it is desirable that I should communicate immediately
with Colonel Stevenson, and form such an arrangement of our
force as will provide for all probable events.
' By this route I shall reach Poonah on the 23rd or 24th of
this month ; and I now proceed to communicate to you my
ideas of the mode in which his Highness's march from Bas-
sein to Poonah must be secured.
' He ought to leave Bassein on the 20th, so as to arrive at
the ghauts about the 27th or 28th. I shall not stay at Poo-
nah more than one day, because there is no forage there ; and
because I must approach the ghauts to cover his march, if the
enemy should return from the northward in force to impede
it; and at all events, to send my cattle down to Panwell for
my supplies. I shall arrive at the ghauts about the 27th or
28th. If Holkar should not return from the northward, and
there should be no threatening appearance when I get farther
to the northward, I do not propose to draw Colonel's Steven-
58 ADVANCE TO POONAII. 1803-
son's corps to Poonah, or that the Nizam's army should pass
his Highnesses frontier. For the sake of forage the troops
must separate in some degree ; at the same time that they may
be so stationed as that they may join at short notice. The
mode in which I should propose to station them, in that case,
would be, the Nizam's corps of infantry and cavalry on his
Highness's frontier, at the nearest point to Poonah ; Colonel
Stevenson's corps in front of Jejoory, upon the Beemah ; Colo-
nel Murray's at Poonah, with the Marhatta cavalry coming up
with me ; and my own division towards the ghauts.
' By this disposition we shall subsist with ease, and I shall
be able to draw from Bombay the supplies wej shall require ;
and we can form a junction of all our troops, if that measure
should appear necessary. I have been joined by Goklah, by
Appah Saheb, and one of his brothers, and the rson of Baba
Saheb of Meritch ; Chintomeny Rao comes in this evening ;
by Bappojee Vittell ; by Vittell Seo Dec's nephew, Narsy
Kundee Rao; by Appah Dessaye ; by Rubran Chowdy,?and
some others of inferior note.
' Ball Kischen Gungurdhur, Gopal Rao, Paunseh Madhoo
Rao Rastia, and Prittee Niddee have not made their ap-
pearance. The latter sent me word that Futty Sing was
plundering his jaghires ; but I hinted to him that I had heard
a report of the Peshwah having given orders that the jaghires
of those persons who had joined the enemy should be confis-
cated ; and had said that those only who should join this force
would "be in favor hereafter ; I therefore imagine that I shall
bring him in.
« It is true that his Highness has given these orders, and has
directed that the jaghires of such persons should be confiscated
immediately ; and that the revenues arising from them should
be applied to the payment of the troops now with me. But
it is impossible to take measures to carry these orders into
execution, without spreading over the whole country, and em-
ploying his troops in confiscating jaghires, instead of in one
uniform operation directed against the common enemy.
1 1 observe what you sny regarding slaughter cattle ; and I
will immediately put a stop to the killing of bullocks in this
camp, which has continued to this time. Sheep, however,
are but bad travellers in wet weather ; and I must request of
you to urge Mr. Duncan to have a large quantity of salt pro-
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAit. 59
visions prepared, as the best substitute for every thing else.
I will send him down casks to pack it in, in proportion as I
shall consume that which I have already.
' I also observe what you say regarding Scindiah. I am in
good marching trim ; and if I can keep my cattle alive, I do
not fear any confederacy that can be formed, after I shall once
reach Poonah.
f We must, however, keep our southern jaghiredars in good
humor ; and upon this point I wish you to urge the Peshwah.
I also suggest to you the propriety of altering the treaty with
him thus far : viz. not to take any part of Savanore, but terri-
tory elsewhere, for obvious reasons referable to other chiefs.
But if that cannot be effected, it would be advisable, in settling
what districts are to be ceded to us, to avoid touching any of
their jaghires ; and to urge the Peshwah to provide hand-
somely for Goklah, in lieu of the revenues of Savanore, which
he will lose by the transfer to us of the countries not already
given away in jaghire.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close. * ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
' I enclose you a paper giving the dimensions of wheels,
wanted for four iron 12 pounders, respecting which I wish
you to make some arrangements with Mr. Duncan. I shall
also want twenty tumbril wheels.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Hutteer, 8th April, 1803.
* As I find that as I advance Futty Sing Maunia and Meer
Khan draw off to the northward, I propose not to go to Pun-
derpoor, which is two or three marches out of my road. I
shall, however, strike upon the Beemah at Nursingpoor, the
place where that river and the Neera join ; and I beg that you
will direct your route upon the same place. I shall be at
Nursingpoor on the 13th or 14th.
* Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
'MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Hutteer, 8th April, 1803.
4 After I had written to you yesterday, Appah Saheb called
CO ADVANCE TO POONA1I. 1803.
upon me, and told me that a carkoon bad come to him from
Futty Sing Maunia, with certain propositions to the following
effect :•—
4 The first was, that he should be taken into our service.
The second, that countries should be allotted for the subsist-
ence of his army. The third, that if these two were not ac-
cepted, he should be allowed to depart, and go wherever his
fortunes should lead him.
' I referred him to the Peshwah for an answer regarding his
proposals for service ; and I begged that he would retire to the
countries beyond Poonah, till he should be made acquainted
with the Peshwah's decision regarding his proposals.
6 The carkoon was called in, and he said that Futty Sing
was ready to serve any body who would provide for the sub-
sistence of his troops ; and that as I had not accepted his
proposals, he should seek his fortune elsewhere. I encou-
raged him to offer himself to the Peshwah ; and as, by your
account, his Highness's durbar had already had communica-
tions with him, it is probable that, having failed here, he will
bring to a close his negotiation with his Highness.
'Appah Saheb pressed strongly upon me the situation of
Vittell Seo Deo and his troops. The countries allotted for
their subsistence are in Hindustan, and have been destroyed
by Holkar, in consequence of the attachment of Vittell Seo
Deo to the Peshwah's cause, and his services to his Highness.
' The distresses of these troops appear to be very great ; and
it is an object of the utmost consequence that some steps
should be immediately taken for their relief.
' In case measures should not be provided by the govern-
ment of Bombay, to feed the Europeans coming up the ghauts
with the Peshwah ; and if these troops are to be fed by my de-
partments, it will be necessary to add to my establishment of
servants in the provision departments ; and I enclose a list of
servants, artificers, &c., which I request you to urge Mr.
Duncan to send to me. I shall write to him fully upon this
and other points, as soon as I can get upon the tappall road.
' Believe me, &c.
'Lieut. Colonel Close.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. \DVANCi: TO i'OONAH. 6L
Major General the Hon. A. Wdlesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Kowlaspoor, 10th April, 1803.
' I have just received your letter of the 1st, by which I
observe that you have not got the key of the cypher. It is
therefore more than probable that you will not have been able
to read the orders which I sent, you on the 5th, and the 8th
instant, to desire you to march towards Punderpoor, and
afterwards to march towards Nursingpoor, at the junction of
the Neera and Beemah, and to meet me there on the 13th.
* If you should have received the cypher, and those letters,
you will of course have commenced your march, and probably
will now be near Punderpoor, or Nursingpoor, and you will
continue to your destination. If you should not have been
able to read those orders, and of course have not obeyed them,
then I request you, upon the receipt of this letter, to com-
mence your march to Gardoon,on the Beemah, at which place
you will hear further from me.
* Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson.' ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
6 MY DEAR COLONEL, 'Camp at Kowlaspoor, llth April, 1803.
• I have received your letters of the 30th and 31st of March,
and the 2nd instant ; and I have delivered to the different sir-
dars the letters enclosed in the former.
' About a month ago, the vakeels of Appah Saheb made a
proposition to me regarding Moraba Furnavees, which I did
not exactly comprehend ; and to which I then gave no answer,
but referred the subject to Malcolm. It was that he might
be received under the Company's protection, and that he might
be allowed to retire from Poonah whenever he might think
proper. At a subsequent meeting, the vakeels were told that he
might come to camp, where he should remain in safety ; that
endeavors would be made to reconcile the Peshwah towards
him ; and that if they should not succeed, he should be per-
mitted to go wherever he pleased. The groundwork of this
engagement was the probability that this man would be useful
to the cause of the Peshwah and ourselves. But he certainly
()2 ADVANCE TO POOKA H. 1803.
might do it an injury ; and there did not appear any objection
to placing him in the situation in which we found him ; that
is to say, at liberty to go where he pleased, if the Peshwah
should not be reconciled to him.
' Three weeks elapsed without hearing more of Moraba
Furnavees, when I heard that he was arrived at Meritch ; and
it was even reported that he was in camp. About the same
time, a few days ago, Bappojee Vittell, the Peshwah's officer,
came to me, and told me that the Peshwah had given him
directions that Moraba Furnavees should be arrested and given
over to his charge. I then desired Moraba not to come here,
as I found that the Peshwah was so much irritated against
him, that he had desired that he might be arrested ; and it was
therefore probable that his Highness would never be induced
to pardon him. At all events it was not proper that I should
receive in my camp a person respecting whom the Peshwah
had given orders that he might be arrested. He is now gone
to the northward.
e Appah Saheb sent to me yesterday, to inform me that when
we should arrive at Poonah he should desire to take leave, as
he could not meet the Peshwah. The causes of his wish not
to meet his Highness, are the Peshwah's conduct towards him
upon the subject of the Rajah of Kolapoor, and his general
fears of the Peshwah's suspicious and jealous disposition. I
told his vakeels that there was plenty of time to take into con-
sideration this determination ; and that I hoped he would not
so far forget his own interest as to take such a step in a hurry.
The result of the conversation was a promise on their part to
endeavor to alter his intentions; but they said that they thought
I should have most influence over him.
1 When I sent Appah Saheb the Peshwah's letter, enclosed
in yours of the 30th, I told his vakeels that I understood from
you that the Peshwah was very desirous to be reconciled to
their master ; and that that letter would probably contain some
expressions of friendship which would be agreeable to him.
They informed me yesterday that the letter was no more than
a copy of the first, sent to desire him to join me, and in the
same terms as that written to every other sirdar.
' The departure of this man from Poonah would be a severe
blow upon us; and you may therefore rely upon my exerting
all the influence I may have over him to induce him to stay.
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAtt. 63
In truth, excepting his family, and those under his influence,
and Goklah, and one of the Peshwah's officers, Bappojee
Vittell, not a soul has joined this detachment ; although all
have been repeatedly written to, and places have been ap-
pointed for their junction, to which they have promised to
come.
* There can be no doubt but that the establishment of our
influence at Poonah will be highly disagreeable to the majority
of the Marhatta chiefs ; and that it will interfere materially
with the interests of some, and the objects of ambition of all.
It may be expected that it will be opposed by the more power-
ful of the members of the Marhatta States ; and upon the whole,
it is clear that, in this crisis of Marhatta affairs, all means of
conciliation ought to be adopted, by the Peshwah, to reconcile
as many of his servants as possible to the new system intro-
duced into the Government. It would appear, however, from
the Peshwah's conduct, either that he does not feel the nature
of his situation in this respect, or that, feeling it, he is indif-
ferent to it. There are some instances of his conduct, as it
affects those who are serving him in concert with us, which
appear rather extraordinary : one is his having sent a man, by
name Soobarow Mooty, to seize the talooks of Savanore, and
Darwar, and to collect the revenues of them : thus depriving
Goklah of the only means of paying his army ; and at all
events creating a disturbance in those countries, in which it
is so material to us to maintain tranquillity.
' This Soobarow Mooty is the man who was in the service
of the Rajah of Mysore, from which he was turned out by
your desire, in consequence of his having had improper com-
munications with Holkar at Poonah.
* I have him in this camp, where he shall remain till we get
to Poonah.
' Another instance is his employment of the Rajah of Kola-
poor to seize the person of Moraba Furnavees, who he says, in
the letter he writes upon that subject, is with the Putwurdun,
near Meritch. Will the art of man be able to convince the?
Putwurdun of this one fact, that the Peshwah will reconcile
with them, and will make a reasonable arrangement of their
affairs with the Rajah of Kolapoor 1
' Another extraordinary instance of counteraction in the
Peshwah, is his order to the only servant he has here, Bappojee
64 ADVANCE TO POONAH. 1803-
Vittell, to seize thejaghires of all those who have joined Hol-
kar. This may be a very proper measure at any other time ;
but the consequence of carrying it into execution, at present,
would be the separation from this detachment of every Mar-
hatta horseman that now accompanies it ; and if they once
separate from us, I do not think them likely to join again.
( I mention these circumstances to you, because I think that
in your arduous situation you ought to be made acquainted
with every thing. In the present state of the Peshwah's
government, he must be considered as engaged in a civil war,
in which there can be but two descriptions of persons, loyalists
and rebels. The general effect of his measures ought to be to
increase the numbers and to bring forward the services of the
former, which, particularly as his government is to be re-esta-
blished by strangers, can be done only by extraordinary con-
ciliation. You know best whether his disposition is of that
kind to adopt this mode.
' I have already written to you fully respecting our junction
with you. Colonel Stevenson has not got the cypher ; and
therefore I am afraid that he will not have been able to read
the orders which I sent him to join me at Nursingpoor, at
the junction of the Beemah and Neera rivers on the day after
to-morrow. In case he should not have been able to read my
former orders, I have sent him directions to march to Gardoon.
' Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Col. Close. ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
4 I enclose a memorandum upon an important subject, which
I beg you to give to Mr. Duncan, and request him to have the
measures proposed carried into execution.'
MEMORANDUM RESPECTING BOATS, &c., FOR BRIDGES.
( Copy sent to Mr. Duncan.)
1 . In the present state of our affairs, it is possible that the
troops stationed in the territories of the Peshwah, and on the
frontiers of the Nizam, may be under the necessity of carrying
on military operations at an early period after their arrival in
the neighbourhood of Poonah. The western rains will have
set in in the month of May, and the rivers which rise in the
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAH. 65
western ghauts will fill in June ; and although to carry on
military operations in that season, is attended with some incon-
veniences, I conceive that it is also attended by advantages to
our troops ; particularly if they possess the power of passing
the rivers, which the superior knowledge of European nations
in the art of war has brought to the highest state of perfection.
* 2. When a force shall be stationed at Poonah, there will be
a complete chain across the peninsula, of which Bombay must
be considered the point of support. The junction of the corps
at Hyderabad and Poonah, with what Bombay could afford,
would effectually oppose the invasion of the Deccan by any of
the powers of Hindustan. But in order to do this with success,
it is necessary that they should collect, at least as soon as the
powers of Hindustan commence to approach the Nerbudda;
and this can be done only by the use of the superior European
mode of crossing the numerous rivers during the rains which
intersect this part of the Peninsula.
' 3. The operations, therefore, which it may be necessary to
carry on during the approaching rains, and, at all events, the
efficiency of the forces to be stationed at Hyderabad and
Poonah, and their support by Bombay, require that a pontoon
establishment should be formed immediately at that presidency.
' 4. The cheapest mode of forming this establishment would
be at once to make the pontoons which it might be expected
would be required for the service ; but it is necessary that
something of this kind should be proposed immediately, and
there is not time for the construction of the pontoons on that
plan which has been most approved. It appears, however,
that by incurring a trifling expense, a substitute can be found
at Bombay ; and that the troops in this country will have all
the advantages of a pontoon establishment, even in this season,
should the operations take place, which I think possible.
* 5. I shall now proceed to detail the substitute which I
would propose for pontoons ; the mode in which they ought
to be fitted up; the stores, &c., which ought to be prepared
for a bridge of boats ; and the establishment which ought to
be formed for it. I shall afterwards point out the mode in
which I propose it should be carried.
' 6. There are in all parts of the coast of Malabar, boats
cut out from the solid teak trees, flat bottomed, and with sharp
prows ; they are to be found also of all dimensions. These
VOL. III. F
66 ADVANCE TO POONAH. 1803.
would answer if they could be obtained of that size which is
most approved of for pontoons, or of one nearly approaching
to it. That size is as follows :
Feet. Inches.
Greatest length 21 0
Length at bottom . . . . . 16 8
Width within 3 11
Width at bottom 35
Depth . . ..21
But if they cannot be procured of that size, I shall be satisfied
with them if of 18 feet long and 3^ feet broad; but the
greatest possible breadth, and the length as above stated is
desirable. It is necessary, however, that they should be all of
the same length, and nearly of the same breadth, and of the
same height. They ought also to be painted or stained with
the oil used for Patamar boats, in order to preserve them from
the sun and weather.
' There ought to be forty of these boats : for each boat there
ought to be the following stores — four beams called baulks,
22 feet 8 inches long, 1 foot wide, and 4 inches thick ; one
gang board 22 feet long, 1 foot wide, and 2i inches thick :
ten planks 12 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 1| inch thick.
1 Oar.
1 Anchor.
1 Graplin.
4 Iron bolts with keys.
4 Binding sticks.
4 Spring lines.
4 Fascines.
4 Pickets.
1 Cable.
1 Sheer line.
1 Pontoon carriage.
With this Memorandum goes a paper, which will point out
the mode in which a bridge of boats is made; and consequently
that in which the beams above mentioned should be prepared
for being bolted together; and that in which the planks should
be prepared to be laid upon the beams.
« 7. Besides these stores, there ought to be two five inch
cables, each of 500 yards in length.
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAH. 67
4 8. There ought to be the following establishment for
these boats : —
1 Officer of the corps of Engineers.
1 Bridge Master.
1 European Conductor.
6 Carpenters.
6 Smiths.
6 Hammermen.
6 , Bellows Boys.
80 Harbour or River Lascars.
* 9. The common mode of carrying pontoons in Europe, is
on a two wheeled carriage, on which is placed the pontoon, and
within it all its stores. That mode of carriage, however, is
inconvenient, and would not answer, particularly in this
country, in which all carriages are drawn by bullocks. The
carriages, therefore, for these boats ought to be on four
wheels.
' 10. That which would answer best, and would be most
easily prepared, would be one made of the old axle trees and
wheels of common brass 6 and 12 pounder gun carriages.
Two of these ought to be joined together by a perch. A bed
for the boat ought to be fixed on each axle tree ; that on the
front axle tree being made so high, as to permit the wheels to
traverse under the boat,, when it should be required to turn
the carriage ; this bed, on the fore axle tree, ought to be fixed
by a pin in the centre, on which it would turn.
* 11. The common calculation of the weight of a pontoon
with its equipment, is 1200 pounds. I am not certain of the
weight of one of the boats, which I have above pointed out as
a substitute, but I imagine it may be about 300 or 400 pounds.
In that case, one of these carriages may be able to carry two
of these boats with their equipment. But upon this point,
those who will fit them out will be the best judges. I have only
to observe, that the carriages ought not to bear a greater
weight than 1200 or 1300 pounds.
* 12. It is recommended, that as soon as the boats can be
procured and the machinery completed, the bridge should be
fitted in the strong tideway in Bombay harbour, between the
shore and a vessel moored.
' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.'
F2
OS ADVANCE TO POONAII. 1803.
MEMORANDUM ON THE MANNER OF LAYING A BRIDGE OF BOATS
ACROSS A RIVER.
' The bank on each side where the ends of the bridge are
to be, must be made solid and firm by means of fascines or
otherwise. One end of the cable must be carried across the
river, and being fixed to a picket, or to any thing firm, must
be drawn tight across where the heads of the boats are to be
ranged.
' The boats are to be then launched, having on board each
two men, with the necessary ropes, Sec., and are floated down
the stream under the cable to which they are lashed endways,
by the rings and small ropes at equal distances, and about
their own breadth asunder, more or less, according to the
strength required.
f If the river be very rapid, a second cable must be stretched
across it, parallel to the first, and at the distance of the length
of the boats, and to which the other ends of the boats must be
lashed.
e The spring lines are then lashed diagonally from one boat
to the other to brace them tight ; and the anchors, if necessary,
carried out up the stream, and fixed to the cable or sheer line
across the river.
' One of the chesses or planks is then laid on the edge of
the bank, at each end of the bridge, bottom up, which serves to
lay the ends of the baulks or beams upon ; (it appears that the
beams ought to lay in lines across the boats, from one end of
the bridge to the other, and must be bolted together in such
manner as to allow of fixing them in that mode;) and as a
direction for placing them at the proper distances, to fit the
chesses or planks that cover the bridge.
« The baulks should be then laid across the boats and keyed
together, their numbers proportioned to the strength required
in the bridge. If the gang boards are laid across the heads
and sterns of the boats, from one side of the river to the other,
they will give the men a footing for doing the rest of the
work.
( Across the baulks are laid the chesses one after another,
the edges to meet, (the chesses or planks must have laths
nailed upon them in such manner as to form four grooves to
receive the four beams on which the planks are to be laid,) and
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAH. 69
the baulks running between the cross pieces on the under side
of the chesses. The gang boards are then laid across the
ends of the chesses on each edge of the bridge.
' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.'
Major General the Hon. A. Welletsley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
' Camp at Aklooss on the Neera,
* MY DEAR COLONEL, 13th April, 1803.
' Appah Saheb called upon me on the evening of the llth,
to apprise me of his intention to ask to take leave, as soon as
we should arrive in the neighbourhood of Poonah. All pos-
sible arguments were urged to induce him to remain and meet
the Peshwah, to which he did not pretend to give an answer ;
but merely said that he had made a vow that he would not
meet his Highness, till his affairs with the Kolapoor Rajah
were settled. Upon being told that he could not expect that
any measures would be taken in his favor, if he did not come
forward heartily in the present crisis, he said that he was sorry
for it, and that he must submit to his fate. Never did I see a
man so obstinate, and so little able to bring forward even pre-
tences to justify his obstinacy.
* His vakeels declare that he is obstinate, that he really feels
what he says, and they have desired me to urge him to alter
this intention. I rather suspect, however, that he has ex-
pressed this desire to take leave, either in order that we may
press the Peshwah to settle his affairs with the Rajah of Kola-
poor, or in consequence of some arrangement made with Mo-
raba Furnavees. Appah Saheb and his brother had a meeting
with this man, which lasted all night, at which nobody else
was present, and nobody knows what passed.
' I am now seven marches from Poonah. Stevenson ought
to be this day at the junction of the Beemah and Neera, eight
miles from here.
' Believe me, &c.
« Lieut. Colonel Close.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major Gen. the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp at Sarhatty upon the Neera, 14th April, 1803.
I was in hopes that I should have been joined by Colonel
70 ADVANCE TO POONAI1. 1803-
Stevenson this day, as lie is but a short distance from me.
But the baggage of his division was misled yesterday by acci-
dent, and he is obliged to halt for it. He will be here, how-
ever, to-morrow. I have heard from the Peshwah's vakeel,
at Sattarah, that Futty Sing Maunia has settled his affairs
with the Peshwah, and is gone into his Highness's ser-
vice. I believe it to be true, although that chief and Meer
Khan went off together for this place towards Poonah, five
days ago.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close, Resident
at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
' Camp at Aklooss and Sarhatty,
' MY DEAR COLONEL, 14th April, 1803.
' The heat of the weather and the badness of the roads de-
stroy my wheels, particularly those of my tumbrils. I shall
therefore be obliged to you if you will apply to the govern-
ment of Bombay for forty wheels for tumbrils, instead of
twenty, for which I before asked. It is possible, however,
there may be no wheels at Bombay, and that we must repair
those we have got. In that case we shall require all the sea-
soned timber stated in the enclosed paper. At all events we
shall require a large proportion of it for cart and gun wheels,
and for tumbril wheels, which I know cannot be replaced at
Bombay.
6 It would be very convenient also if we could have a few
artificers from Bombay for a short time.
* I was in hopes that Colonel Stevenson would have joined
me this day, but an accident has misled his baggage, and he
was obliged to halt for it this day ; I hope, however, that it
will have joined him this morning, in which case he will be
here to-morrow. I shall still be at Poonah on the day I told
you.
' This timber might be sent up by coolies. I have no news.
* Believe me, &c.
• Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAH. 71
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
1 Camp at Aklooss and Sarhatty upon the Neera,
« gIR$ 15th April, 1803.
1 I have the pleasure to inform you that Colonel Stevenson
came over here from his camp this morning, and the Scotch
brigade will join him to-morrow. I have written to the Adju-
tant General this day upon the subject of my future operations,
in which letter you will observe a detail of the line of march
which Colonel Stevenson will take.
4 The proceedings of a General Court Martial go this day
to Major Pierce, as Judge Advocate, on a sepoy for deser-
tion. I am sorry to have to inform you, that this crime has been
very common lately, particularly in Colonel Chalmers' corps,
to which that sepoy belongs, and in Colonel Orrock's. The
former has lost eighty men since the 15th of last month, and
the latter thirty three, since the first of this month. I there-
fore think it desirable that the sentence on this sepoy should
be carried into execution.
4 I have heard that Meer Khan, having learned that Futty
Sing Maunia had made his bargain with the Peshwah, and
had sent his family, with a body of horse, towards Sattarah,
attacked his camp, plundered it, and took Futty Sing pri-
soner. His infantry, however, had got off, and had been taken
into the service of the Peshwah by his ladies at Poonah, who
had even supplied them with money. Meer Khan, after this
feat, went off to the northward, with some degree of pre-
cipitation. I believe the principal facts of this story to be
true.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
1 Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
' Camp at Aklooss, upon the Neera,
4 SIR, 15th April, 1803.
f I should have written to you before now, only that I had
no direct mode of communicating with you ; and I know that
Major Malcolm, who has accompanied me, wrote to you daily.
' 1 have now the pleasure to inform you, that I joined
72 ADVANCE TO POONAH.
Colonel Stevenson this day, and have reinforced the detach-
ment under his command by the Scotch brigade. I have ad-
vanced thus far without the smallest opposition. I have been
joined by some of the Marhatta jaghiredars of the southern
countries, principally those who served in the year 1800, with
the British troops under my command ; and by some of the
sirdars, who quitted the Peshwah by his High ness's desire,
when he fled from Mharr ; others, of both descriptions, are
expected, and I know that some are on their road to join.
6 As I have advanced, Meer Khan and Futty Sing Maunia,
the former of whom, with other Patan Chiefs, was on the Ni-
zam's frontier, and the latter, with other Marhatta Chiefs, to-
wards Meritch, have gradually fallen back. They joined their
forces near this place, and marched five days ago towards
Poonah.
* I hear that Futty Sing Maunia, who offered himself to me,
has made an arrangement with the Peshwah. I have this
account from the Peshwah's vakeel at Sattarah, the person, I
believe, who concluded the arrangement.
' Whether Futty Sing has made this arrangement or not, it
is very obvious that he does not think himself equal to cope
with either of the British detachments, even when joined by
Meer Khan. It is therefore probable that the two chiefs will
continue to draw off as 1 shall advance towards Poonah ; and
at last, if they should not have quitted Holkars service, that
they will retire entirely with Amrut Rao, who is still at
Poonah.
* My plan of operations now is to bring the Peshwah up the
Ghauts ; to receive from Bombay the supplies of provisions
which are necessary for the troops, and which have been pre-
pared ; and while I am effecting these objects, to keep the
troops in such situations as that they will procure forage, and
can join with ease and celerity, in case an attack should be
threatened from the northward. With this view I have de-
sired Colonel Stevenson to leave the Nizam's troops on the
Beemah, within the Nizam's frontier, and they will move on
towards Gardoon, where they will remain. The Colonel, with
his detachment, will be either upon the Beemah or the Kurrah
river, about two or three marches from the Nizam's troops,
and the same distance from Poonah, and I shall be in that
neighbourhood. By this disposition we shall all get forage,
1803. ADVANCE TO POdNAH. 73
and shall subsist with ease ; at the same time that we shall be
able to join at any point which may be threatened.
f I beg that in case you should think it necessary to acquaint
the Nizam's ministers of this disposition, you will do me the
favor to inform them that 1 shall pay due attention to the
safety of the Nizam's frontier. As soon as the Peshwah shall have
reached Poonah, and I shall have received the supplies which I
require, it will be consistent with the general objects in view,
and with the safety of the troops, to make a movement of all
these bodies to their right, and thus to bring more of them
into the Nizam's territories. In the mean time I do not think
there is any reason to apprehend that they will be attacked.
( Believe me, &c.
' Major Kirkpatrick: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Nimbsakur, 16th April, 1803.
' I received last night your letter of the 7th. I am glad to
find that there is, in your opinion, so little chance of a combi-
nation. I agree entirely in opinion with you, and I wish
sincerely that the gentleman at Hyderabad was of the same
opinion, or thinking differently, that he would keep his opi-
nion concealed.
' There is a report in camp that the Rajah of Berar is dead,
which will certainly put an end to all thoughts of the combi-
nation which has been apprehended ; although it may eventually
occasion others which may give us equal or greater trouble.
' I have written a letter to Amrut Rao, of which I enclose a
copy ; I shall also write a letter to Govind Rao Praunsepy, to
apprise him of my approach, and to request him to inform the
ladies thereof. Likewise to learn from them what guards
they would wish to have in the city, on the day that the troops
will encamp in the neighbourhood.
( I wrote to you fully respecting the march of the Peshwah,
and shall say no more on that subject till I receive your
answer.
' Goklah's distresses press upon him very strongly, and I
have some apprehension of the effect which the approaching
departure of Appah Saheb may have upon him, as well as
74 ADVANCE TO POONAII. 1803.
upon others. I have, therefore, in consequence of your letter,
given him 10,000 rupees ; but I shall give him no more, till I
receive from you a positive request from the Peshwah to make
him an advance.
' You will have heard of the plunder of Futty Sing's camp
by Meer Khan ; the latter has marched off to the northward.
As there remains in these parts at present no force of any con-
sequence, I have directed the execution of that disposition of
which I apprised you.
' Accordingly, Colonel Stevenson, who was in my camp
yesterday, and was joined by the Scotch brigade, marches up
the Beemah, with the Nizam's troops, on the left bank of that
river. They will halt within their own frontier, opposite Gar-
doon ; and the Colonel will move on with the Company's
troops to his station, which will be somewhere below the
junction of the Beemah with the Moola-moota. He will arrive
there much about the same time that I shall arrive at Poonah.
* I enclose a list of medicines wanted for the troops, which
I request you to apply for : — they must be sent up by coolies.
The sheep contract will answer well.
4 Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close." < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Welles ley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' Camp at Somergaum, Junction of the Neera
4 SIR, and Kurrah, 17th April, 1803.
1 1 received last night your letter of the 10th. As I observe
you have not received regular information from Lieut. Colonel
Close, since the 22nd of March, 1 enclose copies of the letters
which I have received from him, since that date, which contain
any thing of importance ; a practice which I shall continue till
I shall hear from you that you receive regular intelligence
from Lieut. Colonel Close.
4 The dispatch from Lieut. Colonel Collins, of the 25th of
March, is very important and satisfactory. You will observe
the communication to Lord Wellesley of the intention of
burning Poonah. With a view to prevent the execution of
this plan, I have written a very civil letter to Amrut Rao to
announce my approach, in which I have stated that I shall
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAII. 75
take measures to ensure the safety and tranquillity of the city
on my arrival there.
' I think it possible that this letter may draw from him an
answer, and that he will send me a vakeel ; and if he does,
and remains at Poonah, I shall keep up the correspondence
till I get within reach of Poonah with the cavalry, when I
shall move forward briskly to prevent the execution of this
horrible plan.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay,
1 SIR, ' Camp 4 miles west from Baramoolty, 18th April, 1803.
' In a letter which I addressed to Mr. Duncan by desire of
Lieut. General Stuart, on the 20th of January last, I apprised
him of the probable wants of the body of troops, which it was
at that time expected would march from the frontiers of the
territories of the Rajah of Mysore towards Poonah ; and I
requested him to give orders that preparations might be made
at Bombay for supplying those wants.
' I have now the honor to inform you that I have advanced
thus far towards Poonah, in command of a detachment from
the army, which it was heretofore supposed would enter the
Marhatta territories ; and that I shall immediately send bul-
locks to Poonah for loads from the different departments of the
body of troops according to the statement which follows here-
after. Grain department : 1700 bullocks for rice. Provision
department : 500 bullocks for salt provisions ; 200 bullocks
for arrack, 20 casks of 60 gallons each, to be filled with
arrack. Gram department : 3000 bullocks for gram. Brin-
jarries : — bullocks for rice, — for grain, — for wheat, — for salt.
I have above mentioned the greatest number of bullocks which
can be sent immediately from each department. As, how-
ever, the cattle have made an extraordinary long march in a
short space of time, and in an unfavorable season, it is pro-
bable that the number which will be sent from each depart-
ment will not amount to that above set down. But that will
be a matter of immaterial consequence.
' I propose to direct the heads of departments to indent
upon the garrison store-keeper at Bombay for the number of
76 ADVANCE TO POONAH. 1803.
loads for which cattle can be sent ; specifying in the indent
the contents of the loads, according to an account of the mode
in which they will be prepared, which I have received from
Captain Moor. I shall countersign these indents ; and I shall
be obliged to you, if you will lay my request before the
Honorable the Governor in Council, that the garrison store-
keeper may receive orders to supply at Panwell all indents
countersigned by me.
1 The brinjarries are a species of dealers who attend the
armies with grain and other supplies, which they sell in
the bazaars. In general, they seek for those supplies which
are sold at the cheapest rate, and they bring them on
their bullocks to the armies. Occasionally, however, these
supplies have been issued to them from the public stores, as
well by the native, as by the Company's governments, at a
cheap rate, and they are allowed to sell them at the usual rate
of the camp bazaars. It would not be reasonable to expect
that the brinjarries who attend this camp would return in such
time as to be at all useful to this body, if they were to go to
Mysore to procure fresh supplies ; and as this country is
exhausted, and at all events does not produce rice, which is
the ordinary consumption in the camps of the Company's
armies, it will be necessary to issue rice and other supplies to
the brinjarries from the stores collected at Bombay. Indeed,
I requested Mr. Duncan to collect this store with a view to
this issue.
( The mode in which the issues of supplies to the brinjarries
ought to be regulated, is as follows. The superintendent of
bazaars ought to give the gomastah of the brinjarries an order
upon the stores for the quantities of the different species of
supplies required. The gomastah will accompany the brin-
jarries to the stores, and will pass his receipt in duplicate for
the quantity received. One copy of the receipt ought to
remain with the garrison storekeeper, to form, together with
the order of the superintendent of bazaars, his voucher for the
issue ; and the other copy ought to be forwarded to the super-
intendent, to enable him to recover from the brinjarries the
price of the supplies in proportion as they shall dispose of them.
The superintendent then becomes responsible to Government
for the price which may be settled for each article of supplies,
thus issued upon receipts to the brinjarries.
1803. ADVANCE TO POONAII. 7?
4 If the Governor in Council should approve of this mode
of regulating the issue of supplies to the brinjarries from the
public stores at Bombay, I have to request he will give orders
to the garrison storekeeper to issue whatever may be required
upon an order signed by Captain Barclay, the superintendent
of supplies, taking from the gomastah of brinjarries a receipt
for the same in duplicate ; one copy of which is to be forwarded
to Captain Barclay in camp, the other to remain with the
garrison storekeeper, to form together with Captain Barclay's
order his vouchers for the issue.
6 I shall hereafter lay before the Governor in Council an
account of the prices at which I may be able to agree with the
brinjarries that they shall take these supplies ; and I shall
request his orders regarding the mode in which the money
received from them is to be disposed of.
e I have transmitted to the Resident with the Peshwah, a
list of the medical stores, which will be required for the use of
the troops under my command ; and I beg you to lay my request
before the Governor in Council, that these may be sent to
Poonah by such conveyance as he may think proper. I have
also transmitted to the Resident with the Peshwah an account
of wheels which are required for iron 12 pounders, and others
for ammunition tumbrils, and of timber which will be required
for the repair of nearly all the wheels and the ordnance
carriages in this detachment. I request, that if it should be
possible to send these articles from the arsenal at Bombay,
they may be transmitted by such conveyance as the Honorable
the Governor in Council may think proper.
' I have communicated to the Resident with the Peshwah
a list of artificers who will be required for the department of
the commissary of provisions with this detachment ; and a list
of servants who will be required by the same officer,, in case it
should be intended that he should victual the European troops
advancing with the Peshwah. I request that orders may be
given that these may be hired and sent ; and that the assistance
of the artificers belonging to the arsenal of Bombay may be
given to repair the ordnance carriages in this detachment, as
far as may be practicable, consistently with the performance of
other necessary work at Bombay.
' By a copy of a letter from Captain Moor to the Governor
78 ADVANCE TO POONAH. 1803.
of Bombay, which I have just received from Lieut. General
Stuart, I observe that he has made an agreement for the pur-
chase of 15,000 sheep, to be delivered at Poonah. Some of
these will be necessary immediately for the subsistence of the
troops ; and at all events, as the rains may soon be expected,
it is desirable that the whole should be sent up the Ghauts
without loss of time.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
• The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WKLLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah , but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
* Camp, 4 miles w. of Baramootty,
' MY DEAR COLONEL, 18th April, 1803.
fl have just received your letter of the llth; the cossids
who brought it, and who left Poonah on the 16th, in the
morning, report that Amrut Rao marched five days ago. 1
think this report is probable ; but if I should find that it is
not true, and that Amrut Rao is still at Poonah, I shall do
something of the kind that you recommend, but in a more
effectual manner. I shall march to-morrow night to Poonah
with the cavalry. I had intended this before I received
your letter.
' Ball Kischen Gungurdhur is not here. The other sirdars
also, who quitted the Peshwah when he was at Mharr, are
absent, excepting Bappojee Vittell, whose party is but small.
The Putwurdun and Goklah, in my opinion, are not to be
trusted in a business of this nature.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' SIR, ' Camp, 4 miles w. of Baramootty,
18th April, 1803.
' I enclose the copy of a letter which I have received this
morning from Lieut. Colonel Close. The messengers who
brought it from Poonah, report that Amrut Rao quitted that
city four days ago, which report is confirmed from another
1803. POONAH. 79
quarter. But if he should not have done so, I shall, to-mor-
row night, carry into execution the plan which I yesterday
informed you that I had formed, in order to frustrate his
designs.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Lieut. General Stuart' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A, Wellesley to Lieut* Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
6 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Poonah, 20th April, 1803.
'After I wrote to you on the 18th, I heard that Amrut
Rao still remained in the neighbourhood of Poonah ; that he
had removed the Pesh wall's family to Sevaghur ; that many
people were flying, and all believed that the town would be
burnt. In consequence of this information, I marched last
night with the cavalry and a battalion, and arrived here this
day at about two, and the town is safe. Appah Saheb, Gok-
lah, Appah Dessaye, and Bappojee Vittell, with their forces,
accompanied me. I was detained about six hours in getting
the cavalry guns through the Bhore ghaut, in consequence of
which, I imagine that Amrut Rao received intelligence of my
march, at such time as to enable him to depart this morning
before I arrived.
' The infantry will be here on the day after to-morrow, and
on the next day I shall move towards the ghauts.
' We have marched sixty miles since yesterday morning.
* Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
* I am in your house, and have some of the troops quartered
in your stables. I eat your forage and grain also.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 21st April, 1803.
* You will observe by my letter of this date to the Adjutant
General, that I arrived here yesterday, and the effect which
this movement has produced. We were detained a great
length of time in the Bhore ghaut, and consequently arrived
here at a later hour than I expected. The heat of the wea-
80 POONAH. 1803,
ther was great ; however, none of the men have suffered, and
but few horses. I should have written to you yesterday, but I
had no means of dispatching a letter. The people are return-
ing fast to Poonah ; they have already opened their bazaars,
and we are well supplied. Forage is to be got, but it is
scarce. I transmit the copy of a letter and enclosure, which I
received yesterday from Colonel Close.
( I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, 'Camp at Poonah, 21st April, 1803.
6 I wrote to you last night to inform you of my arrival here.
I have nothing new to tell you this morning, excepting that we
are well supplied, and that I expect to get so much forage as
that my troops will be able to stay here for a day or two.
This will be a great convenience, as we have marched seven
days, and the carriage cattle are much knocked up.
' I send you a letter from Amrut Rao, and two from the
killadar of Sevaghur. I did not receive the first till late last
night.
1 The people are returning fast to their houses, and are
delighted with our treatment of them.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close." f ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Poonah, 22nd April, 1803.
4 There is a report in circulation that Holkar had given
orders to one of his officers, by name Wahag, to join Meer
Khan ; and to the latter, when joined by the former, to pro-
ceed towards Gardoon, and act in the Nizam's territory. I
do not believe this intelligence to be founded ; however, I
observe that Holkar is still upon the Godavery, and I believe
Meer Khan has not gone far to the northward. It is there-
fore desirable that you should have an eye upon Meer Khan,
and receive constant intelligence from his camp. If you
should have any reason to believe that that Chief intends to
attack the Nizam's country, or the troops under Mohiput
1803.
Ram, it will be necessary that you should place yourself a
little nearer to those troops than we before settled : viz,, within
a good march of them ; and your communication ought to
be constant,
' Let me hear from you all the intelligence you may receive
from Meer Khan's camp, and I shall keep you informed of
every thing that L shall learn here. I wrote you yesterday
an account of the mode in which I had come here.
' Believe me, &c.
4 Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLKSLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Poonah, April 22nd, 1803.
' Since I wrote to you yesterday, I have had some further
conversation with Appah Saheb's vakeel, the result of which
is, that Appah Saheb consents to remain in the neighbourhood
of Poonah, till the Peshwah can consider his demands and
claims upon his Highness's government; but he refuses to
meet the Peshwah, till he has some reason to be certain of his
favor. He is very anxious that some steps should be taken
in this business as soon as possible ; and I now enclose the
copies of memorandums which he gave me some time ago, and
the copies of my answers, and the copy of an additional
memorandum which he gave me this morning. These papers
contain all his demands. It appears to me, that if he should
be satisfied regarding his claims upon the Rajah of Kola-
poor, there will be no difficulty in settling other inferior
points.
4 The infantry are now coming in. We have suffered a sad
loss by the fracture of carriages within these last three or four
marches ; but by the assistance of a little maistry here, I hope
that we shall soon get to rights again.
' As we can get forage here, I propose to halt for a day
or two.
' Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Close: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
VOL. in.
82 POONAH. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Welledey to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Poonah, 23rd April, 1803.
* I have received your letters of the 19th. In regard to
that containing intelligence of the plunder of the Nizam's ter-
ritories, we are now adopting the measures most likely to
secure them from that evil. I think that you doubted Soo-
kroodoor's intelligence ; and whatever may be Holkar's inten-
tion and line of action hereafter, I do not think that at present
his preparations are so ripe as to induce him to make a de-
mand upon one of the Nizam's pergunnahs. I wrote to Rastia
and to Ball Kischen Gungurdhur this day, regarding their
irruption into Solapoor. In respect to that letter in which
you have copied an extract from one which you have received
from the Resident, I have to observe, that whatever may be
the Resident's private opinion, it would be as well that he
should refrain from a communication of it. The fact is — here
I am at Poonah, unopposed, and in strength ; and the Resident
knows, or ought to know, that those Chiefs, who are supposed
to intend to combine against us, have not yet made peace, and
cannot have settled any plan of operations. It is true, that as
we have taken into our hands the bone for which they have
been contending for some years, not one of them is very well
pleased, and each gives out that the whole will combine against
us. But there are many considerations which must be ma-
turely weighed, by at least two of the parties, Scindiah and
the Rajah of Berar, before they will venture upon a war with
the English ; particularly when we are prepared, and they
are not.
( It may be asked, why they give out that they intend to
combine ? I answer, because they know that some of us are
like other men, to be frightened by their threats ; that, parti-
cularly, they have their effect at the Nizam's durbar, in which
they are daily brought forward ; and for this reason it is that
our Resident at that durbar, instead of listening to the fears
of that court, and propagating them, ought, above all other
men, to inculcate the improbability of this combination ; or its
certain failure, if it should ever be attempted.
' Believe me, &c.
• Colonel Stevenson: < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. POONAH. 83
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
f MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Poonah, 23rd April, 1803.
e I have had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the
20th. You will have been informed, by mine of yesterday,
that Appah Saheb will remain in this neighbourhood ; and that
it is my opinion he will be satisfied with a very moderate
settlement of his differences with the Kolapoor Rajah. In
respect to the Peshwah's interference in those affairs, I have
to observe, that the Putwurdun must be considered as his
subjects ; and that they have a right to expect that he will in-
terfere to afford them a protection, which it is his duty to give
them.
f According to the instructions I have received, I have en~
tered into no engagements ; but I have promised generally that
those who should join this army in their master's cause should
be recommended to his favor. From respect to the British
nation, and I may almost call it a personal attachment, the
chiefs of the Putwurdun family and Goklah have joined us ;
but not a chief belonging to the Peshwah, excepting Bappojee
Vittell. Indeed, as appears by the enclosed letter from Colonel
Stevenson, some of these are employed in the plunder of the
Nizam's country. If our recommendation of these chiefs who
have joined us is to be unattended to, we must expect not only
that they will leave us, but that no others will ever join us.
Soobarow Mooty showed me the Peshwah's sunnuds; they may
be forgeries, but I have him here and you will judge for your-
self. I wrote to Mr. Duncan this day respecting his forwarding
to us certain of the stores; as my carriage bullocks are so
completely done up, that if I attempt to send them down the
Ghauts till they shall have had some rest, I shall lose them all.
' Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Close: < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
G 2
84 POONAH. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, but with the Peshwah at Bassein.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Poonah, 25th April, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 22nd. It is surprising
that you should not have known, on that day, of my arrival at
Poonah on the 20th, as I have reason to believe that it was
known to the Peshwah on the 21st. I shall march to-morrow
towards Tullygaum. I enclose you a letter which 1 received
this morning by a vakeel from Arnrut Rao. I had a con-
versation with this vakeel, in the course of which he expatiated
much upon the conduct of Bajee Rao towards his master,
and all the principal sirdars of the empire. The end of the
conversation was a desire that the Company's Government
should interfere to place Amrut Rao in a situation suitable to
his great rank and expectations in the state. In answer, I told
him that Amrut Rao had connected himself with the enemies
of the Peshwah, and that he must be considered as an enemy ;
that the first step towards reconciling him with his brother
was, that he should withdraw himself from all communication
with the Peshwah's enemies.
' The vakeel replied, that the Peshwah had given orders
that he might be seized (which is true) : and that it was there-
fore impossible for him to stay in the neighbourhood of
this army ; and that he had therefore gone to Nassuck, where
he should remain. I still insisted that his secession from the
Peshwah's enemies was necessary ; and that as he could not
come near this army, it was desirable that we should have his
declaration that he had separated himself from them, to show
in answer to the reports which would be circulated, in which
his name would be used to his disadvantage. The result of
the conference was, that I should write him a letter to that
purport ; and I enclose you the draught of one which I have
made. Amrut Rao's vakeel declares that Holkar and Am-
bajee Inglia have not met. He blames Holkar's conduct much,
and says that it has been inconsistent in respect to ourselves.
He declares that he has neither opposed us, nor made friends
with us ; and that by hisconduct he has suffered us to establish
ourselves here. There is some truth in the remark. This
man, who appears to have some ability, is come here either
with an intention of treating with our allies, or to lull us into
J803. POONAH. "85
security, and probably both. However, we have a strict watch
over him, and I shall have no scruple in sending him off', if I
find that he attempts the former ; in regard to the latter, 1
defy him to do us any mischief. The vakeel said that the
Rajah of Berar was every body's friend, and was determined
to remain at peace. I am glad that you have occupied Pan-
well. My pioneers went this morning to clear the Bhore
Ghaut ; but I wish I could be certain that Bulwunt Rao had
left the lower country.
' I conclude, however, that he will not like to remain cooped
up between Colonel Murray and me, when I shall have made
a march or two towards the ghaut.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
4 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Poonah, 26lh April, 1803.
1 I heard last night that Holkar had moved this way, which
induced me to halt till I could learn the truth of this report ;
and the result of my inquiries into it is, that he is on the other
side of the Godavery, that he has been joined by Meer Khan,
and that the movements of which I had heard were directed
towards the Nizam's frontier to the eastward. It does not
appear, however, that he has passed the boundary, and the
marches which he has made are directed towards a point at
which his territories join with Scindiah's. By all accounts he
had not had the interview with Ambajee Inglia which, it was
supposed, would produce peace on the 21st of this month;
and therefore, whatever may be intended, no peace has yet
been concluded between Holkar and Scindiah. There is a
report here that the boy, Kundee Rao Holkar, whom Jeswunt
Rao is desirous of getting into his hands, has been placed in the
hands of the Rajah of Berar ; and if this should be the case,
Jeswunt Rao will not be pleased. However, this is merely a
report. Upon a full consideration of the state of affairs, I
have not yet seen any thing to induce me to alter the disposi-
tion of the forces already made, with a view to bringing the
Peshwah to Poonah, and giving strength and security to his
government. That must still be our object ; and we must not
disturb a disposition which must secure it, on account of a
86 POONAH. 1803.
possibility that a few villages may be plundered by Holkar's
army, in the vicinity of the Nizam's north west frontier.
' I believe that the Peshwah put himself in motion yester-
day ; if he did, he will be here in a few days ; and I think that
in ten days, at the furthest, we may bend all our means to-
wards the security of the Nizam's country.
• I shall march to-morrow towards the hills.
' Believe me, &c.
• Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Poonah, 26th April, 1803.
' I received accounts last night that Holkar had made three
marches towards this place ; and I was induced to halt this day
in order to ascertain the truth of those reports. The result
of my inquiries is that he is gone towards the Nizam's frontier;
and that he was on the 21st at a place about eight coss beyond
the Godavery, at a small distance from his own, or the Holkar
territory, the same from Scindiah's, and the same from the
Nizam's. He has sent his baggage towards Chandore, which is
the only symptom of an intention to attack the Nizam. It is
certain that on the 21st he had not had the interview with
Ambajee Inglia, which it is supposed will produce a peace be-
tween Holkar and Scindiah ; and it is now reported here that
Kundee Rao Holkar has been given up by Ambajee Inglia
to the Rajah of Berar. This circumstance may have some
effect upon the negotiations for that peace ; at all events it
proves the interference of the Rajah of Berar to produce it,
which alone will occasion delay, and that under present
circumstances is almost all that we could wish. God send the
Peshwah soon here ; my fingers itch to do something for the
security of the Nizam's frontier ; and till the Peshwah is re-
established at Poonah, and his government begins to have
some authority, it will not answer to alter the disposition
which must insure that object, only to save a few villages from
plunder. I enclose a duplicate of a letter which I have written
to Colonel Murray ; be so kind as to peruse and send it to
him.
* Believe me, &c.
• Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. POONAII. 87
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
« SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 26th April, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letters of the 22nd
and 23d instant.
• I learn from Lieut. Colonel Close that he has communi-
cated to you the wishes of his Highness the Peshwah, respect-
ing the movements of your detachment, according to which
you are of course to conduct yourself. The Colonel, however,
has informed me that he has requested you to send off five or six
companies to Panwell, with two guns, for tke purpose of occu-
pying that place, and of affording security to the supplies
which will have been forwarded thither from Bombay. I
conclude that you will have complied with this request ; and
that the troops on their march to Panwell will have driven off
the troops belonging to Amrut Rao, occupying Abtah and
Carnallah. If that should not have been done, it appears to
me a very necessary measure, and I request you to turn your
attention to it.
( The ghaut, I am informed, is exceedingly bad ; and some
time will elapse before you will be able to bring up all your car-
riages ; a part of your troops therefore might be employed in
clearing the road to Panwell of enemies, while the remainder
should move your advanced carriages up the ghaut, and no
time would be lost. I have written to the government of
Bombay for certain articles of supply, which must be for-
warded by means to be furnished within that settlement ; and
I request you to afford protection to such of them as you
may hear are prepared to leave Panwell, when your troops
shall move from that quarter towards the Bhore Ghaut.
' I send from hence brinjarry bullocks to load with rice, but
it will be some time before they will arrive at Panwell, and
they will be too late for your troops ; and at all events an
escort from this camp will go with them which will be sufficient
for their protection, particularly if the road should be cleared
by you.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
1 Colonel Murray: ( ARTHUR WELLKSLEY.
POONAII. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wcllc.sley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, 4 Camp at Panowullah, 27th April, 1803.
' I had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the 19th
last night. I have great hopes, notwithstanding the threats
held out at Hyderabad, that the combination of the northern
Chiefs will end in nothing.
* The Governor General has a strong check upon Scindiah
to the northward, and another upon the Rajah of Berar ; and
it is not very probable that these Chiefs will involve themselves
in a war in which they must be certain losers, merely for the
pleasure of plundering the Nizam's country. The result then
of the peace between Scindiah and Holkar, and of this com-
bination, may be that Holkar will be made the tool to annoy
the Nizam : but supposing that to be the case, against which
there are many probabilities, the enemy, although not to be
despised, will not be very formidable. But I should doubt
Holkar entering immediately so far into the views of his rival,
as to undertake to conduct this contest, as principal, merely for
the gratification of his feelings of disappointed ambition. It
is much more probable that Holkar will avail himself of the
moment of peace, to gain possession of the territories belong-
ing to his family, which will probably be ceded to him.
' Upon the whole, therefore, I think that, although there
will be much bad temper and many threats, there will be no
hostility.
* I have observed, from the commencement of the negotia-
tions with the Peshwah to the present moment, that no British
agent has ever been threatened with this combination. We
have heard of it principally from the court of Hyderabad,
and from the native servants in the employment of our Resi-
dents, upon which description of people threats are supposed
to have some effect ; but these threats have never been held
out to Major Kirkpatrick, Colonel Collins, or Colonel Close,
in their communications with the servants of the principal
Marhatta chiefs, or the principals themselves. Amrut Rao's
vakeel, with whom I had a long conversation the other day,
never hinted that there was an idea of a combination of the
Marhatta chiefs.
IS03. POONAH. 89
1 I do not conclude from this silence of theirs towards us
that they have no such idea, because I know it is the common
conversation ; but I conclude from it that they are well aware
that we are not people to be frightened by threats ; and that
they know that as soon as they should hold out this threat, we
should immediately take some steps to ward off its effects.
They know well that we have it in our power both to defend
ourselves and annoy them, of which I believe them to be much
more afraid than we are of their combination.
' I have heard frequently of the supposed combination of
different Marhatta chiefs ; but when the nature of our situation
upon the frontiers of Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar has
been explained to them, (of which they are in general very
ignorant,) and they have been informed of Scindiah's answers
to Colonel Collins, they will be satisfied that the combina-
tion, if ever formed, will not do us much harm.
1 I marched this morning with an idea of procuring forage
with more ease.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' Camp at Panowullah, 10 miles N. w. from Poonah,
' MY DEAR COLONKL, 28th April, 1803.
' I have received your letters of the 25th. It is certain that,
on the 25th of this month, the supposed peace between Hol-
kar and Scindiah had not been made ; and Ambajee Inglia,
through whose medium it was supposed that it would be ne-
gotiated , had not met the former ; on the contrary, Ambajee
was then at Burhampoor. It is true that Holkar has ap-
proached the Nizam's frontier, and he may have entered it.
He has two villages within the Nizam's boundary, near which
he encamped ; but it does not appear by any of the accounts
that he has made attempts upon either of the forts of Dowlut-
abad or Aurungabad, both of which are in the neighbourhood
of the place at which he is stated to be encamped ; or that he
has plundered the country to a greater degree than it has been
plundered every year ; or than will continue to be the case, so
long as the Nizam continues to have forts without garrisons,
and the walls tumbling down.
90 POONAH. 1803.
« I am still of opinion that there will be no combination of
the three Marhatta powers against us ; and that, supposing
there should be a peace between Holkar and Scindiah, Holkar
is more likely to take advantage of that peace to establish his
power in the territories belonging to his family, than to employ
himself as the tool of his rival in the plunder of the Nizam's
country, a game in which he must sooner or later meet with
his certain destruction. However, it will not answer to expose
the Nizam's country to invasion upon my political specula-
tions ; and we must therefore immediately turn our minds to
taking measures for its defence.
6 In doing this, however, we must not lose sight of our great
object, that of securing the Peshwah in his seat ; nor must we
put it out of our power to join all our forces, or to combine
our operations, if this great combination should be made, and
we should have to contend against its force.
4 The Peshwah will be at Poonah on the 2nd ; and the British
troops, which have been at Bassein with him, will probably
arrive about a day or two afterwards. My opinion therefore
is, that you might now move three or four marches to the
northward, towards Aurungabad.
' If you find that Holkar makes any serious attempts, either
upon that place or Dowlutabad, you must move quickly to
their support : but if he is only seated upon the frontier, it
will not answer to disturb the arrangements, which must pro-
duce success in the end, merely to save a few villages at
present ; and in that case I do not wish you to move to a
greater distance than three or four marches from Gardoon.
You will be within the Nizam's country, and I conclude will
find forage, &c. in plenty. I wish that you would ascertain
exactly where the tappall runners, on the road between Poonah
and Hyderabad, are stationed nearest to Gardoon; and
fix a writer at that place to receive and forward all letters
from Poonah to your camp. I shall send them by the Resi-
dent's dawks as far as the neighbourhood of Gardoon. I will
write to Holkar upon the subject of the plunder of the Nizam's
country.
' You will observe from this letter, that I think it desirable
we should keep so near one another as to preserve the power
of combining our operations, if that should be necessary ;
and that, with that view, I do not wish you to move beyond
1803. POONAH. 91
three or four marches from Gardoon^ unless Holkar should
have made an attack upon Aurungabad or Dowlutabad.
' The Nizam's troops are of course to accompany you.
Meer Khan's letter to Noor ool Oomrah tends strongly to
convince me that Holkar does not mean to attack the Nizam.
He would not venture upon such a measure, when threatened
with the defection of so large a portion of his army. I shall
speak to Colonel Close respecting the Peshwah taking Meer
Khan into his service ; but it is my opinion that the Nizam
ought to take all the troops he has ; and I dare say they will
not amount to a third of the number of which he boasts.
' I do not go farther to the westward than this place. When
I marched from Poonah yesterday, all the people of any pro-
perty, who had returned to that city, quitted it again.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson." « ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Panowullah, 28th April, 1803.
' I have halted here this day because I found that my
march from Poonah created great alarm, that several of the
principal inhabitants were leaving the place, and that the
ladies of the Peshwah's family, who had been desired by his
Highness to come down from Sevaghur this day, were afraid
to venture in. I have therefore sent back all the Marhatta
troops, and I shall remain here. I have sent the cattle farther
up the valley to graze.
' It is reported that Holkar has entered the Nizam's country
near Dowlutabad and Aurungabad ; and that he is about to
attack those places. I have therefore ordered Colonel Steven-
son to make a movement to the northward, and even to go to
their support, if he should find that Holkar has really attacked
either of them.
' Meer Khan still keeps open his negotiations with the
Nizam. In a letter written to Noor ool Oomrah, about ten
days ago, he says that he has written to Holkar to desire leave
to quit his service.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
92 POONAH. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Governor General.
< MY LORD, ' Panowullah, 29th April, 1803.
* I enclose a letter from Colonel Close, from which you will
perceive the difficulties which he experiences in moving the
Peshwah.
' You will hear from sad accounts of the invasion
of the Nizam's territories by Holkar's troops. He is within
the boundary certainly, somewhere near Aurungabad and Dow-
lutabad ; and wherever a body of troops of that kind is placed,
they can do nothing but injury. But I doubt his intending
more than to take from the Nizam's country the common
plunder taken by every Marhatta chief passing to the north-
ward. This will always be the case so long as the Nizam
keeps his frontier forts of Aurungabad and Dowlutabad with-
out garrisons and in ruins, although the countries in their
neighbourhood have been annually plundered.
* Till now, I expected the Peshwah at Poonah on the 2nd
of May ; and yesterday I directed a movement to the north-
ward of the Nizam's army and the subsidiary force, which
are on his High ness's frontier, according to the former dis-
position. If this expedition of Holkar is only for the common
plunder, Colonel Stevenson's movement will check it ; and the
Nizam's army will still be in a situation to combine its opera-
tions with, or even to join, this force. If Holkar attacks
Aurungabad or Dowlutabad, or attempts any other solid en-
terprise, Colonel Stevenson will move to the assistance of the
part attacked with all celerity ; and I must move to the north-
ward and eastward likewise, as soon as the Peshwah shall
arrive at Poonah, in order to keep up our communication, and
to be able to afford him assistance, if any movement should be
made by Scindiah.
* However, I am sure that Holkar will move off directly ;
and I shall write to him this day, to desire him to desist from
these attacks upon the Nizam's territory.
' I am most anxious for the Pesh wall's arrival. If he had
moved on the day that I proposed, he would have been at
Poonah before now, and I should have been at liberty to take
1803. POONAII. 93
up a position on the Nizam's frontier, which must have secured
it from insult.
4 Malcolm is gone to meet the Peshwah.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
4 The Governor General.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General, the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut, Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, with the Peshwah.
« MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Panowullah, 30th April, 1803.
'In hopes that the Peshwah would be at Poonah by the
2nd of May, which I have entertained in consequence of my
communications with those of his sirdars here who correspond
with him, I disturbed the disposition which I had made of the
troops, and authorized Colonel Stevenson to move for the
relief of Aurungabad. You may easily conceive, then, how
uneasy I am at his Highness's delays : however, they cannot
be helped, and must be submitted to.
' In my letter of the 28th, I apprised you of my reasons for
halting here The cattle are gone up the valley to graze, and
are as far on as Worgaum.
* I get plenty of forage for the cattle that remain here.
* I have written a letter to Holkar, to desire him to with-
hold from the plunder of the Nizam's country, which I dare
say will have no effect. I have also written to Chinchore
Deo, to desire him to withdraw from the Konkan entirely,
and, lest he should make an excuse for not complying with my
desire, that my troops are in the ghaut. I have told him that
he may come up to the Bhore Ghaut, and that my troops will
allow him to pass. Bistnapah Punt is there with the Mysore
horse, a company of infantry, and the pioneers. I write to
Colonel Murray to forward my supplies, particularly of
arrack, even although the Peshwah should not march.
' Malcolm went on to the ghaut yesterday, but returned this
day, when he heard of his Highness's delays.
' I have no news for you. It is reported that Holkar in-
tends to make a slight dash at Hyderabad. I have desired
Stevenson to have an eye to that quarter. If he should do
94 POONAII. 1803.
no further mischief, I should not be sorry if he was to fall in
with Heshmut's zenana.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close." ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
< SIR, * Camp at Panowullah, 30th April, 1803.
* I learn by letters from Colonel Close, that some delay has
occurred in the movement of his Highness the Peshwah, and
it is possible that there may be more. Under these circum-
stances, I have to request that as soon as any of the articles of
supply which I have required from Bombay shall have arrived
at Panwell, with the means of moving them, you will order
them to be forwarded without delay. Those of which I am
principally in want at present are arrack, and wheels for
ordnance carriages. The former can be carried upon coolies,
which I requested might be sent from Bombay for that pur-
pose ; or upon 400 bullocks, which I learn from Colonel Close
you have hired for the public service, and have dispatched
to Panwell. The latter can be carried upon coolies : a small
escort can protect their march to the Bhore Ghaut, where there
are troops belonging to me. I am most anxious for the arrival
of the arrack. I shall not want the wheels till after the Peshwah
shall arrive at Poonah.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
• Colonel Murray: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' I have received your letter of the 27th.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Panowullah, 30th April, 1803.
' There are reports here that Holkar intends moving upon
Hyderabad with a light army; and they appear to come
from something like authority. However, I do not believe
these reports ; although we ought to be prepared for every
thing, from a disposition so wild and unmanageable as Hol-
kar's is represented to be. I therefore recommend you to
have an eye to your right ; and if you find that Holkar really
makes this dash at Hyderabad, you must move upon that
place as quickly as you can.
1803. POONAH. 95
« You will of course prevent the pindarries from cutting off
your communication. Indeed, they will not venture to at-
tempt it when there is such a body of horse in your camps,
and they ought to be cut up most unmercifully whenever they
are caught.
* 1 am sorry to tell you that the Peshwah has delayed his
march, and that he will not arrive at Poonah till the 6th or
7th. However, that must make no difference in your move-
ments, under present circumstances.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, with the Peshwah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Panowullah, 1st May, 1803.
' I have just received your letter of the 28th April.
4 My former letters will have informed you of my reasons
for staying here, and of those I had for sending back to Poo-
nah the Marhatta chiefs, with their troops.
' The ladies of the Peshwah 's family are now in Poonah,
and have particularly requested that I should not go farther
off than Tullygaum, and that the Marhatta troops should re-
main near the city. I am afraid also that if I march towards
the ghauts, there will be great alarm in the town.
' On the other hand, I do not see any probability that an
attempt will be made by any party to obstruct the Peshwah's
march ; and therefore, upon the whole, I think it best to re-
main in my present position, and that the Marhatta chiefs
should stay at Poonah.
' If, however, you think that I ought to move towards the
ghauts, or that the Peshwah would be gratified by my making
a march or two to meet him, I will do so, either with the
troops, or alone, as you may think best.
' Believe me, &c.
'Lieut. Colonel Close.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of
Government, Bombay.
( SIR, ' Poonah, 2nd May, 1803.
4 1 have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 29th ult., with its several enclosures.
96 POONAH. 1803.
e Having already had a sufficient number of wheels con-
structed at this place for the iron 12 pounders, I do not now
want any wheels of that description from Bombay ; but I
request to have as many tumbril wheels as can be prepared, to
be sent forward from time to time, as they may be in readi-
ness. The dimensions of the axletrees of the tumbrils were
sent on to the Resident with the Peshwah ; but if the naves of
these wheels are unbored, they will answer so much the better,
and the brass boxes can be fitted in them here.
' I can procure whatever timber I want at this place ; and
I have directed Captain Noble, the Commissary of Stores, to
correspond with Captain Blackall regarding the quantities and
dimensions of the iron which will be required for tires ; and I
beg that the latter officer may be instructed to attend to Cap-
tain Noble's representations on that head, and to send that
iron as soon as possible.
' I have also desired Captain Noble to transmit a list of the
artificers required by him, specifying all the particulars relat-
ing to them, upon which Captain Blackall has desired in-
formation.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
« The Sec. of Gov., Bombay.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Panowullah, 2nd May, 1803.
' I came over here this morning to see how my park was
coming on ; and I have received your letters of the 29th and
30th April. The account of your hircarrahs, transmitted in
your letter of the 29th, is very satisfactory. There is, how-
ever, no reason to believe that the Rajah of Berar has taken
the field ; or that any thing like a peace has been concluded
between Scindiah and Holkar. My last accounts from Bur-
ham poor are in a letter from Colonel Collins, of the 25th
April, in which he does not mention that event as probable.
' I think that the Nizam's government would do well to
take Meer Khan into pay ; and I dare say that his numbers
will not amount to many more than those that his High-
ness is willing to entertain. I shall write mv sentiments upon
this subject to the Resident.
4 1 conclude that you will move to the northward on this
day. 1 do not expect that the Peshwah will arrive here for
1803. POONAH. 97
some time ; but as all those who would be likely to interrupt
his approach are at a distance, I do not think that your being
at a distance from Poonah can be of any detriment ; and 1
think that your movement to the northward will check Hol-
kar's career. I have already written to him, to desire that he
will refrain from plundering the Nizam ; and to inform him
that I had desired you to move towards Aurungabad, for the
defence of his Highness's provinces in that quarter.
' I have perused Mr. Kennedy's memorandum, and the me-
dicines which he requires shall be supplied at Poonah, as well
as the wine and the clothing.
* You must authorize him to entertain carriage for these
articles, which carriage he must immediately send over to
Poonah, to remove them to your camp. Send a small guard
either of sepoys, or Nizam's cavalry, with the cattle.
'You must immediately establish an hospital, and leave in it
all the sick of the Scotch brigade that require carriage. Look
for some secure place for this establishment within the Nizam's
frontier. If you do not do this, the first action you will have
will be ruinous to you. I know that the surgeons will carry
about the sick men till they die ; although I am aware that,
generally speaking, it is best to keep the sick with their corps ;
but in a case of this kind, where there are so many men sick,
and the carriage for the sick is so insufficient, and there is every
probability that there will be more sick, an hospital must be
established, in which every case not on the mending hand
ought to be thrown.
' I cannot give Mr. Kennedy any assistance of surgeons.
The best man you have should be left in charge of the hos-
pital, and the care of the corps from which you take him
given to somebody else. One gentleman will easily attend
two corps.
' I shall go back to my camp this night.
' Believe me, &c.
« Colonel Stevenson: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
< SIR, ' Panowullah, 2nd May, 1803.
* I have received your letter of the 30th of April. I approve
of your leaving only three companies at Pan well, under the
VOL. in. H
98 i-ooNAii. 1803.
notion that the Konkan is quiet, and likely to submit to the
Fesh wall's government ; and that these companies will be
sufficient to afford escorts to the supplies coming from
thence, at least as far as the Bhore Ghaut, where I have some
troops.
' I learn from Colonel Close, that there is a prospect that
the places of which I requested you to get possession, in my
letter of the 26th of April, are likely to submit to the Peshwah.
Their submission will bring matters in the Konkan to a state
very favorable to our communications with Panwell. But
their submission ought to be insured before our troops quit
the Konkan; otherwise either I shall be obliged to send thi-
ther another detachment, or to have larger escorts than can be
conveniently afforded for the supplies which must be drawn
from Panwell.
' 1 expect that those articles, of which I am most in want,
will have been prepared to move from Panwell with you ;
otherwise the arrack, in particular, must follow at the earliest
possible period, escorted by a party of the troops left for the
security of the post. I have sent a small detachment with my
brinjarries, who, however, I do not expect will arrive at Pan-
well for some days.
' It is difficult to determine what ought to be done with your
money. I brought from Mysore many coins not the currency
of some of the districts through which I marched ; but I pre-
vailed upon the chiefs with me to publish proclamations stat-
ing the value of those coins, and promising that they should
be received in payment of the revenue at the same.
' This expedient has also been lately adopted at Poonah, in
respect to some of the coin in my camp.
' It is probable that if you mention this subject to Lieut.
Colonel Close, he will be able to prevail upon the Peshwah's
government to adopt a measure of the same kind.
« If that cannot be done, I can suggest no remedy, except-
ing that you should purchase, with your gold mohurs, coins
which are the currency of the Konkan, if they can be found.
' To issue the gold mohurs to the troops, or to the dealers,
at a depreciated rate of exchange, will answer no purpose ; and
will only tend to increase hereafter our inconveniences, from
having coins not the common currency of the country.
' My pioneers are at work upon the Bhore Ghaut, and I dare
1803. POONAH. 99
say that it will be very practicable by the time that you will
arrive there.
' Be so kind as to leave behind your sand bags.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
* Colonel Murray •.* • ARTHUR WKLLKSLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah, with the Peshwah.
( MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Poonah, 2nd May, 1803.
* I came over here this morning to see how my park was
coming on, and I am happy to tell you that I have completed
new wheels for four iron 12 pounders ; and that even if
Bombay cannot assist me, of which I have my doubts, I shall
soon be in style again.
' I have just received your letter of the 30th of April.
Amrut Rao's vakeel is still with me; we have frequent con-
ferences with him, and we know that he has no communication
with any body else. No answer, however, has yet been re-
ceived from Amrut Rao.
' I am on good terms with the killadar of Loghur, though
I believe he is a little afraid of me. I have, however, written
to him twice, and have received friendly answers.
' I have written this day to Colonel Murray about Bulwunt
Rao's posts in the Konkan, and other matters, a letter which
he will communicate to you. I told you that I had written
to Chinchore Deo ; but my letter will now be of no use, as he
has joined the Peshwah.
' I hear all that Ram Dyall says, but I do not believe one
word of it. I had yesterday a letter from Collins, dated the
25th of April, from which it appears that no steps had been
taken in the supposed treaty of peace so late as that day.
' I get some bullocks here, and I hope my own are reco-
vering.
' Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Panowullah, 3rd May, 1803,
' I received last night, upon my return from Poonah, your
letters of the 28th, and one of the 1st instant. It is very pro-
bable that Meer Khan intends to enter the Nizam's service ;
H 2
100 POONAII. 1803.
but lie found the durbar rather dilatory in giving an answer to
his proposals ; and although he said that he had desired to be
dismissed from Holkar's service, it is probable that he delayed
to express that desire till he should be certain that he was to
be received by the Nizam, with the number of followers that
he should think proper to bring with him. Indeed, I think
that if he should quit Holkar's service, he will not take a
formal leave ; in the mean time, so long as he remains in it, it
is natural that his troops should be enumerated amongst the
forces of Holkar, and that the hircarrahs who report what they
hear, or the more numerous people who report what they in-
vent, should detail the intended operations of that body as well
as of the others. In respect to the route to be taken by your
provisions expected from Hyderabad, you must give your own
orders to them. They are now, I suppose, directed to march
upon Perinda by Beeder, and along the Mangeyra river : by
the time that they will arrive at Beeder,, it is probable that you
will have been able to determine upon the position which you
will take, or upon your march to the northward, according to
my letter of the 28th of April, and you can direct the march
of your provisions accordingly.
' I heard yesterday evening, at Poonah, that Holkar had
received some money from Aurungabad, how much I cannot
say ; and that he was gone off towards Hindustan. If this
account be true, it will enable you to take up your proposed
position on the Seenah. I am sorry to find that you have reason
to complain of your brinjarries. If you should want arrack, you
must send carriage bullocks to Poonah for it, with a guard.
' Believe me, &c.
4 Colonel Stevenson." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah with the Peshwah.
6 MY DEAR COLONEL, 'Camp at Panowullah, 3rd May, 1803.
' I have received your letters of the 1st and 2nd instant. I
return Collins's dispatch, of which I have transmitted a copy to
General Stuart. It is my opinion that Scindiah will not move,
and that the report of this intention has been circulated in
order to try to intimidate us or the Nizam ; or that if he does
move, that he will not venture to cross the Godavery. If he
should, however, come this way, I think that General Stuart
ought to cross the Toombuddra and come to Moodgul.
1803. POONAH. 10L
* I shall be more than equal to Scindiah ; and Stevenson is
fully equal to the defence of the Nizam's country. Hyderabad
is reinforced by two battalions. If Scindiah and Holkar should
join in moving here, or in an attack upon the Nizam, Steven-
son and I must approach one another and co-operate ; leaving
here, in the latter case, a sufficient force for the protection of
the Peshwah 's person.
e General Stuart's position at Moodgul will enable him to
move upon Hyderabad, or Poonah, from neither of which he
will be at any great distance, to provide for the defence of the
Company's frontier, till the rivers fill, and to keep the southern
jaghiredars in check.
4 If he moves to Hyderabad at once, he abandons all the
other objects.
' I am pretty certain that we cannot expect much more than
neutrality from the southern jaghiredars, if Scindiah and
Holkar join hostilities against us, unless the Peshwah should
cordially reconcile with them, and handsomely reward them.
' They will return under various pretences to their jaghires ;
and unless there should be some check upon them, their neu-
trality will soon degenerate into an enmity, more destructive
to us by far than any we shall have to contend with in this
quarter.
' I shall go to the Ghaut to meet the Peshwah with plea-
sure; but you must be aware how prejudicial any length of ab-
sence will be ; and I shall not therefore move till I hear from
you, either that his Highness is at the Ghaut, or the certain
day on which he will be there. These delays are certainly
terrible, particularly at the present moment.
' I am glad to find from Colonel Murray that the Peshwah
has possession of Abtah and Carnallah.
4 Believe me, &c.
• Lieut. Colonel Close: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of
Government, Bombay.
« SIR, ' Camp at Panowullah, 4th May, 1803.
* I have to inform you that I have lately arrested in this
camp two wandering Europeans, who, I rather believe, are
deserters from the Portuguese service ; and I have sent them
in charge of a party going from hence to Pan well with brin-
jarry bullocks.
102 POONAH. 1803,
6 My object in arresting them was to prevent people of this
description from frequenting this camp, with a view to entice the
European soldiers to desert; and 1 have directed that they may
be sent over to Bombay, and delivered over in charge to the
town major of that garrison.
' I shall be obliged to you if you will bring my request
before the Honorable the Governor in Council, that these men
may be sent to Goa by the first opportunity that may offer.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. ofGov. Bombay: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Welles ley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
* SIR, ' Camp at Panowullah, 4th May, 1803.
* I have the honor to enclose a letter from Colonel Mon-
tresor, in which he recommends that Lieut. Bruton may be
appointed Brigade Major in Malabar. You will observe what
he says respecting Captain Watson, to whom I believe it was
your intention to give this appointment.
' I likewise enclose a letter which I have received from
Captain Noble, upon the subject of his allowances. I have
seldom seen an officer who has taken more pains with a de-
partment, and has brought one on with more success than
Captain Noble has that entrusted to his charge ; and he is
now most usefully employed in the re-construction of all our
wheels, in which he has made more progress, under all disadvan-
tages, than has been made in the arsenal of Bombay.
The Peshwah had not arrived at Panwell at two o'clock yes-
terday, but Colonel Close wrote at that hour that he expected
him in the evening.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah with the Peshwah.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Panowullah, 4th May, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 3rd. This delay of the
Peshwah's is terrible. A letter goes this day to Captain
Young at Panwell, upon the subject of the supplies there.
The first plan was to lodge every thing in storehouses ; after-
wards it was determined that nothing should be landed, but
that all should remain in boats, till the cattle should be pre-
1803. POONAII. 103
pared to receive their contents. I do not know for what
reason this last plan has been departed from ; but I have
desired Captain Young to take care to place every thing under
cover that he may land. The brinjarries are gone down, and
this day a number of bullocks will go off for grain. Captain
Young as well as Captain Moor will be apprised of their
number.
' Believe me, &c.
• Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
• SIR, ' Camp at Panowullah, 4th May, 1803.
' I have received your letters of the 2nd and 3rd ; and have
desired the officer in command of the troops in the Bhore
Ghaut to relieve the detachment coming with the arrack, and
to forward it to me.
' It is very desirable that the tranquillity of the Konkan
should be insured, before the whole of your detachment moves
up the Ghauts. But I imagine that when the Peshwah moves
forward, and is prepared to ascend the Bhore Ghaut, it will
not be possible for you to remain behind with the main body
of the detachment. This, however, will depend upon the
communications which you will have with Lieut. Colonel
Close.
6 I have little doubt but that the forts of Abtah and Car-
nallah will admit the Peshwah's garrisons, and that then the
tranquillity of the Konkan will be insured.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray.' < ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
4 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 5th May, 1803.
1 I have received your letter of the 3rd. I am glad to find
that you are getting on so well, and that you have so fair a
prospect of reaching your destination. It is now reported
that Holkar has quitted the Nizam's territories, and is about
to move to the northward ; but I cannot say what truth there
is in this report. Colonel Collins writes that Scindiah was to
march from Burhampoor on the 6th instant ; I cannot say
whether or not he will carry that intention into execution,
or supposing that he should, with what object. But it is
104 POONAH. 1803.
necessary that we should take into consideration the general
views which he may have, and that we should be prepared
with plans accordingly. This march of Scindiah may be pre-
ceded by, or connected with a reconciliation with Jeswunt
Rao Holkar ; and it may be intended to interrupt the execu-
tion of the arrangement between the Company and the Pesh-
wah. The parties may attempt to carry into execution this
intention, by an invasion of the Nizam's territories by Holkar,
while Scindiah will advance towards Poonah. In that case,
the defence of the Nizam's territories must depend upon you
and the Nizam's army ; while I shall deal with Scindiah : or
both parties may invade the Nizam's territories, in which case
your force and mine must confine their operations to their de-
fence, leaving at Poonah a sufficient force for the protection of
the Peshwah's person : or both parties may advance together
towards Poonah, in which case your force and mine must
co-operate, or join in this quarter. In each of these last
hypotheses, you will observe the necessity that we should be
within reach of each other ; at the same time that it is neces-
sary that you should be in a situation to defend the Nizam's
territories, if they should be attacked, and that I should be at
no great distance from Poonah. The position which you pro-
pose to take upon the Seenah appears to be the best that you
could have for all purposes ; and I think it probable that it
will check all predatory invasions of the Nizam's territory ;
particularly if you keep the Nizam's light cavalry in motion
along the frontier, and thus frighten any small party from
coming in.
* I beg you to bear in mind the general view I have above
given of the probable plans of those to whom we may be
opposed, and that of the mode in which we must act to defeat
them.
' With the imperfect knowledge we have of their designs,
it is impossible to do more at present than lay down general
principles and objects ; and I rely upon you for doing every
thing in your power to forward my wishes. I have just heard
that the Peshwah will be up the Ghaut this day, in which
case he will be at Poonah about the 7th or 8th.
' Believe me, &c.
4 Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WEI.LESLEY.
1803. POONAH. 105
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
6 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 5th May, 1803.
' I have received your two letters of the 3rd in the evening.
In respect to Colonel Murray's march, my first idea was, that I
should put the Peshwah in possession of Abtah and Carnallah,
with a part of the detachment ; while the remainder should
be employed in removing the carriages up the Ghaut, and
in escorting his Highness towards Poonah. The Colonel then
informed me that he believed that Abtah and Carnallah had
surrendered ; and that he proposed to leave only a small force
at Pan well, with which arrangement I told him in my letter
of the 21st that I was satisfied, provided it was certain that
we had Abtah and Carnallah. Yesterday I got a letter from
him, proposing to remain in the Konkan with his whole force ;
in answer to which, I told him that it would not be possible for
him to remain behind with the main body, when the Peshwah
would ascend the Ghaut ; and that the strength of the detach-
ments to be left, if the forts of Abtah and Carnallah should not
have surrendered, must depend upon his communications with
you. In regard to the depot at Pan well, my first idea was, that
every thing should be landed, storehouses erected, and all
matters arranged in such manner, as that none of the difficul-
ties and inconveniences would have occurred which you have
mentioned. The gentlemen at Bombay, however, seemed to
think that the best mode of proceeding was not to land the
stores, till the cattle, &c. should have arrived to receive them,
and that they should then be delivered from the boats. I
agreed to this proposal, and suggested all the arrangements
which were likely to facilitate its execution. I imagine that
they now find that large boats cannot come up to Panwell ; that
small boats loaded reach it with difficulty ; and that the stores
would be exposed to the weather in these last ; that it would
be difficult to deliver them from these small boats, and there-
fore that it is best to land them at once ; and now they experience
some inconveniences on account of the want of storehouses,
and they are reduced to adopt the expedients which you have
mentioned. A little inquiry upon these points, before they sent
over the stores, and proposed that they should be delivered
from the boats, would perhaps have been as well. However, as
LOG {'DONAH. lt>03.
it is now, a letter has been written to Captain Young, refer-
ring him to the government of Bombay for orders to build
store rooms, if they should be wanted, and a copy of this let-
ter has been sent to Bombay. In respect to the use which
I shall make of the depot at Panwell, I have to observe that
it must depend upon circumstances. 1 have sent down to
Panwell all the bullocks I had that could walk ; I have
apprised the government of Bombay of their number, of the
loads which they could carry, and of what kinds of stores ; arid
I have regulated the mode in which these stores should be
issued.
' I have also required from the government of Bombay
certain stores for which I could not send carriage : viz., arrack,
ordnance wheels, and iron to repair ordnance wheels ; and I
have requested the government of Bombay to collect the
coolies, who could be hired in Bombay in certain proportions,
to carry up these articles. If they have in the first place pro-
ceeded upon false information regarding the river at Panwell,
and afterwards have omitted to give their officer proper in-
structions regarding the issue of the stores, I see no remedy
for the inconvenience which will be the result of these errors
and omissions, excepting patience to wait till they shall have
corrected them. I have no officer whom I could send there,
that would be of the smallest use ; indeed, from what I have
above written, you will observe, that if I were there myself, 1
could do no good. I have considered Captain Moor's proposal
to supply me with cash, upon which the following reflections
have occurred.
' The expenses of my division amount to about one lac of
pagodas per mensem ; and it is my opinion that I ought to
have always two months' pay in hand. Captain Moor's
source of supply is a good one, if I can stay at or near Poonah ;
and if matters at Poonah should become so settled, as to
restore confidence to the people of property, and these will not
be afraid to show their riches. I cannot be certain, under
present circumstances, that it will be proper for me to remain
at or near Poonah. Many events may occur which will render
it absolutely necessary that I should move towards the Nizam's
frontier ; and on the other hand, if Scindiah commences his
march on the 6th of this month, as is supposed, we must not
expect the immediate revival of confidence in Poonah. I have
1803. rooNAH. 10
therefore written to Mr. Duncan to desire him to send me
money ; and I have suggested that I should give bills upon
him for money to whoever would advance me any, and that
I should be allowed to take it up upon receipt from any person
that will give it, which receipts are to be replaced by bills to
be drawn upon Benares or Calcutta, by the government of
Bombay. By all these modes put together, I may get the
sums I want. After paying the troops their pay for April,
I shall have money enough to pay them for May, in the begin-
ning of June, independently of all foreign supplies.
' Believe me, Sec.
' Lieut. Colonel Close. ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
6 P. S. I have just heard that the Peshwah will be up the
Ghaut, and I leave this place in the morning to meet him at
Karly, or wherever he may encamp to-morrow.1
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Officer commanding the
Pioneers on the Bhore Ghaut.
« SIR, ' Camp, 7th May, 1803.
' On the receipt of this letter you will be so kind as to pre-
pare six ladders, each of thirty feet long. As soon as they
shall be prepared you will send them, with 100 pioneers, to
join the detachment under Colonel Murray, at Choke.
1 1 beg you to apply to Colonel Murray if you should re-
quire any gunpowder to blow rocks, in order to make a prac-
ticable road down the pass.
' I have the honor to be, Sec.
' Officer commanding Pioneers, ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Bhore Ghaut."
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Panowulkh, 7th May, 1803.
' I have received your notes of the 4th. I have little doubt
but that if Holkar should be still before Aurungabad when
you have made your supposed four marches, he will leave
that place ; and it is then desirable that you should halt, for
the reasons I have mentioned to you in my late letters.
But if, notwithstanding your first advance and my letter, he
should still remain near Aurungabad, and should still press
108 POONAH. 1803
that place, you must continue your march forward and beat
him off.
' Under present circumstances, however, I do not mean that
you should follow him ; as in so doing you might get yourself
so far forward that, if he and Scindiah should join, you might
be in a scrape, before I could give you support.
' I have the pleasure to inform you that the Peshwah is now
between this camp and Poonah.
' 1 have pressed Major Kirkpatrick upon the subject of
Meer Khan ; and you may inform his friend Noor ool Oomrah
of this circumstance, and tell him that I think he and his whole
party will be taken into the Nizam's service. But tell Noor
ool Oomrah that it is necessary that Meer Khan should now
move across the Godavery, and out of the Peshwah's territory ;
and take care not to touch upon those of the Nizam, other-
wise he may chance to feel the weight of the English swords,
before he comes to be in the way of fighting on our side.
If he does not immediately move out of the Peshwah's country,
I must arrange an expedition against him.
4 Believe me, &c.
• Colonel Stevenson' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
' SIR, ' Camp at Panowullah, 7th May, 1803.
' I delayed to answer your different letters upon the subject
of the refusal of the killadar to deliver up the fort of Carnallah
to the Peshwah's officers, till I should have an opportunity of
conversing with Lieut. Colonel Close upon that subject. I
availed myself of an opportunity afforded by the arrival
of the Peshwah yesterday in this neighbourhood. I have
determined that I will not suffer the Peshwah's authority
to be trampled upon in the manner in which it has been by the
killadar of Carnallah ; and that the detachment under your
command shall be immediately employed in getting possession
of that fort for his Highness.
1 As soon after the receipt of this letter as may be conve-
nient for you, you will march back to Choke. 1 enclose an
order to the officer commanding the pioneers in the ghauts, to
prepare scaling ladders, and to send them after you, by a
number of pioneers, sufficient to carry them with ease to the
1803. POONAH. 109
attack of the place. On your arrival at Choke you will recon-
noitre closely the Fort of Carnallah. If from the view which
you will take of the place, and the accounts which you will
receive of its strength, you should have reason to believe that
you will be able to get possession of it without breaching the
wall, you will attack it as soon as the pioneers shall have
brought you the ladders from the ghauts. If you should
think it necessary to delay in order to breach the place, you
must wait at Choke till the guns arrive, for which I have
written to Bombay.
' In either case you will send to the killadar a letter, (which
will be transmitted to you this afternoon,) about two hours
before you make your attack.
* For many reasons, but principally because it will save time,
and will contribute much to our military reputation in this
country, I should prefer to attack this fort without breaching
its walls : but I must observe that those attacks are not certain
in their issue, unless they can be made at more than one point
at the same time ; and unless you can cover the advance of the
troops for the assault by a heavy fire of musketry on the de-
fences, and if possible by an enfilade of the part attacked.
You will keep these observations in your recollection, in coming
to a determination upon the mode in which you will attack
the place ; but if the ground should be at all favorable, you
have such a fine body of European troops, that I have no
doubt but that they will take the place by escalade.
' If you should attack Carnallah, the garrison must be made
an example of.
' It will not answer to be obliged to attack many of these
places ; and nothing but a severe example of the garrisons of
those which may be attacked will prevent the occurrence of
this necessity on every day.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
1 SIR, ' Camp, 8th May, 1803.
I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 29th of
April, and I rejoice to find that your means of movement are
so ample. My cattle were certainly much distressed upon
110 PooNAii. 1803.
their arrival iu this neighbourhood, but rest has brought some
of them about again. I get some in this country, and I have
called upon Mr. Duncan for supplies of others. I think that
upon the whole I shall be as well off as ever, before circum-
stances will permit me to move from Poonah. At all events,
I doubt whether I should derive any benefit from your cattle if
you were to send them ; because, although I know that forage
is to be got all along the road, excepting perhaps near Poonah,
I do not think the bullock people would make the necessary
exertions to procure it, and the cattle would arrive here in a
state unfit for service. Thus, without doing this detachment
any benefit, you would deprive yourself of an advantage, which
may be essentially necessary to you hereafter. I do not want
either grain or military stores, and I believe I shall not want
money. However, I shall be able to form a. better judgment
upon this point in a few days, when I hope I shall have
ascertained whether the persons who have been employed by
Mr. Duncan to supply me, have the necessary means in their
power.
* I enclose the copy of a letter from Colonel Collins. You
will there see what his opinion is of the views of the northern
chiefs at present. In a letter, however, he says he knows from
undoubted authority, that Scindiah disapproves of the present
measures of his minister, and he has privately signified thus
much to the Colonel.
' The Peshwah does not go into Poonah until Friday or
Saturday next ; but that is a matter of little consequence, as
we shall immediately begin our business with him, and I hope
we shall make more progress here than we should even if he
were at Poonah. Colonel Close has pressed him to allow me
to have a conference with him this evening. I shall inform
you of all the particulars that may pass whenever I shall see
him.
' Colonel Close has given up his opinion of your movement
towards Hyderabad, and entirely agrees with me that the best
position for your force would be that which I took the liberty
of suggesting to you. He says that the fact is that all the
southern jaghiredars, and every man who has any property in
the empire, wish to see the present arrangement carried into
execution, as the only security for that property ; but that they
are afraid and ashamed to join in its establishment on account
1803. POONAH. ill
of the adverse party, and of the abuse which has been lavished
upon the Peshwah and all those who have adhered to him, or
who have assisted us. The force stationed at Moodgul, which
would be an obvious check upon them, would likewise afford
them an excuse for doing that which they must see to be their
interest.
' You will probably have heard from the Resident at Hyder-
abad, of the irruption at Aurungabad. It is fortunate I took
such early measures to defend his Highness's country, of which
the Resident at Hyderabad has been informed. I hear daily
from Colonel Stevenson ; he is getting on well, and he says in
his last letter that Holkar is gone off from Aurungabad. I had
already heard this report, but I cannot say whether it is true
or not. I do not know whether Holkar has levied a contribu-
tion upon Aurungabad.
( I have the honor to be, &c.
1 Lieut. General Stuart.' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Killadar of Carnallah.
'Camp, 8th May, 1803.
' I have learnt with some degree of concern, that, when you
were desired by Naroo Punt Chinchore Deo to deliver up the
fort of Carnallah to Pundit Purdhaun, you refused, and have
kept possession of the fort, contrary to his Highness's wishes
and commands.
* I have now to inform you, that I have orders from the
British Government to establish and support his Highness's
just and accustomed authority in the Marhatta empire, and to
defend it against all who may be inclined to attack it ; and a
sufficient force has been placed under my command, to enable
me to obey those orders. I shall therefore begin by putting
his Highness in possession of the fort of Carnallah, which un-
doubtedly belongs to him.
' I hereby desire you immediately to deliver up that fort to
Colonel Murray ; and I give you notice, that he has my orders
to attack it in two hours after you shall receive this letter.
6 I also give you notice, that if he should be obliged to
attack the fort, he has my orders to make an example of you
and the garrison. I therefore recommend you to take advan-
tage of the leisure afforded you, to send away your women
and children.
1 12 POONAH. 1803.
' On the other hand, if you choose to deliver up the fort,
Colonel Murray has my orders to give you cowle ; and you
may go wherever you please with your garrison, your pro-
perty, and that of your troops, excepting government stores
and public property ; but your decision must be immediate.
4 The Killadar of Carnallah.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Bappoo Rao Angria.
' Camp, 8th May, 1803.
' You will have heard that in consequence of engagements
entered into between the British Government and Pundit
Purdhaun, I have advanced with a British army to Poonah,
and the consequence is, that his Highness is restored to his
musnud.
' I enclose you a proclamation, according to which I have
directed, and shall continue to direct, my conduct, while I
shall remain in this country. I shall attack nobody who does
not attack me or the Peshwah, or who does not oppose the
just and accustomed authority of his Highness's government ;
and I write to you as a friend, to apprise you of these cir-
cumstances, and to desire you to remain in full confidence,
that so long as you conduct yourself like a faithful servant to
his Highness, no harm shall be done to you.
' Bappoo Rao Angria." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
1 SIR, ' Camp, 8th May, 1803.
' I have the honor to enclose a letter for the killadar of
Carnallah, and another for Angria. You will transmit the
former according to the directions contained in my letter of
yesterday : you will send the latter to Angria, whenever you
may find it convenient. I likewise enclose translations of
those letters. I learn that there is a scarcity of water in the
fort of Carnallah, for which reason the garrison was lately
diminished in numbers. I conclude from this circumstance,
as well as from your account of the strength of the garrison,
either that the fort will be evacuated upon your return to
Choke, or when the killadar shall learn that you intend to attack
it ; at all events, that you will be able to attack it as soon as
you will receive the ladders. When you shall have possession
1803. POONAFI. 113
of Carnallah, you will deliver it over to the Peshwah's officer,
who is in that neighbourhood, and you will march to join me
as soon as it shall be convenient to you.
J I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray: * ARTHUR WKLLESLEY,
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, 4 Camp, 9th May, 1803.
' Matters have taken rather a serious turn to the north-
ward. It appears by the dispatches come in from Colonel
Collins, one of the 1st, the other of the 2nd, that the Rajah
of Berar has marched from Nagpoor towards Oomrawooty,
which place appears to be within the Nizam's northern boun-
dary; that Scindiah was about to move from Burhampoor
on the 4th, to meet the Rajah of Berar near that place, also
within the Nizam's boundary ; and that Scindiah has, in a
letter to the Governor General, positively declared his right
to demand choute from the Nizam's territories.
* Colonel Collins had written a letter to Scindiah on the
2nd, to desire to withdraw from his court, if he was about to
enter the Nizam's territories to meet the Berar Rajah ; and to
have an escort to conduct him to Poonah. He had not re-
ceived an answer to this letter. 1 do not know where Holkar
is, but I imagine that he also is gone to the northward.
' Colonel Collins says that Meer Khan has joined him. As
soon as I can get the Peshwah into Poonah, I intend to march
towards the Nizam's frontier. You must have an eye to this
collection to the northward. Scindiah has rather hurried for-
ward his march from Burhampoor, from which I conjecture
that some enterprise of importance in the Nizam's country is
intended previous to the rains. The only enterprise which
will signify one pin, will be an attempt upon Hyderabad.
You must therefore be prepared to march towards Hyderabad
immediately, if you should find that they go that way. As-
certain the road, distances, &c. If they do not move towards
Hyderabad, in a few days after you receive this letter, you
may depend upon it they will not attempt it : they will not
have time to establish themselves there, or to plunder the
place, before the Godavery fills ; and they will not like to risk
an attack upon their armies, by our united force, with that
river full in their rear. Upon these grounds, therefore, I
VOL. Ill, J[
114 POONAH. 1803.
recommend that, for a short time, you should keep your eye
upon Hyderabad. Afterwards we may look to other objects.
' The Peshwah goes into Poonah on Friday.
' I shall move immediately afterwards towards the Nizam's
frontier.
' I have received your letter of the 7th.
* Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Governor General.
' Camp at Chinchore, near Poonah,
' MY LORD, 10th May, 1803.
' I received this day your letter of the 22nd of April, and I
shall immediately write the dispatches which you have desired
I should. As, however, appearances are doubtful to the north-
ward, as you will perceive by Colonel Collins's late dispatches,
I cannot fix the time at which the troops can return to their
stations. But I still think we shall not have a war.
4 We are playing a little at cross purposes here : Colonel
Collins encourages Scindiah to march to Poonah, or rather
does not object to that march, which ought to be done at pre-
sent. Colonel Close and I think that the Peshwah ought to
write to Scindiah to inform him that he has regained his
power, and that he must not come here ; and that I ought to
write a letter to Scindiah in similar terms. The consequence
of his coming will be a contest, preceded by a long Marhatta
negotiation, in the course of which he will intrigue with all the
Peshwah's chiefs, shake their allegiance, and throw the country
(which is getting into order) into a new scene of confusion.
It is better by far that the contest should be at a distance ; but
there is a far better chance of avoiding it entirely, if we keep
him away.
* We ought to have some authority here to settle matters
with all these chiefs, under some general instructions from you.
The state of affairs varies daily, and before orders can come
from Bengal upon any question, the circumstances which
ought to guide the decision have entirely changed. Besides,
the fact that Colonel Collins does not object to Scindiah's
march to Poonah, and that Colonel Close and I think it
necessary to object to it, shows the propriety of vesting some
person with authority to direct all our affairs in this quarter.
1803. POONAH. 11 o
« Malcolm is not very well, and is gone into Poonah ; but I
have proposed to him to go to Bengal, to point out to you the
state of affairs in this quarter, and to urge the adoption of
this measure.
* You will hear from Colonel Close how the Peshwah is
going on. As soon as he makes his entry into Poonah, and I
shall have settled at that place the detachment which may be
deemed sufficient for the protection of his person, I intend to
move towards the Nizam's frontier.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Governor General: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Right Hon. Lord Hobart,
Secretary of State.
* MY LORD, ' Camp at Chinsura, near Poonah, ICth May, 1803.
' In consequence of orders from his Excellency the Governor
General, of which I enclose a copy, I transmit to your Lord-
ship an account of the proceedings of the British troops under
my command to this date. You will have heard from the
Government that I was detached in the month of March from
the army assembled on the frontiers of Mysore, with about
9000 men, to effect a junction with the Company's troops
subsidized by the Nizam, and his Highness's army assembled
on the western frontier ; and then to proceed to Poonah, in
order to assist in the restoration of the Peshwah to the exercise
of the power of his government. I marched nearly six hun-
dred miles through the territories of the Marhattas, not only
unopposed by them,, but I received all the assistance which
their country could afford. As the country, however, through
which I marched since I crossed the river Kistna, had been
the scene of the horrid depredations of Jeswunt Rao Hol-
kar's troops, I could not draw much from it. I was joined
on my march by several of the jaghiredars in the southern
districts, principally those who served with the British troops
under my command in the year 1800 ; and by the Peshwah's
officers who had quitted his Highness, by his desire, when he
fled from Mharr, after the defeat of his army by Jeswunt Rao
Holkar, in the neighbourhood of Poonah. At length I formed
a junction with the subsidiary force and the Nizam's army, to
the northward of Punderpoor, on the 15th of April.
1 Jeswunt Rao Holkar quitted Poonah in the end of March,
i 2
116 POONAH. 1803.
and went towards Chandore, a fortress in his possession to the
northward of the river Godavery. His detachments, which had
been as far to the southward as the neighbourhood of Meritch
and that of Beejapoor, fell back as I advanced, and at length
went off to the northward when I formed the junction with
the Nizam's army. I was thus enabled to make a disposition
of the troops which would provide for the security of the
Nizam's frontier ; and for that of the march of the Peshwah
from Bassein to his capital.
' Accordingly, having reinforced the subsidiary force by a
regiment of European infantry, I broke up immediately again
and moved upon Poonah, with my own division and the
Marhattas, where I arrived on the 20th of April ; and I left the
Nizam's troops upon his Highness's frontier.
' From thence, in the neighbourhood of Gardoon, our line
extended to the Western Ghauts, and the troops could subsist
with ease, and could assemble at any point at a short notice.
After I had made this disposition, I learned that Jeswunt Rao
Holkar had entered the Nizam's territories in the neighbour-
hood of Aurungabad, that he had surrounded that city with
his troops, and had demanded large sums of money from the
inhabitants.
6 The Peshwah was not arrived at Poonah ; but as he was
attended by a detachment of the Bombay army, consisting of
the 78th regiment, five companies of the 84th, and a battalion
of native infantry, with artillery, under Colonel Murray,
there was every appearance that his march to his capital would
be uninterrupted. On the 28th of April, I ordered Colonel
Stevenson, the commanding officer of the subsidiary force
serving with the Nizam, to move to the northward with that
force and the Nizam's army. I expected that Jeswunt Rao
Holkar, whom I apprised of these orders, would draw off, as
soon as he should find that Colonel Stevenson was approaching
him, and he has done so. Colonel Stevenson is now posted
upon the river Seenah, about fifty miles to the northward of
Gardoon ; from which place he can protect the Nizam's fron-
tier as far as Aurungabad, or he can move towards Hyder-
abad, or can join with my division, as may appear advisable.
The Peshwah arrived at Chinsura, about eight miles from
Poonah, on the 7th instant, and his Highness proposes to
make his entry into his capital on the 13th instant. By that
1803. POONAH. 117
time the detachment from the Bombay army under Colonel
Murray will have got possession of the fort of Carnallah, in
the Konkan, the killadar of which refused to deliver the fort
to his Highness the Peshwah ; and I shall then move towards
the frontier of the Nizam.
' It is impossible to obey the orders conveyed in the second
and third paragraphs of the enclosed copy of a letter from his
Excellency the Governor General, for reasons connected with
certain political events which have occurred since the probable
date of his Excellency's dispatches to your Lordship. At that
period the Governor General must have received the accounts
from the Resident in the camp of Dowlut Rao Scindiah ; from
•which there was every reason to believe, from his own declara-
tions, that that prince was satisfied in his own mind that the
treaty of Bassein contained no stipulations injurious to his in-
terests, and that he would not endeavour to prevent the parties
from carrying it into execution. But by dispatches written to
the Governor General by the Resident with Scindiah, on the
25th of April and the 1st and 2nd instant, copies of which I
have perused, it appears that the disposition of Dowlut Rao
Scindiah towards the Nizam is not so friendly as might have
been expected, and that that prince intended to march from
Burhampoor on the 4th instant. I am doubtful of the direc-
tion of his march ; but it is reported that he intends to ap-
proach the Nizam's frontier to meet there the Rajah of Berar.
Your Lordship will observe that I have already taken mea-
sures for the defence of the territories of his Highness the
Nizam ; and that I propose to march to that quarter with my
own division, as soon as the Peshwah shall have entered
Poonah ; leaving at that city such a detachment of the Bombay
troops as may be deemed sufficient for the protection of his
Highness' s person.
' These measures, as they must preclude all hopes of form-
ing an establishment within the Nizam's frontier, or of any
very lucrative plunder, in the short space of time between this
and the period at which the rivers will fill that rise in the
Western Ghauts, may probably prevent the supposed march
into the Nizam's territories. At all events, it is my opinion
that neither Dowlut Rao Scindiah, the Rajah of Berar, nor
Jeswunt Rao Holkar will venture to remain within our reach,
118 POOXAH. lb>03.
where their operations will be confined by the rivers. There-
fore the invasion of the Nizam's territories, if it should be
made, will be confined to his frontiers.
' Upon the whole, considering the slight hopes of advantage
which these Chiefs can have in this invasion, and the certain
loss to which two of them at least must be liable, from a state
of hostility with the British Government, with which your
Lordship must be well acquainted, I cannot believe that they
will venture upon a course of measures so hopeless ; and it is
probable that the reports of the march of the Rajah of Berar,
and of the direction of the march of Dowlut Rao Scindiah
towards the Nizam's territories, have been circulated with a
view to intimidate the Peshwah and the Nizam. But until the
views of these princes are decided, it is impossible to recom-
mend that the army in this quarter should be broken up. In
the mean time, the Peshwah's government is settling fast ; and
his Highness appears to be decided to adhere to the treaty
with the Company, and to forward all the objects of the alliance.
If, contrary to my expectations, the northern Chiefs should
be determined upon hostilities with the British Government,
the military position which we have obtained by the treaty of
Bassein and by the rapid march of the division under my
command, and the advanced state of our military preparations,
afford means of protecting the territories of the Company and
of the Rajah of Mysore. It is unfortunate that the territories
of the Nizam should have suffered by the irruption of a free-
booter at Aurungabad, and that they should be threatened
again by Dowlut Rao Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar. But
scarcely a year has passed in which his Highness has not
suffered or apprehended a similar misfortune ; and there is no
doubt but that he must have suffered in a greater degree in
this year, if the treaty of Bassein had not been concluded.
The certain consequence of the establishment of the power of
Jeswunt Rao Holkar at Poonah must have been the invasion
of the Nizam's territory, if only for the subsistence of the
troops. It would not have been possible to draw subsistence
for those numerous bodies of horse, for another year, from
the countries between the Godavery and the Kistna, through
which I have marched ; and they must have sought for it
either in the Nizam's territories or in the countries to the
1803. POONAH. 119
southward of the Kistna. In either case the Nizam*s territo-
ries would have been invaded ; and in the latter those of the
Company and of the Rajah of Mysore. Although it is by no
means certain that endeavours will be made by any of the
Marhatta chiefs to interrupt the execution of the treaty of
Bassein ; yet as appearances are doubtful, and the reports
which are in circulation may reach your Lordship, I have
thought it proper to avail myself of the orders of his Excel-
lency the Governor General, to make you acquainted with the
real state of the public affairs in this quarter; and with the
means which we have of resisting this interruption, and of de-
fending the Company's ally, the Nizam.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' LordHobart.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
<SiR, 'Camp, llth May, 1803.
1 1 have received a letter this day from Mr. Duncan, by which
I learn that the chance of my being supplied with money from
Bombay is but very small ; and I think that I cannot depend
much upon getting money at Poonah for bills upon Bombay
or Bengal. I shall therefore be obliged to you if you will
send me a lac of pagodas. Silver answers better here than
gold, that is to say, if they are rupees of the proper kind, such
as Chandoree, of which I believe you can have but very few.
But Sultany or Behaudry pagodas will answer better than any
other silver coin — than those or than any gold coin.
' There is another advantage in these pagodas, which is,
that they can be easily coined. In my opinion, the best way
of sending this money would be on the hircarrah camels,
escorted by a company of native infantry. They ought to go
from your camp to Sungoly, on the Malpoorba, either direct
by Dummul, Gudduck, Noulgound, Bedkeerah, and Sungoly ;
or by the Werdah and the road by which I marched. If
they come by the former route, it would be as well that there
should be two companies for the escort as far as Sungoly, as
they will pass through Goklah's country, where there may be
some of his troops in distress. From Sungoly they will go to
Goorgherry upon the Gutpurba, and thence to Erroor on the
Kistna ; and from Erroor by the direct road to Poonah, upon
120 POONAII. 1803.
Which instructions will be sent to the officer commanding at
Erroor. The officer ought to be instructed to take care to
keep the camels well fed, and to make long marches, generally
in the night if he can. I have no news this day ; I am to see
the Peshwah this evening.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
1 Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the //on. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
« SIR, ' Chinchore, llth May, 1803.
' I received yesterday your letter of the 9th instant ; and by
one which I have also received from the officer commanding
the pioneers, I observe that the scaling ladders will have ar-
rived at Choke yesterday, I hope therefore you will have
received them this day.
' By a dispatch I have this day received from Mr. Duncan,
I learn that, agreeably to my request, the 18 pounder guns
were to be sent from Bombay to Panwell on the 9th, in the
event of their being found necessary for the reduction of the
fort of Carnallah : as, however, their arrival at Panwell may
still be considered doubtful — and, at all events, their being used
may be attended with considerable delay — it is very desirable
that the business at that fort should, if possible, be effected
without them.
' I am glad you propose to supply your want of cash from
that coming from Panwell to my camp, amounting, as I un-
derstand, to 40,000 rupees.
1 1 have the honor to be, &c.
4 Colonel Murray.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 12th May, 1803.
' I enclose the copy of a letter which I have received from
Colonel Collins. I do not know where Shawpoor * is.
4 I came here this day, in order to turn out our line for the
Peshwah, on his arrival to-morrow.
« I visited his Highness yesterday evening according to ap-
pointment ; but as his ministers said that he had no apartment
* Shawpoor, near Burhainpoor.
1803. POONAH. 121
in his dwelling at Chinsura, in which I could have a private
conference with him, this was deferred till Saturday.
' I have the pleasure to inform you that Colonel Murray
has put the Peshwah's officers in possession of the fort of Car-
nallah. The killadar delivered up the place. The Colonel
will now march here immediately.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
• Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, * Camp at Poonah, 12th May, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 9th, and I think you
have done right in making the forward movement which you
have reported. Holkar was at Aurungabad, as far as I can
learn, on the 7th. I have received two letters from him,
professing friendship. In one, in answer to my letter, he says
that the only money he has taken from the Soubahdar of
Aurungabad, was a sum due for the revenues of two vil-
lages belonging to him, by name Savygaum and Amberry,
which the Soubahdar has received for five years. He swears
that he has done no other injury to the Nizam's country. I
dare say that there is not one word of truth in this story.
This letter is dated the 15th of Mohurroum. His army at
Aurungabad consisted mostly of cavalry ; he has sent the
infantry, excepting one campoo, in different directions. His
cavalry altogether are not more than 16,000, of which 8000
only are fighting men, exclusive of Meer Khan's and Sha-
hamut Khan's parties. These two are likewise detached ;
and it is reported in the camp, that Holkar and Meer Khan
have quarrelled. Holkar says, in the end of his letter, that he
has marched forward ; but where, he does not say ; and I
do not believe he has marched at all. Scindiah marched from
Burhampoor on the 4th. Colonel Collins writes me from
Shawpoor on the 7th, that Ballojee Koonger, the vakeel from
the Peshwah, was to meet him there on that day; and that
after having had a conference with that person, Scindiah would
proceed by forced marches to Badowly, to meet the JRajah of
Berar. Colonel Collins also tells me, that it is reported that
Scindiah and Holkar had made peace . I shall not be able to
march from hence certainly before the 20th. You must keep
122 POONAH. 1803.
a good look out forward, therefore ; and take care not to
adventure yourself single handed, against the combined forces
of those Chiefs. You do well to make basket boats. But if
the government o f Bombay are as active as they ought to be,
I shall have a bridge of boats. With this, we shall be able to
carry on the war wherever we please. I believe that the
rivers will not fill till the middle of June.
* Believe me, &c.
« Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to J. H. Peile, Esq.
' MY DEAR PEILE, ' Camp at Poonah, 14th May, 1803.
• As the rivers will fill between the 14th and 20th of June,
it is necessary that measures should be taken to insure the
arrival of the boats made in the Mysore country, and of the
boatmen, at the posts of Hurryhur and of Deogerry, on the
Werdah, as soon as may be convenient. I shall be obliged to
you, if you will speak to Purneah upon this subject.
' One or two of the boats for the Werdah ought to be
carried to that river early in June, to be used as soon as the
river shall fill, so that the communication will not be stopped.
The remainder may be floated down the river from Chander-
gooty, when it shall fill.
' I hope that Purneah will be able to supply a large num-
ber of boat people, for I have no chance of getting any in
the Marhatta country, even at our high rate of pay. What-
ever number he may supply, may be divided at first between
the post at Hurryhur, and that on the Werdah. If he should
be able to give more than are wanted for these, they must be
distributed among the other rivers.
' You were quite right respecting PurnealVs money : I had
not returned it to you, but Barclay has paid it, or will pay it
this day, to your brother. I am sorry to tell you that he has
not been very well, but he is now better.
* We have no hopes of returning immediately to Mysore ;
but I still think that I shall put an end to this business with-
out hostility, and possibly at an early period of time.
f Believe me, &c.
' /. H. Peile, Esq.* ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. POONAH. J23
Major General the Hon, A. Wellesley to the Hon. H. JVellesley.
' MY DEAR HENRY, • Camp at Poonah, 14th May, 1803.
' The Governor General has desired me to make you
acquainted with every thing that occurs here ; and I cannot
do so better than by sending you a copy of my letter to the
Secretary of State *, written by his directions.
' There has been no material alteration since I wrote that,
excepting that the Peshwah arrived yesterday at Poonah,
attended by all the sirdars who came with me : and Holkar,
to whom I wrote a letter to desire that he would refrain from
the plunder of the Nizam's country near Aurungabad, has
written a very civil answer ; in which he says that he went to
Aurungabad to claim some money which the Nizam's Soubah-
dar had received for five years from two villages belonging to
him, in the neighbourhood of that city ; that he had received
part of what he wanted, and that he had done no injury to the
country, and was then about to depart. It is true that he has
two villages near Aurungabad ; and I am informed that it is
true that he has done no injury to the country : but I do
not believe that he has moved farther than six or seven miles
from Aurungabad.
' It is reported here, that the Nizam's soubahdar of Aurun-
gabad invited Holkar to the plunder of that place ; and I think
there is some foundation for this report.
' Scindiah marched from Burhampoor on the 4th instant, but
on the 7th he had made only one march. He waited for the
Peshwah's vakeel, Ballojee Koonger, who was the person
deputed by the Peshwah to communicate the treaty of Bassein
to Scindiah. In fact, Ballojee Koonger was Scindiah's vakeel
at Poonah, and he continued to act in that capacity after he
was appointed to be the Peshwah's Dewan. He was in
that situation when the Peshwah concluded the treaty of
Bassein, to which he was privy. After this circumstance, and
Scindiah's declaration to Collins, which you will read in the
Governor General's dispatch to the Secret Committee, it is
strange that there should be now a prospect that Scindiah
will oppose the arrangement. I have had more dealings with
the Marhattas than any other man now in India ; and it is
* Seepage 115.
124 POONAH. 1803.
my opinion that they must he brought into order by an opera-
tion on their fears. The Governor General tells me that he
is going to send me instructions, and I delay to do any thing
till I hear further from him. My own opinion is, that I
ought to write to Scindiah to point out to him the danger of
involving himself in hostilities with the British Government,
and to tell him that I was going into the Nizam's territories ;
that we are bound by treaty to defend them, and that he must
expect very unpleasant consequences if I should find him
there. At the same time, I should recall to his recollection
his own sentiments on the treaty of Bassein ; and I should
press him to state openly his doubts, if he entertained any, as
well as his claims upon the Nizam. If this letter should have
any effect, I would press him by another to cross the Ner-
budda. In the mean time, at all events, whether I write to
him or not, I shall march into the Nizam's country ; and if
the government of Bombay supply me with a bridge of boats,
for which I have asked them, I shall carry on the campaign
during the rainy season, which the Marhattas cannot do; and
I think that a few months will entirely settle the question.
' I have got a fine army in excellent order, and I think that
this combination or confederacy, with which we are threatened,
will find that we can march as well as fight.
' The Peshwah appears determined to adhere to the alliance,
and to forward all its objects; he has written to Scindiah, and
to the Rajah of Berar, to desire that they will not enter his
country.
' Believe me, &c.
• The Hon. H. Wellesley." c ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
1 SlR, ' Camp at Poonah, 15th May, 1803.
' I find that I cannot leave this without very great incon-
venience, and I have therefore determined not to go to Bom-
bay : you have my permission to go there, however, if you
should think it proper, and you may keep the escort laid upon
the road for me. If you do not think them necessary, or if
you do not propose to go to Bombay, order the troops com-
posing it to join their corps.
' I am obliged to you for the horses laid upon the road, and
I beg you to have them taken off.
181K1 POONAH. 125
* In answer to a question which I put to the government
of Bombay regarding the provisioning the troops under your
command in future, I was informed that it was to be done by
the Bombay government and its servants exclusively ; and that
my departments had nothing to do with it : accordingly I
have made no arrangements for feeding your troops; but of
course they must be fed by my departments, if the govern-
ment of Bombay have omitted to take any measures to insure
your regular supplies.
' I have written to Bombay frequently respecting supplies.
The articles which I want principally are salt provisions in the
Provision department; and ordnance wheels and stores in that of
Stores. But, excepting the arrack sent upon 200 bullocks hired
by you, I have received no arrack yet and no provisions, and no
iron, nor ordnance wheels. If you should go to Bombay, it
would be well if you would urge the gentlemen at the head
of departments there to send forward 3000 or 4000 gallons of
arrack, 400 bullocks, or 300 coolies out of 4000, which they
have promised, would bring up this supply. Salt provisions,
also, will be much required, as the Bombay sheep contractor
has failed entirely ; but this is not so necessary as arrack, for
sheep can be got in the neighbourhood of Foonah.
' It is a most extraordinary circumstance that I cannot get
iron from Bombay. I hear that some is landed at Pan well ;
but instead of sending it up, or arrack, or provisions, they are
sending medicines, which, however necessary, might have been
deferred, till we get other articles essentially necessary to our
consumption, or to enable us to move from hence,
' I mention these circumstances to you in case you should go
to Bombay ; but if you should not go there, you will do well
to write to have your own provisions forwarded ; and till they
arrive, of course your troops will be fed by my departments.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of
Government, Bombay.
' SlR, ' Camp at Poonah, 16th May, 1803.
1 1 have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 13th
instant. In conformity to the directions contained in the
126 POONAH. 1803.
second paragraph, I have ordered the officer in command of
the two companies in charge of the treasure to march as soon
as he shall have procured carriages for it, (if carriages should
not have been sent from Bombay,) and to proceed to the top
of the Bhore Ghaut. He is to be relieved at Condallah by a
similar detachment from Colonel Murray's corps, now en-
camped at Karly.
' Agreeably to the wishes of the Honorable the Governor in
Council, I should have ordered a detachment of this corps
down to Pan well to take charge of the treasure ; but this mea-
sure would have caused a delay of three or four days in its
arrival at Poonah ; which, as I wait to receive the treasure,
before I can march from Poonah, might be very inconvenient.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. of Gov. Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Jonathan Duncan, Esq.,
Governor of Bombay.
* MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp, 18th May, 1803.
' I am about to march from Poonah in a few days ; and it is
necessary that I should make every arrangement which can
insure the supplies of my troops whilst they will be employed
to the northward : I therefore trouble you with a plan upon
this subject.
' The brinjarry cattle which I brought with me, or which
followed me from Mysore, are completely knocked up ; I may
expect that about 6000 out of 25,000 which have left that
country will still attend me, but no greater number.
* I have already formed a depot at Poonah, which consists
of 4000 bags of rice, and I propose to keep it up to this
quantity. This will be done either by purchases made at
Poonah, or by rice forwarded from Panwell.
' The rice collected at Poonah will be brought on to the
army in the field ; either by my own cattle, which I shall send
back for it, if they should live, or by cattle to be hired here
by Colonel Close for that service. The rice at Panwell I
should wish to be forwarded upon cattle to be hired for that
service below the Ghauts. The larger the number of them,
the more certain I shall be of supplies of grain,*
1803. POONAH. 127
' I wish, therefore, that instructions to the following purport
may be given to the officer in charge of the store at Pan well.
' First, That he should hire as many cattle as he can pro-
cure, to carry grain and provision stores from Panwell to the
army in the field, at a monthly hire for each head of cattle.
' Secondly, That the bargain with the owners of these cattle
is to be, that they are either to lodge at Poonah the loads
received at Panwell, or to carry them on to the army ; accord-
ing to the orders which they will receive from the Resident, or
the commanding officer of the troops stationed at Poonah.
6 Thirdly, That the owners of the cattle are to make no
unreasonable or unnecessary delay on the road, either from
Panwell or in returning to that place ; and in case it should
appear to the commanding officer of the army, or to the Resi-
dent at Poonah, or to the storekeeper at Panwell, that there
has been such unnecessary delay, either in marching from
Panwell with loads, or in returning thither, a stoppage for a
proportionate number of days is to be made from the hire of
the bullocks whose owner may have delayed.
' Fourthly, That whenever the storekeeper at Panwell may
dispatch a number of bullocks from that place with grain or
provision stores, he is to make a register of such bullocks
according to the form enclosed. He is to send one copy of this
register to the officer commanding at Poonah, and to give
another to the owner of the cattle going with the grain, to be
produced to the commanding officer or Resident at Poonah,
when the cattle shall arrive there, or to the commanding officer
of the army, when the cattle shall reach the army.
' In case it should be thought proper at Poonah to order
on the cattle to the army, the register will be sent on to the
commanding officer of the army ; and the Resident or the
commanding officer at Poonah will insert in it any sums of
money which they may advance to the owner of the cattle.
' All sums of money advanced on account of these bullocks
hired at Panwell, either at Poonah or by the commanding
officer of the army, will be carried to the account of the store-
keeper of that place.
' The article which I should wish to have forwarded by
these bullocks is rice ; but in case I should require any other
articles, such as arrack or salt provisions, 1 shall apprise the
officer in charge of the store at Panwell thereof.
128 POONAH 1803.
4 t shall immediately take measures to have boats on all the
rivers in which there may be water to impede materially the
march of the bullocks.
' The bullocks already hired by Captain Young may be
employed in this manner, and ought to be registered as soon
as possible.
' It is needless to point out to you the mode in which the
accounts of these bullocks ought to be settled ; but there
appears no difficulty, particularly if all the advances made are
carried to the account of the storekeeper at Panwell, and as
that officer may support his charge by means of the copies
of the registers as vouchers.
' Colonel Murray will be here to-morrow, and I could
march the next day if the iron for the wheels had arrived ;
but it is not yet come.
' Believe me, &c.
* Jonathan Duncan, Esq.' ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Poonah, 18th May, 1803.
« I have received all your letters. Matters appear to have
turned out nearly as we expected. It is unlucky that Holkar
should have got any thing from Aurungabad ; but under the
circumstances of the treachery of the Soubahdar, of which I
have no doubt, that was not to be avoided. Meer Khan cer-
tainly intends to come over to the Nizam ; and although it
would give a decided turn to the general state of our affairs,
if we could strike some one party a severe blow, I think he is
the last whom I should wish to attack. His defection from
the party will shake it as much as a defeat, and his numbers
will add considerably to the strength of the Nizam's army.
On the other hand, if you move against him, it is ten to one
if you can come up with him, so as to strike a blow of any
consequence, and the movement may prevent his defection.
Upon the whole, therefore, I am of opinion that the best thing
to do is to remain nearly where you are. Meer Khan cannot
do much mischief to Aurungabad ; and even if you should
drive him off, the Soubahdar will do as much harm as ever
Meer Khan could have done. *
' I have recommended strongly that Meer Khan, with his
1803. POONAH. 129
whole party, may be taken into the Nizam's service, and the
Resident has forwarded this information to the durbar.
e You will have heard that a child is sick, and all
business is stopped on that account ; but I think that, in a
day or two after you will have received this letter, positive
orders on the subject will come from Hyderabad. You may
as well inform Noor ool Oomrah of these circumstances.
' I think Hyderabad is now safe, and we must look imme-
diately to crossing the Godavery. Colonel Murray will be
in here to-morrow, and I shall march from hence in a day or
two afterwards: I wait only for some iron, expected from
Bombay, to put tires on some new wheels which I have made.
' I wish that you would send me a draft of your route to
your present station ; and insert in it the relative situations of
Ahmednuggur, Aurungabad, Chandore, Burhampoor, as nearly
as Colebrooke can find them out.
' I am making boats here, and do you make as many as
you can in the Nizam's territories, and try to get boatmen :
for if we have boats, we shall always contrive to navigate
them. Besides, I still hope to have the pontoons for a
bridge.
( Scindiah has moved on, and was, on the 12th, at Eedlabad,
a place which you will find in Rennell's map, nearly at the
junction of the territories of the Nizam, the Rajah of Berar,
and the Mahrattas. He marched also on the 13th, but I
cannot find in the map the name of the place to which he
marched.
' Some of the medicines left this three days ago ; the others
are ready, but I have no carriage for them, and you must send
for them.
f Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson.' c ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, * Camp at Poonah, 19th May, 1803.
« I received last night your letter of the 16th. My opinion
is that you will do well to place yourself upon the Godavery,
particularly provided your march to that river does not re-
move you more than three or four marches from me. Our
further operations will certainly be on the other side of that
river, and the sooner we show ourselves in strength the better.
VOL. III. K
130 POONAH. 1803.
But we must be strong in reality, as well as in appearance ; and
therefore I should wish that, if possible, we should not be at
too great a distance from each other.
' In my opinion Hyderabad is now safe ; but you may as
well still have an eye to that quarter. The Nizam is danger-
ously ill, and although all the measures are prepared for the
succession of Secunder Jah, the death of the old man, at this
moment, may create some confusion ; and at all events, may
be the cause of some intrigues.
* Keep up the communication with Meer Khan, and tell
Noor ool Oomrah that, although from circumstances there
are delays in giving him his final answer, I have no doubt
whatever, that he and his whole party will be taken into the
service.
' By all means prevent the Nizam's troops from plundering
the villages you mention. There is a story in the Northern
ackbarof the plunder of Chumargoonda, a village of Scindiah,
by his Highness's troops, which has created much dissatisfac-
tion, and has been given as the ground of Holkar's plunder of
Aurungabad. I presume that the plunder of the brinjarries,
for which you punished them, is what is alluded to ; but all
this plunder must have a tendency to prevent an amicable
settlement, which we must ever desire. Besides that, it de-
prives us of the means of subsisting ourselves and cattle, as
we move through those countries. I beg therefore that you
will forbid it in the most positive terms, and punish any dis-
obedience of your orders on this head.
4 Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' SIR, ' Camp, Poonah, 20th May, 1803.
* I have the pleasure to inform you that Colonel Murray's
corps arrived here yesterday, and they appear in good order
and to be well equipped. All the iron, which I required for
the repair of my carriages,, is not yet arrived from Bombay ;
but it is coming in daily, and before the carriages can be ready
I hope that I shall receive your answer to my letters.
There is nothing new from the northward. Scindiah has
1803. POONAH. 131
continued his march to the eastward, and was on the 13th at
Eedlabad, a place which appears in Renncll's map to be near
the junction of the boundaries of the Nizam, the Rajah of
Berar, and the other Marhattas. It is certain that peace has
not yet been made between Scindiah and Holkar, although
it is talked of every where. Holkar is gone off towards
Chandore, and it is now said that he is to go to the Rajah of
Berar. But it is a curious circumstance that it is currently
reported that Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar intend to en-
deavor to seize Holkar, when he shall arrive in their neigh-
bourhood. This shows how little dependence can be placed
on any of these reports.
' It is now said that even if the peace should be made be-
tween Holkar and Scindiah, and the three parties should con-
federate, their views are merely defensive, and I believe this
to be true.
' We do not know that the Rajah of Berar has marched
from Nagpoor.
' The Peshwah gets on but slowly in his arrangements with
his chiefs.
* I have received a letter from Major Shawe, in which he
tells me that the Governor General is going to send further
instructions. It is very unlucky that he is not nearer to us.
* I have the honor to be, Sec.
« Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
« SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 22nd May, 1803.
' I have had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the
15th. I now enclose a copy of a dispatch that Colonel Close
received last night from Colonel Collins, which gives rather a
better account of affairs in general than we have had lately.
Ballojee Koonger has likewise written to the Peshwah, and
says that Scindiah is himself much disinclined to break with
his Highness and the English ; and that his principal confi-
dential servant, Jadoon Rao, entertains the same sentiments.
Jadoon Rao is now absent on an embassy to the Rajah of
Berar, and Ambajee Inglia appears to govern at that court.
He, it is well known, is an enemy of the English, and he is
personally much interested in keeping Scindiah to the south-
132 POONAH. 1803.
ward, as in his absence from Hindustan he has carried on
the government in those countries, whereby he has acquired
vast riches and influence. In this state of affairs Colonel Col-
lins and Ballojee Koonger appear determined to delay carry-
ing on their negotiations, till Jadoon Rao shall have returned
to Scindiah's camp.
' Ballojee Koonger may be mistaken respecting the senti-
ments of Jadoon Rao ; but he says positively that that minister
is of the same opinion with himself, and would advise his
master to acquiesce in the arrangements between the British
Government and the Peshwah ; and it appears that Colonel
Collins entertains the same opinion of the sentiments of Jadoon
Rao.
' The Peshwah saw our line out this morning and was much
gratified : indeed I never saw the troops look better. When
I march, which I expect will be in three or four days, as the
iron for the wheels is arrived, I intend to leave here under
Colonel Murray, the five companies of the 84th, one bat-
talion of native infantry, and the Bombay battalion ; and I
shall take with me the 78th regiment.
' I beg leave to suggest that the Resident at Hyderabad
should run a tappall from Hyderabad to your camp at Mood-
gul. I believe that the tappall from Hyderabad and Gooty
goes already by Raichore ; in which case he will only have to
post runners on the road from Raichore to Moodgul.
' I shall speak to Colonel Close about posting runners on the
road from Poonah to Beejapoor. The postmaster in camp
might post runners on the road from Moodgul to Beejapoor.
By these means our communications with you will be much
shortened, and you will be able to direct all our operations.
6 1 have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 23rd May, 1803.
* I have the honor to enclose the copy of a dispatch received
yesterday by Lieut. Colonel Close The orders contained
therein will bring matters to a speedy issue, and, I judge, are
entirely in conformity with your sentiments.
( The dispatch from me, to which the Governor General
alludes in his letter to Colonel Close, was a private letter
1803. POONAH. 133
which I wrote to him on the day that I was joined by Colonel
Stevenson, to inform him of that event, and the general situa-
tion of our affairs at that moment. I sent it by Hyderabad.
e I have this day received a private letter from Colonel Col-
lins, in which he tells me that, since he had asked leave to
retire from Scindiah's camp, he had been treated by the
ministers with increased politeness and respect ; and that
Scindiah's conduct towards him had been uniformly polite, and
even kind. He says that Scindiah will certainly not think of
marching to Poonah till after the rains, if he should then.
4 Colonel Collins communicated to me a proposal of Holkar,
that he should be permitted to send a news writer to my camp.
I think that I shall permit this fellow to come, because in fact
there is nothing to be communicated which I do not wish to
have publicly known : secondly, because, if I refuse to allow
the man to reside in my camp, he may be allowed to reside in
that of the Marhattas : and thirdly, because these news writers
are generally a species of vakeel, and it may be important that
I should have this mode of communicating with Holkar.
4 I have sent the letter to Colonel Close ; but if I should get
it back before the post goes out, I shall enclose a copy of it j at
all events I have above given you its purport.
1 I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: « ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close.
Resident at Poonah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 23rd May, 1803.
* I enclose the answer from the killadar of Poonadur. I shall
be obliged to you if you will speak to Ragonaut Rao, respect-
ing the duties levied upon our bazaar people bringing provi-
sions to camp. In consequence of this practice, which has
been commenced only for the last three or four days ; and of
the difficulty and loss they experience from the refusal of all
classes of the people in the neighbourhood to take our Mysore
coins, the bazaar people are becoming disgusted ; and a large
number of them went away this morning with their cattle,
with Ram Rao, who is returning to Mysore.
' Will you remember the tappall to Beejapoor?
* It is very desirable that we should have some knowledge of
the nature of the fort of Ahmednuggur. I have set inquiries
134 POONAH. 1803,
on foot regarding it, but the more we know of it the better,
and I shall be obliged to you if you will have inquiries made.
'It is also very desirable that we should have some know-
ledge of the state of the rivers in this country during the rains.
' The points to which I am directing my inquiries on this
subject are as follows ; and I shall be obliged to you if you
will have inquiries made to the same purport: —
' 1st, What number of rivers are there between Poonah and
Pan well, which are constantly full of water during the rains ;
their names and situation ?
<2ndly, What number of rivers are there between Poonah
and the Godavery, which are always full during the rains ;
their names and situation ?
'3rdly, How many branches of the Godavery are there
which are full during the rains, before that river enters the
Nizam's country ?
4 4thly, Whether the rivers Goor, Seenah and Mangeyra
are always full during the rains?
' I send you two letters, with enclosures, for Colonel Steven-
son ; likewise a letter from Colonel Collins. I think there
will be no harm in allowing the news writer to come to my
camp.
* I enclose a letter from Malcolm to Dallas.
1 Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Close." 'ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Welleslcy to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
1 SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 24th May, 1803.
' I have the honor to enclose the copies of papers received
this day by Colonel Close, from the Governor General. These
fully open his future plans and intentions in regard to this
country.
' I have before informed you that I propose to leave Colonel
Murray here for the present; and I shall be glad to know
whom you would wish that I should leave in the command of
the subsidiary force hereafter ; supposing it to be possible to
establish it at Poonah, on its original plan, in a short time,
which I think by no means improbable.
' I know nobody more fit for such a situation than Colonel
J803. POONAII. 135
Wallace ; but I shall be glad to receive your instructions upon
this point.
' I have the honor, &c.
1 Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. JVellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Poonah, 25th May, 1803.
1 1 enclose the copy of a paper which I have received from
Major Kirkpatrick, from which it appears that Mohiput Ram
imagines that you have assured him that the British Govern-
ment will pay half the expense to be incurred by taking Meer
Khan into the Nizam's service. I conclude that this is a mis-
conception of Mohiput Ram ; but the sooner he is undeceived
the better. We have no right to engage that the British
Government shall pay one farthing of the expense to be in-
curred by the measures to be adopted for the defence of the
Nizam's territories, beyond that incurred by our own armies
in the field.
4 The communication with Meer Khan ought to be kept up ;
and I have no doubt but that he and his whole force will be
taken into the Nizam's service. But as it is impossible to send
a person of any consequence to his camp, without coming
to the knowledge of every body there ; and as then the nego-
tiation must become known to Holkar, who will take measures
to frustrate its effects, either by the removal of Meer Khan to
a distance, or by falling upon his army and weakening him con-
siderably, I recommend that you should not send any body
there again.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
< SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 25th May, 1803.
* I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letters
of the 15th and 19th instant.
4 1 conclude that Rajah Mohiput Ram must have misunder-
stood Colonel Stevenson's meaning, when he supposed that the
Colonel told him that the British Government would defray
any part of the expenses of taking Meer Khan and his troops
into the service of his Highness the Nizam. When Colonel
POONAH. 1803,
Stevenson wrote to me upon this subject, I told him that I
should write to you, and recommend that Meer Khan should
be taken into his Highness's service, with all his troops.
I desired him to apprize Noor ool Oornrah of this intention j
and to urge that chief to keep open the negotiation with Meer
Khan, until the determination of his Highness the Nizam
could be communicated to him. But I knew that you had
positively objected to the proposal made by the Nizam's Go-
vernment, that the British Government should defray any part
of the expense to be incurred on this occasion. I recollected
that, on the same principle, you objected to a proposal formerly
made, that the British Government should defray part of the
expense of hiring the troops under Jetlingah Cawker ; and I
am fully sensible that it would be much better for the British
Government to incur lacs of expenses, to subdue a freebooter
of this kind, than to purchase his forbearance from plunder ;
or his service at the moment at which he should threaten to
plunder the country. For all these reasons, I should never
have authorized to hint, much less to give assurances, that the
British Government would defray any part of the expense of
hiring Meer Khan and his troops ; and I conclude that, with-
out such authority from you, or from me, Colonel Stevenson
would not give these assurances to Rajah Mohiput Ram.
' I have been detained till now by the want of iron, which I
expected from Bombay, for the repair of the wheels of my
ordnance carriages ; but this article is now arrived, and I intend
to march in a few days.
' Colonel Stevenson is now at Puttun.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Kirkpatrick: ' ARTHUR WELLKSLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
1 SIR, ' Poonah, 26th May, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letters of the 17th
18th, and 19th. I have not received your secretary's letter
upon the subject of Captain Mackay ; and 1 have therefore
omitted to communicate to that officer your determination
respecting him, as stated to me in your letter of the 17th.
Captain Mackay is an honest and zealous servant of the pub-
lic, and he conducts his own important department in such a
1803. POONAH. 137
manner as always to have the cattle under his charge in a most
efficient state for work ; but he is the most unaccommodating
public officer that I have met with. He has never failed to
contrive to quarrel with the head of every other department
with which he has been concerned ; and I have always had the
greatest difficulty in keeping matters between him and others
in such a state, as that the service should not be impeded by
their disputes.
' I imagine that the difficulties between Captain Mackay
and Major Symons, to which you have alluded, are to be
attributed to the state of Captain Mackay 's temper; and pos-
sibly, in some degree, to a want of accommodation on the part
of Major Symons. I make no doubt but that you will have
observed that this officer also, although an excellent man, has
more of the oak than the willow in his disposition.
' Under these circumstances, and as it would be a matter of
great difficulty to find an officer at present in whose hands I
could with safety place Captain Mackay's great charge, I shall
be much obliged to you if you will delay for a short time to
carry into execution your intention of removing him.
' When your secretary's letter shall arrive, I shall commu-
nicate to him your displeasure, and the causes of it ; and I
shall call upon him to make me acquainted with the circum-
stances which may have caused his error, and which he may
be of opinion will induce you to alter your intentions.
4 1 am getting an account of the state of all the rivers to the
northward of the Kistna during the rains, which will enable
you to decide regarding the propriety of your crossing the
Kistna and the Beemah. I shall send it to you as soon as I
get it. I believe that your position at Moodgul will be nearly
central for all objects.
e However, we have two points now depending at the dur-
bar, which will set every thing right respecting the southern
jaghiredars. One of them is to give Appah Saheb the
Zereen Putka, provided a nuzzer of one or two lacs of
rupees is received for it. The point on which there is
a doubt is, whether Appah Saheb will give the nuzzer. But
I think I shall be able to prevail upon him to do this.
In respect to Amrut Rao, I have drawn from him a decla-
ration and an engagement, that he has not at present, and that
he never will have in future, any intercourse with the Pesh-
138 POONAH. 1803.
wah's enemies. He has given this under his seal in the most
formal manner, with a view to obtain our intercession with the
Peshwah in his favor. These papers are now before the
Peshwah, and I have requested him to let me know what
answer I shall give him. It is not certain that we shall con-
trive to reconcile these brothers : but if we succeed in this
object, we shall entirely settle the interior of this state, and
we shall give a sad blow to the congress to the northward :
and if we satisfy the Putwurdun family, we shall draw to the
Peshwah's standard, not only that powerful family, but also
that of Rastia, and of several others who adhere to their
politics.
4 If we succeed in either object, we shall insure the tran-
quillity of the southern countries, during the supposed contest,
which will set your mind at rest in respect to that important
point.
' I am much obliged to you for the money. That sum,
together with what I brought with me, some dollars that
I have received from Mr. Duncan which I am coining in
camp, and others which I have picked up for bills on Bombay,
will enable me to pay the troops, &c. to the 1st of August.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
* Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
« SIR, ' Camp, 26th May, 1803.
' I have received your letter, and I am concerned that you
did not speak to me upon the subject to which it relates, when
I apprized you of the arrangements of which you now com-
plain. It appears, however^ that your complaint is not
grounded upon your being left here in command of the troops,
but upon the composition of the detachment to be under your
command, and upon the state of uncertainty in which you are,
respecting your prospect of commanding the corps to be
stationed here in future.
4 In regard to the detachment to be left here, I intend that
it shall be composed of those troops ; and that it shall have
such equipments as will enable it to perform the service which
I expect will be required from it : and in forming this detach-
ment, as well as the division which will march from hence
1803. POONAH. 139
under my command, I have exercised a discretion for which I
am aware that I am responsible to my superiors. But I do
not see any necessity for altering these arrangements ; and I
should certainly deem it very improper to alter them, only
that 1 might have an opportunity of gratifying the private
feelings of the officer whom I should leave in command here,
by giving him a better description of troops than I think will
be required for the service.
' In regard to your future prospect of commanding the
corps to be stationed in the Peshwah's territories, I must de-
cline at present to give any answer upon that subject.
' In general, I imagine that it is not intended by the Com-
mander in Chief, that an officer shall keep his leave of absence
in his pocket, in order to avail himself of it at any moment
that he may think proper, however inconvenient to the service.
But I am aware that there is no use in detaining an officer in
an employment to which he has a dislike ; and therefore you
will avail yourself of your leave when you may think proper ;
only I request you to give me timely notice of your intention.
1 In case you should have any thing further to say to me
upon this subject, I request you to do me the favor to call
upon me at any hour that may be convenient to you.
' I have the honor to be, &c.,
' Colonel Murray." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 27th May, 1803.
' The hircarrah has positively no orders from me to require
more than an answer, which I conclude he ought to receive.
4 It is possible that the other party may have desired him to
urge Ball Kischen Gungurdhur to pay the money ; and there-
fore it will be best that Ragonaut Rao should inform that
chief that the hircarrah has no orders to require, or even to
receive, more than an answer.
' I conclude, however, that the Peshwah will not support
Ball Kischen Gungurdhur in a disobedience of his own orders,
and that he will be forced to pay back this money ; otherwise
we must not expect either obedience or cordial co-operation in
future. I return Colonel Collins's letter.
1 Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY,
140 POONAH. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
< MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 27th May, 1803.
' I have spoken to Govind Rao, and he seems to think that
Appah Saheb does not wish for the proposed honor, and at all
events would not pay for it. He said that if it was given with
full confidence, power and treasure, he would of course be
rejoiced to receive it ; but not otherwise. He proposed to
inquire further regarding his views to this office, and I shall
know the result to-morrow.
' Appah Dessaye has sent to ask for his leave. He says
that they propose to give him pay for only 1000, instead of
1500 horse, which number he has ; and that, in fact, no
determined engagement is made even for them.
' I wish also, that you would speak to Ragonaut Rao re-
specting the Darwar man, and the Rajah of Kittoor. The
former sent 100 horse by my desire, and partly to attend upon
his son : the other likewise sent 100 horse. But neither have
any serinjaumy, and their troops are starving, and they want to
go home. I gave the Rajah 500 pagodas some days ago; but
it will be better to allow both parties to go back, unless some
arrangement is made for their pay.
' Goklah also complains that he is not getting on, and has
sent to ask for a passport for some of his horse, that he is
going to send back to Noolgoond.
6 1 enclose you a letter from Ball Kischen Gungurdhur, in
which he acknowledges that he took the money in question.
Unless that money is repaid, we have no chance of putting the
Putwurdun in any style.
f Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' Observe, that Ragonaut Rao first said that this money was
taken as a debt due by Appah Saheb^s carkoon ; and since I
told him that there never had been any transactions between
the parties, and could be no debt, another reason has been
found out and stated. There is really no getting on with such
people.'
1803. POONAH. 141
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR ' Camp at Poonah, 27t,h May, 1803.
' The brinjarries with this division have sustained great
losses in cattle, and they appear to apprehend still greater
and are very unwilling to continue with the troops. With
these impressions on their minds, they have certainly prevented
the brinjarries of this country from coming forward in our
service ; and these people have taken great pains to prevent all
communications with the persons employed by me to endea-
vor to bring them forward for the service.
' Since the 20th of April my brinjarries have sold nothing,
as the troops have been subsisted entirely upon the produce
of the country, purchased in the bazaar. I have therefore
thought it necessary, in order to secure their services and their
good will, in the present situation of our affairs, to make them
a present of two rupees for each bullock they may have. This
is not unusual : General Harris made them a present, nearly
of a similar kind, at Seringapatam ; and I have reason to be-
lieve that it may induce some of the country brinjarries to
come forward.
*I find the brinjarries, and indeed all the people of the
Mysore country and the Carnatic, very averse to staying in
this country. It is true that forage, and all kinds of provi-
sions, are uncommonly dear : I therefore take the liberty of
recommending to you to bring forward as many hired bullocks
as possible, and to depend less upon the brinjarries for supply-
ing your troops than I have.
' The more I see of them, the more I am convinced that we
have entirely mistaken the character of these people ; and that
unless they are permitted to plunder the country through
which they pass, or to have profits such as the native armies
are able to give them from plunder, they will not follow the
troops to any distance from the place at which they usually
reside. I have had the greatest difficulties with them, and
they have deceived me and broken their engagements upon
every occasion. Colonel Stevenson, who has another set, has
been obliged to punish, and even to put some to death, for
plunder in the Pesh wall's country.
' By a letter from the Governor General, of the 9th, I see
142 POONAH. 1803.
that he has sent you copies of the notes of instructions to
Colonel Collins and Colonel Close, which I had sent you.
' 1 have the honor to be, &c.
« Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, * Camp at Poonah, 29th May, 1803.
* I have just received your letter of the 25th, in which you
inform me that you have entered into an engagement with
Meer Khan, to take into the Nizam's service 5000 horse and
5000 foot. I am glad to observe that, before you adopted
this measure, you referred to all my letters to you upon the
subject of Meer Khan ; and that you found, although I was
fully aware of the benefit which was likely to be the result of
the Nizam's taking that chief into his service, that I was ex-
ceedingly anxious that he should be employed, and requested
you to urge Noor ool Oomrah to keep alive the negotiation, I
gave you no authority to enter into any engagements with
Meer Khan, and referred every thing to the answer to be ex-
pected from the Nizam's durbar.
6 In fact, I could give you no authority to conclude with
Meer Khan, because I have no such authority myself.
6 It is probable that when you shall have received my letter
and its enclosure of the 25th instant, you will have set the
Nizam's servants right, respecting the share which they sup-
posed the British Government would bear in the expense of
hiring Meer Khan and his troops; and they will have seen
that the negotiation with Meer Khan is referable only to them,
although they have referred it to you, and you to my opinion.
When they shall see this clearly, they will be best able to judge
whether there are powers from the Nizam's government to
conclude an arrangement with Meer Khan, such as that stated
in the Persian paper, which you enclosed, of which I return
a translation. If there are such powers from the Nizam's
government, all is well ; and I consider that a great advantage
will have been gained by detaching Meer Khan from Hol-
kar's service. But if there are no such powers from the
Nizam's government, and the engagement is considered in
every respect as one entered into by a British officer, acting
on account of the British Government, under my authority, I
1803. POONAH. 143
request you to write a letter to Meer Khan, to inform him
that I have perused your letter addressed to him ; that the
British government are not in the habit of entertaining troops
of the description of those under his command ; that as a
British officer, therefore, I can enter into, and can authorise no
engagement for hiring his troops ; that I have recommended
to the Nizam's government that his Highness should take
Meer Khan and his troops into his service ; and that I must
refer him, for a final answer upon this subject, to his High-
ness^s durbar.
< 1 enclose you the translation which has been made for me
of your letter to Meer Khan, in order that you may see what
I understand are its contents.
6 It occurs to me, that you have entered into this engage-
ment with Meer Khan, under a strong impression of the
benefit to be derived from drawing that Chief from the service
of Holkar, in which I participate : and under another equally
strong, of the urgency of bringing him into the Nizam's
service at the present moment, on account of the probability
of a war with the confederated Marhatta Chiefs. Upon this
point, I have to observe, that it does not appear that this war
is more probable, and it is not more talked of at this moment^
than it was three months ago ; and it is my opinion that it
will not take place. You must not spare any party belonging
to any Marhatta Chiefs that you find, or that may be within
your reach, within the Nizam's territories ; and you must also
seize any fellow that you may hear of raising men within
them.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
( SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 29th May, 1803.
' I have received a letter from Colonel Stevenson, by which
I learn that he has written a letter to Meer Khan, and has
consented to take 5000 horse and 5000 foot, into the service ;
although upon a re-perusal and re-consideration of the different
letters he had received upon the subject of that Chief, he
found that he had no authority from me to conclude such an
arrangement. I have, in consequence, written to him a letter
144 POONAH. 1803.
this day, of which the enclosed is a copy ; and I send it to
you, that you may have it in your power to show the Nizam's
durbar, that, as far as I may be supposed to have had autho-
rity to bind the Government in a transaction of this kind,
Colonel Stevenson was not authorized by me.
6 Believe me, &c.
' Major Kirkpatrick: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
MEMORANDUM.
( When General Stuart stated his intention to appoint
Captain Mackay to do Major Symons's duty in this detach-
ment, I apprized him of Captain Mackay's objections to have
to do with the accounts of the hired bullocks ; and I under-
stand from the conversation which then passed between the
Commander in Chief, the Adjutant General, and myself, that
it was not his Excellency's intention that Captain Mackay was
to have any thing to do with the settlement of the bullock
accounts, but that he was only to receive money on account of
Major Symons from the pay officer ; that he was to pay money
to the bullock owners on account of Major Symons, and under
his directions; and that Major Symons alone was to be the
responsible accountant to the public for all the hired cattle.
If the intention had been different, it would have been better
to have appointed a separate bullock agent for this detach-
ment.
* In respect to the form and mode of settling the accounts,
it is my opinion that Major Symons can call upon Captain
Mackay to send the account of the money he disbursed, in
any form he may think proper, provided that form does not
occasion any evidently unnecessary trouble.
' Although Captain Mackay has not relied much upon the
forms of the accounts required from him, I conclude that, pro-
vided the future responsibility is taken from him, he will be
satisfied ; and that the complaints of the forms in which the
accounts are required are intended only to swell the catalogue
of grievances.
' ARTHUR WELLESLEY/
1803. POONAH. 145
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
<. gIR ' Camp, 30th May, 1803.
1 1 have received your secretary's letter of the 20th instant,
upon the subject of the bullock accounts, to which I have
replied this day. I am concerned that I should have been the
cause of error in Captain Mackay, respecting the accounts of
the hired bullocks ; but I wrote the memorandum, which is en-
closed, to your secretary, from what I understood to be your
intention in the conversation which I had with you, and in the
General Order regarding Captain Mackay's appointment.
' In respect to the Company's gun bullocks, I have the
honor to enclose some papers which I have received from
Captain Mackay, from which it appears that Captain Mackay
was not unwilling that Major Symons should interfere in that
department, as far as he might think proper. In Major
Symons's letter of the 8th of May, he calls for an additional
voucher of the payments made in this department, which was
not ordered by the Military Auditor General. This voucher
may be a very necessary one, and it may be very proper to
introduce it into the department: but it must be introduced
by an order from superior authority ; and at all events, I be-
lieve that every day's experience of the service shows that the
business of every department of the army has become so compli-
cated from the multiplicity and variety of checks and vouchers,
that it is scarcely possible to carry on the duties of any one
department exactly in the mode pointed out by the regula-
tions. It is therefore better not to increase these vouchers in
a department, whiqh has constantly proved itself to be more
efficient than any other in the service.
' From a perusal of these papers, I am convinced if these
gentlemen chose to accommodate, the business would be very
well carried on, without giving you further trouble ; but, at all
events, it must be carried on according to your orders.
' As it appears by the papers which I have enclosed, that
Captain Mackay wished that Major Symons should carry on
the duties of the gun bullock department in any manner he
might think proper, and as I was partly the cause of this error
respecting the mode of settling the accounts of the hired bul-
locks, I did not inform him that it was your intention to dis-
VOL. III. J,
146 POONAII. 1803.
miss him from his office. But he has since desired leave to
resign it. I have refused to allow him leave to resign it : first,
because if you should still think proper that he should be pu-
nished, I do not wish that he should evade that punishment
by resigning the office, by which means he would certainly
avoid the disgrace that would attend his dismissal ; secondly,
1 should feel much inconvenienced in having to transfer that
extensive concern, the Company's elephants and draught bul-
locks, as well as the hired cattle with this detachment, to other
hands at the present moment. Indeed, the people attached
to the gun bullocks appear so much under the influence of
Captain Mackay ; they are so miserable on account of the
smallness of their pay, and the high price of any article of
provisions in this country ; and so discontented on these
accounts, as well as because they see a similar or a worse
description of people, belonging to the Bombay army, receiving
more than double their pay, that I should fear they would all
desert, if Captain Mackay lost his employment. This misery
and discontent are so great, that I much fear, when the rains
set in, to aggravate them ; and that I shall be obliged to
make a proposition to you to give the bullock drivers a tem-
porary allowance as a gratuity, while serving in a part of the
country in which provisions are so dear.
' Although I have refused to receive Captain Mackay 's
resignation, it is proper that you should be informed of the
reasons for which he has offered it. I before informed you
that the state of his health, as well as other causes, induce him
to wish to go home, as soon as the service on which the troops
are now employed shall be performed ; and that was one reason
for which he wished to have nothing to do with the accounts
of the hired bullocks with this detachment, and they are to go
to Major Symons. But Captain Mackay will not be freed
from this responsibility, when he shall have sent these accounts
to Major Symons, and that officer shall have approved of
them ; but he must still be responsible till the accounts shall
have been passed by the proper officers at Madras.
' Captain Mackay would be perfectly satisfied to incur this
responsibility, if his accounts had no connexion with Major
Symons. But he urges, that although his accounts may be
settled monthly, and may be perfectly correct, and made out
according to Major Symons's wishes, he shall not be freed from
1803. POONAH. 147
his responsibility, and will not be able to leave the country,
should you permit him to do so, until Major Symons's accounts
be settled. Therefore he wishes to resign the appointment he
holds at the earliest possible period, in order that he may be
responsible for the accounts of a smaller number of months.
' I beg to refer this subject to your consideration ; and to
request your orders whether I shall accept Captain Mackay's
resignation, or shall dismiss him. Knowing well the inconve-
nience which would be the consequence of his resigning the
gun, bullock, and elephant departments at the present moment,
he has offered to keep the charge of these, without salary, till
the service may be concluded.
' I received a letter last night from Colonel Stevenson, in
which he informed me that the Nizam's commander, Mohiput
Ram, had received orders from Hyderabad to agree to enter-
tain Meer Khan and all his army, amounting to 30,000 men.
Some time ago Colonel Stevenson referred to me a letter from
Meer Khan, in which that chief urged strongly the necessity
that he should have an immediate answer to his proposi-
tion to be taken into the Nizam's service with his whole
army. I desired Colonel Stevenson to keep up the commu-
nication with Meer Khan, and to inform the Nizam's com-
mander, who appeared to be very anxious that he should be
taken into the service, that I had recommended to Major Kirk-
patrick that he and his whole party should be entertained.
Many letters passed between me and Colonel Stevenson upon
the subject, in all of which he expressed how much he was
pressed by Meer Khan for an answer. I always referred him
to the Nizam's government, and desired him to inform the
Nizam's commanders, that, owing to his Highnesses indispo-
sition, and that of one of his sons, all business at Hyderabad
was stopped, which was one cause of the delay.
' In the course of this correspondence, I received a letter
from Major Kirkpatrick, in which he informed me that the
Nizam's commanders conceived that the British Government
would defray half of the expense to be incurred by entertaining
Meer Khan and his troops ; 1 therefore immediately wrote to
Colonel Stevenson, to desire him to set them right upon that
point, and to inform them that the whole question had been
all along referable and referred to the Nizam's government
alone.
L*
148 POONAH. 1803.
' Since I wrote that letter, I have received one from Colonel
Stevenson, in which -he tells me, that notwithstanding he had
re-perused and re-considered my letters to him, and found that
he had no authority whatever to conclude with Meer Khan, he
had written to that chief to consent to take into the service
5000 horse and 5000 foot, at an enormous expense. I imme-
diately wrote to him to desire, that if it was understood that
he had bound the British Government in any manner by that
letter, he should write immediately to Meer Khan to tell him,
that neither he nor I had any authority to enter into such
an agreement.
' Last night, however, I received his letter of the 26th, in
which he tells me that Mohiput Ram has authority to enter-
tain Meer Khan ; and that it has been agreed that half the
expense is to be paid by the Company, and half by the Nizam.
' I cannot comprehend what could have induced Colonel
Stevenson to write to Meer Khan the letter by which he
engaged to hire the troops ; for he positively says in his letter,
that he was aware that he had no authority to make such a
bargain. But he appears to have been strongly impressed with
a sense of the advantages of detaching that chief from Holkar,
to whom, as well as to the supposed confederacy, it is a fatal
blow ; and to be very apprehensive of the combination of the
northern Chiefs, of which he had read very late assurances
from Major Kirkpatrick. This combination, however, I think
now more unlikely than ever.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 31st May, 1803.
« After the Nizam's officers had informed Colonel Stevenson
that Meer Khan, with his whole army, were to be taken into
the service, and that the expense was to be paid equally by the
Company and the Nizam; they came forward on the following
day with a paper, which they said required only the Colonel's
signature, in order that they might conclude with Meer Khan.
* The purport of this paper was, that the Colonel engaged
that the British Government would defray half of the expense
1803. POONAH. 149
of entertaining Meer Khan and his troops. Colonel Stevenson
refused to sign this paper, and there the matter rested.
' In the mean time, he received a letter from me of the 25th,
in which I enclosed the copy of a report of moonshee Azees
Oollah, stating that the Nizam's minister had declared that
Colonel Stevenson had engaged that the British Government
would defray half the expense ; and I desired Colonel Stevenson
to set the Nizam's servants right upon this subject.
' The Colonel then drew from them a paper, being a copy
of their letter to the minister, from which it appears clearly,
not only that Colonel Stevenson never did enter into these
engagements, as stated by the Nizam's minister, but that his
Highness's servants never thought that he did, and never wrote
that he had.
' It appears, therefore, that the whole has been a trick, in
which the Nizam and his minister have been concerned, and his
officers the instruments to endeavor to draw some Englishmen
into an engagement to pay half the expense of hiring Meer
Khan ; and then to take advantage of our scrupulous adherence
to our good faith, to make the Government adhere to this
engagement. However, it has entirely failed ; and I think
there is reason to hope that Colonel Stevenson will not have
dispatched the letter to Meer Khan, which I yesterday reported
to you that he had written.
' I think we are not getting on so quickly at this durbar
as we hoped we should. None of the sirdars have yet been
satisfied, although great promises have been made.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Poonah, 31st May, 1803.
• I have received your letters of the 26th, 27th, and 28th.
After reading that of the 26th, I was convinced that the propo-
sition would be made to you, which you recite in that of the
27th ; and I am glad that you resisted to comply with it with so
much firmness. It appears by your letter of the 28th, that
mine of the 25th arrived just in time to show you the designs
of the Nizam's servants ; and I still hope, that if you had
not then sent off the letter to Meer Khan, you will have
stopped it.
150 POONAH. 1803.
' My letter of the 25th, and its enclosures, will have shown
you clearly the art of the Nizam's servants.
* They know how scrupulous we are regarding our faith ;
and they first endeavor to make Major Kirkpatrick believe
you have pledged your faith that the British Government
would pay a part of the expense of hiring Meer Khan, in
hopes thereby to draw him in to make some engagement.
' When they found that would not answer, they come back
upon you, and tell you that it is settled that 35,000 men of
Meer Khan's are to be hired, and that the Company are to
pay half of the expense ; and then they call upon you to sign
an agreement that that half shall be paid in the manner in
which it had been settled. After all, when you were informed
by me of what had passed at Hyderabad, it turns out to be a
low trick, in which both the minister and the Nizam were con-
cerned, and Mohiput Ram, and Noor ool Oomrah, the instru-
ments to take you in to sign an engagement for which you had
no authority ; in hopes thereby to bind the British Govern-
ment to participate in an act, to which they know well they
would never be able to prevail upon the Governor General to
consent.
1 What has passed, is now all well; particularly if you have
not sent your letter to Meer Khan. It ought,, however, to be a
lesson to us to beware not to involve ourselves in engagements
either with, or in concert with, or on behalf of people who
have no faith, or no principle of honor or of honesty, or such
as usually among us guide the conduct of gentlemen, unless
duly and formally authorized by our Government. If you
should have dispatched the letter to Meer Khan, the letter
which 1 desired you to write to him will set all matters
right, as far as the British Government may be concerned. It
will rest with the Nizam's servants, either to abide by the
agreement made in that letter, or not, as they may think
proper. For the sake of the Nizam's territories, I hope they
will abide by it ; but if there should be the most distant hint,
or even idea, that the British Government is bound by your
letter to Meer Khan, I hope that you will have written him
a second letter, as directed by me in my letter of the 29th.
* Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
1803. POONAH. 151
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
< SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 2nd June, 1803.
* I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 31st of
May, with its enclosures. 1 think it very desirable that the
forty pontoons, which I first mentioned, should leave Panwell
as soon after the 8th instant as may be possible. But I do
not see any objection to making ten additional pontoons, which
may be sent afterwards, if it should be found necessary to re-
quire an additional number.
1 The report upon the trial of the pontoons does not state
at what distance they were from each other ; and therefore it
is impossible for me to give an opinion whether the size of the
baulks ought to be increased.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. ofGov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
• SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 2nd June, 1803.
1 I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 29th of May, in which you enclose the extract of a letter
from the Military Board, and a copy of a letter from the gar-
rison storekeeper of Bombay to the Military Board.
' It is my opinion that it will not answer to form a depot at
Condallah, on the top of the Bhore Ghaut. First, it will not
be possible to construct the buildings necessary to cover the
stores before the rains shall set in. Secondly, it will not be
possible to procure cattle at Condallah to remove the stores
from thence to Poonah or to the army. Cattle must conse-
quently be provided at Poonah, or must be sent from the
army for this service. And supposing them to be procurable
at Poonah, it is better that they should be employed to carry
on the stores from thence to the army ; and supposing that the
cattle of the army should be able to return for stores, it is
better that they should have to go no farther than Poonah for
their loads. Thirdly, the intermediate depot between Panwell
and Poonah, even supposing that it was not liable to the ob-
jections above stated, would only create delay in forwarding
supplies, and add to the confusion incident to the formation of
all new establishments of this description.
152 POONAH. 1803.
' I observe in Captain Moor's letter to the Military Board that
he finds it difficult to adhere to the plan which I suggested to
the Honorable the Governor in Council, in my letter of the 18th
of May, for forwarding the supplies from Panwell to Poonah
or the army. If the owners of the hired cattle cannot be pre-
vailed upon to agree to go farther than Poonah, ^of course they
must not be forced to do so : but the only mode of inducing
them by degrees to agree to a proposition which I consider as
beneficial to the troops under my command, will be to hire
them by the month, to accustom them to regular payments
and strict justice, which ought to prevail in all the Company's
transactions with the natives of this country. Accordingly,
to stop their pay if they delay unreasonably on the road ; and
then they will find it more advantageous for them to work their
cattle in the upper country between Poonah and the army,
than in the lower between Panwell and Poonah ; as in the for-
mer they will be less exposed to the violence of the rains.
' I have the honor to be, Sec.,
4 The Sec. of Gov., Bombay.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Instructions for Lieut. Brown," of the First Battalion of Madras
Artillery.
"3rd June, 1803.
' 1. Lieut. Brown is to remain at Poonah according to the
General Orders for the purposes therein stated. He is first to
complete with wheels all the carts left by Captain Noble.
c 2. He is to make wheels for the six 6 pounder carriages
belonging to Major General Wellesley's division, left at
Poonah with Colonel Murray's corps.
' 3. He is to make wheels for the tumbrils left at Poonah
belonging to Major General Wellesley's division.
' 4. If seasoned timber of a proper description for naves can
be procured, he is to make new wheels, including naves, for the
ten 6 pounders which march with Major General Wellesley's
division. The naves can be bored, and the brass boxes placed
in them, when the wheels are to be put on the carriages.
' 5. Lieut. Brown is to pay the artificers according to the
instructions which he will receive from Captain Noble.
6 ARTHUR WELLKSLEY.'
1803. POONAH. 153
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
. S,R> ' Camp near Poonah, 3rd June, 1803.
' When I shall march from Poonah, I shall have occasion to
draw supplies from the depot formed at that place ; and 1 beg
your attention to the following directions respecting it.
4 I wish that there should be in this depot at all times 4000
bags of rice, of 72 pucca seers each, each seer of two pounds.
In respect to other articles of provision stores, which I may
think it necessary from time to time to have in this depot, I
shall send orders occasionally respecting their being laid in.
' Enclosed I have the honor to send an extract of a letter
which I wrote to Mr. Duncan on the 18th of May, to provide
for filling the depot at Poonah.
' It is probable that the storekeeper at Pan well will be able
to hire a number of bullocks sufficient for the purpose, under
the instructions which have been given to him, in consequence
of that letter. You will be so kind as to give directions that a
committee may be assembled to ascertain the quantities and
quality of provision stores, which may from time to time arrive
at Poonah from Pan well. In consequence of these instruc-
tions, you will desire the officer in charge of the stores at
Poonah to give a receipt for such quantity, specifying in what
manner they came, and on what day they were dispatched
from Pan well.
' In case the owners of the cattle which bring up the stores
from Panwell should require advances of money on their
arrival at Poonah, you will authorize the officer in charge of
the stores at Poonah to make these advances on account of the
storekeeper at Panwell ; taking care to insert in the register
that he had made the advances according to the arrangements
suggested to Mr. Duncan, in the letter of which the enclosed
is a copy. He will also enter at the bottom of the register,
the date of the arrival of the stores at Poonah, the number of
bullocks that arrived,, and the number of loads they brought.
' From your correspondence with the storekeeper at Pan-
well, you will be able to ascertain whether he can procure
bullocks in such numbers as to keep the depot at Poonah
complete to 4000 bags. And if you should have reason to
apprehend that he will not be able to do so, you will authorize
the officer in charge of the depot at Poonah to purchase rice in
the bazaar of that place, to keep it complete to that quantity.
154 POONAH. 1803.
' But as rice is scarce and dear at Poonah, and as a large
quantity has been already provided for the public service at
Bombay and Panwell, it is desirable that the latter should be
used, if possible, rather than that any should be purchased at
Poonah.
4 Having thus provided for keeping the depot at Poonah as
full as I think it necessary, I proceed to inform you in what
mode I propose to draw the stores from it to the body of troops
who will be in advance.
* If the state of the public cattle will allow of it, I propose
that they should return to Poonah for fresh loads, in propor-
tion as those they will now take from thence will be consumed.
When these will arrive, they will have an indent, signed by the
officer at the head of the department to which they belong,
and countersigned by me, which will specify the quantities
required.
* These indents are to be complied with. Advices will be
sent to you by post when these cattle shall be dispatched from
camp, by which you will be informed of their numbers, and the
quantities and quality of the stores which it is intended they
should bring.
' It is also possible that I may be able to prevail upon some
of the Mysore brinjarries to return to Poonah for loads.
These people will have orders signed by the superintendent of
supplies for the quantities and quality of the stores which they
will require ; which orders are to be complied with, and the
receipts of the brinjarries, or their mutaseddee, are to be taken
for the stores. You will be advised of the departure of the
brinjarry cattle from camp from time to time, and will be in-
formed of the numbers sent to Poonah, and the quantities of
stores they will take.
' I have had many conversations with the Resident respect-
ing the hire of cattle at Poonah, to carry on provision stores
to the body of troops in advance ; and I still hope that the
Government may be able to prevail upon some of the Mar-
hatta brinjarries to enter into engagements to perform that
service. All the cattle, which the people attached to the
Residency may be able to procure, will be handed over to the
officer in charge of the store at Poonah ; and they must be dis-
patched with loads of rice to the body of troops in advance,
by routes, of which from time to time I shall give you the
details.
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 155
' Before they are dispatched, however, they must be made
to enter into the engagements proposed in the enclosed extract
of a letter to Mr. Duncan, to be required from the owners of
cattle hired at Panwell, for the service. And a register must
be made according to the form thereunto annexed ; and all the
regulations therein suggested for the conduct of the store-
keeper at Panwell must be observed by the officer in charge
of the stores at Poonah, in forwarding them to the body of
troops in advance. The sums of money which he may ad-
vance will be on his own account ; and all the sums which it
may be necessary to advance to the owners of the bullocks,
when they shall reach the army, will also be charged to him,
and entered in the register, which he will send with the owners
of the cattle.
' In case you should find it necessary to use any part of the
depot of provisions formed at Poonah, for the consumption of
the body of troops under your command, you will be so kind
as to take care that it is replaced, so as to be kept complete to
the quantity above stated.
' Should Lieut. Colonel Close be able to procure bullocks
to carry rice to the army, the owners of them may want bags.
Those in which the rice is contained must be examined, and if
they should not be found fit for the service, 2000 bullock
gunny bags must be immediately provided, to contain the
stores which it may be in the power of the officer in charge of
the depot to send on.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray: < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Governor General.
' MY DEAR MORNINGTON, ' Camp at Charovvly, 4th June, 1803.
' I marched from Poonah this morning, and shall proceed
towards the Godavery. I am sorry to tell you that notwith-
standing our strong recommendation of the southern jag-
hireclars and the Peshwah's officers to his Highness j his solemn
promise to me that he would satisfy their claims in order to
secure their future services ; and the assurances of his servants
from time to time to Colonel Close, that his Highness was
taking measures to satisfy them, and to send out an army with
me, I have not got with me one Marhatta horseman. Ragonaut
156 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
Rao, however, has told Colonel Close that the Peshwah will
give the Zereen Putka to Appah Saheb, and will not make
the demand of the nuzzer. Appah Saheb has visited him, and
Bulvvunt Rao Nagonath is in treaty with Appah Saheb re-
specting the satisfaction of his other claims. But the Pesh-
wah trusts none of his ministers, and pretends to do his own
business ; although his time is much taken up by religious
ceremonies and his pleasures, and he is very undecided.
These faults in his character, added to a slowness natural to
every Marhatta negotiator, render hopeless the conclusion of
any important transaction.
' In the mean time the season is advancing, the rivers which
rise in the western ghauts will soon fill ; and then if I am not
on the spot to urge the chiefs, to take all the trouble, and to
make all the arrangements which are necessary to cross the
rivers with the troops, months will elapse before they will over-
take me ; even if the Peshwah should settle their claims, as far
as to induce them to march from Poonah at all.
* This conduct of the Peshwah would appear like treachery,
but I declare that I do not suspect him of treachery. I really
believe that he thinks his only safety is in the alliance with the
Company, and that he wishes to carry into execution all the
stipulations of the treaty. But he is incapable himself of doing
business ; he will not trust his ministers, and he is jealous of,
and detests his sirdars.
' The news which came from England yesterday makes it
very desirable that we should break up in this quarter.
* I have seen Colonel Collins's letter to you of the 29th of
May ; and as I think it possible that the Rajah of Berar and
Scindiah may never meet, I have urged the Colonel to press
Scindiah to name a day on which he will explain his intentions ;
and if Scindiah should decline to name a day, he should fix
one for him, beyond which, in my opinion, he ought not to
remain in his camp, if the explanation should not be satis-
factory.
* If Scindiah should move off, which I still think is very
probable, 1 shall break up immediately. There must be troops
in the Carnatic when the French arrive at Pondicherry. There
will be none, unless General Stuart's army can march to that
quarter ; and if he should move before Scindiah shall have de-
clared himself, the movement may have much effect upon
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 157
Scindiah's declaration. And if there should be a war, the
operations of this body of troops, at such a distance from our
own frontiers, will be unpleasant, unless General Stuart's force
should be so posted as to preserve tranquillity in our rear, and
defend the Company's territories. Upon the whole, there-
fore, it is absolutely necessary that Scindiah should imme-
diately declare himself, and that if his declaration should be
favorable to our wishes, we should break up.
' Holkar's army is melting away : he is gone to the north-
ward of the Taptee, and it is reported that he is going into
Hindustan. I wish that there were powers here to act at once,
and to direct the negotiations with the different Marhatta
chiefs to certain points as they arise. These questions occur
daily, and nearly six weeks elapse before your orders can be
received upon every fresh occurrence. At this moment Colo-
nel Collins ought to be ordered to press Scindiah to give an
answer, particularly as he has hinted that he is wavering be-
tween peace and war; and time, which is all that Scindiah
requires, and which is fatal to us, will be gained by the neces-
sity of waiting your orders, unless Colonel Collins should attend
to my suggestion. A communication ought also to be opened
with Holkar and the Rajah of Berar, upon the subject of
the treaty of Bassein, and endeavors made to separate them
from Scindiah ; and the Peshwah ought to be made to show
his correspondence with Scindiah. I conclude, however, that
Colonel Close will ascertain whether his Highness has written
to that Chief, as he asserts he has.
' Believe me, &c.
• The Governor General: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Charowly, 4th June, 1803.
f I return Colonel Collins's packet, and the letter from
Mr. Duncan. It is obvious that the object of Scindiah is to
gain time, which we ought to prevent, if possible, under present
circumstances. It is very unfortunate that we have not now
an agent with the Rajah of Berar, and another with Holkar.
' Are there no means of discovering whether the Peshwah
has or has not invited Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar to
Poonah ? If he has, no dependence can be placed on him ;
158 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
and we must immediately decide what steps the British
Government ought to take for its own security ; considering
all the circumstances of our situation in India, with the pros-
pect of a war in Europe.
' In respect to Parchole, my opinion is, that without nego-
tiating or offering money to Scindiah's amildars, or Scindiah's
troops, Mr. Duncan ought first to prepare a body of troops to
take possession of that district. Secondly ; to communicate to
Scindiah's amildar, the Peshwah's sunnud making over the
district to the English, together with the note given by the
Peshwah, stating that Ballojee Koonger had no authority to
grant it to Scindiah. Thirdly ; to require him to withdraw
from the district instantly, and to attack him if he does not
comply with this requisition. If this question was to occur
between any two powers excepting the Company and a Mar-
hatta, I should be of opinion that it would be proper to call
upon the employer of the amildar, to desire him to withdraw.
But in cases in which the Marhattas are concerned, this course
of action would be too tedious, even if successful in the end ;
but it would probably terminate in the necessity of driving
out the amildar, which I have recommended in the first in-
stance. Mr. Duncan might as well make Colonel Collins
acquainted with all the circumstances of this case at an early
period.
' I have had an opportunity of seeing all my cattle this day.
The gun bullocks are in excellent condition; the carriage
cattle, in general, better than I ever expected to find them ;
that is to say, they can march, and, if we can get a little forage,
will live; but the brinjarry cattle are terribly out of condition.
I think they cannot live ; and at all events, they will not be
able to work, so as to feed the troops. In my opinion, we
cannot venture to cross the Godavery, unless some cattle can
be hired at Poonah to attend us.
< I have received a letter from Colonel Collins, but it con-
tains nothing particular.
* Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Close' ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. .159
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' Camp at Bardoly, north of the
' MY DEAR COLONEL, Beemah, 5th June, 1803.
' I have received your letters of the 30th and 31st May.
I marched from Poonah yesterday, and intend to continue
my march till I get beyond the Goor river, on the road towards
Ahmednuggur or Puttun. I must then halt for a few days,
if I can procure forage, as well to rest and refresh the cattle
which have had no forage since the day before yesterday, as to
bring forward the Marhatta Chiefs, who are still at Poonah.
' You have done right to cross the Godavery. It is uncer-
tain whether the northern Chiefs will confederate for the pur-
pose of hostility against the British Government. Scindiah
has told Collins that he cannot make him acquainted with the
object of his negotiations with the Rajah of Berar, until he
shall have had a meeting with that Rajah ; and he hints that
he has made peace with Holkar, which 1 do not believe to be
true. But Holkar still remains to the northward of the river
Taptee ; and if this confederacy should take effect, and there
should be a war, your force may be the first object of the con-
federates, before I can give you any assistance. I therefore
recommend that you should not advance too great a distance
from the Godavery. You must send a sufficient detachment
to cut up Baba Phurkia, or any other Marhatta that may
enter the Nizam's territories ; but I recommend that you
should not make the detachment of the Company's troops.
The Nizam's troops will effect this service well ; and I make
no doubt that any detachment you may send on it, will take
care not to expose itself to the greater Marhatta armies.
1 I am very anxious indeed that they should avoid to plun-
der either in their own or the Marhatta territory ; and that
they should not enter the latter, excepting Baba Phurkia, or
the chief of whom they may be in pursuit, should have
entered the Nizam's territory, and that they are certain of
striking an important blow by following him.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
160 ADVANCE TO AHMKDNUGCUR. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' Camp at Bardoly, north of the
' MY DEAR COLONEL, Beemah, 5th June, 1803.
* We had no forage yesterday, and none again this day.
But the villages in this quarter are full of inhabitants, and do
not appear to have been plundered. The country was culti-
vated last season ; but I am afraid that, either from the want
of seed grain or of cattle, it will not be cultivated this year ;
as I observe small patches of cultivation scattered in different
situations, which I conclude are intended to provide for the
food of the unfortunate inhabitants.
« We have lost some brinjarry cattle already ; and I have
been obliged to leave 500 loads belonging to the provision de-
partment, on the ground which I quitted this morning. I wrote
to Colonel Murray regarding them, and I shall be obliged to
you if you will desire your man to give him every assistance
in his power to hire cattle to bring them back to Poonah.
* All this shows the necessity that we should have some
assistance from the country. I enclose the copy of a letter
which I have written to Colonel Murray, upon the subject of
the depot formed at Poonah ; and of the assistance of cattle,
which I still hope you will have it in your power to afford us.
' I shall march on in hopes, that as I get to a distance
from Poonah, I may find something for the cattle to eat.
Every thing near it, excepting to the westward, has been con-
sumed. I shall, to-morrow or next day, write to you regardino-
the place at which the boats ought to be on the rivers Beemah
and Goor, in order to keep up the communication with us.
1 Do you not think that I ought now to write to Holkar to
communicate to him the treaty of Bassein, and to point out to
him its nature, &c. ? If you are of that opinion, it will be
necessary that you should send me a copy of the treaty in
English, and in one of the native languages.
6 Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
SIR, ' North of the Beemah, 5th June, 1803.
' The bullock owners informed me that they had more
1803. ADVAN'CE TO AHMKDNUGGUR. 161
cattle for the service than they produced at muster on the 31st
May ; and as the muster was taken at the grazing ground,
and they said that the additional number of cattle were at
Poonah, I had no means of ascertaining the truth of their
report, till after yesterday's march. I then found that they
had no more than had been produced at muster, and that I
had given orders that they should receive more loads than they
could carry.
f These loads, of which I now enclose a return, were left as
therein stated. Those at Charowly are under charge of a
jemidar's guard, and I intend that the whole of them should
be taken into the depot at Poonah.
1 I shall be obliged to you if, upon the receipt of this letter,
you will be so kind as to send to Charowly a jemidar's guard,
to relieve that left in charge of the provisions on the ground
there; and if you will take measures to have these stores
removed to the depot at Poonah as soon as possible.
6 I have written to Colonel Close to request that he will
give you assistance in effecting this object.
' We have had no forage yet, but I have hopes that we
shall get some, when at a greater distance from Poonah.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
" Colonel Murray: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government
Bombay.
1 SIR, ' Camp, 6th June, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 3rd,
with its enclosures.
c In my opinion, basket boats will answer all the purposes
which I had in view, when I requested the Honorable the
Governor to give orders that boats might be placed on the
rivers on the road from Pan well to the Bhore Ghaut; but
these boats are difficult to manage, and indeed, cannot be
managed at all, excepting by persons accustomed to them,
who, I imagine, cannot be found at Bombay.
c As common boats are used upon all the rivers above the
Ghauts, I conclude that they could likewise be used upon the
rivers in the Konkan, and the boatmen at Bombay must be
expert in managing them. They can likewise be immediately
VOL. III. M
162 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
procured ; but time will elapse before the basket boats can be
made.
' As the basket boats are in general only ten feet in diameter,
they cannot contain the number of persons supposed by Mr.
Anderson.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sect. o/Gov. Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
( MY DEAR COLONEL, * Camp, 7th June, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 6th with enclosures, for
which I am much obliged to you.
' I now send you a dispatch received this day from the
Governor General, which I beg of you to return after perusal.
You will see that there are more calls for our troops.
* I got a little forage yesterday towards evening ; and I see
some now coming in. But we have sad losses of brinjarry
cattle. I delay to write to you upon the subject of the boats
till I cross the Goor river, which will not be till the day after
to-morrow; as I purpose to halt here to-morrow, if we can
feed at all.
' Amrut Rao's vakeel is very anxious for his answer.
* Believe me, Sec.
' Lieut. Colonel Close.' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
6 SIR, ' Camp, 7th June, 1803.
1 I have received the Governor General's instructions (upon
the subject of the probability that the French will endeavor to
get possession of the Portuguese settlements in India and in
China), addressed to the governments of Fort St. George and
Bombay, of which I observe that a copy has been sent to you ;
and as I conceive that you will be desirous to have my opinion
upon this subject, I lose no time in writing to you.
* It appears to be the Governor General's intention, that if
the Viceroy of Goa will receive a British garrison, British
troops should be sent to Goa without loss of time. I have
nothing to say upon this part of the subject. You are aware
1803. ADVANCE TO AI1MEDNUGGUR. 163
of the state of the garrisons in Canara, and of the number
of troops in Malabar, and of the call for their services in the
latter provinces. There are already at Gca two companies of
the garrison of Hullihall, which, after making that detachment
and the others to the posts on the Malpoorba, Gutpurba, and
Kistna, consists of five native companies ; and in my opinion
that post ought to be kept at its present strength. But the
Governor General anticipates the refusal of the Viceroy of Goa
to receive the British troops at present, which I acknowledge
I think more than probable; and in that case he wishes that
troops should be so stationed as to prevent the French from
carrying into execution their plans, or to drive them from Goa
in case they should get into that place.
6 The question is, in what situation ought those troops to
be placed ?
4 The Governor General suggests Bancapoor as the station
which may be fixed upon for the troops which are hereafter
to occupy the Marhatta cessions to the southward. But
Bancapoor is at a great distance indeed from Goa, very nearly
as far as you are from it at this moment. There are two
situations which might be occupied with a view to the defence
of Goa, but both are exceedingly inconvenient ; the access to
that place from both is difficult, and the march of the troops
might be impeded with ease : one is Hullihall in Soonda, the
other Seedasheeghur in Canara.
4 1 shall hereafter send you a particular account of the
difficulties which occur on both roads. Hullihall has now one
advantage over Seedasheeghur, which is, that troops placed
there give us general strength in this country ; but, on the other
hand, it is an unhealthy station, and more distant from Goa
than Seedasheeghur. This place enjoys an important advan-
tage over Hullihall, and that is, that the troops stationed there
might almost see, and at all events could have instant intelli-
gence of an attack upon Goa ; but under present circumstances
such a body of troops must be taken from all other services,
however much they press in all quarters, and must be allot-
ted to the care and guard of Goa alone. I have also to add
that, before you will receive this letter, the march of the troops
to Seedasheeghur will have been rendered almost impossible,
by the setting in of the rains, and by the swelling of the nume-
rous rivers in Canara.
104 ADVANC'li TO AHMKDM/GGUR. 18013.
' Considering the advanced state of the season ; that we
know that the French had not sent from France their troops
destined for India on the 4th or 7th of March ; that they will
first go to Mauritius; and that it is very improbable that, even
if they do intend to take possession of Goa, they will com-
mence their career in India by that feat ; or that they will ven-
ture with a large squadron upon the coast of Malabar during
the western monsoon, I am of opinion that Goa is safe, at
least for a time.
' It is true that some of these considerations may have oc-
curred to the Governor General when he wrote the instructions ;
but all of them certainly did not; and he was not aware of the
whole of our situation in this country, of the difficulties which
would occur in defending Goa by means of troops placed in
any neighbouring station, and of those which would attend the
formation of a corps at Seedasheeghur, and of providing, at the
same time, for all other services and objects. But those who
are to carry into execution his instructions, and who, being upon
the spot, must know more at the moment than he does, must
be considered to have the power of weighing probabilities, and
adopting a course of action in conformity thereto ; and upon
this principle I am of opinion that you ought not to alter the
position and operations which you have directed, in order to
provide for this particular service. Your position at Moodgul
is, in fact, as near to Goa as that at Bancapoor would be; and
there is no material obstacle to impede your march to that
place, at least as far as Hullihall in Soonda.
* Consistently with some of the objects you had in view when
you took that position, you might move nearer to Goa ; but
then you would, in some degree, give up Hyderabad and the
Nizam's country ; and after all, in these unsettled times, and
in the present state of the Nizam's health, and the general
weakness of his government, I am not quite certain that your
firm support will not be required in that quarter sooner than
in any other.
' Upon the whole, I take the liberty of giving you my
opinion, that unless the Viceroy of Goa will admit British
troops into that settlement, it will be best that your arrange-
ments should remain as they are for the present, with a view
to all possible occurrences.
' I have found but little forage yet, and have lost many brin-
1803. ADVANCK TO A11MEON UUG UK. 165
jarry cattle ; but we have found some forage this day, and 1 hope
to have more as I advance to the northward and eastward.
' I have the honor, &c.
• Lieut. General Stuart.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DKAR COLON KL, ' Camp at Paglah, 7th June, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 3rd, and I regret
exceedingly this fresh act of aggression on the part of Rajah
Sookroodoor. It is really very important that conduct of this
kind should be speedily checked; and, accordingly, I recom-
mend that you should desire Rajah Mohiput Ram not to allow
his Highness's troops to be employed without your directions.
As there appears this disposition to plunder, it would be well
not to give permission that the troops should be employed,
excepting on very urgent occasions.
' As this affair will certainly be a subject of complaint at
Scindiah's durbar, I shall write upon the subject to the Resi-
dent at Hyderabad.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
< SIR, ' Camp at Paglah, 7th June, 1803.
' 1 have received your letter of the 6th, and I now enclose a
list of the articles left at Charowly, which ought to have gone
to you yesterday.
« I am astonished that the barracks are not sufficiently large
to contain all your Europeans. They appeared to me large
enough for a whole regiment ; but I wish you would order a
committee to measure them, and if I find that they do not
afford the regulated space for the number of men, we must
order additional buildings to be constructed.
' Let Brown fit up his workshop, with Arcot roofs, in any
manner he may think will best answer.
' In respect to your cattle, I rather believe that the rain is
not so heavy in this part of the country as to do them much
injury, particularly as they get an allowance of grain; but
even if it were certain that it would destroy them, they are not
worth the expense of a shed to cover them. The rain is much
more heavy below the Ghauts, where they would certainly die,
\()() ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
as there is every reason to believe that they would have less
chance than they have even now of getting their grain.
' You will learn from Colonel Close whether the rain is so
heavy at Poonuh as to render it necessary that you should
have a shed for the gun cattle. If he should think it so, you
will do well to construct one of Arcot roof.
e I wish that you would send two companies of the second bat-
talion of the 3rd regiment to the Ghaut, to assist the pontoon
carriages in getting up. You will learn from Captain Young
when they will leave Pan well ; and send the companies from
Poonah in such time that they may meet them when they shall
arrive at the bottom of the Ghaut. I request you to corre-
spond with Captain Young upon this subject.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Colonel Murray: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' Mv DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 8th June, 1803.
' 1 have received your letter of the 7th. I am rather inclined
to doubt the delivery of Indore to Holkar's amildar. It does
not appear that Colonel Collins has the intelligence from any
good authority.
' My being in the field here, without any of the Peshwah
sirdars, is rather an awkward circumstance ; and, in my opinion,
we must immediately take into consideration the general
situation of our affairs, and to act in such manner as may
appear best for the public interest. I have always thought
the Peshwah to be incapable rather than disaffected ; and
I have imagined that he would send out an army with us, if
he could. But two or three facts have occurred which rather
warrant a conclusion to the contrary. One of these is, that he has
not ordered out even Bappojee Vittell, whose troops were sent
to encamp in my front, with great parade, on the day after I
had the interview with his Highness; another is his shuffling
backwards and forwards with Goklah and Appah Dessaye;
and the third is his offer of the Zereen Putka to Appah
Saheb, without the power attached to it, and of course without
the honor. These are three stubborn facts, which we cannot
conceal from ourselves, and which prove that there is something
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 167
to prevent our having a Marhatta army in the field, besides
his Ilighness's incapacity for business.
' rrhc present moment is critical. Our appearance in
strength may prevent the threatened hostilities ; but if it is
clear that we are not strong at Poonali, which it must be to
the whole world, if we continue in the field without even one
Marhatta horseman, it is obvious that we are weak, not
only in appearance, but in a military point of view. There
can be no doubt but that a war with these confederated Mar-
hattas would be rather a difficult undertaking, and attended
with some kind of risk, if this body of troops be not accom-
panied by a corps of the light cavalry.
' The question is, whether by our own influence and nego-
tiations we can bring forward immediately the body of cavalry,
and the chiefs who came with me to Poonah, and, at the same
time, keep up an appearance of an understanding with the
Peshwah. If that can be effected in any manner, it is my
opinion that the public interests imperiously demand it, and
I shall do every thing to bring them forward. My objects in
bringing them forward would be to give us such strength as
would probably prevent hostilities, or if the hostilities should
take place, would give us a prospect of bringing them to a
speedy conclusion. In either case I am decidedly of opinion
that the alliance in its present form, and with the present
Peshwah, will never answer; and my efforts would be directed
to withdrawing from it with honor and safety.
' If we cannot bring forward a body of this horse, and
as, in my opinion, the alliance will not work in its present
form, or at all with the present Peshwah, with whom it is not
possible to have a community of interests, the question is,
whether we ought not to alter the mode, and form, and object
of our negotiations with Scindiah, Holkar, and the Rajah of
Berar. All these questions press for immediate decision, and
I put them to you and Malcolm for your consideration.
' I wrote to the Governor General on the 8th of May, and
suggested the necessity of his having powers on the spot to
settle every thing regarding these Marhatta affairs. His an-
swer may be expected in a day or two ; and in the mean time,
in my opinion, our minds cannot be better employed than in
considering the line of conduct which ought to be pursued.
' I shall be obliged to you if you will have every thing pre-
168 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
pared to send off the boats. I hope to be across the Goor
river to-morrow, and as it may be expected that the rivers will
soon come down, I shall let you know where the boats ought to
be placed.
* Have you made any progress yet with the brinjarries?
' If you could prevail upon some of them, as many as one
thousand, to bring us loads of grain to the Goor river, some-
thing would be gained.
* Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 8th June, 1803.
' I have received your letter, in which you have given a
more detailed account of the disaster which happened to Major
Johnson. In my opinion, Scindiah ought to require that
Rajah Sookroodoor should be punished ; and if he does make
such a requisition to Colonel Collins, and it is sent to me, I
shall certainly urge it in the strongest manner to Major Kirk-
patrick and the Nizam's durbar. I observe by the corre-
spondence which Major Kirkpatrick has sent to Colonel Close,
that the Nizam is desirous that Suddoor ool Been should be
dismissed from the charge of Aurungabad ; and that you should
place some of Rajah Mohiput Ram's troops, and a proper per-
son to command in concert with Rajah Mohiput Ram. I
conceive this to be a very proper measure, and one of urgency
at the present moment. It is probable that you will hear
from Major Kirkpatrick upon this subject ; but in the mean
time, that you may be prepared to carry into execution the
Nizam's wishes, and that no time may be lost, you will do well
to move towards Aurungabad. But you must keep the object
of your march secret, and not take any steps to relieve the
garrison till you hear from Major Kirkpatrick.
* The Rajah of Berar and Scindiah were to meet between
Mulcapoor and Chickly, where Scindiah 's camp was on the
4th of this month.
' Believe me, &c.
4 Colonel Stevenson: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to I. H. Piele, Esq.
' MY DEAR PIELE, ' Camp, 8th June, 1803-
' I have received your letter of the 1st, upon the subject of
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 169
the brinjarries. The sepoys are sent with each party, in order
to urge them forward, and to prevent them from doing mischief
in the country through which they pass. It frequently happens,
as it has in the instance to which you have alluded, that the
sepoys are of no use, and their presence deters the country
magistrates from interfering, and keeping the brinjarries in
order. But sometimes the brinjarries will not attend to the
sepoys, and even beat them ; as a party did lately some of my
sepoys who urged them to move from Rany Bednore, where,
by all accounts, I judge that they have been halted for about
two months. I see very clearly that we have been too indul-
gent to the brinjarries. It may be said that the harsh treat-
ment which Purneah always recommended would have driven
many out of the Mysore country ; but on the other hand, I
have to acknowledge that the mild treatment which they have
uniformly experienced has not brought them forward for the
public service in the moment of need. They have deceived me
in every instance ; they have broken every engagement they
have made ; and I think it not unlikely that I shall be in some
distress, unless I can bring forward some of the brinjarries of
this country.
1 Pray request Purneah to pay no attention to our sepoys,
but desire the amildars to beat them well, whenever they find
them loitering on the road, or doing mischief. Purneah
ought to send the bills for the rice and grain, supported by the
receipts of the officer who received those articles. Separate
bills ought to be made for the rice and grain delivered to Mr.
Gordon's servants at Hurryhur ; and for the gram for the
cavalry at the different stations to the eastward, at Bangalore,
Sera, and Chittledroog, delivered to Captain Walker's servants,
or to the regiments of cavalry.
1 Let the bills be sent to me, and I will sign them. You
can settle with Mr. Gordon for the payment from his office,
and I shall desire Captain Walker to pay for the gram.
' Believe me, &c.
• /. H. Piele, Esq.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp, north of the Goor River, 9th Juno, 1803.
' I have the honor to enclose the copy of a letter which I
have received from Colonel Collins.
170 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGQUR. 1803.
1 It would be desirable that the government of Fort St.
George should take measures to supply me with money.
When that sent under charge of Captain Buchan shall
arrive, I shall have a sufficiency to pay the troops on the 1st
of July and 1st of August; but no more. I cannot depend
upon any supplies of money from Bombay. That which
I have already received from thence was in dollars taken out
of two Indiamen consigned with their cargoes to Fort St.
George. The government of Bombay have no specie, and
the general property of that place has been so completely de-
stroyed by fire and its consequences, that none can be borrowed.
The credit of the government also is not very good, as their
treasury notes are circulated at a discount ; and the Poonah
soucars who have any money are unwilling to advance it for
bills upon the government of Bombay, which they apprehend
will be paid in their treasury notes.
* I recommend, therefore, that if you cannot supply me
from your tumbrils, the government of Fort St. George should
immediately send to Bombay one lac of pagodas, either in
silver or in Behuudry pagodas, for the use of this detachment ;
and another lac to arrive there in the month of August. Mr.
Duncan will be able to send these up to me.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley, to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' Camp, north of the Goor River,
< MY DEAR COLONEL, • 9th June, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 8th, and I am happy to
find that there is a chance of having some of the Marhatta
chiefs with this body of troops.
* We got a tolerable quantity of forage yesterday ; but in
the evening there was a fall of rain, by which we have lost
numbers of cattle, as well belonging to the brinjarries as to the
public departments. The cattle are so weak in consequence of
the want of forage near Poonah, and the bad quality of that
which they get, that they are unable to stand the rain. It is
difficult to decide what to do ; we cannot march, and we cannot
halt in the same place, because we soon destroy the little forage
we find. I was obliged to move a few miles this morning, and
1803. ADVANCE TO A11MEDNUGGUR. 17L
have left 800 loads of grain. It is not possible to keep a body
of troops in the field at such a distance from our own country,
unless we can get some assistance from that in which we are
situated. If I could get the 2000 head of cattle which I
required from Mr. Duncan, it would be something ; or if we
could get even a small number of the Poonah brinjarries to
attend us.
4 We must be sparing of our money ; for including that
which is to be paid into your hands, and 20,000 rupees which
were lent to Colonel Murray, and which he promised to repay
on the next day, I have not got more than enough to pay the
troops in the next month. One lac of pagodas is on the
road from General Stuart's army ; but Captain Buchan, who
is in charge of it, does not appear to come on very quickly.
He was only at Hoobly on the 3rd, although he marched
from the Toombuddra on the 21st of May.
4 I enclose a letter from Colonel Collins, which I beg you
to return to me after the perusal. I likewise enclose the copy
of a letter which I have written to General Stuart upon the
subject of the demand of troops for Goa. You will see there-
in all my reasons for thinking that General Stuart's army
ought not to be broken up, and ought not to quit its position
near Moodgul. It is my opinion that the state of the Nizam's
health, and the probable disturbances in his country, which
would be the consequence of his death, are the cement of
the supposed confederacy at the present moment; and that
country would certainly be our weak point, if his Highness
should die, particularly while the rivers continue full. General
Stuart, therefore, ought not to move from it. Malcolm will
see that Moodgul is as near to Goa as Bancapoor is ; and as
for sending me reinforcements, I do not want them, as I can-
not feed and equip all the troops I have at present.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' Camp, north of the Cookrah,
' MY DEAR COLONEL, * 10th June, 1803.
* I enclose you an account of the road from Poonah to the
172 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUQGUR. 1803.
crossing place of the Goor river, by which the communication
must hereafter be kept up with me. Besides the two boats now
at Coraygaum, on the Beemah, we ought to have four basket
boats there, and four at Seroor, on the Goor. The Cookrah
and Goor join before they reach Seroor. There is now no
river between me and the Godavery. I long to hear what
progress you make with the brinjarries. If they would engage
to come forward even in a month, it would answer.
e I think that we might do some good by purchases of
cattle at Poonah, particularly if the restriction on the sale of
bullocks is taken off, and the Government give encourage-
ment, rather than discourage the purchase made by our
agents.
' If any thing of this kind could be done, I should wish the
purchases to be made on account of the Company, by the
officer in charge of the cattle with Colonel Murray's corps ; that
they should be taken care of by the drivers of the unservice-
able bullocks now in the neighbourhood of Poonah ; and when-
ever one hundred are purchased, that they should be sent off
to me in charge of a guard, and loaded with rice. The saddles
belonging to the unserviceable bullocks will answer for those
to be purchased. By this scheme I might get a few bullocks.
But if the gentlemen of the Bombay establishment do not take
care that the cattle which they will buy are fed and looked
after, when they are at, or in the neighbourhood of Poonah,
and do not make the attendants on the cattle do their duty, I
shall have nothing for the large expense that will be incurred
by carrying this plan into execution.
' I write to Colonel Murray upon this subject : I desire him
to consult you, and shall be obliged to you if you will give
him a hint upon the necessity that the public money should
not be thrown away in that service, by the inattention of those
whose duty it will be to superintend the cattle after they are
purchased.
* I want to have some of the Peshwah's proclamations and
orders authorizing goods to pass to my camp duty free, and
that my coins may be taken at the Mysore rates of exchange.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close.' ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
1803. ADVANCE TO AIIME DNUGGUK. 173
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
« SIR, ' Camp, north of the Cookrah, 10th June, 1803.
• The great disinclination of the Poonah brinjarries to come
forward at all in the service of the British army, and the cer-
tainty which I have that, owing to the great distance from
Mysore, and the difficulties of the road, which will be in-
creased by the swelling of the rivers, I can expect no more of
that class of people to join me from the Rajah's country, have
induced me to turn my thoughts seriously to find out means
of feeding the body of troops under my command till the
month of October ; at which period I may hope that the
Poonah brinjarries may be induced to serve us, or that those
still in Mysore may be brought forward.
* One mode has occurred in which the officers and depart-
ments belonging to your corps may be essentially useful. It
is, to purchase cattle at, and in the neighbourhood of Poonah,
by means of the officer in charge of the cattle with your de-
tachment ; to have those cattle attended and driven by the
drivers attached to your unserviceable cattle, and equipped
with their saddles ; and to have them sent off to me in pro-
portion as they are purchased, by 100 at a time, in charge
of a guard, each carrying a load of rice.
1 I request you to consult Colonel Close upon this subject,
and to give orders to carry it into execution, in concert with
him, if the plan should appear to be practicable or advisable.
' I request you however to draw the attention of the gentle-
men in charge of the cattle to the necessity that their cattle
should be well taken care of during the time that they will
remain at and in the neighbourhood of Poonah ; and that
every practicable mode of insuring their subsistence, while on
the road to join me, should be adopted. When they join
me, my officers shall be responsible for them. It is obvious,
however, that if they are not well taken care of, while they are
at Poonah, and if they do not leave that place in good heart,
I shall reap no advantage whatever from the expense which will
be incurred upon this occasion.
4 As under this arrangement it is not probable that there
will ever be at Poonah more than 100 of those bullocks at a
time, I recommend that a shed should be run up to cover that
number of cattle; provided Colonel Close should have in~
174 ADVANCE TO AIIMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
formed you that such shelter is necessary, in consequence of
the reference which I desired you to make to his opinion upon
this subject, in relation to your gun cattle. Besides this re-
source, I expect that Mr. Duncan will send me 2000 bullocks,
with their drivers, from Bombay; and when I hear that they
are ready to start from Pan well, I shall send you directions
respecting the loads which I wish they should carry.
* You may as well order Captain Young to send up some
arrack by the first opportunity.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray •.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
« MY DEAR COLONEL, * Camp, llth June, 1803.
' I have just received your letter of the 9th. Certainly
your conference with the Peshwah was as satisfactory as words
could be. However, I hope that he will write to Scindiah and
the Rajah of Berar ; and that he will now enter heartily into
the cause in which we are embarked for his government. The
settlement with the chiefs will then advance with rapidity, and
they will soon join me.
' You misunderstood me regarding a depot on the Goor
river. I have no means to make such an establishment, and
it would be very insecure if I could make it ; and nearly useless
on account of its distance from the Godavery, beyond which
river I must look forward. My idea was to bring forward
one thousand bags of rice to the river Goor, upon which I am
likely to be for some days yet ; and either to take from them
my consumption for the ten days ensuing that on which they
would arrive, or to take them into the departments. This
plan has been partly knocked on the head by the loss of cattle
on the night of the 8th. However, if you can send forward
one thousand loads, I think that I can still dispose of them.
More than that quantity, however, at the Goor river, would be
thrown away.
1 I move a short distance daily, and get a little forage, and
just keep alive : I dread a fall of rain however. I am able
now to carry on all my loads ; and if I get the bullocks re-
quired from Bombay, and promised by Mr. Duncan, and
those upon the subject of which I wrote yesterday to you and
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGQUR. 175
Colonel Murray, I shall still weather all these little difficulties
and mishaps. /
( I have made arrangements also for recruiting in camp, and
have people employed in making purchases for me in the
Nizam's territories.
6 The pioneers know nothing about basket boats. I have
always said, however, that there is nothing they cannot do
when under their officers ; but they are not so expert when left
to themselves. There must be some boat people at or in the
neighbourhood of Poonah, and possibly high wages would
tempt them to come forward ; but if they will not serve in any
manner whatever we cannot help it ; we must do the best we
can for ourselves. You will observe by the paper I sent you
yesterday, that there are boats upon the river Beemah and the
Goor at the crossing places, which I propose to use. I hear
that these boats are not in very good repair ; possibly you
might be able to get them repaired, and they would answer
to carry over our tappall, and any small parties of troops.
Notwithstanding the Peshwah's exertions, I cannot hope that
we shall draw much besides from Poonah.
' If boatmen can be hired for the boats, they will be more
useful upon the river Indoorowny, and upon the Beemah
and Goor, than they would be in this camp. But if boatmen
cannot be provided for them, I should be glad to have six or
eight, as soon as they can be procured.
' You will observe that it is desirable that boats should soon
be forwarded to the Indoorowny, otherwise the communication
with Panwell will be stopped.
6 Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
1 SIR, ' Camp, llth June, 1803.
' I received this morning your letters of the 8th (which
ought to have been dated the 9th, I believe) and of the 10th.
Colonel Close misunderstood me regarding the provisions
which I wished to have forwarded to the Goor river. I have
however explained myself to him fully upon that subject, in a
letter which I have writen him this day.
' My letter of yesterday will have explained fully my views
1~G ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGOUR. 1803.
regarding the assistance which I expect from you in bullocks.
I do not like to take your old bullocks, because Captain
Mackay, who understands the matter well, has reported that
all those left behind are quite unfit for service.
Cattle that are at all weak, and those that have sore backs,
will not answer during a monsoon ; and it is therefore much
better that the plan, which I proposed in my letter of yester-
day, should be carried into execution. There is, however, no
harm in working out what remains of your old bullocks in
carrying forward grain to this army. After delivering their
loads they can be sent back, and their drivers may be employed
in bringing forward the new bullocks which may have been
purchased. Supposing that you are able now to send for-
ward 800 old bullocks loaded, you will still have a sufficient
number of drivers to take charge of, and bring forward, the
new bullocks as they shall be purchased.
* 1 have made arrangements with Mr. Duncan for placing
boats upon the rivers below the Ghauts, and I understand from
him that they will be in their stations in good time.
* I fear that you will make no progress by means of coolies,
to bring forward provisions; and you must take care not to
disgust your dooly bearers.
' Keep the pontoons at Foonah till Lieut. Goodfellow shall
arrive, but give a hint to have the cattle taken care of.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
• Colonel Murray; • ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley, to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 12th Jane, 1803.
I -wrote to you fully yesterday respecting the boats. I can
furnish no means of working them. In the first place, the
pioneers do nothing when they are away from their officers ;
in the next place, a great proportion are now employed in
keeping alive my half-starved cattle ; and even if they under-
stood how to navigate, they could not be spared. If you
cannot get boat people for them (and there must be some in
the country), the best thing will be to depend upon the boats
now in the rivers ; and to send me those which are made,
excepting such as are necessary to keep up the communication
J803. ADVANCE TO AIIMEDNUGGUR. 177
over the Indoorowny, between Poonah and the Ghaut. For
this number I should still hope that you will be able to supply
boat people.
' Your progress with the brinjarries is capital ; and if they
only perform their engagement, I am indifferent respecting
the confederacy.
' The boats ought to be sent to the rivers as soon as
possible.
' Believe me, &c.
« Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
« SIR, ' Camp, 12th June, 1803;
' I am sorry to hear so bad an account of the pontoons. I
suspected that the roads would not be very good when the
rains commenced ; and for that reason, as well as because I
expect that the rivers will fill between the 14th and 20th, I
wished that the pontoons should leave Panwell on the 8th, at
latest.
f You have done every thing you could do ; and I dare say
that when Lieut. Goodfellow shall arrive at Panwell, many of
the difficulties of which Captain Young complains will be
removed.
' When we quitted Poonah, Captain Graham was advancing
rapidly with the soucars ; and I make no doubt but that in a
short time he will have been able to procure from them a
sufficient supply for this body of troops ; and I hoped that
your paymaster would be able to make equal progress.
' You should not confine your dealings to one soucar.
Open a communication with every soucar in Poonah, and take
money from any man who will give it to you for bills upon
Calcutta, Benares, Lucknow, or Madras ; I can send them to
you.
* If you find that you cannot get on with the shroffs, you
must write to Mr. Duncan, and press him to send you money.
He will be able to do so, as I know that lately the state
of the finances at Bombay has considerably mended ; but if
you want cash immediately for the purchase of the bullocks
I mentioned to you in my letter, there is money of mine in
the hands of Lieut. Colonel Close, for which you may call for
this purpose, in proportion as you may want it.
VOL. in. N
178 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUOGUR. 1803.
' I have bought twenty seven camels to carry the camp
equipage of the 78th regiment, which I propose should be paid
for by the government of Bombay. The people from whom I
bought them have paid the money into my treasury, and have
desired to have a bill upon Poonah for it : I have complied
with their request, and have given them a bill for 4700 Chan-
dory rupees upon Captain Matheson. If it will distress
Captain Matheson to pay this bill, you may also take that
sum from Colonel Close. But the expense of these camels
will appear hereafter in Captain Matheson's accounts, and
if he has that money he may as well pay it at present.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Colonel Murray: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Maxwell,
19th Light Dragoons.
• DEAR COLONEL, ' I3»h June, 1803.
« I do not clearly comprehend the object of the papers which
you showed me last night, and I wish to have it explained
to me.
' In consequence of a representation from the officers of the
cavalry, made by Colonel Dallas, I obtained the permission of
the Commander in Chief, that a limited expense should be
incurred for forage for their horses, when the corps should be
placed in situations where it might be impossible for the
grass cutters to supply the necessary quantity ; and I issued
orders upon the subject on the 3rd of June, in which, in
obedience to the orders of the Commander in Chief, I limited
the period that the public should pay to those days I
thought the grass cutters might have found it difficult to pro-
cure the necessary supply of forage.
' It appears, however, that notwithstanding the people at-
tached to the gun bullocks procured forage for them, and that
two hundred pioneers employed to cut grass for the carriage
bullocks procured forage for these animals, the officers com-
manding troops continued to purchase forage for the horses
during the time the troops were encamped near Chinchore.
f It is my opinion that the grass cutters ought also to have
procured forage for the horses in the same situation; an opinion
in which I am happy to find that you most fully agree ; and
that being the case, I cannot allow additional expense to be
1803- ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 179
incurred by the public on account of forage during that period,
without disobeying the orders of the Commander in Chief.
' The object of the papers which you showed me last night
was, I understood, to convince me that additional expense had
been incurred during the period above alluded to, by the officers
commanding troops, of which I have no doubt ; and to apprise
me that as the expense was not to be paid for the period during
which you and I are of opinion the grass cutters could and
ought to have supplied the forage, as well during that which they
could not, the officers commanding troops were desirous not to
receive any of it. It is unlucky that they did not fully explain,
when they made their representation, that they wanted an addi-
tional permanent allowance to purchase forage, and not one
merely to make good an expense incurred in consequence of
extraordinary circumstances: but at all events I wish to know
whether I now comprehend what was intended to be shown by
those papers, as I propose to recall the order which I issued
on the 3rd of June.
' Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Maxwell." ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 13th June, 1803.
* I return Mr. Duncan's letter, and the copy of a paper
received this day from Colonel Stevenson. The latter appears
to be a fiction. The demand of the contribution from Mulca-
poor could not have been made. Gopal Rao Bhow could not
have entered the Nizam's territories; and Inglia could not
have marched without Colonel Collins's knowledge, and he says
nothing of these events in his letter of the 6th to Malcolm.
' I doubt Holkar's invasion of Guzerat, because the rains
have set in, and he cannot remain in that country with his
cavalry.
' It is very improbable that Scindiah's man would have
yielded possession of Bulsaur quietly, on the very day that
Holkar came into the country. It is more likely that the
officer's cavalry was Scindiah's.
* The Patel * of Nungaum, however, told me this day, that
* Patel, the hereditary local manager of a village, and the medium of com-
munication between the villagers and the government.
y.2
180 ADVANCE TO AIIMEDNUGCUR. 1803.
lie had heard that Holkar marched from Chandore, five days
ago, for the Condabarry Ghaut.
4 I Jearn from Mr. Dunean that he has not got for me
one carnage bullock, and not all the draught wanted even for
the bridge ; and yet he requires me to march off at once to
the Atavcsy ! ! !
' Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Close: ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
4 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Ansrah, 14th June, 1803.
' I received last night your letters of the 7th. I rather
doubt the intelligence enclosed therein, from Rajah Mohiput
Ram. I have letters from Colonel Collins, of a date as late as
the 6th, in which he does not mention either of these events,
with which he certainly would have been acquainted, and
would have noticed if they had been true.
6 Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar, however, have certainly
met ; and a few days will, I think, bring to a decision the
question of peace or war.
' I am at present encamped about twenty miles to the south-
ward of Ahmednuggur, and I intend to seize that place
immediately, if there should be a war. I shall afterwards
cross the Godavery, and act in co-operation with the troops
under your command. I wish you to move towards Aurun-
gabad, with a view to be prepared to make the arrangements
at that place which I informed you that the Nizam's govern-
ment had in contemplation, as soon as you shall receive a
communication of their wishes upon the subject. These
arrangements will, it is to be hoped, secure that place, which
is a very great object gained. In the mean time, if Baba
Inglia, or Gopal Rao Bhow, or any other Marhatta chief
should enter the Nizam's territories, he must be beaten out, and
cut up, if possible. If such a one should come within a forced
march or two of your cavalry, I recommend to you to dash
at him, taking with you the Company's and the Ni/am's
cavalry. I do not wish you to move your main body from
Aurungabad. till that post shall have been secured : but even
if the chiefs you have mentioned, or any other Marhatta chiefs,
not having a greater number of troops than those stated,
should presume to enter the Nizam's territories, at too great a
1803. ADVANCE TO AllMKDNUdUUK. 181
distance for you to march with your Company's cavalry, I
think that the fiery Nabobs ought to be slipped against them
without loss of time. Indeed, in my opinion, it would be best
if you were to keep the Nabobs in motion at some distance
from you, at all events ; and thus prevent these wandering
small parties of Marhattas, who, I suspect, will be disavowed
by all the great chiefs, from entering the Nizam's territories.
If these small parties, or even the great chiefs, can be terrified
into tranquillity, for a short time, the game will be won ; they
will become tired and will immediately disperse to seek for
plunder elsewhere.
4 If the question of peace or war should remain undecided
for any length of time, I must still remain to the southward of
the Godavery, till I can seize Ahmednuggur. In that case, I
shall be either on the road to Puttun, or on that from Poonah
to Aurungabad; and your hircarrahs will find me on one or
the other. I shall let you know which, as soon as I shall have
found out on which there is most forage.
* If, by the slowness and indecision of all transactions in
which the Marhattas are concerned, I should be detained on
this side of the Godavery till that river shall have filled, which
I think probable, I must get you to speak to Mohiput Ram
and Sookroodoor to collect boats for me at Toka, at which
place I propose to cross, if possible. Toka is, I believe,
within the Nizam's territories, and is the place at which the
last of the rivers that fill the Godavery falls into it. It is on
the road from Poonah to Aurungabad.
' Believe me, &c.
• Colonel Stevenson. 4 ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' I have just received your letters of the 8th and 9th, which
make no alterations necessary in the above.'
Major General the Hon. A. Welledey to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
4 SIR, ' Camp at Angah, 14th June, 1803.
' Nothing particular has occurred since I last wrote to you.
' The Marhatta sirdars are still at Poonah, waiting, as I
understood from Colonel Close, to take leave of the Peshwah.
182 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGQUR. 1803.
But they all say that they will come forward, as soon as they
shall have performed that ceremony.
e The Peshvvah has promised to write to Scindiah to desire
him not to advance to Poonah, but he had not yesterday
written his letter. Matters remained nearly in the same state
in Scindiah's camp ; but the Rajah of Berar acknowledged on
the 5th, that he had received the letter written to him by the
Governor General, with the treaty of Bassein.
4 1 enclose a report which 1 received yesterday, written by
a gentleman employed to take possession of the districts
ceded to the Company to the northward of Surat. These
districts had been occupied by an officer of Dowlut Rao
Scindiah, under a sunnud from Ballojee Koonger, Scindiah's
vakeel, and the Peshwah's former minister. The possession
was refused to the British Government by Scindiah's officer,
and Mr. Inglis had that day obtained it partly by threats, and
by showing a detachment under Captain Horton going to take
possession of the fort of Parneira.
' Along with this report there came another, written by a
native, on the 5th of June, from the Ghaut, stating that
Holkar had gone towards Dharr, in Malwa. I know also
that Holkar had not marched from the neighbourhood of
Chandore on the 2nd.
* Upon the whole, therefore, I do not believe that Holkar is
gone into Guzerat. It is my opinion that if he had been so
near as is supposed, Scindiah's officer, who must have known
it, would not have given up the districts on that same day to
Mr. Inglis. Even if Scindiah and Holkar had not made peace,
the officer would have known that the consequence of his entry
must have been confusion, during which he could hold the
district with impunity. It is much more probable that the
party of horse seen by the officer of the 86th belonged to
Scindiah, and that they were posted on the road to prevent
Mr. Inglis from communicating with Surat ; and indeed if they
really had belonged to Holkar, they would either have cut up
the officer of the 86th, or if they did not do that, they would
not have said that they were his troops.
' There is a letter also of the 7th, from Mr. Inglis to Mr.
Duncan, in which not a word is said of the supposed irruption
of Holkar, and no account of it has been received from Surat.
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUQG13R. 183
* I have desired Colonel Stevenson to move up to Aurung-
abad, in order to be prepared to secure that place from the
present soubahdar, as soon as the Nizam shall express a wish
to that effect.
* I am now about twenty miles to the southward of Ahmed-
nuggur. The country has suffered much, but I contrive to
get a little forage.
6 I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Lieut. General Stuart: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Angah, 16th June, 1803.
( I have received your letter of the 14th. I sincerely hope
that you may succeed in getting us some bullocks, and in
bringing forward the brinjarries. I have got a few bullocks
from the Nizam's country; but so few, that they do not replace
the casualties even amongst the Bombay carriage bullocks.
' We have had rain, which has done much mischief to our
weak cattle. In short, nothing but the required assistance from
Poonah can keep us in the field.
' I hear good accounts of Ahmednuggur ; it is full of every
thing we want. The property of this country is lodged there.
The capture of that place will relieve our immediate distresses,
and will give every body spirits. But the resources of Poonah
must keep us in the field during the rainy season.
* My people got there 3000 bullocks in one month, besides
the cattle purchased by individuals and bazaar people.
6 Have you got any description of Ahmednuggur ?
* I received accounts of Holkar this morning. He was,
with all his army, MeerKhan, &c., at Abhoona, on the 10th;
this place is fifteen coss to the northward of Doorup. The
fall of rain had been very violent in that part of the country,
and his army was in the greatest distress. It was still reported
that he was going towards Guzerat. He had heard of my
march from Poonah, and arrival upon the Goor river.
* I had a letter yesterday from Colonel Stevenson, of the
10th : he had received accounts from Scindiah's camp, stating
it was reported there that it was intended to attempt to
seize Holkar, if he should come to the proposed meeting.
184 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
' Colonel Stevenson's man also writes him that the Nizam,
the Rajah of Berar, and Scindiah are on good terms ; and the
Colonel appears to think that there was something in this
report, as the Nizam's sirdars had not accompanied him on his
march that day, on the ground of their cattle being out forag-
ing. He therefore thinks of having recourse to the measure
he proposed before, in order, as he calls it, to pledge the
Nizam to his cause.
' Another reason for delaying to attempt to take possession
of Savanore, till we are relieved from all apprehension to the
northward, is the necessity of keeping my rear quiet. I may
get orders from Goklah and Appah Saheb to their troops,
but these will not obey them. A contest will follow to a cer-
tainty, unless we should be very strong, which we shall not be
without General Stuart breaks up his army.
( Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEV.
Major General the Hon. A. WpMesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
4 MY DEAR COLONEL, * Camp at Angah, 17th June, 1803.
* I have received your letter of the 15th, and 1 return the
enclosure. I hear this morning, from Amrut Rao's vakeel,
that Holkar has crossed the Taptee, with an intention of
invading Guzerat. This intention may be carried into execu-
tion hereafter, but cannot at present, I should imagine. It
would be well, however, if Mr. Duncan were apprised of this
movement of Holkar's army, in order that some troops may
be placed between the rivers Taptee and Nerbudda, where,
1 believe, there are none at present.
* The best mode of settling with the ferrymen upon the
JJeemah and Goor, will be to give them a monthly pay-
ment for every body belonging to us, who, in consequence
thereof, must be allowed to pass without paying toll. Will
you be so kind as to have that matter settled ? I am very
anxious for some description of Ahmed nuggur.
' I suspect that the chiefs are coming forward ; but they
have spun out the time in order to allow the rivers to fill, and
that they may be late in showing themselves with this army.
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 185
If the rivers should fill before they march from Poonah, they
ought still to be forced to march, and to cross the Beemah at
different fords. One party as low down as Gardoon. The
party that passes there will be clear of the Goor.
' The weather is still very bad and distresses us much. I
hope that the durbar will not deceive us respecting the brin-
jarries.
* Believe me, &c.,
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
6 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 18th June, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 16th. I apprised you
yesterday of the intelligence I had received of Holkar's move-
ments, which I believe to be authentic. A man came in from
his camp this morning, who says that he left him on the llth
on his march to the northward; that he appeared to be in a
hurry; that he was making long marches, leaving behind every
body that could not keep up with him ; and that it was reported
in his camp, not only that he intended to cross the Taptee, but
likewise the Nerbudda, and to go into the Holkar territory to
the northward of that river. 1 think his crossing the Taptee at
all, if he afterwards should cross the Nerbudda, looks very
like a break up of the confederacy. I do not think it probable
that Holkar would trust the defence of Chandore to Scindiah,
if he is to be involved in hostilities with us. It appears by the
map that Chickly is north of the Taptee : if that is the case,
the confederates are all now north of that river; and we
have nothing to apprehend at present for the safety of the
Nizam's territories.
* We are much distressed by the rain, and lose many cattle.
If you find that you cannot depend upon the Poonah brin-
jarries, and if Collins still hangs on at Scindiah's durbar, and
I cannot take a decided step regarding Ahmednuggur; and if I
learn from Colonel Stevenson that he can give me no assist-
ance in cattle or provisions, I must recross the Beemah, in
order to subsist. I do not think Colonel Stevenson can give
me any assistance, as I learn that rice sells in his camp at the
186 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
rate of four seers for a rupee ; and I have not got a grain
of rice from the country since the 6th. Indeed I am now shut
out of the rice countries by the rivers.
* You see, therefore, that all depends upon your success at
Poonah, unless we should have a war; in which case I expect
that the capture of Ahmednuggur will set me up again.
' It is very extraordinary that the Peshwah's government
should have sent nobody to settle his country, which runs
from Poonah up to this place ; the people are in the villages,
but there appears no government, or indeed any thing except
thieving.
' Believe me, &c.,
« Lieut. Colonel Close: f ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
« SIR, ' Camp near Angah, 18th June, 1803.
* I have received your letter of the 15th.
' I conclude that you continue to issue half a seer of rice
per diem, gratis, to the native troops ; and if you do that, I
think it very immaterial what the price of rice may be in the
Poonah bazaar.
' If you should not have done so hitherto, you may as well
now issue the rice to the troops at that rate.
' We have been much distressed by the rain, and I am very
anxious indeed for the cattle.
' I have the honor to be, &c.,
« Colonel Murray." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 19th June, 1803.
* I was so anxious that you should get my letter of yester-
day in good time, that I did not detain your hircarrah longer
than the time necessary to fold it up.
' I have suffered a great loss in carriage bullocks, and I find
it difficult to replace them in this country which is so ex-
hausted. I shall therefore be much obliged to you if you will
endeavor to get me some. Let them be purchased on account
of the Company, and send them off to me in charge of any
careful people you may have to spare. Even one or two hun-
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 187
dred at a time would be of use, although I want as many
thousands. I hope to hear from you soon respecting rice,
particularly whether any of that grain is to be procured in the
Kurmilla or Perinda district.
' The accounts of my hircarrahs, from Holkar's camp, agree
with those you have sent ; excepting that mine say that it is
reported that he intends to cross the Taptee and the Ner-
budda, and to go into his own (or rather the Holkar) terri-
tories.
• Amrut Rao's vakeel in this camp says, that Holkar has
crossed the Taptee, and is going to plunder Guzerat. I think
it probable that when he made those long marches, it was with
a view to cross the Taptee before that river should fill, of
which there was a great probability from the rains which fell
to the northward on the 7th, 8th, and 9th.
' Believe me, &c.
* Colonel Stevenson: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
• MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 19th June, 1803-
' Our distresses increase upon us for want of cattle. I was
obliged to leave behind this morning 500 loads of stores, and
100 of provisions. You will be a judge of the mortality of
cattle from the following statement. There was a muster on
the 15th, and there were 500 good carriage bullocks, in the
grain and provision department, more than were required for the
loads, and a sufficiency in the stores. The consumption between
the 15th and 18th was 250 loads of provisions ; and yet on the
18th the deficiency of carriage is found to be 100, making the
loss of cattle in the provision department, in three days, 850
bullocks. In the store department it has been, in the same
period of time, about 600. The gun cattle keep up well, not-
withstanding the bad weather ; but it is by the force of exer-
tion. Yesterday the drivers were out till nine at night in
quest of forage. We moved a short distance in the morning,
and they must have been in motion at three o'clock, so that
these people were on foot for eighteen hours yesterday. I have
been in difficulties of this kind before, and have surmounted
them ; and I shall surmount these, if I can get any assistance
from Poonah, or if the Peshwah or his people will show any
188 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUUGUR. 1803.
sign of our being here upon his business, or even with his
knowledge or consent : or if he will not do that, if he will
send any thing like an amildar to the country, or any body to
take charge of the government, with whom I might commu-
nicate. But, under present circumstances, 1 am in a worse
situation by far than I should be in an enemy's country : in
such, I should act for myself, and should establish a govern-
ment as I go on. There is forage in the country and grain
also, but it is all hidden underground ; and we are forced
to dig for every thing we get, notwithstanding that we give a
large price for it. I have written to Colonel Stevenson for
cattle. I have people employed in the Nizam's country to
purchase, and in the neighbourhood of camp also. But our
best chance is Poonah.
6 1 have just received your letter of the 17th. I have not
got the copy of the dispatch of the 30th of May ; but I fancy
I may get it, as I had yesterday a letter from Colonel Steven-
son, dated the 15th. However, as attempts were made to
stop the hircarrah, it would be as well if you were to send me
a copy of the dispatch.
' I am very confident you will mention Amrut Rao's affairs,
as soon as you may have a fair opportunity. The vakeel was
with me again yesterday, and said, among other things, that
as the Peshwah would not do any thing for Amrut Rao, he and
his adherents intended to throw themselves upon the mercy of
the English Government ; and he asked whether, in that case,
any thing would be done for him ? I told him it was time
enough to turn our thoughts to that subject, when we should
find that the Peshwah would not pardon him. He told me
that they were all in the very greatest distress, that they really
had not subsistence.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close. ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
' I think it is very clear that Amrut Rao is not one of the
confederates.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
* SIR, ' Camp, 20th June, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 14th
instant, in which you enclose one of the 13th, from the Military
1 803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 189
Board, upon the subject of packs for bullocks. I was not aware
that there was any difference between those intended to carry
ammunition, and those intended to carry grain ; but I conceive
that the orders which have been given on that subject to the
Commissary of Stores, will provide for the wants of carriage
for either article.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ( ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm.
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, 20th June, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 18th, with the memo-
randum enclosed, and I agree almost entirely in the opinions
which you have given. Till the question with the confede-
racy is decided, we must stick to our ground in this country,
otherwise the Nizam, and we, eventually, must suffer ; and even
supposing that by withdrawing now, we could stop the hostili-
ties, which I doubt, we should only defer them to a period at
which, probably, we should be less prepared than we are at the
present moment. But as soon as there shall be no threats of
the confederacy, either by the withdrawing of Scindiah, or
from the success of the war, it is my opinion that we ought
either entirely to new model the alliance, or to withdraw
from it.
* You are well acquainted with my opinions on this sub-
ject. The greater experience I gain of Marhatta affairs, the
more convinced I am, that we have been mistaken entirely
regarding the constitution of the Marhatta empire. In fact,
the Peshwah never has had exclusive power in the state : it is
true, that all treaties have been negotiated under his authority,
and have been concluded in his name ; but the chiefs of the
empire have consented to them ; and the want of this consent
in any one of them, or of power in the head of the empire, in-
dependent of these chiefs, is the difficulty of this case in the
present moment. I put out of the question the conduct of the
Putwurduns, Goklah, &c., because I have always considered,
and it must appear to every body to be one which proceeds
from causes entirely independent of the treaty, and of the
circumstances which occasioned it, and of the Peshwah himself.
These chiefs act under the treaty, because they had a previous
190 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
acquaintance with us ; and because they saw some prospect of
being relieved from their difficulties by our interference, and
of becoming in some degree independent under our protection.
Had it not been for this hope, not one of them would have
been with us, and we should have had a treaty with a cypher,
bearing the name of Peshwah, without a particle of power.
1 Whatever may be the result of the present crisis, we shall
gain nothing by the treaty. Scindiah, Holkar, the Rajah of
Berar, and possibly others, will be separate and independent
powers in India, very probably leagued for the present in a
defensive alliance. We must look to that, and must not
reduce our military establishments.
' Is the peace of India secured ? I doubt it, as far as we are
concerned. Supposing there should be no war with the con-
federates, the first consequence of the alliance must be, to
re-establish the government of the Peshwah in the northern
countries, then to settle the Kolapoor question, &c. ; and sup-
posing that we have another war with the French, there is no
doubt but that we shall have a war with the Marhattas.
' One bad consequence of these subsidiary treaties is, that
they entirely annihilate the military power of the governments
with which we contract them ; and their reliance for their de-
fence is exclusively upon us. This treaty with the Peshwah has
certainly given us a good military position ; but the question
is whether, in case the nation should be involved in a war with
the French, which, in my opinion, is the hypothesis upon which
all Indian politics should turn, the military position is so good,
that it cannot be forced ; and whether we do not lose more by
the risk of having all the powerful Marhattas against us, at such
a time, than we should gain by having the Peshwah certainly
on our side, and by the goodness of our military position.
* Upon this point, I have to observe, that the more I see
of the Marhattas, the more convinced I am that they never
could have any alliance with the French. The French, on
their arrival, would want equipments, which would cost money,
or money to procure them ; and there is not a Marhatta in the
whole country, from the Peshwah down to the lowest horseman,
who has a shilling, or who would not require assistance from
them.
' In what manner then ought the alliance to be modelled ?
In my opinion, we ought to withdraw from Poonah, and
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 191
leave some chance that the principal chiefs may have the
power of the state in their hands ; we ought to keep up our con-
nexion with the Peshwah, so as that he might not be trampled
upon; at the same time, we ought to increase our influence
over the chiefs of the empire, in order that it may prepon-
derate in all possible cases, in which the state should be called
upon to decide.
' In short, I would preserve the existence of the state ; and
guide its actions by the weight of British influence, rather
than annihilate it, and establish new powers in India by the
subsidiary treaty.
* In this consideration of the subject, I have not touched
upon the disinclination of the Peshwah to the alliance, of
which I have scarcely a doubt, and at all events, upon his
inability to perform the conditions to which he has bound him-
self. But he has not even performed those conditions which
must be in his power. Has he not now daily communications
with Scindiah's durbar, and even with Holkar, of which
the British Resident has no knowledge whatever ? His very
letter to Scindiah, which has been extorted from him, almost
by force, contains a breach of treaty. In it, he desires that
Chief to remain where he is, pointedly ; whereas, he knows
that the requisition of the Governor General, and the only
event which can ensure peace, is Scindiah's recrossing the
Nerbudda. You may depend upon it, that if Collins had not
pushed the negotiation as he has done ; and if Scindiah had
any option besides moving into the Nizam's territories, or
returning to his own to procure subsistence ; — in short, if he
could procure subsistence where he is, he would remain there,
in consequence of this paragraph in the Peshwah's letter.
Besides, I see in the ackbar, that he is going to send another
vakeel to Scindiah. For what purpose ? and let it be stated for
what reason the Peshwah did not give his letter to the British
minister to be forwarded to Scindiah, knowing that that Chief
says the last did not reach him, instead of sending it through
his own vakeel, whom he must mistrust.
' Upon the whole, I see no prospect under the present
treaty, and I should decidedly alter it, when a fair opportunity
may offer.
' Collins is just in the right state. The fellow will explain
himself, and will ask him to stay, and will pretend that he
192 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803
cannot move off on account of the rain, the swelling of the
rivers, or because my troops are in this country ; and thus the
matter may hang on for some time longer.
c I think that if the war had not been still doubtful, Col-
lins would have got an answer inimical to his memorial. The
truth is, they are all shaking, and if the allies had come out
of Poonah with me, there would be no war.
* I wish you would take up money wherever you can get it,
and not from me. The Company may be losers, but my
treasury will be richer.
4 Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm." f ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 20th June, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 18th, and return Co-
lonel Collins's dispatch, the copy of which I have not yet
received. I shall be very anxious to receive the next he may
write.
' I hope that you will be able to send us the brinjarries and
the bullocks. We positively cannot stay without this assist-
ance, and it really becomes more necessary every day. Send
off the bullocks as they receive their loads. You can have no
idea of our losses, or of the distress of every body.
( If the head hircarrah, who knows Ahmednuggur, should
be sent to you, I hope that you will examine him before you
send him off, and get an account of the place, lest he should
never come to me, or should be late. I have received an
account of the place, which appears to be pretty strong,
with a wet ditch and glacis, but no covered way. It would
be desirable to know whether there are any passages over the
ditch, and where, and the general height of the wall from the
berm. I have perused the letter from the killadar at Loghur,
and I think it would be advisable for Colonel Murray to have
the place examined which he recommends as a station for the
cattle. If it answers, it would be proper to remove them
thither.
* If you send off any rice from Poonah, the store at that
place must of course be increased from below ; and probably
1803. ADVANCE TO AIIMEDNUGGUR. 193
the gentlemen there could contrive to fix upon fair moments to
send off the rice from Pan well.
' I am very anxious about my money : the 15th was the
day on which you ought to have received it all. I shall be
obliged to you if you will give the gentry a hint upon- this
subject. We are approaching to pay day again, and have not
money enough for more than half our disbursement.
4 I expect that Captain Buclian, with a lac of pagodas, will
be at Poonah by the 24th ; which sum I intend to order for-
ward, but still we require the rupees in this country. I think
that it would be advisable to have four baskets upon the Goor,
particularly as there is no wooden boat there.
* Believe me, &c.
• Lieut. Colonel Close. ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' I enclose you the account I have got of Ahmednuggur.
You will observe that the ditch is not broad, nor the wall high,
nor the shape of the fort scientific. I shall be glad to know
whether your man agrees in this story.'
Major General the Hon. A. WeUesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 21st June, 1803.
• I have received your letters of the 18th and 19th. I
rather believe that of the 19th ought to have been dated
the 17th, as you mention in it, that Mohiput Ram had sent
for Captain Johnson ; and in that of the 18th, that you had
sent that officer to him.
' The march of Mohiput Ram to Aurungabad has secured
all the objects I had in view, in ordering your corps there ;
and as there is a scarcity of forage in that neighbourhood, I
by no means wish that you should now take your troops there :
but I think it advisable, that as the Nizam has referred the
consideration of the future security of that city to the British
officers, some of us should look at it, and form a determination
respecting the garrison, stores, &c., which ought to be in it.
I shall accordingly be obliged to you if you will take a ride
over there. If they do not think proper afterwards to place
in Aurungabad a garrison, such as you are of opinion ought to
be in the fort, it is their own affair ; and they must stand by
the loss. But it is proper, that in the mean time we should
give them an opinion, stating what we think necessary for the
VOL in. o
194 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
defence of the place. It may appear strange, but I acknow-
ledge that I still doubt whether there will be a war. Colonel
Collins had demanded his dismissal from Scindiah's camp on
the 12th instant, an escort of cavalry and grain for his sepoys,
to take him to Aurungabad ; but he had not got this assistance
on the 13th ; and the ground of the ColonePs demand was
rather a delay to give him satisfaction on certain points of
inquiry regarding the existence of the confederacy, than a
refusal of satisfaction. On the contrary, Scindiah said that he
would satisfy him in three days, and the Colonel had opened
a communication with the Rajah of Berar. Holkar himself has
certainly crossed the Taptee ; his army being in the greatest
distress for want of provisions, there is, therefore, an end to
all hopes of his junction with Scindiah and the Ilajah of Berar
in this season. The reports are that he is going into Guzerat,
and that he is going to refresh in the Holkar territory. Amrut
Rao says that he is going into Guzerat : he has a large trea-
sure with him.
' Scindiah 's camp is in the very greatest distress for every
thing ; but that, in my opinion, is the strongest motive for war.
( I have no objection to your march to Roshungaum. From
the account I have given you above of the state of affairs, you
see that there is no chance of your being opposed or attacked
by the whole confederacy ; and I look upon you to be fully
equal to any part, particularly, considering the superior state of
your cattle and equipments compared with theirs. You must,
however, confine yourself to the defensive till I can come to
your support. By defensive, I do not mean that you should
wait in any particular place till you shall be attacked ; but that
you should attack any party that may come within the Nizam's
territories and your reach. I mean that you should only not
commence an operation, which may take you to a great distance
from Aurungabad, or from me, before I can cross the Go-
davery and give you support. Till we have really a war, you
must be cautious also regarding the places said to belong to
the Nizam. His territories, and those of the Marhattas, are
much intermixed; nay, some districts are the joint property
of both powers. That very place Badowly belongs partly to
the Nizam, and partly to a Marhatta. Oomrawutty and Mul-
capoor are in the same state. But notwithstanding that this
state of these countries is acknowledged by the Nizam's
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUQGUR. 195
durbar, his officers would willingly seize them ; and probably
occasion in this manner a war which it may yet be possible to
avoid. Your hircarrahs have been detained in Scindiah's
camp, most probably by the rain, which has been very heavy
in all parts of the country. The tappall still runs from thence.
' Believe me, &c.
4 Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEF.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
< gIR5 * Camp, 21st June, 1803.
« The account of the pontoons is indeed very bad. It is
unlucky that when the rain came on, the gentlemen below the
Ghauts did not stop them till it ceased a little, which by all
accounts it appears to have done now very generally. It is
probable that in fair weather they would have found a smaller
number of bullocks fully equal to move them. Lieut. Good-
fellow, instead of making a trial at Bombay, as he was desired
to do by Lieut. Colonel Dallas, of the number of bullocks
required, made a calculation upon very erroneous foundations;
and then referred to the Madras regulations, which have
nothing to do with the subject.
' In my opinion it will be best to desire Captain Young to
desist from sending the pontoons till the weather shall have
settled a little, and then to send them forward. From the
breaking of carriages, however, before they have come one
stage, and the deficiency and badness of the Inillocks, I suspect
that we shall derive but little benefit from this equipment, even
if it should be able to get up the Ghauts. If it had been ready
to leave Pan well on the 8th of June, which was the day I fixed
for it, it might have had some chance ; but time, which is
every thing, is not equally prized every where.
4 Captain Young must be directed to take advantage of the
fair moments during the monsoon, to keep your magazine at
Poonah full to the quantity I pointed out. From your ac-
count of the disposition of the brinjarries, I imagine that he
will have no great difficulty in effecting this object.
' It is extraordinary that your gentlemen should be so un-
successful in the purchase of cattle, and that the government
should be so likewise ; my departments purchased 3000 there
o 2
196 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
in one month. Individuals got as many more; and if there
had not been a stop put to the sale of bullocks in Poonah, by
a government or a police regulation, the 78th regiment would
have completed themselves in one night : but 1 assure you I
do not attribute this failure to want of exertion on your
part ; on the contrary, I am convinced that you do every thing
in your power. Two muccadums and one hundred drivers of
the carriage bullocks have deserted, notwithstanding that
their pay is so much higher than that of any other description
of followers in this camp.
« Indeed there is great desertion among the Bombay fol-
lowers in general. I wish that you would send me one hundred
more drivers, as soon as you can, and let a small guard come
with them. I have a party of horse looking out for the
deserters,, and I may pick up some, but that is doubtful. I
am obliged to you for the supply of arrack.
« One would imagine that boats might be had at Bombay
without much difficulty, and it is not impossible to transport
them fifteen or sixteen miles to the rivers in the Konkan. I
wrote to Mr. Duncan upon that subject long ago, but it ap-
pears that the boats are not yet forthcoming ; but they will
come, and the communications with Pan well may be kept up
during the monsoon.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray: ' ARTHUR WKLLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
( MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 22nd June, 1803.
* My brinjarries have been playing tricks as usual ; and the
consequence is that I have not got one-third of the quantity of
rice I ought to have. I have accounts from Scindiah's camp
of a date as late as the 14th. The negotiations are still in a
state of uncertainty. Scindiah had written to Colonel Collins
- to desire him to stay ; and he promised an explanation after
the meeting with the Rajah of Berar, which actually took
place on the 13th. We may therefore expect something de-
finitive immediately. Either peace or war will relieve my
distresses. Peace, as it will enable me to approach my supplies
at Poonah : war, as it will give me an opportunity of attack-
ing Ahmednuggur, in which place I shall find plenty.
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 197
4 There is another state however for which I must provide,
viz., that of a continuance of these negotiations at Scindiah's
camp : this I can do only by your assistance. I cannot de-
pend upon the supplies promised and expected from Poonah.
The characteristic of the Peshwah's government is deceit, and
he has not yet made me one promise that he has not broken ;
I must therefore depend upon you.
' Upon receipt of this letter, I request that you will send off
2000 bags of rice, with a guard, to meet me at Puttun ; and
let 1000 bags be from your grain departments, and 1000 from
your brinjarries. You might replace the former from the rice
at Aurungabad, and hire fresh bullocks to carry it.
' I point out Puttun because it is the place nearest to you,
known to your people, and likewise nearest to me. It will
likewise be as convenient a station for me to move to as any
other, in case of this delay in the negotiations ; and I can
easily order the boats to be brought down again from Toka,
in order that there may be no delay in our communications.
1 I regret much the necessity which exists for calling upon
you for assistance in supplies, but it is entirely owing to the
disappointments I have experienced from this government.
4 Believe me, &c.
« Colonel Stevenson. ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
* I should wish the boats still to go to Toka, as I before
pointed out.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 23rd June, 1803.
« I return Colonel Collinses dispatch of the 16th. It is
rather less pacific than the last, but I think it probable that
the confederates have not yet arranged their matters ; that
Holkar has not yet come into their views ; and that for that
reason they wish to delay the decision for some time longer.
Holkar's object would appear to be to get hold of the Holkar
territory, and his game to effect it by a war between Scindiah
and us. If there should be no war between Scindiah and us,
he will get hold of that territory, but not so certainly, either
by a peace mediated by Ragojee Bhoonslah, and guaranteed
by him, or by the continuation of the contest with Scindiah.
198 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
Holkar's object must be obviously to keep himself out of the
contest with us, and to urge the others into it. But it is
probable that Scindiah and Ragojee Bhoonslah perceive that
inclination, and want to urge him to go hand in hand with
them.
' They have now a fair opportunity of doing this, by ap-
prizing him that he is to be attacked by the English ; and
upon this ground it is unfortunate that Colonel Collins's
moonshee should have said, and that the Peshwah should
have written, that we intended to attack liolkar. In ad-
dition to the impolicy of such a declaration at the present
moment, it is any thing but true ; and ought in my opinion,
under the instructions of the Governor General, to be firmly
contradicted. If you should be of that opinion, it would
be well if you were to make a suggestion upon the subject
to Colonel Collins. I apprized you in my letter of yesterday
of my want of grain. I started from Poonah with 5900 bags
of rice, which, upon a moderate calculation, would have lasted
me fifty nine days, and 1 might have spun it out to ninety days.
The losses in cattle obliged me to leave some behind in the
neighbourhood of Poonah, and to consume much larger quan-
tities than were necessary in camp ; but even with these draw-
backs I ought to have had now a sufficiency to last me for a
month, but the brinjarries have contrived to make away with
two-thirds of it. The critical circumstances of our situation
are much increased by what I have above stated. I shall
issue wheat flour to the troops, and the followers must live
upon that likewise : but we depend for our existence upon the
produce of the country in which we may be situated ; and the
necessity of being in or passing through a barren or exhausted
country, or the increase of our numbers, will destroy us. In
this view of the question I do not consider the probability of hos-
tilities, which must of course render it more difficult to draw
subsistence from the countries in which we may happen to be.
The question is, what is to be clone? In considering this
question, I believe I must take it for granted that I shall get
no assistance whatever from Poonah or Bombay.
6 If it is decided immediately that there is to be a war,
the attack of Ahmednuggur is still feasible ; and if I should
succeed in getting possession of that place, I hope to find some
relief there for my distresses. The question rests entirely
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMKDNUGGUR. 199
upon a consideration of the circumstances attending the state
of doubt, in which I think it probable that we shall be kept for
some time longer. While this state of doubt exists, am I to
go into the Nizam's country, south of the Godavery, and
subsist there as well as I can ? am I to cross the Godavery
with my whole force ? or am I to return across the Beemah,
approach the supplies at Poonah, and endeavor to fit out
again in case there should be a war ? or am I to divide this
body of troops, and send part of it to join Colonel Stevenson,
and part back to Poonah ? If I go into the Nizam's country,
south of the Godavery, I am not certain that I shall be able to
find subsistence ; or at all events, that I shall be able to re-esta-
blish myself in such manner as to take the field with a sufficient
stock of provisions in store to feed the troops for any length of
time. I may be reduced at last to the necessity of approaching
the supplies at Poonah, and may suffer distress in doing so.
Colonel Stevenson tells me that there are provisions in Dha-
rore and Kurdlah ; but he has his reports from the Nizam's
officers, who told him at the same time that none could be
issued without his Highness's orders : it is therefore probable
that there are no provisions in these places.
' If I cross the Godavery with my whole force, I must live
upon Colonel Stevenson's supplies: the Colonel is in no want ;
the Nizam's government have supplied him well ; but I know
he has not more than he wants : and it is very probable that
when I come to double his consumption, I shall soon reduce
him to the same state in which I am myself. In the mean
time the contest may commence, and neither of the detach-
ments will be in a condition to act. If I return across the
Beemah, I shall subsist ; and if I can keep alive my cattle, I
have no doubt but that I should fit myself out again, and soon
be in a situation to act with vigor.
' But a retrograde movement is always bad in this country ;
and it may be attended by the worst consequences in the pre-
sent situation of our affairs. It is obvious now that there will
be no war, if Holkar will not join it ; but if Holkar joins in it
and repasses the Taptee, Colonel Stevenson is no match for
all the confederates put together, although he is fully equal to
any two of them. I should be too distant to give him any
assistance, having my corps on the other side of the Beemah,
particularly in the crippled state in which it must be expected
to be for some time to come.
200 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
' The next point to be considered is, whether I shall divide,
and send part to join Colonel Stevenson, and part to the neigh-
bourhood of Poonah. By this division I certainly strengthen
Colonel Stevenson, and provide for the subsistence of the
whole ; but shall we then be strong enough for the confede-
rates ? In this choice of difficulties we must do the best we
can ; and I think that, upon the whole, that will be the measure
attended with th^ most advantage, and least probable evil. If the
answer of Scindiah to Collins should be at all peaceable and
friendly, in my opinion we ought to accept it ; and I ought to
inform him that I intend to recross the Beemah, and to break
up the army, as soon as I find that he commences to recross the
Nerbudda. What has happened already, and the situation of
this body of troops, are sufficient proofs that we cannot carry
on a war in this country, after having been four months from
Seringapatam,, and having marched nearly seven hundred miles,
without having the assistance of the resources of Bombay and
Poonah. The government of Bombay is unable (and always will
be so with its present instruments) to afford us any assistance,
and the Peshwah is both unable and unwilling. With half the
means in their power, and without the assistance of the store
collected at Poonah, it is pleasing to see how the Nizam's
government have supported the army under Colonel Steven-
son ; but although the provision is at their door at Poonah,
and brought there without the smallest aid from them, they
will not give us a bullock to remove it.
* I can have but one opinion upon this subject ; and that is,
that supposing the Peshwah's inability to be of the lowest
kind, there must be besides an unwillingness on his part,
which has contributed to prevent us from enjoying any of
the resources of Poonah. It is not to be believed that there
are no cattle in that city. Let a house or a shop be pro-
duced in which there is not a bullock, and I will agree that
I am mistaken ; and the police can command every bullock in
the place, particularly when it is known that we are willing to
pay highly for all that we receive. But it is useless to search
for proofs of the Peshwah's dissimulation to us, or of his un-
willingness to come forward to our assistance in a contest in
which we are likely to be involved from our interference in
his favor. We must look for a remedy for these evils ; and I
acknowledge that I see none that are not of a nature more
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 201
violent than are likely to be adopted. The difficulties, however,
in which this corps is likely to be involved, will be an useful
lesson to Governments and to us all : first, to^avoid entering
into a treaty with a prince, the only principle of whose cha-
racter that is known, is insincerity ; and next, to avoid, if
possible, to enter upon a campaign at the distance of seven
hundred miles from our own resources ; not only not having
the government of the country on our side, but, in the shape
of a friend, our worst enemy.
' I hope that you have seen the Ahmednuggur hircarrah
whom they promised to produce.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close. ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1 By a letter of the 20th, just come in from Colonel Steven-
son, I find that the grain in Dowlutabad (and probably that
in Dharore and Kurdlah) is dry. There is no rice to be
got in Aurungabad.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
( SIR, ' Camp, 25th June, 1803.
' I enclose the extract of a letter which I have received
from Colonel Close : this, in addition to my letter of yester-
day, will give you a tolerable idea of the state of affairs at
Poonah.
* I have just received your letter of the 15th. My former
letters will have given answers to all the points contained
therein.
4 In my opinion it would be best that all the money, whe-
ther for Colonel Stevenson or me, should come to Poonah.
It might come by the Beejapoor road, which it would open
for our communication with you. From Poonah it might be
forwarded in safety either to Colonel Stevenson or me.
4 1 informed you, in my letter of the 9th, that the sum I
should want was one lac of pagodas per mensem.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Lieut. General Stuart: ( ARTHUH WELLESLEY.
202 ADVANCE TO AHMKDNUGGUR. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 25th June, 1803.
* I have received your letter of the 23rd, and I am sorry to
find that our prospects are so very bad ; we must, however,
do the best we can.
' In respect to your suggestion, that I should urge Colonel
Collins to quit Scindiah's camp, I have to observe, that 1 have
already written to urge him to accelerate his negotiation. I
have no direct communication with him ; indeed 1 never re-
ceived from you the account of his dawk stages. The muta-
seddee at Aurungabad occasionally sends me letters, but they
are longer on the road than those which come by Poonah.
Besides, I think it much to be doubted whether the negotia-
tion with Scindiah, on the present footing, ought to be accele-
rated under present circumstances. It is true that we must
go to war under any difficulties rather than lose our honor ;
but we must keep out of the war if it is practicable.
' In my opinion, the state of affairs is much altered since
the Governor General wrote the instructions under which
Collins is acting at this moment. It was then supposed that
we had the Peshwah with us. I think that is at least doubtful
at the present moment ; and the question is, whether, instead
of urging forward Collins' s negotiation, on the footing esta-
blished under that notion, we ought not rather to procrastinate
it ; to report the state of the case at the present moment at the
Peshwah' s durbar to the Governor General, and ask for fur-
ther orders. This opinion of mine, that the Peshwah is not
with us, may, it is true, be erroneous. But it is founded upon
the fact that his Highness has not yet taken any steps, re-
commended to him by the Company's government, or which
a sense of his own interests would have suggested, either to
prevent the combination of the northern chiefs, or to assist us,
or to enable us to carry on the contest against them, if it
should be formed : and his acts, as far as they have come to
our knowledge, have tended rather to our prejudice. And, if
we may believe Colonel Collins and the assertion of Scindiah
and his ministers, the Peshwah has a correspondence with
Ballojee Koonger and Scindiah's durbar, of the nature of
which we are entirely ignorant. I cannot but feel that if we
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 203
are to have a war under these circumstances, it will be one
much more complicated than that expected to be the result of
the course of action pointed out by the Governor General's
instructions ; but one to which our resources are, I trust, fully
equal. It is a duty, however, that we owe to our country to
avoid it, if we can, with honor ; and 1 should hope that, if
timely measures are taken, it might be avoided.
* Upon the ground of the Peshwah's duplicity the question
is, what line we ought to suggest to the Governor General ?
The first thing he ought to do should be to come to Bombay.
As for the settlement of the Marhatta question, that appears
to be beyond a possibility ; in that case the best thing we can
do is to restore matters nearly to the state in which they were
when we entered the country, and allow them to fight out
their own quarrels. The very hint of our taking this step
would dissolve the confederacy at once. We should then have
to defend the Nizam's country and our own territories, which
probably they would never attack.
4 1 send you A letter, which I shall be obliged to you if you
will forward to Colonel Collins.
' Although I am much distressed for carriage, and my bul-
locks can but ill afford to take « trip to Poonah, I think it
proper to send five hundred of them to receive a correspond-
ing number of loads of rice ; in order to enable me, if possible,
to stay a little longer, or to draw off with safety : they will
leave this to-morrow morning, and will arrive at Coraygaum
on the 29th.
' It would be very desirable if they could find their loads at
Coraygaum : first, because it would save them four marches ;
secondly, because it would save them the passage of the
Beemah. This river is, I am told, full ; and Lieutenant
Mac Arthur, who has crossed it, says, that there are four
boats there, but only two sepoys to work them. It is asto-
nishing that, for their own interest, the owners of the ferry boat
will not put that in motion.
' Two modes of sending in the rice to Coraygaum have sug-
gested themselves to me : one, that coolies should be employed
for the purpose; the other, that some of Colonel Murray's
rotten bullocks should attempt this service. But it will answer
no purpose to employ upon carrying the rice to Coraygaum
204 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
the coolies whom you may have hired to carry it on to camp.
It will be best that they should come on.
* If the rice can be sent to Coraygaum, it will be desirable
that measuring men and packers should be sent with it ; in
order that there may be no loss of time in the delivery.
' Will you be so kind as to arrange all this matter with
Colonel Murray ; and tell him that I wish that if the rice should
be sent to Coraygaum, it should be in sufficient quantities to
give seventy two pucca seers for each load, instead of sixty
pucca seers, according to the mode in which Captain Moor
has packed up the rice ?
' Whether the rice be sent to Coraygaum or not, it is very
desirable that about one hundred bundles of forage should be
sent there to feed the cattle, otherwise they will not be able to
comeback. If it should not be possible to send the rice to
Coraygaum, I request you to have Lieutenant Walker, the
officer in charge of the party with the bullocks, apprized
thereof, in order that he may go on to Poonah.
' Colonel Agnew writes to me that they have some difficulty
in posting their tappall from the Kistna and Beejapoor, and
has requested that our runners should go on as far as the
river, in the direction of Moodgul, to meet theirs. Will you
be so kind as to mention this matter to Mr. Frissell ?
' Believe me, &c.
4 Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 25th June, 1803.
' Since writing to you this morning, it has occurred to me
that Colonel Murray's cattle are grazing at such a distance
from Poonah, that it will not be possible to get them in at a
period sufficiently early to allow of their arriving at Coray-
gaum with the rice on the 29th. It is, however, very desirable
to avoid sending my cattle farther than that place; and I
should therefore wish that Colonel Murray would endeavor to
prevail upon his dooley boys to carry some rice thither ; and
possibly he might be able to get a working party of sepoys to
do something in the same way, as the distance is so small.
These resources, with the assistance which you may be able
1803. ADVANCE TO AI1MKDNUGGUR. 205
to afford him, may enable him to send out the rice to Coray-
gaum ; and thus save my cattle four marches over that desert,
and six days of time, which, at this moment, is of the utmost
consequence.
' I pick up a few bullocks about the country, and have pur-
chasers out in all directions. This resource, and the arrival
this day of 250 bullocks, with loads of arrack, however tired
they are, enable me to make this detachment to Poonah. But
still if I should be obliged to move, I must carry some of the
loads on the horses of the cavalry.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' SIR, 'Camp, 26th June, 1803.
' Since I wrote to you yesterday, my prospects have mended
a little. I have been able to send off some bullocks to Poonah
for supplies; and I think that the means which I have
employed will produce a larger number of these animals. I
am in great hopes that I shall be able to hold my position on
this side of the Beemah.
' I have just received a letter from the Secretary of Govern-
ment in Bengal, by which I am authorized to draw for money
upon different collectors and officers under that government.
Notwithstanding that I have received this authority, as I
cannot^get money for bills at Poonah, I shall want the supply
respecting which I wrote to you on the 9th instant, and
yesterday.
' There is no news from the northward.
6 I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 26th June, 1803.
* I have received your letters of the 24th and 25th. You
will perceive by mine of yesterday, that I also have been
enabled to send five hundred cattle to bring loads; and from
your letter of the 24th, and Malcolm's account of the number
of coolies of which you have the command at Poonah, I have
206 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUQGUR. 1803.
strong hopes that you will be able to send the loads to meet
these bullocks at Coraygaum. I am exceedingly anxious
upon this subject, and also to receive the fresh supplies of
rice by the coolies ; because I shall then be enabled to feed the
troops on rice only, and leave the bazaars to the followers.
We have scarcely been able to supply the consumption in the
bazaars, since flour has been taken from them for the use of
the troops ; and it will be a great relief to be again able to
give the troops rice. I am happy to tell you, that the orders
respecting the issue of flour were well received, and there have
been no grumbling or complaints.
' It appears by the accounts received from Colonel Murray,
that the cooley carriage is as cheap as that by bullocks, and
it is certainly equally expeditious. I do not, therefore, in any
way object to it, excepting that it is not possible to get as
many coolies as bullocks.
' I am getting a few bullocks, and have many means em-
ployed to procure more. I think that I am now in a better
state than I was a few days ago, and I hope to be able to
hold my position.
' You will observe by my letter of the 23rd, that I am
fully aware of the necessity of strengthening Colonel Stevenson,
if I should be obliged to draw off. Indeed, that measure is
obviously so necessary, that I considered of the propriety of
joining Colonel Stevenson myself with the whole corps ; but
the objection to that measure was the danger of increasing his
consumption, so far as to distress him for provisions, at the
moment when we might be called upon to act. The detach-
ments which you propose to add to him, you will observe are
nearly equal in strength, and will consume nearly as much as
the whole of this body of troops : and as they would not have
with them the excellent bazaars and means that I have of
drawing subsistence from any country in which it can be found,
they would fall still more upon Colonel Stevenson's regular
modes of supply for their consumption, and probably would
distress him more than even the whole of this body of troops
would. It is true, that you propose that further supplies
should be brought forward from Hyderabad : but I have to
observe, from the account I have received from Colonel
Stevenson of the state of his supplies, that it is necessary that
further measures should be taken for his subsistence without
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 207
the smallest loss of time, even supposing that he should not be
reinforced : and I strongly suspect, that when he conies to
count bags as I have done, he will find the quantity of rice to
be much smaller than he imagined it.
f Another objection to reinforcing Colonel Stevenson at all,
and that applies still more strongly to sending the large
detachment from this corps which you have proposed, is the
risk that, in consequence thereof, this corps may never be of
sufficient strength, or so composed as to be able to march
forward from Poonah ; supposing that there should be a war.
We should then be obliged to have recourse to one of two mea-
sures : to turn Colonel Stevenson's attention to protecting
and forming a junction with this corps ; or, to break up General
Stuart's army to make this corps so strong as to be again
independent. Considering the call for Goa, the probability of
the arrival of the French troops at Pondicherry, and the
prospect of the renewal of the French war, the question is,
would that be prudent ? Would General Stuart consent to
that measure ?
' We must certainly keep Colonel Stevenson in such strength
as to insure his safety in his advanced position; but in
deciding upon the degree of strength I must give him, and
the nature of the troops I must send him, I must consider the
circumstances above alluded to : the strength of the enemy,
their present state, their probable future state, and their imme-
diate designs. However, as I told you before, my prospects
have improved so much within these last two days, that I have
strong hopes that I shall be able to retain my position ; and if
any of my modes of procuring bullocks succeed, I shall entirely
recover. ' Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Close." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. JVellesley to Colonel Murray.
' SIR, ' Camp, 26th June, 1803.
' I have had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the
24th, and I have seen Major Spens's report to Captain
Barclay, of the supply sent off upon coolies. This is, I assure
you, very satisfactory to me. I approve of your sending a
party to Coraygaum, and of the instructions to the officer
commanding it, excepting that there will be no occasion for
his making a raft.
208 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1903.
' In case Captain Young should, according to your direction,
send up any of the bullocks found too small for the pontoons,
loaded with rice, I request you to send them on with loads of
rice to me, specifying that they are these bullocks, at the time
you send them.
' I called upon Mr. Duncan for two thousand carriage
bullocks which he promised me I should have at the end of
May; but as they have not yet produced five hundred draught
bullocks, which 1 called for likewise, they have employed part
of these two thousand carriage bullocks in drawing the
pontoons. All those, therefore, unfit for this work, must be
sent on to me as carriage cattle.
' Captain Buchan is to return to join the army. Instructions
to that effect are gone to Poonah.
« I omitted to mention to you, that I observe Mr. Dun-
can has recommended that a person should be especially
appointed to take charge of the cattle with your detachment.
I have written to him, however, to say, that although I com-
plained of the state of condition of the cattle, I had no com-
plaint to make of Major Spens ; on the contrary, I have
reason to be well satisfied with Major Spens in every respect.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
• Colonel Murray: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
( gIR? ' Camp, 26th June, 1603.
* I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter which I
have received from Colonel Stevenson, from which you will
be able to form a judgment of the measures taken by Rajah
Mohiput Ram at Aurungabad, and of the state of defence in
which that place will be hereafter.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Major Kirkpatrick: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 28th June, 1803.
' I have received your letters of the 24th and 25th. I am
much obliged to you for the steps you have taken regarding
bullocks for me, as mentioned in your letter of the 24th.
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMKDNUGGUR. 209
f In respect to the rice, if you should deem that which
Mohiput Ram may purchase to be in safety at Aurungabad,
and that which Sookroodoor may purchase to be in safety at
Puttun, it will be equally as convenient to me to have it at
those places as in my camp ; and more convenient than that
the bullocks which you may purchase should be delayed to
receive it.
' You are now so far from me, that it would be difficult to
send you twenty thousand rupees, or any other sum to pay
for this rice, or the bullocks ; but you shall certainly be repaid
any sums that you advance on account of this division of the
army.
' The money which is now coming from General Stuart's
camp is not intended for you, but for me. I have received a
letter from General Stuart, however, in which he tells me that
he is to send you one lac of pagodas ; and that sum may be
sent to you either with another lac of pagodas for me, through
the Nizam's country, or it may go to Hyderabad, according
to the wish expressed by you to General Stuart, or it may
come to Poonah with a lac of pagodas for me. Whenever
General Stuart shall apprize me of his determination upon this
point, I shall write to you. I think that it would be desirable
to increase the guard with the boats on the Godavery, to an
European officer, and a company of native infantry, in order
to provide effectually for their security ; and that I might have
it in my power, by corresponding with him, to direct their
meeting me at any part of the river I may think proper.
This same officer might have under his charge the one thou-
sand brinjarries, so far as that he should know where to find
them, in case I should want them. The mutaseddee who
conducts the Hindustany dawk for Colonel Collins, and who
resides, I believe, at Aurungabad, has complained of the want
of a boat upon the Godavery, for the purpose of transporting
the letters across. He has written to me to say that Rajah
Sookroodoor has taken away the boat which was formerly used
for that purpose. If he has done so, it has been by your
desire, and for my use; and therefore, T cannot but approve of
what he has done : but I think that it would be desirable that
a basket boat should be upon the Godavery, at the place at
which Colonel Collins's dawk crosses, and which may be found
VOL. in. p .
210 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
out from the mutaseddee above mentioned, who resides at Au-
rungabad.
' We have no accounts from Colonel Collins since the 18th.
I imagine that matters remain at Scindiah's camp nearly in the
same state as when I wrote last to you.
6 I beg you to be cautious not to advance beyond Roshun-
gaum ; and not to go out of the Nizam's territories, or into
those, the property of which is divided between the Nizam and
the Marhattas ; and not to act upon a report from any of the
Chiefs that Colonel Collins has come away, until you are
absolutely certain of it. All these chiefs have interested
motives, and where the Marhattas are concerned, their reports
are to be received with doubts.
' Your situation is a most delicate one, and therefore 1
particularly caution you. It will be our duty to carry on the
war with activity, when it shall begin ; but it is equally so to
avoid hostilities, if we possibly can ; and by no means to take
any step which can occasion them, or give a pretence for
Scindiah or the Rajah of Berar to commence them.
* I return Meer Khan's letter : you will perceive by this
postscript, that I have received your letter of the 26th.
' Believe me, &c.
4 Colonel Stevenson.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
6 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 28th June, 1803.
* From your letter of the 27th, which I have just received,
I apprehend that there is some mistake respecting the bullocks
which I sent off on the 26th for rice ; and that I did not clearly
explain myself. My wish was that these bullocks should,
if possible, receive their loads at Coraygaum, where they
would arrive on to-morrow, the 29th ; and that in order that
the loads might be sent there from Poonah, I proposed either
that Colonel Murray's bullocks should be employed, or that
coolies should be hired ; or that if coolies could not be hired,
Colonel Murray should endeavor to prevail upon his dooley
bearers, or a working party of sepoys, to perform this service.
At last, if the rice could not be sent out to Coraygaum, I
requested that you would be so kind as to write to the officer
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGCJR. 2,11
in charge of the party, and I informed you that he would go
on to Poonah for the rice. I was, anxious, however, that your
arrangements to send on rice to camp by coolies should not
be disturbed, in order to send the rice to meet the party at
Coraygaum.
* In your postscript to your letter of the 27th, " you say
you will of course stop the march of the detachment with the
bullocks to Coraygaum." They will be there to-morrow
morning, and I think it better that they should march on even
to Poonah, than come back without loads. But this letter
may reach you in time to enable you to make some arrange-
ments for sending out their loads on io-morrow evening and
the 30th, so as to enable them to commence their return to
camp on the 1st of July. If this should be the case, I
request you to send off an express messenger to Lieut. Walker,
the officer in charge of the detachment, to desire him to
wait at Coraygaum for the loads.
f Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Close.' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to Colonel Murray.
< SIR, * Camp, 29th June, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 27th June, and I con-
clude that you will have sent the rice to meet the bullocks at
Coraygaum.
' I shall write to you respecting sending on rice to us here-
after, as soon as I see the first coolies you sent come into camp.
They are not yet arrived, but the first asses have arrived.
« I shall be very much obliged to you if you will send me five
hundred bullock saddles upon coolies' heads. I have been
tolerably successful in getting bullocks, and want saddles for
them. Let me know also what progress Major Spens has
made in getting the gunny bags.
' It would be desirable that a note should be written to the
officer in charge at Coraygaum, and to Lieut. Brown, whom I
have placed for the present at Seroor, upon the Goor, to
apprize those gentlemen when you will dispatch any thing
from Poonah.
' Lieut. Sterling ought also to be directed to inform Lieut.
Brown when any thing passes his post ; I shall direct Lieut.
212 ADVANCE TO AHMF.DNUGGUR. 1803.
Brown to let me know when the same may pass the Goor.
We shall thus have our supplies constantly in our view.
' If your bullock saddles should be supposed to be good,
let some be purchased in Poonah.
f 1 have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray: f ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Eon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 30th June, 1803.
' Since I wrote to you last, I have received a letter from
Colonel Collins, dated the 22nd, from which it appears very
improbable that he should have quitted Scindiah's camp be-
fore the 28th ; and it is even probable that he will yet be there
for some time longer. The question of peace or war still
remains in the same undecided state.
1 I mention this to you just to show the necessity of caution
in giving credit to the reports you may hear.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson/ ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
< MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 30th June, 1803.
* I have received your letters of the 27th and 28th. None
of the coolies that have been sent off from Poonah have yet
arrived in camp. It is possible that they may have been de-
tained by the rivers ; but I request that no more may be sent
till I see these come in.
' I have written a letter to Collins, in which I have urged
him to press forward the negotiation with Scindiah. We
cannot shrink from the contest into which we must enter, if
Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar will not remove from the
Nizam's frontier.
6 My plan of operations was to attack Ahmednuggur with
my corps, and to keep Colonel Stevenson with his on the
defensive, beyond the Godavery, till I should have got pos-
session of Ahmednuggur, and then that both corps should
co-operate. You appear to be of opinion that Colonel Steven-
son would not be sufficiently strong, opposed to the whole
confederacy, in which I agree ; but in fact there is no reason
to believe that he will be opposed to the whole confederacy.
1803. ADVANCE TO AliMEDNUQGUH. 213
We know that Holkar has crossed the Taptee with all or the
greatest part of his force ; and that both his army and Scindiah's
are much crippled, and at present very ill equipped for a
campaign. Therefore, even supposing that Holkar could re-
cross the Taptee, so as to join in a combined operation against
Colonel Stevenson, before I should have made such progress
at Ahmednuggur as to give the Colonel some assistance, it is
not probable that the confederates would be able to bring such
a force upon him, as to give us any reason to be apprehensive
of the consequences.
1 But even supposing that Colonel Stevenson is weak, I do
not see in what manner I can reinforce him. I cannot send
him cavalry, because it is my opinion that the measure which
Scindiah will adopt for the defence of Ahmednuggur may be
to send a body of cavalry to cut off my communication with
Poonah ; and I shall want all the troops of that description
which I have got. Indeed, I have heard that a small body of
pindarries are already arrived in the country. I shall want all
the infantry I have for the operation upon Ahmednuggur.
On the other hand, I might bring Colonel Stevenson across
the Godavery ; and certainly if I thought he was in any dan-
ger, that would be the measure which I should adopt : but
it would be attended by the entire ruin of the NizanVs terri-
tories north of that river, and with the loss of our own repu-
tation, for which evils our success at Ahmednuggur would
hardly compensate. Therefore it is my opinion, considering
the divided and crippled state of the enemy at the present
moment, and the little chance there is that this state will mend
before I can cross the Godavery, that I ought to leave Colonel
Stevenson north of that river, at least to keep all small plunder-
ing parties in check. In my opinion the great difficulty I shall
have to contend with will be to check the Colonel himself.
However, I have sent him the most positive orders not to quit
the Nizam's territories. I wrote to Mr. Duncan to keep the
depots at Poonah and Panwell well supplied.
' Believe me, &c.
4 Lieut. Colonel Close: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
* SlR, «' Camp, 30th June, 1803.
* None of the coolies are yet arrived, but I have sent out to
look for them.
' In case the depot at Poonah should fall below 4000 bags,
you should purchase ; but I make no doubt that Captain
Young will be able to keep it up to double that amount. Mr.
Duncan will easily have it in his power to keep the store full
at Pan well.
' I do not wish you to issue flour to the sepoys ; in fact
it would not be cheaper than half a seer of rice : it introduces
a new practice into the service, which is bad if it is not neces-
sary ; and at every change of food causes sickness, it may
be prejudicial to their health. I have this instant received a
letter from Lieut. Walker, who went with the bullocks to
Coraygaum ; he did not attend to his instructions, and arrived
there on the 27th, instead of the 29th. He met there some of
the coolies whom you dispatched on the 25th ; he took from
them their loads, and was waiting to retake the loads of others,
whom he heard were on the road. All this is contrary to his
instructions ; 190 of the bullocks are come into the camp
already, and God knows when Lieut. Walker will arrive with
the others. I have sent off a messenger to him however, with
orders to come on with the bullocks which he will have loaded,
and to bring with him all the coolies that may be at Coraygaum.
* I think, however, it is very probable that, as the coolies
will have found that the loads of some have been taken
from them at Coraygaum, none of them will proceed farther
than that place, and they will lay down their loads there. I
request you to write to Lieut. Stirling, to inquire whether this
is the case; and if it should be so, send coolies from Poonah to
carry their loads on to camp ; and be so kind as to send an
hircarrah with each party that you will send off".
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 1st July, 1803.
* The first coolies dispatched from Poonah are dropping
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 215
into camp, and notwithstanding the mistake made by Lieut.
Walker, of which Colonel Murray will have informed you, I
think that we shall do pretty well.
4 I shall be obliged to you if you will give directions that
2000 more coolies loaded with rice may be sent to camp. An
hircarrah and one or two sepoys ought to come with each
party, in order to keep them together and show them the road.
* Believe me, See.
4 Lieut. Colonel Close' ' ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
< SIR, ' Camp, 2nd July, 1803.
' I have just received your letter of the 30th of June. The
scaling ladders would be very useful to me, and I shall be
obliged to you if you will desire that they may be brought up
from Panwell, and sent forward to camp. I also agree in
opinion with Lieut. Colonel Close, that the iron 18 pounders
might be very useful, and indeed necessary ; and at all events
there is no harm in having them at Poonah ; but in what
manner are they and the stores to be brought up the Ghaut ?
I see no mode at present of effecting this object.
« I wish that you would look at my bullocks, of which
Lieut. Brown has charge, and see whether they are at all in
a state for work ; and if they are, whether they could draw
your two 12 pounders and two howitzers with their stores
from Poonah. I am well satisfied with the equipment I have,
in case it should be necessary to attack the fort of Ahmed-
nuggur ; but there is no harm in having a larger one, and the
howitzers in particular may be very useful. If, therefore,
you should be of opinion that Lieut. Brown's bullocks can
work, I should wish you to send forward all these pieces ; but
if only sufficient for the howitzers, and in condition, send them.
You may send a guard with them, and I will look out for
them from Seroor.
( As the pontoons cannot be wanted till after we have got
Ahmednuggur ; and, at all events, I suspect that, from the
state of their equipments and the breaking of their carriages
already, they will be of little use in this campaign, I believe
it would be best to send for some of their bullocks to move the
12 pounders and howitzers, with their tumbrils, if those under
Lieut. Brown's charge are not equal to that work.
216 ADVANCE TO AHMED NUGGUR. 1803.
' If you should be able to send these pieces of ordnance, I
should wish you to send with them about twenty artillery
men. Of course these, with the ordnance, will be returned to
you, as soon as the operation at Ahmednuggur shall be con-
cluded.
' I have the honor to be, Sec.
4 Colonel Murray." 'ARTHUR WELLESLET.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 3rd July, 1803.
' I received last night your letter of the 20th of June, re-
garding Mr. Mackenzie.
' In exercising the power given to me by Government, in
regard to the subsidiary force at Poonah, I shall consider it a
duty, and it certainly is my inclination, to select those officers
for the situations which are to be filled who will be agreeable
to you. The gentleman you now have recommended to me is
one for whom I have a respect, and in whose advancement and
welfare I am materially interested ; as he has been frequently
recommended to me in the strongest terms by his relation
General Mackenzie, a very old friend of mine.
* But both you and I, my dear Colonel, must attend to
claims of a superior nature to those brought forward, either in
consequence of our private feelings of friendship or of recom-
mendation. Of this nature are the claims founded upon ser-
vice.
' Mr. Gilmour, the Staff Surgeon with this division of the
army, quitted a situation of emolument at Seringapatam, in
order to take the field with the troops, when it was deter-
mined that the detachment should march to Poonah under my
command, and Mr. Anderson joined the head quarters. Mr.
Gilmour was selected to be at the head of the medical depart-
ment of that detachment, and his allowances were, by order of
the Commander in Chief, fixed on the same scale with those
of the Staff Surgeon with the subsidiary force serving with the
Nizam. Since that time, Mr. Gilmour has done all the duty
of the Staff Surgeon, greatly to my satisfaction and the general
good ; and when the subsidiary force comes to be established
at Poonah, I think that I could not disappoint the expecta-
tions which he has had a right to form, that he would be its
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR.
217
permanent Staff Surgeon, without doing him great injustice,
and, in his person, violating a principle which ought always to
guide those who have the disposal of military patronage, viz.,
that those who do the duty of the army ought to be promoted,
and also ought to enjoy its benefits and advantages.
« Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
6 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 4th July, 1803.
* Malcolm has communicated to me your letter to him. I
acknowledge that, in the event of a war, I have no fears for
Colonel Stevenson's safety ; considering that the enemy's force
is certainly divided, that they cannot bring it to bear upon the
Colonel till I shall be within reach of him, and that the force
which they can bring upon him is not very well equipped. If
I am mistaken upon this point, I must make up my mind to
forego one of two objects, either the capture of Ahmednuggur,
or the security of the Nizam's frontier. I do not think it
would be proper to try the siege of Ahmednuggur, excepting
in full force ; and if Colonel Stevenson is not in force suffi-
cient, I must either reinforce him, at the expense of leaving
Ahmednuggur in the hands of the enemy ; or I must draw
him back to the Godavery, possibly across that river, and leave
the Nizam's territories beyond that river defenceless.
' The only part of my force that it has been ever supposed
L could send him, consistently with the plan of attacking
Ahmednuggur, is the cavalry. But, considering the state of
my supplies, and the total deficiency of country cavalry with
this division, from the failure of the sirdars, that is the part of
my corps which I may most want. From the last letters from
Colonel Collins of the 29th of June, I think it probable that
we may expect from him something which will give us a tole-
rably clear idea of the views and intentions of the Chiefs.
Circumstances have certainly altered materially since Colonel
Collins commenced his negotiation on the 28th of May. He
has remained in Scindiah's camp, and it is not impossible but
that he may be drawn into a negotiation, to be carried on
while these Chiefs are seated upon the Nizam's frontier. The
question whether it will be prudent or not to negotiate on the
218 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUQQUR. 1803.
demands of the Chiefs, or even to grant them, may depend
upon their being forced to quit the Nizam's frontier ; and that
being the case, it will occur, are they more likely to withdraw
from the Nizam's frontier, being threatened by an attack from
the whole of our forces, or by an attack upon Ahmednuggur ?
' Upon this point I have to observe, that the threat of the
attack upon Ahmednuggur, combined with Colonel Collins's
remaining in Scindiah's camp, has hitherto produced no effect ;
and that to carry it into execution will certainly bring on hos-
tilities.
* The threat of the attack of our whole force upon their
camp may induce them to retire, and thus prevent the war
altogether.
4 On the other hand, it is obvious that the objections to this
measure, referable to subsistence, exist ; and that in case there
should be a war, I must return upon Ahmednuggur, or must
lose my communication with Poonah. In short, the receipt
of Colonel Collins's next dispatch must determine my conduct.
* I observe from your dispatch to Malcolm, that you are
of opinion that the Coast battalion at Poonah is not wanted
there. If that should be the case, I wish that you would
desire Colonel Murray to send it to camp, as its arrival will
enable me to detach a corps to the Godavery ; and thus, at all
events, secure the boats and a passage over that river. They
may take with them five seers of rice for each man.
' I have got a party at Seroor ; but it is best to send the
coolies with the rice on to camp, as long as they will come.
* Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
< SIR, ' Camp, 4th July, 1803.
< I have received this morning your letter of the 2nd. I am
under no apprehensions respecting the depot wearing out. It
consisted of about 16,000 half-bags, of which you may have
sent me 5000. I take your consumption to be about 30
half-bags a day, and at this estimate you may have consumed
1000 half-bags. There will still remain there 10,000. I should
certainly wish, if possible, to have more rice sent up ; and I
think it very probable that in some of the intervals of fair
weather, Captain Young may have it in his power to send
1803. ADVANCE TO AliMKDNUGGUH. 219
some, and that Mr. Duncan may be able to assist him. But I
do not think that the want of rice is at present or is likely to be
so pressing, or that it is necessary to take the means from the
pontoons to carry it up.
' You will always have the bazaar of Poonah for your force,
and you will of course use it as soon as the stock in the depot
comes to 4000 double bags. I think there is but little hope
that I shall be able to move that quantity of rice from Poonah,
till long after it will be in the power of Captain Young to send
up an additional supply.
' I certainly do not expect much benefit from the pontoons
in this campaign, for many reasons ; but I consider a bridge
to be a very necessary part of the equipment of a corps sta-
tioned on this frontier, the operations of which, as connected
\vith other corps, are so liable to be cramped during a great
part of the year by rivers not fordable : therefore, though I
may not have the use of the bridge, it is very proper that it
should be brought up, that we should examine it and its
equipments, in how far they are calculated to answer the pur-
pose intended, and how the equipments, carriages, &c. can be
improved. This can be only done in the rainy season ; and
persons who have been in the habit of seeing carriages moved
in all situations must be considered the most competent judges
on these points, and I must employ some of those in my camp
to examine this equipment. Therefore, although I am not in
a hurry about the bridge under present circumstances, I should
not like to forego all prospect of getting it up ; excepting that
the coolies employed in that work may be employed in bring-
ing up rice, which, after all, I think I shall not be able to move
away.
' The bags which I wished that Major Spens should get,
are bullock gunny bags, made of the best gunny, and
capable of containing grain. The Bombay bags, which you
mean, are, I believe, those which came up from Panwell with
rice, or double bags made of the same kind of gunny. These
are not used to carry rice on the backs of bullocks.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray: e ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
ADVANCE TO AIIMKDNUUGUK.
Major Gcnaral the, Hon. A. JVcllesley to Colonel Murray.
<• Siu, * Camp, 7th July, 1803.
1 I hope that you will not have sent off any more rice after
the dispatch of the 2000 bags, as we shall have rather more
than we can carry.
' [ had writ ten to Colonel Close, to ask his opinion whether
the Coast native battalion could be spared from Poonah for a
time, as I thought it possible that I should be obliged to
detach a battalion to secure the boats on the Godavery. This
is still a great object ; but I doubt much the propriety of
drawing the battalion from Poonah at present ; because I have
this day received a letter from General Stuart, by which I
learn that, in consequence of the probability of the renewal of
the war with France, and of the landing of some French troops
at Pondicherry, with the expected arrival of others, he had
determined to cross the Toombuddra. This measure weakens
us most considerably, and your part of the force in particular;
and it may possibly be attended by many inconvenient conse-
quences, as well in the Nizam's territories as in those of the
Marhattas bordering on the Kistna and the Toombuddra ,
therefore I think it will be best not to send the 2nd of the
3rd from Poonah.
' All the expenses attending the forwarding of the supplies
from Poonah are to appear in Major Spens' accounts, are to
be paid by Captain Matheson, and are to be sent to the go
vernment of Bombay.
* But if Captain Matheson should require money for that
or any other service, of course lie must take up some of that
belonging to me in Colonel Close's hands, and that account
can be adjusted between him and Captain Graham.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray.' ' ARTHUR WHLLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Governor General.
1 MY LORD, ' 8th July, 1803.
* I have not written to you since the day I marched from
Poonah, because, in fact, matters have remained exactly in the
same state ; indeed, Colonel Collins's negotiations have not ad-
vanced one step since the day on which Scindiah inarched from
J3urhampoor to meet the Rajah of Uerar.
1803. ADVANCK TO AHMKONUGOUR. 221
« Ilolkar has crossed the river Taptec with his wliole army,
and appears disinclined, and I hear has positively refused to
trust his person in the same camp with Scindiah. Notwith-
standing Colonel Collins's assertion, Indore has not been given
over to Plolkar ; and I believe that the peace, which the Colonel
supposed to have been concluded, is only a cessation of hos-
tilities, which Scindiah has been prevailed upon to grant by
Kagojce Hhoonslah, in order to gain time for the negotiation
of a peace ; and of which Holkar has taken advantage, in order
to place the Taptee between his army and that of Scindiah.
* In the mean time we, who were ready on the 4th of June,
have lost that month and part of this for our operations ; and
unlc-ss Colonel Collins has attended to a second representation,
which I made to him in the end of June, we areas far from
our point as we were in the month of May. The Colonel has
gone upon a false notion from the beginning. He has supposed
that peace was concluded between Holkar and Scindiah, be-
cause Scindiah's ministers had told him so; and he has had no
other information, and has never produced any one proof of
the fact, the truth of which he believed and invariably
asserted. Under this notion he has been timid, and has
afforded them time to conclude the peace, and to intrigue,
which is all that they desired.
1 Matters also at Poonah arc nearly in the same state in
which they were when I marched. The Peshwah promises
every thing and performs nothing. The Marhatta sirdars arc
still in that city, excepting Goklah, who is encamped at a small
distance from me. The Peshwah has not satisfied them, and
they wait to see the result of the first operations against
Scindiah, and who has the upper hand. They are prevented
from joining the confederates at present by General Stuart's
position at Moodgul in the Dooab. I observe, however, that
General Stuart is inclined to withdraw from this position, in
consequence of the arrival of the French at Pondicherry.
But I have written to represent to him the advantage which
we all derive; from it. I have shown him that he keeps in
tranquillity the territories of the Nizam and Hyderabad, not-
withstanding his Ilighncss's sickness, the probability of his
death, and the absence of all his troops beyond the Goda-
very ; that he awes Poonah, and keeps in tranquillity all the
Marhatta territory south of the Bcemah, notwithstanding the
222 ADVANCK TO AHMKDNUGGUR. 1803.
conduct of the Peshwah, which must appear to his subjects
like treachery, and a desire to break his treaty with the British
Government ; that by threatening Meritch and Darwar, he
secures at least the neutrality of the Putwurduns, and the
continuance of the 'cessation of hostilities between that family
and the Rajah of Kolapoor, which is so necessary to the exist-
ence of my communications ; and that he defends the Com-
pany's territories, and those of the Rajah of Mysore, and
secures their tranquillity. At the same time, in the event
of the Nizam's death and consequent disturbance of Hyder-
abad, he can reach that capital in a few marches ; or in the
event of any accidents happening to the troops in this quarter,
he has equal facility in moving to Poonah. In short, I may
call General Stuart's position the main-stay of all our opera-
tions ; and it is that which, in case of a war with the Marhattas,
will prevent a general insurrection in the territories of the
Company, the Nizam, the Rajah of Mysore, and the southern
Marhatta chiefs. It was with a view to these advantages that
I first recommended to General Stuart to take it up ; and every
day's experience has shown the benefits which we have derived
from it.
4 I have been in some distress in consequence of a great loss
of bullocks ; but I have recovered so as to be able to move
again with a very good stock of provisions, and I have made
arrangements to receive further supplies north of the Goda-
very. I have always been equal to the siege of Ahmednuggur,
in which place I believe that I should have found plenty of all
that I required.
e I have not written to the Secretary of State since the
middle of May. Indeed, upon a review of our situation, I
found that I could tell him nothing, excepting that we were in
the same state in which we were at the time I before wrote,
unless that I had moved across the Beemah, and that I was
disappointed in my expectations of having with me the Mar-
hatta sirdars.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Governor General: ( ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
' Since writing this letter, I have seen a copy of Colonel
Collinses dispatch of the 2nd. I think matters look better
than they did ; but I see that he has again allowed Scindiah to
delay giving him an answer.'
1803. ADVANCK TO AHMKDNUGGUR. 223
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 10th July, 1803.
' I return your letters. In ray opinion, Colonel Collins has
not accounted in a satisfactory manner, either for his own
assertion that peace has been made between Scindiah and
Holkar, or for that of his moonshee, that we should attack the
latter. In this extraordinary dispatch, one of the most extra-
ordinary parts is, that he has given as a proof of a peace
between those Chiefs, that Scindiah has made sacrifices of
territory to Holkar ; whereas that fact requires proof, as well
as every other part of the letter.
* Goklah has just paid me a visit. He has expressed a
most anxious desire to hoist the Peshwah's colors in a village
called Mandegaon belonging to Holkar, and one of the antient
possessions of the Holkar family. I have requested him most
earnestly to desist from this measure for some days, as I wish
to be at peace with Holkar, and do not intend to attack that
Chief unless he should attack the Company or their allies.
* Goklah is rather anxious upon this subject, as he received
the Peshwah's orders to hoist his colors in all the possessions
of the Holkar family, near which he should march. I wish
that you would explain that I have prevented him from taking
possession of this village. Goklah is also very anxious respect-
ing his pay. I wish that you would urge the durbar to make
some permanent provision for him. If they would promise
that we should be repaid the sums which we should advance
him, we might contrive to keep him afloat, by means of bills
upon Bombay or Bengal, upon which he would be able to get
money. Consider this subject, as it is really very desirable
that we should have this body of troops paid.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
« SIR, ' Camp, 12th July, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 9th. It appears that you
intend immediately to bring up the 18 pounders. It is certainly
desirable to have two pieces of ordnance of that kind at Poonah ;
and they may as well be brought up when matters do not
224 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
press : but it is of so little importance to bring them up at
present, that I do not wish that any of the cattle should be
turned to that service from any other that is going on.
Besides draught cattle, I dare say that it will take not less
than five hundred carriage bullocks to carry up the stores for
the 18 pounders, without which they will be useless. Indeed,
I should almost doubt whether the stores are in a state of pre-
paration to move ; that is, whether there are gunny bags for
the shot, powder, &c.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray." f ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson,
f MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 13th July, 1803.
' Many days have elapsed since I have written to you ; but
in fact I had nothing interesting to communicate. Matters in
Scindiah 's camp remain nearly as they were. Scindiah and the
Rajah of Berar have each written a friendly letter to the
Governor General, in which each has declared his intention to
remain at peace with the Company and their allies ; but they
are going to take up their station at the Adjuntee Ghaut, not
to attack the Nizam, as they say, nor to march to Poonah.
' This movement is entirely inconsistent with their pacific
declarations ; and I have accordingly written a letter to Scin-
diah, in which I tell him that I must consider it as hostile ; and
that advantage will be taken of the position of the British
troops to attack him on those points where he is most exposed,
unless he shall withdraw within his own territories, and to his
usual stations.
* You shall be made acquainted with his answer, and with
my consequent determination. I think it probable that he will
withdraw, and that we shall have peace.
• In respect to Rajah Mohiput Ram's proposal that you
should move nearer to the Adjuntee Ghaut, I object to it on
this ground, that when you will once have advanced, you cannot
retire again ; and the negotiations to induce Scindiah to with-
draw may take much time, and you may be distressed for
forage in your advanced position. It is also my intention, if
we should commence hostilities, to desire you to approach the
ghaut as near as you can, with convenience, in order to check
1803. ADVANCE TO AIIMEDNUGGUR. 225
Scindiah in his endeavors to ascend it with his guns ; and it
will be necessary that you should have as much fresh forage in
your power as possible, at this time. I therefore think that,
upon the whole, it is best that you should not approach the
ghaut, or move from your present position, till you shall hear
further from me.
1 I have no objection to Salabut Khan's correspondence
with Ragojee Bhoonslah, and advantage might be taken of it
to recommend peace; you ought, however, to see his corre-
spondence.
' If you are. sure that Gopal Show, &c., are within the
Nizam's territories, and if you think that you can get at them,
I recommend that you should dash at them with the cavalry,,
and cut them up.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. IVellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 13th July, 1803.
' I return the dispatches from Mr. Duncan. It does not ap-
pear to me to be very clear that Songhur has been attacked, or
that Shamunt Khan is the person in the neighbourhood of that
fort. I understood that there was an English garrison there ;
and we might expect that the officer commanding would write
to somebody. But in the usual style, I suppose that the
English officer is under the orders of the black man. It is not
possible to give Mr. Duncan any assistance at present. He
has increased his territories, and, of course, the demands upon
his government for the service of troops, and the means of pay-
ing them most enormously. But he has never contemplated
the necessity of making a corresponding increase of his army.
This is the cause of the present difficulty, and I can give no
hopes that I shall be able to relieve it.
4 Believe me, &c.
•' Lieut. Colonel Close: c ARTHUR WELLES-LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, * Camp, 14th July, 1803,
' Since writing you the enclosed letter, I have received your
VOL, III. Q
22(5 ADVANCE TO AHMKDNUGGUR. 1803.
two letters of the llth. Major Kirkpatrick was mistaken.
General Stuart has sent off five thousand bullocks towards my
camp, two thousand of them loaded with rice. But even if
he should have sent none, I conceive that the troops with you
must be well fed, as well as those with me ; and you certainly
now are more in want than I am, or than I am likely to he.
Therefore, I request that you will make use of the rice laid
in for my use at Aurungabad and Puttun.
' But viewing these distresses of yours and the disappoint-
ments which both of us have met with from the brinjarries,
and knowing that these people are not to be depended upon,
I strongly recommend that you should urge Mohiput Ram to
collect as much rice for you as he can ; and that you should
establish a grain department in your detachment, consisting of
at least two thousand loaded bullocks. You will then be
always sure of having a certain quantity for your troops ; and
the misbehaviour of your brinjarries will not be so fatal, as it
would prove under these circumstances.
' I do not think that I shall want any more bullocks
from Rajah Mohiput Ram, particularly if those sent and
expected from Kurdlah are good. I thinly the price not very
material ; we must pay well in order to be well served, and
with celerity. But with respect to the rice, I think that you
ought to call upon the Rajah's officers for an account of its
prime cost, and all the expenses of carriage, &c. to the places
where it is lodged ; and not pay more for it than that amount.
I approve of the orders you have given Mohiput Ram, as
reported in your letter of the llth. I see by the ackbar from
Scindiah's camp, that Gopal Bhow is not within the Nizam's
territories ; you should therefore be cautious about attacking
him, according to the suggestion contained in the enclosed letter
of yesterday.
* Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
' SIR, ' Camp, 14th July, 1803.
* I have received a letter from Colonel Close, from which I
learn that a brinjarry has engaged to attend this body of troops
with five thousand bullocks at monthly hire ; that these bullocks
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUB. 227
are in the first instance to receive their loads at Panwell, and
to proceed thence to join me.
1 The loads which I should wish them to receive, is rice ; but
it will be necessary that some arrangement should be made
respecting the packing of it. The small Bombay bags ought to
contain sixty pounds, or two mercalls, six seers; but according to
our measurement, they do not contain some of them more than
two mercalls, two and a half seers ; and some of them not that
quantity. At all events, these small bags are inconvenient for
carriage on bullocks' backs, and in case of bad weather, the
rice receives damage in them.
' In general, the brinjarries have bags of their own, and it
is possible that those now hired may have them ; but if they
should not, it would be necessary that five thousand good
bullock rice bags should be prepared at Bombay. I shall be
obliged to you if you will ascertain whether the brinjarries
have bags ; and if they should not have them, I request you
to write to Bombay to order them as soon as possible.
' The small bags, if they should be filled up, each to the
full amount of three mercalls, or seventy two pounds, would
answer well to be placed in the other bags, one on each side,
and would be an additional protection to the grain : but if they
cannot be filled to that amount, it would be best (particularly
if care be taken to make the new bags of the best gunny) to
start the rice into the new bags, and to take care to put on
each bullock full six mercalls, or seventy two seers. By the
present arrangement, we lose, in each bullock's load, twelve
seers at least, supposing the small bags to contain two and a
half mercalls : but in general, they contain only two mercalls,
two and a half seers, and we therefore lose twenty seers upon
a bullock load, which would feed a soldier forty days. From
this statement, you may conceive what the loss would be upon
five thousand bullock loads. I shall be obliged to you, if
you will give the necessary directions upon this subject to
Captain Young.
' I beg that you will send to camp the 1000 gunny bags
which are completed.
' Captain Barclay writes to Poonah this day upon the subject
of receiving grain from some Mysore brinjarries, on their road
between the river Kistna and Poonah, and delivering to them
rice in lieu thereof.
Q 2
228 ADVANCI- TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
* Since writing the above, I have received your letter of
the 12th.
' I approve of the bargain you have made with the brinjarry
naig. But you will observe that there is a still stronger neces-
sity for having proper gunny bags ; and these bullocks must
carry the full loads for which they were engaged.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
* Colonel Murray: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
«Siu, ' Camp, 15th July, 1803.
' I have the honor to enclose the copy of a letter which I
have received from Colonel Close. He will have sent you one
from Colonel Collins, in which the latter requires the opinion
of Colonel Close and myself, respecting the security which it
might be necessary that Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar should
give of the sincerity of their pacific declarations. In conse-
quence of the receipt of that letter from Colonel Collins, and
of that of the 10th of July from Colonel Close, a copy of which
is enclosed, I have thought it proper to address a letter to
Dowlut Rao Scindiah, of which I enclose a translation, and
also a copy of a letter to Colonel Collins.
1 It is my opinion, that if matters had been brought to this
short issue a month ago, we should have had peace to a cer-
tainty ; and I think it very probable that we shall still have it.
* Major Malcolm has received a letter from Mr. Piele, in
which he informs him that he has a lac of pagodas in his chest.
Have you any objection that this lac should be sent to me ?
If you should not have any, I shall be obliged to you if you
will intimate it to Mr. Piele, and he will prevail upon Pur-
neah to send the money upon some of his horse. Our expenses
have increased a little from the advanced price of grain for the
horses of the cavalry, &c. ; and our disbursements from the
tumbrils are vastly greater than they were two months ago.
' Last month scarcely any money was received from officers
for bills; the cause of which is the great expense incurred by
every individual literally for the support of himself, his cattle,
and followers. The commanding officers of corps have suffered
great losses of cattle ; and some of the subaltern officers have
1803. ADVANCE TO AIIMEDNUGGUR. 229
been obliged to leave behind their tents for want of carriage to
move them, or of means to purchase cattle.
' Under these circumstances, every man draws his full pay
from the tumbrils in camp ; and although the expense of the
detachment to the public is also materially increased by the
higher price of grain for the horses, &c., the disbursement
from the tumbrils is much greater than it was, and now exceeds
a lac of pagodas monthly.
1 I have no hopes from Mr. Duncan ; indeed, the Bombay
detachment at Poonah runs away with all the money which I
should get in that city for my bills, if that detachment were
not there ; or that Mr. Duncan could supply them with cash
from Bombay. I am therefore desirous to have this Mysore
lac, if you should riot want it for other purposes.
' Several of the subaltern officers have enquired from me,
whether, having been obliged to leave behind their tents, in
consequence of the loss of their cattle, and of the circumstances
which have prevented them from purchasing fresh cattle, (of
which I am perfectly aware,) they should be permitted to draw
their tent allowance, although they should not have produced
their tents and cattle at muster ?
* I am aware of the inconvenience which may be the
result of granting this request ; but I should hope, that if the
bill for the tent allowance were accompanied by a certificate of
the commanding officer of the corps, and of the detachment
stating the unavoidable causes of the loss of cattle incurred,
and the circumstances which prevented them being replaced,
the payment would not be brought forward as a precedent
hereafter, upon which an abuse can be founded.
6 1 have also to observe, that if the officers, who have lost their
tents, should immediately lose their tent allowance, there is not
a chance that they will be able to replace them.
In obedience to the orders of the 22nd of September, 1802,
I had determined to order a committee to assemble for the
inspection of the bazaar accounts ; but I shall be obliged to
you if you will be so kind as to give me your orders whether
I am to charge against the fund all the expenses attending the
collection of the brinjarries.
( As there are no duties upon grain or provisions of any
kind, or indeed upon any thing excepting intoxicating drugs,
it is my opinion that the expenses attending the collection of
230 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
the brinjarries, any more than those attending the formation
of any depot for the consumption of the troops in the field,
ought not to fall upon the fund. 1 shall also be obliged to
you to let me know whether I shall send the amount of the
produce direct to the treasury or to your camp, in order that
it may be disposed of under your orders.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY PEAR COLONEL, « Camp, 15th July, 1803.
( I received last night your letter of the 12th, enclosing one
from Salabut Khan. You express your opinion in this letter
that the Rajah of Berar is likely to endeavor to make peace,
through the means of Salabut Khan ; and I beg you to com-
municate my sentiments to Salabut Khan upon this subject in
the following terms.
' The Rajah of Berar and the Company have always been
on the most friendly terms, and there is at this moment no
cause of quarrel between the two powers. The Rajah of
Berar has declared his determination not to obstruct the treaty
concluded at Bassein, between the Company and the Peshwah.
But the Rajah of Berar has collected his forces and has united
them with those of Dowlut Rao Scindiah, in a station close to
the Nizam's frontier : this can have been done only with an
intention to attack the Nizam or his subjects ; and the Com-
pany are bound by treaty to assist the Nizam, and protect his
territories and subjects, whenever they may be attacked. The
Company will always adhere to this treaty, and the enemies of
the Nizam will always be the enemies of the Company.
* If the Rajah of Berar intends peace, it depends entirely
upon him. The peace which has lasted so long will still be
maintained, and the friendship between the two governments
will even become stronger, if he will remove his army from the
Nizam's frontier : but if he does not do so, he cannot expect a
continuance of the peace.
' If the Rajah has any demands to make upon the Company's
government, the best mode of obtaining them will be to re-
move his army from the Nizam's frontier, and to return to his
own capital. The British government have always been, and
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 231
will always be, ready to attend to those who express their
wishes in a friendly and peaceable manner.
* Believe me, &c.
« Colonel Stevenson: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
< gIR^ ' Camp, 16th July, 1803.
* I shall be very much obliged to you if you will be so kind
as to give directions that 200 bullock loads of arrack may be
sent to me. It will be well to make a bargain with the people
who are to carry this arrack, that they must take back the
empty arrack kegs in camp.
' I also recommend to you to send down to Pan well, not
only these empty arrack kegs, but those you may have at
Poonah, as I suspect that the government of Bombay have not
many more prepared.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
• Colonel Murray: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
1 My DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 18th July, 1803.
' I return your letter enclosed with yours of the 16th. The
Cowlnameh ought to be taken away from Shunawass Rao. He
has turned it to no good purpose, and he ought not to have
shown it to any body.
' I likewise return the dispatches from the Governor Gene-
ral. I apprized you yesterday of the steps I had already
taken. This day I have written to Collins, to desire him to
withdraw, if he cannot prevail upon Scindiah and the Rajah of
Berar to move away. I have also desired Colonel Stevenson
to move forward, if he finds that Colonel Collins comes away ;
and to watch the Ghauts, so as to attack Scindiah with advan-
tage, if he should attempt to pass through them.
' I have written most fully to General Stuart upon the
subject of his crossing the Toombuddra. He is of opinion
that he ought to adopt that measure ; but whether he will
adopt it or not depends upon the orders he will receive from
Madras.
' You have a translation of a letter that I have written to
232 ADVANCE TO AllMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
Appah Saheb, which I think will make an impression upon
him. I shall write again this afternoon,
' I do not know well what we can do, excepting we give
money to Appah Saheb, to bring him forward ; for all his
objects were promised to him,, and he still holds off. Chinto-
meny and Rastia depend upon him.
' The young vakeel arrived in camp some days ago, and
does neither harm nor good. We are most plentifully sup-
plied. I do not believe a word of Sir W. Clarke's intelli-
gence, because I have a man upon the spot to report every
thing, and he does not mention it : but I have no doubt that
if we delay much longer in the way in which we are, we shall
have the Rajah of Kolapoor upon our communication.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' SlR, ' Camp, 18th July, 18CJ.
' Having received from his Excellency the Governor
General full powers to conclude whatever arrangement may
become necessary, either for the final settlement of peace, or
for the active prosecution of war, I have written to Lieut.
Colonel Collins to request that he will urge Dowlut Rao Sein-
diah and the Rajah of Berar to withdraw their troops from the
stations which they have occupied in the neighbourhood of the
Nizam's frontier : and I have requested him to come away
from Scindiah's camp, if those Chiefs should refuse to give
that proof of the sincerity of the pacific declarations which they
have made. I have likewise requested the Colonel to give you
the earliest intimation of his coming away from Scindiah's
camp, if that measure should be necessary.
4 If you should receive notice from Colonel Collins that he
has withdrawn from Scindiah's camp, you will be so kind as
immediately to take up a position as near to the Adjuntee
Ghaut, which leads into the Nizam's territories, as the con-
veniences of water and forage will permit. From this position
you will watch with vigilance the designs and movements of
Dowlut Rao Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar. If you should
find that those Chiefs attempt to ascend that, or any other
ghaut, you will fall upon them immediately, before they will
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 233
have time to deploy their forces above the ghaut. I do not
however propose that your troops should descend the ghaut,
but only that they should attack that part of the enemy which
shall ascend, before the remainder can come to their assistance.
It is possible that they may leave the Adjuntee Ghaut, and en-
deavor to penetrate by the Casserbarry Ghaut, towards Aurun-
gabad. You will, in that case, move towards the latter, and
place yourself in such manner as to attack them Avith advan-
tage as they may attempt to pass there.
* My object is to avoid, if possible, that your troops should
be engaged with the whole -of Scindiah's infantry, with his
guns, before my operations to the southward of the Godavery
shall be so far advanced as to enable me to reinforce you.
Your efforts to prevent Scindiah from penetrating by some
one of the passages may not be successful ; and, indeed, it is
probable that they must finally fail : but the delay of a few
days is all I require, and that I conceive must be gained.
' I have, however, no apprehension for the result, even if
you should be engaged with the whole of Scindiah's force. I
have received your letters of the 1 8th .
1 1 have the honor to be, Sec.
1 Colonel Stevenson." 'ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
« SIR, '18th July, 1803.
( The only objections which I have to your making the
gunny bags at Poonah are, that I fear they will not be at Pan-
well before the bullocks will be there which are to carry away
the rice ; and that the expense of them may be greater than
those made at Bombay. You must advert to the circumstance
that the expense of the carnage to Pan well must be added to
that of the manufacture at Poonah.
' However, you will act in this respect as you may think
will answer best in regard to the goodness of the bags, the time
at which they will be at Poonah, and their cheapness.
' I wish that you would desire Captain Spens to order the
coolies to come on to camp, wherever it may be. We have
moved from Pepulgaum, and are now upon the Seenah river,
and they have left at the former place bullock saddles, rice,
&c.,and gone back to Poonah.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
234 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUQGUR. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
c MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 20th July, 1803.
4 I am sorry to tell you that General Stuart will have crossed
the Toombuddra before this time, by orders from the Govern-
ment of Fort St. George.
' It is impossible to do any thing for Ball Kischen Bhow at
this time ; but it would be very desirable to see him firmly
seated in his soubahdarry, if it could be effected without a con-
test in our rear. I shall write to him upon this subject.
' I have seen your letter to Malcolm. I think it a mat-
ter of indifference whether Salabut Khan corresponds with
Ragojee Bhoonslah or does not. At all events, we cannot
prevent it ; and for this reason, I have told Colonel Stevenson
that I have no objection to it. I also desired him to tell Sala-
but Khan, that if Ragojee Bhoonslah wished for peace with
the English, he must return to his own countries, and that
nothing else would insure that object.
6 What has passed in Guzerat is disgusting to a degree.
The English name is disgraced, and the worst of it is, that en-
deavors are made to conceal the disgrace, under an hypo-
critical cant about humanity : and those feelings which are
brought forward so repeatedly respecting the garrison of
Parneira, are entirely forgotten in respect to the unfortunate
British soldiers of the 75th and 84th regiments, who, unlike
the gentlemen, submitting to be humbugged by a parcel of
blackguards, are suffering in the rains.
I am more than ever convinced that no attempt ought to
have been made to get possession of the Ceded countries, till
the question of the Confederacy was settled. A little delay
would have enabled us to have a good detachment in a field
cantonment near Songhur, which would have saved that pro-
vince. As matters stand now, our forces are frittered away,
and we have none for any efficient purpose. The country
will be overrun, and, after all our haste, we shall get no revenue
from it.
' Believe me, &c.
Lieut. Colonel Close.' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
: • ; -:i v LIU L-:II LC
236 ADVANCE TO AHMEDMJGGUR. 1803.
upon such a one, such as a strange cook boy, whom you may
find about the bazaar or barracks, or the lines, or any where
in communication with the soldiers.
4 When first I came to the Marhatta territory, these animals
flocked about my camp, but I seized and punished them, and
sent all I caught to Bombay, to be returned to Goa by the
first opportunity. By these means I have not lost one Euro-
pean deserter.
' I long to hear of your catching the palanquin gentleman.
If you can prove against him that he enticed away your sol-
diers, you may seize and punish him, if you find him in your
bazaar, and send him a prisoner to Bombay ; that measure will
stop this trade.
6 Try the thieves by a line Court Martial and punish
them.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray: f ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
< SlR, ' Camp, 22nd July, 1803.
* I have received your letter of the 20th. You will receive
this day orders to carry into execution the sentence of the
General Court Martial, which tried a Bombay sepoy, who
deserted some time ago ; and orders to assemble a General
Native Court Martial to try the deserters you mention. If
there is evidence of the desertion with their arms and accou-
trements of the three men, I beg that they may be all tried ; if
there should not be evidence, one of them may be admitted
to give evidence against the others.
' But I should think that there will be no want of evidence
that they left their corps and were brought back prisoners.
They shall be shot also, if the Court Martial should sentence
that punishment.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
* Colonel Murray.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major Gen. the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
6 SlR, 4 Camp, 22rd July, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 12th
instant ; and I am much obliged to you for the additional
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDN UGGUR. 237
supply of bullocks, which you have sent tinder Lieutenant
Griffiths.
1 You are aware, I believe, of the state of Perinda and its
neighbourhood. That place and the Nizam's frontier, as far
as Aurungabad, was under the government of Nizam Newaz
Jung, a sirdar who was, I believe, discovered to have had im-
proper communications with Holkar. He is in confinement at
Hyderabad. His brother has been deprived of his charge at
Aurungabad, and orders have been given to deprive his officers
of the fort of Perinda, which they have still held out against
the Nizam's troops.
' There was a report in this camp some days ago that Nizam
Newaz Jung's killadar of Perinda had attacked the convoy
under Major Dallas, coming from the Kalachabootra Ghaut.
I knew that this report could not be well founded, as Major
Dallas could not have reached Perinda at the time he was sup-
posed to have been attacked. But as it was possible that a
design might have been formed to intercept this important
convoy ; and, at all events, as this design was a subject of con-
versation in the country, I thought it as well to send Bistnapah
Pundit with his cavalry to join Major Dallas, which would
secure him against any insult.
' Bistnapah Pundit arrived at Perinda some days ago, and
found the new killadar in the pettah, and the old killadar in
the fort ; and, as usual, a negotiation on foot for the deli-
very of the fort to the former, in obedience to the Nizam's
orders. He sent on a party of horse from thence, to gain intel-
ligence of Major Dallas's detachment, but they were stopped
before they had gone far, by a body of troops, in a place
called Bursee, and four of them were taken prisoners. This is
a place which lies to the eastward of Perinda, but belongs to
the Peshwah; and was taken possession of by Baba Phurkia,
when he went on his embassy from Holkar to the Nizam, and
his troops have remained there ever since.
' The killadar of Bursee has since released the four men, the
moment, as he says, he found they belonged to me. I have
desired Bistnapah Pundit to go on till he joins Major Dallas ;
and I have sent by him a letter, which has been addressed
to Lieut. Griffiths, in which orders are given to that officer
to strike off from the road on which Major Dallas will have
marched, as soon as possible after he shall have reached Cul-
238 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
burga, to proceed from thence to Nuldroog, and from Nul-
droog to Tankie to the eastward of Toljapoor, thence to Sir-
poor on the Mangeyra river, and then to Kurdlah, at which
place he shall find further orders from me.
' By this route he will avoid the frontier, which, you will
observe, is on both sides in a state of confusion. Lieutenant
Griffiths's party shall also be reinforced ; but as I do not yet
know that I may not have more occasion for Bistnapah
Pundit's cavalry than for any of the other troops, I doubt
whether I shall be able to send them.
' Any other convoys that come had better take the Beeja-
poor road. We have a tappall upon it, and shall always know
from the runners of any collection of troops upon that road ;
and by this time the forage has every where improved.
' The state of the frontiers of our allies is rather curious.
The garrisons on the Nizam's frontier are in the hands of a
traitor, who will not deliver them up. The Peshwah's frontier
has been seized by a rebel; and although that country has
been given in jaghire to Suddasheo Munkaiseer, the Dewan
and prime minister, he has neither troops nor money to take
possession of them.
' You will have seen, from Colonel Collins's dispatch of the
18th, that the language in Scindiah's camp is most pacific.
My letter to Scindiah, of which I sent you a translation, will
have arrived on that day, and he must consider it as the
answer he expects from the Governor General. One to a
similar purport has been written to the Rajah of Berar.
6 The ackbars mention the probability of a meeting between
Holkar and Scindiah; but from the last hircarrah accounts
that I have had, it does not appear that Holkar had repassed
the Taptee.
' I omitted to mention in my letter to the Adjutant General,
upon the subject of the duel between Captain and Cap-
tain , that I had put the latter in arrest.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
•' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
( MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 23rd July, 1803.
'I have received your letter of the 21st, in which you
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 239
enclose one from Appah Saheb. This last contains nothing
excepting an assertion that he bad not moved from Colridze
with any intention to go to the southward, but with a vie\v
to procuring better forage. He promises fidelity to the Pesh-
wah, but complains of the state of his health, and does not say
that he will join.
4 It is obvious that this chief is looking forward to the result
of the expected contests ; and nothing will induce him or any
one of those not at present in camp to come forward, till they
see which party is likely to prevail. It will therefore be use-
less to offer to him money, or additional jaghires or honors.
If I was sure that General Stuart's army would be applicable
to the Marhatta service, I would request you to desire the
Peshwah to send an order to Appah Saheb to move him
forward ; I would then make offers to him, and threaten him
with the attack of Meritch, if he did not obey the Peshwah's
orders. But as General Stuart is now crossing the Toom-
buddra, to send the order would only have the effect of
creating an enemy in that quarter, in which one would be most
inconvenient, and at a point in which we are likely to be least
guarded. Upon the whole, therefore, all I can hope for the
present is, to keep Appah Saheb in a state of neutrality to be
turned hereafter into active hostility, either towards us or to-
wards the enemy, according as there may be appearance of
success on our side or on that of the enemy, in the commence-
ment of the expected contest. I believe I may say the same
also of every Marhatta sirdar, excepting possibly those now in
the camp. These two we must keep, and I shall go into a con-
sideration of Appah Dessaye's affairs, in an interview which I
am to have with that chief to-morrow. I expect your answer
soon respecting the three lacs for Goklah.
' The frontiers of the Peshwah and the Nizam are in a ter-
rible state. Nizam Nawaz Jung's killadar is still in Perinda,
and Baba Phukia's troops hold the Peshwah's districts border-
ing on the Nizam's, which I believe have been given in jaghire
to Suddasheo Munkaiseer. I shall be obliged to you if you
will let me know what are the forts and countries belonging to
the Peshwah, which have been seized by Holkar and his
adherents ; specifying where they are situated, to what chief
they belonged, and to what chief the Peshwah wishes that they
should be delivered hereafter.
240 ADVANCE TO AIIMEDNUGGUR. 180.3.
' I have heard nothing yet of Major Dallas, but I have
Bistnapah looking out for him.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 241h July, 1803.
6 Appah Dessaye paid me a visit this morning, and entered
much in detail into the situation of his affairs. He represented
that he had not been able to obtain possession of any one of
the places which had been made over to him by the Peshwah
in jaghire ; and that when his amildars had gone to the vil-
lages with the Peshwah's sunnuds, they had been ill treated,
their troops attacked, and his Highnesses sunnuds torn. He
said that as the Peshwah's ministers had refused to consent to
incur the expense of paying a proportion of the troops which
had marched with me to Poonah, he had been obliged to dis-
charge and pay the arrears of all above the number of 1000,
for which he obtained grants of serinjaumy lands ; and that
in order to pay those arrears he had disposed of all the valu-
able property in his possession ; that, under these circum-
stances, he had no means of paying his troops. He said
that he had represented to the Peshwah's ministers the
probability that he should not be able to obtain possession of
the districts for which he had sunnuds ; and that, at all events,
if he should obtain possession of them, the lands would be in
an uncultivated state, the villages deserted, and that he should
derive no benefit from them for some time ; and he requested
that he might receive 25,000 rupees per mensem to pay his
troops, until he should derive some benefit from his jaghires.
They had consented to this proposal, but hitherto they had
paid him nothing.
' I request you to ascertain from the Peshwah's ministers
whether they did give Appah Dessaye to understand that he
should receive 25,000 rupees per mensem, till he should be in
the receipt of the revenues expected from his jaghires. If
they did, I beg you to urge them to pay him the money ; at
#11 events, whether they did or did not consent to this arrange-
1803. ADVANCK TO AHM KDNUGGUR. 241
ttient, it is very obvious that ibis body of the Peshwah's troops
has no fund from which it can draw its subsistence ; and I
request you to urge the Peshwah's ministers to allot one which
shall be available.
* If the Peshwah's ministers should avow that they had
encouraged Appah Dessaye to expect that they would provide
funds for the subsistence of his troops, till he should receive
the benefits to be expected from his jaghires ; or if, in conse-
quence of the representation which I now send you, they
should consent to provide funds for the payment of Appah
Dessaye' s troops, I will endeavor to assist that chief, and trust
to future arrangements with the Peshwah, for repayment of
the sums which I may advance him. I beg you to represent
these matters to the Peshwah's ministers, and to take every
opportunity to urge them to provide means for the payment of
his Higimess's troops.
' In the course of the conference which I had with him this
morning, Appah Dessaye produced an order which he had
received from Suddasheo Munkaiseer to proceed, in concert
with Bappojee Goneish Goklah, to attack the troops of Amrut
Rao, and dislodge them from some stations which they had
occupied between Poonah and Nassuck ; and to go as far eyen
as the latter place, to give assistance to the troops stationed
there. I beg you to remind the Peshwah's ministers that his
Highness is bound by his treaty with the British Government
to produce an army of 16,000 men, to act with the British
troops ; instead of which number only 3000 men have been
sent, and no provision has been made for the payment even of
that number. You will be so kind as to represent to them
that when a large body of the enemy's troops are assembled
upon the frontier, when the Rajah of Berar has in a public
manner asserted his hereditary claim to his Highnesses musnud,
it appears to be prudent not to fritter away the small force
which his Highness has produced. That as long as those
armies are assembled upon the frontier, his Highness may
depend upon it that his government will not settle ; his orders
and sunnuds will not be attended to ; and his enemies will re-
main in possession of the lands which they have seized ; that no
partial operation against Amrut Rao, or any other chief, even
if it should be successful, can be attended by the benefits
which must result from removing to a distance from the
VOL. III. R
242 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
frontier the hostile armies which have assembled in the neigh-
bourhood. But that this expedition against Amrut Rao's
troops cannot be successful, as, in fact, there are twice the
number of them that there are of the Peshwah's ; that the
only chance of success against the hostile armies which have
joined upon the frontier, is, that our troops should be united,
and that they should have no other object excepting to attack
the enemy in their front ; that many rivers will divide these
detachments under Goklah and Appah Dessaye from the
British troops ; and that their co-operation with the latter will
become impracticable ; and that, upon the whole, I have taken
upon me to prevent Appah Dessaye from going upon this
expedition.
* It appears by a letter from Bappojee Goneish Goklah,
that he has marched upon the expedition against Amrut Rao ;
although in a letter, which he wrote to me, he said that he
removed to a distance from my camp only for the sake of
forage.
' I propose, however, to endeavor to stop that chief like-
wise, of which I beg you to apprize the Peshwah's ministers.
1 JJelieve me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close.' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Bon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
f MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 24th July, 1803.
' I have had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the
22nd. I had already written to request that you would take
the rice collected at Aurungabad and Puttun for my use.
The quantity at the two places will, I should imagine, amount
to above 1000 loads. I have besides written to the officer at
Toka, to send back to you the 500 loads of rice which you
sent there for me.
* You can have no difficulty in getting the rice out of
Aurungabad ; and I recommend that you should send either
the bullocks of your departments, or those belonging to the
brinjarries, to bring that at Moongy Puttun.
' If you should send those belonging to the brinjarries, it will
be necessary that you should either make an arrangement with
them for the hire ; or that you should sell them the rice at the
price at which they would get grain in the country, and after-
ADVANCE TO ATIMEDNUGGUR. 243
wards take it from them as wanted, at the camp price. Do in
this as you may think proper : at all events the rice is at your
service.
6 I told you before thnt General Stuart sent me only 2000
loads of rice, but he sent 5000 bullocks ; 2000 loads more
are following. Major Kirkpatrick also writes word that 2000
loads will leave Hyderabad for Aurungabad at the end of the
month: this also will be applicable to the consumption of
your detachment. But you must make your own arrange-
ments for moving it forward to your camp from Aurungabad.
' Before all this can be consumed, your brinjarries will have
611ed again. Care must be taken to watch them closely, and
to make them fill as fast as they shall empty their bags.
' Believe me, &c.
* Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEV.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
« SIR, ' Camp, 24th July, 1803.
' I have this morning received your letter of the 21st and
22nd. I return your paper containing the deposition of the
soldiers against the foreigners, supposed to have enticed away
the three men of the 84th who are missing; and although
they may not be the persons who took those three meri away,
it is very clear that their occupation is to entice the British
soldiers to desert. I request, therefore, that upon the receipt
of this letter, you will punish these men publicly in the bazaar
and lines of the detachment under your command : you
afterwards keep them in confinement till an opportunity will
offers, when you will send them to Bombay, in charge of a,
guard, and report to the Governor that they are sent as de-
serters from the Portuguese service and from the ships. You
will also request that they may be sent to Goa. If you should
be able to catch the third man, let him be treated in the same
manner; and if any European or half caste man should here-
after appear in your lines, let him also be taken up and sent
down to Bombay.
' Be so kind as to give to each of the soldiers employed in
taking those men five pagodas.
« Let me know the day on which Captain Douglas takes
charge of the bullocks, in order that the accounts here may be
made out in his name from that day.
R 2
244 ADVANCE TO AI1MEDNUGGUR. 1803.
4 It is very necessary that you should keep the depot of
Poonah full ; and I am clearly of opinion, that it is better to
send coolies down to Panwell for rice, than to purchase in the
bazaar at Poonah more than your former consumption, ac-
cording to my former direction, as soon as the quantity in the
depot shall not amount to more than 4000 bullock bags. If,
therefore, Captain Young cannot procure coolies or bullocks
to keep the depot full, you ought to hire as many people as
you can with convenience for that purpose. However, I ac-
knowledge that I have not much fear that the depot will fail.
If the war should be carried on in such a manner, as that the
communication between Poonah and Panwell shall be cut off
(which, by the by, is not very probable, for at least two
months, unless the killadar of Loghur should enter into
it), the communication between me and Poonah will likewise
be interrupted. It follows, then, that I shall not be able to
draw any thing from Poonah, the dep6t at which place will
be applicable solely to your detachment, and I believe that it
will last them for many months. However, it may as well be
kept full.
' I think also that you ought to get up some gunpowder,
some 6 and 12 pounder shot, 4| and 5J- inch shells, fuzes, &c.,
for the 12 pounders and howitzers. Your stock in these
articles is much more likely to be consumed than your pro-
visions.
' The Mysore brinjarry will be at Poonah about the end of
the month.
e I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Murray? ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
'SiR, ' Camp, 25th July, 1803.
' I have the honor to enclose the copy of a dispatch which I
wrote yesterday to the Governor General, with copies of its
enclosures.
< I have received no answer from Colonel Collins to my letter
of the 18th. He had sent my letter of the 14th to Dowlut
Rao Scindiah, but I have not heard that he had received an
answer. Hircarrahs report that Holkar had refused to join,
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 245
even after Kundee Rao Holkar had been delivered over to him,
unless he also, got possession of the Holkar territories.
* I have as yet heard nothing of Major Dallas.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart." « ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
• MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 25th July, 1803.
' The Peshwah's vakeel called upon me yesterday, and de-
sired that I would write to one of the Nizam's amildars to
pay choute to Bulwunt Rao Nagonath for a particular village,
which he named, in this neighbourhood. I am very anxious
to oblige'Bulwunt Rao Nagonath, and shall certainly write to
the amildar, if it should be proper ; but I wish first to know
whether the choute claimed is disputable by the Nizam's go-
vernment ; and whether it comes under the head of those dis-
puted claims which are referred to the arbitration of the British
government by the treaty of Bassein. If it does, Bulwunt
Rao Nagonath must see that I cannot write to the amildar to
satisfy the claim, without taking upon me to decide a disputed
question, before I shall have heard both parties. I shall be
obliged to you if you will mention to him this subject.
( Appah Dessaye also has some claims of choute among his
serinjaumy grants. But I have written to Colonel Stevenson
to desire that he will speak to Rajah Sookroodoor about them,
who will certainly object to paying them, if they can be dis-
puted. If they cannot be disputed, Colonel Stevenson will
make him pay them .
* I send you with this a letter to Lord Clive. It contains
the copy of a dispatch which I wrote yesterday to the Gover-
nor General, of which I request you to send a copy to Mr.
Duncan.
1 Goklah has escaped from me to the distance of twenty
eight coss ; but I have ordered him back again.
6 Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Governor General.
1 MY LORD, ' Camp, 29th July, 1903.
1 The letters which I send you this day will show you how
246 ADVANCE TO AUMEDNUGGUR. 18U3.
matters stand in Scindiah's camp. I think it very probable
that that Chief and the Rajah of Berar will retire immediately
after Colonel Collins shall have received my letter of this day,
if they should have been suffered to remain in their positions
so long. However, we may yet be disappointed; but if we
should succeed in driving them off without striking a blow, I
shall think we have accomplished a great object, and we shall
have gained it by our steady perseverance in our plan of action
originally laid down.
* By letters which I have received from General Stuart, I
observe that he is much annoyed by the arrival of the French
at their settlements on the eastern coast ; and the late dis-
graceful issue of the folly in Ceylon has increased his difficul-
ties and his alarms. The arrival of the Royal Artillery at
Trincomalee has been a fortunate event, and has, in some de-
gree, made up for the loss sustained in the ill-fated expedition
to Kandi : but still there is a great deficiency of the number of
troops necessary for the defence of the island of Ceylon, par-
ticularly of Colombo and Pointe de Galle, in case there should
be a French war ; and this deficiency can be made up only
from the establishment of Fort St. George.
6 The corps lately ordered to be raised at Fort St. George,
will not be fit for service for a great length of time : and even
if we should have peace in this quarter, the necessity of pro-
viding for the security of Goa, of taking possession of the dis-
tricts ceded by the Peshwah, of having some force in the
Carnatic to guard against the French designs (particularly if
there should be a war), and of checking the rebellion in
Malabar, create demands for troops which will render it quite
impossible to supply the deficiency in the island of Ceylon.
' Under these circumstances, it has occurred to me that it
would be advisable to collect six battalions of Bengal sepoys
at Midnapore, as soon as the season will permit ; to march them
at the earliest possible period towards Hyderabad, to be sta-
tioned there; and then, as soon as they shall approach the
Nizam's eastern frontier, either the corps allotted for Hyder-
abad, or that for Poonah, might fall back upon Mysore or the
Ceded districts, to be at the disposal of the government of Fort
St. George.
' This measure would give strength in the Deccan in the
month of November, when it might be wanted ; besides that,
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 247
it would place, in the month of January, six good battalions at
the disposal of the government of Fort St. George. It would
also be attended by other advantages referable to the Bengal
establishment.
* The only question is, whether the troops can be spared
from Bengal, of which I can be no judge : but I suggest the
measure as a preventive of serious inconveniences for want of
troops likely to be felt at Fort St. George, in case it should
not be inconvenient in Bengal.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
« The Governor General: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
< MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 29th July, 1803.
' I have received your letters of the 26th. The expression
inadvertently used in your letter to Gopal Bhow was unfor-
tunate, to a chief of his rank, particularly at this moment. By
a letter from Colonel Collins, of the 25th, I observe that there
was then the fairest prospect of peace ; and it would be very
unfortunate if this prospect were to be overturned by a mis-
take of this kind. Gopal Bhow appears sore about the
expression, and it is probable he will complain to his sircar of
it, and it may become a question of difficulty.
' I wish, therefore, that yoii would take an opportunity of
explaining it ; you might tell him that you had come un-
attended by the moonshee who usually writes your letters, and
had made use of one whom you found in the village of Roora,
who inserted in the letter an expression which you did not
intend to use to a sirdar of his rank, in the service of a chief
at peace with the British government. That you had heard
that, notwithstanding the existence of the peace, he had entered
the Nizam's territories with his troops, and that you had ad-
vanced to defend them ; and that if fortunately he had not
retired from them, your duty would have obliged you to adopt
measures very disagreeable to you. But that you intended to
explain that intention to him, and by no means to use an ex-
presion which could be offensive to, or hurt the feelings of,
any individual.
* I am happy to observe that your prospects in supplies
are so much better than they were. Remember, however, that
you cannot have too much, and I beg you to send out your
248 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
brinjarries, &c., to get fresh loads as fast as you shall con-
sume those they now have. I do not know how you have
arranged your brinjarries : if you allow them to sell rice in the
bazaar, the best thing you can do is to buy rice there for your
grain department, and issue it at half a seer per diem gratis to
the troops, and buy the grain from the brinjarries. I recom-
mend, at all events, that you should not issue more, at any
time, than half a seer to the troops ; and, unless you should be
hard pressed for rice, it is better always to issue that quantity.
1 I do not know how you manage to give money in lieu of
rice to the sepoys ; for you know that they have already a
fanam batta in lieu of rice. I therefore recommend, that
when you find it necessary to stop the issue of rice, you should
issue a sufficient quantity of some other grain, gratis, which
you can buy in the bazaar, rather than give the money.
' You must take care to keep the company at Toka fed.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
« SIR, ' Camp, 30th July, 1803.
' I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the
16th, 18th, and 20th.
' The tragical result of the military operations in Ceylon has
added considerably to the difficulties of the present moment,
for want of troops. There is no doubt but that Mr. North
will require reinforcements from the Government of Fort St.
George, but 1 cannot imagine from what quarter they are to
be sent.
' I have certainly recovered much in point of means of
moving ; and I have not received any very great injury from
the late rains. When the cattle which you have sent shall
reach me, I shall be well supplied. I have besides some hopes,
founded, however, upon promises, that I shall be able to bring
forward the services of a large number of the Poonah brin-
jarries.
1 I have written to the Rajah of Kola poor, and have spoken
very seriously to his vakeel in this camp, respecting the con-
duct of Succaram Ghautky ; and I think that the Rajah will
be tranquil, and will not impede our communication. My
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 249
letter to you upon the subject of the communication through
the Nizam's country will have shown you that it is not much
more secure than that which goes by Meritch. Indeed,
as I know the Rajah of Kolapoor, and he knows us, I believe
that we have a better hold upon him than we have upon
the petty chiefs in the Nizam's territories. However, I shall
alter the line of communication, if I should find it liable to be
materially interrupted.
' The departure of the French fleet is a sign either that war
was declared, when the corvette which arrived at Pondicherry
left France, or that the declaration of war was expected im-
mediately. The French Admiral may be expected to return
to India, as soon as he may be joined by his reinforcements. I
hope that Admiral Rainier will also receive reinforcements.
' I am infinitely obliged to you for the further reinforce-
ment and supply, which you state in your letter of the 20th
that you intended to send to me. This makes me quite easy
respecting the enemy in our front ; and the position of General
Campbell's division secures my communication with, and the
tranquillity of the countries in my rear.
' You will have observed, by my letter of the 7th, that I
had thoughts of the measure you have suggested ; but I per-
severed in the original plan, because, in fact, in the event of
war, it is the best and most secure, and places all our further
operations beyond a risk. I learned from Colonel Collins's
correspondence, that my position caused the greatest uneasiness
in Scindiah's camp ; and, therefore, it was more likely to in-
fluence the result of the negotiation than any that I could take
up beyond the Godavery : and besides these two reasons for
still maintaining it, it was necessary that 1 should look out for
the important convoy expected under Major Dallas, of the
march of which I received intelligence at the ver}' time that I
had it in contemplation to move across the Godavery.
* All these reasons still operate for adhering to the original
plan ; and I have besides to observe, that as Scindiah has de-
tached a part of his army to Hindustan, and as we now know,
from his own ministers, that he has not yet arranged his peace
with Holkar, there does not appear to be any chance of his
being joined by the forces of that Chief, and by this junction
becoming superior to Colonel Stevenson. The Colonel has
actually in his camp 23,000 men, all of which are better troops
250 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
than those of the enemy, and nearly 8000 of which are pro-
bably the best troops in the Company's army.
' Upon the whole, therefore, I think it best to adhere to the
original plan.
' I shall attend particularly to your orders respecting any
requisitions I may have to make upon General Campbell's
corps. Indeed, my former letters, as well as this, will show
you, that I think a corps posted in the Dooab is of greater
importance than an increase to our forces in this quarter.
' I have again to return you my thanks for your great kind-
ness and attention to me in the arrangement which you propose
to make, in case I should find it necessary to make a requisition
upon General Campbell : but, at all events, I am convinced
that the General and I shall carry on the service together with
the harmony which you would wish ; and I shall certainly pay
him every attention in my power. I conclude, however, that
you intend that I should continue to keep you regularly in-
formed of every thing that occurs here, although you have
moved into the Carnatic.
' I have received a letter from Colonel Montresor, from
which I observe, that the detachment intended for the security
of Goa is marching through Canara, and is to move up one of
the ghauts into Soonda, and march through that province to
the Tenim Ghaut. You are already apprized of my opinion,
that they ought not to be posted on the Tenim Ghaut till the
month of October; because the rains are more violent there than
in the lower country, and will not cease till that period. But,
at all events, I doubt whether it is practicable to move guns up
any of the northern ghauts from Canara, excepting the Tenim
Ghaut ; and I am convinced that if they can be moved by any
of those roads, the troops will suffer much from bad weather
and fatigue, as well as from want of supplies. It is therefore
my opinion, that the best mode of bringing the troops into the
upper country, is either by the Soobranarry or by the Kindi-
ghul Ghauts, from Mangalore into Mysore, and thence through
the Savanore and Darwar countries to Hullihall in Soonda. If
they should have passed Mangalore, they might come up the
Hyderghur or Bilghy Ghauts into the Nuggur country. If
they come by the former they move by Shakarpoor and Massoor,
through the Dooab of the Werdali and Toombuddra to Deo-
gerry ; if they come by the latter, they move by Chandergooty
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 251
and Banawassy, north of the Werdah, to Hongul, near Banca-
poor, and thence through the Savanore and Darwar countries to
Hullihall. I do not send any orders on this subject to Colonel
Spry, who commands these troops, because I do not know
what orders you may have given him ; but I beg leave to re-
commend that they should be ordered to march by one of the
roads I have above mentioned. The Bilghy Ghaut is better
than the Hyderghur.
4 I enclose the copy of a letter I received this day from
Colonel Collins. The Colonel has not done exactly as I de-
sired him, but I think we shall yet have peace.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
• Lieut. General Stuart.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Murray.
< SIR, ' Camp, 30th July, 1803.
' Upon the whole I think that it will be as well to send
down coolies from Poonah, and bring up a supply of rice from
Panwell, if Captain Young has it not in his power to send
you one.
' The Mysore brinjarries will, I dare say, take 1200 bullock
bags ; and 600, lately ordered to camp, will reduce your stock
very much.
' I have no fear of any of the forts between Poonah and
Panwell; and Angria will, I think, be as quiet as the others,
if we are tolerably successful at first : much depends upon the
first blow.
' I have no intention to keep the howitzers or the 12
pounders. General Campbell has taken up a position with a
corps, in the Dooab of the Kistna and Toombuddra, which
relieves me from all anxiety respecting my rear and your
position at Poonah. I should now wish, therefore, to secure
the boats upon the Godavery rather better than they are
secured at present, by sending forward a battalion to that river.
But I cannot venture to do that till I am joined by a battalion
from Poonah. I wish therefore that you would order forward
the 2nd battalion of the 3rd. They shall return to you with
the ordnance and artillery as soon as the siege of Ahmed-
nuggur is concluded. Captain Campbell shall return after
to-morrow's march, with the Bombay company.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
• Colonel Murray: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
ADVANCE TO AI1MEDN LGGUR. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Welletsley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 1st August, 1803.
' I have approached towards Ahmednuggur in order to urge
forward the negotiation in Scindiah's camp; and I learn that
some of the troops have been sent out from that place. I
suspect that they may have been sent with a view to annoy the
company that has charge of my boats on the river ; and there-
fore I shall send there three more companies to-morrow morning.
I wish, however, that they had a gun, and shall be much obliged
to you if you will send them one, as, considering the operation
that I have in view, I have none to spare. I also hope that
you will send them 100 bags of rice.
< I wish that you would open a communication by means
of cossids, with the officer commanding a detachment of British
troops in the fort of Songhur. This fort is in a ghaut which
leads down to Surat, and is on this side of the Taptee. It is
beyond Chandore. Take into pay two or three pair of
hircarrahs that well know the road, and have them in readi-
ness to start when I shall send you letters. Send a few loads
of musket ammunition to the detachment at Toka, as well as
rice.
* Believe me, &c.
• Colonel Stevenson: e ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 1st August, 1803.
• I enclose a paper which I received yesterday from Colonel
Stevenson. It is the copy of a letter written to Salabut Khan
by an agent of his in the Bhoonslah's camp. Some days ago,
Salabut Khan asked whether there was any objection to his
writing to, and receiving letters from, Ragojee Bhoonslah ; to
which question I answered that I had none, as it was very
clear that even if I should object to this correspondence, I
could not prevent it, if the parties should choose to carry it
on. Salabut Khan said that he thought that Ragojee wished
to commence a correspondence with him, in order to try if he
could preserve peace ; and I desired Colonel Stevenson to tell
Salabut Khan that if Ragojee Bhoonslah wished for peace,
there was one mode, and but one mode, of insuring it, and
that was for him to return with his troops to Nagpoor ; and
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMKDNUGGUR. 253
that if he did not return to that place he would certainly be
attacked.
' The enclosed paper is probably an answer to that letter,
written by Salabut Khan, and what I have above stated will
account for part of its contents. But that is not the most
material part ; for it likewise contains intelligence that the
Peshwah is treating with the enemy. I should pass unnoticed
this intelligence, if I had not observed that Salabut Khan's
correspondent in Ragojee Bhoonslah's camp is far more intel-
ligent than the general run of these news writers ; and I know
that he writes accounts of almost every thing that passes in
the durbar of that Chief.
6 But whether the intelligence is true or false, it is very cer-
tain that we have not the smallest knowledge of the nature, or
the objects of the communications between the Peshwah and
Scindiah, or the Rajah of Berar ; notwithstanding the obvious
necessity that we should have that knowledge, as well as the
stipulations of the treaty which provide for it. Indeed, the
Peshwah's ministers in Scindiah's durbar, instead of acting in
co-operation or communication with the British Resident, have
recommended to Colonel Collins a line of conduct which, in
the opinion of all the persons employed by the British Govern-
ment, must lead to a war, to be carried on under very disad-
vantageous circumstances.
1 I most earnestly request you to adopt all means in your
power to find out what passes in the Peshwah's durbar ; and
particularly the nature and objects of his communications with
Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar. If representations founded
on the treaty will not produce the effect of disclosing what
we must know, let other means be adopted ; let expense be
incurred to gain the necessary intelligence ; and if you should
find that Ragonaut Rao will not disclose to you all that he
knows, it is my opinion that you ought to hold no further
communication with him, as it is very obvious that he has no
influence over his employer. If he does not disclose all, he is
not honest to the British cause ; and his communications have
uniformly been found to be false.
* I am aware that although you may make a friend of
Ragonaut Rao, and even of Suddasheo Munkaiseer, you will
not be able to guide the Peshwah's councils ; because in fact he
is guided by nothing, excepting his own caprice and resent-
254 ADVANCE TO A HMEDNUGGUU. 1803.
ment. But you will have intelligence of what is passing in the
durbar, upon which we can rely, instead of groping our way in
the dark as we do at present. If the Peshwah should be
really carrying on a correspondence with Scindiah, in breach
of the treaty, we may in this manner have it in our power to
lay hold of it, and thus have a ground for making a solid
arrangement of the Poonah government.
' Goklah has approached me ; but a carkoon, whom he sent o
me this morning, says that Suddasheo Munkaiseer reproaches
him, in a letter written four days ago, for not advancing ; and
says that he has had two months' pay, and now wants a third,
for which he has done nothing. Goklah, however, says that he
will not move unless I shall desire it ; and I have taken the
most effectual steps to prevent his moving, as I have told him
that if he does march upon Sungumnair, Amrut Rao, who is
stronger than him, will beat him back.
' The object of the expedition against Amrut Rao is not to
prevent the plunder of the Peshwah's countries by that chief,
but to seize Sungumnair.
' A letter came in from Amrut Rao's camp this morning,
,(the vakeel writes it,) and says that his master is under some
apprehension in consequence of the approach of Gopal Bhow
towards Nassuck. This chief, however, has probably gone that
.way only to avoid Colonel Stevenson. If he is gone to attack
Amrut Rao, there is strong ground to suspect the Peshwah of
Communicating with Scindiah on subjects of which we are not
aware.
' I intend to write to Amrut Rao to desire him to come to
iny camp if he should have reason to fear Gopal Bhow.
* Believe me, &c.
-' Lieut. Colonel Close: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Welles ley to Colonel Murray.
.< SIR, ' Camp at Walkee, 2nd August, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 31st.
' The rice is not yet come in, but if we should find it da-
maged, we must call for an additional quantity. In the mean
time, however, I requested you in my letter of the 24th of July,
to take measures to keep the depot at Poonah full.
' You will receive by this day's post orders to carry into
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 255
execution the sentence of the General Court Martial on the
two sepoys.
' Lieutenant Burnes' letter is a curious production ; and I
beg that you will do me the favor to inform him that, for
reasons which I thought valid, but which I do not think it
necessary to communicate to him, I thought it proper to bring
the prisoners, Hurr Sing and Hurry Rao, to trial for the
crime of desertion only ; and that, in future, I beg that he will
do me the favor to confine his attention to his own business,
and leave my duty to be done by myself and the officers ap-
pointed to assist me.
' I omitted to inform you that I had written to Mr. Duncan,
to request that the dollars which he has, of the value of nearly
twenty lacs of rupees, might be sent to Poonah, in order to be
coined into rupees for your use.
' I have the honor to be, &c.,
• Colonel Murray. ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' P.S. Let your communication with Lieut. Burnes be
verbal, as I wish to avoid all future correspondence upon thi$
subject. Indeed, that mode of communication is to be pre-
ferred on all occasions.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Ramchunder Pursheram.
'3rd August, 1803,
' I am concerned to find that, notwithstanding you were
satisfied on all the points which you referred to me at different
times, in your march in company with the troops under my
command, from the river Kistna to Poonah ; and your re-
peated promises to Major Malcolm, conveyed to me from time
to time, stating that you would march from Poonah to join
me, you have hitherto remained behind : and at last you have
moved to the southward to a greater distance from the city ;
and in disobedience of the orders of his Highness the Pesh-
wah, in breach of your promises to me, and in opposition to
the remonstrances of Lieut. Colonel Close, you intend tq
return to your residence in the neighbourhood of the river
Kistna. You know well that there is no occasion for your,
presence in that quarter ; because since I have interfered be-
tween you and the Rajah of Kolapoor, all matters there have
been in a state of greater tranquillity than has been known for
ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
years ; your presence in that quarter, therefore, may be more
hurtful than beneficial to your own interests.
' But that consideration is trifling in comparison with the
evils which your interests must sustain from a breach of the
solemn promises you have made to me. A performance of
these would insure to you, at all times, the powerful protec-
tion of the Company's government : your interests would
always be considered as their own, and as your friend in this
state, you must have risen to the honors which your ancestors
enjoyed. But the crooked policy which you appear disposed
to adopt must preclude all hope of those advantages ; and on
the other hand, you are much mistaken if you suppose that it
can lead to your advantage, under any contingency.
' Therefore, for your own sake, I most anxiously entreat
you to review your situation ; to consider well your own in-
terests and future prospects ; and adopt at once a decided
line of conduct and join this army.
c I write to you as a friend who knows your interests well,
and also has an anxious desire to see your affairs prosper.
' Ramchunder Pursheram." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEV.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close,
Resident at Poonah.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, * Camp, 3rd August, 1803.
' I enclose a packet for Mr. Duncan, which I request you to
peruse and forward ; likewise one containing a dispatch from
Colonel Collins of the 30th ; from the perusal of which, there
appears a probability that the Colonel quitted the camp on the
31st. Have a copy taken of that dispatch, and send it to
Mr. Duncan.
* We must take a convenient opportunity of bringing Appah
Saheb to his senses : in the mean time, if the Peshwah admits
his objection to be valid, he ought to take some other mode
of producing his sixteen thousand men according to the treaty.
The question about Bulwunt Rao Nagonath's claim of choute
is still in obscurity. Is it a claim which has always been
admitted, or one which is disputed, and liable to arbitration ?
' In respect to the choute paid to Amrut Rao during his
usurpation, the Peshwah must stand to the loss of that revenue,
as well as to that of every other seized by force in the same
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 257
manner. He cannot have a right to two choutes, any more
than two revenues from any village in the same year; and
as choute is a claim which, above all others, depends upon the
sword, I do not think that it would be reasonable to demand
a second payment of it, in favor of a man who appears inca-
pable of using one.
* You will observe by my letter to Mr. Duncan, that I
propose to take Colonel Murray away from Poonah : Colonel
Coleman will command there for the present, and I think that
he will conduct the business well. However, I shall keep up
a constant correspondence with him, and will keep him right.
6 Believe me, &c,
' Lieut. Col. Close." f ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Close, \
Resident at Poonah.
£ MY DEAR COLONEL, * Camp, 5th August, 1803.
4 I have received your letter of the 3rd. It is very desirable
that we should have the Governor General's opinion on the
proposition which I made to you ; but time must elapse before
we can receive it, and the critical moment will pass by, in
which we should derive all the benefits that I expect from the
adoption of the measure. You have stated two objections to
it: one that Ragonaut Rao has never made any advances,
since you informed him that the British Government would
reward his services ; the other, that the ministers at the
Nizam's durbar were pensioned, with the knowledge of his
Highness, from which I conclude that you are of opinion that
the same course ought to be adopted in respect to the rewards
to be given to those of the Peshwah.
c In respect to the first objection, I have to observe that
Ragonaut Rao has lately urged a request that he might be
considered by the British Government, in case his enemies
should prevail, and should drive him from the situation which
he at present fills; but supposing that he had not urged this
request, it is not possible that a better opportunity should
offer of bringing this subject forward, than that which sug-
gested it to me some days ago.
* You might, in my opinion, communicate to Ragonaut
Rao the ackbar from Scindiah's camp, which states that the
VOL. III. b
258 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
Peshwah had written a letter to that Chief, and that which I
sent to you, which states that he was dissatisfied with his alliance
with the British Government ; the uneasiness which I and
every person concerned on the part of the British Govern-
ment felt upon this subject; particularly as we all observe that
there was a constant, nay, a daily intercourse between the
Peshwah and the northern chiefs ; and that notwithstanding
the stipulations of the treaty of Bassein, not only we were
unacquainted with the nature and objects of these communi-
cations, but we could get no account whatever of them from
the Peshwah or his ministers. On these grounds, in my opi-
nion, you might urge Ragonaut Rao to a disclosure of the
objects of this correspondence ; and might tell him that you
should reward him if you found that he was so far a friend to
the alliance, as to make you acquainted with all that passed
at the Peshwah' s durbar, of which you ought to have a
knowledge.
< It will not be objected to this measure, that a Marhatta, bred
at Madras, particularly after he has solicited the rewards of the
British Government, will be hurt or offended at this proposi-
tion : but you may be of opinion, that as he knows that you
have promised him a reward, and that he must be equally
satisfied with that engagement as he would be with the pos-
session of the reward, to give it is attended with risk, and
may produce no benefit.
« In answer, I have to observe that no native ever trusts to
a promise; and as the bribery of the ministers of a native
durbar is so very common, that it is astonishing that you
should have been able to transact any business at the Pesh-
wah's durbar to this moment, without having had recourse
to it.
* In respect to the example of the Nizam's durbar, it is my
opinion, thai in the whole of the transactions at Poonah, we
have adhered too closely to what has been done at Hyderabad.
* The constitution and customs of two governments cannot
be more different than those of Poonah and Hyderabad are ;
and they differ materially in the circumstances which ought to
guide our decision upon this question.
' In the Nizam's durbar, the minister has all the power; and
it must be a matter of indifference to us what passes in the
interior, provided the result of the exercise of that power is
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 259
favorable to our views. The minister is pensioned to produce
that result ; and the Nizam has been told that that pension is
the sum which the minister would have received from the
southern districts, if they had not been ceded to the Company.
' The Nizam also, it is to be supposed, is so well satisfied
with the administration of the government by his minister,
and with the tranquillity which it enjoys, that he entertains
no jealousy on account of the receipt of this pension.
' But how is it with the Peshwah ? He has no minister, no
person lias influence over him, and he is only guided by his
own caprices. He cannot be paid in order that he may con-
duct his government according to our views ; and it would be
useless to pay his ministers for that object, because they can
render no corresponding service. But although they cannot
conduct him and his government, they can let you know in
what manner he conducts it, and for that they ought to be paid.
That for which they ought to be paid, is for making you
acquainted with every thing that passes that comes to their
knowledge; in order that you may have an opportunity of
forming a judgment whether the Peshwah adheres to the
alliance or not, and of checking him by remonstrances, if his
actions should tend to a breach of its stipulations. But if
they are to be paid with his knowledge, it is obvious that he
will keep secret from them all that he wishes you should
not know ; and that he will in fact have two sets of ministers,
one set to deceive the British Resident, and another to con-
duct the real business of his government.
' Upon the whole, I am convinced that it is absolutely neces-
sary that you should have an accurate knowledge of all that
passes in the Peshwah's durbar ; that it is not possible that you
should have that knowledge without paying for it ; that you
will not obtain it if you pay for it with the consent of the
Peshwah ; and that you ought forth with to pay Ragonaut Rao.
' In my last, I believe I told you the reason for which I
attended to the news sent by Salabut Khan's writer. He
has always given accurate reports of what passed in Colonel
Collins's conferences with the northern chiefs, and of other
matters which I knew to be true ; I therefore conclude that
he has some good chance of intelligence. I do not think it pos-
sible to find out the foundation he has for writing the story.
8 2
200 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
4 If you should send this letter to the Governor General, I
recommend that it should be by a private channel, as the
subject to which it relates is not a very proper one to meet the
public eye, however necessary it may be to consider it.
4 Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Close: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
1 DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Walkee, 6th August, 1803.
* As you will by this time have arrived at your station in
the neighbourhood of Moodgul, you will be desirous of learn-
ing from me the state of affairs in this quarter.
' I am sorry to tell you, that our negotiations with Dowlut
Rao Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar have not produced the
desired effect of inducing those Chiefs to withdraw from the
position, which they had taken contiguous to the Nizam's
frontier. By letters which I have received from Colonel
Collins this day, I find, that, instead of withdrawing their
troops, they have proposed that I should withdraw the British
troops, even to Madras ; and they propose to remain assembled
at Burhampoor, from which place they would have a fine
opportunity of plundering the territories of the Peshwah
and the Nizam, as soon as I should have withdrawn. How-
ever, that plan will not answer, and I propose to march
to the attack of Ahmednuggur, as soon as the weather shall
clear up a little ; and I have given directions that Scindiah's
posts in Guzerat shall be immediately attacked; and I
learn from Colonel Stevenson that he has moved forward
this day.
' I learn from General Stuart, that one of the objects for
which he has posted you at Moodgul, is to keep in check the
sirdars who have jaghires in the neighbourhood of the river
Kistna.
4 The principal family in that part of the country is that of
Pursheram Bhow ; and their principal residence and strong
hold is at Meritch, about twenty miles from Erroor, on the
Kistna, at which place we have a small fort. Appah Saheb,
who is at the head of that family, marched to Poonah with
1803. ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 261
me, and is at present at that city with his troops. In my
opinion, he wishes well to the British Government ; but he is
of that wavering disposition which is almost characteristic of
the Marhattas, that he fears to take any part in this contest,
till he shall see which side is likely to be successful. He will
not join us, but I do not think he will do us any mischief,
unless we should meet with some heavy misfortune. There
are several chiefs in the neighbourhood, and to the southward
of the Kistna, who follow the politics of this family ; such as
Madhoo Rao Rastia, whose possessions are about Beejapoor,
Baugeracottah, and Badamy ; the Goorparah family about
the Gutpurba; Gunput Rao Paunseah, and some others, all
of whom, in my opinion, will be neutral.
* On the other hand, the Rajah of Kolapoor, whose dis-
tricts lay along the western ghauts, at no great distance from
Meritch, is connected by marriage, and by old ties, with
Dowlut Rao Scindiah. This chief is independent of the
Peshwah, being a descendant from Sevajee, and a Rajah in
his own right. He has long been at war with the family of
Pursheram Bhow, and he killed that chief in a most barbarous
manner, after having taken him prisoner. The contest
between Appah Saheb and the Rajah of Kolapoor was going
on, when I passed Meritch in April last ; and I prevailed upon
the two chiefs to suspend their acts of hostility, which have
ceased almost entirely ever since, although their enmity is as
great as ever. The Rajah of Kolapoor also knows that the
Company have claims upon him, for acts' of piracy committed
on the seas upon the coast of Malabar; and that his territories
in that quarter must always be exposed to their troops ; and
that the smallest assistance, given by the Company's govern-
ment to Appah Saheb, would entirely destroy him. I there-
fore think it probable that he also will remain neutral : indeed,
I am not quite certain, that his neutrality would not continue,
notwithstanding his connexions with Scindiah, if Appah Saheb
should take part against us.
' There are many poly gars in the districts lying between
the rivers Kistna, Gutpurba, and Malpoorba, who are in
general connected with the Rajah of Kolapoor, all of whom
will follow his politics.
* I shall keep you acquainted with every thing that occurs
here deserving of your attention ; and I shall always be happy
2G2 ADVANCE TO AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803
to give you any information which you may think I may have
regarding matters in your quarter.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Major General CampbelL\ * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Walkee, 7th August, 1803.
* I have received your letters of the 4th. Major Dallas left
the Kallachabootra Ghaut on the 16th of July, with a convoy
of treasure for you and for me ; but I have not heard of him
since, although Bistnapah Pundit is looking out for him about
Perinda, with the Mysore horse. I am afraid that his march is
impeded by the badness of the weather, and that he may not
arrive at Perinda till the middle of this month. This is very
inconvenient, for I shall not have it in my power to assist you
with money till he arrives.
c You must encourage and urge your brinjarries to fill their
bags again with any grain, as soon as possible ; for we must
all depend upon their exertions.
* Keep a good look out upon the enemy ; and, if possible,
.do not allow them to enter the Nizam's territory. They are
not in strength, and are sadly equipped.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Ahmednuggur, 14th Aug., 1803.
' I am much concerned to hear of your losses and want of
cattle, particularly as I know not how to relieve them. Major
Dallas, on his march from the Kistna, as far only as Toljapoor,
had lost 3000 out of 5000 ; and I also have lost many in the
late rains. I hope, however, that we shall still do well ; and I
have ordered forward to Toka, this day, the cavalry and a bat-
talion, and 1 shall follow with the remainder in a day or two.
What I shall most want is dry grain and flour for the con-
sumption of the bazaars ; and I should be glad to know from
you, whether there are any quantities of these articles at
Aurungabad, or any places in the neighbourhood. At all
events, Mohiput Ram ought to be desired to lose no time in
1803. AHMEDNUGGUR. 263
collecting quantities of chinna and flour, in every place in
which it can be stored with safety.
6 Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesleyto Colonel Stevenson.
« MY DEAR COLONEL, * Camp at Ahmednuggur, 15th Aug., 1803.
' I received a letter from Colonel Collins last night, in which
he tells me that Holkar was on his march to join Scindiah ;
and that he thought the invasion of the Nizam's territories
would be by the Badowly Ghaut. Of course I conclude that
you watch all the ghauts as well as you can. I have only to
request that you will dash with your cavalry at any party that
may come within your reach ; do not mind to whom it belongs.
I shall soon be with you. The cavalry marched yesterday,
and the infantry will be at Toka before they will have crossed
the river.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson.' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, 'Camp at Ahmednuggur, 17th Aug., 1803.
' I have received your letters of the 13th and 14th, the last
of which is more satisfactory than the first. In my opinion,
the best thing you can do is, to move forward yourself with the
Company's cavalry, and all the Nizam's, and a battalion, and
dash at the first party that comes into your neighbourhood. You
will either cut them up or drive them off; and in either case,
you will provide more effectually for the security of your con-
voys, than by detaching your troops to bring them in. Keep
the infantry collected in a central situation, and let all your
supplies collect upon them. If you adopt this plan, and suc-
ceed in cutting up, or in driving to a distance, one good party,
the campaign will be our own. A long defensive war will ruin
us, and will answer no purpose whatever. By any other plan
than that above proposed, we shall lose our supplies, do what
we will. The cavalry will reach the river this day. I shall
march with the infantry to-morrow ; and shall be at Toka
before they will have crossed, and with you a few days after-
wards.
264 AHMEDNUGGUR. 1803.
< I shall order Major Hill's battalion, which is coming with
supplies from the Kistna to Kurdlah, to march upon Moongy
Futtun : this will give security to every thing there. They
will not be at Moongy Puttun for a fortnight at soonest.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A^ Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
« SIR, ' Camp at Kantere, 19th August, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 6th,
and I am happy to find that you approve of my letter to the
Governor General of the 24th of July.
' I informed you in my last, that the cavalry marched from
Ahmednuggur on the 14th. I shall join them with the in-
fantry, on the Godavery, to-morrow or the day after, and hope
to find the boats at liberty to cross the infantry.
' I have taken possession of all Scindiah's territories south of
the Godavery, of which I have appointed Captain Graham to
be the collector. I have raised a body of peons to occupy the
tannahs ; and I have employed one of the sirdars of the My-
sore cavalry to raise a body of horse ; by means of which I pro-
pose to keep the country in tranquillity, and the communica-
tion through it open and free.
f I shall send you copies of all the letters, orders, &c., which
I have given upon this subject.
( I have appointed Lieut. Bellinghatn to act as Paymaster,
and Lieut. Campbell, of the 78th regiment, as my Brigade
Major.
< I have put the 2nd of the 3rd, with 30 men of the 84th
regiment, and artillerymen for a brigade of guns, into the gar-
rison of Ahmednuggur. I have appointed Captain Fisher
Commissary of Stores, and Lieut. Carfrae Deputy Paymaster
and Garrison Storekeeper. These two officers are most im-
portant to arrange the provisions and military stores already in
the garrison, and those which I have ordered up from Bombay.
Captain Fisher is well qualified for his office, having been
Commissary at Goa, and having lately arranged the stores at
Hullihall. Lieut. Carfrae is the fittest for his in his corps :
having been heretofore a Staff officer at Cliittledroog, he must
have some knowledge of the duties required from him ; and I
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 265
thought it better to employ him in the situation, than to take
any other officer away from his duty in the field.
6 I have ordered up but a small quantity of military stores,
as the garrison appears already well supplied with them ; but
I have ordered up a large supply of provisions, viz., 10,000
bullock loads of rice, a large quantity of arrack, biscuit, and
salt provisions and salt.
' The repairs of the fort are already commenced ; but in the
mean time the fort is secure ; as before I left it the rubbish
was cleared away from the ditch, and I gave particular orders
that it might be done daily, so that even when the wall shall
be cut down as low as the place at which our fire damaged it,
it will still be so high as to make me free from all apprehension
that the place can be insulted.
' Major Dallas was at Perinda on the 15th. He will be at
Ahmednuggur in three or four days. I have not heard of
Lieut. Griffiths excepting from Major Dallas, that he was ten
days' march behind him. I have ordered him to march upon
Moongy Puttun, on the Godavery, from Kurdlah. I have
heard from the Resident at Hyderabad, that Major Hill had
not crossed the Kistna on the 6th, and had lost one third of his
bullocks by the effects of the rain. I before informed you that
Major Dallas had lost 3000 of the 5000 that he had, by the
same rain. This rain appears to have been universal. It
detained me in my camp at Walkee till the 8th. It was very
violent in Scindiah's camp, and it destroyed many of Colonel
Stevenson's cattle. I only hope that the enemy has equally
suffered. I have since had fine weather, and I hope that this
has been equally general.
1 Scindiah moved on the 12th or 13th towards the Adjuntee
Ghaut; but Colonel Stevenson's advanced guard was in the
neighbourhood ; and the Colonel writes, on the 15th, that all
the troops which have been near Adjuntee, below the ghaut,
had moved to the eastward, and that the plan was to enter the
Nizam's territory near Jaffierabad. He intended to move that
way.
1 I cannot yet say whether Holkar will join Scindiah. The
capture of Ahmednuggur has made a great impression at
Poonah and to the southward ; and if it should make an equal
one on Holkar, he will, at least, be neutral. Amrut Rao's
266 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
vakeel has promised that his master shall join me by the end of
this month at Aurungabad.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
6 MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp, 20th August, 1803.
4 It is necessary that we should take possession of a village
belonging to the Rajah of Berar, by name Nimgaum, about
30 miles south east from Ahmednuggur, and not far from
the ground on which we were encamped for a length of time,
near Sangwee. This village may be of some strength, and
there are some horse in it.
' I have accordingly desired Captain Lucas to send three
companies with the two 6 pounders, and Bistnapah Pundit to
place 600 horse at your disposal ; and I recommend that they
should be sent off as soon as possible after you receive this letter,
as Major Dallas is now upon the road ; and his being in the
neighbourhood with his battalion, may have the effect of pro-
ducing the quiet surrender of the place.
4 I enclose herewith a letter to the headman at Nimgaum,
which might as well be sent on an hour or two before the party,
by a person who could take an opportunity of looking at the
gate of the village, and would see whether it could be blown
open ; likewise proclamations, &c., to the same purport as
those issued respecting Scindiah's villages.
* The bearer has likewise a letter for Bistnapah Pundit, to
desire him to place 600 horse at your disposal. These are to
join me again as soon as they shall have performed this ser-
vice.
4 You will send peons with the party to remain in Nimgaum
as the tannah.
* Believe me, &c.
' Captain Graham. * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' P. S. Since writing the above, Bistnapah Pundit has come
into camp, but the horse will go off to Ahmednuggur in the
morning. Let the infantry commence their march to Nim-
gaum, and the horse can follow them.
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 267
« I wish you would send 100 peons to take post in the Nim-
derrah pass, through which we marched, in order to keep in
check the Bheels in that quarter, and keep the road open for
our supplies. They should patrol the road up to the village
of Waumborry, belonging to the Peshwah, and six miles from
the pass.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Carwoondy, 20th August, 1803.
1 I have received your letter of the 17th. There is only
one part of your plan which I should wish to see altered ; and
that is, your intention to retire to Moongy Puttun. Depend
upon it, that no pindarries or straggling horse will venture to
your rear, so long as you can keep the enemy in check, and
your detachment well in advance. Dash at the first fellows
that make their appearance, and the campaign will be our own.
I enclose you an extraordinary letter from Captain Munt. I
have written to desire him to forbear from using any force or
threats towards the servants of the Nizam's government.
' Believe me, &c.
* Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
« Camp at Toka, north of the Godavery,
« SIR, 24th August, 1803. .
* I have the honor to enclose herewith a letter for Lord
Clive, which contains a dispatch for the Governor General.
An hircarrah came in from Amrut Rao^s camp this morning,
who declares that after the receipt of my agreement, of which
the enclosed contains a translation, he determined upon march-
ing to join me as proposed. This same hircarrah also tells me,
that Holkar had gone to Indore.
' Major Dallas will be here to-morrow. Lieut. Griffiths
was 30 miles south of Culburga on the 8th; and Major Hill
did not expect to march from the Kistna till the 13th.
* We find the country much destroyed and exhausted ; but
I hope that we shall get on well, if the Nizam's servants supply
us at all.
' Before we left Ahmednuggur, some looking glasses, swords,
pistols, fowling pieces, &c., belonging to Scindiah, were found
268 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
in the fort. The place, in which these articles were, was
wanted ; and I ordered that they might be sold. As soon as I
shall have ascertained what there was, and what grain and stores
there are, I propose to recommend to the Governor General
that the value of them should be given to the troops as prize.
The expense will be trifling, and they certainly deserve this
encouragement.
1 I have the honor to be, &c.
* Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
* SIR, ' Camp, north of the Godavery, 26th August, 1803.
6 I have the honor to enclose to you a return of the bullocks
taken at muster this morning, which arrived yesterday with
Major Dallas. Captain Mackay tells me that they are Car-
natic maistries, so that I imagine the Werdy cattle are coming
with Lieut. Griffiths.
1 Colonel Stevenson followed the enemy to the Badowly
Ghaut, as I before informed you. They fell back to Goombar
Pepery, half way between Burhampoor and Adjuntee, on the
22nd ; and on the 23rd Colonel Stevenson, having sent a de-
tachment down the ghaut to examine the road, and find out
whether the intelligence he had received of their movement was
correct, took some horses and bullocks loaded with supplies
which were following the enemy's army. On the 23rd, at
night, he was to march with a body of cavalry to endeavor to
surprise a small body of the enemy who were upon his right
towards Berar.
6 Gopal Bhow, who was in my front with a body called
10,000 horse, has gone off to the northward to join Scindiah.
Not a man has yet entered the Nizam's territories ; and I be-
lieve, from the Godavery to the Toombuddra, that the Mar-
hatta territory was never in such tranquillity.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
* MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Toka, 26th August, 1803.
1 I received yesterday your letters of the 23rd and 24th, and
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 269
I congratulate you upon the success at Nimgaum. You shall
have 100 horse besides the party with Hyder Khan, for the
present; but he should recruit quickly and make them active,
as I find that there are parties of horse prowling about in dif-
ferent directions, who may be very inconvenient hereafter.
There is one party in particular, in the neighbourhood of Sieti-
gaum, respecting which Govind Rao wrote to you the other
day.
' I approve of the pay and establishment for the peons, but I
think the horse expensive. The pay of the jemidars and duf-
fadars is very proper, but that for the horsemen ought not to
exceed 25 rupees ; indeed, that for the duffadars ought not to
exceed 35 rupees. However, upon this point we must trust, in
a great measure, to Hyder Khan ; but I beg of you to com-
municate to him my sentiments, and try to get the horse at the
price above stated.
' The 1500 peons will possibly be sufficient ; however, I do
not wish to stint the service : 1000 horse also will be as much
as can be required.
' I have requested Colonel Close to keep Mr. Carfrae sup-
plied with money, and you will indent upon him for such sums
as you will want, until your own collections shall commence.
In the mean time, Mr. Carfrae may want some of the money,
to make his payments, of what you have already ; and if that
be the case, I request you to let him have some.
' I shall write to Appah Dessaye upon the subject which
you have mentioned. I wish that you had stated the names of
the villages from which he carried off the people, and that you
would attend to this circumstance in future.
' Rastia is the Peshwah's vakeel with me. It is not im-
probable that he has been desired to act as he has done; but I
shall write to Colonel Close upon that subject.
c The Nizam's officers have seized some of the districts
north of the Godavery ; but I shall settle that matter with
them when I go to Aurungabad.
' I should willingly give you an assistant ; and shall do so
hereafter, as your business may increase ; but at present our
districts are so little extensive, that I doubt whether such an
addition to our revenue establishment would be 'approved of.
* Believe me, &c.
' Captain Graham' < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
270 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
4 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, «26th August, 1803.
« I have received your letter of the 23d, and nothing can
have been more satisfactory than the result of your operations ;
and I think it capital that you should have played their own
game upon the Marhattas, and should have been the first to
cut off the supplies going to their camp. As they are now
gone to the westward, I think you will do well to turn your
attention to that quarter likewise. But I also shall march on
the day after to-morrow. Gopal Bhow has gone off to the
northward, it is said, to join Scindiah, near Adjuntee. We
must now try whether we cannot drive these fellows into the
Taptee, you by one road, I by another. I should wish to
hear from you any account you may have of the Ferdapoor,
Adjuntee, Badowly, or other ghauts, through the hills which
bound the Nizam's territories to the northward. I am well
supplied and equipped with every thing, excepting dry grain
for the followers and catttle ; but I have an excellent bazaar,
and many cattle attached to it.
' How are your brinjarries supplied with dry grain ?
4 Believe me, Sec.
•' Colonel Stevenson: t ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' SIR, * Camp at Julgaon, 28th August, 1803.
« I have received intelligence that Dowlut Rao Scindiah and
tthe Rajah of Berar ascended the Adjuntee Ghaut on the 24th,
and that those Chiefs are now within the Nizam's territories.
I think it probable, however, that Colonel Stevenson will have
returned to Jaffierabad on the 25th ; and as he will then be at
no great distance from them, and as they must have received
intelligence of my having crossed the river, it is possible they
may retire.
« I shall be at Aurungabad to-morrow.
' I also received yesterday a report from one of my hir-
carrahs come in from Holkar's camp, stating that that Chief
had made a march from the neighbourhood of Myhissur to
join Scindiah. He was one march beyond the Dowhote
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 27L
Ghaut, on the road from Hindustan to Burhampoor, on the
18th.
' This account does not agree with that which I received
some days ago from Amrut Rao's camp, (which I mentioned to
you in one of my late letters,) that Holkar had gone to Indore,
which was also confirmed by the report of an hircarrah come
from Chandore. But whether he is coming or not to join
Scindiah, it is possible that part of the army may be coming.
« We never were in better marching trim, notwithstanding
all our losses by rain, &c. The horses of the cavalry and the
cattle in general are in excellent condition. I shall endeavor
immediately to strike a blow on one of these parties of horse ;
and I acknowledge that I do not think it is to be regretted
that they have come near us ; as, in the exhausted state of the
country, it would have been very difficult for us to go near
them.
1 Major Dallas's corps is in fine order, and I intend to keep
it in the field ; and I believe I shall do the like with Major
Hill's. I must however send a battalion to Poonah, and I am
rather at a loss to determine which it shall be. The men of
the 2nd of the 18th have deserted in vast numbers,, and I am
really apprehensive that when they may be at all involved in
difficulties this evil will increase, and this ought to be the corps
in the fixed station at Poonah. But Lieut. Colonel Chalmers,
who commands the 18th, is senior to Lieut. Colonel Coleman,
who, since he has commanded at Poonah, has managed all the
concerns there in a very satisfactory manner ; and it would be
a great inconvenience to replace him by Colonel Chalmers.
' I am very badly off for officers to command corps ; ex-
cepting Colonel M'Leod and Major Dallas lately arrived, there
is not one upon whom I can depend. Colonel Griffin, of the
1st of the 2nd, is entirely unfit for the service from incapacity
and sickness, and he would be the most proper person to send
to Poonah, with the 2nd of the 18th. I think it probable that I
shall receive your answer to this letter, before I shall send any
corps to Poonah, as it will not be necessary to reinforce that
station till the middle of October, when the rivers will fall ;
and I do not think of doing it till Major Hill shall join. I
shall be obliged to you, therefore, if you will let me know
whether you have any objection to my removing Colonel
272 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
Chalmers to the 1st of the 2nd, and Colonel Griffin to the 2nd
of the 18th.
f I have the honor to be, &c.
« Lieut. General Stuart: < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
' DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Julgaon, 28th August, 1803.
' I had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the 16th this
morning, for which I am much obliged to you.
8 I have received intelligence that Dowlut Rao Scindiah
and the Rajah of Berar entered the Nizam's territories by the
Adjuntee Ghaut on the 24th instant. Colonel Stevenson was
likely to return to Jaffierabad on the 25th, from an excursion
which he made on the night of the 23rd, to the eastward, to
surprise a detachment from the Rajah of Berar's army, under
his nephew. My division has crossed the Godavery, and
will be at Aurungabad to-morrow; so that I think it pro-
bable the enemy will not deem their position very secure,
and will retire.
6 It is reported that Jeswunt Rao Holkar is on his march
for Myhissur on the Nerbudda, to join Scindiah ; but there
are some grounds for believing this report to be at least pre-
mature.
' I have no intelligence of any movement to the southward ;
on the contrary, the communication is open, and my brinjarries
are travelling in all parts of the road between Poonah and
Hurryhur.
' I shall keep you apprized of every thing interesting that
may occur.
c Believe me, &c.
' Major General Campbell.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Balgaum, 30th August, 1803.
' I have received your letters of the 28th and 29th. I am
glad to inform you that your treasure is safe at Aurungabad,
being three lacs of rupees from Hyderabad, and one lac of
pagodas from General Stuart. I marched this morning from
Aurungabad to the eastward, and intend to turn towards the
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 273
Godavery to-morrow, in order to cover the advance of the
supplies from Hyderabad and the Kistna.
' It is said that the enemy intend to cross the Godavery ;
but as the river filled again before I quitted it, I imagine thait
they will not attempt that operation while I am so near them.
* Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson' ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major Qeneral the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
SIR, ' Camp near Unterwarry, 31st August, 1803.
' Since I wrote to you last, Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar
have entered the Nizam's territories with a body of horse only,
by the Adjuntee Ghaut. These have not yet done much mis-
chief ; indeed, they have been principally in a district belonging
to Scindiah, called Jalnapoor. The inhabitants of some of the
villages which their pindarries have attacked have defended
themselves and their property. The consequence is, that rice
in their army is at two and a half seers for a rupee.
* The enemy entered the country on the 24th, when Colonel
Stevenson was in pursuit of a party which had come in by one
of the eastern ghauts. Colonel Stevenson marched yesterday
from Jaffierabad to Donegaum, to favor the junction of a de-
tachment from Aurungabad with treasure; and I marched from
Aurungabad yesterday and this day to the southward towards
the Godavery, having received intelligence that the enemy
intended to march in that direction, to cross the river and
proceed to Hyderabad. The river was fordable for a day or
two before I quitted Toka, but it rose again. It is probable
the intelligence that it had fallen occasioned the plan and
report that they intended to cross ; and the intelligence that
it had risen again has been the cause of the plan being
laid aside, for they have certainly not moved this way. I have
ordered Colonel Stevenson to move upon them quickly, which
I shall do also, as soon as I shall have made some arrangements
for the security of my baggage.
4 I do not believe that any of the pindarries have crossed the
Godavery. If they attempt to cross the river before it will
fall, they will lose a great part of their army, as one of our
divisions will be close to them : and if they should attempt
this expedition to Hyderabad, after the rivers shall fall, I pro-
VOL. III. T
274 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
pose to follow them, detaching a sufficient force to Poonah, to
secure every thing there ; and as soon as Colonel Stevenson
shall have collected his treasure and some brinjarries still in
his rear, I propose to send him to attack a fort in the territo-
ries of the Rajah of Berar, where he keeps his treasures, by
which operation I hope to make a powerful diversion in favor
of the Nizam.
' This invasion by horse is unpleasant, and will become
more so, as these bodies will increase. But if the people of the
country will defend their villages and property, I hope yet
that we shall be able to drive them out. I have no intelligence
of Holkar.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
• Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, * Camp near Unterwarry, 31st Aug., 1803.
6 1 marched here this morning, with a view to check the
operations of the enemy to the southward. I rather believe
that he was encamped yesterday at Caulaygaum, to the east of
Jaulna. He did not march before twelve. I have not heard
from his camp since. We must endeavor to drive him out of
the Nizam's country, or he will certainly oblige us to draw
nearer to our supplies. More pindarries will follow those
already come in. They will penetrate to the south of the
river ; and then I, at least, must re-cross to subsist.
' I do not expect that we shall be able to bring the enemy
to an action, but we must try to keep him in movement and
tire him out.
6 1 cannot permanently move to the eastward at present, for
several reasons; one of the most pressing is, that I am
obliged to look out for a battalion marching from the Kistna
with bullocks, treasures, &c., Sec. Besides, I do not think it
impossible but that Holkar may come down and increase the
number of our enemies; and I must return to impede his pro-
gress. I propose therefore to leave my baggage and heavy
stores here in an intrenched camp, with a battalion, and to
move forward with a light army. I shall march upon this
plan on the day after to-morrow ; and I shall keep as nearly as
I can in a due E. direction from hence between Jaulna and
the river.
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES.
' I recommend that you also should march with your
cavalry only, if you think yourself sufficiently strong in that
description of troops, and a battalion with its guns, on the
same plan, on the day after to-morrow. You might direct
your march immediately upon the enemy; we shall frighten
him at least, if we do not hurt him ; we shall drive him from
the territories of the Nabob, and oblige him to retire into
those of the Rajah of Berar. If we succeed in this plan, the
parties will possibly become tired of the game ; and, at all
events, we shall have gained time by it for my supplies to
come up.
' Your infantry might remain in your camp at Donegaum,
for your treasures, &cv to collect upon ; and they would be q,
check upon the return of the enemy to this quarter.
' Keep your intentions secret. None of the natives can be
trusted with the secrets of our plans in this war, till our
success is decided.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson.' { ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
1 MY DEAR SIR, 'Camp, 3rd September, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 30th of August.
( The distribution of peons appears to be very proper. I
hope that Hyder Khan is getting on with his horse. You
must keep him actively employed, and drive all the rascals to
a distance from you. Take care that the peons in all the tan-
nahs are supplied with ammunition. Tell them that the enemy
have no guns ; that they must not admit him in their tannahs.
' I find that some of the people in our districts keep up a
correspondence with others in the enemy's camp. I sent you
a proclamation, which I wish to have published in Ahmed-
nuggur and other places. This correspondence must be
stopped.
' You must beat up the Bheels and destroy them. Money
will be sent to Lieut. Carfrae by Lieut. Colonel Close. He
will have orders to supply your wants. The necessity of
your supplying him is only momentary.
' I find the district of Jalnapoor to be so much surrounded
by the Nizam's districts, and so little connected with Ahmed-
T2
270 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
nuggur, to which place, in fact, it never belonged, that I have
determined to give it over to the Nizam's servant ; you will
therefore not interfere with it. I shall report this determina-
tion to the Governor General.
' I have given orders for running our tappall to this place
instead of to Toka.
' I wish that you would endeavor to find out where is the
late killadar of Ahmednuggur.
' Believe me, &c.
' Captain Graham.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' SIR, ' Camp at Rackisbaura, 4th September, 1803.
' I have the pleasure to inform you that Colonel Stevenson
took the fort of Jalnapoor on the 2nd. I have not received
from him the details of the affair, therefore I cannot tell you
what loss he has sustained.
' The enemy are to the eastward at Purtoor. They still
talk of crossing the Godavery and of marching upon Hyder-
abad ; and although the river is fordable in many places, which
was never known before at this season of the year, they see, by
my position upon it, that I shall cross it likewise ; and they are
apprehensive of the consequences of being cut off from their
own territories, and exposed alone to my attacks when the
river shall rise again, of which there are no doubts.
' Begum Sumroo's campoo has come up the ghauts, and I
am afraid, has passed the Soubah's camp and joined Scindiah
yesterday. Two deserters from it, who went into Aurun-
gabad on the 2nd, declared that Pohlman's campoo was fol-
lowing it, and two days' march in its rear; but I doubt this,
as I believe that Pohlman's campoo was sent to Hindustan.
* The arrival of these campoos will retard the enemy's move-
ments, and give us something more solid than cavalry to
operate upon ; but I think we shall not be able effectually to
relieve the Soubah's country till we can invade Berar ; and I
am endeavoring to arrange an expedition into that country.
Whether I shall be able to effect it or not will depend much
upon the state of Colonel Stevenson's equipments, and upon
the assistance of grain and provisions which he is to receive
from Salabut Khan, the jaghiredar of Ellichpoor.
803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 277
' I have the pleasure to inform you that Holkar has called
Kawder Nawaz Khan to his camp; I have, therefore some
hopes that he does not propose to join the confederates.
6 I request you to mention to the Governor, that in case the
revenues of Canara, which will soon come in, are not wanted
for the payment of the troops at Goa and in Malabar, it
would be very desirable that the money should be packed
in strong bags and sent to Bombay, for the use of this body of
troops.
e Besides our former expenses, two battalions have been
added to our force, and I have'been obliged to advance money
to the parties of the Peshwah's troops under Goklah and
Appah Dessaye, and I shall be obliged to make advances to
them monthly. This will cost about a lac of rupees monthly.
6 1 rather believe also, that the lac of pagodas which you
sent to Colonel Stevenson, and three lacs of rupees which have
been sent from Hyderabad, will do no more than pay his
troops for July and August, what is due to them ; and
I do not think that I can send the Colonel upon the
expedition into Berar without two months' pay in hand. I
wrote to the Governor General to request him to send some
Bengal gold mohurs to Bombay for my use.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
* Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Rackisbaum, 4th Sept., 1803.
f I received last night your letter of the 2nd, informing me
of your success at Jalnapoor, upon which I congratulate you.
We heard the firing in the morning while on our march.
6 1 have desired Rajah Mohiput Ram to place the Sou ban's
tannahs in the forts and districts of Jalnapoor ; and I request
you to give them over to him. I hear that the enemy have
moved towards the Godavery, although they are somewhat
annoyed at my having come upon that river likewise. They
know that it must rise again, and that it probably will con-
tinue full till towards the end of October ; and they do not
relish the thoughts of being entirely cut off from their own
countries.
' It is certain that Begum Sumroo's campoo is above the
ghauts ; two deserters from it have come in to Aurungabad,
278 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
and I think it probable that this body will have joined Scin-
diah's cavalry yesterday. The deserters say likewise, that
Colonel Pohlman's campoo followed that of Begum Sumroo,
and was at the distance of two marches in its rear. I do not
know whether that is true. I thought that Pohlman's campoo
had gone to Hindustan.
' The arrival of these campoos will give us something more
solid than we have hitherto had to operate upon, and they will
retard the enemy's motions.
6 1 am afraid, however, that we shall not be able to make
any effectual impression upon them till we can arrange an
offensive expedition into Berar. The Rajah of Berar is at the
head of the confederacy. An invasion of his country would, at
all events, make a seasonable diversion in favor of the Soubah
of the Deccan ; and might eventually bring about peace.
' In my opinion your corps is the best situated and best
equipped for this service, particularly after you shall be joined
by your brinjarries from Bussmunt. However, in order to
decide this question, I request to have from you information
upon the following points : —
* 1st, What quantity of ammunition have you got for the
heavy guns belonging to the Soubah of the Deccan ?
( 2nd, Can Salabut Khan collect grain for you at Ellich-
poor to serve for a depot for his expedition ?
' 3rd, Your troops are now two months in arrears of pay ;
for what length of time beyond those two months will the six
and a half lacs of rupees (which Colonel Desse will take to
you) pay them ?
1 My idea is, to attack the fort of Gawilghur, which appears
in the maps a short distance north of Ellichpoor, in which
place I am told that the Rajah of Berar keeps his treasures,
and then to proceed to Nagpoor.
' If your heavy guns are not sufficiently supplied with am-
munition, or if you should want money, you must send a
battalion to me as an escort to four iron twelves, with their
ammunition, and money which I will send you. I wish you
to send for these articles, because I may be obliged to move to
the southward, if the enemy do so; and in that case I must
make a large detachment to Poonah. If we should undertake
this expedition, some events will happen, for which, in the
mean time, we may as well be prepared.
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 279
( One of these is the loss of Aurungabad. I consider that
event to be certain, unless you can afford to reinforce that
place with a battalion of the Company's infantry ; and march
on the expedition with five instead of six battalions. Even if
you can do so, its security may be doubtful ; but upon this
point you must be the best judge.
' If you should be of opinion that you cannot secure
Aurungabad, it would be proper to remove the hospital, &c.,
&c., from that place to Jaulna, which I take to be one of
greater security.
' Till you shall have been joined by my heavy ordnance and
money, if you should require them, you may as well turn your
mind to these points, and make your arrangements, either for
the further security of Aurungabad, or for the removal from
thence of the sick, &c.
* You must decide whether the Soubah's infantry ought to
be withdrawn from the place, if you should determine not to
give it further security. In the decision upon this point you
must be guided by your knowledge of the importance of which
they consider it ; arid whether it is true that many of the
females of the Soubah's family really reside there.
' Till you will be prepared to set out upon the proposed
expedition, I do not think that you can be in a better situation
than at Jalnapoor. You are just between the enemy and the
ghauts ; and you will take every opportunity of falling upon
any of the parties coming to join him, particularly any of his
cam poos.
' Believe me, &c.
« Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 6th September, 1803.
' I received this morning, on the march, your letter of
the 5th.
6 Before I send you my 12 pounders, or the money, I wish
to know from you what quantity of ammunition you have for
the Soubah's 18 pounders. I should also wish you to ascertain
from Salabut Khan, whether he can give you any assistance in
18 pound shot, or in gunpowder, at Ellichpoor ; as, although
you must have my guns, if your own should not be sufficiently
equipped, or if you should not be able to get any assistance
280 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1&03.
at Ellichpoor, to part with them will certainly cripple my
force materially, and may have unpleasant consequences in the
course of the campaign. I therefore wish to have the most
complete information regarding the equipments of your own
ordnance, before I send them away.
' In respect to money, I wish to know how much you will
have in hand after paying your troops for July and August,
which I understand to be due to them ; and how long that
sum will last you ? I understand that your expenses are about
fifty thousand pagodas per mensem ; if that be the case, you
ought still to have enough to pay the troops for September
and October.
4 Your brinjarries have not joined me ; and by a letter from
Major Kirkpatrick, I learn that some of them went to load in
the countries in which he was purchasing rice for you, in the
neighbourhood of Hyderabad. Some rice for you, however,
crossed the river at Puttun, and some other at Shaghur, a da)?
or two before I arrived at it, and went on to join you.
* In respect to pay for Soubahan Khan, I have to observe
that no provision whatever has been made for a demand of this
kind ; and 1 cannot comply with it, at all events, unless it comes
from Hyderabad : but even in that case, 1 shall experience
some difficulty in doing so, as I am obliged to pay the few
Marhatta horse who are serving with me, besides my own
troops. If you are of opinion that Soubahan Khan is really
distressed, it will be best to represent his case to the durbar ;
and if he is so much so, as to be unable to accompany you,
you might send him to join me.
' I hear that Scindiah marched yesterday upon Jalnapoor,
and left the Rajah of Berar at Caulaygaum. I fancy that this
march must have been intended to facilitate the junction of
Begum Sumroo's infantry and guns.
' Believe me, &c.
• Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLKSLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. JVellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
« SIR, ' Camp, 7th September, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 1st
instant, in which you have enclosed the copy of one of the
87th of August, from the Military Board.
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 281
' I am apprehensive that my letter to the Honorable the
Governor in Council, of the 2nd of August, has not been
understood as I intended it should, in respect to the provisions
for the troops. My idea was, that the troops should have with
them, in the field at all times, one month's provisions: but as
it was possible that the country might be overrun by a body
of horse; and consequently it might become difficult, if not
impossible, to procure, in those parts in which the troops might
be called upon to act, additional and sufficient supplies, I
proposed that magazines should be formed at several stations
in different parts, of all those species of provision stores
required for the troops, which might be scarce in the country
in case of invasion.
' I observe, however, upon a perusal of the letter from the
Military Board, of the 27th of August, that the magazines at
the several stations, mentioned in my letter of the 2nd of
August, will contain provisions for the garrisons which will
occupy them, only for one month. The sufficiency of this
supply might be doubted, even for these bodies of troops ; as
in the case of an extensive invasion of Guzerat, it must be
expected that more time than a month will elapse before relief
can be afforded to any station that may be attacked ; and at
all events, when the relief might arrive, it may be doubtful
whether it would be practicable to throw in additional supplies
of provisions. But as you will observe, upon a reference to my
letter of the 2nd of August, I wished to provide for much more
than the garrison at each of the places mentioned ; and as I
know that want of supplies is that which is most to be dreaded
in the existing war, I wished to provide effectually against
it by the formation of plentiful magazines, not for the garrisons,
but for the troops in the field, in the forts situated in the dif-
ferent, parts of the country in which the troops might be called
upon to act.
* 1 have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. ofGov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm.
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, Gth September, 1803.
' I have not written to you for some time, but I have had
much to do, and 1 knew that you would see the letters which
282 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
I have written to Colonel Close and Mr. Duncan. I shall,
however, endeavor to give you, in this letter, an idea of our
situation.
* The enemy deceived Colonel Stevenson in the march they
made to the eastward on the 20th and 21st of last month ; and
finding that they had induced him to pass Jaffierabad, they
returned to the westward on the 22nd, and ascended the
Adjuntee Ghaut on the 23rd and 24th, On the 23rd, Colonel
Stevenson sent a patrol down the Badowly Ghaut, which
picked up some bullocks and horses loaded with grain ; and
on the 23rd, at night, he had intended to go still farther to
the eastward in quest of a detachment under a relation of the
Rajah of Berar, which had gone that route. I did not receive
his letters written about that time ; and I cannot say exactly
what he was doing between the 23rd and 29th ; but the enemy
penetrated into the country, and passed between him and
Jalnapoor ; and I have seen letters from his camp, which say
that one of the brigades lost its baggage on the march to
Jaffierabad ; that the pindarry horse were very troublesome,
and that the Moguls did not behave as they ought. This is
probably true; otherwise the pindarries would not have come
near the troops a second time.
' On the 28th, a party of pindarries came to Aurungabad,
but were driven off by the Nizam's infantry stationed there ;
and on the 29th, 1 arrived at Aurungabad. Scindiah was at
that time at Jalnapoor, a fort and district belonging to himself,
about forty miles east from Aurungabad ; and he tried whilst
there, to plunder Budnapoor, a fortified village of the Nizam,
from which he was beaten off. As soon as he heard of my
arrival at Aurungabad, he marched off still farther to the east-
ward and southward, and went to the neighbourhood of a place
called Purtoor, belonging to Soubahan Khan. Colonel Steven-
son moved down to Jalnapoor on the 1st, and took it on the
2nd ; and I moved to the southward, towards the Godavery,
on the road to Hyderabad, having found that, contrary to all
former experience, at this season of the year, the river had
fallen, and was fordable in many places.
1 We were all stationary on the 3rd and 4th. Scindiah has
evidently been waiting for Begum Sumroo's infantry, and
they say the brigade under Pohlman ; the former of which
has certainly come up the Ghaut, and it is supposed, the latter.
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 283
He has made various detachments towards this body, and at
last moved himself yesterday towards Jalnapoor, leaving Rago-
jee about five coss in his rear, with the little baggage they have,
and a body of horse.
* Colonel Stevenson moved yesterday also towards Aurunga-
bad, as he tells me, in order to meet Rajah Mohiput Ram ; but
it is either to be hoped or feared that this movement may be
considered as a retreat, and will encourage the enemy to come
to an action. At all events, it ensures the secure junction of
the cam poos.
( I made a march yesterday, and another this day, to the
eastward from Rackisbaum ; and I am now about six miles
north of the Godavery, and shall have a fair start with the
enemy for Hyderabad.
' The enemy have done but little mischief hitherto to the
country. The pindarries have been driven away from many
villages ; grain is very dear in their army, which is a certain
sign that they get but little plunder ; they are terribly alarmed,
and, I am told, much dissatisfied. They certainly intend to
avoid an action with either of us, if they can ; unless Colonel
Stevenson's movement of yesterday towards Aurungabad should
encourage them to come to blows with him; and I believe
it is their intention to cross the Godavery, now that the river is
fordable, and to make a dash to the southward, although it
is certain that they do not like my position upon that river,
and my readiness to cross with them. They know that the
river must rise again, and they do not like to be cut off from
their own countries and all assistance.
' Whether they go to Hyderabad or not, I have determined
to commence an offensive operation against Berar ; and I have
accordingly arranged that Colonel Stevenson shall march with
his corps towards Eilichpoor, and thence to attack the Rajah's
fort of Gawile, or Gawilghur, and possibly plunder Nagpoor.
If they should march upon Hyderabad, I intend to reinforce
Poonah with three battalions, and move to Hyderabad with
the remainder of my corps. If they do not, I shall endeavor
to bring them to an action on this side of the river ; and if I
find that they lead me far to the eastward, I shall still detach
to Poonah.
' Holkar has not yet come down, and you will observe that
284 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
he has called Kawder Nawaz Khan to him ; and that he wrote
him the letter about the 7th or 8th of August, after he must
have heard that Collins had come away from Scindiah's camp.
It is impossible to be certain what a fellow of this kind will do,
but I augur well from this circumstance ; and I met this
morning the Nizam's vakeel returning to Hyderabad from
Ragojee Bhoonslah, (from his conversation, I suspect him to
have been Major Kirkpatrick's intelligencer,) who told Govind
Rao that Scindiah had not yet settled his affairs with Holkar.
' If Holkar joins, Poonah will be safe with four battalions
and five companies of Europeans ; but the countries there-
abouts will be exposed to his ravages, while I am engaged with
Scindiah and Ragojee towards Hyderabad. But I think it
better to risk that, than to remove General Campbell's corps
from Moodgul towards Hyderabad.
' The consequence of that would be the invasion of the
Ceded districts, and probably Mysore, by the Putwurduns
and Holkar, who we must expect would be able to pass by
me, notwithstanding all my efforts to prevent it.
6 By keeping General Campbell at Moodgul, we certainly
have a check upon the Putwurduns ; and it is possible that
Holkar would not much like to leave behind him the force at
Poonah, and move down upon General Campbell.
' I have some hopes, however, that the invasion of Berar
will check the expedition to Hyderabad. Collins, whom I
saw at Aurungabad, declares that Ragojee is the only one of
the three who cares one pin about his country, or who has
any thing to lose by an invasion of it : and I declare that,
from what Collins told me, I am of opinion that we are in-
volved in this war because Ragojee saw plainly, that, if the
Marhatta armies did not subsist this year in the Nizam's
country, they must have subsisted in his.
' As I have before me such active operations, you will be
glad to hear that I never was in such marching trim. I marched
the other day twenty three miles in seven hours and a half ; and
all our marches are now made at the rate of three miles an hour.
* You will have seen by my letter to Mr. Duncan, that
I have relinquished the command in Guzerat. Mr. Duncan
acquiesced in my arrangement, and although he stated some
objections to it in his private letters, I concluded that he
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES, 285
approved of it ; for it never occurred to me that it was possible
for a Governor to acquiesce in a proposed system of military
operations for the defence of provinces under his government
of which he did not approve. However, he afterwards in-
formed me that he did not approve of my propositions, and
he entered into detailed arguments against the principle, as
well as the execution of them ; but he told me that I might
order that they might be carried into execution if I should
think proper.
( Without flying in his face, and being guilty of the greatest
presumption, I could not give such orders ; and at this
distance from Guzerat, and with such imperfect, and so long
a communication, I could not take upon me to conduct a
machine so complicated and disjointed as the military com-
mands of the Committee of Surat, and the Resident of Baroda,
and I therefore resigned the whole concern.
' I was much annoyed, for several reasons, at finding myself
obliged to take this step ; but I found that to keep the com-
mand would have involved me in constant hot water, would
have taken my attention away from other objects here, and
would have answered no good public end whatever.
' I have received the copy of a public letter from the
Governor General to General Lake, from the tenor of which,
I fear that he does not approve of my letter to him of the 24th
of July. I wish that you would let me know what Shawe
says about that letter.
6 I hope that you are getting better, and that you will soon
come back. If Holkar negotiates, I should wish to send you
to him with carte blanche.
' We are again unlucky in the early fall of the Godavery,
and in the enemy having contrived to pass to the southward
and eastward of Colonel Stevenson ; particularly if it be true
that the Moguls have not behaved well. Otherwise our affairs
are in a good state.
« I have Appah Dessaye and Goklah with me, and have
promised to pay them. This will be one lac of rupees per
mensem. Amrut Rao and followers will probably cost half a
lac more. Besides these heavy drains, Colonel Stevenson has
no money, and the Nizam's troops begin to call out for pay.
All this is bad ; but I have taken measures to increase our
286 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
supplies of cash from Poonah, and I have written both to
Madras and Calcutta for supplies.
6 Griffiths and Hill are getting on well, and will be in safety
at Dharore in a few days.
' Amrut Rao is not come yet, but you will observe what
his vakeel and Kawder Nawaz Khan said about his troops.
6 Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, Kurcah, 7th September, 1803.
f In my letter of the 4th, I informed you that I intended
to watch the enemy's movements to the southward. It is not
possible for me therefore to send the guns to Moongy Puttun.
Indeed, as I am not more than twenty miles from Budnapoor,
and about forty from Moongy Puttun, it would be more
convenient to me to send the guns to the former than to the
latter.
' But, under present circumstances, it would not answer
for me to be delayed by having any detachment out.
< Surely the battalion had better be directed to come to
me for the guns ; and you might send some of your horse for
the articles you expect to find at Moongy Puttun.
* You have not told me what your monthly expenses are.
Enquire from Salabut Khan whether he can give you 12
.pound shot,, as well as 18 pound.
* Believe me, &c.
.' Colonel Stevenson." ' ARTHUB WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
/MY DEAR COLONEL, * Camp at Kurcah, 7th September, 1803.
' Since I wrote to you this morning, I have received your
letter (without a date, but which I understand left your camp
yesterday morning.)
' Scindiah and Ragojee Bhoonslah left their camp in the
neighbourhood of Purtoor last night, as soon as they heard
of my arrival, and went to a place called Sindkerah, supposed
to be to the northward and eastward of Jaulna, distant
about nine coss. They have a body of horse, however, at
Jaulna.
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 287
' It appears to me that they press upon your corps too
closely ; and I am much afraid that you will find them incon-
venient neighbours, unless you force them to keep at a greater
distance. I am very anxious, therefore, that you should move
out of your camp, and give them an alert ; and,, to tell you the
truth, I am of opinion that if you do not take this step, you
will be attacked in your camp.
' The Mogul horse do not appear very active ; otherwise
they ought certainly to keep the pindarries at a greater dis-
tance. I wish you would move out to attack those at Jaulna.
It is almost immaterial whether you find them or not. If you
do, you will beat them ; if you do not, they will see that
they cannot lay so close to you.
' If you think that you are not so strong as you would wish,
let me know it, and I will go to your assistance ; but if you
are sufficiently strong, I am desirous to remain in this quarter,
to cover the advance of Major Hill, with money and a large
convoy of bullocks, and to check the operations of the enemy
towards Hyderabad. However, I consider it to be so import-
ant that the enemy should be kept at a distance from you, that
if you require my assistance to attack them, I will sacrifice
every thing else to that object.
f Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
( SIR, ' Camp at Kureah, 8th September, 1803.
' I enclose a letter for Lord Clive, which contains a copy
of my dispatch of this date to the Governor General. It has
no news which I have not before written to you, excepting
that of the fall of Baroach, and of the enemy returning to the
northward of Jalnapoor. They appear to be much afraid of
this division, and very little so of Colonel Stevenson's. They
will not allow me to come within 40 miles of them, and I have
not yet seen one pindarry. They have been very near to
Colonel Stevenson, and their pindarries very troublesome to
him. It is fortunate that they have chosen his division, as he
is better supplied with brinjarries than I am, and depends less
upon the country. But I imagine that the Soubah's horse,
although very fine, are inactive, and difficult to be moved out
288 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
of camp ; whereas, I believe the few Marhattas I have are, or
have the reputation of being, very active.
' I am sorry to tell you, also, that it is reported and gene-
rally believed in the enemy's camp, that the Soubalfs horse
are not true to the cause, or to be depended upon by us. I
think this may be one cause of their giving Colonel Stevenson
so much trouble. I have apprized him of the report, and
have desired him to bring the matter speedily to a test, if he
can.
6 It is impossible for troops to be in better order than those
under my command. My marches are made at the rate of
3 miles in an hour ; and a few days ago I marched 22^
miles in 7J hours ; and I want only to be joined by Major
Hill's and Lieut. Griffiths'* companies. These, I hope, are
now at no great distance from the fort of Dharore, to which I
have ordered them.
• I have preferred to return with my division to the north-
ward of the Gadavery, in case of the march of the enemy upon
Hyderabad, to bringing up General Campbell ; because it is
possible that Holkar may come across the Taptee, and pass
the force at Poonab, and, in communication with the Putwur-
duns, invade the territories of the Company or of the Rajah of
Mysore, which in that case would be exposed without defence.
' The invasion of Berar by Colonel Stevenson may possibly
bring back the Rajah. I say possibly, because the principle
and cause of the war are the fact that the countries of the con-
federated Marhattas are in such a state that they are not worth
having ; and that the Rajah of Berar has forced it on, because
he saw clearly that if the armies of Scindiah and Holkar did
not subsist in the Nizam's territories during the next season,
they must have subsisted in his. If the Rajah of Berar
should be induced to go back to defend his capital, Scindiah
will not remain alone in the Nizam's territories. He has but
few horse, and they are very bad, and he will follow the Rajah.
In that case Holkar may remain neutral.
' But if they should persevere in their advance upon Hyder-
abad, notwithstanding the invasion of Berar, we must expect
and provide for an attack upon the Company's territories ; and
I see no way of doing that, excepting to leave General Camp-
bell's corps applicable to that service. I shall have at Poonah
a sufficient force for its defence. The Peshwah's country will
J>e overrun, it is true,b ut it cannot be worse than it is ; and as
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS TI13! CONFEDERATES. 289
Holkar would hurry through it if he should come, he would
not be able to do it a material injury.
( If, instead of this course of operation, I were to make a
requisition upon General Campbell to come to the assistance of
Hyderabad, I should be obliged to go down to the southward
with Holkar ; I could not expect to move as fast as he would,
and the country would be exposed, at all events, till my
arrival. In this hypothesis I have not considered the Putwur-
duns. If they should enter into the confederacy, the Com-
pany's territories would be exposed to their attacks, from the
moment that General Campbell should commence his march to
Hyderabad, till I could reach them.
' Upon the whole, I think I have determined upon what is
best for the general good. It may happen that Holkar will
come into the Nizam's territories, and that the whole will be
exposed to me alone. In that case I shall require some of
General Campbell's cavalry, and possibly a battalion to give
additional security to Hyderabad. But I shall not take a
man from him that I do not absolutely require.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY,
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
4 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 8th September, 1803.
' There are very strong reports in Scindiah's camp, of the
existence of treachery among the Soubah's sirdars ; particu-
larly that Sookroodoor is not true to our cause. In conse-
quence of the existence of this treachery, the conversation
respecting an attack upon you is very general.
6 It may be true or false that the Soubah's servants are
treacherous, or that the enemy intend to attack you ; but I
have no doubt whatever of the existence of the reports or of
the conversations, which I have above mentioned.
4 The best remedy for this will be to adopt the measure
which I recommended to you in my letter of yesterday.
' Believe me, &c.
* Colonel Stevenson" ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
VOL, III.
290 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 9th September, 1803.
' I received your letter of the 7th this morning, and I am
glad to find that you have given the enemy an alert. One of
my hircarrahs reported the matter to me last night, and said
that you had repeated the attack on the evening of the 7th.
' I can give you no assistance in arrack. I have many
Europeans, and but little conveyance for that article, and
scarcely any now in camp ; so that you must wait for your
own supplies.
6 Upon considering the state of the ordnance and ammuni-
tion with both divisions, I have determined not to send you
my guns. I have only 1350 shot ; you have 300, and a field
equipment for your 12 pounders, which I suppose to be 100
for each, making in the whole 2050 shot. If you had no
equipment whatever for your 18 pounders, my 12 pounders
would be necessary for battering ; but as it is, you will have
a breaching battery of two 18 pounders, and one 12 pounder,
tolerably supplied with ammunition, which is certainly better
than four 12 pounders. The only advantage, then, that you
would derive from getting my guns, would be, that you would
have iron guns instead of brass for your enfilade. This
advantage is not of importance ; and when compared with the
additional weight which it will throw upon you, and with the
inconvenience which it may be to me to part with the guns,
which I cannot replace, although I can the ammunition, it may
not be deemed one : I have therefore determined to keep the
guns.
' I send you, however, some ammunition, together with one
lac of pagodas. The convoy leaves camp this evening, to
meet Captain Maitland's battalion, either at Rackisbaum or
Moongy Puttun.
' Colebrook goes with it. I do not think that it will be
necessary for you to be in a hurry to march upon this expe-
dition. You had better wait till you are joined by your
arrack, and every thing you want.
' If you used your 18 pounders at Jalnapoor, you might be
able to pick the shot out of the breached wall. 1 was obliged
to do this at Ahmednuggur; otherwise I should not have had
even the equipment that I have at present, as the stores were in
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 291
confusion and concealed in extraordinary places, and could not
be readily found.
6 Lieut. Palmer has not joined me ; when he comes he shall
be sent to join his company.
' Repeat your attacks upon the pindarries ; they must not
be allowed to remain near your camp.
' Believe me, &c.
« Colonel Stevenson: * ARTHUR WELLESLEV.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
( MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 12th September, 1803.
' I find that the enemy have moved off from Jaulna, and
are now to the northward of Budnapoor. Some of my light
troops fell in with some of theirs on the night before last ; in
consequence of which I imagine that they found out my in-
tended march and went off. I doubt, however, whether
my movement will have been of any benefit to you, as they
appear equally near to you, only to the northward.
* The doubt expressed in the latter part of your letter of
yesterday has annoyed me a good deal, as I am afraid that it
will oblige me to alter my plan, at least till we shall have
brought the enemy to an action. The fact is, if you are not
sufficiently strong for them, when they have neither their
infantry nor their guns, and when they have not been joined
by Holkar, I cannot expect that you will be able to undertake
a siege while they can keep the field against you.
' It is true that your movement towards the territories of
the Rajah of Berar will create a diversion in favor of those
of the Soubah of the Deccan ; but if you are not strong
enough it may be one which will cost us an army. I wish
to have your sentiments upon this subject.
1 Believe me, &c.
• Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
6 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 13th September, 1803.
c It is very true that it is unfortunate that we should be
obliged to look after our convoys and supplies, instead of fol-
lowing up the enemy ; but so it is. However, I expect im-
mediately to be joined by Major Hill, with money ; and when
* 2
ADVANCK TOWAKDH TUT. < < > M I D I It \ I I
lli:it shall iirrivc, I do not rare how far I go to tin- northward.
I shall lake my chance for the dry grains.
' The enemy have not yet. got tip all their guns, and are
badly supplied with ealtle. I do not think that it is to be
regretted that they have brought, them up, UK it gives US a
better cliancr of coming up with them, and of bringing affairs
to a decision .
4 I recommend that you should not (all back. Let Captain
Mail land collect your supplies and bring them up to you. I
have made an arrangement of this kind for those which I shall
receive hereafter.
' Ilclicvc me, &c.
' Culonal Stevenvon: ' ARTHUR WK.LI.KSI.KY.
di'iii-inl, //If lion. A. /r/7/rv//y/ In Major < Inn-nil. f'<u>i/>/><'//,
Cuiiiiiniiiiltii" Ihr AV.sr/vv <// Muodgul.
1 DIAU SIK, ' Camp, Mill S.-plniilMT, IHO:{.
' 1 have but little intelligence to give you from this (jiiarler
Scindiah and (lie Kajah of llerar are within the Ni/am's ter-
ritories, and at first manifested an intention to cross the (<oda-
very, which river is ford able every where. I marched down,
bowever, to that river from Aurungabad and stopped ilu-m;
and they have returned to the northward, and are at no ^real
distance from the Adjuntee (ihaut, by which they entered
the country.
' They liavc kept at a very ^real distance from me, but have
approached Colonel Stevenson, and the pindarries have been
troublesome to him. lint he has had opportunities of attack
ing their camps twice in the niidit with some edect . It is said
that they are bringing up their infantry, and we may have a
chance of striking an important blow. I hope that the (ioda
very will soon rise a«;aiii.
' I have received civil answers from the chiefs of the- I'ut-
w in-dim family and IMadhoo Uao I last la to my letters, in which
I informed them of the war, and of the circumstances which
led to it. They all say that, they hope to be considered M
friends, bin they are not to be trusted. I therefore recom-
mend that you should keep a strict watch upon them. Madhoo
Itao Kasha mentions in his letter, that be is going to levy the
usual tribute from the Solapoor poligar ; and as this operation
is likely to keep him and the poligar employed, it is better not
to interfere in it at all.
1803. ADV VNCK TOWARDS TIIK CONFl! [> 1 1 KA T I'.S .
' I Can.easily Stir up thc<]uarrel between the Kolapoor l\ajah
and the I'utwiirdiiiis, if either parly should manifest an incli-
nation to interfere in the war. I hope, therefore, that I may
look to the northward only for our enemies.
* Helicve me, &C.
' M,,jnr (irnrrul CnmjMi: ' A HTM nil VV l<:i.l.Ksu<: v.
Major (It'iii'rnl lli>- Hon. A. II illi'slry t,o Lit'nl. (,'ft/rni/ Stuart.
Commander in Chief .
< SIK, ' Camp, 151h September, 18o;i.
' Matters remain nearly as they were when I wrote to you
last. I hear that the enemy are bringing (heir infantry up
fheghaul, and I am waiting only for Major Hill, to move upon
them.
' Colonel Stevenson made two attempts upon their camps at
night, by which they have l>een miie.li alarmed ; but they still
remain in the neighbourhood of his camp in the daytime.
Some of the pindarries have also appeared in my neighbour-
hood, but. they haver done us but little mischief.
' The Ni/anTs horse are very useless, which annoys me a
good deal, and creates a doubt of the propriety of sending
Colonel Stevenson on the proposed expedition into Uerar ; at
least till we shall have beaten the enemy in the field. If they
were all to follow Colonel Stevenson into Uerar, we should
effectually relieve the Ni/am's territories ; but we might meet
with a misfortune, of which ihere could not be a chance if the
cavalry were worth any thing.
' They arc bringing their infantry up the ghauts, in what
numbers I do not know.
4 I lolkar's army is in the neighbourhood <>f the river Taptee,
but. he is ^one to Myhissur on account of some feast. It ap-
pears to be generally doubted now whether he will join the
other confederates.
4 I enclose you the copy of a letter which I have received
from Colonel Harness, which will show you his opinion of
Colonel Griffin. It relates to a complaint which Colonel Griffin
sent to me of Colonel Harness, for having given orders that
the corps under his command should parade regularly.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WKLLUSLKY.
ADVANCI. -loWAKI)-; I ill: ( ONI ••!••.]) KHATKS.
Major Gmr.ml Uu; lion. A. Wuiledt'.y to Major Malcolm.
< MY DKAR MALCOLM, 4 Camp, 15th September, 1803.
' It occurs to me that it might he po:,.-,ible to make sonic
arrangement with Canojec in (iu/crat. I wish that you would
turn your mind to that subject, and sec if something cannot he
done to relieve1 our troops in that country from a domestic war.
If we cannot succeed in doing so, we really lose by our situa-
tion in Guzcrat all the advantage which we should gain by
having the troops, now employed in that country, employed in
an offensive operation against the enemy in another quarter.
4 We might possibly gain over Canojee by giving him a pen-
sion out of the Baroaeh lands, or those about Powanghur. I
would give him neither land nor fort.
• If we could do that, and bring Colonel Murray upon
Ougein, we should soon put an end to the war. It is really
worth trial.
' The Nitfanf s troops behave so ill, and the enemy appear
to be so little afraid of Colonel Stevenson's corps, that I almost
doubt of the propriety of sending him into Ifcrar. However,
they are now bringing up their infantry ; in consequence of
which, we may have an opportunity of striking a blow before
it will be necessary to detach him.
' Relieve me, &c.
' Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WKLLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary nf
Government, limn I mi/.
< SIR, ' Camp, 16th September, 18<»:<.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the £th of
September, enclosing an extract of one from the Military Hoard,
upon the subject of Captain Mackay's accounts. I shall be
obliged to you if you will forward to me the objections made
by the Auditor to Captain Mackay's accounts, in order that I
may sec them rectified according to the regulations of govern-
ment.
f If, however, the objection to these accounts is the want of
a muster roll of the drivers of the cattle, I have to tell you,
that I Tear it is impossible to furnish it, as prescribed by the
regulations. Of all the drivers sent from Bombay, who marched
from Foonah with this division of the army, and have joined it
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS Till: CONFEDERATES. 295
since, I believe not one remains at this moment. It has more
than once happened that soubahdars and mueadums, and be-
tween (JO and 100 drivers, have descried in one ni^ht ; and
there is scarcely a night in which nine or ten do not desert.
They have been replaced regularly, by hiring other persons
from the country, or from the bazaar in camp. Hut it must
be obvious that it would not be possible to make out a muster
roll in which the names of all these casualties could be entered ;
and to send a muster roll containing the names of a certain
number of soubahdars, mucadums, and drivers, would be
only deceiving government, and would answer none of the
purposes expected to be derived from the detailed muster roll
containing the names of the drivers.
( The same facts and reasoning apply to every description of
public followers received from Bombay. The dooly bearers
with the 78th regiment have been frequently replaced.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
• The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEV.
Major General the Hon. A. Welledey to Colonel Stevenson.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, ICth September, 1803.
' I have received your letters of the 13th and 15th. I re-
joice to find that you approve of the conduct of Captain
Dickson. He has been particularly recommended to me, and
I have more than once had opportunities of forwarding his
views in the service.
• I doubt, however, whether you will derive any advantage
from the appointment which you propose to give him, at all
adequate to its expense. I rather believe that your Quarter
M alters have 1000 bullocks for each regiment, and if that is
the case, the system is a better one than that proposed. If you
wish to increase the quantity of gram to be carried with your
cavalry, the best way of doing it would be to increase the num-
ber of bullocks attached to the regiments under the Quarter
Masters. By this mode you will have the advantage of hav-
ing two purchasers instead of one, which is not small.
* I have here a Deputy Gram Agent General. My corps
of cavalry, which in point of number of horses does not, I be-
lieve, exceed yours, has cost in some months 50,000 pagodas.
The Quarter Masters have a bullock for each horse, and the
296 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
Gram Agent General has a large number besides ; and the state
of my gram in camp, at this moment, is seven days' feed.
Besides this, there is the old scramble between the Gram Agent
General and the bazaar, for every grain brought into camp.
' So much for the Gram Agent General system, which is
certainly the most expensive, and, I believe, will turn out the
most inefficient of any that has yet been introduced into the
cavalry. I therefore strongly recommend, upon public grounds,
that you should not adopt it. I am glad to find that your
supplies are coming on. By the by, the Nizam's sirdars have
complained at Hyderabad, that their brinjarries are taken from
them. How does this matter stand ? The minister says that
they ought to have 20,000.
' I have been scrupulously exact upon this subject, and have
not allowed a single dealer to sell in my camp who did not be-
long to me.
' Believe me, &c.
4 Colonel Stevenson.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm.
« MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, 16th September, 1803.
6 It will not answer at present to have Bombay troops at
Poonah. The decision upon this question must be deferred
till we see in what state the war leaves us.
' Reports of hircarrahs sent round from Surat, give reason
to believe that Holkar has already connected himself with
Canojee Rao ; and the plan suggested in my letter of yesterday
will, therefore, most probably fail. Colonel Stevenson sent me
a report yesterday, that Holkar had crossed the Nerbudda,
near Myhissur, five days ago, in consequence of an alarm he
had taken upon the advance of a British army from the north-
ward. I do not know what to make of this story. The enemy
are quiet to the northward. We are all in tranquillity in this
quarter. But I propose to disturb this general tranquillity in
a day or two, as soon as I shall be joined by Hill.
6 I think that Major Walker's attempt to seize Futty Sing
Guickwar, without paying the promised ransom, is likely to
cause an irruption into the Attavesy by Kulley Khan and the
other blackguards who are hanging about the ghauts. I do
not approve of this attempt. The money ought certainly to
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 297
be first paid. If we lose our character for truth and good
faith, we shall have but little to stand upon in this country.
( Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm.' ' ARTHUR WEL LESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
( MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Goondy, 17th September, 1803.
' In my letter of yesterday, in which I proposed that you
should send to my camp for money and heavy artillery, if you
should want them for the expedition into Berar, I omitted to
tell you where the detachment coming for these articles would
find me.
6 I am still encamped upon the Godavery, and am marching
to the eastward. I am this day at Goondy, at the junction of
the Godavery and Galatty ; and purpose to move on daily to the
eastward, till the enemy shall cross the river, when I shall cross
likewise. It is obvious that I cannot tell you at what place.
But if you direct the march of the detachment from your corps
on this place, or on Ramesgaum on the Godavery, it will cer-
tainly find me. Let me know by what route your detachment
will march.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson.' < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Hon. Henry Wellesley.
' Camp, 20 miles north of the river Godavery,
i MY DEAR HENRY, 17th September, 1803.
' I have not written to you since I was at Poonah, in the
month of May, because, in fact, till I took Ahmednuggur in
the last month, I had nothing to tell you at all deserving your
attention. As you will see the Governor General's dispatches,
it is useless to enter much into detail of the course of events
which ended in Colonel Collins's withdrawing from Scindiah's
camp in the beginning of August. But I shall give you an
outline of them.
4 When I wrote to you in May, Holkar had withdrawn
from Aurungabad, in compliance with my request ; he drew
off gradually to the northward, crossed the river Taptee in the
beginning of June, when it filled, and was a sufficient barrier
between his army and Scindiah's ; and he has remained between
the rivers Nerbudda and Taptee ever since, having detached
298 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
across the Nerbudda and Taptee the troops which were neces-
sary to take possession of the territories belonging to his family.
' Scindiah marched from Burhampoor on the Taptee in the
beginning of May, and he joined the Rajah of Berar towards
the end of that month, at Mulkapoor, a place not far from
the Nizam's frontier, about forty miles south of the Taptee.
The object of the junction of the armies of those chiefs, as de-
clared by their friends and adherents in all parts of India, and
by the ministers at the Nizam's durbar, was to attack the
British Government and its allies. But it was first necessary
to reconcile the differences existing between Holkar and
Scindiah; and in order to obtain time to effect this object,
it was necessary to conceal their hostile intentions, by pacific
and amicable declarations, and by every species of dissimula-
tion, at the same time that large armies were assembled in the
neighbourhood of the frontier of our ally the Nizam.
* In the end of May, Colonel Collins received the Governor
General's order to demand an explanation of the views and
intentions of Scindiah in assembling his army and joining with
the Rajah of Berar, in the neighbourhood of the Nizam's
frontier ; and to require him to retire with his troops across
the Nerbudda, if his intentions were pacific. At first Scindiah
told him that it was doubtful whether there would be peace or
war ; afterwards he and the Rajah of Berar found it probable
that Collins would quit Scindiah's camp, and that we should
attack them, at a season in which they could not escape, and
before they should have made their peace with Holkar ; and
they wrote a letter to the Governor General, on the 8th of
July, in which they declared they had no intentions to attack
the British Government or their allies, or to impede the treaty
of Bassein, provided the British Government did not interfere
with their treaties with the Peshwah.
* The object of this letter was to gain six weeks' more time ;
they imagined that it would have been referred to the Governor
General, and that that time would have elapsed before his
answers could have arrived. In the mean time, however, I
received full powers and instructions from the Governor Ge-
neral to bring the negotiation to a conclusion. I wrote letters
to Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar, in which I pointed out to
those Chiefs the necessity there was that they should withdraw
their armies from the neighbourhood of the Nizam's frontier,
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES 299
if they were sincere in their pacific declarations, contained in
their letter to the Governor General of the 8th of July ; and I
promised that I would withdraw the British troops, as soon as
1 should find that they had commenced to withdraw their
troops. In answer to this letter, after much delay and evasion,
they made an impudent proposition that I should withdraw
first, and fix the day on which the British troops should arrive
at Seringapatam, Madras, and Bombay ; and they promised
that they would arrive at Burhampoor, forty miles from their
stations, on the same day. I then commenced hostilities.
' Their object throughout the negotiation was to gain time to
negotiate the peace between Scindiah and Holkar, and to pass
over the rainy season, which was the least favorable for the
commencement of their operations. Our object ought to have
been to press them to a decision, whether they would retire
or not, at a period when they had not had time to make peace
with Holkar, and in the commencement of the rainy season,
in the course of which we should have made ourselves masters
of almost all their valuable posts. A perusal of the corre-
spondence will show you which party succeeded best in the
negotiation, and I now proceed to give you an account of our
military operations.
' On the 4th of June, I marched from Poonah towards
the Nizam's frontier; on the same day Colonel Stevenson
crossed the Godavery, and proceeded towards Aurungabad.
I remained on the Nizam's frontier, south of the Godavery,
waiting the result of Colonel Collins' s negotiations, till the
beginning of August. On the 8th I attacked and carried by
storm the pettah of Dowlut Rao Scindiah 's fort of Ahmed-
nuggur. On the 9th, at night, I broke ground before the
fort, and on the 12th got possession of it by capitulation.
This is a place of great note, had been frequently attacked,
but never taken. It is, in fact, the strongest country fort I
have ever seen, excepting Vellore in the Carnatic, has an ex-
cellent ditch, and cannot be surprised. It covers Poonah and
the Nizam's western frontier south of the Godavery : the pos-
session of it gives us an excellent depot, cuts Scindiah off from
all connexion with the southern chiefs, and has given us
all his territories south of the Godavery. Colonel Stevenson
prevented Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar from entering the
Nizam's territories till the 24th of August ; they entered on
300 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
that day, however, with large bodies of horse, and marched to
the south eastward, apparently with an intention of crossing
the Godavery, and of proceeding towards Hyderabad. I
crossed the Godavery on the 24th, after taking possession of
the Ahmednuggur territories, and stopped their progress to the
southward ; and since that they have retired gradually towards
the ghauts by which they entered. They have kept at a dis-
tance from me, but Colonel Stevenson has had two or three
skirmishes with them. I shall move forward to attack them
in a day or two, as soon as I have been joined by my supplies
of money and provisions coming from the southward.
1 The troops in Guzerat took the fort of Baroach, on the
29th of August. A detachment marched against Cuttack from
Ganjam on the 1st of September ; and General Lake was likely
to attack Mons. Perron, at Coel, about the end of August.
* I have made a treaty with Amrut Rao, by which I have
engaged that he shall have seven lacs of rupees per annum from
the Peshwah, provided he joins me. I also think it possible
that Holkar will not join the other confederates, as it is cer-
tain that he has no confidence in Scindiah ; and since he has
known that Colonel Collins has withdrawn from Scindiah's
camp, he has sent for an agent of mine, who had been waiting
in Amrut Rao's camp for passports to go to him. This man
had not joined him a week ago. None of his troops had
joined Scindiah or the Rajah of Berar. I have not with me
any of the great southern Marhatta chiefs, and only about
4000 of the Peshwah's troops, under two sirdars of no very
great note. But the greater chiefs are neutral in the contest,
and if we continue to be as successful as we have been hitherto,
they will continue neutral, if they do not join me. Every
thing in my rear is in tranquillity. Indeed, the loss of Ahmed-
nuggur has cut Scindiah off from the Deccan, and has entirely
altered his relations with the southern chiefs.
' The weakness of the Peshwah's character, and of his go-
vernment, are partly the causes through which I have not been
supported by the southern chiefs. But I think I may attribute
the want of their services in some degree also to their desire to
see which party will be the strongest, before they join either.
They have a high idea of Scindiah's strength, and they will
hardly believe that we are equal to him. If they should remain
quiet, if General Lake should be tolerably successful, or if 1
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS TFIE CONFEDERATES. 301
can bring the enemy opposed to me to a general action, the
war will be of short duration.
* The rains have been very severe, and I have lost large
numbers of cattle ; but I am well equipped at present, and
the troops are in high health and spirits.
* Ever yours, &c,
' The Hon. Henry Wellesley: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
< MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 19th September, 1803.
' Major Hill is arrived with my money, &c., and I intend
to make a movement to the northward to-morrow. I shall
encamp at Golah Pangree on the Doodna. I shall continue
my march to the northward on the following day ; but I can-
not yet say whether I shall pass to the eastward or westward
of Jaulna.
' On the 21st you might begin to move upon the enemy,
and push them towards Adjuntee, while I march towards
the eastern passes of Badowly and Laakenwarra, by Jaffier-
abad. If 1 should find that they collect to the westward,
about the Adjuntee pass, 1 shall go nearer to you. If they
move towards the latter passes, you might approach me.
' We must take care that they do not pass to the southward
between us.
' It is said that Holkar's troops will enter the Nizam's ter-
ritories by the Casserbarry Ghaut, which, during this move-
ment, will be on our left and rear. But provided there is a
good garrison in Moongy Puttun, that is of little consequence.
4 Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
( SIR, ' Camp, 19th September, 1803.
' Major Hill arrived yesterday, and has brought 2405
bullocks, of which 2277 are serviceable, and 128 unserviceable-
I have not yet got an account of the brinjarries with him ; but
those which left your camp with Lieut. Griffiths joined him,
and I believe that altogether he has about 2800.
' Lieut. Griffiths brought 2887 serviceable bullocks, and
302 ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 1803.
57 unserviceable. 138 cows are included in the serviceable.
I shall send off two corps to Poonah to-morrow.
* The enemy have kept to the northward, in the neighbour-
hood of the Adjuntee pass. I have not got a clear account of
their infantry, but I believe it is above the ghauts. I shall
march towards them to-morrow ; and Colonel Stevenson and I
will move upon them in separate divisions, in hopes either to
bring them to an action, or to drive them out of the country.
' I have got plenty of provisions for the fighting men, and
have made arrangements for having dry grains for the fol-
lowers, horses, and cattle. The Nizam's country is fertile,
and I hope that I may succeed. But it is but little better
than an enemy's country. We get every thing with the greatest
difficulty, and the magazines which, by treaty, ought to be
full, are, I believe, empty. At all events they will not allow
us to see them, much less to have the use of them.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
' MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp, 21st September, 1803,
e I am happy to hear of Lieut. Lister's success, as reported
in your letter of the 18th.
' You must urge Hyder Khan to make haste and raise his
horse, and as soon as they are raised they must keep the
country quiet in the neighbourhood of Nimgaum. It will not
answer to have the Company's troops in a place of that kind
hereafter, particularly if there is any probability of being
attacked with cannon.
' The killadar of Ahmednuggur is in Scindiah's camp, and
not at Haskin. But at all events that fort is too strong for
us at present, and I want the troops and guns to escort grain
from Ahmednuggur to the Godavery, as you will hear from
Captain Lucas.
4 I do not believe that Haskin belongs to the Company, but
to the Nizam. If that be the case we ought not to meddle
with it ; but keep the people who are in the place in check, by
means of Hyder Khan's cavalry.
' Believe me, &c.
' Captain Graham.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. ADVANCE TOWARDS THE CONFEDERATES. 303
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
( gIR> « Camp at Saalgaum, 21st September, 1803.
* 1. I have perused the papers sent from the Resident,
enclosed with your letter of the 14th instant, and I beg leave
to offer the following suggestions upon the subject of Futty
Sing llao and his mother, to which they relate. They may
be of service, if not received at too late a period. If the
question should be decided before this letter should be received,
they will not be worthy the consideration of the Honorable
the Governor in Council.
' 2. It is my decided opinion, that the offer of Futty Sing
Rao and his mother to come to Baroda, provided a ransom is
paid for their release, is sincere. I formed this opinion upon
the fact that they have entered the Company's territories
attended but by a small party of horse. If their intentions
were hostile, or if they had any intention excepting that of
being released from the hands of the Patans, they would have
brought with them a much larger body of troops ; and the
conduct of this body of troops would have been very different
from that observed by those troops at present with Futty
Sing Rao.
4 3. Upon a perusal of the papers transmitted by Major
Walker, I do not see the slightest ground for a belief that
the intentions of Futty Sing and his mother are different from
those which they have declared that they entertain.
* 4. But whether it be true or not, that Futty Sing Rao
and his mother have evil intentions, in my opinion, it is neces-
sary first to determine whether it is worth fifty thousand
rupees to have possession of their persons. If that should be
determined in the negative, those persons and the Patans
ought to be desired forthwith to withdraw from the Company's
territories ; and they ought to be driven out, if they should
refuse to comply with this desire.
' 5. If it should be determined that the ransom ought to
be paid, respecting which, in my opinion, there can be no
doubt, the money ought to be prepared without loss of time,
and sent in charge of a sufficient body of troops to meet the
Patans. Futty Sing Rao and his mother should then be
called upon to deliver themselves over to the British troops,
304 BATTLE OF ASSYE. 1803.
and the money ought to be paid upon their arrival in the
British camp. If they should decline to deliver themselves
over, or there should be any difficulties on the part of the
Patans, or they should refuse to retire after having delivered
over the persons of Futty Sing Rao and his mother, they
ought to be attacked and driven out.
' 6. In my opinion, however, every attempt to procure the
release of Futty Sing Rao and his mother, without paying the
demanded ransom, or after paying a part of it, is inconsistent
with the scrupulous good faith which ought to direct all our
transactions with the natives. It is true that the Guickwar
government did not consent in terms to pay the fifty thousand
rupees for the release of Futty Sing Rao and his mother : but
when that ransom was demanded, and the government were
informed that these persons were coming down the ghauts with
five hundred Patans, and the government admitted them into
the country, they virtually consented to pay the ransom for
which they came ; and every attempt to get possession of the
persons of Futty Sing Rao and his mother, without paying
any ransom, or after paying only a part, is a direct breach of
faith. If the government did not intend to pay the ransom,
they ought not to have admitted the Patans into the country.
6 7. While writing upon this subject, I cannot avoid express-
ing my approbation of the prudent conduct of Lieut. Colonel
Watson at Barreah.
1 I have the honor to be, &c.
« The Sec. o/Gov. Bombay.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
• SIR, ' Camp at Assye, 24th September, 1803.
' I marched on the 20th from the ground which I had oc-
cupied in the neighbourhood, waiting for the junction of Major
Hill ; and on the 21st I was near to, and had a conference with,
Colonel Stevenson, in which I arranged that we should attack
the enemy this day. But on my arrival on my ground yester-
day, I received accounts that the enemy's cavalry had marched
off, that their infantry were preparing to follow, and that
the latter were only six miles from my proposed camp.
' It was so important to our interests at this moment to strike
a blow, that I thought there was no time to be lost : accord-
1803. ASSYE, 305
ingly, I determined to march on to attack them, and I sent
notice of this determination to Colonel Stevenson.
' I found the whole army encamped, and made my arrange-
ments to attack their infantry, which was upon their left flank.
The fire from their cannon was the hottest that has been known
in this country, and we lost a great number of officers and men
in advancing to the attack ; Colonel Maxwell, among others,
killed. At length we drove them off, and have taken about
60 pieces of cannon, nearly all brass, of the largest calibres.
Their infantry, of which there were three campoos, fought
well, and stood by their guns to the last. Their execution,
however, was principally by their cannon. Colonel Wallace,
Colonel Harness, and 1 had horses killed under us. I lost two
horses, one shot and the' other piked ; and the staff officers
have lost one or two each.
' I believe the enemy did not get away more than two guns,
and I am doubtful whether they even have that number, as the
number that we have taken agrees with that which my hir-
carrahs have reported that they had previous to the action.
' Their cavalry did us but little mischief. A body made an
attempt to charge the 74th, and were cut up by the 19th dra-
goons. As soon as I can get accurate accounts of the killed
and wounded, I shall send you all the details of the action.
* I have the honor to be, &c..
' Lieut. General Stuart: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
4 SIR, 'Camp, 25lh September, 1803.
' You will readily believe that I have much to do at present,
and therefore I hope you will pardon the liberty I take in
sending you the copy of my report to the Governor General,
containing the details of the action of the 23rd, instead of
writing a particular one through the Adjutant General of the
Army. The wounded are, in general, doing well. Many sol-
diers will, I am afraid, be disabled; but, on the other hand,
many will immediately be again fit for service.
' I have appointed Captain Young to Captain Mackay's
office ; and I propose to appoint Major Robertson to Captain
Young's. In the mean time, I shall put some steady officer
in charge of Major Robertson's department. I shall be much
VOL. in. x
306 ASSYE. 1803.
obliged to you if you will desire Major Robertson to join me
as soon as he can.
' I hope I shall be able to purchase horses to re-mount the
cavalry.
e Colonel Stevenson has joined me in order to assist in
placing my wounded and the captured ordnance in a place of
security.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
• Lieut. General Stuart. ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
6 PS I find that we have got 90 guns instead of 60, as I
imagined when I wrote to you yesterday : 67 of them are
brass, the remainder iron.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Griffin.
4 SIR, ' Camp at Assye, 26th September, 1803.
' Upon the receipt of this letter, I request you to detach
from under your orders, the 1st battalion 3rd regiment, and
ordnance and artillerymen attached to that Corps, including
the tumbril with the 6 pounder ammunition, and that you will
allow Captain Vesey to proceed according to instructions which
are enclosed.
' You are to proceed to Poonah with the 2nd battalion 18th
regiment, and the ordnance and artillerymen attached, accord-
ing to the orders which you have heretofore received.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Griffin: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Vesey.
<• SIR, ' Camp at Assye, 26th September, 1803.
' The corps under your command, with the ordnance and
artillerymen attached thereto, are to return to join the army.
* If this letter should reach you at Ahmednuggur, you will
take charge of a convoy which I ordered to march from thence
under charge of a detachment of the 2nd of the 3rd ; and you
will proceed with that convoy in the manner pointed out in the
instructions for the officer commanding it, which will be given
to you by the officer commanding at Ahmednuggur.
' You will also be joined by the companies of the 2nd of the
3rd, which I intend should hereafter form Captain Baynes's
detachment.
1803. ASSYE. 30?
* If this letter should reach you after you shall have passed
Ahmednuggur, you must return to that place without loss of
time. If the convoy should not have marched, you are to take
charge of it according to the instructions contained in the pre-
ceding paiagraph. If it has marched, you are to follow it,
and if you should overtake it, you are to take charge of it.
You are to leave at Ahmednuggur the guns attached to your
corps, as there will be guns with the detachment of the 2nd
of the 3rd, with the convoy which will be hereafter attached
to your corps.
* You will receive further orders at Goondy, on the Goda-
very.
1 I request you to indent for ten days' rice for your batta-
lion on the stores at Ahmednuggur, and to give your abstracts
and receive the pay of your battalion from the Paymaster at
that station.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Captain Vesey.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Officer Commanding
at Ahmednuggur.
4 SIR, ' Camp at Assye, 26th September, 1803.
( I beg you to peruse the enclosed letters, and deliver them
to Colonel Griffin, if he should have arrived at Ahmednuggur;
or send them after him with all expedition, if he should have
marched on to Poonah.
' If Colonel Griffin should be at Ahmednuggur, or should
not have reached that place when you receive this letter,
Captain Vesey, with his battalion, will take charge of the con-
voy which you were directed to send to Goondy on the
Godavery, under charge of a detachment of the 2nd battalion
of the 3rd. In that case, you are to detach three companies
of the 2nd of the 3rd from the garrison under your command,
which detachment will not return to Ahmednuggur for some
time.
' If Colonel Griffin should have passed Ahmednuggur, and
you should have reason to believe that Captain Vesey will be
able to return speedily, and the convoy should not have
marched, you will desire them to halt till Captain Vesey shall
return ; and you will dispatch them under his orders, with
three companies of the 2nd battalion of the 3rd regiment.
308 ASSYE. 1803,
e If the convoy should have marched, you will allow them
to proceed on their route ; but they will return to Ahmed-
nuggur, excepting three companies of the 2nd battalion of the
3rd, as soon as they shall be joined by Captain Vesey.
' The Mysore horse and peons, with treasure, are to pro-
ceed with the convoy under Captain Vesey 's command.
' I attacked the enemy's army with my division at this place,
on the 23rd, and defeated them, having taken ninety pieces of
cannon.
6 It is to be hoped, therefore, that the garrison under your
command wall be in security, notwithstanding this large per-
manent detachment from it.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Officer Commanding at « ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Ahmednuggur.
1 P.S. You will give Captain Vesey the instructions sent to
you for the conduct of the convoy. In case the convoy should
have marched before Captain Vesey shall return to Ahmed-
nuggur, he will send his guns into that place ; as upon refer-
ring to your instructions, I observe that you were ordered to
detach only three companies with the convoy, and the guns
might not return alone in safety.'
Memorandum in answer to Queries from Captain Marriott, at Mysore.
' Assye, 26th September, 1803.
' 1. It is my opinion that the pensions allotted to the Princes
ought to be continued to their families in the following man-
ner : —
' One half of the pension of each ought to be allotted to the
support of his mahal ; and this half ought to fall to the Com-
pany as soon as there should be no longer any woman in the
mahal to be supported ; in the same manner as the sum now
allotted to the support of Tippoo^s mahal will fall to the Com-
pany.
* Care ought to be taken that after the death of any of the
Princes, no woman should be introduced into his mahal. The
other half of the pension ought to be allotted to his children,
to be divided among them in equal proportions, according to
the Mussulmann law.
( The children ought to remain in the mahal to be supported
1803. ASSYE. 309
and educated at the expense of the Company, till fifteen years
of age ; at which period they ought to be removed from it, and
their share of the father's pension allotted to them, together
with a sum of money to set them out.
' 2. There ought to be no restriction whatever upon the
Princes to take as many women, either as wives or concubines,
as they may think proper. They cannot employ their money
in a more harmless way ; and the consideration of the future
expense of the support of a few more women, after their death,
is trifling.
' Let them marry whom they please. Their marriages with
Mussulmann families only create an additional number of de-
pendents and poor connexions, and additional modes of spend-
ing their money.
e 3. It would be very proper to adopt this proposition.
* 4. The Princesses ought not to be allowed to marry. A
Mussulman would found a pretension either to a large pension,
or even to the government of Mysore, upon his connexion with
one of Tippoo's daughters. It is as well to avoid this, and
therefore these ladies must continue in their present state.
They ought, however, to have any additional comfort or allow-
ance which can make them happy, and reconcile them to their
fate. I do not think the same objection will exist hereafter to
allowing the Princes to marry their daughters to whomsoever
they please.
'5. In respect to the women of the mahals of Hyder Ally
Khan and Tippoo Sultaun, I think that those of the higher
classes should have their shawls, and that the allowance recom-
mended by Captain Marriott should be extended to those who
have not hitherto received it.
' This indulgence will not be expensive ; and the whole esta-
blishment is so creditable to the Company's government, that
a small expense ought not to be suffered to operate in prevent-
ing it being made as complete as circumstances will permit,
and in reality a most comfortable provision for the objects of
it. Besides, the greater indulgence shown to the women in
the mahals at present, the more easy and comfortable will the
Princes feel under the notion of leaving their families behind
them under the care of the Company.
' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.'
310 ASSY*. Id03.
Major General tnc Hon. A. Wellealey to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
• SIR, ' Camp, 28th September, 1803.
* I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 16'th
instant, in which you have enclosed certain papers regarding
property captured at Baroach, upon which the Honorable the
Governor in Council has desired to receive any observations
that 1 may have to make.
' As the commanding officer of the troops employed at the
siege of Baroach acted upon that occasion under my imme-
diate orders, 1 consider that I have a claim to a proportion of
any benefit that may accrue to those troops from the capture of
that place. As a party in the case, therefore, my opinion can
have little weight, and I beg leave to decline giving it.
' The Governor General is the superior power in this
country on the part of the King and the Honorable Company ;
and 1 beg leave to recommend to the Honorable the Governor
in Council, that he should require from Lieut. Colonel Wood-
ington such further information regarding the property in
question as may appear to be necessary ; particularly whether
any steps had been taken by the enemy to secure it, or whether
it was in such a situation with respect to Baroach, as that it
could not be brought away by the British merchants, so long
as the fort remained in the hands of the enemy ; and that he
should then refer the case for the opinion of his Excellency.
6 In the mean time the property ought to be disposed of, in
such a manner as that the supposed owners, or the captors,
supposing that the law shall allow the Governor General to
give it to them, will not be losers.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
• The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley lo Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur,
' MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Assye, 28th September, 1803.
' I wish that the troops may not be sent out of the garrison
of Ahmednuggur, excepting in a case of emergency, such as if
one of the tannahs should be attacked by a force which your
horse are not equal to ; or if one of the convoys coming from
Poonah, or going to the army, should be pressed. Lieut.
1803. ASSYE. 31 I
Lister's retreat has not been very handsome, and might have
been fatal.
f The peace of your districts must be kept by your horse
and peons. Let the former be raised as soon as possible, and
you will then be secure. These rascals will be quiet enough,
now that we have settled their principals in this quarter.
6 Our victory has been very complete, and the enemy are all
gone to Burhampoor.
' Believe me, &c.
' Captain Graham: ^ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm.
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, 28th September, 1803.
' I return your letters, and send you a letter from Webbe.
* Our victory of the 23rd has been very complete. The
enemy lost 1200 men killed, and their wounded and dying are
on all parts of the road from hence to Adjuntee. They
marched yesterday morning from the bottom of the ghaut to-
wards Burhampoor ; and they had not then 200 infantry in
camp, and their cavalry is dispersed over the country. They
have plundered their own baggage and bazaars ; and the Bheels
in the ghaut have cut up vast numbers of them. Colonel
Stevenson is gone after them.
c I am tied by the heels by the necessity of sending away
my doolies with my wounded men. The Nizam's killadar
would not allow me to put the wounded into Dowlutabad ; and
the consequence will be, that I shall be obliged to send them to
Ahmednuggur, and wait a month for the return of the doolies ;
or to leave them in the almost open town of Aurungabad.
The Nizam's people have behaved very ill in every respect ;
there is nothing but counteraction on their part.
6 As the enemy have still several brigades undefeated, I
almost doubt the propriety of the expedition into Berar, by
one of our divisions only. Their infantry is the best I have
ever seen in India, excepting our own ; and they and their
equipments far surpass Tippoo's. I assure you that their fire
was so heavy, that I much doubted at one time whether I
should be able to prevail upon our troops to advance; and all
agree that the battle was the fiercest that has ever been seen in
India. Our troops behaved admirably : the sepoys astonished
me.
312 YE. 1803
* These circumstances, and the vast loss which I sustained,
make it clear that we ought not to attack them again, unless
we have something nearer an equality of numbers.
' However, the expedition into Berar may go on ; but I
must keep up with it, in order to cover the siege of Gawilghur ;
and that both our divisions may join, in case they should bring
down another corps of infantry.
* 1 have called back the 1st of the 3rd. Poonah is now in
no danger. I hope that you are getting well, and that I shall
soon see you. There are strong reports in the enemy's camp
that they are disposed to make peace.
' Believe me, &c.
' Captain Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon A. Welles-ley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
« SIR, ' Camp, 28th September, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 22nd
instant, with which you have enclosed the copy of one from
Major Walker, upon the subject of the mode in which he pro-
poses to take possession of, and manage the districts belonging
to Dowlut Rao Scindiah in Guzerat.
* That mode appears to me to be very judicious ; and I
am decidedly of opinion that it is of much more importance to
secure the tranquillity of the country, and its resources, for the
use of the troops in the field at this moment, by increasing
the sebundy, than to attempt to draw a large revenue from the
districts.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
4 The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Weilesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
1 SIR, ' Camp, 29th September, 1803.
* I have the honor to enclose a list of officers, whose horses
have been killed under them in the action of the 23rd Sep-
tember, exclusive of those of the cavalry, respecting whom
there is a regulation.
1 Upon this subject I have to observe, that Lord Cornwallis
paid the officers commanding brigades and regiments, and the
general, brigade, and regimental staff', for their horses when
lost in his battles ; and it appears reasonable that those
1803. ASSYE. 313
officers should be paid for their horses who were obliged to be
mounted under the regulations of the service, and who, indeed,
cannot otherwise do their duty.
' The case of Lieut. Fraser, of the 2nd of the 10th, is very
particular. The Adjutant of that corps was Adjutant of the
day, and on duty with the advanced piquets, with which he
lost his horse. Lieut. Fraser was officer of the day, and did
the duty of Adjutant with the battalion, according to the
rules of the service, and was mounted, and he lost his horse.
Upon the whole, considering the precedent in Lord Corn-
wallis's war, that, in fact, the rules of the service and their
duty require that certain officers should be mounted, as well
as those of the cavalry ; and that no body of troops, or of
officers, can deserve the favor of Government more than those
for their gallantry in this last action, I hope that you will be
so kind as to recommend that they may be paid for their lost
horses, in the same manner as the officers of the cavalry.
1 Our victory has been very complete. The enemy have
gone down the ghauts. The troops plundered their own
baggage and bazaar, and have dispersed in different directions.
They had twelve hundred men killed in the action ; and their
wounded and dying are in all parts of the country. We have
got seventy six brass guns, and have burst twenty six iron,
making, in all, one hundred and two. I believe their loss
amounts to one hundred and twenty, which they have left in
different parts of the road, and all their ammunition tumbrils.
' I really believe it was one of the most furious battles that
has ever been fought in this country.
' We have taken seven stands of colors, which I have sent
off to Ahmednuggur.
e I shall have to send seven hundred men to the hospital
which I must establish at Adjuntee, upon the extreme frontier,
as the Nizam's killadar of Dowlutabad will not admit one
sick or wounded into that place ; and I must either put them
into Adjuntee, or send them to Ahmednuggur, which will
delay my operations at least for a month.
' At the same time, to place the sick at Adjuntee is very
inconvenient. Colonel Stevenson, who is gone down the
Adjuntee Ghaut, says that it is a place of security ; but I am
much afraid that, if we should move to a distance from it, the
wounded may be exposed. But owing to the obstinacy of the
31-1 ASSYE. 1803.
killadar of Dowlutabad, I can do nothing better for them with-
out great inconvenience.
' I hope I shall be able to send some of the captured guns
to Ahmednuggur, as I have got a great number of the enemy's
bullocks. The carriages of a few are so much destroyed by
our shot, as to render it necessary to move them upon our
own to Adjuntee ; and carriages must be sent for them from
Ahmednuggur to bring them down.
6 I have bought some horses to remount the cavalry, and I
hope to get more. But considering that we want money, that
we have the campaign before us, and that six regiments are
to be supplied, I have written to Mr. Duncan to request that
he would give orders that four hundred horses might be pur-
chased and sent to Ahmednuggur.
' I have ordered the 1st of the 3rd to join the army, which
will make up my losses of native infantry. I wish I could
say as much for my Europeans. However, they are in gene-
ral doing well, and I hope still that some of them will be fit
for service.
' As the disabled men recover, whether natives or Euro-
peans, I intend to send them down to Bombay ; and to request
Mr. Duncan to send them to the coast of Coromandel by sea,
as opportunities may offer. I have already arranged to have
doolies sent from Bombay to receive them.
f I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Lieut. General Stuart: 'ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
' MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp, 2nd October, 1803.
* I am much distressed by the disaster which has happened
to Lieut. Morgan, the extent of which was not known when
Captain Fisher wrote to me on the 29th.
' The sepoys must not be employed upon these light troop
services ; they are entirely unfit for them, particularly the corps
at Ahmednuggur. I attribute this disaster to Lieut. Lister's
retreat ; and the consequence of another such will be, that we
shall entirely lose our credit, and shall never be able to put
our noses out of our garrison of Ahmednuggur without a
battalion of infantry.
4 I wish you would raise your horse, and keep the peace of
1803. ASS YE. 315
your district by means of them and your peons. If they are
beaten, it is of no consequence. If the sepoys are beaten,
although in such small bodies, we lose the opinion in our favor,
which is our principal hold in this country.
' I have been obliged to order three companies from Ahmed-
nuggur to escort the captured guns from Goondy, on the Go-
davery. It is necessary, therefore, that the company at Sieu-
gaurn should be called in, at least till the garrison is reinforced
from Poonah. I have sent orders accordingly to Captain
Lucas, and I beg you to take measures to reinforce Sieugaum
with peons as soon as possible. It is not necessary that the
company should wait till the peons shall arrive.
* Believe me, &c.
'Captain Graham: 'ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm.
' MY DEAII MALCOLM, * Camp, 2nd October, 1803.
' Amrut Rao's vakeel has returned with a letter from his
master, in which he consents to the treaty. The vakeel, how-
ever, has made a demand that means should be provided to
pay 10,000 men, who are in Amrut Rao's service; or if that
cannot be done, as Amrut Rao cannot remain in camp with a
smaller force than his servant Goklah has, he should be per-
mitted to go to Surat and reside there with his family.
' He proposes, in case he should be paid for the 10,000
men, to serve with the British army, and to send his family to
Ahmednuggur; in case he should not, he will take his family
with him.
4 The object of this proposition is to get more money. The
truth is that Amrut Rao has not half 10,000 men ; but he
wishes to be paid for that number without producing them at
muster, and put the money in his pocket.
* Supposing that J were inclined to gratify him in this respect,
(and, in fact, provided I have i;he reputation of having 10,000
men, I think it but little important whether I have 5000 or
10,000) I really have not, and do not know how I can pro-
cure, the means of paying the money required. I have there-
fore written the memorandum of which I enclose a copy, which
contains the arguments, demands, and answers brought for-
ward on both sides on this question ; and you will observe in
this paper, that although Amrut Rao is deprived of all hope of
316 ASSYE. 1803.
touching more money, which is evidently his object, I have
promised to take into pay the troops he has with him, with-
out specifying numbers at all.
' I have called upon the vakeel to give me the names of the
sirdars, and the number of troops with each. I have told
him that I shall muster them, and pay them according to the
muster ; and 1 intend that these 2000 or 3000 horse (and they
are not more) shall be carried to account, as part of the 5000
to be paid by the British Government, under the modification
of the treaty of Bassein.
' I shall thus have 10,000 horse for the expense of paying
3000. As for Amrut Rao, it is certain that a great part of
the object we had in view in bringing him in will fail, by his
going away again to reside at Surat, or any other place except-
ing my camp. However, I do not think it will be any reason
for breaking with him, or for resuming his allowance. In fact,
under the present arrangement of the Poonah government, the
country will never settle, and we shall never have peace, till
Amrut Rao and his party in the state are conciliated, and in
some degree provided for. By the pension to him, and by
taking his followers into the Company's pay at present, we
shall make a good stride towards a settlement.
6 I think, however, that it would be better if I could keep
Amrut Rao in camp, and I shall firmly resist the construction
which he has put upon that article of the agreement ; and be-
fore I allow him to depart, I shall insist upon our coming to a
distinct understanding upon some points, on which there may
be a difference.
' The first of them is to know what country he does and
what he does not possess. I shall insist upon reckoning among
his possessions, and carrying to account, the revenues of all the
districts of which he keeps the tannahs. If he chooses to
give up the tannahs to the Peshwah, the revenues of such dis-
tricts will be made good to him.
'The next is his forwarding the interests of the Company
and the Peshwah. Upon this point I shall give in a memo-
rial, in which I shall detail the particulars of his conduct to-
wards the Peshwah, since he promised me that he would cease
all acts of hostility against him, and all communication with
his enemies. I shall point out to him the relative situation
between him and his brother ; and I shall inform him that a
1803. ASSYE. 317
repetition of the acts carried on in his name, for the Last six-
months, notwithstanding his promise in that letter, will be con-
sidered a breach of the engagement, and will absolve us from
the necessity of performing our parts of it. After that I shall
allow him to depart, with a stipulation, however, that he is to
take into the Company's territories only a certain number of
men, and that he is to conform to the laws of the place in
which he may reside.
' You will have observed by my subsequent letters, that I
doubted the practicability of doing any thing with Cariojee.
But it would be very desirable to relieve the troops in Guzerat
from the local war, and to carry them forward to offensive
operations ; particularly now that the enemy appear to intend
to turn all their force upon Bengal. My accounts are, that
Holkar and all his army are north of the Nerbudda, — (they
were so on the 22nd and 23rd) — and that after the Dussurah *
he intended to move to the Rajpoot countries. Scindiah and
the Rajah of Berar have gone off in the greatest hurry and
confusion to Burhampoor. Colonel Harcourt writes to me
on the 15th, that he expected to leave Jaggernaut 6n the 17th,
and to be at Cuttack on the 24th or 25th.
' I have sent off one detachment of sick and wounded, and I
shall send another on the day after to-morrow, when the doo-
lies return.
( Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm.' e ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
1 SIR, ' Camp, 3rd October, 1803.
* I enclose a certificate of another horse lost by an officer
acting as Adjutant of the 1st of the 8th. The Adjutant of
this corps was sick absent. I have also to mention that Lieut.
Davie was wounded.
' The enemy have continued their retreat. It is reported
that they have separated ; but I am not quite certain that this
report is founded. If they have really separated, it is in
consequence of some political difference ; as, if their object
had been to carry on distinct operations, they would have
* The great Marhatta festival.
318 ASSYE. 1803.
remained together, and would have detached forces to carry
them into execution.
6 The first division of wounded are lodged in safety in the
fort of Adjuntee. I wish that I had been able to have put
them in a better place ; but I can do nothing with the Nizam's
killadars.
< I have been lately well supplied, although in this desert
and exhausted country. Some of Ragojee Bhoonslah's brin-
jarries, to the amount of 1500, have come in and sold their
loads in camp; 1000 more are coming in to-morrow; and I
have given cowle to 6000 more, who say they are only twenty
coss distant. If I get these in, I shall be very easy about my
supplies of dry grain ; indeed, at all events, a detachment
which I have formed under Captain Baynes, and which plies
between the Godavery and camp, will keep me free from want.
( Captain Beauman has applied to me to receive Brigadier's
allowances, as commanding officer of artillery. Captain Tom-
kins drew this allowance before ; and I acknowledge that I am
very anxious to give it to Captain Beauman, as it is impossible
for any officer to have clone his duty better than he has. I
shall be obliged to you if you will let me know whether you
have any objection.
' I also hope to receive your orders respecting the increase
of the allowances of the officers in charge of departments with
me, as they have now all the responsibility.
4 You will have observed that we have sustained a great
loss in artillery as well as in every other species of troops, and
they cannot be so easily replaced. It occurs to me that the
best mode of reinforcing us will be to order forward immedi-
ately the detachment of artillery at Hyderabad ; and to order
those at Hyderabad to be relieved as soon as possible from the
Mount, where I am happy to see that you have got a numerous
body of artillery. It is true, that in the intermediate time be-
tween the march of the detachment from Hyderabad, and the
arrival of the detachment from the Mount, the corps at Hy-
derabad will be without artillerymen. But I acknowledge that
I think, under present circumstances, the corps at Hyderabad
are not likely to want artillerymen for some time. If you
should approve of this plan, may I request you will order that
it may be carried into execution ; and that the artillerymen
1803. ASSYE. 319
who are at Hyderabad may march to Dharore, reporting their
progress occasionally to me.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
* Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
4 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 3rd October, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the 2nd ; the intelligence it
conveys is very interesting, but it is impossible at present to
find out the real intentions of the Chiefs. I suspect that they
are only laying out to forage in front of Burhampoor, while
they shall re-equip their infantry. I was afraid at one time that
they were all going with Holkar towards Bengal. Holkar is,
I understand, with his whole army, north of the Nerbudda,
and was on the point of marching towards the Rajpoot coun-
tries. It is possible that the two parties may have separated,
either upon a difference of opinion, or in consequence of an
intention to carry on operations separately.
4 At all events, you have done right to halt, till we see what
their intentions are, and till my wounded are in security.
Colonel Lang lodged the first party of wounded in Adjuntee
yesterday, and the second party will go off on the day after
to-morrow. After that I shall march. Cattle are more con-
venient and better food for the Europeans than sheep; and I
recommend that you should have as many as you can get. I
do not want any at present.
c I enclose a piece of news which I have received, respecting
which I have no doubt, although I have received no official
confirmation of it.
' Believe me, &c.
4 Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
6 MY DEAR CO'.ONKL, ' Camp, 4th October, 1803.
' I have just received your letter of the 3rd. I shall send
orders to the hospital to receive the twelve men of the 94th
regiment.
' The doolies returned this morning, and I shall move
myself with the 2nd division of sick on the day after to-mor-
row. I must halt, however, on the 7th, in order to get up
320 ASSYE. 1803.
another supply by Captain Baynes ; and I shall then descend
the ghaut. Colonel Lang shall take on the doolies belonging
to the 94th regiment. The dooley boys did not get their
provisions, but they appear well satisfied with the treatment
they have received. I could not give to them, without also
giving provisions to my own dooley boys ; and that I could
not do, as I have literally no dry grain, excepting what comes
in from the country to the bazaar.
6 1 shall send to Adjuntee three hundred 18 pounder shot ;
and I shall take on from hence two thousand 12 pounder shot.
I wish that you would send bullocks and gunny bags to
Adjuntee to take on the 18 pounder shot. As we shall cer-
tainly have a siege at Asseergbur, and probably another at
Gawilghur, it is absolutely necessary that we should have this
shot. I shall also send a large quantity of 6 pounder shot
to Adjuntee ; but this may remain there, as neither of us, I
believe, will want it.
* We ought to have three companies of infantry at Adjuntee,
and I shall be obliged to you if you will give them from your
corps. There is one company at Adjuntee belonging to Lang's
battalion ; but you might possibly find it more convenient to
make up this garrison by detachments from different corps.
' I have sent five companies of Colonel Lang's corps to the
Godavery with forty of the captured guns. They will he
back, I imagine, about the 7th.
• In respect to the prize agency, I rather wish not at all
to interfere in that matter, as I saw General Harris in such a
scrape with Government formerly upon the subject of prize
money, principally because he had authorised the appoint-
ment of prize agents, who, after all, have done more harm
than good ; and I know that Government are punctilious, and
very properly so, upon this subject of prize money.
6 When we took Ahmednuggur there was some property of
which it was necessary to order the immediate disposal ; and I
ordered that Captain Frazer of the 8th, and Captain Fowler
of the artillery, whom I understood that the officers intended
to elect as their prize agents, should take charge and dispose
of it. Captain Fowler is dead, and Captain Frazer is the
only person now in charge.
' I have referred the question regarding this property to the
1803. ASSYK. 321
Governor General ; and I have recommended that lie should
take upon himself to give it to the troops as prize, as he did in
the case of Seringapatam. I should conceive that the sub-
sidiary force are as well entitled to share in the prize of Ahmed-
nuggur, and in the guns taken at Assaye, as the troops who
were actually present ; and I think that the Governor General
will be of the same opinion. I do not think that their right can
be made better by the appointment of prize agents, or that
they will get any thing by paying those agents a part of their
prize. It is my opinion, therefore, and also my wish, that no
agent should be appointed by the subsidiary force, until some-
thing is taken of which an agent can take charge ; and then it
will be easy to give orders that officers may state whom they
wish to be appointed to take charge of any of the enemy's
property that may be taken.
' In the mean time I shall most probably receive the Go-
vernor General's orders, regulating the whole question.
' I think you have made a mistake respecting your star
pagodas. In every place there must be some standard coin
which regulates all others, the nominal value of which must
be fixed, and which in fact regulates all payments, &c. The
star pagoda is a coin of the government of Fort St. George,
and accordingly the pay of every individual under that go-
vernment is regulated and counted by the number of star
pagodas he receives.
• It frequently happens that in the bazaar, the star pagoda
exchanges for four rupees, and at other times for not more than
three, and in my camp at present not three. But when I have
issued star pagodas as pay to the army, I have issued them
uniformly as the Company's money, at the Company's rate of
exchange. The rates of exchange of other coins may indeed
be altered according to circumstances and situation ; but I con-
ceive that when we pay the troops in star pagodas, which is
the Company's coin, we must give them no more than the
number of star pagodas to which they are entitled by the
orders of Government, be the exchange what it may.
' This rule may appear hard upon some occasions, it is true ;
but the adherence to it is not half so inconvenient under any
difficulties, as the departure from it would be in many in-
stances, which I could point out.
VOL. III. Y
322 OPERATIONS AFTEK THE 1803.
' I wish you not to go too far forward. Your news about
Holkar is very good, and I hope it is true,
< Believe me, &c.
* Colonel Stevenson: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
« DEAR SIR, * Camp, 5th October, 1803.
' Colonel Close has forwarded to me a copy of your letter to
him of the 21st of September, in which I observe that you are
about to move towards the Kalachabootra ghaut. Long
before this time you will have learned that the Nizam's terri-
tories are in no danger ; the enemy who threatened them
are entirely defeated, and have fled to the river Taptee.
6 It is possible also that Mr. Piele may have apprized you
that the dewan of Mysore has received intelligence that the
Putwurdun sirdars are collecting troops, and you may have
been induced to return to the westward.
* Even if Purneah's intelligence be correct, which I am in-
clined to doubt, I do not think that those sirdars are collecting
troops with a view to disturb the Company's possessions.
However, in my opinion, the western ^countries are more likely
to be disturbed than the eastern ; and accordingly I take the
liberty of recommending that you should resume your position
about Moodgul.
' I have this day received a letter from General Stuart,
dated 22nd September, in answer to one which I wrote to him
on the 8th ; in which he states that he has reconsidered the
question of the propriety of drawing your corps to Hyderabad,
and he is entirely of opinion that it ought to make the western
frontier its more immediate object. He will be more certain
of this opinion when he shall hear that the enemy's army,
which threatened the Nizam's territories, was beaten on the
23rd of September.
* It is scarcely necessary that I should apologize for making
this suggestion, and I am sure that you will attribute it to my
wish for the general good ; and you may be certain that I
should not presume to make it, if I did not possess information
of the enemy's movements which it is not possible that you
can have.
' Believe me, &c.
1 Major General Campbell? < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYK. 323
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Lieut. Browne.
4 MY DEAR BROWNE, ' 5th October, 1803.
* I have received your letter of the 29th of September, and
I would with pleasure consent to your joining the army ; but I
wish that you would first complete all the carriages for the
garrison of Ahmednuggur, and any other work that you may
have in hand. I think it will also be desirable, that the
wheels which you have made for the carriages in this division
should be forwarded to Ahmednuggur, where Captain Fisher
must keep them under cover from the effects of the sun.
' After that you might move to Ahmednuggur, and take the
opportunity of the first convoy going to the Godavery, to
proceed to Goondy, where there is a company of the 2nd of
the 3rd ; and thence you will have frequent opportunities of
coming on with Captain Baynes's detachment, which goes back-
wards and forwards with supplies between Goondy and the
army.
6 All our platform carts and bullocks ought to be brought
away from Poonah to Ahmednuggur.
e Believe me, &c.
* Captain Lieut. Browne." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp at Adjuntee, 8th October, 1803.
' I have the honor to transmit the copy of a letter and its
enclosure which I have written to his Excellency the Governor
General.
« My wounded are all lodged here. They are comfortably
situated, and I hope will be safe ; but I acknowledge that I
wish they were farther removed from the extreme frontier, and
from the high road from Hindustan.
e Scindiah and the Rajah have made two long marches to
the southward, and, it is said, intend to pass through the
Casserbarry ghaut. They have with them almost all their
horse and some infantry, with guns, which they brought out
of Burhampoor, but I cannot say how much of the latter.
f I intend to move to the southward myself, as I cannot trust
to chance all the Nizam's weak posts, our supplies, &c. Colo-
nel Stevenson will move upon Burhampoor.
324 OPERATTONS AFTER THE 1803.
' I do not think that his corps will run any risk forwards,
as all the horse is down to the southward, and it is said that
the defeated campoos have disbanded. There are only two
or about three battalions remaining, which were not in the
engagement, having been on guard at Scindiah's and the
Rajah of Berar's quarters.
' Colonel Stevenson is equipped for a siege. The wounded
are doing well. I think about half of the men in the 74th
will be fit for service again. They have 200 rank and file now
in the ranks.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
'Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLKSLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson,
4 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Adjuntee.Sth October, 1803.
* That plan which, in my opinion, promises the greatest
and most speedy success, is to carry on offensive operations
against the enemy's territories ; and it would certainly produce
a peace, if the things called governments^ which depend upon
us, would do any thing for themselves, or were not in a state
of most deplorable weakness. But it is well known that they
depend entirely upon us, and yet they thwart us in every in-
stance.
' Not one of the Nizam's places is sufficiently garrisoned ;
and as for the Peshwah, he possesses his palace at Poonah, and
no more. While we should be carrying on our operations at
Asseerghur, it would not be very pleasant to have the enemy
levying contributions on the Nizam's places, or sitting down
before Poonah itself. I am therefere decidedly of opinion, that
we must guard against these plans, as well as move upon
Burhampoor. Accordingly I shall go to the southward, and
I shall beg of you to move upon Burhampoor.
e You are aware of the result of my action with the enemy,
and 1 have only to warn you against having any thing to do
with them, if you should find them very strong in guns.
' Colonel Lang, with five companies of his corps, will leave
this on his return to you to-morrow ; the other five companies
are gone to the Godavery, with forty of the captured guns,
and will not be here for two or three days. Lieut. Colonel
Lang will take with him 2000 of your brinjarries, who came
up yesterday with Captain Baynes.
1803. RATTLE OF ASSYE. 325
* I shall leave 1000 bullocks' load of rice for you in the fort
of Adjuntee. I would send bullocks with them, only that I
want cattle, and it appears that you do not.
' I recommend the following objects to your attention.
* 1st, Either to beat or drive back any infantry that may be
at or near Burhampoor.
' 2nd, Levy a contribution on Burhampoor.
'3rd, Reconnoitre Asseerghur, and if it holds out any pro-
spect of success, lay siege to it ; if it does not, move to your
right upon Gawilghur, and lay siege to that place.
* 4th, Levy a contribution upon Nagpoor.
' If you should be able to raise any contributions, put their
amount into the treasury ; and I shall recommend to Govern-
ment that they may be given to the troops as prize money.
The same must be done with any property found in Asseer-
ghur or Gawilghur.
' It is probable that some of the officers (the British officers
in particular) in Scindiah's service may be induced to quit it.
I shall, this evening, (if 1 can get it copied, if not, to-morrow
morning,) send you the copies of a proclamation, which offers
to them a provision under the British Government on quitting
the service.
4 The same is likewise offered in another proclamation, of
which I will send you a copy, to the natives of the Company's
territories in Scindiah's service. I shall add to the whole
a proclamation from myself; and I request you to take an
opportunity of conveying these papers, or copies of them, to
the officers at Burhampoor.
' In case Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar return to the
northward, depend upon it that I shall follow them closely.
* In my opinion, no plan will succeed entirely excepting that
which I have above sketched out. It is possible that your
march to Burhampoor may induce them to return; but I am
convinced that the march of both of us to the northward would
have very bad consequences, and possibly might be fatal to us.
Each of our corps, as now composed, is strong enough for the
enemy, when their force is divided. To take away the cavalry
from both, and join the infantry of both together, would ex-
pose that infantry to be insulted by a few pindarries, and
would be the cause of much distress.
326 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803.
* The plan which I had thought of would have answered, if
they had had horse only. The corps which I proposed to
equip would have been able to prevent the execution of any
enterprise of importance by horse. But as they have infantry
and guns, and we do not know how much, there must be some-
thing stronger for the defensive ; and if any thing stronger,
than what I proposed, be sent, it must be a complete division.
* Believe me, &c.
« Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
4 Camp, 30 miles north of Aurungabad,
4 DEAR SIR, 10th October, 1803.
* Siddajee Rao Nimbilkur (commonly called Appah Dessaye)
has mentioned to me that the Jalloor poly gar has seized the
district of Moorgoor, and others belonging to him, which are
situated between the rivers Malpoorba and Gutpurba, to the
westward of Manowly ; and that he has even threatened the
fort of Manowly itself. Appah Dessaye is apprehensive that
he may succeed against this fort, as the son of the killadar is
in the polygar's possession, having been taken at Moorgoor.
I have written to the polygar to request him to desist from his
operations against Appah Dessaye, who is with this division ;
and I have told him that you would fall on him, if he did not
attend to what I said.
' I shall be very much obliged to you, if you will be so
kind as to make enquiries regarding the transactions of this
man, and write to him to desist from his operations against
Appah Dessaye. If it should not interfere with other objects,
you might possibly find it convenient to cut up this fellow's
force, in case he should not do as you desire him. However,
this is a case of extremity which it is very desirable to avoid,
even at the expense of some loss to Appah Dessaye ; as the
consequence would certainly be, that my communications with
the southern countries would be stopped.
* I have made some marches to the southward, as Scindiah
and the Rajah of Berar have shewn an intention of entering
the Nizam's territories by the Casserbarry ghaut ; but I
think that this movement of mine, and that of Colonel Steven-
son to the northward, will induce them to return.
1803. BATTLE OP ASSYE. 327
< I have just received your public letter of the 30th of
September. I concluded that you had a key to the cypher*
and I now suppose that you have applied to General Stuart
for one. It would be attended with too much risk for me to
attempt to send the cypher by the tappall.
* Believe me, &c.
' Major General Campbell: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
' P.S. I have given Appah Dessaye a note to you on the
same subject as this letter.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to Colonel Stevenson.
< MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Phoolmurry, llth Oct., 1803.
' I arrived here this morning, and I do not hear that the
enemy have come through the ghaut. I think it most pro-
bable that they have returned to the northward ; and if that
should be the case, I shall also return immediately. If you
find that they do return, and the whole of their cavalry
and infantry join, you will do well to refrain from attacking
them till I shall reinforce you.
( I enclose another proclamation, and news from Bengal.
I recommend that you should at once send copies of these
proclamations, and of this news, to be delivered into the hands
of one of the English officers. It is impossible for them to
leave their camp, till you shall come very near them. Send
them particularly the order about Mr. Lucan.
e Believe me, &c.
4 Colonel Stevenson: e ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm.
4 Camp at Phoolmurry, 16 miles north of
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, Aurungabad, llth October, 1803.
* I agree in opinion with you regarding our defensive opera-
tions. But none of that kind will answer long, unless mixed
with a little offensive.
* I have made a dash down here upon a defensive principle ;
the enemy, with all their horse, and some infantry and guns,
which they have drawn out of Burhampoor, having threatened
to pass the southward, by the Casserbarry ghaut. But it is
only a threat, and I believe I have stopped them already.
At the same time, I have taken advantage of the terror
Ol'KH.VlIONS A1TKK TI1K 1803.
created by our late success, to push forward Colonel Stevenson
upon Burhampoor, and even Asseerghur, if the beaten cam-
poos, which are refitting there, should retreat to the Nerbudda,
which I think they will. These two movements must relieve
the Peshwah and the Nizam from the invasion ; and I think
it possible that they may bring propositions for peace.
f' I da not understand, and do not much like General
Lake's march to Delhi : after taking Allyghur, I think it
takes him too much out of the way, leaves exposed the Com-
pany's Dooab, and delays the junction with the Rajpoots. I
think that he ought to have detached a reinforcement to the
corps covering Rampoora, which corps should then have gone
upon Delhi, and to have made his arrangements for crossing
the Jumna; and while those were preparing, to have given
chase to the pindarries who have performed the feat at She-
koabad. However, these are only speculations, not founded
upon any facts of which 1 have a knowledge.
4 I have lost sight of Holkar entirely. My last accounts of
him were that he was gone to plunder Ougein. It has been
said since, that he is gone to the northward. 1 dread his
invasion of Bengal. What happened at Shekoabad shows
that there are but few soldiers there besides the Commander
in Chief.
' Believe me, &c.
4 Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WKLLESLKY.
4 You will see a letter from Cashee Rao Holkar, and my
answer, which I have sent to Mr. Duncan/
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Phoolmurry, 12th Oct. 1803.
4 I have reason to believe that the enemy have not come
through the ghaut ; and it is possible that they will now
return to attack you, with all the force they can bring.
' Your first object will of course be to beat the campoos,
before the cavalry under Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar can
join ; or to drive them across the Taptce, and to such a dis-
tance, as that they cannot come back so quickly as to join with
the cavalry in an attack upon you, before I can reinforce you.
1 If, however, they should be able to join before you can
attack the campgps, you must decide what line you will adopt.
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYK. 329
* There are three lines of operation to be adopted : to attack
the enemy, to stand his attack, or to draw off' towards me.
' In respect to the first, it is impossible to say what quantity
of cannon they may have collected at Burhampoor ; or what
their real force may now be. I recommend that you should
adopt this with caution, and only in case of necessity.
' In respect to the second, it may possibly be worse than the
first ; as, unless you intrench your position, which I should
recommend, if you adopt this line, your inferiority of cannon
will tell against you still more than it would in the case of your
attacking the enemy.
' In regard to the third, it might be attended with risk, and
even loss, excepting in this case. When I shall descend the
ghaut, which I shall on the 4th, after leaving this, you might
make two marches towards me, which would bring us within
one march of each other. Till they are prepared for their
attack, which, as they are very slow, will take some time, they
will not stay nearer to you than at the distance of two marches;
and supposing them to be able to make two in one day, I shall
have joined you before they can do you any mischief.
* Supposing that you determine to have a brush with them,
I recommend what follows to your consideration. Do not
attack their position, because they always take up such as are
confoundedly strong and difficult of access ; for which the
banks of the numerous rivers and nullahs afford them every
facility. Do not remain in your own position, however strong
it may be, or however well you may have intrenched it ; but
when you shall hear that they are on their march to attack
you, secure your baggage and move out of your camp. You
will find them in the common disorder of march ; they will
not have time to form, which, being but half disciplined
troops, is necessary for them. At all events, you will have the
advantage of making the attack on ground which they will
not have chosen for the battle ; a part of their troops only will
be engaged ; and it is possible that you will gain an easy
victory. Indeed, according to this mode, you might choose the
field of battle yourself some days before, and might meet them
upon that very ground.
' There is another mode of avoiding an action, which is, to
keep constantly in motion ; but unless you come towards me,
that would not answer. For my part, I am of opinion, that
330 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803.
after the beating they received on the 23rd of September, they
are not likely to stand for a second 5 and they will all retire
with precipitation. But the natives of this country are rashness
personified ; and I acknowledge that I should not like to see
again such a loss as I sustained on the £3rd September, even
if attended by such a gain. Therefore, I suggest to you what
occurs to me on the subject of the different modes, either of
bringing on, or declining the action which it is possible,
although by no means probable, that they intend to fight. I
shall march the moment I hear that they have moved to the
northward.
' I have many people out for intelligence. Your hircarrah.
however, who brought the account that it was reported in
their camp on the 7th that I had come this way, was prema-
ture, as I did not show any inclination to do so till the 9th.
( Believe me, &c.
• Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to J. H. Piele, Esq.
Secretary to the Resident at Mysore.
' MY DEAR SIR, Camp at Phoolmurry, 12th October, 1803.
' The crops have failed in this country this year, so that
there is every reason to expect a great scarcity, if not a famine.
This evil will also be felt at Bombay ; indeed I imagine that it is
felt already, as the Governor of Bombay has found it necessary
to stop the supplies of grain for the army, to provide for the
wants of the settlement, notwithstanding that the grain he
has was laid in store at my request in January last, to guard
against want.
' I have recommended that he should fill granaries from
Canara ; and I have given notice to the collectors in Canara
of the probable call upon the surplus produce of the countries
under their management, and have recommended that they
should stop the exportation till they shall hear from Mr.
Duncan on the subject.
' As the scarcity extends even to Guzerat, and will prevail
in all parts of Hindustan, it is not improbable but that the
call upon the resources of Canara will be very large ; and it is
most probable that very heavy demands upon the grain re-
sources of Mysore, for the supply of Canara, will be made at a
very early period. I have requested the collectors in Canara
to communicate with you upon this subject ; and I proceed to
1803. BATTLE OF A9SYE. 331
give you my opinion how far you ought to encourage the
export to Canara of the grain (rice particularly) in Mysore.
' Canara is a fruitful country, but the people there are all
traders ; and the common practice is to export all their pro-
duce, each man keeping in his own store what he thinks will
answer for himself and family.
' There is commonly, therefore, a scarcity in that province
annually ; and we are obliged to provide for the subsistence of
the troops at the end of the year, by having grain in store,
which is very rare in other countries ; and there is not such a
thing in the whole country as a grain bazaar. The dealings
of a people such as those in Canara are limited only by the
demand, and by the means of supplying it. In this year there
is no doubt whatever that the demand on Canara will be very
great ; and if due encouragement is given to the inhabitants of
the rice countries in Mysore, the means of supplying it will be
very great likewise. But that encouragement must be attended
with many regulations. Your object should be first to keep
your own markets well supplied, so that you may have no
scarcity in Mysore ; secondly, to keep them so full as to be
able, with care, to fill the brinjarries whose bullocks are still in
the country, in order that you still might have it in your power
to supply the army. You will see from this the necessity of
regulating, highly, the exportation to Canara, that you should
have the means of knowing constantly the exact quantity of
grain exported, and may have it in your power to stop the
drain whenever you may find it expedient.
' You may depend upon it that if you had ten times the
quantity of grain in Mysore that you have, there would be a
demand for it in Canara, in the course of the next year ; and
therefore it will be necessary to connect, with due encourage-
ment to the exportation, great vigilance that it does not create
distress in Mysore, and does not deprive you of the means of
assisting your friends in this quarter by the brinjarries.
* The enemy, after having fled in great confusion towards
the Taptee, and lodged the remainder of their infantry at Bur-
hampoor, upon that river, have come out with all their horse,
and a small body of infantry, with guns, and have made a
march or two to the southward ; apparently, and, as it was
given out, with an intention of passing through the Casser-
barry ghaut, which is about forty miles N. w. from Aurunga-
332 OPERATIONS AFTER. TH K 1803.
bad. I have sent Colonel Stevenson to levy a contribution
in Burhampoor, and to attack the fort of Asseerghur, if he can ;
and I have come down three marches to the southward, towards
Aurungabad, to stop the execution of this new plan, in which
I have succeeded. I think the Marhattas must be nearly tired
of this war ; we have been about two months engaged, and
literally they have not yet entered what might be called the
Nizam's territories. Along the frontiers half the villages
belong to the Nizam, and half to the Marhattas, and to these
alone they have done injury, but to none of the regular ter-
ritory.
M have the honor to be, &c.
' /. H. Piele, Esq: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to J. Ravenshaw, Esq.,
Collector in Canara.
« SIR, ' Camp at Phoolmurry, 12th October, 1803-
' I am concerned to inform you that there is great reason to
apprehend a scarcity of grain, if not a famine, in this part of
the country, in the ensuing season ; and it will be necessary to
draw from Bombay a great part of the grain which will he
consumed by the troops in the field. It is also apprehended
that the scarcity will be felt at Bombay, and the government
of that settlement has already found it necessary to stop the
supplies for the army ; although the grain now there was laid
in at my request in January last, with a view to guard against
want by the troops.
f I have written to Mr. Duncan upon the subject of this
probable want ; and I have requested him to give directions
that a correspondence might immediately be opened with you,
in order to procure from the countries under your manage-
ment their surplus produce, for the use of the troops in the
field. The quantity which I have requested Mr. Duncan to
provide for the consumption of the next year is 600 garces ;
and I give you this early notice of the want, in order that you
may take such measures as you may deem necessary to stop
the exportation.
4 I have reason to believe that the crop in Mysore this year
is a good one. I have written to the Secretary of the Resident
in Mysore, to request him to communicate with you upon this
subject ; so that by his influence with the government in My-
1803. BATTLE OF ASS YE. 333
sore, the markets in Canara may be kept full ; notwithstand-
ing the call there will be for the grain, not only in this quarter,
but most probably for the use of the troops in Guzerat, where
likewise I understand that the crops have failed entirely.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' J. Ravenshaw, Esq.* { ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government
Bombay.
• SIR, ' Camp at Phcolnwrry, 13th October, 1803.
* I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 4th
instant, enclosing extracts of a letter from the Military Board,
upon which the Honorable the Governor in Council has de-
sired to have my sentiments.
' In answer to the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs of the letter from
the Military Board, I am concerned to inform you that Cap-
tain Mackay, the officer alluded to, was killed in the action of
the 23rd of September. It was unfortunate that I was not at
first apprized of the precise objections to Captain Mackay's
accounts ; because I could, by the return of post, have trans-
mitted the declaration on honor required from him by the
regulations of the Bombay government.
' All I can now say on the subject is, that as far as it is
possible for one man to answer for another, I will answer for
Captain Mackay, that the money laid out on account of the
government of Bombay was honestly and fairly laid out for
the public service, and that Captain Mackay derived from it
no benefit whatever. Indeed a great proportion of the expen-
diture charged in his accounts was not incurred personally by
him. It is principally for the purchase of bullocks, on which
duty I employed natives in the service of the Rajah of Mysore,
and others sent to me by Major Malcolm from Poonah ; and it
is but justice to Captain Mackay to say that the bullocks pur-
chased by him did not cost near the sum that those cost which
were supplied by these natives. Some also were sent by the
servants of the Nizam's Government, which were very dear.
' While writing upon this subject, I request to know whether
the Honorable the Governor in Council will make to the late
Captain Mackay an allowance of four rupees for every bullock
purchased on account of the Government of Bombay, which is
given to officers on the Bombay establishment who make those
334 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803.
purchases? Captain Mackay applied to me on this subject
before he was killed : but, having matters of more importance
to attend to, I omitted to bring it before government.
6 1 have already stated the reasons for which the muster rolls
of the drivers were not sent, which I conclude are satisfactory
to the Honorable the Governor in Council.
6 In respect to the desertion of the followers, I have to
observe on the remarks of the Military Board, that as the
followers sent from Bombay are paid in every instance one
third more than the same description of followers serving with
this army, and in many instances twice the sum, it might be
expected that they would feel most sensibly the benefits of their
situation ; that they would adhere to the service ; and that those
belonging to the eastern parts of India would desert. How-
ever, the contrary is the fact ; and I think it will be found on
reference to the correspondence of officers commanding detach-
ments, composed entirely of troops belonging to the government
of Bombay, that the complaint of the desertion of the followers
is general, and not confined only to this army.
' I have already, under date of the llth instant, addressed
the government upon the subject of supplies of rice.
* I can give no other answer to the 5th paragraph of the
letter from the secretary of the Military Board, excepting that
if the harvest in this part of the country had been tolerably
good, I should not have been obliged to request that pre-
parations might be made at Bombay, to so large an amount,
to supply the probable wants of the troops in this country
in the next year.
* The supplies at Poonah and Ahmednuggur are now fully
equal to what I had ever in contemplation to establish at those
places ; but in proportion as the subsistence of the troops is
drawn, particularly from the latter, the store ought to be re-
plenished ; and this can only be done from Bombay.
' I have also to mention, that in case I should be able to
drive the enemy entirely out of the Deccan, or to carry the
operations of the troops, as I wish, into Berar, it will be neces-
sary to establish depots still nearer than at Ahmednuggur, the
supplies for which can be drawn only from Bombay.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. of Gov. Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYE. 335
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Hon. the Governor
of Ceylon.
1 SIR, ' Camp, 14th October, 1803.
• I have received your letter of the 9th September, and should
be happy to avail myself of any opportunity to be of service to
your government. But I did not take any of the Arab troops
prisoners who were opposed to the troops under my command
at Ahmednuggur ; those who defended the pettah having been,
with the killadar, driven out ; and the troops who defended the
fort having made a capitulation, under which they were allowed
to evacuate it ; I have therefore no Arabs in my possession. If
I had, I should take the liberty of suggesting to you my doubts
of the propriety of employing them on the island of Ceylon.
They are undoubtedly the bravest of all the troops that I have
yet seen in the service of the native powers, and they defend
the posts intrusted to their charge with determined valor : but
I have never seen them in the field, and I believe that they do
not serve willingly except in garrison ; they are a high spirited
people, and are by no means amenable to discipline and order,
which it is absolutely necessary should prevail in our camps
and forts ; and I believe that it has happened, more than once
in India, that they have mutinied, even when well treated, and
have been the cause of terror to their employers. I do not
know exactly what pay they receive in general ; but as they are
esteemed good troops throughout the Marhatta empire, par-
ticularly for the defence of posts, I conclude that they receive
more than double the sum which you propose to pay them, as
the common pay allowed to a Marhatta chief for his infantry
is ten rupees per mensem.
'They would certainly refuse to serve under European
officers, or any person excepting those belonging to their own
tribe and nation. When these inconveniences would be felt,
you would be desirous to send them from the island ; and you
might find it necessary first to subdue them ; and while that
operation would be going on, some of them might escape and
join your natural enemies on the island.
' I shall, notwithstanding these objections to the Arabs,
make it my business to find out at what rate of pay they can
be hired, and whether they will serve in the field ; and more
particularly respecting their character, when I shall have the
honor of addressing you again.
' I have the honor, &c.
' The Governor of Ceylon: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
336 OPERATIONS AFTER THK 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Phoolmurry, 14th Oct., 1803.
' I find that the enemy were still at Maryapoor on the 10th.
I have not heard of their movements since that day.
1 Kawder Nawaz Khan's letter was in Kanaree, which is the
cypher used between him and me. I have ordered him to
endeavor to join you : he is much distressed for money ; and I
shall be obliged to you if you will contrive to send him some
to Lassoor, a place belonging to a Patan, by name Gujar Khan.
If you can send him only a few hundred rupees, you will render
him a great service.
' Whether you get a contribution from Burhampoor or not,
I think you will do well to bring away with you all the prin-
cipal shroffs and soucars, by way of reprisal for the injuries of
that kind done by the enemy to the Soubah's country. If they
should hesitate about giving you a contribution, possibly a
shell or two from your twelve pounders, having in them a bit
of quick match, besides the fuse, and a threat to give them up
to general plunder, would accelerate their decision.
' I wish that you would fit out a detachment, such as that
which I have under Captain Baynes, to keep your camp sup-
plied. If you do not, you may depend upon it you will be in
want. I have not a third of the number of bullocks that you
have, but, by means of this detachment, I have been tolerably
well supplied.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
• MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp, 15th October, 1803.
' I have received your letter of the llth.
' I beg you to give 1000 rupees to Ram Rao, and another
1000 among the peons and cavalry, as a reward for their ser-
vices. With respect to the remainder, I wish to have a parti-
calar account of every thing taken. If it should turn out to
be of that kind of which I have the disposal, I shall do so ; if
not, I shall refer the matter to Government.
' You will do well to keep the papers you mention, as well as
Madhajee Scindiah's seal, upon the subject of which I shall
address the Governor General.
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYE. 337
' I wish that you would lose no time in raising your horse :
nothing but a body of them will keep the country in tran-
quillity, and secure our communication with Ahmednuggur,
which is now in a very unpleasant state, and requires constant
guards and escorts.
•* Believe me, &c.
* Captain Graham." * ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm.
* MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, 15th October, 1803.
4 I have received your letter of the 8th, and I am glad to
see that you and I agree in opinion respecting Amrut Rao.
1 have heard nothing of him lately. I have received from
Colonel Murray a sad account of the state of the troops in
Guzerat. The 65th regiment, which arrived in India, about
six months ago, 400 strong, has now only 280 in the field ;
and the 86th about 500 ; the native corps none more than that
number, and some only 200. I foretold to Mr. Duncan the
consequence of putting the 65th regiment in the field during
the monsoon, without any one comfort necessary to their exist-
ence. However, there was some reason for not employing
Colonel Watson ; and the 75th, the seasoned corps, was kept
in garrison, and the 65th, the new corps, sent to the field, and
we now feel the consequences.
*" But Colonel Murray has mentioned another circumstance
to me which certainly requires a remedy, but to which nobody
can attempt to apply one, except Mr. Duncan himself. The
Rajah, the minister, and the Resident at Baroda, have guards
so exceedingly strong, as to run away with the whole garrison.
There is, besides, only a gate guard of sixty men ; and in con-
sequence of the number on duty, the men now on those guards
will not be relieved at all until Colonel Murray quits the field.
This is notoriously ruinous to discipline, and must in the end
operate to the prejudice of those very persons for whose safety
these strong guards have been established.
4 It would be much better to find out the number of sentries
each party required, and give him a guard in proportion to
that number, viz. three men for every post, and to have those
men relieved daily, if possible, by the garrison ; if not possible,
then weekly.
VOL. in. z
338 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803.
* Another circumstance mentioned to me by Colonel Murray,
is, that the Rajah, the minister, and the Resident, have more
than half of their guards running after them on foot when they
go out, whether in a palanquin, or on horseback. It is very
obvious that the consequence of this is, that all respect for
troops used in this manner must be at an end ; and that those
troops must lose all respect for themselves. It is therefore
very desirable that this practice, which does not prevail else-
where, should be stopped at Baroda.
f You will be surprised when I tell you that Purneah never
has with him a Company's sepoy, excepting, possibly, an
orderly from me ; and that, as for the Rajah of Mysore, he
has at Mysore one company of native infantry, who do the
duty of that place and the Rajah's palace, and never move
from it.
* I wish that you would try what you can do with Mr. Dun-
can upon this subject.
4 1 think that the present weakness of the garrison of Baroda,
and the want of all the troops that is possible, for field service,
might be used as an argument with the Rajah, to decrease his
guard to the number required for his sentries, and to relieve
it daily, which measure would of itself put an end to the use
of the Company's sepoys as sowarry.
' I believe I have intrusted you with a more difficult nego-
ciation than you have ever had in your diplomatic career ; but
I am convinced that you will see the necessity of putting an
end to this practice, and this appears a favorable opportunity
to attempt it.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' Camp, 16 miles north of Phoolmurry,
* SIR, 16th October, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 2nd
instant. In my opinion, the best way of sending me the money
which you intend for my use, would be from General Camp-
bell's division, by the route of Meritch to Poonali, and thence
to Ahmednuggur; from whence, I can contrive to bring it
forward. It might come on bullocks lightly loaded, with a
large proportion of specie. I wish, however, to apprise you
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYE.
that some of the gold coins lately sent to us with Major Hill,
are almost useless. The rupees of any kind pass best in this
country, although I know that the gold coins are most con-
venient for carriage. But the loss is immense upon every
species of gold coin, excepting Behaudry, or Hydry, or Madras
pagodas. The Porto Novo pagodas, in particular, of which I
have at this moment above a lac, cannot be passed at all. I
have written to Major Kirkpatrick upon the subject, but I
despair of a remedy.
« The money from Canara, in case there should be any,
might be embarked at Goa, and sent to Bombay, addressed to
me ; otherwise, not improbably it may be seized there.
' As I perceive an inclination among the polygars between
the Malpoorba and the Gutpurba to create disturbances, it is
possible that the communication by that route may be im-
peded ; and I much doubt the security of any other along the
frontier of the Nizam and the Marhattas.
4 In that case, it may be necessary to send the money which
may be collected at General Campbell's camp to Goa, there to
be embarked ; or to Hyderabad, or to Beeder, avoiding ^the
frontier, and thence to Dharore, from which place I can bring
it forward.
4 1 received intelligence last night that Scindiah was on the
13th still at the station which he had taken up on the road to
the Casserbarry ghaut; but he had detached Gopal Bhow
and other sirdars, with some cavalry, to the northward, on that
day. I am convinced, therefore, that he has no intention of
coming to the southward, and I have marched this morning
towards Adjuntee.
' Since my arrival here, a man has come in whom I had sent
to examine the Untoor ghaut ; and he brings a report that
Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar made a movement to the
northward on the 14th : however, this is not so clearly ascer-
tained. I shall be within reach of Colonel Stevenson before
the enemy can attempt any thing upon him, supposing them
to intend it, after what has already happened. But by all
accounts they are sadly disorganized.
' However, it is impossible to say whether they may be able
to equip another corps of infantry at Burhampoor : and
although I doubt whether our loss would have been much less
340 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803.
than it was on the 23rd of September, supposing both divisions
to have been engaged, I should not much like, upon any spe-
culations of my own, to run the risk of such another loss, by
engaging the enemy's whole army of cavalry, infantry and
artillery, with one of our divisions only, supposing them to be
able and inclined to engage with us.
4 Colonel Stevenson knows my sentiments upon this subject,
and has directions to guide his conduct accordingly.
' I have lately received a letter from Kawder Nawaz Khan.
He was still at Lussoor ; but Holkar had written to him a
letter that he received on the 6th of October, in which he
pressed him to come on ; and desired him to join a sirdar who
was about to march from the Taptee to join Holkar's army,
north of the Nerbudda. The country bordering on the Tap-
tee swarms with pindarries and thieves of all descriptions, and
Kawder Nawaz Khan was unable to move. The hircarrah
who delivered Holkar's letter told Kawder Nawaz Khan that
he had left him in full march to Boondy and Kota, and that he
was twenty coss north from Ougein. Boondy belongs to one
of the Rajpoot Rajahs, upon all of whom Holkar has claims,
with the Peshwah and Scindiah. It is possible, therefore, that
he is gone only to realize these claims. On the other hand, he
may intend to co-operate with the confederates in Hindustan.
' At all events, I have not thought it proper to leave Kawder
Nawaz Khan any longer in the disagreeable situation in which
he is at Lussoor, and I have ordered him to join Colonel Ste-
venson, if he possibly can. I have written to Holkar to
apprise him, that as he was gone to such a distance, and the
country was so completely overrun by pindarries and thieves,
I had recalled Kawder Nawaz Khan.
• Amrut Rao's vakeel told me that Holkar and Scindiah
had not yet agreed. It appears that Scindiah has for many
years collected and applied to his own use, the whole of the
peshcush paid by the Rajpoots; and Holkar now claims, not
only to collect his own share, and half the Peshwah's in future,
which Scindiah has offered, but the whole peshcush for the
same number of years that the whole has been collected hy
Scindiah. It is impossible to say whether this or any other
story told by a Marhatta is true ; but Holkar's march to the
northward, of which I have no doubt, may be possibly made
1803. UATTLE OK ASSYE. 341
with a view to realize this claim, at least in this year, in which
Scindiah is engaged with us. If this is the case, nothing can
be more fortunate.
' I have the honor to be, Sec.
4 Lieut. General Stuart.' * ARTHUR WELLESI.KY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
« MY DEAR SIR, * CamP> 22nd October, 1803.
1 1 have just received your letter of the 17th. If you can-
not get the horse at the lower price, you must of course give
a higher ; but certainly 25 rupees a month, regularly paid, is
more than is given by any Marhatta chief.
« If an attack should be made on Chumargoonda, you may
make a requisition on Captain Lucas to send a detachment to
relieve that post ; but let it be sufficiently strong and respect-
able in cannon, to insure the completion of the service; and
let the detachment return as soon as they shall have relieved
the place.
* 1 wish to have from you a particular report on the subject
of the thieves sent into our district by Vittojee Naig. They
must be kept in confinement in the mean time, as I think that
I shall be obliged to order them to be hanged.
• Believe me, &c.
• Captain Graham: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, 'Camp at Ferdapoor, 23rd-October, 1803.
' I have a report from an hircarrah, which I believe to be
true, that Colonel Stevenson got possession of Asseerghur on
the 21st, upon which I beg leave to congratulate you. Scin-
diah certainly intended to interrupt his operations, and he
moved as far as Ahoonah on the Taptee.
' He has been there for two or three days, and halted only
when he heard I had come down the ghauts.
' The Rajah of Berar has separated from him, and it is said
is gone towards Chandore, to pass through that ghaut to the
southward. This report may be circulated, or he may have
gone by that road in order to draw me after him, and to leave
Scindiah at liberty to carry into execution his designs against
343 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803,
Colonel Stevenson. However, as soon as I shall be certain
that Colonel Stevenson has taken Asseerghur, I shall re-ascend
the ghauts, if I find that Ragojee Bhoonslah has really passed
through by Chandore, as I see by Colonel Stevenson's letter
of the 19th, that the infantry of the campoos cannot recover
from the effects of the battle of Assye ; and Colonel Stevenson
is fully equal to undertake any thing against Scindiah's cavalry
only.
' I have desired the Colonel not to give up his operations
against Asseerghur, if he should not have got possession, as I
have equipments for a siege ; and even if guns should fail, we
will try if we cannot blow it up.
' I have the pleasure to inform you that the wounded officers
and men are doing remarkably well. Some of the former, and
many of the latter, have returned to their duty.
'I have not heard from Bengal since the 16th, or from
Colonel Harcourt since he took Jaggernaut. Tt is reported
here that something unpleasant has happened to the latter.
' Colonel Murray is getting on in Guzerat much better than
I could have expected, with very defective means. The 65th
regiment, which landed at Bombay in May last 900 strong,
exclusive of two companies which have been destroyed in
Ceylon, have now only 100 men for duty. This corps has
been ruined from the want of common care to give them the
necessary food and cover when they were sent to the field, and
by putting them into unhealthy barracks at Surat ; by which
two regiments, the 75th and 84th, had been before destroyed.
' Colonel Murray was not far from Godra on the 7th of this
month, and he expected to be able either to drive off or to
engage the rebel Canojee immediately. He was on good terms
with all the Bheel Rajahs. Godra is not, I believe, 100 miles
from Ougein.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
1 Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
< SiH, ' Camp at Ferdapoor, 23rd October, 1803.
* The hircarrah who carried the packet, in which the en-
closed letter was included, reported that Colonel Stevenson
had got possession of the fort of Asseerghur ; and as he had
1803. BATTLE OF ASS YE. 343
no letter for me, and none of the letters for gentlemen in this
camp mentioned the capture of the place, I took the liberty of
opening the enclosed, as it was of importance that I should
have an early knowledge of the real state of the case.
' The enclosed does not contain the wished for intelligence ;
but the hircarrah who carried it said as follows : That he
had been two nights and one day upon his road, and that
we had possession of the fort before he came away. Upon
being asked whether he had seen our flag flying on the fort ?
he said he had. After the perusal of the letter to General
Stuart, it occurred to me that the hircarrah might have seen
our flag flying, and our troops in possession of the pettah, and
not of the fort ; I therefore questioned him upon this point, and
he said that he had seen the flag in the pettah only ; and he gave
an accurate account of the manner in which the troops had got
possession of that part of the place, but he still persisted that
we had got possession of the fort itself. I then desired him to
say whether he had seen our troops in it, and he gave the
following as an account on which I might depend : That he
was with Rajah Mohiput Ram at Burhampoor on the 21st ;
that he heard the Rajah read a letter from Salabut Khan,
stating that we had got possession of Asseerghur ; that he
heard the orders given for firing a royal salute at Burhampoor,
on that occasion ; and heard Rajah Mohiput Ram send a mes-
sage by another hircarrah to the British officer in command at
Burhampoor, to apprise him of the intelligence.
6 I have been thus particular in giving you all the details of
this hircarrah's report, in order that you may form your own
opinion of its truth or falsehood. I believe it to be true.
Scindiah certainly moved to the northward, with an intention
to disturb Colonel Stevenson's operations, as I suspected. He
arrived at Ahoonah, on the Taptee, two days ago, where he
heard of my arrival at the bottom of the ghauts ; and he was
still at that place yesterday. The Rajah of Berar has sepa-
rated from him, and it is said is gone towards Chandore, most
probably with a view to draw me to the southward, that Scin-
diah might have an opportunity of impeding Colonel Steven-
son's operations.
6 If I find it to be really the case, that Colonel Stevenson
has taken Asseerghur, I shall reascend the ghaut ; as I see that
the enemy's infantry cannot recover from the effects of the
OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803
battle of Assye; and as for their cavalry, they are very inca-
pable of doing any of us much mischief. I think it possible
that when the Rajah of Berar shall hear of the capture of
Asseerghur, he will endeavor to reach his own country, by
marching to the southward of Aurungabad, particularly if he
should have come through the Chandore ghaut.
' By letters from Colonel Murray, from Guzerat, I observe
that he was getting on much better than I could have
expected, with very deficient means.
' He was ten coss from Godra on the 7th ; he had all the
country Rajahs on his side, and I think it probable that he will
either have driven off or have beaten the rebel Canojee. At
all events, Godra is not alx>ve 100 miles from Ougein, which,
if Asseerghur be taken, is Scindiah's only possession.
' I have the honor to be, &c,
* Major Kirkpatrick: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wdletsley to Colonel Stevenson.
( MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Ferdapoor, 24h October, 1803.
4 I received last night your letter of the 21st, and I sincerely
congratulate you on your success against Asseerghur.
* My letter of yesterday will have apprised you that I had
received a report of it, to which I gave credit.
' The first object of your attention must now be to establish
a garrison in Asseerghur. Possibly 300 men of the Com-
pany's troops, with a careful commissioned officer and a
small detail of artillery, and 400 or 500 of Rajah Mohiput
Ram's infantry, would be a very sufficient garrison. Throw into
the post a sufficient quantity of provisions for these troops; and
desire one of your officers of artillery to see that the most use-
ful guns on the works are properly arranged, and provided
with the necessary quantity of ammunition. I conclude that
the granaries in Asseerghur are already well stored : if they
should be so, I recommend that you should not take the grain
in the fort for the purpose of filling your bags for your supply
on your expedition into Berar, if you can get grain in the
country, or in Burhampoor : as in case it should be neces-
sary hereafter to push our operations into Hindustan, the
• h-pot at Asseerghur will be very useful to us.
* In respect to Burhampoor, after you shall have levied a
BATTLE OK ASSYE. 543
contribution on it, I mean that it should be given over to
Rajah Mohiput Ram. The British troops may be withdrawn
from it, and a garrison of the Soubah's infantry established
there. I mean that the country depending upon Burhampoor
and Asseerghur should be delivered to the charge of Rajah
Mohiput Ram, for the Soubah of the Deccan. I will request
you to speak to him upon this subject ; and desire him to
make his arrangements for placing his tannahs in the different
villages belonging to Dowlut Rao Scindiah, for establishing in
the country the government of his Highness the Soubah of the
Deccan, and for collecting the revenues.
* I take this opportunity of sending you the letters from the
minister to Rajahs Mohiput Ram and Sookroodoor, by which
the latter is displaced ; and if I should have leisure I shall this
day write a letter to Rajah Mohiput Ram, to recommend to
him moderation in the exercise of his powers. As soon as the
officers appointed by you shall have ascertained the amount
of the property in the fort, let me have an account of it, and
I will recommend to Government that it may be given to the
troops as prize.
* All these arrangements will take up some days ; and I do
not think that to be regretted. In fact we have run the
length of our tether against Scindiah. He has nothing more
to lose in the Deccan ; and your presence for a few days at
Burhampoor will give countenance to Mohiput Ram, and will
enable him to settle the country more completely than he
would have it otherwise in his power to do.
6 My letter of yesterday will have apprised you of my wish
that you should, if possible, reinforce yourself in ordnance and
ammunition from Asseerghur, preparatory to the siege of Ga-
wilghur. That place is not so. strong, it is said, as Asseerghur ;
but as it is the great hold of the Rajah of Berar's government,
as it contains all he possesses, and as it is more than probable
it is garrisoned by good troops, well paid, you must not expect
to get possession in the manner in which you have got posses-
sion of Asseerghur. You will therefore see the necessity of
being well equipped.
' As soon as you shall have completed the arrangements above
alluded to, you might begin your march towards Gawilghur,
as you propose, by Mu lea poor. While you are carrying on
this operation, I shall keep an eye on the enemy, in the same
346 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803.
manner as I have done since you have been at Burhampoor and
Asseerghur ; and prevent them, if possible, from invading our
own territories, or from interrupting you.
1 Tell Rajah Mohiput Ram that the letter addressed to him
was opened by accident. I wish that you would tell the
officers of Scindiah's corps that they are to reside at Poonali,
unless they have a wish to reside elsewhere ; and you might
send them to my camp, from whence I will forward them to
the southward. All your medicines are arrived. You must
send an escort for them, which will not be inconvenient to you,
while you are making your arrangements at Burhampoor. If
you want money I will send some at the same time. The
officers above mentioned can come with this guard. It is said
here that you found at Assye an account book of Lieut. Stuart,
which proves that he was in camp on the 22nd of September ;
I wish that you would let me know if that be true.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: « ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major ^Kirkpatrich,
Resident at Hyderabad.
' SIR, ' Camp at Ferdapoor, 24th October, 1803.
'1. I enclose a dispatch for his Excellency the Governor
General, which I request you to peruse and forward. You
will observe that the report which I communicated to you
yesterday was well founded.
' 2. You will see by the enclosed letter, that I am of opinion
that negotiations for peace will soon be opened by both the
confederated Chiefs. It is very desirable, therefore, that 1
should be furnished, if possible, at an early period, with an
account of the districts, of which the revenues are collected in
part by his Highness the Soubah, and in part by Dowlut Rao
Scindiah, and the Rajah of Berar, respectively ; the value of
those districts, and the amount collected by each party.
* 3. If a negotiation should be commenced, it would be very
convenient, and would preclude delays and intrigues, if one
person only were to negotiate for the allied governments : and I
should endeavor to carry it on upon this footing. But if his
Highness the Soubah of the Deccan could be prevailed upon to
give me powers, such as those I hold from the British Govern-
ment, it would prevent delay, and obviate all objections.
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYE. 347
' 4. I should wish, however, that his Highness would let me
know with what person he is desirous that I should consult for
the benefit of his interests.
*5. I have to observe upon this subject that, under the
treaty of defensive alliance, the Soubah is entitled to an equal
share with the Honorable Company, of any benefit that may
be derived from a war; and, therefore, it is not probable that
he will derive any very great advantage from having a person,
more likely than a British officer, to attend to his interest in
the negotiation for a peace.
f But, supposing he should have such a person, and that
there should be a difference of opinion between that person and
the negotiator, on the part of the British Government, under
the same treaty his Highness is bound to attend to the councils
of the British Government, in his intercourse with foreign
powers ; and it is probable that his Highness would be obliged
to give up this point for which the person charged with his
separate interest in the negotiation might have contended.
e In quoting this treaty of defensive alliance, I write from
memory, as I have not a copy of it.
'6. It would appear, therefore, that for his Highness to
name such a person would tend only to create delay and
intrigues, and would answer the purpose of the enemy more
than it would that of the allied governments.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
: Major Kirkpatrick: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
4 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' 25th October, 1803.
1 The march of the Rajah of Berar to the southward, and
the fear that I may be detained to the southward for some
time, during which all their country would be exposed to
Scindiah, make it necessary that we should revise our plan in
some degree.
' Accordingly, I wish you for the present to watch Scindiah,
and to prevent him from undertaking any thing of consequence,
or doing any material mischief, till I can give the other a turn
to the northward, when all will be safe.
* You may, in the mean time, make all your arrangements
for the Berar expedition, all your inquiries respecting roads,
distances, &c., &c., upon which you shall certainly go as soon
348 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803,
as I shall have brought up the Rajah ; this I may possibly do
in a few days.
' I leave with Captain Scott for you 75,000 pagodas, in
various gold coins, and 25,000 pagodas in silver, the whole
thirty bullock loads, and I leave all the medicines for your
corps, fifty four bullock loads. You will do well to send an
escort and carriage for that money and medicines.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay,
• SiR, ' Camp at Pahlood, 26th October, 1803.
4 1 have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 17th,
upon the subject of the repairs of the fort of Baroach. In my
opinion, all that is necessary at present is to repair the breach,
and any other parts of the wall that may require it, in order to
make the place a secure hold : and to put in a serviceable state
the buildings which are necessary to give effectual cover to the
garrison and hospital. Every thing else may be deferred to a
future period.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
« The Sec. ofGov., Bombay,' • ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to J. H. Piele, Esq.,
Secretary to the Resident at Mysore.
' MY DEAR PIELE, ' Camp at Pahlood, 26fh October, 1803.
* I have received your letter of the 14th, and I am obliged
to you for having sent my horse.
' The Nabob of Savanore may be permitted to reside in
Mysore ; but as, between ourselves, the Company are not now
to have possession of the Savanore revenue, I do not see any
necessity for giving him any more money.
' I shall request Colonel Close to urge the Peshwah to pro-
vide for him permanently, and I shall urge Goklah not to
interfere with the arrangements which the Peshwah may make
for the Nabob. I have desired that the 500 pagodas may be
repaid to Bistnapah. It would be a proper trick to prevail
upon Purneah to send our money 800 or 900 miles for us, and
then to make him stand to the losses to which its transportation
might be liable.
' I learn from Bistnapah that Purneah has some thoughts of
him the horse which he may raise according to the
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYE. 349
directions from Government. The greater number I have of
these troops, the better I shall be pleased ; but I rather believe
that it is the intention of government that those now to be
raised should serve in the defence of Mysore ; and I think that
before you allow them to be sent to me, you will do well to
take the opinion of government upon that subject.
6 1 have written to Colonel Close respecting the thieves who
robbed Bistnapah's party. I think they ought to be hanged :
some at Sungoly on the Gutpurba, and others on the Kistna,
and one or two at Hurryhur: if Colonel Close agrees in opinion,
I shall order the escorts for them, and that they may be executed
accordingly.
' Believe me, &c.
* J. H.Piele, Esq.' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay*
« SIR, ' Camp at Phoolmurry, 28th October, 1803.
' I have the honor to forward a letter with its enclosures,
which I have received from Mr. Gilmour, the staff surgeon
with this division of the army ; which I will thank you to lay
before the Honorable the Governor in Council, with my request
that he will give orders that the wine, therein reported to be
lost, may be replaced ; and that, in future, when medical stores
are sent from Bombay, they may be more carefully packed.
' I beg that you will inform the Honorable the Governor in
Council, that I have found it difficult to procure money at
Poonah for bills on Bombay, drawn at thirty days sight ; and
that, as I cannot carry on the war without money, I have
again drawn bills on him at eight and fifteen days sight.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
4 The Sec. ofGov., Bombay.' < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
4 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Phoolmurry, 28th Oct., 1S03.
' My letters of the 24th and 25th, the last of which, with
the postscript, was sent to you in triplicate, will have apprized
you of my return to this quarter, and of the cause of this
movement.
' It is unpleasant that we cannot take all the advantage I
could wish of our success : but the fact is that offensive opera-
354) OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803.
tions are not expected from us in this quarter ; and although
I am willing, and have undertaken them already, I must take
care not to risk, by attempting too much, that for which I am
sent here, and the failure of the service expected from me:
viz., the defence of the Nizam's and Peshwah's territories.
Besides, I have to tell you, between ourselves, that matters are
not as they should be at — , and they cannot well he
worse than they are at ; it is therefore peculiarly
incumbent on me to act with caution.
' I think that in a day or two I shall drive off Ragojee
Bhoonslah. I shall give you notice of every thing that passes ;
and as soon as ever I make it certain that he is out of the
country, you may begin your march towards Gawilghur.
' We may eventually invade Hindustan, but I think that
before we do that, we ought to secure our right flank by taking
Gawilghur, and if possible forcing Ragojee to a peace. I
wrote to Rajah Mohiput Ram to desire him to take possession
of the talooks, depending on Burhampoor and Asseerghur, in
the name of the Soubah of the Deccan.
' I shall be near Aurungabad to-morrow. Your Buswunt
rice was to be on the Godavery on the 25th. I shall forward
it on to Adjuntee, to which place you might send for it.
* Believe me, &c.
• Colonel Stevenson." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Naundairbarry, 31st Oct., 1803.
' I have marched every day since the 25th, and arrived here
this morning. I was tantalized all the morning with the sight
of the enemy's camp, pitched at the distance of twenty miles.
But when I arrived within six or seven miles of them, they
went off in a southerly direction. They have hitherto done no
mischief, excepting to the small villages.
' Your rice is safe at Goondy. It arrived there yesterday.
6 1 do not know how long I shall be detained on this expe-
dition against Ragojee Bhoonslah. You must therefore con-
tinue your watch upon Scindiah's motions. I still think that
Ragojee will move off to the east. Mirza Wahed Beg went
off this morning. He wishes to have an order upon Surat
for 400 rupees, which I have promised to give him, if he will
1803. BATTLE OF ASSY E. 351
Jodge the money in Captain Johnstone's hands, and order
Captain Johnstone to receive it.
' I should not be surprised if Scindiah also were to come
this way.
' Believe me, &c.
• Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
« DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Cheesekair, '2nd November, 1803.
( I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter of the 24th of October, and I am glad to find that you
are returning to the westward. Your position thereabouts
strengthens every thing in this quarter.
' I enclose a copy of my last letter to the Adjutant General,
which will show you how matters here stand.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major General Campbell: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< gIR) ' Camp, 4th November, 1803.
1 I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter that I
have written to the Governor General, which will show you
how we stand in this country.
* I have had the honor of receiving your letters of the 20th
and 21st of October. I am in daily expectation of a vakeel
from Scindiah, to treat for peace. By the last accounts I had
from his camp, he had just heard of the victory gained by
General Lake, which will tend to hasten his determination on
this subject.
' I shall fix the salaries and office establishments according
to your directions.
' I enclose the translation of a letter that Captain Young has
received, from which, as well as from reports that have reached
me, I am afraid that the Governor is not pleased with my
having appointed an officer to fill the office of bullock agent,
when Captain Mackay was killed. The fact is, that nothing
could keep that important establishment together at that time,
excepting to appoint some person to take charge of it. Many
bullocks and drivers were killed in the action of the day
before ; and the people were so much terrified and shocked by
352 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 18013.
the death of Captain Mackay, to whom they were much
attached, that I am convinced that they would have all gone
off, if 1 had delayed to place any body at their head ; or if the
situation had been given to an officer with whom they were
unacquainted. Your experience of the people of this country,
and of the importance of this department to the very existence
of a body of troops, will, I am sure, convince you of the neces-
sity of making this arrangement ; and will, I hope, induce you
to remove from the mind of the Governor, any unfavorable
impression which he may have received in consequence of it.
s If it is not intended that Captain Young should retain the
situation, it would have been better for him to have remained
in that which he held before : and if he is to remain in it, or
whatever may be the arrangement determined on, it is best
that the accounts of the department should be settled by, and
pass through the hands of only one person, in the manner in
practice ever since the bullock establishment has been in the
Company's service.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
« Lieut. General Stuart." ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
( MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Cheesekair, 4th November, 1803.
' I have received Colebrooke's letter of the 27th, and I am
much concerned to find that you have been unwell ; but I
hope that you are now recovered. Of course European
officers must be left in Asseerghur ; and if our three hundred
men are sufficient for the garrison, there will be no occasion
for Mohiput Ram's. Send Meer Khan to me, if he should
come to you ; and refer to me any proposal for peace that may
be made to you : we must keep the negotiations for peace
entirely clear from Mohiput Ram, or any of the Nizam's
sirdars.
' You will have heard of Scindiah's being near Colonel
Lang ; if he goes into Berar, you may as well follow him upon
our Gawilghur plan.
' You shall have my 12 pounders and howitzers, if I can
get near enough to you to send them. Artillery officers are
never satisfied with a battering train. In my opinion, if you
have plenty of shot for your 18 pounders, you have as good
a train as you can require ; and my 12 pounders will only add
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYE. 353
weight to it, without much efficacy. The money for you,
100,000 pagodas, is at Adjuntee: your Buswunt rice has
joined me. The convoy was attacked by 5000 horse, at
Umber, and repulsed the enemy. Baynes commanded the
party, which he had joined with my supply, detached accord-
ing to my orders. I shall keep the rice in my camp for a
few days, till I see which way all these parties of horse, that
are now travelling about the country, will go ; and then I
shall send it to you. The Rajah of Berar is off to the
eastward.
' Believe me, Sec.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
' DEAR SIR,
' The General desires me to add his request that you will
send him the details of the capture of Asseerghur, list of
ordnance, &c., taken. If you get the Calcutta newspapers,
you will see how much is made of all those things; and the
Governor General remarked to the General the want of such
a detail and return on a former occasion, I believe at Jaulna.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' R. BARCLAY.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
( SIR, ' Camp, 4th November, ]603.
' I have had the honor to receive your letter of the 28th
October, with enclosures concerning the revenue arrangements
made by Colonel Murray in Guzerat.
4 I have given Colonel Murray no public instructions on
that subject ; but I apprised him in a private letter, that the
Honorable the Governor in Council had been pleased to appoint
Major Walker to take charge, as Collector, of all the districts
which might be conquered from Dowlut Rao Scindiah in that
quarter ; and that it was my opinion, in any temporary arrange-
ment he might make, that he ought to proceed in concert
with Major Walker, and to deliver over the districts to that
gentleman.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. o/Gov,, Bombay.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
VOL. III. 2 A
354 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
6 SIR, ' Camp, 5th November, 1803.
' 1 have this morning had the honor of receiving your secre-
tary's letter of the 24th October, and I am satisfied that the
arrangement for the payment of the hircarrahs south of the
Kistna is a convenient one. I am only apprehensive that the
Governor is displeased at my having appointed a person to
take charge of Captain Mackay's office, which I certainly
should not have done, had not the different circumstances of
the moment rendered it absolutely necessary : and as Captain
Young accepted the office with reluctance, from an apprehen-
sion that he should not be able to give the satisfaction that
Captain Mackay did, and at my repeated desire, I hope he
will not suffer for his acquiescence with my wishes,, which
certainly will be the case if he should be deprived of the office
after this service is over.
* I have only to add upon this subject, that till Captain
Young was appointed Assistant Commissary of Provisions
with this division of the army, I had no knowledge whatever
of him, excepting what I gained while he was at Seringapatam,
and on the march to Hurry hur ; and that in this arrangement
I could have no private wishes, nor any object excepting the
benefit of the service.
' I took the liberty of recommending to you yesterday a
jemidar of the 1st of the 6th. This man has behaved remark-
ably well in other instances, besides that stated in my letter
to the Adjutant General. If the Soubah had had a dozen
such men in his service, the Rajah of Berar would have lost
his baggage in his flight from me.
* I hear that Scindiah has marched to the eastward along
the valley of the Taptee and Poorna, and that he is entering
Berar. Indeed, I know that he passed Mulcapoor, in which
place there was a battalion of the subsidiary force, on the 30th
of October. I now hope that we shall be able to take up the
offensive in Berar, as there is no longer any reason to appre-
hend an invasion by Scindiah.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
• Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYK. 355
Major General the Hon. A. WeUesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< gIR? ' Camp, 6th November, 1803.
6 I have the honor to enclose the copy of a letter to the
Governor General.
1 I am sorry to tell you that Colonel Stevenson is in a very
bad state of health at Burhampoor ; so much so, as to be quite
incapable of attending to business, and to have been unable
to march with the subsidiary force, on the 30th, towards Mul-
capoor, near which place Scindiah was encamped with his
cavalry. Captain Johnstone tells me, however, that on that
day he was rather better, but still in his bed. He has been
ill, I believe,, ever since the fall of Asseerghur.
' A vakeel from Dowlut Rao Scindiah is on his road to my
camp, and I expect that he will arrive in a day or two.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart.' { ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. WeUesley to Colonel Stevenson.
( MY DEAR COLONEL, ' 6th November, 1803.
4 I have received Captain Colebrooke's and Captain John-
stone's letters of the 31st of October. I hope that by this time
you have quite recovered.
' I have also received your letter of the 26th, regarding your
operations at Asseerghur, See. I want only to have from you
the statement of the officers, and the regular pay and allow-
ances which they received in the service of Dowlut Rao Scin-
diah, and the returns of the ordnance, and stores, and grain
found in Asseerghur, and of the other property.
' I have already informed you that your Buswunt rice is in
my camp. I desire to know to what place you wish it to march
to join you. I am not more than six marches from the Ad-
juntee, or from the Dewal ghaut ; and I believe I could send
it in safety to either, if Scindiah should go into Berar.
' If he does go there, I conclude that you will go also. I
wish the rice to leave my camp, as the people are much dis-
tressed, and are of course tempted to sell, although I am will-
ing to assist them with money. Ragojee Bhoonslah has gone
along the Godavery to the eastward, in a most violent hurry.
' Believe me, &c.,
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
<!> A 9
& A /4
350 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
' MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp, 6th November, 1803.
1 I regret exceedingly the disasters which have befallen your
peons. The want of success in their operations is very unplea-
sant. You may pay Mr. Grant for his attendance upon the
wounded, as for sepoys, as you propose, and charge the
amount in your revenue accounts.
< We must retake the post of Chumargoonda immediately,
otherwise we shall have the enemy attacking some other place,
and approaching nearer to our communication with Poonah,
which will be very unpleasant. By your account of the place,
I suppose that the enemy will not attempt to hold out against
our sepoys; but should they, I recommend that two of the
short brass 18 pounders, captured at the battle of Assye,
should be equipped and sent with the detachment now at
Runjengaum, with 100 rounds of ammunition for each gun, if it
should be possible to provide means of sending it. There are
some of my tumbrils at Ahmednuggur, and I suspect there
must be in the place plenty of shot for these guns, which are,
I believe, of the calibre of French 16 pounders.
4 Captain Lucas, who is the only officer at Ahmednuggur
who has any experience, must go with the detachment.
* Tell him that I request that if he should be obliged to
breach the wall, he will take care to bring the guns sufficiently
near; that is to say, to the distance of two hundred to two
hundred and fifty yards. They must then be loaded with but
a very small quantity of powder, otherwise the carriages will
be knocked about, and probably be destroyed in the firing.
He must make some cover, of course, for the guns, if he should
find no houses nor any other cover near the place. But as
there are no guns at Chumargoonda, a slight mud wall proof
against musketry, with very small embrasures for the guns, will
be fully sufficient.
' If the wall should be so bad as not to require breaching, or
if it should be breached, when the place shall be stormed, no
quarter is to be given. The Chitty you mention, and the
jemidar of peons, in particular must be hanged.
' After Captain Lucas shall have got possession of Chumar-
goonda, I agree with you in thinking that the place ought to
be destroyed, and you ought to occupy Peepery. Let Captain
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYE. 357
Lucas, accordingly, destroy Chumargoonda, and then march
back to Ahmednuggur ; and you will order your peons to
occupy Peepery.
' Be so kind as to communicate this letter to Captain Lucas,
which he is to consider as an instruction to himself.
* Ragojee Bhoonslah has fled to the eastward, and Amrut
Rao is, I believe, coming to join me.
' Believe me, &c.
' Captain Graham: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
« SIR, ' Camp, 7th November, 1803.
' 1. I have had the honor to receive your dispatch of the
28th of October, on the subject of cavalry to be raised under
the government of Bombay.
4 2. The memorandum from the Adjutant General appears
to me to contain all the principal arrangements for that object,
and the tables of pay, &c., are, I believe, correct ; if not so,
it will be easy to correct them, by a reference to the pay
tables of the government of Fort St. George, if the cavalry
establishment under that government is to be taken as the
model of that to be formed at Bombay.
* 3. I have, however, objections to some of the arrangements
proposed in the Adjutant General's memorandum, which I
shall now proceed to specify.
' 4. In the fourth paragraph it appears to be intended that
the followers, viz., the horsekeepers, shall be under the com-
manding officer of the regiment. Every man must be under
the commanding officer of the regiment, and must be consi-
dered liable to be moved from one troop to another, and to do
what may be ordered. But the horsekeepers and followers
must be posted to troops, and must not be removed from one
troop to another, excepting by a formal regimental order.
When in a troop., they must be mustered in it ; the roll must be
made out by the commanding officer of the troop, and he must
draw their pay and they must be paid by him.
' 5. The mode of supplying forage and gram, as proposed in
the 6th paragraph, will not answer. The principle of it has
been exploded for years under the government of Fort St.
George ; and the mode proposed is far worse than the old
358 OPERATIONS AFTI-:R THE 1803.
mode under the government of Fort St. George. That mode
was a contract with the commanding officer to supply gram for
the horses of his regiment, at certain rates. No individual
without public assistance could perform the contract. The
same objection exists to the mode proposed, with this addition,
that the officer in command of the regiment is to send a bill,
upon honor, for the expense incurred.
* 6. These bills upon honor should not be multiplied. The
expenses of the military establishment should be brought
under regular heads of account, and there should be a regular
mode of supplying every thing for which there is a regular
demand. A bill upon honor ought never to be admitted, ex-
cepting for an extraordinary service or demand which could
not have been foreseen, and for which no provision can have
been made by any previous order or regulation.
' 7. Besides, the commanding officer of a regiment of cavalry
has, or ought to have, too much to do to be able to attend to a
concern, so complicated as that of supplying the horses of the
corps under his command with gram, particularly when the
supply of forage is to be added thereto. When his corps shall
take the field, the carriage of a month's gram for the number
of horses proposed will require 1000 bullocks, which alone is
as much as he could well manage.
' 8. I therefore recommend that either for the whole of the
cavalry, or for each regiment, an agent may be appointed for
the special purpose of supplying the horses with gram and
forage, whose bills of purchases will of course be checked by
the usual vouchers ; and that the commanding officer should
have nothing to do with the feed of the horses, excepting to
see that they get it.
' 9. It is unfortunate that the grass cutters will not answer
in the countries in which the Bombay cavalry are likely to be
employed, as I consider that by far the cheapest, the best, and
the most efficient mode of procuring forage for the horses.
' 10. On the subject of the 9th paragraph of the memo-
randum, my opinion is as follows. In the service of the
cavalry there are many minute details, which are of no great
difficulty to acquire, but without the knowledge of which a
body of regular cavalry cannot exist. Under the government
of Bombay I do not believe there is an officer who has served
in the cavalry, and therefore none can have acquired the neces-
1803. BATTLK OF ASSYE. 359
sary knowledge. An establishment of this kind, in which all
would be learners, and where there would be no teacher, can-
not get on ; and the attempt to make the cavalry a regular
body at first, will tend only to delay the period at which it
will be of use, and to increase the expense of the establish-
ment.
< 11. I should therefore recommend to government to pur-
chase the number of horses they may require, and to hire a
description of persons well known by the name of Bargeers to
ride them ; to give them the establishment of European
officers, &c.; to arm them, and to clothe them in the red
jacket, made according to the Hindustanee fashion.
' 12. These people will be useful immediately. By de-
grees those who will submit to discipline will be disciplined ;
and those who will not, ought to be discharged when their
services shall not be required, and their places filled by young
men of the description and caste proposed by the Adjutant
General in the 9th paragraph. The officers will also learn
their duty.
4 13. By this mode of proceeding, the government of Bom-
bay will immediately have the service of a good body of horse,
under European officers ; and they will have a regular regi-
ment of cavalry, at least as soon as they might expect one in
any other manner.
6 14. I recommend that the person proposed to be appointed
Adjutant, and some of the officers who it is intended should
be removed to the cavalry corps, should be sent, with the per-
mission of the Right Honorable the Governor and Commander
in Chief of Fort St. George, to do duty with the cavalry under
the government of Fort St. George.
' 15. In respect to the 15th paragraph, I strongly recom-
mend that government should send to England for the saddles
they will require for the cavalry,
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
4 SIR, * Camp, 7th November, 1803.
' 1. I have had the honor of receiving your dispatch of the
24th of October, relative to the garrison of Surat.
3f)0 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803
* 2. The unhealthy state of the troops that have been at Surat
for a length of time past is a most lamentable circumstance,
and I am of opinion that as nothing is so useful to the Com-
pany as a healthy soldier, and nothing so useless, expensive,
and burdensome, as one in hospital, any measure which can
be adopted to improve the state of health of those whom neces-
sity obliges the Government to detain at Surat, is one of the
greatest public utility and wise economy.
' 3. In respect to the defence of Surat, there appears to be
but one opinion upon that subject, and that is that Surat is
by no means in a state of security. The wisdom and the
policy, and even the justice of Government appear to me to
require that some decided steps should be taken to defend that
important city.
' 4. In the present state of the Company's power, I have
been long induced to doubt the policy of building forts on
the sea coast, or in situations in which they may be liable to
an attack from a power at sea ; but it is very certain that if
necessity should oblige the Government to build one in such
a situation, it ought to be a fort of the first order, of which
our European enemies could not get possession, excepting by
a very long siege.
' 5. This general principle will apply to building a fort at
Surat. However, its soundness depends upon many local cir-
cumstances, with which I am not acquainted : viz., the possi-
bility of bringing a large fleet to Surat, and of remaining there
in safety ; the number of months in the year in which that is
possible ; and the generally prevailing winds in the offing. I
have also to observe that the Honorable the Governor of Bom-
bay has orders from the Court of Directors not to undertake
a work of this magnitude ; and therefore, even if it should be
decided to be necessary and proper, he could not undertake the
work ; and in the mean time the question respecting the pro-
priety of building a fort can be well canvassed and considered.
* 6. But whether a fort is to be built or not, some measures
must be taken to secure the wealth and people of Surat from
our native enemies. The town wall is acknowledged to be in
an indefensible state, and the castle not much better ; and the
former to be so extensive, that even the number of troops now
allotted for its defence are not sufficient. In my opinion it
will be proper to keep the town wall in repair, and to repair
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYE. 36.1
the castle in such a manner, that at least no native enemy
could attack it with hopes of success.
* 7. If the castle were in such a state as to stand the attack
of a native power, I should think the property of the town
very secure from any attempt they could make upon it.
' 8. The intrenched camp proposed for the troops intended
for the defence of Surat appears a good measure ; but if a
wholesome situation can be found nearer than eleven miles
distant, I should recommend it in preference to that proposed.
Indeed it appears to me to be desirable that, if possible, the
camp should not be at a greater distance than half that
proposed.
' I have the honor to be, &c.,
' The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Chilchooly, 9th Nov. 1803.
* I received in the night your letter of the 2nd. Your rice
will go oft' from hence to-morrow morning, and will reach
Adjuntee on the 15th. I expected that you would have been
well supplied at Burhampoor, otherwise I should have sent it
off as soon as it reached me.
' Two of the companies in charge of it belong to the corps
at Hyderabad, where they are much wanted, on account of
the weakness from the number of detachments out. I shall,
therefore, order the officer to return to Hyderabad from Ad-
juntee, unless he should receive contradictory orders from you.
There will remain with the brinjarries one company of the
2nd of the 2nd, under a soubahdar.
* I am glad to find that your preparations for Gawilghur
are so forward. You will of course follow Scindiah to the
eastward, according to my former letter. I do not give much
credit to that story of Scindiah 's hircarrah respecting Meer
Khan and Bungash. The subsidiary force did not march
from Burhampoor till the 31st, and its march could not have
been the subject of conversation in Meer Khan's camp, although
it might have been known to Meer Khan on the 1st. I have
observed that whenever Rajah Mohiput Ram is left with few
troops, we always hear through him of a large body of troops
assembled in his neighbourhood, and I suspect that this is a
story of the same kind. I have never heard of Meer Khan's
362 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803.
return across the Nerbudda ; and I rather suspect that the
whole of Holkar's force is assembled to the northward, at
Kota, excepting a few troops to guard the person of Kundy
Rao Holkar.
* You have not mentioned your health in the letter of the
2nd, therefore I hope it is mending.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 9th November, 1803.
' I was sorry to hear from Colebrooke yesterday that you
were still unwell, and that Colonel Halyburton was also indis-
posed ; but I hope that we shall soon have better accounts of
you.
4 I shall be obliged to you if you will desire Rajah Mohiput
Ram to be cautious not to interfere with two pergunnahs
belonging to Narsing Kundee Rao, one called Dhoolea, the
other Soangheery, both in Candeish. A vakeel from Scindiah
came in here yesterday. There is no other news. The Rajah
of Berar is continuing his progress to the eastward.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Jaum, 10th November, 1803.
« Your rice went off this morning, and will arrive at Ad-
juntee on the 15th. It goes by the road of Jaulna.
6 I have sent after the convoy this evening four lacs of
rupees for Mohiput Ram's troops ; and the Bheer man has
just been here, and tells me that he will send five lacs of
rupees more, which last sum is to meet them at Adjuntee.
Inform Mohiput Ram of this circumstance. I have no news
for you.
* Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, llth November, 1803.
1 I am afraid that you will be disappointed respecting the
arrival of your Buswunt rice. The fault is owing to Captain
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYE. 363
Seton who came in charge of it from Hyderabad. He did
not obey the orders he received, and thereby exposed the con-
voy ; for which conduct he has been tried by a General Court
Martial. Afterwards it was delayed till I could hear from
you what should be done with it ; but this last delay was not
more than of four days. It could not have been at Adjuntee
at any rate till the 10th, after I relieved the convoy ; and it
will now be there on the 15th, with plenty of money for llajah
Mohiput Ram.
4 I see also that you will not be prepared with your stores
till the 18th, and therefore the delay will not be of any material
consequence.
* By the last accounts the Rajah of Berar had turned to
the northward, and is going to Nagpoor. It will be a good
measure to drive Scindiah into the Berar country before you.
It will be awkward if he should turn to the south, as that must
keep me here ; and at all events till the motions of one of these
Chiefs lead decidedly to the northward, I do not think that
we can undertake the siege of Gawilghur. However, I hope
that both will go into Berar ; and if that be the case all will
be right.
1 I am glad to hear that your health is better. The hock
and tea go by a camel hircarrah this day to overtake the con-
voy, and will arrive at Adjuntee with them.
' There are many of your brinjarries with the convoy, besides
those carrying the Buswunt rice ; I believe 2500, loaded with
dry grain. I think it would be advisable that you should
send off 2000 or 3000 brinjarries to Ahmednuggur to get loads
of rice. Give them orders upon the stores there : let me know
the amount of these orders, and I will send directions that they
may be complied with.
' I do not think that Scindiah has it in his power to form a
large force again. Numbers of his cavalry and many sirdars,
I know, have deserted.
' General Lake gained a victory in the town and on the
glacis of Agra on the 10th of October, and I expect to hear
that he took that fortress on the 13th.
' Believe me, &c.
1 Colonel Stevenson.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
364 OPERATIONS AFTER THE 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm.
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, llth November, 1803.
' I fear that Mr. Duncan is but little acquainted with my
principles or opinions, or he would not think that I had altered
my mind respecting the arrangement in Guzerat.
* Colonel Murray's revenue arrangements are really ridicu-
lous, and show that he has entered into a laborious investigation
of a subject which ought not to have occupied his attention for
a moment. I repeated my opinion to Colonel Murray upon
this subject, in a letter which I wrote to him on the 23rd of
last month, an extract of which I sent to Mr. Duncan ; and I
wrote to him two letters upon the subject last week.
' I see now that Colonel Murray has involved himself in a
dispute with the Paymaster and Military Auditor General at
Bombay. There are two parties throughout the Bombay
establishment, and these are, the civil and military services;
and the latter are divided into two parties, those in the King's
and those in the Company's service. The disputes of these
parties are the sole business of every man under the govern-
ment of Bombay ; and they are maintained by the system of
encouragement given to correspondence, and the perpetual
references to individuals by Government. In short, I see
clearly that nothing can succeed with those people as it ought ;
and I wish to God that I had nothing to do with them.
* The Dhar man ought to be encouraged ; and if he should
be of any service to us, or even if he decidedly keeps away
from Scindiah, a stipulation shall be made in his favor, that
he shall receive no injury from Scindiah for his conduct during
the war. But we must be cautious in all our proceedings with
these fellows; otherwise we shall be burdened with the defence
of a pack of rascals of inferior rank, but of the same descrip-
tion with their Highnesses the Nizam and the Peshwah.
' Ragojee has turned to the northward. Scindiah is stiii in
the valley of the Poorna, to the east of Mulcapoor. It is said
that the former, as well as the latter, is going to Nagpoor.
God send it may be true. If it is, we shall destroy him
entirely. Amrut Rao is at no great distance from me, and,
I believe, is coming in.
* In respect to money from Bombay, you are mistaken re-
specting the amount which it was expected that Presidency
1803. BATTLE OF ASSYE. 365
should supply. I told Mr. Duncan that I thought we should
require sixteen lacs of rupees. General Stuart told him that
we should require double that sum. If four lacs coined from
dollars belonging to the government of Madras be taken out of
the account, I believe that we have not received the first sum ;
and certainly not to the amount of the last. It is true that
Mr. Duncan may include in the expenses of this army, all
those of Colonel Coleman's detachment, all those of the troops
in Guzerat, and all those of Bombay, civil and military ; as
he did in the account of the consumption of rice by this army,
the consumption of all the troops stationed in those places, at
Fort Victoria, &c., and that of the populace at Bombay.
1 However, there is no doubt whatever, whether it was fore-
seen or not, that the calls upon the resources of Bombay have
been very heavy, and that they must increase. Upon this sub-
ject I have written repeatedly to Bengal, and I have received
no answer upon that or any other matter, upon which I have
addressed either the Governor General or his secretary. I
particularly requested that seven lacs of rupees in Bengal
mohurs might be sent to Bombay for my use, as long ago as
during the siege of Ahmednuggur; to which request I have
received no answer. Then the Governor General writes the
most positive orders to spend money to draw off sirdars and
horse ; to pay Amrut Rao ; to entertain 5000 horse under the
modified treaty of Bassein ; to take Meer Khan into the service
of the Company and the Nizam : and on the other hand he
sends no money, and orders the government of Bombay not
to make a loan, and the government of Madras to have an
enlarged investment : these orders are not consistent, but who
can alter them ?
« I had a conference last night with Jeswunt Rao Goorparah,
from which I rather augur well. Great pains were taken to
convince me that the war was owing to Collins's precipitate
and violent conduct ; and that all that was required of him was
to wait in camp until my answer should be received to the
famous letter proposing that Scindiah and Ragojee Bhoon-
slah should retire to Burhampoor, and I to Madras and
Seringapatam. I overturned this statement by a relation of
the facts which occurred at Ragojee's tent, two nights before
these letters were sent ; and I showed him that Collins had
refused to admit that proposition, and had positively said that
3G6 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803.
he must go if it was made, upon which another was offered,
Jeswunt Rao Goorparah agreed in the truth of this story, but
said that what had then passed was verbal, and ought not to
have been considered as decided. In answer, I replied that
we never could admit that position; for if we did, the con-
sequence must be, that all business must be transacted in
writing. All this preliminary anxiety about the cause of the
war is very natural, as they well know that we shall found our
claims to satisfaction and security on the fact that they were
the aggressors.
' He has brought no credentials, except a slip of paper to
Appah Dessaye, upon which subject I have not been very
strict hitherto, as in fact I have none myself from the Peshwah
and the Nizam. But I foresee a variety of inconveniences
from going any farther without seeing them. In fact, I
believe he has them : he admitted the necessity of producing
them last night, and I told him I expected to see them as soon
as an hircarrah should return ; and that I should not speak to
him for a moment upon the subject, if he were not a man of
high rank, of whose deceiving me I could entertain no sus-
picion, and whom Scindiah would not dare to disavow.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm." * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
( SIR, ' Camp, llth November, 1803.
'I.I have had the honor of receiving your dispatch of the
4th instant, which contains papers on a variety of subjects re-
ferring to Colonel Murray.
'2. I am much concerned that there should have been any
difference of opinion between Colonel Murray and the pay-
master of the army under his command. But I conceive that
the question between those gentlemen is one entirely referable
to the existing regulations, upon which the Honorable the
Governor in Council can put his own construction, without any
reference to my opinion.
1 3. If Colonel Murray has a paymaster in his camp, it must
be a matter of indifference who the person is, provided he is
capable of doing the duty ; and I have only to add that I
should consider it my place to support and enforce the existing
regulations and the orders of government, whatever they may be.
1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 367
4 4. I take the liberty, however, to recommend as a general
rule, that between those public officers by whom business can
be done verbally correspondence should be forbidden ; as
having a great tendency to prevent disputes upon trifling
subjects, and to save the time of the public officers who are
obliged, some to peruse and consider, and others to copy, those
voluminous documents about nothing.
' 5. In former letters I have had the honor of submitting
my opinion to the Honorable the Governor in Council, re-
garding Colonel Murray's political and financial arrangements.
' 1 have the honor to be, &c.
« The Sec. of Gov., Bombay.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp, 13th November, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letters of the 29th
of October.
' I learned only yesterday from Colonel Elliott that Major
Campbell wished to exchange with Major Crawford ; and I
assure you that if I had known it before, I should have fore-
gone all the wishes that I had formed that Colonel Hough ton
of the 88th should exchange into the 33rd. This officer, whom
I requested Colonel Gore to recommend for the exchange, is
an old acquaintance of mine, who has met with misfortunes in
the world, which made him desirous to remain in this country,
an object which would have been much facilitated by his
exchange into the 33rd. I dare say that he will find no dif-
ficulty in getting another exchange ; and in the mean time I am
very glad that we have got Major Campbell.
' Lieut. Colonel Harness's letter upon the subject of Colonel
was a public one, which I sent to you in a private form, in
order that you might do with it what you might think proper.
Colonel is certainly not a fit person to be at the head
of a regiment, and so I have told him; and I can have no
objection to your making use of my sentiments on this subject,
in any manner that you may think proper. At the same time
I am much flattered by your desiring to have my sentiments
upon the production of that letter to Government, before you
determined to do so.
' The enclosed copies of dispatches to the Governor General
368 NEGOTIATIONS.
will show you how we stand in this country. I think that I
shall be able to settle a peace with Scindiah, on the terms stated
in my dispatch of the llth. The greatest difficulty that I shall
have, in my opinion, will be the arrangement for the Rajpoot
Rajahs ; and yet this is indispensably necessary, as I believe
that the Governor General has made a treaty with these
Rajahs, in which he has promised to make them independent.
I know that he intended it, although these Rajahs are tributary
to the Peshwah and Holkar, as well as to Scindiah. How the
affair of their independence is to be settled with Holkar, I can-
not tell ; but I have apprised the Governor General of Hol-
kar's and the Peshwah 's claims upon them.
' I propose to move into Berar immediately. Colonel
Stevenson will be prepared to march up the valley of the
Poorna by the 15th or 16th of this month.
* We are in the best state of equipment in every respect : I
fear only our want of money, as now that Amrut Rao is arrived
our expenses will much increase. We have drawn Bombay
dry ; and the Governor General has not sent them any money,
although Mr. Duncan and I have written repeatedly to him on
that subject. I have enough to keep me going on, and I
desired Colonel Stevenson to levy a contribution on Burham-
poor. He expected to get ten lacs of rupees : God knows if
he will get one ; but if I can reach Nagpoor, I think I shall
levy a good contribution there.
4 Wherever there is an army in the field there is risk, par-
ticularly in this country, in which we are liable to so many
accidents of losses of cattle, &c. ; but, excepting from the
want of money, I think I may now venture to say, that we are
in such a state of equipment, and both our divisions are so well
supplied with provisions, that we must bring the campaign to
an honorable and successful close.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart? * ARTHUR WELLKSLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
' MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp, 13th November, 1803.
' I expect that Amrut Rao's family will go off to Ahmed-
nuggur in a day or two, and I conclude that a dwelling will
have been prepared for them at Bingar, according to my former
1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 369
directions. I request that the lands and revenues of Bingar
may be settled in such manner and given to such person as
may be agreeable to this family.
' Believe me, &c.
1 Captain Graham: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm.
* MY DEAR MALCOLM, * Camp, 13th November, 1803.
1 1 have received your letter of the 9th.
' I have desired Coleman to send the horses for the cavalry
with you, and you must take two companies from the corps at
Poonah to increase your escort. These two companies must
be relieved by a detachment of three or four companies at
Ahmednuggur, with guns, with which you will proceed towards
Rackisbaum on the Godavery. On the road, or at Rackisbaum,
you will meet Baynes with three or four companies, with guns,
and four hundred horse, with whom you will come forward to
the army, sending back to Ahmednuggur the detachment with
the guns which you will have brought from thence. Your
Mysore infantry may as well come on the whole way.
' I shall send off immediately some troopers, &c. to take
charge of the remount horses.
' I enclose dispatches which contain all that has been done,
and all my papers for the peace. That of the llth in my
opinion ought not to go to Mr. Duncan ; if it does, I shall be
burned in effigy at Bombay. However, I leave it to you and
Colonel Close to do as you please on that subject. Send the
dispatch or not as you like.
' You may well suppose that I shall soon put a stop to this
go-between style of going on through Appah Dessaye.
' Believe me, &c.
* Major Malcolm.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley tv Captain Lucas.
' SIR, ' Camp, 13th November, 1803.
* Captain Baynes is about to proceed from camp towards
Ahmednuggur, in command of a detachment which will form
the escort to Amrut Rao's family, who are going to reside at
Bingar.
6 It is desirable that Captain Baynes should be met on the
road between Ahmednuggur and Rackisbaum, by a detach-
VOL. III. 2 B
370 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803
ment consisting of four companies and two 6 pounders, to
which he will deliver over the charge of the family above
mentioned, and afterwards proceed to carry into execution
further orders which he will receive.
'Accordingly, I request that a detachment of that strength
may be prepared without loss of time, and that they march
towards Rackisbaum as soon as they shall be ready.
6 It is desirable that the 3000 brinjarry bullocks sent from
Poonah by Colonel Coleman, and loaded with the Company's
rice, should come with this detachment ; and you will give
orders and make preparations accordingly ; likewise any
individuals or stores waiting at Ahmednuggur for a convoy.
I should wish you to take 100 loads of rice from the brin-
jarries, and place it in the garrison stores, and give them 100
loads of salt in lieu thereof.
' The officer commanding this detachment is to deliver
these brinjarries, &c. to Captain Baynes, when he shall receive
from him the charge of Am rut Rao^s family.
' I request you to give directions that the 6 pounders which
will go out upon this occasion, which are to be those attached
to the 2nd of the 3rd, may have new wheels, of which, many
for the 6 pounders have lately arrived from Poonah ; that
they may have with them two tumbrils likewise, with new
wheels, and the tumbrils and limbers to be completed with
ammunition.
' These guns and tumbrils are to be handed over to Captain
Baynes: and the officer commanding the detachment from
Ahmednuggur is to take two 3 pounders, now attached to
Captain Baynes's detachment, with which he is to return to
Ahmednuggur.
' Be so kind as to send 50 of the best draught bullocks
with the 6 pounders above mentioned ; from which, and the
bullocks of his 3 pounders, Captain Baynes will choose such
as he may think will answer best for the service on which he is
employed.
* It will be necessary that two of the captured 6 pounders
should be fitted up to go out upon occasional detachments
from the garrison of Ahmednugo-ur.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Captain Lucas.' 'ARTHUR WELLESLKV.
1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 371
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 1 4th November, 1803.
' Ragojee has decidedly gone towards his own country,
through the Wausim ghaut, and I am on my march that way
likewise ; but I think that I shall pass by the Laakenwarra
ghaut.
6 1 shall be at Tulny on the 16th, and most probably at the
Laakenwarra ghaut on the 18th or 19th ; unless I should find
on my arrival at Tulny, that the enemy hang about the Wau-
sim ghaut, in which case I shall go that way.
* I conclude that you will have begun your march along the
Poorna river into Bcrar, as soon as possible after the rice shall
have arrived at Adjuntee; and in that case, we shall pro-
bably be at no great distance from each other again when I
shall pass the Laakenwarra ghaut.
4 Your best mode of communicating with me, however, till
you are certain that I am in Berar, will be by Dewal ghaut
and Jaffierabad.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm.
* SIR, ' Camp, 15th November, 1803.
1 1 have just received your letters of the llth, and I hope
that as your baggage arrived on the llth, contrary to your
expectation, you will have been able to quit Poonah at a period
proportionably earlier than the 17th or 18th.
' My reason for being very anxious on this subject is, that
I have ordered Baynes now to march towards Ahmednuggur
with Amrut Rao's family. He will arrive at Rackisbaum on
the Godavery, four marches from Ahmednuggur, on the 19th ;
from thence he will go on until he shall meet a detachment
that I have ordered from Ahmednuggur with grain, which
will probably be on the 21st. He is then to deliver the family
to this detachment, and is to proceed himself with the grain
towards Dharore ; and I expect he will join Captain Lemond,
who is coming from Hyderabad with nine lacs of rupees and a
reinforcement of artillerymen, in the neighbourhood of Dha-
rore, on the 24th. He will afterwards proceed to join the
army, and will arrive upon the Godavery about the 27th.
SB 2
372 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803.
' My point at present is Nagpoor ; and if Ragojee does not
turn back upon the Nizam's territories, I shall not halt above
one day till I reach that place. Baynes will follow me, and
he will not be back again upon the Godavery, most probably,
for a month after the period at which he shall leave it. I am
therefore very desirous that you should join him before he shall
march from the Godavery this time.
6 Time is every thing in military operations, particularly in
conducting convoys. If these come on with celerity, they run
no great risk ; but if they are delayed long at any place, in-
formation is given of them, and they are attacked, and the
success is always a matter of doubt. I am therefore very
desirous that Baynes should not be materially delayed for you.
But in order to give you a chance of coming up with him this
time, I write to him to inform him of your motions, and of the
latest period at which you will leave Poonah. If this should
be the 18th, you ought to be at Ahmednuggnr on the 23rd or
24th. From thence you might make Rackisbaum in three or
at most four marches, which will bring you there on the 27th
or 28th. Baynes will not be at Rackisbaum on his return
from Dharore, but possibly a march or two lower down the
river, so that you may join him on the 29th or 30th.
' I have desired Baynes to communicate with you, and you
must communicate with him. If the detachment should not
have returned with Amrut Rao's family when you shall leave
Ahmednuggur, you must take on your Poonah companies till
you shall join Baynes, as that garrison is not strong enough to
afford two detachments.
' I enclose a sketch by which you will see, that by not going
to Ahmednuggur you will save a march at least, by which
means you will certainly arrive at Rackisbaum on the 26th or
27th, even if you should delay your departure till the 18th,
which I hope you will not have done.
' I wrote to Piele some time ago to caution him respecting
the demands of rice in Canara. In fact, every inhabitant of
Canara is a rice merchant, and the exportation from that pro-
vince is limited only by the produce and the demand. In this
season the demand will be infinite, and of course it will be
necessary that Purneah should be very cautious in not allowing
too much of the produce of Mysore to go to supply it. The
people in Canara, although great traders, always take care to
1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 373
keep in their own houses a sufficiency for their own consump-
tion till the next crop ; but our Mysore people, who are not
so much accustomed to trade, would not be so provident.
' It appears that the arrangement proposed will answer well,
if Mysore is to give Canara any assistance at all. If Purneah
were to allow a certain quantity of rice to be exported from
Mysore to Canara, from any part of the country from which
it might be convenient to the inhabitants to export it, the in-
habitants of those countries only which border upon Canara
could avail themselves of this permission, as they alone could
import their rice into Canara at a price which the people of
that province would be willing to give for it.
' It is true, as Piele says, that the brinjarries will be de-
layed in looking for rice in the countries east of the Toom-
buddra ; but they will not be so much delayed as they would
be by looking for it first in the countries west of the Toom-
buddra, and, not finding it there, looking for it in those to the
eastward. Besides, when they shall be informed that the rice
in the western countries is allotted to supply the market of
Canara, they will make their bargains at once for supplies in
those to the eastward.
* If any money should be sent with you from Poonah, let it
come on to the camp, unless it shall be wanted to pay the cur-
rent expenses at Ahmednuggur.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Cuyler.
4 SIR, ' Camp, 15th November, 1803.
( I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 29th
of October and its enclosures. Some time ago Mr. Duncan re-
ferred for my opinion a copy of the letter which he had received
from the Company's Council at Bombay ; upon which, for
obvious reasons, I declined to give any opinion, but recom-
mended to Mr. Duncan to make the inquiries stated in the
two queries to Lieut. Colonel Woodington, in his letter of the
7th of October to Major General Nicholson.
* My view in urging that these inquiries should be made
was, to afford a ground for a claim for the army, at least for
salvage for the property which they had saved from the hands
374 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803.
of the enemy ; supposing that Mr. Threipland's opinion of the
law respecting the right to the property was well founded.
* Tt appears, however, from Lieut. Colonel Woodington's
answers to those queries, that the army did not save the pro-
perty in question from the hands of the enemy, who had taken
no pains to secure it, and that the owners of it might have
carried it off whenever they pleased. Therefore there appears
an end to the claim of the army for salvage.
4 However, I recommended to Mr. Duncan to refer the
question to the Governor General in Council, as being the
supreme British authority in India.
' Since that time I have received another letter from Mr.
Duncan, enclosing one from the merchants claiming the pro-
perty captured at Baroach, written in rather extraordinary
terms, a copy of which and of my answer I enclose.
' I now proceed to give you my opinion upon the claim of
the army to this property. I have no books nor any papers by
me to assist me in forming this opinion, and I write only from
memory.
' As well as I recollect, Lord Rodney took the island of St.
Eustatia, in the West Indies, from the Dutch, during the
American war ; at which island was found a vast quantity of
British property, which was certainly contraband, and, more-
over > was intended for the supply of the public enemies of the
state. The captors claimed this property as prize ; there was
a long lawsuit upon the subject, which was decided against
them.
* There can be no doubt whatever of the legality of the
trade carried on by the British merchants at Baroach ; and that
there is nothing criminal in their property being found there,
as was the case in respect to the property found at St.
Eustatia. Their case, therefore, is better than that of the
merchants whose property was taken at St. Eustatia, and it is
probable that any lawsuit upon the subject would be decided
in their favor.
4 However, I do not wish the army to take my opinion on
the subject as conclusive. The best thing they can do is to
make out a fair and clear statement of the case, and refer it to
a lawyer for his opinion. If he should ad vise them to prosecute
the claim, they must do it, as they will observe, at the expense
1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 375
of a lawsuit with the merchants. If he should advise them
to give it up, I recommend them to do so.
' I do not think the Government will give them any com-
pensation for this claim. If the property is considered as
private,, and belonging to the merchants, of course Govern-
ment will object to giving any remuneration out of the public
purse for any claim upon it, however well founded.
' I shall be happy to forward the views of the army in any
thing they may think that I can be of service to them, and I
have therefore given you my sentiments fully upon the subject
on which you have written to me.
6 I have the honor to be, &c.
' Major Cuyler; * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Harcourt,
Commanding in Cuttack.
6 SIR, ' Camp, 19th November, 1803.
4 1 have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 30th
of October, and one from Mr. Melville of the 31st, written by
desire of his Excellency the Governor General, and containing
your opinion upon the subject of a frontier to the newly con-
quered province of Cuttack, towards the territories of the
Rajah of Berar,
' I shall pay due attention to those opinions in case an
opportunity should offer of settling a peace with the Rajah of
Berar.
' It would, however, materially forward the views of Govern-
ment upon this subject, and might possibly remove all objec-
tions on the part of the Rajah, to cede the districts which are
thought necessary by Mr. Melville and yourself to complete
the Company's boundary in that quarter, if you were to
conquer and take possession of them. Other advantages would
also attend this measure : one, that you would secure the pro-
vince which you have already conquered ; and in case of the
continuance of the war, shut out the enemy effectually from
the southern districts of Bengal and Bahar : the other, that
you would make a division in favor of the troops which are
carrying on their operations against the Berar country from
the westward, and possibly might draw the enemy out of the
territories of his Highness the Soubah of the Deccan.
' I have to inform you that, hitherto, I have not been able
376 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803.
to make much impression on the Rajah of Berar, which is to
be attributed to various causes. If it should be possible, I
propose to attack his fort of Gawilghur, in a short time ; and
as this is his principal hold, the attack of it may bring him to
his senses. But whether circumstances may permit me to
attack it or not, there is no doubt but that by taking possession
of the districts which are thought by you and Mr. Melville to
be necessary for the security of the Company's territories, by
which means you will be brought near to Nagpoor, you will
aid most materially in bringing the war to a conclusion.
' I have the honor to be, &c.,
1 Lieut. Colonel Harcourt: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' P. S. I request you to communicate this letter to Mr.
Melville.'
• Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Harcourt,
Commanding in Cuttack.
* MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 19th November, 1803.
' I suggest the measure proposed in the enclosed letter, only
in case you deem your force sufficient, or if the Governor
General can reinforce you, or if this operation should suit with
the other views of Government. If it does, it will be highly
advantageous, and will annoy the Rajah much. He has viewed
your operations with great jealousy ; but he is afraid to en-
counter the British troops, and he has collected all his force
under the command of his brother and his son, under the
guns of Gawilghur, the fort in which he is supposed to have
all his treasure. He himself is still within the Nizam's
boundary with about 10,000 horse.
* Colonel Stevenson's division is on its march towards Gawil-
ghur, and I am on my march to the northward, in hopes of
drawing the Rajah through the ghauts ; but I fear I shall not
succeed. In the mean time, if Jeswunt Rao Holkar returns
to the Deccan, which is not impossible, I must defer the attack
upon Gawilghur, until I shall have defeated him.
' If there were any government, or any strength in these
countries, I should be able to destroy Ragojee Bhoonslah in
a short time ; but as it is, I am forced to be much on the de-
fensive, and to take up the offensive only when a fair oppor-
tunity offers ; otherwise every thing would shake at Hyderabad,
1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 377
and Poonah, and some of the Nizam's principal cities would
be plundered when I should be forward.
1 Believe me, he.
' Lieut. Colonel Harcourt." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Welledey to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' Camp at Nankode, on the Payen Gunga,
< SIR, 20th November, 1803.
4 Nothing particular has occurred since I last wrote to you.
I have been much detained in my march towards Berar, by the
delay in the servants of the Soubah of the Deccan to produce
the peons, who were necessary to take possession of the towns
and districts from which my detachment drove the enemy ; not-
withstanding that the Resident at Hyderabad has repeatedly
urged the ministers at Hyderabad, not only to provide means
to take possession of these districts, but to drive the enemy
from them themselves. In fact, the whole force of the Hy-
derabad state now consists of the few troops that Colonel
Stevenson has with him. They have not another man of any
description, and they depend solely upon the British Govern-
ment for their support. I do not believe the Governor Gene-
ral ever imagined that this was the case, but so it is.
• Nothing further has been done in the negotiations. I sent
a messenger to Jeswunt Rao Goorparah three days ago, to let
him know that I was impatient for the arrival of his powers;
and hinted that unless they soon arrived, it would be necessary
that he should take up his abode at a distance from camp, as
it was very unusual to allow a person of his description, with-
out powers, to remain in camp. He answered that he daily
expected them, and that he was much more anxious for their
arrival than I was.
' From what I learn, I suspect an intrigue is going on in
Scindiah's durbar, to have Meer Mahomed Khan employed
to make peace for Scindiah, at the bottom of which is Rajah
Mohiput Ram. The Mussulman will naturally wish that
our demands for compensation should be in the Deccan ; and
that the king should not get into our hands Meer Mahomed
Khan is a servant of the king. I am indifferent who is the
person employed by Scindiah, as I am determined to make
peace only on certain terms. But I should doubt his having
378 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803.
any confidence in Meer Mahomed Khan, and I suspect that
this intrigue will tend only to create delay.
' Captain Johnston's salary, as surveyor, and Capt. Noble's,
as assistant commissary, have been retrenched by the Military
Auditor General, although the appointment of the former was
confirmed, and that of the latter was made by you. I have
nothing to produce to prove that you have confirmed any of
my orders, or that they were confirmed by Government, ex-
cepting the letters from the Adjutant General, stating that
certain copies of orders were laid before you, and that you had
confirmed them. These retrenchments will create great in-
convenience and difficulty, as well as delay in the final settle-
ment of the accounts. I therefore take the liberty of recom-
mending that copies of such orders as you or the Government
may confirm, may be sent to the office of the Military Auditor
General, certified by the Adjutant General and the Secretary
of Government respectively, as being confirmed. According
to this mode these retrenchments will be avoided.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' Camp at Nankode, on the Payen Gunga,
* MY DEAR COLONEL, 20(h November, 1803.
' I have been detained by the necessity of depriving the
enemy of his tannahs in these districts, in order to insure my
communication, and by the slowness of Soubahan Khan's
people in producing the peons to take possession of the dis-
tricts from which I drive the enemy.
' I learn, also, that Ragojee has not yet passed the ghauts,
and is not even gone into the Wausim district, as I had been
informed he was. I got yesterday your letters of the 15th.
Your Buswunt rice will certainly be in time.
' Jeswunt Rao Goorparah has certainly been sent here by
Scindiah, but if he has come only to discover my sentiments
about peace, he has not yet succeeded in the object of his
mission.
' Scindiah would find it difficult to procure a man to under-
take the dangerous office which Wahed Beg has assigned to
Goorparah, as hanging would be the certain consequence of it.
NEGOTIATIONS. 379
I suspect that there is an intrigue going on in Scindiah's camp,
respecting the peace ; at the bottom of which is, I am afraid,
Mohiput Ram. He and the Mussulman, for obvious reasons,
wish to carry on the negotiations through the channel of
Meer Mahomed Khan, and I doubt whether Scindiah or
his ministers would trust him. For my part, I care not whom
Scindiah employs ; I shall make peace upon certain conditions
and no others, be the negotiator who he may. But I see
clearly that all these intrigues and lies, backward and forward,
will throw many difficulties in the way, and will delay the
business much.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to Colonel Stevenson.
* SFR, ' Camp, 22nd November, 1803.
' I have the honor to inform you that I have this day con-
cluded an agreement with the vakeels of Dowlut Rao Scindiah,
for a suspension of hostilities between the troops under my
command and those belonging to that Chief.
4 1 shall hereafter have the honor of transmitting you a copy
of this agreement. In the mean time, I have the honor to
inform you, that the principal article of this agreement is,
that Dowlut Rao Scindiah is to take up a position with his
army in the territories of the Rajah of Berar, twenty coss to
the eastward of Ellichpoor, in which case the British troops are
not to attack those in his service.
' Accordingly, I request that you will refrain from attacking
the troops of the Maharajah Dowlut Rao Scindiah, if you
should find that he complies with this condition.
' There is nothing in this agreement which at all affects the
state of the war against the Rajah of Berar.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson, or Officer l ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
commanding the Subsidiary force.'
Captain Barclay, Deputy Adjutant General, to Colonel Stevenson.
' DEAR SIR, ' 22nd November, 1803.
4 Major General Wellcsley has just now received Captain
380 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803.
Johnston's letter of the 19th. He is particularly engaged just
now, and has desired me to write to you, —
' 1st. That the representations of Wahed Beg are in con-
sequence of an intrigue in Scindiah's durbar.
' 2nd. That Jeswunt Rao Goorparah has received ample
powers as vakeel from Scindiah.
' 3rd. The General had a long conference with him yester-
day, and has sat down again with him now.
' 4th. He has consented, in general terms, to a suspension of
hostilities between the British troops and Scindiah, and will
probably arrange all the particulars to-night : in which case
he will communicate them to you immediately. In the mean
time, he thinks it necessary to apprise you of the general
agreement ; and also that the vakeel proposed that Scindiah
should be allowed to remain with his army at Burhampoor,
during the negotiation for peace, to which the General ob-
jected ; and proposed that he should remove to some place
twenty coss to the eastward of Ellichpoor, and remain there
during the negotiation. The vakeel could not engage for his
doing so, but would communicate this condition to Scindiah ;
and in case that Chief moves toward the position above described,
of course you will allow him to go off without interfering with
him : but if he should attempt to pass to the westward, he
begs that you will attack him, and cut him up if possible.
* This division of the army will be through the Rajoora
ghaut, or some other ghaut near it, on the day after to-morrow,
or the 24th, and will move up towards you without delay.
e The General's principal reason for agreeing to the suspen-
sion of hostilities with Scindiah was that the siege of Gawilghur
might be uninterrupted by him ; and the General begs that you
will order every preparation to be made for commencing it,
immediately on your arrival, and carrying it on with the
utmost celerity and activity. But as he observes, with much
concern, from Captain Johnston's letter, that you are very
much weakened and reduced by your late indisposition, he
begs that you will not risk your life in the arduous undertaking
of the siege of Gawilghur, if you do not find your strength
equal to conducting the operations of it. And if you find
yourself too weak for that, he will change situations with you,
for the period of the siege, by his joining the subsidiary force,
while you take the command of this division.
1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 381
' He reckons it of the utmost importance that the suspension
of hostilities should be kept a secret from the servants of the
Soubah .
' You will probably receive an order of this date to suspend
hostilities against Dowlut Rao Scindiah ; but that is not to pre-
vent you from attacking him, if you find that he will not take
up the proposed position, and wants to pass to the westward.
' 1 have the honor to be, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' R. BARCLAY, Dep. Adj. Gen.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
« SIR, ' Camp at Rajoora, 23rd November, 1803.
' At the time I dispatched my last letter to you, I received
the strongest proof of the fact which I therein mentioned,
viz., that the officers of the Soubah 's government were in-
triguing to bring the negotiation for peace into their own
hands. However, on the following day, the vakeels, who had
already arrived here, received their full powers ; which,
although not quite so extensive as I could have wished,
enabled me to converse with them on the subject of peace.
' Accordingly, after pointing out to them the causes of the
war, and the violence and aggression of Dowlut Rao Scindiah,
I told them that they were not to expect that the Company
would make peace with that Chief unless they and their allies
were to receive compensation for the injury they had sustained,
and security against such attacks in future. I then asked them
whether they had powers from Dowlut Rao Scindiah to make
those principles the basis of the peace with the Company ? In
answer, they said they had not ; and I then desired them to
apply for further instructions.
e They then requested that I would consent to suspend
hostilities. I positively refused to suspend hostilities against the
Rajah of Berar; and they then proposed that I should agree to
suspend them against Scindiah. To this proposal I consented,
provided Scindiah would remove to a position in Berar, twenty
coss east from Ellichpoor ; and that he would take care to
keep at the distance of twenty coss from either of the British
divisions while carrying on their operations against the other
enemies of the British Government. They wished the suspen-
sion to extend to Hindustan, to which I would not agree ; but I
382 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803.
agreed that it should extend to Guzerat. In that quarter our
troops are not to advance beyond Dohud, which is the most
advanced place we have got, and they are not to come nearer
to Dohud than twenty coss.
' My motives for agreeing to this suspension of hostilities are,
First : that I have no power of injuring Scindiah any further.
I have taken all he had in the Deccan ; and the troops in
Guzerat cannot advance upon Ougein, for the reasons stated in
a late dispatch to the Governor General, of which I enclosed
you a copy. His army now consists of horse only ; and in
order to distress that, it will be necessary to follow it to a
greater distance from our sources of supply ; which, considering
the distance we are from them already, becomes a matter of
some consequence ; and from our operations upon the Rajah of
Berar, which are most likely to bring about a peace.
' Secondly : Scindiah's horse might do us much mischief,
and might derange our plans against the Rajah of Berar, sup-
posing them to be at liberty to act. The Rajah of Berar 's
infantry, and a corps of cavalry, both under Manoo Bappoo,
are encamped not far from Gawilghur, the place which Colonel
Stevenson has been ordered to attack. It is probable that both
he and Scindiah would retire upon Colonel Stevenson's advance;
but they would attack Colonel Stevenson during the time that
he might be employed at Gawilghur ; or, possibly, Scindiah
would make an irruption into the Soubah's territories, to draw
me off' to a distance, and Manoo Bappoo would attack Colonel
Stevenson.
' Thirdly : Bappojee Scindiah has been sent into Hindustan
to defend Ougein against our troops, supposed to be advancing
from Guzerat. There is already at Ougein some infantry,
which have not been engaged,, and the defeated infantry are on
the Nerbudda. On his arrival at Ougein, he will find Colonel
Murray necessarily engaged with Canojee Rao G nick war, and
Dohud held only by one battalion, and he would naturally
make an irruption into Guzerat. This is prevented by the
cessation from hostilities. Guzerat, instead of being our
strongest, is by far our weakest point in every respect.
1 Fourthly : by leaving the Rajah of Berar out of the
arrangement, ScindialVs interests become separate from his;
all confidence in Scindiah, if such a thing ever existed, must
be lost, and the confederacy becomes, ipso facto, dissolved.
1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 383
' I see no inconvenience that can result from the measure,
particularly as I have the power of dissolving the agreement
whenever I please.
e I acknowledge that this cessation of hostilities is against all
the rules ; but, in this instance, I think they are rules of which
the breach is more likely to be beneficial to the public than the
observance.
' I have not yet made up my dispatches to the Governor
General upon this subject, or upon many others connected with
the negotiations for peace ; and the papers which must accom-
pany them are so very long and numerous, that I fear some
time must elapse before I can make them up. The Governor
General has also directed me to send them in duplicate ; and
they are of that nature that I cannot trust them to be copied
by any body excepting those officers attached to myself. Two
of these have been laid up ever since the battle of Assye, and
all of them have their other duties to perform. I hope, there-
fore, you will excuse me if you should not receive copies of the
dispatches as regularly as heretofore. I shall take care, as I
have above done in this letter, to let you know the result upon
all occasions, and to give you the general outline of the dis-
cussions which may have taken place, and an account of my
motives for all my actions. Besides this, I shall send you
copies of the dispatches as soon as they can be made.
' I shall be obliged to you if you will do me the favor to
communicate to Lord William Bentinck such parts of this
letter as you may think proper, particularly the reasons for
which the dispatches are not sent.
' I have the honor to enclose a copy of the agreement for the
cessation of hostilities.
' I think it is probable that I shall succeed in making peace.
I have had a good deal of conversation with the vakeels upon
the subject of the demand for compensation, to which they
appear to have made up their minds, and to be convinced of
the necessity of peace to the affairs of their masters. They
hinted last night that Scindiah intended, after the war, to place
himself under the protection of the Company. They seem to
have much confidence in me, which, at all events, is a point
gained in the negotiation.
c I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
384 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, 23rd November, 1803.
' I enclose herewith the duplicate of a letter which I wrote
to you yesterday, and the copy of a treaty for a suspension of
hostilities with Dowlut Rao Scindiah.
' I have but little to add to what Barclay wrote you yester-
day upon this subject by my desire.
' You will observe that the condition of the agreement is
that Scindiah is to go to the east of Ellichpoor. His ministers
were very anxious that he should remain to the west ; but I told
them that unless he went to the east the agreement would be
void. You are to attack him if he should attempt to pass you
to the westward, and no parties of his horse must be allowed to
remain near you without being attacked.
' At all events, whether he goes to the east or west, march
towards Gawilghur as soon as possible after you shall have
received your supplies, and begin your operations there. I
shall be through the ghauts to-morrow or next day, and shall
watch the enemy and cover your operations.
' If Manoo Bappoo remains near, you might endeavor to
attack him on your march towards Gawilghur. But I do not
recommend that you should leave your baggage and stores
behind you, as to get them up again will be difficult and will
create delay.
' Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson.' ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Remarks upon Major Malcolm's Memorandum on a proposed
Treaty of Peace.
' 23rd November, 1803.
' I agree in the first parts of Major Malcolm's memorandum ;
and as will appear by my letter to Major Shawe, I intend to
amend my plan for the peace, nearly in the manner proposed
by Major Malcolm.
' In respect to the participation in the conquests at the end
of the war, that is not a question referable to me ; but while
writing upon the general subject of peace, I stated my ideas of
the only practicable mode of settling that question, consistently
with the engagements of the British Government.
' Under the proposed peace with Scindiah only, the Nizam
will have to receive nearly fifty lacs of rupees annually, that is
1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 385
supposing the Peshwah to receive nothing; Major Malcolm
objects to the mode proposed by me of paying that sum, and
has proposed others, though he has not specified them.
* The first of the modes is to look to the territories of the
Rajah of Berar.
' Upon the peace with the Rajah of Berar, the Company
will gain the province of Cuttack ; and besides will connect
the northern circars with Bundelcund. The Nizam must
receive an equivalent upon his own frontier. If, besides this,
he is to receive fifty lacs of rupees from the Rajah of Berar,
the Rajah's state will be annihilated. That plan, therefore, is
inconsistent with the Governor General's idea of preserving
all these Marhatta states ; and, at all events, is impracticable
consistently with making peace at an early period.
' The next plan is to increase the subsidiary force, and to
keep a body of horse.
' My object in proposing a plan for obliging the govern-
ment to have some force, was, that I felt severely, in carrying
on the war, the want of it ; and I wished not to increase the
dependence of the government upon the British power, but to
create some force in the state which could carry it through
ordinary events. Without such a force in the state, all will
look well at Hyderabad and in a dispatch from the Resident
to the Governor General, but really, and at bottom, all will
continue to be weakness and confusion ; and in the end the
Nizam's government will fall to pieces.
* If such a force is not established in the state, in my opinion,
the subsidiary force ought to be doubled ; and there ought to
be a body of horse besides ; and moreover, the British Govern-
ment will be involved in constant warfare and constant expense
to support the Nizam's government in the exercise of its ordi-
nary functions. Let Major Malcolm come into the country,
and he will soon perceive the truth of this statement.
( In respect to the Peshwah's claim of choute, it is one, as
I understand, founded on treaties ; and the British Govern-
ment is bound, by treaty to both parties, to arbitrate and de-
cide it according to the principles of justice, on the ground of
the treaty of Mharr.
' There never was such an opportunity for a government
to show its justice and its power ; and surely that opportunity
ought not to be lost.
VOL. III. 2 C
386 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803.
c But the fact is, that choute is collected in all parts of the
Nizam's territories at this moment ; and when Major Malcolm
shall come here, he will know it. The strongest advocate for
the Nizam ought, therefore, to wish that that question should
be decided.
' Major Malcolm says that the Nizam has claims upon the
Peshwah for expenses incurred in restoring his government.
That is a point for the justice of the British Government to
decide, and is no argument at all against canvassing the ques-
tion. He then says, that the Peshwah might be induced, by
some concession or consideration, to give up his claim of choute
upon the Nizam.
' In my opinion it would not be right to urge him to do so ;
as, if that is done, there will be no other mode of satisfying
the claims of the Nizam under the peace. But supposing the
Peshwah could be induced, by any concession, to give up his
claims of choute upon the Nizam, the Governor General has
to choose between the Attavesy and Bundelcund.
4 I shall deliver no opinion upon this subject, excepting that
I consider the Attavesy as no object for the defence of Surat ;
and that I consider Bundelcund as a great object for the de-
fence of Benares.'
' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.'
Major General the Hon. A. IVellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' Camp at the bottom of the llajoora
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, Ghaut, 25th November, 1803.
' I have just received your letter of the 24th ; and in the
night, one of the 21st, and another of the 22nd. I have
already informed you that the whole of Scindiah's durbar are
intriguing for the office of vakeel in this camp, and who shall
make the peace. This information will give you the clue to
all Mirza Waned Beg's letters ; and will account for his urging
us one day to do every thing that can be agreeable to Scindiah,
and on the next, to attack him with all our forces.
' In a military, as well as in a political point of view, I never
was more convinced of the propriety of any measure, than of
that of agreeing, at the present moment, to the cessation of
hostilities with Scindiah ; and I am glad to find, by your letter
to me of the 24th, that you are of the same opinion. Indeed;
1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 387
the cessation is so favorable to us, and so little so to Scindiah,
that I almost doubt his ratifying it. If I find it is used as a
mode to delay the conclusion of the peace, I shall put an end
to it directly.
* Notwithstanding the arrangement in the cessation of arms,
I think it probable that Scindiah will endeavor to place himself
to the westward, instead of to the eastward, of Ellichpoor. If
you should find that you can stop him, without delaying
materially your arrival at Gawilghur, it would be desirable
to do so ; but if to attempt it should be likely materially to
delay your arrival at Gawilghur, it is better to take no notice
of him.
' If he should send my letter to you to inform you of the
cessation of arms, (a duplicate of which I sent on the 23rd,)
and he should still be to the westward, I recommend that you
should write to him, that the condition of the cessation is, that
he should go to the eastward of Ellichpoor, and that you hope
that he will comply with it.
' If he should not comply with it, and he should be within
your reach to attack, without putting yourself materially out
of your way, I recommend that you should do so ; otherwise
not. I recommend that you should march by the west road
towards Ellichpoor, as you propose.
* My intention is to move up towards Ellichpoor, to cover
your operations. I shall be to-morrow at Barsee Tankly, or
at Scindkeira — they are only two coss distant from each other ;
next day I shall be at Akola. I conclude that you will leave
Ballapoor on to-morrow, the 26th, and will be at Huttee-An-
doorah, on the Poorna river, on the 27th. This place is only
four or five coss from Akola ; and I shall send you two of my
12 pounders, and my two 5£ inch howitzers, on the 27th. I
have no 8 inch howitzers.
' I shall send with this ordnance some pioneers ; but I can-
not send you any artillerymen, as I have but few of them.
1 If any thing should prevent me from sending you the
ordnance, as I have above proposed, it shall be sent on to join
you from Ellichpoor, long before you can require it at the
siege.
' I shall also endeavor to get an account of Gawilghur,
which I will send you.
2c2
388 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803.
4 I am happy to hear that your health is mended. Shall you
want my bullocks with my ordnance? If you do, you shall
have them.
4 I shall send the ammunition with the howitzers, but not with
the 12 pounders.
( Believe me, &c.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Scindkeira, 26th November, 1803.
' I have just received your letter of yesterday; but you
differ, in your account of your situation, from a man who
declares he saw your camp last night at Moorgaum, about
eleven miles from hence. The account I have of the distance
between Akola and Huttee-Andoorah is, that it is twelve coss :
it will, therefore, be impossible to send you the guns to-mor-
row, as I intended ; but if I should find the distance to be
within reach, I shall send them to you ; if not, I shall send
them to you hereafter, as I told you in my letter of yesterday.
* Let me know the particulars of your route to Ellichpoor,
in case I should have an opportunity of sending the guns
before you reach that place.
* Believe me, &c.
« Colonel Stevenson' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lord TV. Bentinck,
Governor of Fort St. George.
1 Camp at Scindkeira, in Berar,
' MY LoilD, 26th November, 1803.
' Your Lordship will have been made acquainted with the
state of affairs in this quarter, from time to time, by the copies
of my dispatches to the Governor General, which I have
regularly transmitted through General Stuart. But within
these few days the enclosures of these dispatches have been so
numerous, and are so long, that I have been under the neces-
sity of delaying, for some time, to send copies of them to Fort
St. George; but 1 have acquainted General Stuart, in a letter
of the 23rd instant, with the general situation of our affairs
here ; and I have requested him to lay such parts of it before
.1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 389
your Lordship, as he might think necessary for your infor-
mation.
' I hope you will excuse my adopting this mode of commu-
nicating to you the state of affairs, to which nothing but the
circumstances I have above mentioned should induce me.
Since I wrote that letter to General Stuart, matters have
remained nearly in the same state in which they then were. I
have moved into Berar, and am at a short distance from
Colonel Stevenson, who is on his march towards Gawilghur.
' I take this opportunity of congratulating your Lordship
on your arrival at Fort St. George. I should have written to
you when I heard of your arrival, only that at that time I had
nothing to communicate which you were not likely to know
from a perusal of my dispatches to the Governor General.
' I beg to present my respects to Lady W. Bentinck, with
whom I had the pleasure of being acquainted formerly ; but so
much time has elapsed since I have met her, that I am afraid
she will have forgotten me.
' I have the honor to be, Sec.
' Lord W. Bentinck." - ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
4 SIR, ' Camp, 27th November, 1803.
* I have had the honor to receive your dispatch of the 18th
instant, upon the subject of Captain Parmentier.
' The Governor General certainly intended that his procla-
mation of the 29th of August should be liberally construed ;
and I am of opinion that, as far as the evidence goes, Captain
Parmentier is entitled to benefit by it.
'Before I can fix the sum which Captain Parmentier is to
receive, it is necessary that I should know from him the
amount of his monthly pay, and regulated allowances in the
service of Do win t Rao Scindiah. Accordingly, I request that
this account may be required from him.
' In the mean time, if Captain Parmentier should want
money for his present subsistence, which, as he has money at
Bombay, is not very probable, I request that he may be sup-
plied to the amount of 300 rupees per mensem. The differ-
ence between this sum and that which he received in Scindiah's
390 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803.
service will be paid to him as soon as I shall have ascertained
what he received heretofore.
' I have no objection to Captain Parmentier residing at
Bombay on his parole, if the Honorable the Governor thinks
proper to permit him so to do.
' I have called upon Lieut. Stuart to give an account,
similar to that I have above requested might be required from
Captain Parmentier. I have no objection to his residing at
Bombay ; and I will let you know what sum is to be paid to
him monthly, as soon as I shall receive the document in ques-
tion. In the mean time, he might receive 200 rupees per
mensem on account.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
6 SIR, ' Camp, 27th November, 1803.
' I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 19th, relative to the supply of medicines to the troops
under my command, by the medical storekeeper at Bombay.
' Under the regulations of the government of Fort St.
George, this description of medicines is supplied by the me-
dical storekeeper at the Presidency ; and the medicines are
paid for by a stoppage of 20 cash per diem for each European
soldier, stopped from the allowance given to the surgeon of
the regiment to which such soldier belongs ; which sum of 20
cash per diem is received by the medical storekeeper. The
bills for the supplies for the European regiments ought there-
fore to be discharged by the medical storekeeper at Fort St.
George.
' The supplies of medicines to field hospitals of the govern-
ment of Fort St. George are made on different principles, and
the expense of these is defrayed by the surgeons in charge of
them respectively. But the account? of these supplies ought
likewise to go through the medical storekeeper at the Pre-
sidency.
* Upon the whole, therefore, I take the liberty of recom-
mending that all these bills be sent to the Right Honor-
able the Governor of Fort St. George, who will give the
1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 391
necessary orders that they may be adjusted, and their amount
recovered from those by whom they are payable, according
to the regulations of his Lordship's government.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
' My DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Akola, 27th November, 1803.
6 1 have received your letter of the 22nd, and long before
I received the account of the articles captured by the peons.
' I have desired Captain Frazer to receive charge of those
articles, as part of the captured property. In fact, they
belonged to Scindiah, and ought never to have been taken
away from Ahmednuggur. I shall be obliged to you if you
will deliver them to Captain Frazer, when he shall ask for
them.
' I wrote orders some time ago that the damaged chinna*
might be given to my gun bullocks; and the damaged bajaryf
must be disposed of in the same way.
' You may release the patel of Korget Coraygaum ; but
write a complaint of him in my name to Rao Rumbo's
manager.
4 You did right to promote the jemidar's son.
' Some days ago Amrut Rao sent me a memorandum, by
which it appears that a village, now in the Ahmednuggur dis-
trict, was formerly allotted for the support of a pagah of horse,
which is now serving with him. He acknowledges that they
have no longer any right to draw their subsistence from that
village ; but he wishes that the horses which are detained there
should be allowed to be taken away.
' I shall be obliged to you, if you will inquire upon this sub-
ject. I have lost the memorandum, but have explained the
contents of it, as well as I can recollect them, and I beg you
to let the horses go.
' Believe me, &c.
' Captain Graham.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
* Chinna, pulse. t fcajary, millet.
392 NEGOTIATIONS. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
* Camp at Paundy, 15 miles south of Gawilghur,
• SIR, 3rd December, 1803.
' I have the honor to enclose a letter from Captain Dal-
rymple, which Colonel Stevenson has put into my hands, at
the same time strongly recommending the writer of it. It
appears that he has taken much pains with his department,
and is well deserving of your favor.
c While writing upon this subject, I take the liberty of men-
tioning to you that Captain Noble has applied to be made a
commissary, instead of an assistant, as he now is. To grant
this application will make no difference in point of expense,
and it is an object to Captain Noble in case he should be pro-
moted. I beg leave to recommend him to you, as an officer
with whom I have every reason to be satisfied.
6 1 have Gawilghur now in sight, and it does not appear to
be so strong as many hill forts in Mysore taken by our troops.
However, we shall see more of it in a few days.
' You will have been surprised to have seen in my letter to
the Governor General, a report that part of our native infantry
got into confusion. The fact was, that the 1st of the 10th,
and 2nd of the 12th, and the native part of the piquets, broke
and ran off, as soon as the cannonade commenced, although it
was from a great distance, and not to be compared with that
of Assye. I am convinced that if I had not been near them,
to rally them and restore the battle, we should have lost the
day. However, those of them whom I was able to collect and
form again, behaved steadily afterwards.
* I am sorry to tell you that the iron axletrees of two of
the brass 12 pounders broke in less than a quarter of an hour's
firing. You may recollect that I wrote to you on this subject
formerly. There is no remedy for this inconvenience, ex-
cepting to lengthen considerably the trail of the carriage, and
by that means to prevent the stress of the recoil coming en-
tirely upon the axletree. I recommended this matter to the
Military Board, in respect to the 12 pounder gallopers made
at Seringapatam, but it was not approved of: but at all events
it is really worth a trial ; and I therefore take the liberty of
1803. NEGOTIATIONS. 393
mentioning it to you. The axletree of one of the 1£ pounders
in Colonel Stevenson's corps broke likewise.
4 Scindiah has ratified the treaty for suspending hostilities ;
and his vakeels say that he is going to the east of Ellichpoor,
according to the agreement. I have told them that I shall
consider it as void on my part, if he does not perform all
the conditions.
« We have advanced no farther in the peace, than that the
vakeels have brought forward a kind of consent to treat upon
the basis of giving compensation to the Company.
' Ragojee Bhoonslah has likewise sent a vakeel here. I have
made the same demand from him. I have sent him to wait at
Ellichpoor, till he receives an answer to it. They are most
terribly alarmed for the loss of Gawilghur, &c. On this
ground, I expect to conclude with Ragojee immediately. His
vakeel pressed hard for a suspension of hostilities, which I
positively refused.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart." * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart^
Commander in Chief.
* Camp, 4 miles west of Ellichpoor,
<Sm, 4th December, 1803.
( I had the honor of receiving last night your letter of the
14th of November.
' 's hircarrahs spread, some time ago, false and ridi-
culous reports among my posts on the Kistna, by which all
were alarmed ; and the commanding officer at Hullihall
thought proper to detach a great part of his garrison to their
relief. There was not the smallest foundation for this, or
many other reports brought to and circulated by ;
and I have desired him to order his hircarrahs, if he should
think proper to employ them, not to go near my posts. The
country has been undisturbed since I passed through it in
March last, except by a few poly gars who attacked the fort of
Manowly, belonging to Appall Dessaye, when General Camp-
bell last moved down towards Raichore. It will remain in
the same state of tranquillity, if no unnecessary alarm is cre-
ated ; but if the common hircarrahs and news writers arc
394 GAWILGHUR. 1803.
attended to, we shall in the first place suffer all the incon-
venience of war in imagination ; and in the next place we
should, by our fears, at last provoke disturbances.
' I have given a pretty strong hint to upon this
subject ; for I see that these histories of his are circulated in
all parts of the country, and at Bombay ; and they even come
to Poonah. I know that they are entirely without foundation.
1 I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart. ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
6 P.S. The communication with Mysore has been to this day
uninterrupted. We have not lost a bullock load of any thing
during the war, or a tappall among the rivers. The few tap-
palls which have been carried off, have been by thieves near
Poonah, and I have a post near Poonadur to check them.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
e MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp before Gawilghur, 12th Dec., 1803.
6 1 have received your letter of the 3rd. I approve of your
having relieved the garrison of Nimgaum, as you state. It will
not answer to place in the field a permanent detachment, as you
propose, because we have not certain means of feeding it : for
however strong it may be, we can never make it one-tenth
of the strength of the enemy ; and they, by bringing all their
forces upon it, may distress it for provisions, and destroy it.
In the former case it must retire^ and in botli cases we should
lose our reputation, and that will not answer. It is therefore
best to go on as hitherto.
* Your tour, whenever you make it, will be attended with
great advantage.
' I approve of your having given 5,000 rupees to Amrut
Rao's son ; and I wish you to give him 10,000 more. Make
an arrangement with one of Amrut Rao's people for the rent
of Bingar.
' I enclose two memorandums which I have received from
him : one regarding some horses belonging to a silladar in his
service, which have been seized in the Ahmednuggur district. I
have given this man a cowle, and I request you to let him have
his horses ; the other, regarding a village said to belong to this
1803. GAWILGHUR. 395
man : I have promised him that you would inquire into this
claim. I also enclose a claim from Holkar to some villages,
upon which I request your answer.
' I expect to-morrow to open my batteries against this place.
< Believe me, &c.
1 Captain Graham: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
« SIR, ' Camp before Gawilghur, 13th Dec., 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 30th
of November, enclosing one from the Medical Board upon the
subject of the surgeons sent to this army. Since that letter
was written, this army has fought another battle, in which
many officers and 300 men were wounded ; and one of those
surgeons is in charge of the hospital which I have established
for them. I am at present engaged in a siege, in which I
must expect some loss ; and, upon the whole, I do not think
that I can allow these surgeons to return to Bombay, with
justice to the troops under my command.
( I have also received your letter of the 1st instant, enclosing
one from the superintendent of police, with a demand of food
for dooley bearers. The quantity demanded is three times as
much as is issued to any fighting man in this army, and there-
fore I conclude it is inadmissible ; unless the government of
Bombay should think it proper to send with them a commis-
sary of provisions, supplied with provisions which it is stated
to be necessary to issue to these followers.
( I have the honor to be, &c.
' Sec. of Gov., Bombay.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
6 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Ellichpoor, 17th Dec., 1803.
' I desired Barclay to apprize you of the circumstances
which prevented me from writing to you yesterday ; and as I
did not sign the treaty till seven o'clock this morning, the
same occupations prevented me from writing to you before I
marched.
( By the treaty of peace with Ragojee Bhoonslah^ he will
cede to the Company and their allies territory of the value of
fifty lacs of rupees annually ; and I have consented to restore
39G TREATIES OF PEACE. 1803.
to him the fort of Gawilghur. I shall send a copy of the
treaty, as soon as one can be made. He is to ratify the treaty
in eight days from this day.
' If I had not made this peace, my plan was to march my
own division upon Nagpoor, in order, if possible, to force
Ragojce to it ; and to occupy yours, first in the capture of
Nernulla, which I believe would not be a difficult operation,
after what has been done in Gawilghur ; and afterwards to
watch the motions of Scindiah (with whom 1 intended to have
broken the suspension of hostilities) till I should have forced
Ragojee to the peace. This is a general outline of the plan I
had in contemplation, when I spoke to you on the day before
yesterday.
' From circumstances which have occurred in the course of
the negotiations, I am induced to believe that Ragojee is
serious, and that he will ratify the peace, the terms of which
have been for some time before him. But there is nothing so
likely to produce this desirable result, as the continuance of
the pressure upon him. I propose, therefore, to continue my
march to the eastward, but not with so much celerity as I
should have done, if there had been no peace. I intend to
halt here to-morrow, and move on slowly afterwards towards
the Wurda River, which is to be hereafter the Nizam's boun-
dary, where I shall arrive about the day that Ragojee ought to
send back the peace ratified.
6 In respect to your corps, the first thing to do after they
shall have got a little rest, will be to repair your carnages, and
to re-equip yourself for a siege, in case the continuance of the
war with either of the confederates should make another neces-
sary. The next thing to do will be to bring your division
back into the plains ; as I believe at all events, supposing even
that you are to attack Nernulla, you must approach it by
coming to the southward of the mountains.
* I believe that, upon the whole, the best way for you to
return to the plains will be by the roads by which you entered
the mountains. The road through the fort from Labada, and
out of the Kood gate, is very bad ; and Captain Johnson
reports that it is not practicable for guns, excepting it receives
much repair. That road is not much shorter to Damungaum
than that by which you marched; and, these things considered,
I am of opinion that if measures are taken to avoid the ravine at
1803. TREATIES OF PEACE. 307
Colonel Maclean's old post, which I am informed can be done,
that by which you entered the mountains will be the best and
easiest for your return.
' The fort of Gawilghur is to be restored, but not till the
countries ceded are taken possession of. However, I think it
will be desirable, on many accounts, that the property should
be moved out of the fort at an early period, and carried to
Ellichpoor ; from whence we can move it as occasion may offer.
I shall be obliged to you if you will acquaint the gentlemen in
charge with my sentiments upon this subject, and if you will
give them every assistance of carriage in your power to send it
away. You may probably be able to do this by keeping your
grain department, and that part of your stores carried upon
bullocks, at Labada, till the last moment ; and let the bullocks
carry away the prize property, and afterwards return for their
loads of stores and grain. If you have any empty brinjarries,
they likewise would let their cattle on hire for a trip of this kind.
* The prize property might be lodged in the caravansera at
Ellichpoor ; one of the gentlemen might come over and look
at it, and have it cleared out.
( It is very possible that there may be some treasure con-
cealed at Gawilghur ; and when I agreed to give up the fort
(which, by the bye, it was impossible to avoid without ruining
Kagojee altogether), I determined to leave with you half my
pioneers to assist the prize agents, as well in removing the
property, as in searching for what might be concealed under-
ground. You will use them in such manner as you may think
proper.
I have kept a battalion encamped hitherto, under the Peer-
putty gate, near Emblee-baug, in order to keep open the com-
munication, and guard the road through the jungles from the
attempts of Bheels and others upon the passengers. As the
prize property is now to come down by that road, and I shall
draw off my battalion, I think that it would be advisable that
you should send there five companies of one of yours. I
likewise recommend that you should send down, by the same
road, a battalion without guns, to encamp at Damungaum, near
Major Drew's battalion. This battalion might reconnoitre
the road from Maclean's post, clear of the ravine, and might
bring down your ordnance carriages, still at Maclean's post.
398 TREATIES OF PEACE. 1803.
e These two detachments, with Saint Leger's cavalry in the
plain of Bourgaum, will keep the road very secure to Ellich-
poor ; but I still recomend that when any thing of value is
sent, it may have a small escort.
e I received last night your letter written at half-past four,
and this morning your report of the attack. I did not know
that Colonel Lang and Colonel Desse had acted such con-
spicuous parts in the assault ; but I shall issue this day a
General Order upon the subject, in which I shall express my
opinion of those officers.
6 Captain Barclay informed me that while detained at one
of the gates to allow the troops to pass out, he had amused
himself with making some of them lay down their plunder.
But for my part I have seen many places taken by storm, and
I never saw one in which so little irregularity was committed,
and which was so little plundered; and it is but doing justice
to the corps to declare that in an hour after having stormed
that large place, they marched out with as much regularity as
if they had been only passing through it. I think the best
garrison for Gawilghur will be a detachment under one of the
gentlemen appointed to take an account of the prize property.
' I have written you a very long letter in a great hurry, and
possibly may have omitted something I had to mention to you ;
but if I have, I shall write again.
6 I forwarded your letter to Mrs. Stevenson on the 15th,
and told her we were all well, after having taken the place.
' Believe me, &c.
* Colonel Stevenson: ( ARTHUR WELLE SLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. IVellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' SIR, ' Camp, 20th December, 1803.
< I have the honor to enclose a translation of the treaty with
the Rajah of Berar. I should have sent it off two days ago,
only that I learned that our tappalls were stopped about thirty
miles from Ellichpoor, by Scindiah's pindarries wandering
about the country. But I have sent to disperse them ; and I
fancy that the tappall will now run without interruption.
* Captain Colebrooke has purchased many horses for the
cavalry ; and has nearly completed the regiments with very
1803. TREATIES OF PEACE. 399
good horses, at a rate as cheap, I believe, as they are purchased
by the horse agent. Indeed the 19th dragoons have now better
horses than I have ever seen with them.
' I shall be much obliged to you if you will let me know
what you wish that Captain Colebrooke should have. I ima-
gine the best mode of paying him for this trouble would be to
give him an agency of ten per cent. : as of course his agency
will cease as soon as the regiments will be completed, a salary
would not, I imagine, answer.
' I have no doubt but that the Rajah will ratify his treaty,
and that Scindiah will make his peace as soon as he can.
Indeed his vakeel and I are agreed upon the principal points ;
and we should have concluded a treaty some days ago, if I had
received from Bengal any information whatever of even the
names of the countries which the Governor General wished to
have. I was therefore obliged to acknowledge my ignorance,
and to ask the vakeel for information of the state of the coun-
tries in Hindustan. This is preparing in Scindiah 's camp,
and is the cause of the delay.
4 I believe that Scindiah's vakeels are not yet aware that
I have concluded peace with the Rajah of Berar. When they
believe so, they will lose no time in concluding one likewise.
* But little property has been found in Gawilghur, and all
the dreams of treasures are disappointed. There is some
money, but in copper ; and I imagine the whole cannot amount
to one lac of rupees,
4 1 have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart." 'ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
< SIR, 'Camp, 21st December, 1803.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 1st
instant.
4 I enclose a copy of a letter which I wrote to Glmzy
Khan's son, which will show you the extent of the engage-
ments into which I have entered with that freebooter. It ap-
pears that he has long been in the habit of collecting money
for the zemindars, in the neighbourhood of the range of ghauts
between the Godavery and the Poorna, under the pretext of
400 TREATIES OF PEACE. 1803.
protecting them from robbers, but really to refrain from rob-
bing them himself. Upon my arrival in that part of the
country, I found it to be in a state so defenceless, and so little
the object of the care of the Soubah's government, that I saw
clearly that unless I could attach Ghazy Khan to my cause, I
must give up all hope of preserving my communication with
the Godavery, through the extensive jungles and hills border-
ing on the Payen Gunga.
' I therefore thought it best to interest that freebooter in my
success, by giving him some of the districts close to the ghauts,
from which my detachments had driven the enemy ; and as his
son, whom he sent to my camp, expressed the greatest uneasi-
ness upon the subject of his claims upon the zemindars, when
the countries should come into the possession of the British
government, I promised in the enclosed letter that the Com-
pany's troops would not interfere with those claims ; and I fur-
ther granted him an allowance of 3000 rupees a month, to
assist him in carrying on the war against the Rajah of Berar.
' Peace having been made with the Rajah of Berar, and the
whole of the country as far as the river Wurda having been
ceded to the British Government and its allies, it becomes
necessary to put these arrangements, made with Ghazy Khan,
on a more permanent foundation. At all events, his hostilities
against the Rajah of Berar must be stopped ; although it is
necessary to continue the payment of his allowance, so long as
any of our troops are in this quarter, in order to insure the
communication with the Godavery.
* I propose immediately to send for his vakeel, and to make
the following arrangements : — First, that he shall enjoy the
districts which I have given to him, in the quality of a jag-
hiredar in the service of the Soubah of the Deccan. Secondly,
that he shall continue to receive the money which he has
hitherto received from the zemindars, on account of protect-
ing them from robbers ; provided he does really protect the
country, and keep the communication free. Thirdly, that
he is to be in all respects a faithful servant and subject of his
Highness the Soubah of the Deccan.
' The pindarries have lately been on the road by which my
dawk runs, and I find that my peons have concealed themselves
and their packets in the villages, till the road shall be free.
* For this reason I sent you the letter to the Governor
1803. TREATIES OF PEACE. 401
General of the 17th, containing the copy of the peace ; and I
send you another this day, containing the memorandum of the
conferences during the negotiation, by Rajah Mohiput Ram's
tappall, which he informed me went by a shorter route to
Hyderabad than mine.
' You will find in the margin the dates of all the letters
which I have received from you since the 25th of October. I
beg you will make the use you proposed of the money sent for
me by Major Bownass ; and forward the remainder, with that
expected from Vellore, as soon as it shall arrive at Hyderabad.
If Major Bownass loses no time on his road, he will arrive at
Dharore by the time that Captain Baynes's detachment will be
upon the Godavery.
6 1 think it will be advisable that you should purchase half
of the 30,000 bullock loads of rice, to which you allude. I
am sorry to say that I think there is reason to apprehend a
scarcity of grain throughout the country ; and although I
think it almost certain that we shall have no foreign enemy, in
a short time the troops will require that supply of rice.
' 1 am concerned to observe the state of affairs between the
Soubah and his ministers. However, it is probable that all
parties will be pleased with the English connexion, after the
events of this war, and the care taken of his Highness's inte-
rests in the negotiation for the peace ; and although, on
private grounds, we might feel for the disgrace of his present
servants, we may probably have no public cause to regret it,
or to interfere in their favor.
6 Rajah Mohiput Ram acknowledged to me that he had
received orders to increase the numbers of his Highness's
troops, but no money to enable him to carry these orders into
execution ; and I really believe that the body of troops in
camp is not equal to more than half the number of which
it ought to consist by treaty. Upon a late occasion the Rajah
brought to me a proposal, to take into the Company's service a
Mussulman sirdar in the service of Scindiah with 1000 horse.
I took that opportunity of reminding the Rajah of the orders
he had received from the durbar to increase his force, and
of pointing out to him its incomplete state at that moment ;
but I told him that if he had not the means of paying the sir-
dar in question, and that if he plainly told me so, I could take
him into the service, on the account of the Company. The
VOL, in. 2 D
402 TREATIES OF PEACE, 1803.
Rajah then proposed that the Company should pay half of
the expense : to which proposition 1 made the same reply ;
and as I believe in the course of that day he had received from
the vakeel of the Rajah of Berar some information of the
demands which I had made, for the satisfaction of the Soubah
of the Deccan, he returned next morning, and told me that
Rajah Sookroodoor had agreed to procure the money, and
that he had apprized the sirdar in Scindiah's service that he
should be taken into that of the Soubah of the Deccan. In
the present state of the war, it is, in my opinion, a matter of
immaterial importance whether the Soubah's army is increased
or not ; but I consider it as one of very great importance,
with a view to the future settlement and management of his
territories. These objects cannot be attained without a large
body of effective troops in the service of the state, or the assist-
ance of the subsidiary force. If the latter are required for the
support of the internal government upon all the occasions that
must be expected to occur, there is no difficulty in foreseeing
that its number must be doubled at least ; the forts must be
delivered over to the British Government, and the whole sys-
tem of the connexion must be altered. This would certainly
end in the annihilation of the Soubah of the Deccan.
' If the Government are willing really to have in their ser-
vice a body of effective troops, for the purpose of the support
of the internal government in time of peace, and to act with
the British troops in time of war, their own system in regard
to their troops must be in some degree altered ; the state must
have troops paid by the public resources, through the medium
of the public officers, without the intervention of the jag-
hiredars.
' This last system appears to me to be most consistent with
the Governor General's views and liberal policy ; and I think it
probable that he will be desirous of seeing the Soubah's army
placed on a respectable footing.
4 If you should be of this opinion, I anxiously recommend
to you to turn your attention to this subject ; and as, from the
disposition already manifested by his Highness, it is not
probable that he will spontaneously adopt the measures which
are necessary in order to give him an army, I suggest for your
consideration the propriety of continuing to press upon his
ministers the breach of the treaty by his Highness, in not pro-
1803. TREATIES OF PEACE. 403
ducing the requisite force, as a ground-work of an amend-
ment of the treaty of defensive alliance in this point, before
the territories, ceded by the enemy at the peace, are given over
to him.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
1 Major Kirkpatrick: 6 ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
MEMORANDUM TRANSMITTED TO COLONEL STEVENSON.
' 23rd December, 1803.
' 1. Colonel Stevenson will have observed that, by the third
article of the treaty of peace with the Rajah of Berar, the
province of Berar, as far as the Wurda river, is ceded to the
British Government and its allies ; and it is necessary to take
possession of it and settle its government.
' 2. From the nature of the government which has hitherto
existed in this province, that will not probably be a very diffi-
cult measure. The government has, in fact, been in the hands
of the Nizam, and his officers are already in all the principal
places in the country. The Rajah had the largest share of
the revenues, but he collected the money by sending his
carkoons into the different districts at the time the revenues
were paid ; or by having them constantly residing in the dis-
tricts, at the same time that the Nizam's officers were carrying
on the business of the government.
6 3. These carkoons belonging to the Rajah of Berar have
been driven out of the districts ; and it is reported by
Rajah Mohiput Ram that not one remains. The government
therefore of the country may be supposed to be in the hands
of the Nizam's officers.
' 4. However, enough has been seen of the mode of con-
ducting business by the Nizam's officers, to render it doubtful
whether they really have possession of the country, as they
say they have ; at all events, it will be necessary to keep a
force in this quarter, till the peace shall have been compara-
tively consolidated, and the Rajah shall have resumed his resi-
dence at Nagpoor, and dispersed his troops.
* 5. Intelligence has been received, that he has crossed the
Wurda, and is now employed in dismissing his troops. But
these very troops thus dismissed may, and will most probably,
404 TREATIES OF PEACE. 1803,
employ their leisure moments in the plunder of this country ;
and the Rajah himself might not be disinclined to give us
some employment in the territories ceded to us ; not only by
encouraging these discharged troops, but also by the inroads
of some in his own service.
' 6. For all these reasons, therefore, it appears necessary
that some force should be kept up for a time in this country ;
and they have been particularly detailed, in order that Colonel
Stevenson may have an opportunity of applying his instruc-
tions to the officer in command, to the different points which
can occur.
( 7, Rajah Mohiput Ram has been desired to take possession
of, and make the arrangements for, the government of the
country. He will leave in it a force in his Highnesses service,
with the commander of which Lieut. Colonel Lang may be
desired to communicate for the public good. This man might
be under Colonel Lang's orders, if Colonel Stevenson has been
in the habit of arranging the service in that manner.
' 8. From what has been above stated, it will appear that
although Ellichpoor, or possibly Oomrawootty, which is farther
to the southward, would be the most centrical situation for the
detachment, it ought not to be entirely stationary ; but should
move, and with celerity, to those parts of the province, in which
its services may be most required.
1 9. For the present, a garrison of three hundred men must
be left in Gawilghur ; and in case the detachment should move
from Ellichpoor, the number of troops stationed there ought
to be increased to one hundred. In a few days, it is expected
that it will be possible to give up Gawilghur entirely, accord-
ing to the treaty.
* 10. Along with this memorandum will be sent the trans-
lation of a letter to Rajah Mohiput Ram, and translations of
two proclamations, which will point out more clearly the
arrangements which have been ordered. Maps of the coun-
try, as far as they can be made out, shall be sent to Colonel
Lang.
4 11. Lieut. Colonel Lang must be requested to have an eye
upon the proceedings of the Nizam's officers, and to report
any deviation from the instructions in that letter and those
proclamations.
1803. TREATIES OF PEACE. 405
1 12 He must be desired also to correspond with Mr. Elphin-
stone at Nagpoor (whose tappall will run to Ellichpoor), and
to inform that gentleman, in case he should find any difficulty
on the part of the Rajah's officers in settling the country, or
that the Rajah's troops remain in it ; and of course they must
be attacked if they do remain.
* Colonel Stevenson: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
PROCLAMATION.
' 23rd December, 1803.
c By the article of the Treaty of Peace between the Honor-
able Company and their allies, on the one part, and Senah
Saheb Soubah Ragojee Bhoonslah, on the other, the province
of Berar lying to the westward of the river Wurda, having
been ceded in perpetual sovereignty to the British Govern-
ment and their allies, by Senah Saheb ; all amildars, &c. &c.
are hereby required to obey the orders they will receive from
Bahrah Muce, who is appointed by Major General Wellcsley,
and empowered to settle that country.
* ARTHUR WELLES LEY.'
PROCLAMATION.
' 23rd December, 1803.
' Peace having been concluded between the Honorable the
East India Company and their allies, on the one part^ and
Senah Saheb Soubah Ragojee Bhoonslah, on the other:
' Hostilities are to cease forthwith ; of which, all officers and
others concerned are to take notice.
* No person whatever is to be molested for the part he may
have taken in the late war, or for having been heretofore the
subject of Ragojee Bhoonslah.
1 Persons who may have been in his service, or his subjects,
inhabitants of countries transferred by the articles of the peace
to the authority of the British Government, and their allies
are to be treated in the same manner, in every respect, as the
ancient servants and subjects of the British Government, and
their allies ; provided they are obedient to the laws and to the
orders which they shall receive.
'ARTHUR WELLESLEY.'
406 TREATIES OF PEACE. 1803.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Harcourt,
Commanding in Cuttack.
' Camp, 4 miles east of Ellichpoor,
' SIR, 24th December, 1803.
6 1 have the honor to enclose for your perusal duplicates
of dispatches to his Excellency the Governor General, which
I request you to forward as soon as possible.
' In consequence of the conclusion of the treaty of peace
with Rajah Ragojee Bhoonslah, you will, I presume, cease all
negotiations with his subjects and servants, without waiting
for further orders from his Excellency.
' I beg you to acknowledge the receipt of this letter by
post, as well as by the return of the messenger.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
Lieut. Colonel Harcourt: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
' Camp, 4 miles east of Ellichpoor,
6 SIR, 25th December, 1803.
' Lieut. Colonel Close has transmitted to me a copy of your
dispatch of the 2nd instant, on the subject of the claims of the
Honorable Company on the Rajahs of Kolapoor, Sawunt-
Warra, and Baboo Rao Angria, for piracies committed under
the authority of those chiefs.
6 The Rajah of Kolapoor is, I know, independent of the
Peshwah ; and it would not, perhaps, be consistent with
justice, to call upon his Highness to pay for his piracies, which
he cannot have in his power to control.
' I know of no connexion between Scindiah and the Ra-
jah of Sawunt-Warra and Angria, excepting, perhaps, rela-
tionship to the latter. At all events, the political connexion,
if any ever existed, has been dissolved, as both these Chiefs
have been neutral during the war ; and the neutrality of the
latter has been most advantageous to our cause.
* I think it desirable to avoid affording grounds for the
renewal of this political connexion, by calling upon Scindiah to
satisfy the Company's claims upon the Rajah of Sawunt-Warra
and Angria; and, therefore, unless the Governor in Council
1803. TREATIES OF PEACE. 407
should particularly desire it, I propose not to notice this sub-
ject to Scindiah's ministers. Another reason for omitting to
mention it, is, that it would answer no end whatever ; Scindiah
has no pecuniary means of satisfying those claims ; and the
consequence of agitating the question would be the necessity
of deferring the consideration of it to a future period, and the
certain revival,, by our own act, of the political connexion
between Scindiah and the Chiefs on the coast, which, if it ever
existed, has been destroyed by the success of the war.
f In respect to the claims upon the Rajahs of Kolapoor and
Sawunt-Warra, and Baboo Rao Angria, I think it very pro-
bable that they have not now, nor ever will have, the means of
satisfying them. The Supreme Government alone can decide
what measures ought consequently to be adopted : but in the
mean time it appears wise to block up their ports entirely ;
and I believe that this measure, which is certainly a severe
punishment, is the only satisfaction of which such a case will
admit.
1 I have the honor to be, &c.
* The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
END OF SUPPLEMENT TO VOL. I.
SUPPLEMENT TO VOL. II.
MILITARY NARRATIVE
OF THE EARLY SERVICES OF
FIELD MARSHAL THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON,
IN
INDIA.
WITH THE OFFICIAL AND OTHER DISPATCHES.
SUPPLEMENT TO VOLUME II.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Jeswunt Rao Holkar.
5th January, 1804.
* I wrote you a letter on the 16th of July last, which I hope
you have received; but lest you should not, I now send a
duplicate of it.
' I have the pleasure to inform you that I have concluded
treaties of peace between the Honorable Company and their
allies, and Dowlut Rao Scindiah and Rajah Senah Saheb Ra-
gojee Bhoonslah respectively ; and I take this opportunity of
congratulating you upon the restoration of peace in Hindustan
and in the Deccan.
• During the existence of the late war, your conduct has been
most wise and politic, and has been perfectly satisfactory to me ;
and I repeat to you, upon this occasion, the assurance which
I have frequently given you, that so long as you refrain from
attacking the Honorable Company and their allies., the British
Government will not interfere with you.
1 This will be forwarded to you by Major Malcolm, a gen-
tleman who is going to reside with Dowlut Rao Scindiah, on
the part of the British Government. He will receive from you
any communication you may be desirous of making to the
British Government or to me ; and will communicate with you
on any point that you may consider likely to forward your
interests, or to promote the friendship between the Honor-
able Company and you.
* Jeswunt Rao Holkar: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY,
412 THE DECCAN, 1804*
Major General the Hon. A. Wellcsley to Dowlut Rao Scindiah.
' Camp, 5th January, 1804.
* This letter will be delivered to you by Major Malcolm, a
gentleman of rank, and in the confidence of his Excellency the
Governor General, whom I have sent to you, in order that he
may take every opportunity of rendering permanent the friend-
ship now re-established between the Honorable Company and
you.
' I request you to consider what Major Malcolm will say to
you as coming from me.
• Dowlut Rao Scindiah." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
« SIR, 'Camp, 5th January, 1804.
( I have the honor to inform you that, by virtue of the autho-
rity vested in me, I have concluded a peace on the part of
the Honorable Company and their allies, with the Maharajah
Dowlut Rao Scindiah, which the latter has ratified ; by which
I have consented to cede to the Maharajah the districts, lands,
and villages specified in the enclosed paper, which is a copy of
the 8th article of the treaty of peace.
' I beg that upon the receipt of this letter you will cede the
districts and places therein specified, to the officers who will be
sent by the Maharajah to take possession of them ; provided that
the condition stated in the 8th article is complied with, and
particularly provided that Mulwa Dada withdraws his ban-
ditti from the country,, and crosses the Godavery and proceeds
into Candeish. But if Mulwa Dada should still remain with
his banditti in that quarter, you are not to deliver up the dis-
tricts in question, till you receive further orders from me.
' The fort of Ahmednuggur, and the other districts taken
possession of, at the time of the capture of that fort by the
British troops, are to remain in the possession of the British
Government and their allies, under the treaty of peace.
1 You will give up the districts in the state in which they are
on the day you shall receive this letter. You are to have
nothing further to do with them, and to give up all claims
upon them for arrears of revenue, &c., unless you should have
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 413
made advances to the ryots ; in which case, you are to recover
those advances.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Captain Graham: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
« SIR, * Camp at Rajah Peepulgaum, 8th January, 1804.
6 1 have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 16th
of December, upon the subject of the weakness of the garrison
of Surat. I have not received any return of the troops at that
station, and I cannot say what their numbers are. Colonel
Murray has, I imagine, lately called the European troops into
the field, as I observe that the 75th regiment is among those
composing his corp.
4 1 am decidedly of opinion that Surat is a point of too much
consequence ever to be exposed to risk, excepting in a case of
very urgent necessity. The plan which I proposed to the Ho-
norable the Governor, in my letter of the 2nd of August, pro-
vided effectually for the security of Surat, under every possible
contingency ; and I conclude that the departure from that
part of it has been occasioned by the extraordinary sickness of
the troops.
« The change of the circumstances of our situation, in
consequence of the peace, may render desirable a small alter-
ation in that plan. I purpose immediately to take the subject
into consideration, and to lay my sentiments before the Go-
vernor. In the mean time, I think that it will be advisable to
station the fencible battalion at Surat ; unless Colonel Murray
should require its services for any extraordinary emergency, of
which I am not aware.
* I now beg leave to recommend generally to the Govern-
ment, that the first step taken should be to supply the defici-
encies of men in the established corps, and to call upon the
officers to discipline their sepoys. I see that in one corps
there are no less than 500 supernumeraries, all undisciplined.
This corps has had the same number of supernumeraries for
the last six months ; and it might have been expected that
before this time some of them would have been disciplined.
In their present state they are worse than useless.
' I have the honor to be, Sec.
' The Sec. of Gov,, Bombay." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
414 THE DECCAN, 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
« SIR, ' Camp at Rajah Peepulgaum, 8th January, 1804.
' I have had the honor to receive your letter of the 18th of
December. I do not apprehend that any inconvenience can
result from the continuation of the correspondence of Colonel
Murray with the Honorable the Governor in Council, through
the accustomed channel ; and it has the advantage of affording
to Government the assistance of Major General Nicoll's opi-
nion upon the different points which may occur, and I there-
fore recommend its continuance.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. of Gov., Bombay.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
' Camp at Rajah Peepulgaum,
< MY DEAR SIR, '* 8th January, 1804.
' I received your letters of the llth and 13th December.,
but have been obliged to delay answering them, because the
Nizam's amildars thought proper to drive my tappall peons
off the road, and to interrupt my communication with the
southward.
c The Bheel who, you say, proposes to connect himself with
the British Government merely refers you to his carkoon,
laments the death of some other Bheel, and says that, if cer-
tain others are released, he will have full confidence in your
professions. There is nothing in all this.
' I am sorry for the defeat of the Perinda detachment ; but
I conclude that, as usual, they had only one hundred, instead
of one thousand men.
e I must consider of the proposal to have the mint at Ahmed-
nuggur. I have concluded treaties of peace with Scindiah and
the Rajah of Berar ; and a letter will go to you with this, which
will show you what is to be given up on the side of Ahmed-
nuggur; which fort will remain in our possession.
' I shall also give Nimgaum to the Rajah of Berar. I fear,
however, that nothing will restore peace to that part of the
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 415
country, excepting my marching that way with the army,
which I am now doing.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Captain Graham." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Officer commanding
at Gawilghur.
« SIR, ' Camp at Rajah Peepulgaum, 8th January, 1804.
* I beg that, upon the receipt of this letter, you will deliver
up the fort of Gawilghur to the officer of the Rajah of Berar
who will give this letter to you. You will take a receipt
for the guns, stores, &c., which you will deliver up, as well
as the armour, swords, &c., which have been kept by my
directions.
' After having done this, you will march with the troops
under your command to Ellichpoor, and place yourself under
the orders of Lieut. Colonel Lang.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Officer commanding ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' at Gawilghur.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiahs durbar.
' Camp at the bottom of the Badowly Ghaut,
' MY DKAR MALCOLM, 10th January, 1804.
' The only business at Ragojee Bhoonslah's durbar is the
claim of the districts beyond the Wurda, and the delay of the
orders to call in the horse who are still in Berar. If any
thing material should occur, 1 shall let you know ; but I can-
not promise to send you copies of Elphinstone's dispatches, as
I, and those who are obliged to assist me, have already much
more to do than we can manage.
1 1 have told Ragojee's vakeel that I should not give up the
fort of Gawilghur, or the country of the value of four lacs
of rupees, and that I should leave a division of the British
army in Berar, till all these questions should be settled. He
declares that the Rajah will not hesitate one moment in com-
plying with my requisition.
' The Nizam's territories are, I believe, in one complete
chaos, from the Godavery to Hyderabad. Major Robertson
writes me from Dharore that Bheer has been plundered, and
416 THE DECCAN. 1801.
the plunderers are spreading wide. This is a serious evil.
Unless \ve can draw supplies from those countries, it will not
be possible to keep the army to the northward.
' Some reform must be introduced into the government of
the Soubah of the Deccan, or we shall yet be obliged to draw
back to our frontier. A country 700 miles in length, and 400
in breadth, cannot be kept in subjection by six battalions.
« I should be glad to have the translation of the schedule of
the treaty with Scindiah. Likewise the paper received from
Amrut Rao, on the subject of the division among his friends
of the sum of one lac of rupees annually, which Kischen Rao
has in his possession.
* I have not yet got the papers from Scindiah 's vakeel, con-
taining a memorandum of his demands, which were discussed
in my last meeting with Eitul Punt.
( I have the honor to be, &c.
' Major Malcolm.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major Gen. the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' SIR, ' Camp above the Badowly Ghaut, llth Jan., 1804.
' I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 30th November, on the subject of the trial of private
William Clarke, of His Majesty's 74th regiment. The reason
for which I omitted to apply to you in favor of that soldier,
at the time the proceedings on his trial were transmitted
to be laid before you, was, that Lieut. Colonel Wallace did
not recommend him ; and when I pressed him to recommend
him, he told me that if he had not been tried by a general
court martial for murder, he must have been tried by a regi-
mental court martial for theft. However, I think it very
desirable to avoid punishing with death a man belonging to
the 74th regiment ; and therefore I propose to offer to the
man to commute his punishment to transportation for life to
Botany Bay. By this mode the punishment of death will be
avoided,, and the 74th regiment will get rid of a bad soldier, of
which Colonel Wallace is very desirous.
' My tappall has for the last month been very irregular,
owing to the increase of the disturbances in the Nizam's terri-
tories, and I am much afraid that you will not have received
many of my letters.
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 417
6 I have, however, within these few days, made a fresh effort
to re-establish the runners upon the road, which I hope will
be successful, particularly as I have passed through the ghauts
with my own division, on my return towards the Godavery.
' I shall therefore now give you an outline of our operations,
and of events in this quarter, since the battle at Argaum on the
29th of November, of which I think you must have received
the account.
' I marched immediately after that action with both divisions
to Ellichpoor, where I established an hospital for the wounded.
On the 7th of December both divisions marched to take up their
ground for the siege of Gawilghur. The subsidiary force hav-
ing been equipped for that operation at Asseerghur, was des-
tined to attack the northern face, in which it appeared probable
we should have the best chance of success ; while I should
cover the siege with my own division and all the cavalry, and
make such attacks to the southward and westward as might
appear practicable, and likely to divert the attention of the
enemy from Colonel Stevenson's attack. The difficulty of
dragging the guns through the mountains to the northern
point of attack was terrible ; but it was overcome by the labor
of the troops, and our batteries opened, both to the northward
and southward, on the 13th in the morning. On the 15th in
the morning a breach was effected in two outer walls of the
northern face, and the place was stormed. But then there still
remained an inner wall, which had not been touched. This was
escaladed, and the place was soon in our possession. Lieut.
Colonel Kenny, who commanded the storming party, was
wounded ; and Lieut. Young of the 7th died of a wound he
received. Our loss was not great. No impression was made
by my battery on the southern face of the fort; but still I made
two attacks with my division, while Colonel Stevenson stormed
the northern face, one on the southern and one on the western
gateway. The former could have done no good, excepting by
distracting the enemy ; but the latter got into the fort and co-
operated in the attack of the inner wall.
' I have only given you an outline of our proceedings at
Gawilghur, as I think it probable that you will have received
my dispatches detailing them more particularly.
' On the 17th of December, in the morning, I signed a treaty
VOL. III. 2 E
-11.8 THE DEC CAN, 1804.
of peace with the vakeel of the Rajah of Berar, of which, and
of my dispatch on this subject to the Governor General, I
enclose other copies.
' I marched the same day, and till the 19th, to the eastward
towards Nagpoor, in order to keep alive the impression under
which it was obvious that the treaty had been concluded; but
I halted on the 20th, as I had every reason to believe that the
Rajah would ratify the treaty, and that if I crossed the Wurda,
his government would be entirely destroyed.
' On the 23rd, I received the ratification of the treaty. On
the same day, Eitul Punt and Moonshee Kavel Nyn, two of
Scindiah's principal ministers, came into camp to settle the
peace for their master.
' Although this Chief had ratified the suspension of hos-
tilities, he had not performed any one of the conditions of the
treaty. He had remained to the westward, instead of going
to the eastward of Ellichpoor ; and his pindarries had taken
advantage of my being occupied in the siege of Gawilghur,
to spread over and plunder the country. Accordingly, I gave
notice to his ministers, that in a few days I should put an end
to the suspension of hostilities. I marched on the 24th to the
westward, and joined Colonel Stevenson to the westward of
Ellichpoor on the 26th ; and on the 27th, we both marched to
Surjee Anjengaum, where I concluded a treaty of peace with
Scindiah's ministers on the 28th, which I signed at one in the
morning of the 30th. I received Scindiah's ratification of it
on the 5th of January, and I have now the honor to enclose
another copy of it, and of my dispatch of the 30th of December
to the Governor General.
' I have nothing to add to that letter. The power of Scin-
diah is gone. The Rajah of Berar will never dare to venture
into another war with the Company ; and if he does, we know
that we can destroy him. Holkar alone remains of all these
Marhatta chiefs, and he will be formidable only as a free-
booter. However, if we can oblige our allies to keep, or
rather to restore their military establishments to some degree
of efficiency, (and if we cannot effect that object, our system is
essentially defective, and must, in the end, fail,) freebooters
will never again be formidable.
6 Mr. Elphinstone has gone to the Rajah of Berar's durbar,
1804. AFTISR THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 419
where there is a little difference of opinion respecting the
meaning of the 4th article of the treaty, whether it was in-
tended to cede some small districts belonging to the Nizam,
situated beyond the Wurda. I have no doubt upon the sub-
ject ; and the Rajah's vakeel who negotiated the treaty with
me agrees in that opinion, and tells me that the Rajah will
give up the point. In the mean time, however, till this point
is decided, I have kept the fort of Gawilghur, and have left
the subsidiary force in Berar.
' Scindiah is gone to the northward of Burhampoor, and
Major Malcolm was to join him on this day. The principal
object of his attention will be to arrange the treaty of defensive
alliance. I have recommended to him not to insist upon
fixing the subsidiary force in Scindiah's territories. I should
prefer to have it either in Guzerat or Bundelcund, for reasons
which are too long to be given in this letter. But I shall
send you the copy of the paper which I have given to Major
Malcolm upon the subject, in which they are detailed. Unless
I have convinced Major Malcolm, which I believe I have done,
(if his silence upon the subject is not to be attributed to sick-
ness,) I am afraid I stand single in this opinion. However, I
am convinced this is the only point upon which there will be
any difficulty in Scindiah's durbar ; and I see by the Governor
General's instructions to Colonel Close, that he was disposed
to give it up, even at Poonah.
' My intention is now gradually to draw off the troops, and
to establish the Peshwah's subsidiary force according to the
Governor General's orders. I propose to appoint Lieut. Colonel
Wallace to command it, of which arrangement I trust you will
approve. We must keep up all the troops about the Goda-
very, till every thing shall have been settled, and every body
gone to his home ; but I cannot exactly decide upon this point,
till I shall have received further intelligence from the south-
ward, and shall know the exact extent of the disturbances in
the Nizam's territories. They began almost immediately after
I had passed through the ghauts to the northward ; and, it is
said, have spread greatly. But I have no accurate intelligence
from the southward of a later date than the 20th of December
from Ahmednuggur.
' I propose to reinforce Guzerat as much as I can, as it is
420 THE DECCAN, 1804.
very obvious that that is now our weak point, and that it is
also the point from which we can most easily annoy the Mar-
hattas. A good force in Guzerat, the Nizam's and the Pesh-
wah's subsidiary forces, the troops in Bundelcund and Scin-
diah, must keep Holkar in check; or if lie should move, must
destroy him. If he should adopt the freebooter plan, the
allies must look to the security of their own dominions. Our
scattered detachments are not equal to catching thieves in all
parts of these extended territories. But I have recommended
to the Governor General's attention the state of the military
power of the allies, and I trust that he will take measures to
have it amended.
' I informed you that I had given leave to Colonel Steven-
son to go to Madras. He must go to England, or he will not
live. In the mean time, Lieut. Colonel Haly burton com-
mands the subsidiary force ; and I beg leave to recommend him
to you to succeed to Colonel Stevenson, if that officer should
go to England.
6 I believe that I have now adverted to all the points on
which you may not have before received intelligence. I shall
be much obliged to you to communicate to Lord William
Bentinck such parts of this letter, as you may deem necessary
for his information.
( I have the honor to be, £c.
'Lieut. General Stuart." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm, at Scindiah's
Durbar.
' Camp on the top of the Badowly Ghaut,
f MY DEAR MALCOLM, 13th January, 1804.
' I received last night numerous and voluminous packets
from Bengal, but which contain nothing of any importance.
Nothing has been concluded with any of the Rajahs or other
chiefs ; and I think it probable, from the complexion of the
negotiations, that nothing will be concluded. Every endeavor
appears to be made to delay ; and the Commander in Chief
was still halting on the 22nd of November. The Rajah of
Calpee, in particular, was hostile ; and Edmonstone mentions
that matters had not been conducted in a very satisfactory
manner in Bundelcund \ and I think it probable that the
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 421
report that I sent to you yesterday of Meer Khan's march to
that quarter may have been made with an intention to keep
up the spirit of opposition to our views in that quarter. The
Rajah of Jansi is favorable.
' There are two or three sheets of instructions from the
Governor General, upon the peace, which I send to you. From
his notes in the margin, I suspect that he will, upon the whole,
approve of the peace.
6 But I am much annoyed by the receipt of a letter from
Sydenham, written by the Governor General's order, from
which I perceive that some suspicion is entertained respecting
the propriety of demanding the contribution at Burbampoor,
the report of which had reached the Governor General through
a private channel. Great pains are taken in Sydenham's
letter to prove to me that no suspicion is entertained — that the
questions upon the subject are asked merely for information ;
but those very pains prove the existence of the suspicion, and
in fact, why is he in such a hurry to ask for information upon
a subject upon which information must be given, unless some
suspicion is entertained ?
* I have answered this letter, and have shown, that from
the increase of my expenses, by measures not mine; by the
total want of funds provided for this army ; by my being left
to chance; and by the Governor General having employed the
frigate sent to Bengal for money; and by not paying my
bills at Benares, and not furnishing money to pay them at
Bombay, there was every reason to expect the loss of the cam-
paign from the deficiency of funds to carry it on ; and that, in
fact, I could not have paid the troops in December, if it
had not been for this very sum of money, raised by contri-
bution at Burhampoor, and the sales of goods captured at
Asseerghur.
' I have told the Governor General, that if he disapproves
of the measure, he may order the money to be restored ; but I
have warned him, that if he does give those orders, Scindiah
will certainly put the money into his pocket.
' In fact, if I had not exerted myself to keep in my hands a
command of money, what would have become of the campaign ?
Where would have been the national honor or character, if the
campaign had been lost ?
THE DECCAN, 1804.
' They have made the fencible battalion into a regiment at
Bombay, upon which subject I send you some papers which
you may keep. Nothing new. We have had violent rains.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm." 4 ARTHUR WELLESLE\;.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
* Camp, 10 miles north of Jaffierabad,
' DEAR SIR, 15th of January, 1804.
' I have the pleasure of acknowledging the receipt of your
letter of the 30th of December, and I congratulate you upon
the success of your operations. This plundering excursion
was quite unexpected, but it has been at once most fortunately
and vigorously checked.
' I enclose copies of the treaties of peace which I have made
with Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar. Scindiah's cessions
amount to above sixty seven lacs of rupees, and the Rajah of
Berar's to about seventy lacs. Both these treaties have been
ratified,
' Chintomeny Rao has written to me to say that he was
about to join you, and that he hoped you would assist him
against the Rajah of Kolapoor. I wish to warn you against
interfering, in any manner, in this dispute. Pursheram Show's
family have not behaved very well to us, and they do not de-
serve the smallest assistance. But the refusal to give them
this assistance must be made as little injurious to their feel-
ings as possible.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major General Campbell: 6 ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
' MY DEAR SIR, * Camp, 1Mb January, 1804.
' I have received your letters of the 7th and 8th. I am
sorry to observe that your peons behave so ill. I believe I
must move down towards Ahmednuggur, to settle matters in
that quarter.
' I enclose you an order from Scindiah to Mulwa Dada, to
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 423
cease all hostilities, to withdraw with his troops, and to join
him. You will have this letter delivered to him in public, and
read to him by a person of your own ; and you will write to
him a letter, which is also to be read to him publicly, in which
you will tell him that I am coming into that quarter with the
army; and that if I find him, or any of his adherents, I shall
pursue him till I catch him, and will certainly hang him as
a freebooter.
' I have the honor to be, &c.,
• Major Graham: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
6 SIR, ' Camp at Jaffierabad, 17th January, 1804.
4 I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 31st
of December. The fact is, that our expenses in this division
of the army only, exclusive of Poonah and Ahmednuggur,
amount to two lacs of pagodas monthly. In this sum, how-
ever, are included one lac of rupees to the Peshwah's sirdars ;
67,000 to Amrut Rao and his sirdars, under the treaty with
that Chief; 87,000 to Amrut Rao's troops, as part payment
of the 5000 men, which the Governor General engaged to keep
for the Peshwah, under the modification of the treaty of Bas-
sein; and 80,000 rupees to the Rajah of Mysore's troops,
which I have paid for the last two months.
' None of these sums will eventually fall upon the Company,
excepting that to Amrut Rao's troops ; and as I intend to
discharge those troops at the end of this month, that expense
will entirely cease. The Rajah of Mysore's money will be
repaid at the end of this month, when the convoy shall arrive;
and the Peshwah's will be repaid in time, in proportion as the
revenues come in from Ahmedabad.
* I get supplies of money occasionally at Poonah, for
drafts on Bombay, which will keep me going, with the lac
and 40,000 pagodas which you mention is provided. But it
is desirable that I should have as much money as can be
spared from other services.
' I am not in want of horses, indeed I believe I have some
at Poonah to spare ; upon which subject I shall make a report
to you, as soon as I shall receive an accurate return. That is
an expense which is at an end.
424 THE DECCAN, 1804.
' I am drawing off slowly to the southward ; and if the
banditti, upon the Nizam's frontier near Perinda, do not dis-
perse, I think I shall spend the time between this and the
arrival of the Governor General's ratification of the treaties
in dispersing them. It will not do to break up the army
till that time.
' The subsidiary force is still in Berar, and I shall not draw
it off till I shall have given over Gawilghur to the Rajah of
Berar.
e I have great hopes that the Governor General will ratify
the treaties. In a note which I lately received from him, he
authorizes me to make the arrangement which I have made
for the subsidiary force with Scindiah, and to restore the ter-
ritories depending upon Baroach and Ahmednuggur, if Scin-
diah should agree to the defensive alliance. In this respect
my treaty is better than his. But he insists upon the inde-
pendence of the Rajpoot Rajahs, as a separate arrangement ;
and that Scindiah shall have no Europeans without the per-
mission of the British Government.
* I am convinced that I should never have made the peace,
if I had pressed the independence of the Rajpoots, in any
other manner than as it stands in the treaty. They combated
it strongly, and consented to it only when they found that we
had treaties with them from which we never should depart.
4 In respect to the Europeans, I could have arranged that
in any manner I pleased ; and that point shall be settled to
the Governor General's satisfaction in the treaty of defensive
alliance. But I acknowledge that I think that point may be
pushed too far, and that it is not desirable to see the destruc-
tion of Scindiah's infantry.
( 1 have the honor to be, &c.,
' Lieut. General Stuart.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
1 MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp at Jaulna, 19th January, 1804.
6 1 have received your letters of the 15th and 16th, with a
number of Persian papers, not one of which I can read nor
understand, but I suppose that all is right.
' I have written to Captain Johnson, to request he would
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 425
speak to Rajah Mohiput Ram about the talook of Paunchore,
and desire him to evacuate it. But I cannot promise that it
will be evacuated, unless I send my own troops to drive out
those of the Soubah, as his officers appear every day to be
more determined to do as they please.
' Goorparah spoke to me on the subject of the horses, not
horsemen, taken at Peepulgaum. In the first place, peace
was then made, and Scindiah had no right to collect hurdry
there, or any where else. In the second place, a cessation of
hostilities had existed before the peace for six weeks, and he
had no right to collect hurdry during that period. In the
third place, these horsemen were near our camp, and came
there for the purpose of plunder : therefore they were at-
tacked, and their horses taken from them, and they shall not
be returned.
* This is all Greek to Scindiah ; but we must adhere to
the rules. When Goorparah mentioned the subject to me, I
would not listen to him at all.
' I shall write again to the Soubah's camp, to desire that all
prisoners may be released.
' There is a great deal of difference between Scindiah re-
storing horses taken, and our doing so. When we have taken
horses, it has been in our own defence ; when his pindarries
have taken them, it has been as thieves in our camps. The
day I came up the ghaut we had no cavalry in camp, and they
carried off fifteen camels ; and if they had come one hundred
yards farther on, they would have carried off more with them.
' I desired Barclay to send the man to you who came from
the person in Holkar's camp with a desire to be supplied with
money. This person is the same, I believe, whom you sent
there in May last.
' The letter from Scindiah contains a desire that I should
attack Mulwa Dada ; and I see clearly that unless I go across
the Godavery, that banditti will never be driven out of the
country. The Nizam's servants who, at the commencement of
the campaign, drove us away from their forts, and refused to
allow us to purchase grain in their country, now press me, by
dozens of letters in a day, to move to their assistance, otherwise
they will be destroyed.
* Sindkeir positively cannot be given up. It is at this
420 THE DECCAN, 1804.
moment a nest of thieves. The situation of this country is
shocking, the people are starving in hundreds, and there is no
government to afford them die slightest relief! ! !
' You must draw your bills either on the Governor General's
Agent at Benares, or on the Collector there and at Moorshed-
abad. Give notice of the draft to the Governor General,
and to the person on whom it is drawn.
' It will not answer to enter the expenses of the Residency
with Scindiah in my military accounts.
' I shall send the memorandum on the subject of Vittojee
Patel to Captain Graham ; but I suspect that this person is a
relation of Mulwa Dada, who has been taken up for misbe-
haviour. If so, he cannot be released until Mulwa Dada shall
have joined Scindiah ; or until I shall have him hanged, which
I certainly shall do if I can catch him.
' The Eedlabad man shall be released, if I can effect his re-
lease.
1 I have written to Bengal fully upon the subject of your
going home with the dispatches, and have recommended the
arrangement for Mysore about which we spoke.
' There is nothing new. The Rajah of Berar has given up
that most unjust claim he made of the Soubah's districts be-
yond the Wurda, and I have consequently sent him the orders
for the evacuation of Gawilghur. He shall have the districts
near the fort, as soon as I can get some true accounts of their
value from Rajah Mohiput Ram.
1 Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
6 SIR, ' Camp, 20th January, 1804.
4 I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 10th
instant, upon the subject of the rice from Bengal and Canara.
The difference between these two descriptions of rice is, that
the former is boiled partly in the operation of breaking off the
husk, the latter is not. The former, therefore, becomes harder,
will keep longer, and is consequently more fit for a magazine
than the latter. Both are used by the natives, but those
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 427
of some of the castes have an objection to that which has been
boiled.
' Provided the rice which is sent is of a good quality, it is
a matter of indifference to me whether it comes from Canara
or from Bengal.
' I have likewise received your dispatch of the 6th, upon
the subject of the pay department in Guzerat ; and I am much
concerned to observe., from a perusal of the papers, that dis-
putes still exist, upon subjects that appear to me to be of no
importance whatever ; and supposing them to be important
to the public interests, they are not referable to the military
officer.
6 The principal point of dispute, at present, is a contract
which has been given to a sircar, by name Serwaddy, to supply
the troops with coin.
' I do not observe that any specific inconvenience has been
stated, as resulting from the operations of that contract, ex-
cepting that coins of a bad description were received at one or
two stations.
' I must observe that that is an inconvenience to which all
troops are liable. Those under my command in this quarter
have,, for months, been paid in coins not current in this part of
the country ; but supposing that, or any other inconvenience,
to result from the contract, the military officer can have no
more to do with it than to report it to Government.
* The Government, particularly one situated as that of
Bombay, must decide as to the propriety of continuing the
contract, notwithstanding its inconveniences, even supposing
them to be greater than they are.
' It is well known that the necessary expenses of the Govern-
ment of Bombay are much larger than their means of defraying
them ; and particularly in the last year, from the aid afforded
to this army, they exceed the ordinary means. It is possible
also that the expenses in Guzerat exceed the means of the
Government in that quarter.
' The military commanding officer in Guzerat, although he
may be a proper person to report the inconvenience felt by the
army, resulting from any particular mode of finding money
for its payment, cannot be the proper person to decide upon
the benefits or evils resulting generally to the public interests
428 THE DECCAN, 1804.
from its adoption. Ho cannot tell what has passed heretofore,
and whether Government is in debt or otherwise to the con-
tractor ; he does not know whether the resources of Guzerat
are equal to the payment of this army ; (indeed in this instance
it appears that he does not know the amount of the expenses
of his army ;) and supposing that those resources are equal to
his expenses, he cannot be aware to what other exigencies of
the public service it might be convenient to the Government to
apply them.
( This reasoning scarcely requires to be applied ; but I
have to observe that in the late scarcity of specie at Bom-
bay, in consequence of the demands of this army, among
other causes, it might have been convenient to the Governor
in Council to have brought the resources of Guzerat in coin to
Bombay, and to have paid Serwaddy's bills by bills upon
Benares or Calcutta, or any other part of India. The military
commanding officer in Guzerat, who could have no knowledge
of the facts which occasioned this necessity, could not be a
proper person to deliver an opinion upon the subject at all.
Therefore it is not theN commanding officer's business to give
an opinion upon this subject. He is to report inconveniences,
if they should exist ; it will rest with Government to balance
them with others, and to decide upon the remedy to be
applied.
' I have written thus much upon this subject, because I
observe that the Honorable the Governor in Council has, con-
trary to his own judgment, abolished Serwaddy's contract,
only because it has been disapproved of by Colonel Murray.
' The principle on which lie has adopted this measure is
that of obedience to the Governor General's orders of the 23rd
of November, a copy of which has been transmitted to me.
' As I think it important to the public interests, which are cer-
tainly likely to suffer upon this occasion, as well as upon others,
— upon which I have observed that the Governor in Council
has adopted measures contrary to his own judgment, — I hope
it will not be deemed presumptuous in me to declare that I do
not conceive that his Excellency the Governor General ever
intended, by his orders of the 23rd of November, that the
Honorable the Governor in Council should, for a moment, sus-
pend his salutary superintendence and control over all the mili-
tary operations to the northward ; much less that he should so
1804. AFTER THE TR KATIES OF PEACE. 429
far abdicate the duties peculiarly belonging to his office, as to
alter a financial arrangement, only because it was disapproved
of by one military officer under his orders.
* I shall only advert to one or two objections made by Colo-
nel Murray to the mode of payment adopted by Prendergast.
' One of them is, that the troops are not paid till the 10th or
12th of the month. I believe, if the facts were ascertained
regarding the troops in all parts of India, it would be found
that by far the majority were not paid till a later period in the
month. Those in this army are paid when it is convenient :
the payments to some are made early in the month, to others
at a later period, according, as it may prove convenient, to
the length of the marches, or the importance of the other
operations carrying on. There are posts, hospitals, &c., be-
longing to this army, as well as to that in Guzerat ; but 1 am
sorry to say that however desirous that these (the hospital in
particular) should be paid at an early period, 1 have not been
able to effect that object, particularly for want of a Serwaddy,
to give bills upon sircars at the different stations at which my
posts, hospitals, and detachments are situated.
* I have also to observe that although it is desirable that,
under the system adopted for the payment of the army, and
for finding funds for that purpose, the convenience of indi-
viduals should be accommodated, a system which does not
accommodate individuals ought not to be departed from
only for that reason. It appears that Serwaddy considers it a
breach of his contract for the paymaster to take up money
from individual officers, and to grant bills upon Surat, which,
as I understand the contract, it certainly is. It appears also
that Government have been so kind as to provide means for
the officers to remit their money to the Coast ; and if they do
not choose to adopt those means, they can get bills from Ser-
waddy 's agents.
' In my opinion Government do a great deal, if they have
funds in camp to pay the troops regularly ; and no individual
ought to complain, if it should not suit the public interests to
provide as he wishes for his private accommodation. In a very
late instance, under the government of Fort St. George, the
provincial paymasters were positively forbidden to grant bills
upon the Presidency. As there is no internal commerce in
430 THE DECCAN, 1804.
that part of the peninsula, the inconvenience felt by individuals
was much greater than it could be in Guzerat, even if Govern-
ment had not provided means of remittance for the officers of
the army.
( I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the lion. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
f SIR, ' Camp, 21st January, 1804.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 12th
instant, upon the subject of the claim of the medical gentle-
men, serving in Guzerat to an additional allowance.
' This subject is one entirely referable to the Bombay regu-
lations, upon which I must beg leave to decline giving any
opinion, excepting that, of all the liberal establishments of the
Honorable Company, that of the medical department is the
most so.
* The custom on the Madras establishment is for a soldier
to pay the surgeon 3J fanams per diem, when he is in hospital,
either general or regimental, for his diet. The Honorable
Company incur no expense whatever on account of hospitals
for European troops, excepting European medicines, and the
allowance which they give for attendance, country medicines,
&c., to the surgeons of European regiments.
1 I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. of Gov., Bombay.' < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm, at
Scindiatis Durbar.
'Camp, four miles north of the Godavery,
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, 23rd January, 1804.
' I return Mr. Pasley's letter, and I assure you that I con-
dole with you for the loss which you have sustained. My
letter of the 14th, I believe required no answer ; at all events
none to induce you to give yourself any trouble at such a
time.
* I believe I told you in my last letter that every thing was
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 431
settled at Ragojee's durbar, respecting the countries beyond
the Wurda ; nothing remains now but the country of the value
of four lacs annually.
' Ragojee is dismissing his troops, and is apparently in-
clined to preserve the peace. The dismissal of the troops
would not be a proof of that inclination ; as in fact it may, and,
possibly, will be the cause of the Berar country being plun-
dered. But the dismissal is attended by mutinies and military
outrages, in which both the Rajah and his minister have been
exposed to personal risk ; and I think that they would not
incur this risk if they were not in earnest.
' Elphinstone gets on capitally ; his dispatches are really
excellent, and Ramchunder tells me that the Rajah and his
ministers are much pleased with him.
4 I expect Strachey in a day or two. He was to leave
Ahmednuggur yesterday, and I shall not detain him for one
moment.
4 Colonel Close has been very ill, and confined to his bed
with fever. We stand where we were at Poonah ; nothing
done about Amrut Rao.
' This chief has given me orders for the surrender of all his
territories, the fort of Poonadur, &c. &c.
' Upon my arrival at Jalnapoor I received a deputation
from the town of Bheer, stating that if I did not move quickly
to their assistance, the town would be destroyed by the rebels.
Consequently I moved on, and have formed a plan for sur-
rounding the banditti, and attacking them from several
quarters at the same time. I shall cross the Godavery to-
morrow, with a view to carry this plan into execution ; and I
hope either to destroy or disperse these villains in three or four
days. They are in an unfavorable position for the execution
of the plan, being at the top of a ghaut ; but I have some
hopes that I shall succeed.
1 Webbe had not left Hurryhur on the llth, but was pre-
pared to leave it.
' Nothing new from Hyderabad, excepting that the Soubah
has threatened to murder the minister. The latter has asked
for and received the protection of an additional guard of British
troops.
f Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm." * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
432 THE DKCCAN. 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
' Camp, 7 miles south of the Godavery,
c MY DEAR MALCOLM, 24th January, 1804.
' I have just received your letter of the 19th : that of the
18th has not yet reached me ; and I therefore can say nothing
upon the draft of the treaty which you say it contains.
4 1 am glad to see that Mr. Duncan bears his letter from
Bengal so well. I have publicly disapproved of Murray's
conduct respecting Serwaddy, and also respecting his treatment
of the Guickwar sirdars ; and have recommended to the
Governor General, in a private letter, to dismiss him from his
situation. I had recommended the same to Mr. Duncan, but
I fancy he will not attend to my recommendation.
' I write again this day to Rajah Mohiput Ram respecting-
the release of the zemindar of Eedlabad.
' I am delighted with Scindiah's treatment of the pindarries.
I only fear that the measure will throw more power into the
hands of Holkar. But probably this may be a very usual
mode of settling accounts of arrears with troops.
c I apprized you yesterday of my intentions respecting the
freebooters in this quarter.
' Colonel Close is obliged to quit Poonah, and go to the
coast for the recovery of his health. He had fever for eight
days without intermission. Mr. Frissell is in charge of the
Residency.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm.' ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' P.S. I shall look over the treaty, and return it to-morrow.
< I have received your letter of the 18th, which, by the bye,
had been opened.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
4 SIR, ' Camp, 24th January, 1804.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 18th
instant.
' There are at present in the depots at Poonah and
Ahmednuggur, about 20,000 bags of rice; besides about
5000 with the army, and nearly as much with Colonel Steven-
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 433
son's division. Under these circumstances, and the alteration
of the general situation of affairs, in consequence of the peace,
I rather think that it will not be necessary to send a larger
quantity of rice to Poonah than is at that place at present.
'At all events, supposing that it should be necessary to send
it up at a later period than in the month of April, the incon-
venience and expense will not be" equal to what might be suf-
fered by the want, at Bombay, of a supply for other quarters ;
and to the loss which might be sustained by having in hand at
Poonah so large a quantity of rice, for which there would be no
consumption.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. ofGov., Bombay.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
< SIR, ' Camp, 24th January, 1804.
6 1 have had the honor of receiving your dispatch of the
16th instant, upon the subject of Mr. De Souza's house.
Upon a former occasion, I took the liberty of recommending
that Lieut. Colonel might be removed from the com-
mand of Baroach, which I now beg leave to repeat.
' In respect to Mr. De Souza's house, it is impossible for me
to determine, without further inquiry, whether it does, or does
not, belong to him. The only mode for determining that will
be for the Honorable the Governor in Council to give orders
that the civil authority on the spot may make the necessary
inquiries.
« I have recommended that Lieut. Colonel may be
removed from his situation, because he seized the house,
which was an improper act of authority, whether the house
did, or did not, belong to Mr. De Souza.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. ofGov., Bombay.1 ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
( MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, 26th January, 1804.
* I return the treaty, which I think will answer well ; but I
should doubt their adopting the arrangement. Nothing new.
VOL. III. % F
434 THE DECCAN, 1804.
The Rajah of Berar has detached troops towards Hoossing-
abad, to oppose the ancient Nabob of Bopal, who has attacked
him in that quarter.
' Believe me, &c.
• Major Malcolm. ' ' ARTHUR WEL LESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah' s Durbar.
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, 27th January, 1804.
' I received last night your letter of the 20th, and this
morning; that of the 22nd.
O
' I beg that you will open any dispatches that may come
into your hands, addressed to me, either from the Governor
General or any other person, from whom you may think it
desirable to receive Intel iigence.
4 1 am afraid that the people who were at Peepulgaum were
killed ; if they were noi, they have gone to Scindiah's camp.
They are certainly not here at present. I shall inquire
about them particularly, and will let you know the result of my
inquiries.
' I have desired Rajah Mohiput Ram repeatedly to release
every person who may have been taken by his troops.
He says that he has done so. I have also written to him
positive orders regarding the zemindar of Eedlabad, and I
have complained of his conduct in this and other transactions.
' The Peshwah has no districts in Candeish. That province
is divided principally between Scindiah and Holkar ; and some
other chiefs may have interests in it, but the Peshwah himself
none. I must put a stop to this plan, for it will not answer to
be intrigued into a war with Holkar, through the medium of
Ballojee Koonger.
' It is most desirable that we should prevent, as much as
possible, the communication between the Peshwah and Scin-
diah ; otherwise, without allying ourselves with Scindiah, we
shall do his work for him through the Peshwah. I see that
the intriguers at the Peshwah's durbar are hard at work upon
something of this kind at this moment.
6 1 have written fully to the Governor General and to Shawe
about the Peshwah ; and have pointed out the necessity there
is for retaining possession of Ahmednuggur. I have also laid
open the Peshwah's character, rather more than it has been
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 435
lately. He has lately disclosed a great jealousy of the British
Government, and of me personally ; and has intimated plainly
to Mr. Frissell, that one reason for not carrying into execution
a measure recommended to him by me was, that I had recom-
mended it. This measure was neither more nor less than to
pardon 500 Pagah horsemen, who offered, as the price of their
pardon, to give up their horses.
' I have got from Amrut Rao the orders for all his countries,
and the fort of Poonadur ; but the Peshwah will do nothing.
' There is no doubt about the 7th article of the treaty of
peace. I consented to it for several reasons : the principal of
which were, first, to facilitate the cession ; secondly, to provide
for so many people in Scindiah's service, who would otherwise
be obliged to go into Holkar's ; and, thirdly, to establish an in-
fluence in the durbar of Scindiah himself. This arrangement,
in my opinion, is one of the main stays of the peace, and none
of its principles ought to be departed from. But you will
depart from its principles, either if you give the money in a
lump to Scindiah, or if you allow him to dispose of it without
the intervention of the British Government.
* I think it immaterial whether the condition of the grant is
that the receiver shall maintain a body of cavalry or not. It
might be as well, for many reasons possibly, that it should be
so. The arrangement also is perpetual, as well as the treaty ;
but it may be proper not to canvass that point. It also stands
to reason that the grant is made only during the good behaviour
of the receiver ; and I do not see any objection to the insertion
of such a clause in the sunnud. But it is not necessary to us,
and may as well be avoided, unless you should be of opinion
that the insertion of this clause will decrease the jealousy, in
Scindiah's mind, of the whole measure.
' I have no doubt whatever of the necessity of insisting that
we should appear very prominent characters in this transaction.
It is honorable to the national character ; and if we do not
appear, we shall lose all the benefit that we expect from it.
* In case any further difficulty should be made by Scindiah's
ministers on this subject, I refer you to the words in the treaty,
" under the protection of the British Government," which are
clearly demonstrative of the intention of all the parties, when
they made the treaty.
' I shall take care of Munsoor Saheb. I do not see any
2*2
436 THE DECCAN, 1804.
advantage resulting from giving Scindiah the regiment of
cavalry, and the regiment of European infantry, in lieu of the
six lacs of the pension money, excepting that of saving so
much money.
* Whenever we come to assist Scindiah seriously, we must
employ our whole force situated every where ; and every de-
tachment of our troops must have with them a proportion of
European infantry and of regular cavalry. But unless you
should decide that it is necessary to have the subsidiary force
at Scindiah 's capital, and Scindiah should fix that capital at
Ougein, I do not think that the European infantry and regular
cavalry are at all necessary, for the purposes which it is sup-
posed the ordinary residence of 'the subsidiary force in his
country will produce. However, I differ in opinion upon the
whole of this subject with all the other doctors ; but my com-
prehension may be dull upon the minute parts of the question,
of which this is one.
' In respect to Scindiah's residence at Ougein, I think it
probable that he dislikes as much to trust his person in that
city, as I do six battalions of British infantry, and probably
for the same reason. If that be the case, and he should
determine to reside at Burhampoor, which I think he will,
there is no necessity whatever for our giving him either cavalry
or European infantry ; excepting that we may save ourselves
the expense of maintaining them.
4 It may not be unnecessary to observe upon this point, that
if Scindiah gets European infantry, they must come from
England, as we have not one corps here to spare. Within
these five days I have ordered one from Guzerat to Bengal ;
and I suppose that hereafter Bombay must have a soldier or
two in its garrison.
4 Upon the whole, putting lucre out of the question, I am of
opinion that we shall gain more influence, and that is real
strength, by the arrangement as it stands in the treaty, than
by that proposed : but supposing that you should think it
necessary to give the regiment of Europeans and one of cavalry,
instead of ten lacs of rupees, I would still distribute the five
lacs in the manner settled in the treaty.
( Bellingham has sent you the cypher.
' I have no doubt about the peace : and every body is
delighted with it. But the machine in Bengal was so much
L804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 437
screwed up, that I fear the Governor General may not feel
about it as I do.
* I send you a letter from Mr. Duncan, from which you will
observe that all is now right. Murray has withdrawn his
letter, as I desired him, and I hope will go on well in future.
* The Nizam's rascals in this country have given me false
intelligence of the practicability of the ghauts ; and I am in
consequence a little thrown out in my pursuit of the thieves.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
< SIR, * Camp, 27th January, 1804.
6 Cashee Rao, the late deshmook of Ellichpoor, gave his
daughter in marriage to Cashee Rao Ramchunder, the brother
of Jeswunt Rao Ramchunder, the vakeel of the rajah of Berar
who negotiated the peace. Jeswunt Rao has desired me to
apply to the Soubah's government for a sunnud, appointing his
brother deshmook in the room of his late father-in-law Cashee
Rao ; and I shall be much obliged to you if you will endeavor
to arrange this matter.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Major Kirkpatrick: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
6 SIR, ' Camp, 27th January, 1804.
6 I have been desired by Jeswunt Rao Ramchunder to re-
quest that you would be so kind as to recommend his brother
Eitul Rao Ramchunder to the government of the Soubah of
the Deccan, for some employment under that government ; and
I now take the liberty of asking you to use your influence in
his favor.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Major Kirkpatrick: f A RTIIUR WE LLESLEY.
438 THE DECCAN, 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Rajah Mohiput Ram.
« Camp, 27th January, 1804.
' I have been for some time waiting for the accounts of the
revenues collected from the districts in Berar, bordering upon
the hills on which are the forts of Nernulla and Gawilghur,
in order that I might arrange with the vakeel of the Rajah of
Berar what districts should be given over to him. But you have
not sent me these accounts ; and I am now under the neces-
sity of referring Jeswunt Rao Ramchunder to you, in order to
have this question settled, according to the treaty of peace.
( I enclose to you a copy of the article of the treaty of
peace, under which I have bound the British Government and
their allies to give over to the Rajah of Berar country which
will produce annually four lacs of rupees, and which is to be
in the neighbourhood of the hills on which are situated the
forts of Nernulla and Gawilghur
4 1 request you will examine the accounts, and fix upon the
countries which, in conformity with this engagement, it will be
most convenient to the Soubah of the Deccan to cede.
' You will strike out of the amount of the revenues, the
amount of the jaghires granted by the Peshwah, or by the Sou-
bah of the Deccan ; and you will then ascertain the amount of
the remaining revenue actually collected from each district.
You will ascertain what has been the highest revenue collect-
ed in any one of the last twelve years, and you will fix the
amount as that at which the districts are to be given over to
the Rajah of Berar.
( After having done this, you will deliver over the districts,
which you will settle with Jeswunt Rao Ramchunder, that the
Rajah is to leave to the person whom the Rajah shall appoint
to take charge of them. You will withdraw all your people
from these districts, and you will understand clearly that the
Rajah of Berar is to have the revenue of them from the 17th
of December, the day on which I signed the treaty.
' I have desired Captain Johnstone to wait upon you with
Jeswunt Rao Ramchunder to settle this affair, and I beg that
no time may be lost.
' Rajah Mohiput Ram: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 439
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
< SIR, ' Camp, 27th January, 1804.
' I before addressed you upon the subject of Madhoo Rao
Ramchunder, and now trouble you again, at the request of
his brother, Jeswunt Rao Ramchunder.
' Madhoo Rao Ramchunder had heretofore, in the service
of the Soubah of the Deccan, 100 horse ; he now wishes to have
300 horse, and I shall be much obliged to you if you will
endeavor to arrange this matter for him.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Major Kirkpatrick: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah' s Durbar.
<• MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, 29th January, 1804-
' I received last night your letter of the 23rd.
6 The people whose horses were taken at Peepulgaum were
plundering; and they ran off when attacked by our horse.
Not a man was taken, positively ; and of eighteen horses, only
twelve now remain, or, indeed, were ever brought into camp.
The others were small, and were left behind.
' I enclose the copy of the only letter I have received from
General Lake, which gives a better account of the state of
affairs in Hindustan than I have yet received. I am now of
opinion that the treaty of peace will be approved of in Bengal.
At all events, there will be no reasonable ground for finding
fault with it, as it provides for all the Governor General's ob-
jects, and he will have the barrier for which he wished. I
rather believe that Narwar, the possession which is guaranteed
to Ambajee, belongs to the Peshwah ; as it appears in the map
to be near Jawa, which undoubtedly does. But if Narwar
belongs to Scindiah, under the treaty of peace, of course
Scindiah must have it ; and we must give compensation to
Ambajee.
1 As to Gwalior, the question is, to whom did it belong ? to
the Ranah of Gohud, or to Scindiah ? I think to the former. I
know that our Government always considered it so; and that,
440 THE DKCCAN, 1804.
under this consideration, Gwalior was heretofore given over
to the Ranah of Gohud, when we had taken it.
6 If Gwalior belonged to Scindiah, it must be given up; and
I acknowledge that whether it did, or did not, I should be
inclined to give it to him. I declare that when I view the
treaty of peace, and its consequences, I am afraid it will be
imagined that the moderation of the British Government in
India has a strong resemblance to the ambition of other Go-
vernments.
' I do not know what Scindiah collected from the Rajpoots ;
but I imagine something not far short of twenty lacs of rupees,
of which he has been deprived.
' If a Marhatta could sit down quietly, and establish a regular
government, with a view to future prosperity, I should not
despair of the peace. But unless Scindiah changes his nature,
and that of a great proportion of his subjects, and dismisses
a very large part of his army of horse, (who must eat up
more revenue than he can afford to pay them,) and obliges
the men to adopt habits of industry, which are entirely foreign
to their nature, I do not see how the peace is to last.
' I rather believe now it would be a good measure to attack
Holkar, in order to give Scindiah something to do, and to
look forward to.
6 A letter is written by this day's post to Asseerghur, upon
the subject of the complaints of the officer there.
' I enclose to you a copy of the letter sent to Guzerat, con-
taining the orders for the surrender of the districts there,
than which nothing can be more positive.
* I wrote to you fully, on the day before yesterday, respect-
ing the 7th article of the treaty.
' Your accounts ought to go to Bengal in the usual way. All
my accounts go to General Stuart, who lays them before
Government. This ought not to be the channel in which your
accounts should go.
4 Strachey will be here this day, and shall go on imme-
diately with a guard.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm' ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY,
J804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 441
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
( SIR, ' Camp at Damengaum, 29th January, 1804.
' I have received your letter of the 12th instant. Long
before this, you will have received particular details of all my
proceedings in this quarter ; as in ray letter of the llth instant
I have recapitulated all that has passed, and enclosed addi-
tional copies of my dispatches to the Governor General.
' Nothing extraordinary has lately occurred. The Rajah
of Berar has given up his unjust claim to the Soubah's terri-
tories east of the Wurda, and I have in consequence restored
the fort of Gawilghur. Scindiah has been very busy plunder-
ing his own pindarries, and much progress has not been made
in the negotiation of the treaty of defensive alliance ; but I
imagine that he is not disinclined to it.
f Colonel Halyburton must by this time have passed through
the ghauts. He will remain to the northward of Jaffierabad
for some time, until I can make arrangements for drawing off
the captured guns from Adjuntee and Ellichpoor, and for
removing the hospitals from those places.
' I have come to the southward, and am now between Ali-
mednuggur and Kurdlah, nearly at an equal distance from
each place.
' The banditti have begun to disperse, and those who remain
collected are at too great a distance for me to attempt any
thing upon them. But I have some hopes that I shall yet be
able to strike a blow at them.
c Colonel Stevenson and I were obliged to use our brass 12
pounders at Gawilghur, and I am sorry to say that we broke
the axletrees of every carriage we had.
1 1 enclose a copy of the only letter I have received from
General Lake, from which you will observe that the treaty of
peace will secure all the objects which the Governor General
had in view. If Narwar, which has been guaranteed to
Ambajee Inglia, belongs to Scindiah, it must be given up,
and Inglia must receive compensation from the conquered
countries. I rather believe, however, that it belongs to the
Peshwah.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
• Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
442 THE DECCAN, 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiafis Durbar.
1 MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, 30th January, 1804.
' After I had written to you yesterday, Goorparah came
here; and I had a conversation with him on the subject of
Gwalior.
( He said, that accounts had been received that General
Lake had attacked that fort. I told him that those accounts
were to be expected. He desired that I would give him a letter
to General Lake, to cease his attack. I told him that such a
letter would be useless, as it was probable that he would have
possession of the fort long before the letter would reach him.
Goorparah then desired that I should inform the General of
the peace. I told him that I had done so already, in quintu-
plicate, and had sent him copies of the treaty ; and that as
soon as he should receive any one of them, he would act in
respect to Gwalior as the treaty would require.
( I then hinted to Goorparah that treaties had been made
with many chiefs. We afterwards conversed about different
other points, chiefly relating to the execution of the treaty in
this part of the country, which was all settled to his satis-
faction ; and at last Goorparah said that the Maharajah had
written to him, to desire that I should devise some mode of
furnishing him with money. He said that the Maharajah was
in the greatest distress, and he proposed that an advance
should be made to him, on account of the money which was to
be received out of the territories ceded in Hindustan.
' I pointed out to Goorparah the meaning of the 7th article of
the treaty, and showed that it was made, only to avoid bringing
distress upon individuals, and by no means to give an addi-
tional resource to Scindiah's government ; and I observed that
the consequence of giving Scindiah part of it would be, that
the individuals, for whose benefit the article had been agreed
to, would lose all the advantage expected from it, and would
suffer the distress from which it was intended to relieve
them.
' In answer to these objections, Goorparah said that Scindiah
was to name the persons who were to receive these advantages,
and might he not dispose of them as he may think proper ? I
told Goorparah that it was intended that he should name the
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 443
persons who should suffer by the loss of their jaghires in Hin-
dustan : but that if any of these persons should have behaved
ill to the Maharajah, there would be no objection to his naming
others ; but that the revenues must be paid to persons in his
service, and not allotted to his own use. Goorparah said that
this was just and proper.
' Goorparah then renewed the proposition for the loan of
money. In answer, I told him that the Company had large
revenues, certainly, but that the expenses also were nume-
rous ; that they supported several large armies, and the esta-
blishment of their great Government ; and that although
they could always command money from their subjects and
servants, they were not rich. I at the same time told
him that the Company would not act in the quality of
money lenders themselves, on any account ; but that it was
possible that if the Maharajah should make a proposition to you
upon the subject, you might find means of obliging him. I
said that this was only possible ; and that even the possibility
depended upon the orders you would receive upon the subject
from the Governor General.
' I took this opportunity of saying that early measures might
be adopted to settle the country, as the best mode of filling the
Maharajah's treasury.
* If you should think it advisable, for any reason, to assist
these people with money, it is evident that the mortgage of
the pension revenues must be out of the question. It is pos-
sible that you may be able to get in mortgage the Povranghur
and Dohud territories. But you will observe by the enclosed
account of their revenues, that they will not repay a very large
loan. I got the paper, of which this is a copy, from Mr.
Duncan this morning. The revenue of Dohud is not included,
but it is very small.
6 1 enclose the copy of a paper which I received this morn-
ing from Poonah. 1 am afraid that it is late to endeavor to
stop these Frenchmen now. But I have given directions on
the subject to Major Graham, as it is more than probable that,
if they go to the northward, they must pass through his dis-
tricts. There is no government in any other part of the
country which could find them out : but besides Major Gra-
ham, I have written to Aurungabad, to Adjuntee, and to
Colonel Halyburton in the Badowly ghaut, to watch these
444 THK DECCAN, 1804.
gentry, and to take them up if they should pass near any of
these places.
6 You will do well to have an eye upon the proceedings of
the durbar respecting these gentry.
< I have always thought the Rajah of Kolapoor a proper
instrument for the French. His country is well situated for
their designs. He has no money, it is true : but nobody has
in India ; and the choice of allies for the great nation must
depend upon local situation, and upon means in troops, and
good will or security towards the British Government, and
the system of order.
' Since I wrote to you yesterday, I have received your letter
of the 21st. I have already given you my opinion about the
regiment of infantry, and the regiment of cavalry. I have also
received your letter of the 24th.
' Mr. Strachey is arrived, and goes on to-morro\v. He shall
have an escort from the Hyderabad subsidiary force. I shall
write hereafter about medical aid for Mr. Strachcy. It is my
opinion that Webbe will be appointed to that Residency.
' Mr. Strachey shall take 10,000 rupees to you. As for
rice, if you should want more than you have got, Colonel
Halyburton, who is near the Badowly ghaut, will send you
some.
« Not a line from Bengal for this age.
* Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm.' f ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellcsley to Major General Campbell,
commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
* DEAR SIR, ' Camp, 31st January, 1804.
( The Pesli wall's minister lias written to me, to direct that
I would entreat you to assist his Highness' s amildars in taking
possession of his countries situated on the Toombuddra, &c.
I have written to the Resident at Poonah, to request he will be
so kind as to ascertain exactly what the objects are which his
Highness wishes to acquire in the southern countries, and to
acquaint you with them, and urge your assistance in put-
ting the Peshwah's amildar in possession.
« I have requested the Resident at Poonah to be very cau-
tious respecting the rights of the Rajah of Kolapoor, of the
1804. AFTER mi; TREATIES OF IMSACK. 415
Putwurdun and Goklali, and other great jagliiredars in the
southern districts ; and to give you the most accurate infor-
mation respecting the particular objects to which lie will be
desirous to direct your attention.
4 I know the Peshwah and his ministers, and the character of
every Marhatta amildar, sufficiently well to be very certain
that they would not scruple to involve the British Government
in another war, were it only to get possession of, and plunder
one village. It is therefore very necessary that we should
proceed with all this caution.
* I have passed the Godavery, and have come to the south-
ward, with a view to check the banditti upon the Nizam's
frontier ; and I am now encamped between Kurdlah and
Ahmednuggur. They have already begun to disperse, and I
imagine that in a few days none will remain. The Nizam's
subsidiary force is still to the northward.
* Believe me, &c.
' Major General Campbell." ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellcsley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah' s Durbar.
f MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, 31st January, 1804.
' I received yesterday your letter of the 25th, after I had
closed my dispatches, and could not get the treaty with the
Ivajah of Jeypoor copied in time. I now send it to you. If
he has written to Scindiah, you see he has deceived him, or is
deceiving us.
' If the news writer of whom you speak is Mirza Waned
Beg, I recommend you to have nothing to do with him. I shall
recollect what you say about Kawder Nawaz Khan.
'If Scindiah pushes you on the subject of money, you might
possibly get Dhoolpoor, Rajah Kerrah, and Barce in a
mortgage.
' Upon considering the subject of the pensions, I think
that fourteen or fifteen lacs of rupees may be more than will
be necessary to lay out in that manner ; and we might give a
part to Scindiah himself, possibly a third ; as I rather believe
that some of the persons in the list who have lost their serin -
jaumy lands have joined us already. However, do you arrange
this matter as you think best. It will not be a bad plan to
bribe the prince, as well as his ministers.
446 THE DECCAN, 1804.
1 1 have discharged Amrut Rao's horse. He goes to Bingar.
I thus get rid of a very large expense in camp. Webbe was
to leave Hurryhur about the 27th. Strachey went away this
morning.
* Believe me, &c.
« Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
t giR) ' Camp, 2nd February, 1804.
c I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 27th of January.
« I have no doubt whatever but that the building which has
been taken, and used as a native hospital at Baroach, is the
property of Mr. De Souza. However, the inquiry, which it
is probable that the Honorable the Governor in Council will
have ordered into that point, will ascertain it to the satisfaction
of every body.
1 If it should turn out that the building is Mr. De Souza's
property, I hope that the Honorable the Governor in Council
will give orders that it may be restored to him, and that he
may have a reasonable compensation for the use the Honor-
able Company have had of it.
6 I have the honor to be, &c.
* The Sec. of Gov., Bombay." 6 ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm, at
Scindiahs Durbar.
• MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, 2nd February, 1804.
1 I have received your letter of the 22nd of January.
( I have heard nothing about Houghton.
' The freebooters are off. The Nizam's killadar and amil-
dars have behaved upon this occasion with their usual forti-
tude and good sense, in paying their contributions at the
moment at which they heard that I had arrived in the country
to give them assistance.
' I have a letter from Webbe, who had not quitted Hurry-
hur on the 25th of January. Lord William Bentinck has
written to him, that he thinks there will be a vacancy in the
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 447
Council at Fort St. George, in which case he intends to call
him (Webbe) to fill it. This is pleasant news for Fort St.
George, and its dependencies ; but not very pleasant for affairs
in this quarter.
' I enclose a paper which I have received from Mr. Frissell,
on the subject of Narsing Kundy Rao's claims in Malwa. I
wish that, if possible, you would arrange this matter for Narsing
Kundy Rao. The Peshwah positively denies that he desired
Scindiah to seize his jaghire. However, the discussions upon
this subject must of course be postponed, till other matters are
settled.
' I have no doubt about the hostage you mention : they
gave a bond for a valuable consideration, viz., a whole skin,
and they ought to discharge it.
' Bonds given, or hostages taken, to make good contribu-
tions, stand upon entirely different grounds.
4 Believe me, &c.
• Major Malcolm.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Instructions for the Captain of the day.
' 4th February, 1804.
' You will march at one in the morning, on the high road
to Perinda, with the baggage, &c. of the detachment.
* The company of the 1st of the 8th, now in piquet, is to be
the rear guard of the baggage.
' On your arrival at Perinda you will send the accompany-
ing letter to the killadar, and desire him to point out a
place in which you can secure the baggage. You will then
endeavor to procure forage and water for the cattle, but
will be prepared to move as soon as you shall receive orders
from me.
( You will of course halt occasionally on the road, to allow
the baggage to keep up with you, but you will not allow it to
get before you. Guides are sent herewith.
' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.'
448 AFFAIR AT MUNKAISKKU. 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. ll'ellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' Camp at Munkaiseer, 15 miles N.K. from Perindu,
( SlR, 5th February, 1S04.
' I this morning attacked in this neighbourhood and de-
feated and dispersed a formidable band of freebooters, who
have been for some time on this frontier.
' I left my camp on the 3rd, about thirty miles S.E. from
Ahmednuggur, and I arrived by forced marches at Sailgaon,
near Perinda, on the 4th. I there heard that the enemy were
at this place, twenty four miles from me, and although I had
marched twenty miles that morning, I determined to march on
in the night. The road was very bad, and till one o'clock the
night was very dark, and we made but little progress. The
consequence was that we did not arrive till nine in the morn-
ing, instead of at daylight. The enemy had received intelli-
gence of my approach ; I believe from my own camp. They had
struck their camp and had begun their march, but were still in
sight. I pursued them with the cavalry, cut up some, and
took all their guns, baggage, bazaar, &e., and followed them
as long as they remained collected. I had with me the cavalry,
the 74th regiment, the 1st of the 8th, and 500 men from the
other regiments.
' The camp is at Nimgaum, where I left it on the 3rd.
The infantry were up with the cavalry when we advanced to
the attack. The Marhatta and Mysore horse were very
active and got much booty. Our loss is trifling. I shall send
you a regular account of this expedition, as soon as it can
be made out.
( I have the honor to be, &c.
4 Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wette&ley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
4 DEAR SIR, * Camp at Munkaiseer, 6th February, 1804.
' I enclose a copy of a letter which I wrote yesterday to the
Governor General, giving an account of the destruction of a
band of freebooters near this place. I endeavored to imitate
you, and to surprise them j but the night was dark, the road
1804. AFFAIR AT MUNKAISEKH. 449
desperately bad, and my allies, like true Marhattas, gave them
information.
' This party consisted of Sirjee Rao, or Visvaz Rao Ghaut-
ky, Gopal Bhugwunt, Nimbajee Bhoonslah, and others.
Mulwa Dada is in the Solapoor country. Baba Phurkia is
not with him, as you suppose. He has always been to the
northward, and I understand has lately separated his troops
and quitted the Nizam's territories.
' I received yesterday your public letter of the 12th, con-
taining an address from the officers of the division under your
command, to the Governor of Fort St. George. I rather be-
lieve that address would never have been written, if it had not
been imagined that we had taken a large prize. But 1 do not
believe the accounts of every thing amount to ten lacs of
rupees. At all events, it is not necessary that I should write
any answer upon the subject ; and I notice it only to apprize
you that I have received it, and that I propose not to commu-
nicate it to the troops under my command, as it is possible that
every body may not be equally disinclined to enter into dis-
cussions. These never can do good, and may do much harm ;
and they have been discountenanced, if not positively forbidden,
by Government. Between ourselves, therefore, I think it best
to leave to Government the consideration of a question, which
Government alone can decide.
* Believe me, &c.
' Major General Campbell." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
( MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp at Munkaiseer, 7th February, 1804.
* I have this day received your letters of the 23rd and 27th
of January. A duplicate of my letter to Major Kirkpatrick
on the subject of your allowance from the Nizam, shall go to
him this day. I had recommended to the Governor General
that you should have additional prize money, and I think that
he will attend to my recommendation in this instance. How-
ever, this is between ourselves. My idea respecting your
entering the King's service was this, that you should get your
rank in England, and a regiment in what is called the army of
reserve.
' If you should succeed in that object, you might then
VOL. III. 2 G
450 AFFAIR AT MUNKAISEER. 1804.
resign your regiment or brigade of cavalry in this country,
but not your pension on retirement. If you should not suc-
ceed, you ought not to give up your regiment or brigade
here, without having a further provision. These are my
opinions ; you will see how affairs stand when you get home,
and can arrange accordingly.
' I am anxious, first, that the public should continue to enjoy
the benefit of your services, in a country of which the climate
may be more favorable to your health ; and next, that you
should have the satisfaction of serving in a war which goes to
the existence of Great Britain, as a nation. But you must not
lose your income by it.
' I destroyed, on the 5th, a formidable band of freebooters
near this place. The march we made was terrible. I send
you the copy of my letter to the Governor General on this
subject.
' Remember me kindly to Mrs. Stevenson.
' Believe me, Sec.
' Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellcsley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad,
c SIR, ' Camp, 9th February, 180-1.
« My dispatch of the 5th will have made you acquainted
with the destruction of a band of freebooters on that day.
The remains of them have fled towards the Solapoor country,
where they are likely to join another band of the same de-
scription, situated in that quarter, and commanded by Mulwa
Dada. But their strength is destroyed, and if the Soubah's
killadars and sirdars will exert themselves, they will soon dis-
perse entirely.
' I enclose the copy and translation of a letter which I have
written to the Rajah of Solapoor; and I beg leave to recom-
mend that orders to the same purport may be sent to him from
the Soubah of the Deccan.
6 I do not propose at present to follow the remains of the
freebooters towards the Solapoor country. In the first place,
it has now become a matter of the utmost importance
to give some rest to the division under my command,
who have been marching since February, 1803 ; and who,
1804. AFFAIR AT MUNKAISEER. 451
since the battle of Assye, in September, have not halted
more than one clay in any place, excepting during the siege
of Gawilghur. Secondly, I do not think it will be pro-
per to allow my attention to be drawn from what is passing
to the northward, till I shall have received the ratification of
the treaty of peace. It is therefore my opinion, that the Sou-
bah's troops ought to be employed in the pursuit of this ban-
ditti. If, however, I should have an opportunity of striking
a blow at them, I shall not fail to do so.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
* Major Kirkpatrick: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiatts Durbar.
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, 10th February, 1804.
* I enclose a letter which I have received from Mr. Duncan,
which gives more intelligence of the Frenchmen.
' I have received letters from the Governor General, from
which I judge that the treaty of peace will be approved.
( He approves of the general article regarding the treaties
with the feudatories, instead of the particular articles providing
for the independence of each petty Rajah.
' He appears anxious to avoid a contest with Holkar ; and
in instructions to General Lake, of which I shall send you a
copy, if I should be able, he desires him to give him assurances
of friendship, provided Holkar does not interfere with the
Company or their allies. He particularly desires him, how-
ever, to avoid guaranteeing to Holkar the possession of the
dominions of the Holkar family, which he has usurped. He
wishes not to enter at all into the discussion of that question.
' Attend to all this in your negotiations with Holkar. I will
try to get you a copy of this paper, but really the Governor
General's dispatches are so long, that I have not sufficient
assistance to master them, and do my own business besides.
' Believe me, &c.
1 Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
( gIR « Camp, 10th February, 1804.
« In answer to your letter of the 3rd instant, regarding Mr.
452 THE DECCAN, 1804.
Ambrose, I have to inform you, that I do not consider that
person to be entitled to the benefit held out by his Excellency
the Governor General's proclamation of the 29th August, 1803,
to Europeans in the service of the Marhatta states.
6 I have the honor to be, &c.
4 The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Welledey to Lieut. Colonel Gore,
Commanding the 33rd Regiment.
« MY DEAR GORE, ' Camp, 10th February, 1804.
6 1 have received your letter of the 28th of January, for
which I am much obliged to you. It is true that there arc
many important objects to engage my attention ; but none of
them can ever make me indifferent to what passes in the 33rd
regiment, in whose honor and welfare I always consider myself
particularly interested.
* Accordingly I shall be glad to hear from you whenever
you may have leisure to write ; and whatever may be the na-
ture of my occupation, at the time I shall receive your letters,
you may depend upon it that they will not remain unan-
swered.
' I conclude that the mistake respecting West's promotion
will be rectified, as soon as the deaths of Captain Anderson and
Captain Lowe shall be known. Captain Eustace will then be
the senior captain ; Captain Eustace of the 16th, the second ;
and Lambton, I suppose, the third. I approve of the exchange
of Mr. Orrock, although I rather believe that I refused
him once before; also of your recommendation of Mr. Mac-
donald and Mr. Fitzpatrick to be Ensigns.
1 I have no objection to Mr. Macintosh, with whom I am
acquainted, and I believe him to be a very good man. But he
cannot be so good a man for the 33rd as Mr. Naig ; and as
the object of the exchange is the wish of the latter to go to
England, I hope that the exchange will be delayed : indeed
it must be delayed till the 73rd regiment be ordered home.
As I think it very probable that under the present circum-
stances the 73rd will remain in India, at least as long as the
33rd, our regiment will continue to enjoy the advantages of
the services of our own Quarter Master, who has been with us
so long.
1804. AFTKR THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 453
' I know that Colonel Moncypcnny has always an eye to get
a good and useful officer into the 73rd ; and he has already suc-
ceeded in getting one or two from the 33rd. But I rely upon
you to be equally watchful, and not to lose the services of
useful men, so long as you can keep them.
' Upon the subject of clothing, you must obtain the permis-
sion of the Commander in Chief in India, to give money in
lieu of clothing, according to the terms of the warrant ; after
having done which, draw upon the agents for the money to be
paid to the men ; at the same time send home to the agents an
account of the clothing you have in store, and let them know
at what time you will want more clothing. The men should
have their clothing as soon as possible, whether in the field or
not.
' You did quite right to go to Vellore. The 33rd could
not join me. I should have lost the campaign if I had at-
tempted to have drawn troops from General Campbell's divi-
sion.
' I shall be happy to have the regiment with me always; but
God knows whether I shall be more successful in my future,
than I have been in my past endeavors to effect this object,
or whether I shall ever be five days in the same place.
* Believe me, &c.
• Lieut. Colonel Gore: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Colonel Stevenson.
' MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp, llth February, 1804.
' I received your letters, and answered them some days ago.
They were to the same purport as one of the 4th instant,
which has just reached me.
* I have sent to the Resident at Hyderabad a duplicate of
my letter, regarding your allowance from the Nizam's govern-
ment.
* I had recommended to the Governor General what you
have desired respecting your prize money, when I reported to
him the state of the property captured. But you know
that every thing in that question depends upon him.
* Since I wrote to you last I have seen some English
papers, and perused debates on the subject of the increase qf
the army.
454 THE DECCAN, 1804.
' When I first wrote to you on the subject of endeavoring
to get removed to the King's service, I had reason to believe
that all parties in England had agreed that it was absolutely
necessary, at last, that Great Britain should really have an
army, and not the skeleton of one, as had been the case hi-
therto. I knew that the object of having an army could not
be accomplished without a very large increase of the number
of officers, particularly of high rank ; and it appeared to me
that the services of yourself, and others of your description,
from the service in this country, would be desirable.
f The plan adopted, however, does not by any means go
upon the scale that I supposed it would. Every body appears
to be convinced of the necessity of having an army, but no-
body appears to be inclined to adopt the measures which are
necessary for that purpose. The same little temporary expe-
dients are adopted that have been before practised, and they
will equally fail ; and in respect to the plan I contemplated
for you, that is entirely out of the question, as I observe that
the service of several officers belonging to this country has
been offered and declined.
' I am therefore most decidedly of opinion that you ought
not to make up your mind to any thing till you shall get
home. If you should find that circumstances are then favor-
able, and that you can change, without material loss to yourself
or your family, you might do so, but not otherwise. But I
am afraid that you will find that you will not be able to
change at all.
4 1 send you the book which you desired. The Governor
General wishes that it should not, on any account, be gene-
rally circulated or published. You will recollect this.
1 Believe me, &c.
1 Colonel Stevenson: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiatis Durbar.
6 MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, lllh February, 1804.
6 1 have received your letter of the 3rd, and I am much
obliged to you for the pains you have taken to recover my
horse. I had always understood that he was killed.
' I now enclose the dispatches on the subject of Holkar.
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 455
Also a dispatch from Mr. Edmonstone, regarding Ambajee
Inglia, received this morning; and I think that the facts
therein stated will remove a great deal of embarrassment on.
the final settlement of affairs.
' I have had a great deal of trouble with the Cuttack gen-
tlemen. They construe general letters from zemindars about
" master's favor," and professions of obedience to orders, into
treaties; and I think that the moderation of the Governor
General, which in any other man would pass current for ambi-
tion, induces him rather to adopt the principles of the commis-
sioners in Cuttack, and to increase as much as possible the
limits of the province, and the number of people to enjoy the
benefits of the tenth article of the treaty of peace.
' I have, however, written to him two public letters upon
the subject, in which I have pointed out that the objects of
the commissioners, in claiming to enlarge their province as
much as possible, however praiseworthy, are not very con-
sistent with national good faith, of which they, very naturally,
have entirely lost sight.
' It is really ridiculous to read the dispatches on this sub-
ject: whole provinces must be considered to be included in
Cuttack, under the second article of the treaty. The tenth
article must be construed to apply to many zemindars, who
have only asked for " master's favor," and taken cowle and safe-
guards, and the poor national faith goes to the devil. In fact,
rny dear Malcolm, I see very clearly that I have made two
very good treaties of peace, but I have not influence to carry
them into execution in any of their stipulations ; and there is
no person about the Governor General to take art enlarged
view of the state of our affairs, and to resist the importunities
of the local authorities to force on the treaties a construction
which will tend to the increase of their own petty power and
authority.
* The Soubah's government, who will not execute the fifth
article of the treaty regarding the four lacs of rupees, plunder
the forts, although any man in his senses must see that that
article will eventually be beneficial to the country and to them.
After witnessing the prosperity of Berar, I acknowledge that
rny opinion is much altered, regarding the propriety of
excluding the Marhattas entirely from the Nizam's ter-
ritories.
456 THK DECCAN, 1804.
* As long as the government remains in its present state of
weakness, it is a good principle to interest in the prosperity of
the country those who would be its enemies and would plun-
der. But you will say that plunder must now be at an end,
and the exclusion of the Rajah takes away every pretence for
it. The question is, will it be at an end, in fact ? Will the
British Government leave their troops in Berar ? Will they
force the Soubah of the Deccan to reform his military esta-
blishment? If they do not do either the one or the other,
take my word for it, that the average of the Nizam's re-
ceipts, for the next ten years, will fall short even of those of
the last ten.
e Believe me, &c.
• Major Malcolm." ' ARTHUR WELLKSLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. JVellesley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
1 MY DEAR WALLACE, ' Camp, 14th February, 1804.
' Since I wrote to you last, a part of the freebooters have
collected again to the southward, upon a band who were not
engaged with us on the 5th. I have therefore thought it best
to move upon them, and I hope to give a good account of
them on the 16th.
( 1 wish you would move after us gradually by the route
by which we came. Keep upon the tappall road, of which I
send you the stages, and come on to Perinda, upon the Seenah
river.
' I send you with this a sketch of the country. Bring with
you the remount horses of the cavalry.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Wallace: * ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp, 14th February, 1804.
' I have this day received your letter of the 25th of January,
and I am concerned to observe that you had not received
several of my letters: viz., one of the 17th of December, one
of the 23rd, one of the 30th of December, and one of the 5th
of January, all relating to the treaties of peace. Besides these,
J wrote you a long letter, on the llth of January, I think^ iij
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 457
•which I recapitulated every thing that had passed from the
battle of Argaum ; shortly after which the tappall began to
be irregular to that day on which I hoped that I had
re-established the communication ; and I sent you with that
letter additional copies of the treaties of peace, and of my
letters regarding them to the Governor General. I still hope
that you will have received that letter ; but if you should not
acknowledge the receipt of it before I return to camp, I shall
again write to you the purport of it, and shall send you copies
of the papers above mentioned.
' The whole of the subject of your letter of the 25th has had
much of my attention and consideration ; and I shall proceed
to give you my sentiments upon it, according to your desire.
That part which first calls for a decision, relates to the subsi-
diary corps serving with the Peshwah and the Soubah of the
Deccan.
* The first point to be considered is, the station for those
corps in future ; and the decision upon this may facilitate the
decision regarding the establishment to which the troops form-
ing the subsidiary corps ought to belong. If the subject can
be decided upon military principles, — if there are no political
considerations to induce the Government to wish to have the
subsidiary corps at Hyderabad and at Poonah, (and I acknow-
edge that I see none,) — it is my opinion that the subsidiary
force, serving with the Peshwah, ought to be placed either
upon the Godavery, at or below Toka, or upon the high road
between Toka and Ahmednuggur. This last place ought to
have a British garrison, and there might be two battalions at
Poonah. By this position, the Peshwah's territories will be
secured from foreign invasion ; at the same time that the supply
of the subsidiary force will be certain from Bombay, by the
medium of Poonah and Ahmednuggur.
' But I do not think that one regiment of cavalry and four
battalions of native infantry will be very safe in a position so
far advanced ; unless it should be convenient to place the sub-
sidiary force, serving with the Soubah of the Deccan, (except-
ing two battalions to be at Hyderabad,) likewise upon the
Godavery, about forty or fifty miles lower down that river.
* If that should not be politically inconvenient, (and I really
do not understand the gentlemen who contend for the necessity
458 THE DECCAN, 1804.
of fixing the subsidiary force at the capital,) many benefits will
result from the measure. In the first place, it will secure that
capital position for the subsidiary force serving with the
Peshwah ; and in the next, it is the only measure that can be
adopted which will give the Soubah of the Deccan the full
benefit of the territories lately ceded by the Rajah of Berar.
( The late arrangements made with the Soubah of the
Deccan, regarding his forts, will secure the use of the fort of
Dharore for the subsidiary force ; supposing that it should be
convenient and cheap to supply it from the eastern, rather
than from the western coast.
' That is the position which I should recommend, supposing
there is no objection on the part of the politicians, whom I do
not understand upon this subject, and who, I believe, do not
understand themselves. But if the subsidiary force with the
Soubah of the Deccan must be at Hyderabad, I would still
recommend that we should continue to hold Ahmednuggur,
and post there the subsidiary force serving with the Peshwah,
excepting two battalions to be at Poonah.
' If the forward position which I have proposed should be
adopted, I think that the country will be saved from plunder.
We tried a similar experiment in the Nabob of Oude's territo-
ries, above thirty years ago, which we have ever since saved
from plunder ; although the Marhattas were much stronger and
we much weaker than either are at the present moment.
' Supposing all consequences to be equally convenient, I
acknowledge that I should wish to see the Bengal troops com-
posing all the subsidiary forces. The men are of a better size
and description, of a higher caste, and the natives have more
respect for them than they have for the Coast or Bombay
troops. They have proved in this campaign that they yield to
none in bravery ; and, I believe, are tolerably disciplined, and
they have been long notorious for their contempt of their
enemies on horseback. But all these circumstances must yield
to others of a more pressing nature ; and certainly, in a great
military arrangement, the facility of relief is an important con-
sideration.
' However, supposing it should be decided that the subsi-
diary corps should be posted on the Godavery, as I have above
proposed, the plan for relief will no longer be convenient;
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 459
and then possibly you may be of opinion that the Bengal
troops ought to be the subsidiary force serving with the
Soubah of the Deccan.
' While writing upon this subject, there is one convenience
resulting from the employment of the Bengal troops, which, in
a pecuniary point of view, will more than compensate for all
the additional expense which may attend it. It is that they
eat the flour of dry grains, whereas the Coast and Bombay
troops must have rice. This article will always cost much
money in this country, but flour of all kinds will be cheap.
6 In respect to the subsidiary force serving with Scindiah,
supposing that he should become a party to the defensive
alliance, it ought certainly to be composed of Bengal troops ;
and if the Bengal army should furnish this force, the Governor
General may possibly not think it proper, and indeed may be
unable, to detach a force to the Deccan for the Soubah, or for
the Peshwah. But my opinion upon this subject, which I
have never given to the Governor General, is independent of
all considerations of relative promotion, and is founded solely
upon the relative qualities and fitness of the troops for the ser-
vice. If you and the Governor General should adopt this
opinion, the Bengal army will eventually furnish all the subsi-
diary forces; and the others will be confined to the Company's
own territories.
' After this consideration of the question, I come to the
point of the battalions lately raised. Whatever may be the
decision regarding the composition of the subsidiary forces
in future, those battalions are absolutely necessary to enable
you to conquer Malabar again, and to relieve the Bombay
troops in that province and Canara : a measure which, I have
already observed, is absolutely necessary, both to preserve the
peace of Malabar, and to secure the existence of the Bombay
army as a respectable body. If the Coast army are to con-
tinue to furnish either of the subsidiary forces, they will
require a permanent augmentation, to the full amount of the
number of troops to be sent to Malabar and Canara, to relieve
the Bombay troops.
' The principle on which I go is, that the subsidiary ar-
rangement with the Peshwah, and even that with Scindiah,
supposing that it should be carried into execution, will not
decrease the necessity for keeping up the same garrisons, and
460 THE DECCAN, 1804.
of the same strength, as they were established in the year 1802 ;
at least as far as I have any knowledge of the principles on
which those garrisons were established, which, I confess,
extends no farther than the Ceded districts and Mysore.
4 If the Coast army are to furnish both subsidiary forces,
they will require a permanent augmentation to the amount of
six battalions ; and whatever force may be stationed in Ma-
labar, in relief of the Bombay troops.
* If the Coast army should not furnish either of the sub-
sidiary forces, it will require a permanent augmentation only
to the amount of the number of troops which Malabar and
Canara will want beyond six battalions.
6 But till the Governor General shall decide all these points,
and at all events to enable you to relieve Malabar, I conceive
that it is indispensable to keep up the eight new battalions.
1 I do not think that you will be able to do any thing effec-
tual in Malabar in this season. I conclude you will not wish
General Campbell to withdraw from his position, till I shall
break up in this country ; and supposing that I were able to
do so on this day, the troops would not arrive at Seringapatam
till the end of March ; and it would then be too late to com-
mence a serious settlement of that province. I should there-
fore recommend the assembly at Seringapatam, during the
summer months, of a respectable garrison, which might be
made the foundation of the force to enter Malabar by Wy-
naad, early in the next fair season ; and in the mean time,
possibly a battalion might be sent down to enable Colonel Mon-
tresor to hold his ground throughout the rains. T am very
certain that if the troops spend the rains in Malabar, they will
not be fit for much upon the opening of the fair season — par-
ticularly as much time does not remain to provide for their
comfortable accommodation ; that they will not have time to
do much before the rains ; and that they can do nothing while
they last, and for some time after they have ceased, possibly
till the month of December.
« I have always been of opinion that Malabar is our weakest
point in India, against an European enemy. There is no mode
of keeping in order the inhabitants, whose turbulence is the
great cause of our weakness, excepting by having in Malabar
a strong and efficient force, and a strong garrison at Seringa-
patam to support that force, and act upon the back of the
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 461
rebels, through Wynaad. When some years of peace shall
have elapsed, and the inhabitants shall have acquired habits of
tranquillity, and shall have enjoyed its advantages, the experi-
ment of weakening the military force in Malabar might be tried ;
but certainly not till tranquillity, which will first be the effect
of fear, becomes a habit.
' I agree entirely with your opinion regarding the cavalry.
In fact, we have as large a body of regular cavalry as we can
want, or as we can support. The expense of it is enormous.
The gram alone, for the four regiments with me., has in some
months cost 50,000 pagodas.
« There is no doubt whatever of the advantage of a body
of irregular cavalry ; but I acknowledge that I am not pre-
pared with an opinion on the best mode of supporting such a
body in the Company's service. I am afraid it will be found
that the allies, instead of being satisfied with what has been
done for them in the war, and being in consequence inclined to
give up the territory in Savanore or the Dooab for the sup-
port of such a body of cavalry, will be much dissatisfied with
the greater share of the benefits of the peace which will fall to
the Company.
' There is no hope of being able to have in the Company's
service, permanently, a body of irregular horse, without the
existence of all the abuses which prevail in the native armies,
and which, in fact, are the cause of the destruction of every
power in India. Besides, another fact is, that land given to
pay troops will not provide for their payment upon distant
expeditions. I believe, therefore, that nothing would be
gained by such an establishment, excepting the certainty of
having the horse in the time of service, when an additional
expense must be incurred in their support ; and I very much
doubt whether it would not be easy to get them at such time,
without the constant expense.
1 I have already, as you will have observed, called the atten-
tion of the Governor General to the improvement of our
alliances in this particular point, as an object of essential con-
sequence in other respects ; and I have written more than one
letter upon the subject to the Resident at Hyderabad.
' Besides this, I propose to recommend to the Governor
General to pay the expenses incurred by the Rajah of Mysore
462 THE PECCAN, 1804.
in this war, (whether the Rajah is or is not entitled to such
payment, which I acknowledge I think he is,) as a certain
mode of insuring for the Company, at a future period, the
services of all the horse that have served with me in this
campaign.
' I have now, I believe, gone through, rather more at length
than you expected, all the subjects on which you desired my
sentiments.
4 Since the 5th, I have been watching the freebooters, many
of whom have dispersed ; but some have again collected near
Alkulcotta upon one chief, who was not with the others on the
5th, and whose baggage was not plundered. I have therefore
made a movement to the southward towards them ; and if they
remain where they are, I shall destroy them on the day after
to-morrow.
' As soon as I shall have dispersed these bands of freebooters,
I propose to wait till I receive the Governor General's ratifi-
cation of the treaty with Scindiah, and then break up the
army. For the present, the troops must remain in this neigh-
bourhood, as there is no forage or subsistence for them to the
northward, every thing being ate up or destroyed.
' I think it desirable that I should soon quit this country.
The Peshwah has manifested a most unaccountable jealousy of
me, personally; and has refused to adopt certain measures,
evidently calculated for his advantage, only because I recom-
mended them. He has allowed their benefit, and has avowed
this motive for refusing to adopt them. We have always
found it very difficult to manage him ; but it will become
quite impossible, if this principle is allowed to guide his con-
duct. I therefore think it best that I should go away as soon
as possible; and I am certainly very desirous of getting some
rest.
( I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
' Camp, 12 miles south of Solapoor,
( SIR, 15th February, 1804.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 4th,
but not that which you say you had written to me upon the
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 463
subject of bullocks, which I conclude has gone to my camp,
and which I shall probably get this day.
' I am very much obliged to you for the communication of
your sentiments regarding the representation of the officers
with the army in the Dooab. General Campbell sent me a
copy of the representation by desire of the officers who made
it ; and I have the honor to enclose a copy of my answer upon
that subject.
' Since I wrote to you last, I find that the accounts of the
numbers of the freebooters who had collected about Alkulcotta
were much exaggerated, with a view to induce me to march
that way to drive out the few that hung about the district. In
this, I am sorry to say, those who gave the accounts have
succeeded, and I have made some terrible marches in this hot
weather. But the freebooters are all gone in different direc-
tions across the Beemah, I suppose to their homes.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
1 Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
' Camp, 12 miles south of Solapoor,
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, 16th February, 1804.
' I have received your letter of the 5th. I think there is
nothing in Eitul Punt's letter of much consequence. The
treaty is clear. We are to have nothing south of Joudpoor,
Sec., and all treaties made by us are to be confirmed by us,
no matter where the Rajahs are, unless serinjaumy or jaghirc
lands should have been granted away by them.
' Narwar is a Raojee, of which place there is a Rajah, at
least so I learn. You never mentioned the desire to have the
pettah of Asseerghur, and I acknowledge that I wish not to
give it up. However, in case they should insist upon it, I
enclose an order for the pettah ; and I request you to settle
that my troops in the fort are supplied with provisions from
the country.
' The only mode of attacking Asseerghur is from the pet-
tah ; and till every thing is finally settled, I hope that it will be
possible to keep it.
* I have made some dreadful marches to the southward after
464 THE DECCAX, 1804.
the freebooters, who, it was reported, were about to collect
again in the Alkulcotta districts. But they have gone off in
different directions across the Beemah, I hope to their homes.
' I enclose a duplicate of my letter of the 29th of January,
which you had not received.
* Believe me, &c.
• Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Welleshy to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
< SIR, ' Camp, 16th February, 1804.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 7th
instant. Mr. Elphinstone did not apprize me of his wish to
receive from Bombay the articles mentioned in Mr. Smith's
letter of the 6th. If he had, I should have written to you
upon the subject. But it appears to me to be very necessary
that he should have these articles, and it is very satisfactory to
find that they have been sent.
* Mr. Elphinstone (to whom I conclude a copy of the bill
has been sent) will of course carry the different articles to the
account of the Honorable Company as received from Bombay.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. of Gov., Bombay.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to Captain Vernon.
' SIR, ' Camp, 16th February, 1804.
' Upon the receipt of this letter you will withdraw your
troops from, and deliver up to the person who will be sent on
the part of Dowlut Rao Scindiah to take charge of, the pettah
of Asseerghur, and you will confine your attention entirely to
the care of the fort.
' In case you should experience any difficulty in getting pro-
visions after you shall have withdrawn your troops from the
pettah of Asseerghur, you will correspond on that subject with
Major Malcolm.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Captain Vernon: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 405
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Munt.
4 Camp, 12 miles south from Solapoor,
< SIR, 16th February, 1804.
* I learn from the Resident at Hyderabad that you were
likely to march on the 8th instant towards Dharore, in charge
of treasure to the amount of six lacs of rupees, for the use of
the troops under my command. I beg that, upon the receipt
of this letter, you will continue your march with the cavalry,
and half of the infantry under your command to Jalnapoor,
with half of the treasure, or three lacs of rupees; and send the
remainder of the infantry with three lacs of rupees to join my
camp at or near Perinda.
' You will find or hear of Colonel Halyburton's camp at
Jalnapoor, and you will deliver to Captain Down the three
lacs of rupees which you have been above directed to keep in
your charge.
' I have not yet by me a list of the coins in which you have
brought the sum of six lacs of rupees ; but I request yon to
desire the person in charge of the money to divide the different
denominations of coin as equally between the two divisions as
may be practicable.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
Captain Muni.' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
' Camp, 12 miles south of Solapoor,
1 DEAR SIR, ' 16th February, 1804.
' Since I wrote to you last, the freebooters, who had been
for some days marching about in different directions, appa-
rently without plan or determined intention, at length mani-
fested the appearance, as I was informed, of collecting again
in strength in the Alkulcotta district, upon a party which,
having been near Toljapoor on the 5th instant, had not been
engaged, and which had therefore preserved its baggage entire.
I therefore again moved upon them, and they have now
crossed the Bcemah, and are gone off in different directions.
Mulvva Dada is, I believe, gone towards Beejapoor.
c I send this letter by an hircarrah to that place, to be for-
warded from thence by dawk.
' Believe me, &c.
1 Major General Campbell: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
VOL. III. 2 II
4GG THE DECCAN, 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
' MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp, 17th February, 1804.
' I have received your letter of the 13th instant. All the
property taken from the family of Mulwa Dada must be con-
sidered as captured property, and must not be restored. It
would be ridiculous to adhere to the terms of a capitulation,
of which he has broken every stipulation,
' The 1000 rupees for Ram Rao and the peons, respectively,
must be taken from the property captured.
' I cannot, and have no inclination to take any article my-
self; and cannot consent that any article should be taken by
any other person. Every thing that is sold must be put up
to auction, unless the officers to whom the charge of captured
property has been given should be of opinion that it can be
sold to advantage by private contract, under a valuation. You
will observe, that this principle applies to the article which you
proposed to retain, upon the valuation by the shroff.
* I shall write to Goorparah, to desire him to send a person
to point out Scincliah's horses ; and you will be so kind as to
give up those which he shall point out.
' I gave notice to Scindiah's vakeels, that I should not give
up the districts till Mulwa Dada should have gone away to
the northward. They deny that Mulwa Dada is Scincliah's
servant, and have expressed a wish that I may treat him as 1
may think proper. I think, therefore, that they ought to get
the districts ; but I beg you to tell the vakeel with you, that
my reason for not giving them to him, is, that I know well
that they have not the means of keeping them from Mulwa
Dada ; and that if he or his troops should ever get into any
of them, I must immediately again take possession. Muhva
Dada cannot now last much longer; and therefore it is desi-
rable that the delivery of the districts should be delayed for a
short time.
' I am decidedly of opinion that some serious step might
still be taken to annoy this banditti, who were breaking up
daily. They almost all belong to the districts under Ahmed-
nuggur, and their families are living under the Company's
protection. Surely their families might be arrested ; and 1
can tell you that if they were, a more effectual stop would be
put to the depredations of the freebooters, than can be by the
operations of the troops, however successful.
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 467
' I am very desirous at all times of doing what is satisfactory
to you, and to every officer. But I am sorry that I cannot
consent to your going to Madras, at the time you propose. It
is absolutely necessary that you should wait till the Governor
General shall have ratified the treaty of peace, and shall have
disposed of the territories which are under your management.
' I never had any doubt respecting your sharing, with the
remainder of the army, in the property captured during the
war.
* I have reason to believe that the Frenchmen,, about whom
I wrote to you formerly, are in Poonah ; and I beg you to
have an eye upon them, in case they should endeavor to pass
through your district.
' I wish that you would send Captain Barclay an authority
for Gundapoor, and desire him to send it to Major Palmer.
1 1 rather think it will be best to give the districts over to
Scindiah's people, if you should find they wish to have them,
after what I have requested you in the letter to point out to
them.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Graham: f ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
* MY DEAR MALCOLM, 'Camp, 18th February, 1804.
* I have this day received your different dispatches of the
6th, 7th, and 8th ; and of the 5th and 6th for the Governor
General, which I have forwarded. There is also a letter
for me without a date, but which I believe was written on
the 5th.
* I wish that you would send me a copy of the dispatch to
the Governor General, of the 5th, (No. 5.) as it contains some
valuable information.
' Not a word yet from Bengal about the peace with Scin-
diah ; but I hope it has been received. Six copies of it were
sent.
* You will have been relieved from all anxiety about
Ambajee Inglia by the dispatch which I sent you lately,
announcing the intention of the Governor General not to
adhere to his treaty with him. Not that I rely upon that
intention either, as he may alter it ; and I observe that he is
2 ii 2
4G8 THE DECCAN, 1804.
inclined to make the most of the 10th article of the treaty
with Ragojee Bhoonslah, notwithstanding my promise to that
Chief's vakeel.
'To this he is urged by Mr. Melville and Colonel Harcourt,
who do every thing in their power to increase the limits of their
province ; but I have written a serious dispatch upon the
subject.
' I agree in opinion regarding your diplomatic arrange-
ments. You have done very right about the soucars. I have
been to the southward of Solapoor, after the freebooters, who
made some show of an intention of meeting again. But they
are now across the Beemah, and can do no more mischief;
and I am on my march towards Ferinda.
* I should have been glad to stay to the southward a few
days longer, but I am obliged to go to Poonah ; and excepting
Wallace, who is with the camp to the northward, there is no-
body that I can trust with the command of the cavalry. I
declare that this is becoming a most serious concern.
' My reason for going to Poonah is to meet Webbe, who,
I believe, will be there on the 20th ; and to endeavor to pre-
vail upon his Highness the Peshwah to give up the French-
men, who are at Poonah, after having had an interview with
his Highness at Wahy. The secretary of state for foreign
affairs, Rigajee Naig, has almost acknowledged that they are
at Poonah, but they are not yet given up.
' Is not this shocking ? What is to be done with the fel
low ? It is my opinion that he wishes us to adopt some ex-
treme course.
* Visvas Rao Ghautky and Ballojee Punt, Sirjee Rao's
buckshee, with a body of horse, who were in the action of the
5th, fled from the field of battle to Wahy ; and I dare say
that the next place at which I shall meet them will be at the
Peshwah's durbar at Poonah !
' This is our good and faithful ally !
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
1 Camp at Tankly, on the Seenah,
' MY DEAR WALLACE, 18th February, 1804.
1 I have returned to the northward along the Seenah, and I
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 469
shall be to-morrow at Seerapoor or Hingerry, and on the 20th
at Beedoora Nalgaum, on the Seenah. I conclude that you
will have marched from Walkee to Kurkut, either on the 16th
or 17th ; and that you will have continued your march to
Perinda, after having received my letter of the 14th. If you
should have reached Kurkut on the 16th, you will be at Taun-
doobwarry this day ; if not, you will be there to-morrow,
and near Perinda on the 20th. If you should arrive near
Perinda on the 19th, I should wish you to meet me on
the 20th at Beedoora, on the Seenah, about ten miles from
Perinda. If you should not be near Perinda till the 20th,
I should wish you to meet me on the 21st at lloora, on the
Seenah, two or three miles to the westward of Perinda, on
the road to Poonah.
' Tell Captain Barclay that I shall not want the rice for
which I wrote to him yesterday ; but that instead of it, I
should wish to have fifty bags of rice at Beedoora, on the
Seenah, on the 20th.
* Believe me, &c.
• Lieut. Colonel Wallace: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at ScindiaKs Durbar.
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Camp, 20th February, 1804.
f I have received your letter of the 10th. The escape of
the pindarries is unlucky, and I have no doubt but that they
will enter Berar, as you foresee.
( But Colonel Halyburton must be alert, and march upon
them, give them no rest, and then they will soon come away
again. I am afraid that they will be joined by the vagabonds
of this quarter. But the Soubah must keep an army to pre-
serve the peace of his own territories.
' I regret the change of the ministry. It will appear to the
world as if it had been made because the late ministers had
negotiated the peace ; and I considered it as a beneficial cir-
cumstance that Eitul Punt was so long in our camp, and saw
how we went on.
' Every thing, but particularly this change of councils, con-
vinces me that you ought to stay at Scindiah's durbar, till you
shall be relieved by Webbe, or by the person whom the Go-
vernor General shall appoint the permanent Resident with
470 THE DECCAN, 1804.
Scindiah. Your health is mended, and you have given up
all thoughts of going to England, unless sent home on a pub-
lic mission.
* I do not think that there is now a great probability that
you will be sent in this capacity, for the reasons you state
yourself; and because I learn that Colonel Houghton is going
in the Tigris, as soon as the accounts of the peace shall be
received.
' That being the case, you surely cannot be better employed
than at Scindiah's durbar ; and by the delay of your departure
for some time, you not only will have an opportunity of ren-
dering essential services, but you possibly will regain your
health by rest ; and you will have a better season for your
march to the southward than you have at present.
1 1 wish that you would consider these circumstances. I
have the pleasure to inform you that the Peshwah has deli-
vered up the Frenchmen. They are now in charge of a guard
of British grenadiers at Poonah.
* I omitted to mention to you,' as an inducement to you to
stay at Burhampoor, that Captain Wilks has been appointed
to act as Resident in Mysore during your absence. .
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm.' « ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Wilks,
Acting Resident at Mysore.
( MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Roora, 21st February, 1804.
' I have just received your letter of the 9th instant, and I
beg leave to congratulate you upon your appointment in Mysore,
of which I am convinced that Lord Wellesley will approve.
' I shall always be ready to assist you with my opinions
whenever you may require them, and in any other manner in
which you may think that I can be useful to you.
' I have lately written to Piele, to recommend that the
Rajah's army may be kept upon the frontier, till I shall be
enabled to break up in this quarter, on receiving the Governor
General's ratification of the treaty of peace with Scindiah.
Indeed I think they ought to remain in their position till some
of the Company's troops shall return to Mysore, as we must
expect that some marauders will still keep the field, and the
territories of Mysore are a most tempting bait to them.
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 471
4 I have lately driven a band of freebooters out of the
Nizam's territories, and some of them are gone towards
Meritch. It is not impossible but that they might go farther
south, particularly if there should be any hopes that they
would not meet with opposition.
• Believe me, &c.
' Captain Wilhs? < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
' Camp, Roora, near Perinda,
( MY DEAR MALCOLM, 21st February, 1804.
' I have received your letters of the llth, and I think your
sunnud will answer well.
' Ambajee Inglia is just like the rest of the Marhattas. I
am not sorry for Gwalior either.
' I returned to the army this day, and shall go towards
Poonah the day after to-morrow. Webbe is arrived there.
' I have settled the subsidiary force. Agnew, Adjutant
General; Johnson, Deputy Quarter Master General; Welsh,
Judge Advocate, and Campbell, Postmaster. This is the best
I could do.
* Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp, 22nd February, 1804.
' 1 have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 3rd, from which I perceive that you have received
mine of the llth of January. I joined my camp yesterday,
and made the arrangement for the subsidiary force, which I
shall send you hereafter. I shall go to Poonah to-morrow to
meet Mr. Webbe and Colonel Close. The latter is still at
Bombay, but I hope that he will arrive at Poonah about the
beginning of March.
' I have already reinforced Guzerat with one battalion of
the 9th regiment, and I proposed to send there the Bombay
battalion now at Poonah. I have drawn from thence the
75th regiment,, which is to go to Bengal by order of the Go-
vernor General, and five companies of the 84th will go to
472 THE DECCAN, 1804.
Bombay. But Guzerat will still have two complete regiments
of Europeans, and a disposable native force of six battalions.
* I see that the Governor General has disapproved of raising
the 9th regiment ; but either that regiment must continue on
the establishment, or some of the corps must be drawn from
the coast of Malabar.
* If the Governor General should ratify the treaty with
Scindiah, I can break up immediately, and send the troops
supernumerary to the subsidiary force off' to the southward ; at
least I now think so.
' It would be very desirable for me to know from you what
corps you would wish should form the subsidiary forces. The
two battalions of the 3rd, the 1st of the 2nd, the 2nd of the
18th, the 1st of the 4th, and 1st of the 10th, appear to be the
strongest and most complete corps for the subsidiary force with
the Peshwah ; but none of them are of the required strength,
viz., 1000 firelocks. The 5th or the 7th regiment of cavalry
would likewise be the most proper to remain in this country.
The 4th regiment have not been at Arcot since the year 1799,
and you would possibly wish that corps to go to Arcot. I
must inform you, however, that neither the 5th, nor the 7th
regiment are in such a state of order, or so complete or effi-
cient as the 3rd and 6th ; indeed the 5th regiment, as I have
heretofore reported to you, has always been very bad.
' If we should break up, the rice will not be wanted ; but till
the Governor General shall ratify the treaty, and so long as the
troops are in the field, I think it will be advisable to keep the
bullocks hired to carry it. If they should be ordered to march,
they ought to cross the Kistna by the Kalachabootra ghaut,
and to Ahmednuggur by the same route that Major Dallas
took.
< I have the honor to be, &c.
« Lieut. General Stuart.' « ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
< DEAR SIR, ' Poonah, 29th February, 1804.
* I have had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the
22nd instant. I followed the freebooters to the Beemah, to
the southward of Solapoor, and in fact I was not farther than
thirty or forty miles from Beejapoor.
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 473
' I remained upon the Beemah till the 19th, and then re-
turned to the northward, and joined the army on the 22nd, near
Perinda. There was not a soul near the Beemah when 1 was
in that part of the country ; and in fact the bands of free-
booters whom I had pursued were entirely dispersed ; and some
of them have been caught in their flight to the northward, by
the Mysore troops, which escorted me from the army to this
place.
' I rather believe that your intelligencer must have reported
to you what passed before I reached the Beemah, as the
enemy were then collected at Dewangaum, and wanted to
enter Solapoor, but the Rajah stopped them ; they then re-
turned to the northward, but hearing of me, they went off* to
the westward arid dispersed.
' Believe me, &c.
1 Major General Campbell: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
* SIR, ' Poonah, 29:h February, 1804.
* I conclude that by this time you will have given up to the
agents of Do whit Rao Scindiah the places restored to him by
the eighth article of the treaty of peace, respecting which I
wrote to you on the 5th of January. If you should not
have done so, I beg you now to restore those places without
loss of time.
' I beg you also to consider all the collections made from
those districts since the 30th of December, 1803, to be on
account of Dowlut Rao Scindiah, and to pay the amount to
his agent.
' Dowlut Rao Scindiah's agent may occasionally have to
communicate with you on the service of his master; and I
beg that you will consider Dowlut Rao Scindiah as a friendly
power to the Company, and assist, as far as may be con-
sistent with the peace and safety of the Company's districts,
in preserving order in those of Dowlut Rao Scindiah. But
I request you to have no communication with any other of his
agents, excepting the principal person, who will be made known
by a letter from Major Malcolm or me.
1 1 have the honor to be, &c.
' Major Graham. * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
474 THE DECCAN, 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Agent of His Excellency
the Governor General, at Benares.
< SIR, ' Poonah, 29th February, 1804.
( I have the honor to enclose a memorandum which I have
received from the vakeel of Dowlut Rao Scindiah in this camp,
upon a subject which I imagine is a matter of litigation in
the court of justice at Benares.
« I have repeatedly apprized Scindiah's vakeel that a letter
from me was useless ; that no introduction was required to
obtain justice for his friend, and that no application which
I should make would obtain more. However, as the judicial
establishments fixed in the territories of the Honorable Com-
pany are not known, and the real justice administered but
little understood by any of the natives of these parts of
India, I have found it impossible to convince the vakeel of
the inutility of my troubling you upon this subject ; and I
transmit to you the enclosed memorandum, with a request
that you will see the person to whom it relates, and that
if he should not have adopted the proper mode to have his
case decided, you will be so kind as to advise him in what
manner to proceed.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Agent to the Governor General, ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
at Benares.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
f DEAR SIR, ' Poonah, 2nd March, 1804.
• Since I wrote to you last, I have received particular
accounts, on which I can rely, that the freebooters, or many of
them, are gone off to the northward, and have broken. Some
of them are now at liymurpoor, near Sattarah, between this
and Meritch, and I propose forthwith to disperse them.
' I shall be obliged to you if you will send the money you
have for me to Hyderabad. The bullocks and grain may as
well be kept till some future opportunity.
c Believe me, &c.
' Major Gen. Campbell: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 475
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
6 MY DEAR WALLACE, ' Camp, Poonah, 2nd March, 1804.
' I received yesterday your letters to the 25th and 26th
February, and I should have written to you before now, if
I had had leisure upon my march to, or since my arrival at,
this place.
' I beg that you will allow Lieut. Shawe to go to Bombay.
Send me a regular application for leave of absence for him.
* You did quite right to open the letter from the officer
coining with the tents.
* Barclay will send you orders respecting Colonel Harness's
baggage ; and you shall have the order for the distribution of
the remount horses, as soon as I shall receive the proceedings
of the casting committees.
* When you shall find it necessary to move, I wish you to
keep up the Seenah towards Ahmednuggur.
( If you should find that Gopal Bhugwunt stays in your
neighbourhood, send Bistnapah to make a dash at him. But
I think he is going towards the Rajah of Berar's country ; at
least he sent me word that he was.
' I hear from camp that every body was well satisfied with
the arrangements which I made before I left it, excepting your
friend . I must say that I think his dissatisfaction is
unreasonable ; and its existence entirely removes the regret
which I felt upon the disappointment which he suffered.
Supposing that your friendship for him gave him a claim upon
you, his friendship for you should induce him to omit urging
that claim, when your ease, your satisfaction, and your future
success are at stake. I declare that I conceive it was necessary
you should have Captain Johnson in the subsidiary force, and
1 do not think it would have been fair to call upon him to
make every sacrifice, in order that you might have that advan-
tage. It was desirable to you, but not equally necessary, to
have . You have, therefore, in my opinion, decided as
every man ought who takes upon himself a public charge ;
and if you are not of the same opinion now, you will be so as
soon as you have anything to do.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Wallace: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
476 THE DECCAN, 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiafis Durbar.
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Poonah, 2nd March, 1804.
' I have received your letters of the 16th, 17th and 18th,
and have forwarded the enclosures to Major Kirkpatrick, and
I have requested him to be prepared to take up your drafts.
* I enclose you a letter which will remove all uneasiness
about the treaty of peace. The minutes of the conferences
had been received ; but not one copy of the treaty. I have
sent six copies.
6 1 have no anxiety respecting the draft of the treaty which
you have received from Scindiah's ministers : it is probably in
the same style with the treaty of peace, in two articles given to
me, which you will find recorded in the minutes. But whether
you can conclude the treaty of alliance or not, I hope that you
will stay at Scindiah's durbar, till every thing is settled. You
have the Governor General's opinion upon the subject ; you
have Webbe's, and you have my most anxious request ; and I
hope that, after all these, you will not think of coming away,
particularly as your health is mended.
' I am every day more convinced that it is necessary that I
should quit this country. In short, nothing can settle till I
do quit it. But of course I shall not go, if there should be a
war with Holkar.
' This I think very improbable, notwithstanding the reports
we have from your quarter, as well as from Hindustan. Mer-
cer is in treaty with Meer Khan ; and if he should draw him
off from Holkar, there is an end of the latter.
' I have had one conversation with Munkaiseer since my
arrival here, in which there was more confidence than I ex-
pected; and the result of which was, in my opinion, favorable.
* Believe me, &c.
4 Major Malcolm.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
« SIR, ' Poonah, 2nd March, 1804.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 27th
February. My letter to the Adjutant General, dated the
1804. AFTER THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 477
6th July, 1803, will have shown that I wished all accounts of
expenses, incurred by officers on the Bombay establishment, to
be submitted for audit to the Auditor General at Bombay, and
to be settled with that Presidency. All expenses relating to
the stores at Poonah, with which the Resident has nothing to
do, come under this head.
' Captain Young's accounts shall be rectified in the manner
wished by the Military Board ; but it is necessary that they
should be sent to me for that purpose.
* I never conceived that my signature was a voucher to the
correctness of the charges contained in any account to which
ft might be affixed ; or even of the propriety of incurring any
expense.
' I conceive that my signature to an account is only an
authority to the paymaster to discharge it ; and that it is
afterwards liable to all the forms of audit, Sec., required by the
regulations of the government. I am not aware whether this
notion is consistent with the principles of the Bombay regula-
tions ; but, if it should not be so, I beg to be informed of it.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. of Govt., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEV.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
* MY DEAR SIR, ' Poonah, 2nd March, 1804.
( I have received your letter of the 1st instant. It is neces-
sary for a man who fills a public situation, and who has great
public interests in charge, to lay aside all private considera-
tions, whether on his own account or that of other persons. I
imagine that you must feel on this subject as I do.
* I am very much distressed on account of the inconveniences
which your family suffer in your absence from Madras ; and
equally so, that it is not in my power to relieve their distress,
by allowing you to quit your situation. But, under present
circumstances, it is not in my power to grant your request to
go to Madras, consistently with the duty which both you and
I owe to the public, as public men.
' I shall be much obliged to you if you will not urge me
again upon this subject.
c Believe me, &c.
1 Major Graham: ' ARTHUR W E r. L E s t E Y.
478 THE DECCAN, 1804,
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
( MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Poonah, 3rd March, 1804.
* I enclose a gazette, which will show you that the treaty
has been ratified. The first copy which arrived was that which
I sent to Burhampoor with you.
' I have received your letter of the 21st. You must re-
collect that in the conferences I positively refused to agree to
the proposition that every thing south of the Company be-
longs to Scindiah ; as I should thereby agree that Jeypoor,
Joudpoor, and Gohud were his, which, by another article
of the treaty, would be independent of him and every body
else.
' I trust that I am getting on a little here.
* Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon, A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
6 MY DEAR WALLACE, * Camp at Poonah, 3rd March, 1804.
6 I rather think it will be desirable to draw some of the
troops a little nearer to Poonah, in order to settle some of the
political points now depending.
' I therefore wish that, upon the receipt of this letter, you
would send the 78th regiment and two battalions of sepoys,
of which Hill's corps may as well be one, with their guns, to
march by the road which I took towards Gardoon on the
Beemah. From Gardoon they must keep along the Beemah,
till they come near the junction of the Moota Moola with
that river. Send 500 of Bistnapah horse with the 78th,
&c., and let them have with them twenty days' arrack and
provisions.
' Let some proper person have charge of the Company's
camels and draft bullocks that will go with them ; and Jet their
guns, as far as possible, be the Bombay guns with Scindiah's
cattle.
' I should wish the army to keep up the Seenah. You can
afterwards come towards the Beemah, gradually, to join the
detachment above ordered to march by the route by which
I marched. It will not answer to march by that route with
1804. AFTFR THE TREATIES OF PEACE. 479
the whole army, as there is neither water nor forage, excepting
the former in wells, and the latter in small quantities.
' You will probably be able to arrange the marches better
than I have done in the enclosed ; but, after Gardoon, this
route is not to be followed, excepting as far as it leads along
the Beemah.
1 Take care to keep up a communication with this de-
tachment, in order that you may be able to supply them
with provisions.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Wallace.' c ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Wilhs,
Acting Resident at Mysore.
' Camp at Condolla, on the Bhore Ghaut,
( MY DEAR SIR, 8th March, 1804.
' I have received your letter of the 1st of March.
' The Governor General has ratified the treaty of peace with
Scindiah, and I only wait for his orders to break up the army.
These I daily expect.
' I think, however, it will be prudent for Purneah to keep
his troops on the frontier till those of the Company shall
return to the southward ; but there is no occasion for his
remaining at Hurryhur.
' I sent Purneah a letter which I had received from Chinto-
meny Rao, to the same purport as that received by Purneah.
Very probably the Rajah of Kittoor, who co-operated in the
destruction of some freebooters about the Malpoorba, may
have afterwards attacked Chintomeny Rao's jaghire; and he
may have said, or Chintomeny may have believed, that he was
assisted in this operation by Purneah's troops, stationed, by my
desire, between the Malpoorba and Gutpurba.
' I am going with Webbe to Bombay, to meet and have a
conference on Marhatta affairs with Lieut. Colonel Close.
'You have done quite right about the Nairs. I have
already turned my mind to the measures to be adopted for the
conquest of Malabar.
* Believe me, &c.
' Captain Wilks: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
480 THE DKCCAN. 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
( SIR, ' Camp at Panwell, 13th March, 1804.
' I have the honor to enclose the copy of a letter which I
have received from Colonel Murray, the commanding officer in
Guzerat.
' Shortly after the capture of Powanghur, a considerable
time previous to the negotiations for the treaty of peace, I
gave orders that the works of the upper fort of Powanghur
should be destroyed. I gave those orders because those works
were useless to the British troops. Their destruction was
subsequently discontinued, when it was agreed that the fort
should be eventually given up to Dowlut Rao Scindiah.
4 I beg that you will communicate the purport of the
enclosed letter to Dowlut Rao Scindiah's ministers ; and you
will observe to them, that to punish any body for his conduct
during the war, will be a breach of an article of the treaty of
peace.
' The breach will be more flagrant, and it will be more in-
cumbent on the British Government to notice it, if artificers
and coolies employed at Powanghur are punished, only because
they exercised their trade.
* I request you to procure from Scindiah's minister a
positive order to his officer in charge at Champaneer, to discon-
tinue the oppression of the people employed at Powanghur
by the British engineer ; and to inform the minister, that if I
hear more of it, I shall be under the necessity of reporting
the subject to the Governor General ; and that, in the mean
time, 1 shall require from them that Scindiah's officer at
Champaneer may be dismissed from his command.
( Believe me, £c.
* Major Malcolm.' « ARTHUR WELLESLEV.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Willis,
Acting Resident at Mysore.
' MY DEAR SIR, 'Panwell, 13th March, 1804.
* I have received your letter of the 4th . It does not appear
to me that the meeting between Appah Saheb and Rastia is
connected with the letter from Chintomcny Rao. I traced the
1804. BOMBAY. 481
probable cause of that letter in my last address to you ; and
you may depend upon it that Chintomeny Rao will have been
satisfied with the answer which I wrote to his letter.
' The chiefs mentioned by Ram Rao were beaten by me
near Perinda ; I afterwards pursued them to the neighbour-
hood of Beejapoor, where, not hearing more of them,, I quitted
the pursuit. They have since broken into different parties;
some have gone to Kolapoor, others have been cut up by Baba
Saheb Putwurdun, and others by Punt Prittee Niddee, and some
have been employed in the plunder of others of the same party.
I may conclude, therefore, the whole to be completely annihi-
lated, and I have written a letter to the Rajah of Kolapoor which
will possibly prevent him from allowing them to re-assemble.
1 Believe me, &c.
' Captain Wilks: < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Wilks,
Acting Resident at Mysore.
1 MY DEAR SIR, ' Bombay, 14th March, 1804.
* I have had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the
6th instant.
* The Peshwah has certainly granted sunnuds for the pro-
vince of Savanore to Cashee Rao Ball Kischen ; and his High-
ness's ministers appear to expect that Bappojee Goneish
Goklah will deliver over the management to the persons
employed by Cashee Rao Ball Kischen. But they have made
no other provision for the payment of Goklah's troops; and
the suspicion that they either would not or could not make
such provision, has probably drawn from Goklah the secret
orders to the officer acting in Savanore on his part to delay
delivering over the provinces.
' It is certainly true that I have written to General Camp-
bell, to request that he will assist the Peshwah' s sirsoubah in
Savanore, if he could do so consistently with other objects.
But I have informed him that the Resident at Poonah would
make him acquainted with the particular objects for the attain-
ment of which his assistance would be required ; and I have
requested General Campbell to be particularly cautious not
to interfere with the rights or interests of the principal jaghtre-
dars or commanders of the troops of the Peshwah.
VOL. in. 2 i
482 THE DECCAN, 1804.
' I therefore imagine that my letter will have the effect of
preventing General Campbell from interfering with the persons
employed by Goklah.
' Under these circumstances, you will observe that the line
of conduct which you have recommended to the Devvan, is the
most prudent which he could adopt. lie could not interfere
in favor of Goklah 's ofliccrs, without opposing the person imme-
diately employed by the Pcshwah ; and on the other hand, he
could not interfere in favor of Cashee Rao Ball Kischen, with-
out depriving Goklah of the only means he possesses of sup-
porting his troops. As this officer has been an old adherent
of the British Government, and in the late war served with
he British troops with great zeal and fidelity, and is a singular
instance of a Marhatta sirdar possessing these qualifications,
it would be very prejudicial to the interests of the British
Government to employ the troops belonging to the govern-
ment of Mysore in destroying him.
' I propose to refer the state of affairs in Savanore to the
Residency at Poonah, and to request the Resident to prevail
upon the Peshwah to provide for Goklah, as the first step
towards accomplishing his Highness's objects in that province.
If that should be done, the settlement of the province under
his Highness's authority will not be difficult. If Goklah
should not be provided for, it will be necessary to make a
reference to the Governor General to ascertain his Excellency's
wishes regarding the assistance to be given in depriving Gok-
lah of Savanore.
6 In any event, it is desirable that the troops in the service
of the Rajah of Mysore should not interfere, excepting to
defend the Rajah's territories ; and that they should not pass
the Rajah's boundary, unless, as in the late instance, to punish
a freebooter who had committed depredations within the
Rajah's territories.
' I do not apprehend any evil from the meeting of the
chiefs at Sirhitty mentioned in your letter.
' Believe me, &c.
• Captain WilksC ' ARTHUR WELLESLF.Y.
1804. BOMBAY. 483
Mitjor General the, Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
6 DEAR SIR, . ' Bombay, 16th March, 1804.
' Having put every thing in a train of settlement above
the ghauts, and having many matters to arrange with this
government, and Colonel Close, who is here on account of his
health, I came here about a week ago, and have just received
your letter of the 6th instant. I received in due course your
letter of the 22nd of February. The freebooters are entirely
dispersed, and they have lately plundered each other.
' I shall be obliged to you if you will send the money up to
Ahmednuggur, by the road through the Nizam's country
taken by Majors Dallas and Hill.
6 Major Malcolm has concluded a treaty of defensive alliance
with Scindiah, and therefore there is an end to foreign wars
with the native powers.
' The conduct of Holkar, however, is still dubious ; indeed
I think it probable that the Governor General will be under the
necessity of ordering him to be attacked ; and if that should
be the case, I suspect that the operations will be confined to
the frontiers of our own territories in Hindustan, and those of
Guzerat. The tranquillity of the Deccan will not be disturbed.
( It is possible, however, that Holkar, the existence of whose
power depends upon his avoiding to come in contact with the
British troops, will adopt a course of conduct, when he shall
hear of the treaty of defensive alliance with Scindiah, which
will enable the Governor General to save him.
* Believe me, &c.
' Major General Campbell. * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
* P. S. I have just received your letter of the 2nd. The
money will do as well at Hyderabad as at Ahmednuggur. I
am much obliged to you for the gram, but we do not want it,
nor indeed the rice at present.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Bombay, 17th March, 1804.
' Having many matters to arrange with Mr. Duncan and
Colonel Close, who had been obliged to come here on account
2i2
484 THE DECCAN. 1804.
of his health, I arrived here about a week ago, and I have
to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th of
February.
' I did not mean to compare the state of discipline of the
Bengal troops with that of the troops of the Madras establish-
ment. They are not to be compared at all, I imagine : but I
gave the preference to the Bengal troops on account of their
superior size and appearance, and their caste ; and I conceived
them not to be objectionable on the score of discipline.
' I have the pleasure to inform you that Major Malcolm
has concluded the treaty of defensive alliance with Scindiah ;
so that if we only make the arrangements depending upon the
treaty of peace, in the same liberal manner that we have made
the peace itself, there is an end to all formidable foreign wars
with the native powers in India. The subsidiary troops are
not to be within Scindiah 's territories, an arrangement which I
acknowledge I prefer to having them there.
4 The conduct of Holkar is still dubious. He has written
to me a letter, dated about the 1st of February, in terms very
civil and respectful towards myself, but much otherwise to-
wards General Lake, whose letter he has not answered, and
whom he threatens in his letter to me. I rather think it
will be necessary for the Governor General to order him to
be attacked , unless he should alter his tone, and adopt a line
of conduct more suitable to his interests in the present situa-
tion of affairs, by which the Governor General may be enabled
to save him. This is possible, as Holkar's power depends
upon his avoiding to come in contact with the British troops ;
and he will see that he cannot avoid this much longer, as soon
as he shall hear of the alliance with Scindiah.
' He must then determine to adopt one of three lines : viz.,
either to adopt the line of conduct prescribed to him by Gene-
ral Lake, or to enter into a war and fight General Lake, or to
go away by Ajmeer, into the Seik countries, and endeavor to
establish himself among the Seiks and Afghans. He cannot
delay his decision in the usual Marhatta style, as General
Lake will not give him time, after so much has elapsed, and
the rainy season is approaching. I rather think, therefore,
that he will go off to the Punjaub ; and what gives me stronger
reason to think so is that on the seal of his letter to me lie
1804. BOMBAY. 485
calls himself the slave of Shah Mahmoud, the king of kings.
Shah Mahmoud is the brother of Zemaun Shah. He seized
the musnud and government of Caubul, after having defeated
Zemaun Shah, two or three years ago, and put out his
eyes ; but he was in his turn defeated and dethroned very
lately by another brother, assisted by the king of Persia.
' Holkar has taken this title either to frighten us with the
prospect of an invasion of India by the Afghans, or he has
really communicated with and entered the service of Mah-
moud Shah. In the latter case he may be going to the Pun-
jaub ; and his march to Ajmeer, and the state to which he
has reduced the whole of Hindustan and the Deccan, and the
certainty that he cannot now subsist his troops any where,
without coming in contact with the British troops, render that
movement very probable. In that case the war with Holkar
will be delayed to a very distant period, if it ever takes place
at all.
' In case of the war with Holkar, the Deccan would not be
the scene of the operations. The contest would be on the
frontiers of Hindustan and Guzerat ; and excepting to lay siege
to Chandore, there would be nothing to do in the Deccan. It
is pleasant to think that, for once, the Deccan will escape.
4 I informed you that I intended to send into Guzerat the
battalion of sepoys now at Poonah. I propose to draw an-
other battalion from Goa to Guzerat by sea, to relieve the
battalion drawn from Goa, by the corps now at Hullihall in
Soonda, occupying that post only by one company, till further
arrangements are made. I think it probable that it will be
necessary to draw another battalion from Goa, and to relieve
it by one of the Coast battalions with me. I hope that you
will have no objection to these arrangements; it is the only
mode in which I can reinforce Guzerat, without sending there
some of the Coast troops, which would entirely destroy them.
At Goa they will be within your reach, and you can re-
lieve them, or withdraw them altogether, as you may think
proper.
* It will not answer to march the troops from the Deccan
into Hindustan. If the troops go north of Chandore, fifty
Holkars will start up in all parts of the territories of the
Peshwah and of the Soubah of the Deccan ; and it would be
a most, difficult operation to get through the hills between the
486 THE DECCAN. 1804.
Nerbudda and the Taptee. But we may establish a commu-
nication through them, between the troops operating on the
frontier of Guzerat, and those about Chandore.
' Whether the war with Holkar be immediate or not, I think
it desirable to reinforce Guzerat at an early period. In the
first place, the Governor General may fix Scindiah's subsidiary
force in Guzerat ; and in that case the troops will be wanted :
in the next place, whether he fixes there the subsidiary force
or not, Guzerat is our weakest point. It is that from which
we can most easily annoy Holkar and assist Scindiah, and it is
that in which we have the smallest means. This arrange-
ment, therefore, is desirable on every ground in which it can
be viewed.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart" ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm, at
Scindiah" s Durbar.
* MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Bombay, 17th March, 1804.
' I received the day before yesterday all your letters from
the 22nd of February to the 5th of March, and yesterday that
of the 8th of March.
' I imagine that you have altered the time of the dawk,
which may have caused the delay in the arrival of the letters.
( I am delighted with every thing that you have done. The
treaty of defensive alliance includes, in my opinion, all the
material points ; and you will recollect that I always thought
it was preferable to post the subsidiary force in our own terri-
tories, to keeping them in the territories of Dowlut Kao
Scindiah.
' I have written fully to the Governor General on the
subject of Gwalior ; and if you can only keep down the discus-
sions respecting Gwalior, till he shall have had time to receive
my letter, the decision respecting that place will, I think, be
satisfactory to us all. I enclose you a copy of my letter, as
the shortest mode (for me) of explaining my sentiments.
1 There is one part of the question, into which I have not
entered in that letter very fully, that is, our right to Gwalior.
This stands upon two grounds : first, our right under the 9th
article of the treaty of peace, a treaty having been made with
the IVanah of Gdhud. Secondly, our right under the same
1804. BOMBAY. 487
article, a treaty having been made with Ambajee Inglia. I
think your argument with Kavel Nyn is unanswerable, re-
specting the first ground. The treaty of peace mentions the
Ranah of Gohud and his territory frequently ; these are the
Company's boundary, &c. &c. ; and if they do not exist, one
of the parties who made that treaty was guilty of a fraud, of
which he has no right to the benefit.
' But supposing that the Ranah of Gohud is to have terri-
tory, the question is, whether Gwalior is included in that ter-
ritory ? I have not got a translation of the treaty with that
Chief; but I am informed that it does not notice Gwalior.
The Governor General claims that on the other ground, the
treaty with Ambajee; therefore the ground on which I, who
made the treaty of peace, considered that we should get pos-
session of the fort of Gwalior, entirely fails.
* The fact is, that we now feel the consequences of my igno-
rance of the real state of affairs in Hindustan. Till I received
the Governor General's great dispatch regarding the peace,
I thought that the state of the Ranah of Gohud existed ; but
that dispatch for the first time informed me, that it was a state
to be restored, and not one to be supported in independence,
for which I was to provide. There was the error ; and the
same error will be found in his own treaty.
' In respect to the second ground of our claim to Gwalior,
viz., the treaty with Ambajee, on which alone the Governor
General rests, it fails us in two instances. First, Ambajee
held the fort as a servant of Sciridiah. The fort was Scin-
diah's, and Ambajee his amildar. The clause in the 9th
article of the treaty will therefore deprive us of it.
' Secondly, Ambajee has broken his treaty, and we have
determined that he shall not enjoy any of the advantages for
which he had stipulated. The Governor General will, I
know, bring forward an ingenious argument, on which he will
claim the fort ; but I am afraid that it will be too ingenious,
and too much abstracted from all the circumstances of the case,
to elicit the other parts of the proceeding.
'The question, in my opinion, stands thus. Is it consistent
with good faith to insist that the stipulations in our favor shall
hold good, not against Ambajee, but against Scindiah, when
the ground of the 9th article of the treaty of peace, that upon
which we claim the independence of the Rajahs, was the neces-
488 TIIK DECCAN. 1804.
sity of preserving the Company's faith ? Where is the necessity
of preserving the Company's faith with Ambajee, who has
broken his treaty ?
6 1 think it rather doubtful whether, in a case of this kind,
we can adhere to one part of the treaty, and not to another,
although I believe it is done in many instances. That is to
say, the powerful party adopts the measures required by its
own dignity, interest and safety. This, I think, will be the
Governor General's theme. But at the expense of what other
party are those measures adopted ? at the expense of that party
who broke the treaty, but not at the expense of Scindiah, a
power independent of both.
' The fair way of considering this question is, that a treaty
broken is in the same state as one never made : and when that
principle is applied to this case, it will be found that Scindiah,
to whom the possession belonged, before the treaty was made,
and by whom they have not been ceded by the treaty of peace,
or by any other instrument, ought to have them.
* In respect to the policy of the question, it is fully canvassed
in the enclosed letter. I would sacrifice Gwalior, or every
frontier of India, ten times over, in order to preserve our cre-
dit for scrupulous good faith, and the advantages and honor
we gained by the late war and the peace ; and we must not
fritter them away in arguments, drawn from overstrained prin-
ciples of the laws of nations, which are not understood in this
country. What brought me through many difficulties in the
war, and the negotiations for peace ? The British good faith,
and nothing else.
' I think that all those questions will be settled as they ought
to be ; in the mean time, I am making arrangements to settle
Holkar. The war against him must be carried on to the
northward, and from Guzerat. It will not answer to allow
the subsidiary forces to quit the Deccan. We must take
Chandore, and his possessions in Candeish, and open a com-
munication through the hills, between the Taptee and Ner-
budda, with the corps which will advance towards Indore
from Guzerat. This will keep him to the northward, where
General Lake must beat him. I see that he calls himself the
slave of Shah Mahmoud Ghazy. You appear to think that
Holkar's omission to answer General Lake is a cause of war :
but you think nothing of the insolence of his letter to me.
1804. BOMBAY. 489
Indeed, it is civil to me personally, but the most insolent pro-
duction I have ever seen towards General Lake. I conclude
that you have sent a copy of it to Bengal, and the Governor
General must decide what is to be done. But I think that
Holkar, finding that he has famished the Deccan and Hindus-
tan, and has no chance of getting on much longer without
coming in contact with the British troops, is going to Ajmeer,
to join his master, Shah Mahmoud Ghazy, who, by the bye,
has lately been dethroned in Caubul.
1 1 am going to reinforce Guzerat as much as I can, which,
with a garrison for Bombay, will weaken me a little. But as
the active operations will not be in this quarter, and the peace
of the Deccan is secure, that will not signify at all.
* I think you might quiet Bragge's * spirit, by pointing out
to him the scrupulous good faith with which I have acted in
this quarter. I have given them all their territories, and
restored every farthing of revenue collected since the 1st of
January ; and have paid all the expenses. You may tell
Bragge that the Governor General has only received the
treaty, and that it is not possible that he can immediately have
made all the arrangements consequent to it. That the resto-
ration of the forts depends upon the peaceable possession of
the countries in Hindustan, of which we can have received
no accounts.
4 However, you may tell him that as Scindiah appears very
impatient to have back his forts, and as we are all very desi-
rous to gratify him in every thing that is possible, I will send
you orders for the delivery of the forts, to be used as soon as
you hear from General Lake that he has quiet possession
of the countries in Hindustan. This probably will keep mat-
ters quiet, till you shall receive orders respecting Gwalior.
* I shall write to you a public letter this day, to request
you to defer the discussions on that question, till the Governor
General can consider and answer your late dispatches. You
must now use your efforts to keep down the discussions.
* Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm. ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
* P. S. I enclose a copy of the treaty with the Ranah of
* A nickname for one of Scindiah's ministers,
490 THE DECCAN. 1804.
Gohud, by which the country round Gwalior is mentioned, I
understand, but not Gwalior itself/
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Hon. Henry Wellesley.
6 MY DEAR HENRY, ' Bombay, 18th March, 1804.
* After I had written to you, in January, a letter which
I believe is still here, I found that the banditti who, I ima-
gined, had dispersed, were still assembled in a very formidable
body, on the Nizam's frontier, near Perinda. They had beaten
one of his Highness's armies, and had taken its guns, and
they were plundering the country in all directions. I there-
fore determined to destroy them. With this view, I marched
from the army on the 3rd of February, with all the cavalry, the
74th regiment, and two battalions of sepoys. I marched again
on the 4th twenty two miles, again on the 4th at night, and came
upon them on the 5th in the morning, and entirely destroyed
them ; taking from them the guns which they had taken from
the Nizam, their camp, baggage, camels, and all their plunder.
This was the greatest exertion I ever saw troops make in any
country. The infantry was in the attack, although we marched
sixty miles between the morning of the 4th, and 12 o'clock at
noon of the 5th of February ; and yet I halted from noon till
eight at night of the 4th.
'I afterwards pursued them, and run them down to the
neighbourhood of Beejapoor and the Kistna, where they dis-
persed entirely.
' I then returned to the army near Perinda ; and from thence
came to Poonah, where I arranged several matters depending
with the Peshwah's government. From Poonah I came to
Bombay, to meet Colonel Close, who is sick, and I have been
here a week.
6 Malcolm has, I see, written to you ; and I shall only tell
you that he has concluded the treaty of defensive alliance with
Scindiah. I think it possible that we may have to attack
Holkar, but in the present state of our power that can hardly
be called a foreign war.
c Ever yours, &c.
1 The Hon. Henry Wellesley' ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
1804. BOMBAY. 491
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
« SIR, ' Bombay, 20th March, 1804.
* I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 6th
instant. So long as the troops remain in the field, I beg leave
to recommend that the Mysore horse may be kept with them, as
being very useful, and indeed necessary in this country. In
case of war with Holkar, I think that we might possibly carry
with us a large body of Marhatta horse. The Marhatta
chiefs, however, are to a man so very capricious, that I do not
think we ought to depend upon that assistance, which we must
do., if we do not keep the Mysore horse.
' When I wrote to you on the 16th of February, that I
would consider of the mode of keeping up a body of light
cavalry, I understood, from a perusal of the notes on the war,
that the Governor General had imagined that the assistance
which we received from the government of Mysore was given
at the expense of that government ; and I intended, when I
should meet Colonel Close and Mr. Webbe at Poonah, to
concert with those gentlemen the mode of rewarding the
government of Mysore, in which 1 proposed to include a plan
for keeping up in the Mysore service, at all times, an additional
body of horse. I have since found that I had misunderstood
the meaning of the notes ; and that, in fact, the re-imbursement
of the expense to the Rajah's government, which was always
intended, had actually taken place in some degree. There was
an end, therefore, of the plan which I had in contemplation.
' The only plan that I can suggest is for the 'Company to
take into pay a body of horse. They can be got for twenty
five rupees each horseman, upon an average ; but, I believe,
when they receive only this sum, they muster tattoos, which is
the common practice of the Marhatta armies. From thirty to
thirty five rupees each horse, is the sum paid to the best horse-
man.
' There is no doubt of their utility in time of war ; but I
think they may be hired when war may break out, and be
nearly as useful as those kept constantly in pay. At least, I
am certain that the superior utility of the latter will by no
means compensate for the additional expense.
' Purncah will of course discharge the supernumerary horse
492 THE DECCAN. 1804.
at the end of the war, in which measure he will experience no
difficulty or inconvenience, as he has, in general, the families of
the horsemen in Mysore. He knows where their families
reside, as they arc under the immediate superintendence of
the village amildars. The horsemen themselves will be in the
same state when they shall be discharged ; and, moreover, the
regulations of the Mysore government, formed since the cam-
paign against Dhoondiah Waugh, are so strict respecting the
removal of horses from one village to another, and the travel-
ling of horsemen through the country, that no danger will be
incurred by discharging these men. The persons thus dis-
charged will always be at the disposal of the British Govern-
ment. The Mysore government can always hire them again
in a short time, and with great facility.
' Supposing that you should take a body of horse into the
Company's constant pay, it is probable that you would prefer
a part of this body now serving with me. And you would
thus deprive Purneah of an additional resource in time of war,
which he would otherwise be able to supply; and you will gain
nothing by the constant expense. Upon the whole, therefore,
I am of opinion that it is best not to enter into this plan.
4 Although the Marhatta chiefs are capricious, and not
entirely to be depended upon, I think they are to be kept in a
disposition so favorable to us, by a constant course of civil com-
munication and good offices, as that you will be able to com-
mand their services with their troops for payment. I parted
with two that I had with me in great good humour, and well
disposed towards the British Government. I have recom-
mended them strongly to the Peshwah ; but there I am afraid
that I have failed. However, I am about to write a dispatch
to the Governor General on the subject of the southern jag-
hiredars, in whose concerns with the Peshwah we must inter-
fere, or we shall never have complete tranquillity; and the settle-
ment of this question, in any way, will insure for the British
Government a large body of Marhatta horse at all times.
1 You will have observed from my last letter, that I have
contemplated the possibility of hostilities with Holkar, and
have made arrangements to provide for that event. I have
accounts from Hindustan of a date as late as the 26th of
February, and no act had then been committed on either side.
The only cause of complaint that General Lake had was, that
1804. BOMBAY. 493
Holkar had not answered his letter ; although he had complied
with his desire to refrain from attacking those under the Com-
pany's protection. Major Malcolm's last public dispatches
of the 3rd instant, which, however, are of a date prior to
that of his private letter, render the probability greater that
Holkar will remain in peace.
( It appears that he has suggested to Scindiah that they
should forget their mutual injuries, and join to attack the
English : and that Scindiah told him that he could not break
his faith with the English ; and, at all events, could not trust
him, Holkar. I think it possible, therefore, that upon hearing
that Scindiah had connected himself with us, he will have
adopted a line of conduct which may enable the Governor
General to save him.
* I rather think that you and the Governor General agree in
opinion on the subject of the affairs of Malabar. He says,
" examine and report the state of the province before you com-
mence your military operations : define the evils, and propose
a system of government which shall afford a remedy, towards
the establishment of which system the military operations may
be directed."
* It would be useless to commence military operations upon
any great scale, unless the civil officers should be prepared to
take possession of the country, and to re-establish the civil
government as the troops shall conquer it. If the civil govern-
ment were not re-established in this manner, the rebels would
rise again as soon as the troops would pass through the dis-
trict ; and the effect of the operations of a large body of troops
would be much the same as that of a small body. But if the
civil government is to be re-established in this manner, it would
be better to establish that system which is found to be good,
and is to be permanent, than that which is known to be bad,
and which is intended should not last. Supposing that the bad
system were first introduced, it must be followed afterwards by
the good one ; and supposing that the bad system did not pro-
duce a rebellion of itself (which I acknowledge I do not think
it would, as rebellion in Malabar is to be traced to causes entirely
independent of all systems of civil government, excepting
as they are connected with a strong or weak military force), the
change from the bad to the good system would produce a
degree of convulsion, and, possibly, momentary weakness, which
494 THE DECCAN. 1804.
it is always desirable to avoid. It is particularly desirable to
avoid it in this instance, as it will not be difficult, by an
examination of all that has passed in Malabar, to fix upon
the general principles according to which that province ought
to be governed, and to frame a system accordingly, in the time
which must elapse before the troops can be employed in re-
settling the province.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm, at
Scindiah's Durbar.
< MY PEAR MALCOLM, * Bombay, 22nd March, 1804.
' I have received your letters of 2nd, 3rd, 10th, and 12th
instant. My last letter will have detailed my plans in case of
war with Holkar, which, however, 1 think not to be probable
at present. We must attack him, however, if he does not
refrain from his plunder of Scindiah's territories : but Holkar
appears to me to wish to avoid the contest at present ; and so
does General Lake, possibly from a desire to give his troops
some repose, and not to expose the Europeans to the hot winds
in Hindustan. However, the letters which I shall receive from
you, in the next three or four days, will throw some light upon
this subject, and will determine the measures which I shall take,
' The army in Guzerat will be reinforced by three com-
plete battalions, two of them 900 men each. It will be stronger
by four battalions than it was during the war.
' I have recommended your prize money exactly according
to your wishes to the Governor General ; but I have forgotten
Mr. Elphinstone, both with respect to prize money, to which
he is fully entitled, and to his salary as secretary, from the
time he joined me at Ahmednuggur. The first shall be settled
by me, if ever I receive the Governor General's orders on the
subject of the division of the prize, which he appears to have
forgotten, as well as to take any notice of the battle of Argaum,
the siege of Gawilghur, or the battle at Munkaiseer ; all of
which make me very uneasy, particularly when I know what
has been done for the army in Bengal,
* In respect to Mr. Elphinstone's salary, I shall recommend
it as soon as I receive an answer to any letter that I have
written to Bengal since the month of December last.
1804. BOMBAY. 495
'Affairs in Persia are going on very badly, I should think.
First of all, Manesty and Lovett exchanged situations, without
order or authority. After announcing this arrangement to
Government, they have changed back again ; but Manesty has
gone on to Taberan as an ambassador, I suppose from his own
ships, and Lovett is gone to Bengal Skippers are appointed
to act as Residents at Bussora and Ausheher*; and the Resi-
dents are considered (a favorite word in the diplomacy of the
present day) as " absent by leave," of whom is not stated.
1 I have received your letter without a date, but written, I
suppose, on the 18th. My last letter will have convinced you
that you have not written a line too much, at least to me, on
the subject of Gwalior ; and you will have observed that I
have not received one of the letters, which you supposed that I
had received previous to the 7th. But I wonder how you
could imagine that you could write too much to me on any
subject.
' I have not time to tell you all that I have done at Poonah.
Amrut Rao's affairs are settled. The Peshwah has the fort of
Poonadhur; and Amrut Rao goes to Benares after the rains.
I shall have the fort of Loghur, which I propose to give
Kundy Rao Rastia, by which I shall secure the road to
Poonah, through the Konkan. I have proposed a plan to the
Governor General for the settlement of the affairs of the
southern jaghiredars. These are the outlines of the arrange-
ments made.
6 The Governor General is deceived respecting the Pesh-
wah's inclination to agree to the peace, as he is respecting
many other points connected with that subject.
' I enclose the order for the forts.
1 Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
( MY DEAR WALLACE, ' Bombay, 27th March, 1804.
' I received last night your letter of the 23rd. You must
have no scruple in acting at once for the benefit and safety of
your corps, whenever you are fully convinced, from the evi-
dence given to the persons appointed to inquire into the cir-
* The two principal ports in the Persian Gulf.
49G THE DECCAN. 1804.
cumstances of any robbery, that those attached to your camp
have been plundered or ill treated.
' In this instance I have no doubt but that Carribul and
Manygee were both guilty of the murder. Accordingly I
request that they may be hanged ; and let the cause of their
punishment be published in the bazaar by beat of tom-tom, or
in any other mode by which it may be supposed that it will be
rendered more public.
' The patel of Batculgaum, in the usual style of a Marhatta
patel, keeps a band of plunderers for his own profit and ad-
vantage. You will inform him that if he does not pay for the
horses, bullocks, and articles plundered, he shall be hanged
also. You will make him acquaint his village with this deter-
mination, and allow time for the answer to return ; and you
will hang him if he does not pay the money at the time fixed
upon.
*' It is impossible to get on without these punishments in
the Marhatta country. The Peshwah has no authority ; and
if he had, he would not exert it for the advantage of our troops.
' I have lately been a little anxious about the fort of Log-
hur, which I imagined I should have been obliged to take by
force. But I made a treaty yesterday with the killadar's
vakeel, which will save us that trouble ; and in a few days I
hope to be able to relieve you from the necessity of staying any
longer in a part of the country, in which you experience diffi-
culties on account of forage. Barclay wrote to you yesterday
on this subject. I expect daily to receive orders from Bengal
respecting the prize-money.
* Believe me, &c.
• Lieut. Colonel Wallace: ' ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wetteslcy to Lieut. Colonel Adams.
< SIR, ' Bombay, 27th March, 1804.
4 Captain Barclay wrote to you yesterday to inform you 1 hat
I had made an arrangement with the killadar of Loghur, for
the delivery of that fort to the British troops, for the use of
his Highness the Peshwah.
( The particulars of this engagement are, that the fort shall
be delivered over to the British troops sent to take posses-
sion of it on the 2nd of April ; that the killadar and garrison
shall be allowed to carry away their private property, not in-
1804. BOM HAY. 497
eluding guns, military stores, or grain ; that the killadar shall
be taken under the protection of the British Government ;
that he shall be allowed to take his property and family, and
lodge them upon the island of Salsette ; that he shall have
an escort of British troops to protect them upon the road to
Salsette; and that he shall hereafter be under the British pro-
tection and guarantee, so long as he shall conduct himself as a
friend.
' Besides the killadar of Loghur, the widow of the late
Nana Furiiavccs is in the fort of Loghur, and is provided for
under this arrangement. This lady is to reside in the Pesh-
wah's territories, under the protection and guarantee of the
British Government. She will, I imagine, choose Poonah as
the place of her residence, but that point is not yet settled.
' I have been thus particular in detailing the objects of the
arrangements made for obtaining possession of the fort of
Loghur, in order that you may more clearly understand the
instructions which I am about to give you, in order to carry
these objects into execution.
' Upon your arrival at Karli, you will be so kind as to write
a letter to the killadar, with which you will send the enclosed
from his carkoon at this place. You will inform the killadar
that you are the officer appointed to receive charge of the fort ;
and that as the 2nd of April quickly approaches, it is desir-
able that he should send you a person, with whom you can
conduct all the arrangements preparatory to the evacuation of
the fort by his garrison. If he should omit to send you an
answer immediately, or to depute a person to your camp, you
will again write to him : inform him that the time presses ;
that I have ordered you not to take possession of the fort, ex-
cepting by force, on any day subsequent to the 2nd of April,
without receiving further orders from me.
4 If he should send a carkoon to your camp, you will pro-
pose all the measures which you may think necessary, in
order to obtain possession of the fort on the day stipulated ;
and you will particularly inform this carkoon, that you have
my orders not to take the fort under the arrangement con-
cluded with Ambajee Punt, the killadar's carkoon at Bombay,
on any day excepting the 2nd of April ; and that if the cession
should be delayed beyond that day, it is my intention to
attack that fort, or to insist upon terms in a new arrangement,
VOL. in. 2 K
498 THE DECCAN. 1804.
by no means so advantageous to the killadar as those con-
cluded yesterday.
( It is probable that the carkoon will object to the evacua-
tion on the 2nd of April, that Dhoondoo Bullall, the killadar,
has no means of moving his baggage ; that the widow of Nana
Furnavees has no tents ; that a house is not provided for her
reception at Poonah, See.
' In answer to these excuses you will say, that I have no
objection to the killadar remaining in the fort, till a convenient
time shall have elapsed to enable him to remove his property ;
or to the lady remaining till all the preparations shall have
been made for her removal to Poonah, and her accommodation
in that city ; but that the garrison, excepting unarmed attend-
ants, must evacuate the fort on the day stipulated, and our
troops must be put in possession of the gates and other points
which will secure to us the fort.
' Let the carkoon know that my anxious wish is to conduct
this transaction in a manner that will be satisfactory and ho-
norable to Dhoondoo Punt, and to the widow of Nana Fur-
navees ; but I will not sacrifice essential objects to that wi>h,
nor admit of any trifling in engagements solemnly entered
into.
< If the carkoon should make any objection to the delivery
of the fort, founded on the mutiny of the garrison and their
want of pay, you will absolutely reject such objection ; and
tell him that Dhoondoo Punt must abide by the consequences
of this state of his garrison.
' If you should be able to make all the arrangements for the
peaceable possession of the fort, you will send Major Dallas
there with his corps on the 2nd of April, to take possession;
giving him a caution to beware of treachery in his march
through the woods or villages in the neighbourhood.
' When he shall get possession. I most anxiously recommend
him to conciliate Dhoondoo Bullall, the lady, and all the inha-
bitants of the fort, as far as may be in his power ; and not to
commit any act not immediately necessary for the security of
the fort and the troops, and by no means to consider the kil-
ladar and lady as prisoners.
' If the arrangement for the delivery of possession should
not be made on, or previously to the 1st, so that you cannot
take possession on the 2nd, you are to cease all communication
1804. BOMBAY. 499
with the killadar and his carkoon, and you will report the
state of affairs to me at this place.
' Upon your arrival at Karli,(but particularly if the pioneers
should have joined you, you will prepare materials for a siege.
You will also look about you, and endeavor to ascertain the
best mode of approaching the fort, particularly on and after
the 2nd of April. If you should riot have possession on that
day, you will push your reconnoitring parties as close as may
be practicable, and let them be numerous, and all out nearly
at the same time.
' Jf possession should not be delivered to you on the 2nd of
April, apprize Colonel Wallace thereof, who has orders to
march with the remainder of the army to Karli, and I propose
to join it myself.
* If you should obtain possession on the 2nd, you will give
orders to Major Dallas to comply with the killadar's requisi-
tions for escorts to his property down the ghauts to Salsette.
He is also to furnish an escort for the lady to go to Poonah,
if she shall be prepared to set out ; and to act in every respect
in conformity to the spirit of the arrangement made with
Ambajee Pundit, as above explained.
4 Before the killadar leaves the fort, he must give into your
hands an order for the fort of Kellinjah, which is likewise to
be ceded. This fort is near Wahy on the Kistna.
' I have the honor to be, Sec.
• Lieut. Colonel Adams: ' ARTHUR WKLLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Bombay, 29th March, 1804.
* I have received your letters to the (no date), but I believe
the 20th instant ; upon which I have no remark to make.
Shawe's letter must have been very satisfactory to you in
many respects, and I hope that you will have dispatched an-
other letter to Edmonstone without delay.
' 1 do not like the Delhi journey. It will delay the final
settlement of affairs in Hindustan, and will impede the settle-
ment of many questions, on which a decision must be made be-
fore the Governor General can quit India. However, I fear
that the plan of the journey will be carried into execution. I
2 K 2
500 THE DECCAN. 1804
anticipate a favorable decision of the Gwalior question, from the
change of ground which the Governor General has made, on
which to place the question. He first founded all his argu-
ments on the treaty with Ambajee ; in the second letter to
General Lake, he founds them on the treaty with Ambajee,
and that of the Ranah of Gohud ; and in the instructions to
you, the treaty with Ambajee is laid aside, and the treaty
with the Ilanah of Gohud is alone brought forward. In my
opinion that treaty affords good ground for your arrangement
about Gohud, but none for Gwalior.
' I believe also that I have moved the Governor General a
little about his treaties with the Rajah of Berar's feudatories.
' Believe me, £c.
• Major Malcolm." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
' MY DEAR SIR, ' Bombay, 29th March, 1804.
* It is difficult to say what ought to be done with Holkar's
man in Sieugaum. The best mode of proceeding with him,
is to give him no cause to complain ; and on this point I re-
commend that you should look sharply after your own Mar-
hatta amildars, who are not unlikely, under our protection, to
lay about them more than we can intend, or justify. There is
no calling any Marhatta to account without an army ; but I
shall bear this complaint in mind ; and the conduct of Bunda
AH Khan shall not be unpunished, when the army shall move
to that quarter. You may as well circulate the report that
the army is coming there.
' As I observe that we have but little country left, and that
little close to the fort of Ahmednuggur, I think that you
might discharge nearly the whole of the provincial force.
• I am much obliged to you for the revenue reports and ac-
counts. We must make some arrangements to feed the poor.
To issue grain gratis will not answer. It will dra\v numbers of
people to Ahmednuggur, and will thereby increase the distress.
The best thing to do would be to undertake some useful
work, such as the completion of the glads of the fort, to
perfect it, to knock down that bad work in front of the gate-
way, and to make a good modern fleche in lieu thereof, and
pay the workmen in grain. This might answer, and I shall
1804. BOMBAY. 501
write to the engineer, to desire him to give me his sentiments
on the subject of the work to be undertaken. I have no
objection to your proposal about Heura. It is a nice little
fort, and might be very useful as a point of communication
between Ahmednuggur and Aurungabad.
6 I wish you would give one hundred rupees to the jemidar
of cavalry, who behaved so well in the Gundapoor district, as
a reward for his good conduct. I only wish he had kept the
guns. Do not give up the sirdeshmookhy of Puttun, till you
hear further from me.
* Believe me, &c.
' Major Gra/iam." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm^
at Scindiah's Durbar.
< MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Bombay, 30th March, 1804.
' I have received your letter of the (no date), in which you
acknowledge the receipt of mine of the 14th and 15th. I hope
that you will have received mine of the 17th, in time to delay
the discussions on the subject of Gwalior, which it appears
by another letter that you intended to bring forward. How-
ever, I have but faint hopes that I shall succeed in inducing
the Governor General to alter his intentions ; as, by a letter
which I received yesterday from Mr. Edmonstone, it appears
that he insists upon the confirmation of all the treaties made
with the feudatories of the Rajah of Berar ; some of which
were signed at Cuttack, not less than ten days after the intelli-
gence of the treaty of peace.
' I have to observe also upon those treaties, that they have
been negotiated and concluded, not with the real Rajahs or
feudatories, but with their rannees or ministers. The real
Rajahs are, and have always been, in confinement at Nagpoor.
The Governor General has, however, offered compensation to
the Rajah of Berar for the loss he will sustain by the transfer
of these Rajahs from his authority. But this will not satisfy
him, as I know that his object was to establish his own autho-
rity in those countries.
* My dear Malcolm, we shall have another war, and the
worst of it will be, that all these questions will not bear inquiry.
It is not even denied that the treaties were signed many days
502 THE DECCAN. 1804.
after the treaty of peace was known at C attack ; but all that is
nothing ; the previous verbiage is thought sufficient to bind us,
as if the signing of a treaty was not that which concluded and
bound the parties ; and as if, in the treaty of peace with
Ragojee, we had not so far insisted upon this point as to con-
tinue our operations till he had ratified his treaty.
' I declare that I am dispirited and disgusted with this
transaction beyond measure ; however, I can say no more on it.
The orders are called final ; but my public letters, written in
February, show my opinion of it.
' There is good news about the China fleet, in which this
settlement is much interested.
' Believe me, &c.
* Major Malcolm." ' ARTHUR WKLLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah" s Durbar.
< Mvr DEAR MALCOLM, ' Bombay, 1st April, 1804.
' I have received your letters to the 24th March. Your
breeze about Gvvalior and Gohud went off tolerably well. My
reason for wishing to avoid all discussion on the subject was,
that it was carried on in such a tone, that I feared something
•would be said, which would render it impossible for the
Governor General to concede, which I think still that he may
be inclined to do. God send that he may, for the subject will
not stand discussion.
6 Goorparah was with me this morning; he said that Scin-
diah was not so well satisfied with his communications with
General Lake, as he was with those which he had had with
me. I told him that both acted under the orders of the
Governor General, and that the communications of both ought
to be the same ; but T said that the fact was, that Scindiah
used Ambajee Inglia, or one of his people, in his communi-
cation with General Lake ; that Ambajee had destroyed Scin-
diah, and deceived General Lake, which was the cause of the
difficulty of the present moment, in respect to the ninth article
of the treaty of peace ; and that it was probable that General
Lake entertained doubts of his sincerity in every communica-
tion which he made on the part of Scindiah ; and that where
there was no confidence, nothing could succeed. Accordingly
1804. BOMBAY. 503
I recommended that he should appoint another agent. Goor-
parah said that he would recommend the change, and desired
me to write to you upon the subject.
4 However, it is possible that Scindiah may wish to delay
the change, for the same reasons that he wishes to delay to
take possession of Dhoolpoor, &c.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm.' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wdledey to Major * * * *.
< SIR, ' Bombay, 3rd April, 1804.
' Captain Wilks has transmitted to me a copy of a letter
which you addressed to him on the 10th of March, and a
copy of his answer of the 23rd of March, from which I am
concerned to observe that you have mistaken the nature of
your situation at Bangalore.
' It never entered into my contemplation to confide the
military defence of Bangalore to a havildar and twelve sepoys,
placed under your superintendence ; or to require from them
more than to preserve the Company's property which was,
and may still be, in the fort. The duties required from you
were to keep up the communication between the Presidency
and the advanced stations of the army ; to see that stores for
the troops did not delay on the road : and above all, to give
countenance to the servants of the native government of
Mysore, in its communications with the Company's servants
and subjects travelling on the high road between Madras and
Seringapatam, and the frontier ; and also to take care that the
government should be treated with the respect which it
deserves.
' The way in which you have performed these duties is, first,
to take possession of the fort as a military post, which was
never intended ; and then to quit your situation (I conclude
by permission of the Commander in Chief, but without attend-
ing to my orders of March, 1803,) and to leave to the havildar
and the guard to carry into execution all your oppressive
orders regarding the military post, the result of which must
be to degrade the government in the eyes of those over whom
its authority must be extended. The consequence of those
orders (which were not communicated to the amildar, although
directed against him personally) was, that there was a dispute
504 TIM; DKCCAN. I HOI.
between that part of your garrison stationed at the gate, and
the amildar's attendants, upon the occasion of his attempting
to enter the fort. I hope I shall not ho accused of insult in-;
the liavildar's guard, when I say that they owe their safety and
their lives at this moment to the moderation of the amildar, to
whose conduct you have hecn pleased to apply the term
" infamous."
* It is no part of my duty to defend the officers of the
government of Mysore, or I should find it an easy task upon
the present occasion ; but it is so to confine the' attention of
(he oflieers under my command strictly to their duty : accord-
ingly, I have to direct that you will recall your orders regard-
ing the gate at Bangalore: indeed, unless the amildar should
wish you to take charge of it, I do not sec that you have any-
thing to do with the gate; and to confine your attention and the
services of your sepoys entirely to the objects specified in the
second paragraph of this letter.
4 I observe that you have not sent your returns of the
garrison of Bangalore for the last two months : I conclude,
because you have been absent.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
'Major ****.' ' AiiTiiMi: Wi i.i.i, ,I.M.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain
Acting Resident at Mysore.
' MY DEAR SIR, ' Bombay, 3rd April, 180 1.
' I have received your letter of the 23rd of March. I
shall never consider it a trouble to interfere in supporting
the authority of the government of Mysore; and accord
ingly, I have written a letter to Major * * * * this dav, c,f
which I enclose you a copy. As you have desired it, I have
not dismissed him from his situation, which I certainly should
have otherwise done. But I have said enough to prevent a
recurrence of the inconvenience complained of.
' Colonel Close is <|uite well, and he and Webhe go to
Poonab on the day after to-morrow. From thence Wehhe
will go to Ougein. I hope to leave this in a few days.
* Believe me, Sic.
• Captain Wilhs: * ARTHUR WKLLESLEY.
1804. I'.oMiiAY. 505
Major General the Unit. A. WcUenlnj In Liml. Colour! A
« Sill, ' Bombay, (ith April, 1801,
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the JJnl
instant. I beg you to accept my acknowledgments for the
manner in which you have carried into execution the instruc-
tions which I gave you, with a view of obtaining possession (>f
Loghur. livery thing has been conducted to my satisfaction ;
and 1 observe in this instance the same zeal and judgment of
which I have frequently enjoyed the advantages during the
campaign.
* I have the honor to be, £c.
' Lieut. Colonel Adams: « ARTHUR WE L LESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
1 MY DKAR COLONEL, ' Bombay, 6th April, 1804.
' I have received your letter of the 1st. I am afraid that
you will find rice to be but bad food for the horses of the
cavalry, and I have endeavored to get some gram here for
von. I think that I shall be able to send off to the stores at
Poonah three or four thousand loads of some kind of gram
in a few days. I think that Captain Monteith would do well
t.o send his bullocks to a great distance towards tlic Ni/am's
country to get grain.
* I am preparing the orders and arrangements to break up,
which J hopc> to be able to send you in a day or two. I shall
also write to you a few lines about the prize money, although
I have not yet received the Governor General's orders upon
that subject.
' Believe me, &c.
t. Colonel Wallace: ' ARTHUR WELLKSLKY.
Major General the lion. A. Wellealcy to Major Graham,
Collector at Ahmcdnuggur.
« MY DF.AII SIR, 'Bombay, 6th April,
* I enclose a letter from Bunda Ali Khan, and a copy of it.
' I mean to pay the expense of the sebundy in Scindiah's
villages, all the time we held them, and give him the clear
revenue.
' Arrange this matter accordingly.
* Believe me, &c.
1 Major Graham: ' ARTHUR WELLESI.M-.
506 THE DECCAN. 1801.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
* SIR, ' Bombay, 7th April, 18(H.
' I had yesterday the honor of receiving your letter of the
20th, and two letters of the 22nd of March.
' I must first take the liberty of expressing my acknowledg-
ments for the handsome manner in which you have been
pleased to notice my services, in your dispatches to His Royal
Highness the Duke of York and to his Majesty's ministers.
' In the course of the operations intrusted to me, I certainly
had difficulties to encounter which are inseparable from all
military service in this country, but I enjoyed an advantage
which but few have had in a similar situation. I served under
the immediate orders of an officer, who was fully aware of the
nature of the operations to be performed ; and who, after con-
sidering all that was to be done, gave me his full confidence
and support, in carrying into execution the measures which the
exigency of the service might require.
* Under these circumstances I was enabled to undertake
every thing with confidence; and if I failed, I was certain it
would be considered with indulgence.
* I declare that I cannot reflect upon the events of the la.-t
year, without feeling for you the strongest sentiments of grati-
tude, respect, and attachment; and to have received those
marks of approbation has given me more real satisfaction, than
all that I have received from other quarters.
' As soon as I received the account from Major Kirkpatrick
of the event at Hyderabad, I took measures to send up addi-
tional quantities of grain from hence to Poonali, as I thought it
probable that you would be desirous of sending to Hyderabad
the grain which had been prepared in the Ceded districts for
the troops. I have not yet called for that grain, as in fact we
have as much at Poonah and Ahmednuggur as we can well
require ; and I wished still to leave the bullocks in the Ceiled
districts, in order that they might have a chance of forage for
some time longer, and might come fresh to the troops, if their
services should be required at a late period in the season.
1 I rather think that Holkar will remain quiet. He has
opened a negotiation with General Lake ; and General Lake
has spoken to his vakeels with great firmness, but with mode-
ration and indulgence. The vakeels at first were very exor-
1804. BOMBAY. 507
bitant in their demands, and, as usual, rather insolent, but
before they departed they acknowledged that Holkar was un-
equal to the British Government. They in a manner threw
themselves upon General Lake's mercy, and said that he,
Holkar, would retire to his own territories, as soon as they
should return to camp.
' I think it probable, not indeed certain, that there will be
no interruption of the peace ; although it is possible that the
negotiations with Holkar may be protracted to a late period in
the season, notwithstanding that General Lake has placed
them on such a basis as to render their early conclusion the
most probable event. In a few days I shall understand the
subject more clearly, and I shall determine either upon keep-
ing the troops here during the rainy season, or upon sending
them back. This I must do immediately, as they want clothing
and other necessaries which they must have at an early period ;
and the place must be fixed at which each corps can meet what
it may want.
' As soon as I shall be able to determine whether to break
up or keep the troops together, I shall write to Major General
Campbell respecting the bullocks in the Ceded districts.
e In answer to your letter of the 20th of March, I have to
inform you that I determined to pay Goklah and Appall
Dessaye after the month of February, when I marched the
Marhatta troops back to Poonah.
' I have handed Amrut Rao over to the Resident at Poonah.
The Mysore troops have never been more than a temporary
burden on my finances, as when the convoys have arrived,
they have regularly repaid the advances which had been made
to them.
' I have also to observe that the advances made to the
Peshwah's troops are in a train of repayment to the Resident
at Poonah, from the revenues of the Ahmedabad district in
Guzerat, amounting to about six lacs of rupees per annum.
I believe that the Peshwah does not owe us more than six lac.s
of rupees on this account.
' The future demand therefore upon the finances of the
British Government, for the troops in this country, will be only
for the troops belonging to it.
' From what I have above mentioned respecting Holkar,
you will observe that I cannot say exactly what will be the
508 THE DECCAN. 1804.
number of troops to be paid in this country after April; but I
propose to desire the Paymaster to send his estimates regularly
every month to the Paymaster General, according to the regu-
lations of the service. Till I see one of these estimates, I can-
not ascertain exactly the amount of the monthly expense. I
think, however, that a sum amounting to about one lac of
pagodas per mensem ought, if possible, to be sent for the
service of the division under my command, if their numbers
should not be reduced. It is true that we may not require
the whole of that sum. It is possible, and, from what has
passed already, more than probable, that we shall be able to
procure at Poonah, for bills on Bombay, Benares, and Calcutta,
money to defray the greater part of the expense of the troops
stationed in this country ; which mode would possibly be the
cheapest, and certainly the most convenient, to the Government
of Fort St. George. But the supply is so very uncertain at
present, that Colonel Close cannot engage to furnish the funds
required. I had a full discussion with him on this subject,,
before I received your letter, of which that was the result.
* However, I know that there are several causes which must
produce an increase of the money to be got at Poonah for bills ;
and I have but little doubt that in a short time Colonel Close
will be able to procure so much in that manner, as to be en-
tirely independent of any to be sent from the Carnatic.
* I shall desire the Paymaster to send an account, of the
expenses incurred on account of the auxiliary troops serving
during the war. The account however must be balanced by
the revenues received by the Resident at Poonah from the
Ahmedabad district.
Indeed, the payments made to the Peshwah's troops stand
in our accounts to the debit of the Resident at Poonah. I shall
take care that, with the account, shall be sent such information
respecting the amount of the revenues received by the Resident,
as will show the real state of the transaction, and of the balance
still due.
* I have the pleasure to inform you that I have received a
letter from Major Shawe, from which I learn that the Governor
General has approved of, and has adopted my sentiments
respecting the necessity of obliging our allies to place their
military establishments on an efficient footing. This is in my
opinion a very important point.
1804. BOMBAY. 509
' Mr. Webbe and Colonel Close went away the day before
yesterday; the latter much recovered.
* I have taken for the Peshwah the important fort of Loo--
hur, by capitulation with the killadar. But I propose to send
you tomorrow copies of my late dispatches to the Governor
General, which will show you the arrangement I have made
in the last month, and those which I have proposed to the
Governor General for the future settlement of various points
in this country.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart.' « ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm, at
Scindiah's Durbar.
* MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Bombay, 9th April, 1804.
' Mr. Duncan has shown to me your letter to him on the
subject of Powar of Dhar ; I entirely agree in opinion with
you on that subject.
' Powar is a Marhatta chief of the same nominal rank in the
empire as Scindiah and Holkar; but he is not so powerful as
either, and latterly he appears to have considered himself as
inferior to the former, and served in Scindiah's army at the
battle of Assye. After that battle he fled to Dhar, and opened
a friendly communication with Major Walker, and since the
peace he has come to Baroda without leave.
' We have no right to interfere in favor of Powar under the
9th article of the treaty of peace ; and in your letter to Mr.
Duncan you have pointed out clearly the inutility of attempt-
ing it under the 10th article.
' If we are not to interfere in favor of Powar in conse-
quence of either the 9th or 10th article of the treaty of peace,
the question is, whether we ought to interfere on any other
ground more general.
6 I have always been of opinion that we have weakened
Scindiah more than is politic ; and that we shall repent having
established such a number of these little independent powers
in India, every one of whom will require the support of the
British Government, which will occasion a constant demand of
employment of troops, a loss of officers and men, and a claim
of money. In respect to Powar, he is naturally, and in couse-
510 THE DECCAN. 1804.
qucnce of the local situation of his capital in the neighbour-
hood of both Holkar and Scindiah, the weakest of the weak.
For that reason, I objected to making a treaty with him ;
because I knew he would render us no service in the war,
adequate to the expense of supporting him in a state of inde-
pendence in peace, which operation would have required an
army. That opinion is not changed by his having gone to
Baroda ; and all that I can recommend for Powar is, that if
Scindiah's durbar should be brought into tolerable temper, a
general recommendation of this chief should be given in by
the Resident, founded upon his connexion with the Guickwar,
with whom the British Government is so closely allied.
* In respect to the idea of supporting Powar's independence,
as a member of the Marhatta empire, that in my opinion is
equally absurd with taking up the cause of Cashee Rao Hol-
kar. There is nothing new.
1 Believe me,, &c.
' Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hot?. A. Welle*? ey to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
' MY DEAR WALLACE, ' Bombay, 10th April, 1304.
* I received only last night your letter of the 7th instant.
I did not know of the inconvenience suffered by the Sheer
Shahy mohurs, or I should have regulated the issue of them.
Indeed, I did not know that we had such a coin.
' In the first place you must order Major Robertson to
exchange for rupees, or other coin, every Sheer Shahy mohur
now in the hands of the troops ; in the next place, let Major
Robertson send me a report, stating the number of this coin
he has, when he received them, and at what rates of exchange ;
in the third place, you must send me an official report, stating
that these coins will not circulate at a higher exchange than
thirteen rupees*.
' In future, when there is any coin in the treasury not likely
to circulate at a rate as high as the other coins, it ought to be
issued only at small sums at a time ; and only in the same pro-
portion to each individual, that that coin bears in the treasury
to the other coins. I gave an order on the subject on the 27th
* See Letter to Major Kirkpatrick, 14th October, 1803, Vol. i., p. 449.
1804. BOMBAY. 511
of October, and another on the 4th of December last, to which
I refer you.
* Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Wallace." * ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
« MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Bombay, 10th April, 1804.
* I have received your letter of the 1st instant, and I en-
tirely agree in opinion with you regarding the 10th article of
the treaty of peace. Accordingly, I beg you to say nothing
about the persons in Guzerat whose names I sent you in my
letter of the 25th instant.
1 Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm: l ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
< SIR, ' Bombay, llth April, 1804.
' I have the honor to enclose a note directed to the killaclar
of Kellinjah, situated near Wahy, on the Kistna, to deliver up
that fort to the British troops,
' You will be so kind as to prepare a detachment of native
infantry of the strength that will be pointed out to you by
Lieut. Colonel Close, to proceed to Kellinjah with the Pesh-
wah's troops to receive possession of the fort.
t You will instruct the officer commanding the detachment
to send to the killadar on his arrival in the neighbourhood of
the fort, and apprise him that he has been appointed to receive
charge of it, and to escort the killadar and his baggage to any
place of security that he may think proper to point out. At
the same time, he will communicate to him the enclosed order,
and transmit the letter from me, likewise enclosed, of which
you have a translation.
' The officer will desire the killadar to send a carkoon to
arrange the mode and time of the evacuation ; and he will
inform him that he has my positive directions not to take
possession of the fort, unless he obtains it within four days
after his arrival in its neighbourhood.
' If the fort should be evacuated within the period specified
512 THE DECCAN. 1804.
the officer commanding the detachment will put the Peshwah's
killadar in possession ; and he will take the old killadar and
his garrison, and all their property under his protection, and
escort them in safety to Poonali, from whence you will send them
forward to Bombay, or to any other situation that they may
prefer. The officer commanding the detachment is to under-
stand clearly, that these persons are not prisoners, and he is to
treat them with the utmost kindness.
6 If the fort should not be delivered up in the time specified,
the officer commanding the detachment is to break off all com-
munication, and to report to you. He is to put his detach-
ment in a place of security, if there should be such a one in the
neighbourhood ; if not, he is to withdraw towards Poonah.
' In that case you are to commence your march forthwith
towards Kellinjah with the remainder of the army and the
heavy guns, which by that time will have joined you from
Loghur, and you will lose no time in getting possession of the
place by force. Unless there should be any reason for it,
you will not grant a capitulation to the killadar of Kellinjah,
if you should be obliged to go against that fort with the army.
' h ave the honor to be, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Wallace: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Welksley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
« MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Bombay, llth April, 1804.
' I have received your letter of the 2nd instant. I wrote to
you fully on the day before yesterday respecting Powar ; and
I agree entirely in opinion with you that you ought not to
interfere in his affairs. He has no claim upon us whatever,
excepting that of relationship to the Guickwar, which is one
that ought to have operated in preventing him from joining our
enemies: but it did not; and it ought not now to be brought
forward for his protection, unless to interfere in his favor
should be perfectly convenient. I had given a passport for
Sirjee Rao Ghautky's pagah to return to Burhampoor.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1804. BOMBAY. 513
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
* DEAR SIR, 'Bombay, 13th April, 1804.
« Jeswunt Rao Coorparah, the vakeel of Dowlut Rao
Scindiah, who negotiated with me the treaty of peace, has an
interest in Soondoor, situated to the southward of the Toom-
buddra, and his family occasionally reside at that place.
They travel between Soondoor and Petwar, in the territories
of the Rajah of Kolapoor, a village belonging to Goorparah,
and he has desired me to request, that they may not be mo-
lested on the road. I therefore request your protection for
them.
* Believe me, &c.
4 Major General Campbell: * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Bombay, 13th April, 1804.
* I have received your dispatch of the 4th. I said to Goor-
parah that I was not aware of the treaties which had been made
by General Lake, and did not know in what manner Gwalior
and Gohud might be affected by them ; that therefore I could
give no opinion upon the subject, excepting that the Governor
General would strictly execute the treaty of peace. I then
recommended that all discussions should cease between you
and Bappoo Vitell.
' I do not know what is intended by a recognition of treaties
with the feudatories by Scindiah's government, as alluded to
in your letter to Webbe of the 2nd. The treaty of peace
says, that the feudatories who have made treaties shall be in-
dependent, and lists of their names are to be given to Scindiah,
in order to show who are and who are not to be independent.
What is the use of requiring Scindiah's recognition of the
treaties, excepting to occasion a discussion on a subject on
which none is necessary, and which is mischievous? If he
should refuse to recognize any treaty, what becomes of the
feudatory? To be independent or otherwise — will not the
demand and refusal to recognize the treaty create a doubt
VOL. in. % L
514 THE DECCAN. 1804.
upon that point ? I see no benefit in multiplying the subjects
of discussion.
1 Arsito Jah justifies the Soubah's servants who have behaved
ill in Berar, and he demands that the Rajah shall not be per-
mitted to keep troops in the districts under Nernulla and
Gawilghur. I am disgusted beyond measure with the whole
concern ; and I would give a large sum if I had had nothing to
do with the treaties of peace, and if I could now get rid of all
anxiety upon the subject. All parties were delighted with the
peace, but the demon of ambition appears now to have per-
vaded all, and each endeavors, by forcing constructions, to
gain as much as he can.
c Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm: 'ARTHUR WE L L E s L E Y.
' Major General the Hon. A. TVellesley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
« MY DEAR SIR, ' Bombay, 17th April, 1804.
'As I find that you are much distressed for forage, which
is enormously dear, I think it would be desirable to move
the army towards Panowullah, and then up the valley of the
Poonah river towards Loghur. You will get forage there
much more easily, and at a much cheaper rate than at Poonah,
where you might leave such of your carriages as are in want
of repair, and two battalions, viz. the 18th and 12th.
v ' I have written to Ahmednuggur to desire that arrange-
ments may be made for bringing down the captured guns to
Bombay, and that you might be informed what number of
bullocks would be required for that purpose.
' As soon as you shall receive the necessary information
from Captain Lucas or Captain Fisher, I request you will
send to Ahmednuggur to bring down these guns, as many of
the Bombay bullocks as may be fit for any service ; and make
up the deficiency of the numbers from the bullocks in Cap-
tain Young's department.
4 1 have ordered the disabled men down to Bombay. Let
Robertson look out for feeding them on the road, in case the
surgeon should require his assistance.
' Let me know if I can do any thing for you at Bombay. I
have in contemplation an arrangement for the relief of the
1804. BOMBAY. 515
distress of our followers. Let me know whether they suffer
materially.
* Believe me, Sec.
Lieut. Colonel Wallace' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
t Major General the Hon. A. Wdlesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiatis Durbar.
i
' SIR, ' Bombay, 17th April, 1804.
f I have the honor to enclose English and Marhatta copies
of the treaties concluded by Colonel Murray with the Rajahs
of Lunawara and Sounte.
« I likewise enclose the copy of a letter which I have re-
ceived from Colonel Murray, in which he explains more par-
ticularly from what Rajahs and others he received assistance
during the war, and who are entitled to the protection of the
British Government, under the tenth article of the treaty of
peace.
' I rather imagine that it would be more advantageous to
these persons not to give a list of their names to Scindiah's dur-
bar, but to protect them when occasion may require. To give
the list may be attended by many bad consequences to those
whose names are included in it, and who, it may be expected,
will not be so correct in their conduct as not to afford a pre-
tence for attacking them. On the other hand, those who well
know that their names are included in a list of this description,
as persons who are protected by the Company, are not likely
to be very good subjects to Scindiah. Another inconvenience
which will attend the delivery of this list will be, that it may be
fairly argued by Scindiah's ministers that it includes all who
are entitled to the Company's protection, under the 10th
article of the treaty of peace. The complaints which I lately
forwarded to you regarding the conduct of Scindiah's servants,
towards the people employed in the destruction of Powanghur,
show that this may not be the case ; and upon the occurrence
of every fresh complaint of this description there will be a dis-
cussion with Scindiah's ministers, which, in the present state
of the Company's connexion with that prince, will be very un-
pleasant.
; Upon the whole, I do not think that to give the list will
be attended by any good consequences; and 1 have above
516 THE DECCAN. 1804.
shown that it may be inconvenient: therefore, unless you
should receive orders from his Excellency the Governor
General upon the subject, I wish you to withhold it ; but to
attend to the conduct of Scindiah's government towards the
persons who are the objects of the 10th article of the treaty
of peace, and to remonstrate immediately if you should find it
to be inconsistent with that article.
' Believe me, &c.
• Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WEL LESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindah's Durbar.
' MY DEAR MALCOLM, * Bombay, 18lh April, 1804.
( I have considered for some days past the question put to
me in your letter of the 9th, which I received yesterday, viz.,
whether you shall give up Asseerghur, if General Lake
tells you privately that Hindustan has been evacuated ; but
that he cannot report it officially without orders from the
Governor General. The consequence of reporting it officially
is that Scindiah, by the treaty of peace, is to have certain forts ;
and although the evacuation is certain, General Lake refuses
to make the report, because he fears to interfere with the
Governor General's arrangements. Ought I not to entertain
the same fears ? Ought I not to entertain them to a greater
degree, knowing that General Lake and you do not choose to
act ? Has any thing occurred to give me a reason to believe
that I may act with confidence in a case in which you and
General Lake entertain doubts ?
' So far for the question abstracted from other considerations.
I have given the Governor General my opinion, in very strong
terms, upon the consequence which I apprehend from his push-
ing one of his favorite projects, and I have told him that he
must expect a war with Scindiah. If this war occurs, it must
be carried on with disadvantage, if we have not Asseerghur;
and will not the Governor General have some reason to com-
plain of me, if, foreseeing that war, I should urge you to
give up Asseerghur on an occasion in which you and General
Lake entertain doubts ? In fact, to adopt this measure is tan-
tamount to an anticipation of his final opinion on the subject
of Gwalior.
* I am aware that to retain Asseerghur is a breach of treaty,
1804. BOMBAY. 517
and that it is a measure which will much annoy Scindiah's
government.
1 But that is as much the affair of the Commander in Chief
and yourself as it is mine ; and where you doubt, I can have
no confidence, and cannot venture to act.
' These are my deliberate sentiments upon the subject. I
see clearly that Asseerghur ought to be given up, but I cannot
venture to give an opinion upon the subject.
4 Confound these red boxes and the gentlemen in Bengal !
The delays they occasion will send us to the devil.
' Believe me, &c.
* Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
< MY DEAR WALLACE, ' Bombay, 19th April, 1804.
4 The killadar of Loghur was with me this morning, and
informed me that the order I before sent to you for the sur-
render of the fort of Kellinjah was not perfect, and required
another order, which I now enclose.
( I trust that this order will arrive in time to enable Captain
Gurncll to get the fort on the day he shall have appointed.
Send it to him by express, and desire him to take particular
care of all the killadar's property.
* There is no occasion for your marching, unless the killadar
of Kellinjah should refuse to give up the fort, after he shall
have received the enclosed order. He has a carkoon here,
and I am certain he will give it up.
f Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Wallace: « ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
< MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Bombay, 20th April, 1804.
' 1 have received your letters of the 10th, 13th, and 14th.
' I long ago drew the attention of the Governor General to
the subject of your memorandum ; and I learn from a late
letter from Major Shawe, that it is likely to be taken up in
the manner I have proposed. When it will be taken up I
cannot determine.
* Your letters of the 13th and 14th contain much important
intelligence. The most important of any is that General Lake
518 THE DECCAN. JH(K1.
cannot quit Hindustan, and depends upon the exertions of the
troops to the southward to defeat Holkar.
6 The troops to the southward shall do every thing that is
possible. But the General forgets the nature of our tenure,
and our present state in the Dcccan ; the distance we are from
Holkar ; and the difficulty, amounting almost to an impossi-
bility, of subsisting an army to the north of Poonah, owing to
famine. 1 can certainly take Chandore, at least 1 think so ;
and I will do every thing else that I can. But I cannot ven-
ture to move the troops from the Deccan ; and even if the
measure were safe, I doubt whether it would be practicable,
in the present state of general distress, to move even a small
detachment to the northward of the Taptee : indeed I may
say that I am certain that it would not be so.
' The operations of the war with Holkar will rest between
General Lake, Colonel Murray, and the troops in Bundlc-
cund. Colonel Murray is fully prepared to move at an hour's
notice. I should have no difficulty about a plan for the war,
if I had an idea what the Governor General intended to do
respecting a subsidiary force for Scindiah. But the total
silence in Bengal upon every point that has been referred for
consideration, renders it impossible to produce, with confidence,
any plan.
' Supposing that matters remain as they are, it is my opinion
that General Lake ought to move upon Holkar with all cele-
rity, leaving in Hindustan a large proportion of his infantry,
with some of his cavalry, if he should find that Holkar
returns, as in that case his force will immediately begin to
fritter away. Having thus provided for the security of Hin-
dustan, he should follow Holkar, and push him as hard as he
can.
' Holkar, in retiring, will either go towards Ougein or
towards the northern boundary of Guzcrat ; and here will occur
the difficulty respecting Scindiah's subsidiary force. Scindinlf s
troops ought to be joined by a British detachment, to he
formed near Ougein, and then Murray's corps might remain
on the Myhie ; but as we know nothing about Scindiah's sub-
sidiary force, Murray's corps ought to go towards llutlaum, at
which place it might be joined without difficulty by Scindiah's
army. From Rutlaum it can operate upon Holkar, whether he
may attempt to escape by Guzerat, or by Ougein, and Indorc.
1804. BOMBAY. 519
But if General Lake be tied down in Hindustan, it stands to
reason that we have no means of pushing Holkar, or of bring-
ing the war to a close, unless I should be able to get to the
north, of which, at present, I do not see the smallest prospect.
Indeed, unless General Lake follows Holkar, our situation will
be very unpleasant, either in Guzerat or at Ougein. If we
should draw Murray out of Guzerat, to join Scindiah's army,
Holkar will soon overrun that province; and, on the other
hand, if Scindiah's army be not supported by a British corps,
they are not equal to the contest with Holkar.
' If the General should vigorously push Holkar, the war will
not last a fortnight ; if he should not, God knows when it will
be over. As for my part, I do not think it quite clear yet that
we shall have a war. Before I form any opinion, I wish to see
what Holkar will do when General Lake shall move. If he
should return, he may rally to all eternity, but there is an end
of him.
' These intrigues with Patans, &c., are the natural conse-
quence of the sudden growth of our power, and have but little
to do with the main question.
' You have acted quite right in giving up Asseerghur.
< I wish that you would communicate my opinion upon the
plan of the operations in general, to General Lake. Of course
you must not send him a copy of this letter.
' Believe me, &c.
1 Major Malcolm" ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
1 MY DEAR WALLACE, ' Bombay, 21st April, 1804.
' You have done quite right about Captain Gurnell, and in
giving Webbe his horses.
c You must send me an extract from the registers of the re-
giments, describing the nine horses which you drafted, and a
description roll of the nine horses received, specifying by what
regiments, and then I shall issue an order which will bring all
into shape, and consistently with the regulations of Govern-
ment.
6 Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Wallace." « ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
520 THE DECCAN. 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiah's Durbar.
1 MY DEAR MALCOLM, ' Bombay, 23rd April, 1804.
' I enclose a letter for General Lake, which I beg you to
peruse and forward, together with the sealed private letter,
which relates to my not confirmed appointment to the staff.
' fiistnapah Pundit is in very great distress, and I do not
know to what quarter to move him. He cannot subsist at
Poonah on account of the dearness of grain and forage.
' I really do not believe I can venture to move the army
from Poonah. You witnessed our distresses in the last year.
I kept the army alive and together by grain. In this year
there is less forage, and no grain ; and there will probably be
more rain.
' The Governor General has sent the treaties of partition to
the Peshvvah, and Soubah of the Deccan, to which the for-
mer, in my opinion, will not agree ; and I doubt much whether
the latter will.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Malcolm.' « ARTHUR WELLKSLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrich,
Resident at Hyderabad.
' SIR, ' Bombay, 23rd April, 1804.
' I have the honor to enclose a dispatch for his Excellency
the Governor General. I request you to notice in a particular
manner to the Durbar the fresh instance of the good conduct
of Salabut Khan, as stated in the report from Lieut. Colonel
Lang.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
• Major Kirkpatrick: * A RT n u R W i : i. L i : s i . i : v .
Major General the Hon. A. Wellenley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
' SIR, * Bombay, 271b April, 1804
1 I have had the honor to receive your letter of the 24ili,
enclosing one of the 22»d from Captain Gurnell; and I beg
you to express to Captain Gurridl that I am well satisfied
with the manner in which lie has carried into execution your
orders for obtaining possession of the fort of Kellinjah.
' I have the honor to bc>, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Wallace: ' AKTIIUK \Vj;uj:su
18U4. BOMBAY. 521
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
< DEAR SIR, ' Bombay, 28th April, 1801.
6 1 have received your letter of the 16th instant, and I see
clearly the embarrassment in which you must be, on account
of the manner in which you have received the requisition from
the Residency at Foonah to give assistance to the Fesh wall's
servants in Savanore.
« I foresaw this embarrassment in January last, and wrote to
the Resident at Foonah letters, of which I now enclose you
extracts : but I observe that instead of giving you detailed
information, to which you could recur upon every point that
might arise, Mr. Waring has only copied from my letter what
I wrote to the Residency, to avoid the inconvenience which
you now experience. I conclude that now that Colonel Close
has arrived at Foonah, you will receive such information as
will enable you to act.
' I am obliged to you for having sent the money.
' I was in hopes that I should have been able to break up
the army before this time ; but the conduct of Holkar in
Hindustan has been rather ambiguous ; and although I could
do nothing to injure him, I have thought it proper not to dis-
perse the troops till I shall receive the orders of (he Governor
General. I still hope, however, that I shall be able to send the
troops away, so that they may be across the Kistnah before the
rivers swell.
' Relieve me, &c.
• Mnjur (.'rut-nil Cunilx'll: ' AimiUll WliLLKSLEY.
Major General the lion. A. Wdlcdcy to Major Malcolm,
al ,sV///(/m//'.v Dttrhar.
' MY DI;. MI MALCOLM, ' Bombay, 2nd May, 1804.
' I have received your letters of the 24th April. You do
no! give me any intelligence relative to I lolkar's motions,
which are so important, at this moment; particularly as, accord-
ing to them, I have still to determine whether or not to throw
another corps into (lu/i-ral.
• The letter from Mr. Kdmonstonc of the Sth April is terrible,
and 1 am by no means satisfied with it.
• Relieve me, &c.
Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WKLUSSI.I-.V.
522 THE DECCAN. 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Graham,
Collector at Ahmedtmggur.
, MY DEAR SIR, ' Bombay, 5th May, 1801.
* I have received your letter of the 29th April ; and I am
concerned to find that the number of persons employed at
work and fed at Ahmednuggur exceeds so far the number
which I had thought it possible would have offered themselves.
I think it probable that many may have come in from the
neighbouring country. If that should be the case, and if the
value of the grain, and the money given, should exceed the
money price of labor in the country, it will be necessary first
of all to strike off the money, and afterwards as much of the
grain as may leave just sufficient to keep life and soul together,
till the value of the quantity given may be no more than the
money price of labor.
6 I have desired Colonel Close to give you an answer regard-
ing Jumander Bittall ; but I am sure the Company's troops
have enough to do without protecting Cavy Jung. However, if
you apprehend any inconvenience from the occupation of the
fort at Nushin by Jumander Bittall, he must be driren out ;
although if the Company's troops are to be employed in re-
occupying their tannahs, when the jaghiredars lose them, the
Company ought to enjoy the benefit of the revenue of the
country.
' I do not see any reason for detaining Lowe, or for inter-
fering about Mondergaum.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major Graham." ' ARTHUR WKLLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Bombay, 7th May, 1804.
{ I have the honor to inform you, that I have received
intimation from the Governor General that he has ordered
General Lake to attack Holkar, and he has desired me to
co-operate with him.
* In conformity with the plan communicated to you in my
letter of the 17th of March, of which you approved, I have
ordered that part of the 1st battalion of the 4th regiment
1804. BOMBAY. 523
stationed at Goa into Guzerat ; and I propose to send to ITulli-
hall, in Soonda, one of the battalions now at Poonah. I think
it will be better that the battalion should remain at Hullihall
till the opening of the season. It will not be wanted till that,
period at Goa; and by being stationed at Hullihall, it will
check any freebooter plan that might be founded upon the
knowledge of the weakness of our post at Hullihall.
f However, I shall order the battalion to consider itself liable
to the requisition of Sir William Clarke ; and of course it can
be ordered at once to Goa, if you should think it proper.
6 I have the honor to enclose the copy of a letter that I have
•written to General Lake, which will show you our situation
and our prospects in the Deccan. Indeed, they have become
worse since I wrote that letter. However, I shall join the
army immediately, and I shall see what I can do. In the
mean time, I have sent instructions to Colonel Murray, of
which I enclose a copy, and a letter to the Resident with
Scindiah, of which likewise you have a copy.
' If General Lake would make a good dash at Holkar, the
war could not last a fortnight ; but if he should stand upon the
defensive in Hindustan, it will last for a length of time. If
it should happen that Ilolkar passes into the Punjaub, which
is a line of conduct that I have not taken into consideration
in the enclosed letter to Colonel Murray, for obvious reasons,
Colonel Murray and Scindiah 's army will deprive him of
all he has in Malwa, in the same manner as I shall in the
Deccan ; and I propose to instruct Colonel Murray upon this
subject hereafter.
' I shall be obliged to you, if you will desire that the
clothing for all the corps with this division of the army may
be sent to Ahmednuggur ; and that for the subsidiary force to
Hyderabad, from whence it can be forwarded.
1 I think I shall be able to send the 2nd of the 12th to
Hullihall in Soonda, so that the clothing of that corps may be
sent there. As all the corps are in want of clothing, and as I
saw clearly that they could not receive their clothing probably
before the end of the rains, and that whatever might be the
result of General Lake's negotiations with Holkar, the troops
could not get into quarters in this season, I applied to Mr.
Duncan for cloth from the warehouse here, and J have; sent up
as much as will make a comfortable plain jacket for each man.
Tin; DECCAN. ISO!.
These will be made before the rains set in. I hope you will
approve of this arrangement, as I really could not venture to
expose the troops to the rains without clothing. Some of
them have only white jackets, and to every corps in the line
clothing is due from the year 1800.
* I have given no cloth to the cavalry, as they have cloaks,
and are not so much exposed to the weather as the infantry.
The 74h regiment have their new clothing, and the 78th regi-
ment are tolerably well off; and their new clothing is making
up : so that, upon the whole, I hope that we shall do.
' Between the cotton trade and the army, the precious metals
have disappeared at Bombay, notwithstanding all the money
introduced since the war. But I hope that we shall continue
to receive supplies of money from the provinces under the
government of Madras.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
« Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLKSLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wcllesley to Captain Wilkx,
Acting Resident at Mysore.
' MY DE.VR SIR, ' Bombay, 9lh May, 1804.
' Since I wrote to you last, I have received letters from the
Governor General, which give every reason to believe that we
shall have an immediate contest with llolkar, and I am there-
fore about to join the army again without loss of time.
' I cannot say when the operations against Holkar will com-
mence, or how far we shall be concerned in them ; but the fact
that we are to attack Holkar, and the present state of the Pesh-
wah's military force, will show that I cannot, at present, allow
Bistnupah to return to Mysore.
' However, if I should find that the operations are delayed
for any length of time; or if, by the state of the country, I
should be obliged to delay commencing them, 1 shall send Bist-
napah towards the Kistna, where he will have a better chance
of finding subsistence than he has in his present situation.
' I learn by letters from him that he is in very great distress;
but I have told him that I* shall either join the army, or give
him leave to go to Mysore before the rains set in ; and I have
offered him all the assistance which lie might think I could
afford. These assurances, as they will give him hopes, will in
some degree relieve his feelings.
1804. BOMBAY. 525
« I request you to apprize Purneah of these circumstances,
and tell him to send money to Bistnapah. In the mean time,
I shall take care that he shall not want until his money shall
arrive.
' I flattered myself that I should have had the pleasure of
seeing you before this time, but I am much disappointed.
However, if General Lake attacks Holkar vigorously, and
with activity, the war will not last a fortnight. My share of
it will be very trifling. If the General should stand upon the
defensive, the contest will be long, and may lead to unpleasant
consequences.
' Webbe was to leave Aurungabad on the 3rd.
( Believe me, &c.
« Captain Wilks.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellcsley to Major Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
' MY DEAR Siu, ' Bombay, 9th May, 1804.
6 I beg that you will inquire judicially into all the circum-
stances of the robbery you have mentioned ; report the evi-
dence, and your opinion of the guilt, to me ; and I shall send
orders to hang the patel and the plunderers. We must
keep these rascals in order, or they will drive us out of
the place. I beg you to do as you wish about the wall of the
pet tah.
' You have done right about the Bheels. I think that this
would be a good opportunity to clear all the aqueducts lead-
ing either to the fort or pcttah of Ahmednuggur. I wish you
to communicate with the engineer on this subject, and let some
of the workpeople be employed on the work.
* Believe me, &c.
' Major Graham: * ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
' MY DEAR WALLACE, ' Bombay, nth May, 1804.
' I have written to Captain Young, at Panwcll, to request
him to take the bales of cloth to pieces, and forward them to
you ; but you may as well allow the elephants to come on till
they shall meet his messenger to stop them, lest he should still
be unable to send the cloth.
526 THE DECCAN. 1804.
* You have done quite right about the carriages. Allow
Captain Campbell, Captain Langlands, and Major Swinton
to come to Bombay.
( Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Wallace.' < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Browne.
( MY DEAR BROWNE, ' Bombay, 14th May, 1804.
' I received only last night your letter of the 9th. The
order given out respecting prize money was formed upon the
necessity of drawing a line somewhere ; and there appeared to
be no difference so striking as that between those troops who
had, and those who had not, been engaged with the enemy.
The orders were formed upon this principle, and the cir-
cumstances attending the cases of individuals were not ad-
verted to.
'You will do me the justice to believe that I should be
happy to have an opportunity of serving you, and I certainly
think your case is attended with peculiar circumstances,
well deserving consideration. I shall therefore wish you to
state it publicly, and I can only tell you that what you may
write shall not be read with any bias against you.
' Believe me, &c.
' Captain Browne. e ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
* P.S. In your public letter, rely particularly upon your
being part of the army, under the orders of nobody at Poonah,
receiving your orders directly from me, and employed in a
service essential to the army, from which you derived no ad-
vantage.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
« SIR, ' Bombay, 15th May, 1804.
* I have received and perused your letter of the 12th in-
stant, relative to the fortifications of Kaira. I am of opinion
that that post is of importance ; that it was proper to retain it ;
and that, although it may not be possible to place in it, imme-
diately, a garrison for its effectual defence, it will be necessary
1804. BOMBAY. 527
to keep the fort in repair, and to place in it the ordnance and
stores which may be deemed necessary for its defence. I should
imagine that the small garrison there, at present, would very
sufficiently secure the ordnance and stores.
' In respect to the description of ordnance that should be
sent to Kaira, I have to observe that it is impossible to form
an opinion of the description of ordnance required for any
work, without inspecting it ; or without receiving from the
officer who has inspected it a report of its dimensions, of the
nature of its foundation, and of the materials of which it is
constructed.
6 Captain Williams, the only officer who has surveyed Kaira,
appears to be of opinion, that the large towers in the fort will
answer for 12 or 18 pounders ; and that in the small towers
3, or 6, or 9 pounders would answer ; and that each tower
would hold two or three pieces of ordnance. They must be
very large towers to be capable of admitting that number of
guns to be worked in them at the same time ; and I must
observe that if they have not the capacity to admit of more
than one gun being worked at the same time, they ought not
to have more than one gun in them.
' In respect to the size of the guns most fit for Kaira, I
have to observe that our information is very deficient ; and I
am inclined to be of opinion, with Major General Nicholson,
that the revetment would not bear those pieces of a heavy
calibre • but I observe that Captain Williams mentions one
well built work, which it is probable would bear large ordnance.
(Jpon the whole, therefore, I recommend that at present two
18 pounders maybe sent for the heavy work above alluded to ;
and that seven 6 pounders, and four 3 pounders, may be sent
for the eleven towers capable of receiving ordnance, being one
piece for each tower. This supply will answer for the present ;
and Colonel Murray may be desired to have a more accurate
report made of the state of the works of Kaira, when an op-
portunity may offer ; after which a greater number of pieces
of ordnance, and of larger calibre, may be sent to him, if he
should require them.
6 I have the honor to be, &c.
' Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
528 TI1K DKCCAN. L804i
Major (li'/irral, Uir. Hots. A. /F<"/<V,s/r_y tn Lii'uL ('olond Wallace.
f MY i) HA it WALLACK, ' Bombay, 15th May, 1804.
' I have received your letter of the 12th, with the proceed-
ings of the Court of Inquiry oil the murderers. There is no
doubt whatever of the case; however, I should wish to con-
sider the subject before I give any further orders. In the
meant hue lei. the gentleman and lady be kept in irons. I shall
leave this for camp the day after to-morrow.
( Believe me, £c.
' Lieut. Colonel Wallace,: ' AKTI 1 1 u \V KLLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. WMcxley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace.
1 MY DEAR WALLACE, ' Bombay, tab May, 1804.
* I intended to have given bullocks to the IVshwah, with
the guns, and a certain number have been kept at Ahmed
nuggur purposely for him. 'These were selected from the
largest and best of the bullocks taken from Scindiah ; they were
all of one color, white, and of the same caste. 1 wish, there-
lore, that Captain Richardson had left these cattle at i'oonah,
according to the orders I believe he received.
' Even as circumstances are at. present situated, it appears to
me that it would be best, to delay giving the bullocks to the
JYshwah, till those which were originally intended for him
shall return from 1'anwell, and 1 doubt very much whether
we should be able to find in the kirkanah another set equally
good.
* I shall possibly meet Captain Richardson on the road, and
I shall desire him to send back the bullocks immediately.
' Believe me, &c.
• Lieut. Colonel Wallar,-: ' Aimiuii WKLI.KSLKY.
Major tii-m-nd the Hon. A. /(W/rsYr// In (,'<//>f<ii/t /////r.v,
Acting I'l'sidanl it I. MI/NO re.
1 MY DEAR SlU, ' Bombay, 1Mb May, 1804.
* I have just received your letter of the ()th instant. My last
letter will have explained to you the present state of affairs
in the Marhatla empire, and I think it will have determined
you to send off the treasure, &c. The recruits for the cavalry
might join the convoy. MaUDiell's battalion shall go back.
JN01. UUTURN TO POONAII. 529
4 A rahdarry * will go to you tliis day for the convoy. The
only reason for which I wished to keep secret the possibility
that I should remain some time longer in the Marhatta terri-
tory was, that I understood that the report of my speedy
arrival at Seringapatam had had very good effects in Malabar;
and I wished to give Colonel Montivsor an opportunity of
relieving the posts in \Vynaad. 1 imagine that lie has by this
time effected that object ; and that it is no longer necessary
that we should lose any advantage in order to keep secret the
state of affairs in the Marhatta empire.
* I shall leave this place to-morrow.
' Relieve me, &c.
« Captain Wilks: ' ARTHUR WKLLKSLKV.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Irlon.
« Sill, ' Camp at Candolla, 19th May, 1804.
* I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 9th
instant. I referred your letter, on the subject of the claim of
the troops stationed at Hyderabad to share in the distribution
of the property captured during the war, to his Excellency the
Governor General ; and his Excellency was pleased to decide
that they ought not to share.
* In the course of a few days I propose to publish to the
army the detailed orders which I have received from the Go-
vernor General upon the subject.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
'Major Jrlnn: ' ARTHUR WKLLESLKY.
Major General the lion. A. Welledey to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
« SIR, ' Camp at Worgaum, 21st May, 1804.
' I hope you will excuse the liberties I take so frequently
in recommending to your favor officers of the army, but their
services give them undoubted claims upon me ; and I judge
from the manner in which you have always disposed of the
patronage of the army, that you are desirous to promote and
reward those who merit it.
' It is reported in this quarter, upon what grounds I do not
know, that it is your intention to abolish the office of gram
Agent General, and to establish the gram agencies with corps,
in the same manner as heretofore.
* llalidan-y, an order of route and supplies.
VOL. III. % M
530 THE DECCAN. 1804.
' In consequence of this report, Lieut. Young of the 19th
dragoons has requested me to apply to you to appoint him gram
Agent to the 19th. This officer was recommended to me by
Lord Cornwallis, and came out at the same time that I did. He
has always done his duty in his regiment to my satisfaction,
particularly in the late war, during which he has had charge,
in the 19th, of this same department. I beg leave, there-
fore, to recommend him to you.
' I have sent out to have the country particularly examined
to the northward, and if I should find it to be practicable, I
shall march to attack Chandore, as soon as the troops shall be
clothed, and shall have received their arms, which will be in
about ten days. I have put all the carriages into repair again,
and we shall be well equipped. I have a large quantity of dry
grain of different kinds from Bombay.
' There is no news, excepting that the Peshwah and the
Soubah of the Deccan have ratified the treaties of peace, and
have agreed to the treaty of partition. This treaty gives Berar,
and Scindiah's possessions between theGodavery and Adjuntee,
to the Soubah of the Deccan ; Ahmednuggur to the Peshwah ;
and all the rest to the Company.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
< SIR, ' Camp at Worgaum, 21st May, 1804.
* You have seen the Governor General's dispatch to me,
dated the 21st of April, containing his orders addressed to
General Lake and myself, to commence hostilities against
Jeswunt Rao Holkar. In the present exhausted state of the
Deccan, I very much doubt whether I shall be able to move
from the neighbourhood of Poonah, till the new grass si™ 11
have appeared above ground ; and, in that case, I think that it
would not be proper to announce my intention to attack Hol-
kar's possessions in the Deccan. However, I do not mean to
lose any advantage by this kind of secrecy ; and therefore I
trouble you with this letter.
( If the result of certain inquiries which I have set on foot
throughout the country towards Chandore should be that I
1804. POONAH. 531
can march the army there, I shall set out from Poonah as soon
as I shall have clothed and armed the troops, which will be in
about ten days. In that case, I shall require the co-operation
of the subsidiary force under Colonel Halyburton, and the
Soubah's contingent; and I may possibly draw to the westward
Lieut. Colonel Lang's detachment, which is at present in
Berar. If I should be obliged to delay my march to the north-
ward, I shall leave Colonel Halyburton where he is, for the
present, as well as the Soubah's contingent. I fancy that no
very great preparations will be required to draw out the
Soubah's contingent at any time. Holkar has not now any
troops in the Deccan ; and if I should be able to march imme-
diately, the conquest of his possessions will not be difficult. If
1 should not be able to march till a late period, it will be de-
sirable that the contingent should be complete, as it may be
expected that, as soon as he shall be attacked in Hindustan,
he will prepare for his defence in this quarter.
' As soon as I commence hostilities, I propose to desire
Colonel Halyburton to take possession of the town and district
of Umber. The fort is of no strength : in my opinion, the
killadar will give it up, when he shall receive my orders to do
so, and the Colonel can take possession of it, as he marches
to the rendezvous. I propose that Umber should be given
over to the Soubah's servants.
* From the perusal of this letter, you will be the best judge
whether it will be necessary to announce to the Soubah's ser-
vants the intention of attacking Holkar in the Deccan, in order
to make it certain that the Soubah's troops will be prepared.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Major Kirkpatrick: ' ARTHUR WELLESLF.Y.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Malcolm,
at Scindiafcs Durbar.
1 MY DKAR MALCOLM, ' Camp at Panowullah, 22nd May, 1804.
* I return Shawe's letter, which has annoyed me as much as
it can have annoyed you. That plan of abusing and bullying
the Marhattas will never answer, even supposing it should be
possible to prevail upon any gentleman to conduct the public
business in that manner. The fact is, that till lately the
Governor General has never read real statements of conver-
sations ; and he is exceedingly offended with the freedom with
2 u 2
532 THE DECCAN. 1804.
which the natives canvass all public subjects, and which 'has now,
for the first time, been brought before him. The only remedy
is to state to him results of arguments instead of their details ;
for I must be of opinion with Arsito Jah, that {t it is not possible
to close the people's mouths as the gates of the city are closed."
I propose to give Webbe a hint upon this subject.
4 Scindiah wrote to me upon the subject of Gohud and
Gwalior, and I have drawn up an answer to his letter. It is
not yet translated, but I hope to be able to send it to Webbe
this evening, or to-morrow morning.
' Although I am convinced I should not have made the peace
if I had insisted upon Gwalior, I wish that I had had that
point clearly explained before the treaty was signed.
' I have joined the army, which I have completely clothed,
armed, and equipped. The clothing will be finished in a
few days, and by that time I shall have reports of the real
state of the country to the northward respecting forage. The
corps are, I am sorry to say, very weak, but in good order.
I am obliged to detach one of them to Goa, where an army is
locked up.
' Believe me, &c.
• Major Malcolm: ' ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
* SIR, 'Camp at Panowullah, 23rd May, 1804.
* I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 8th
instant. My letter of the 7th instant will have apprized you
of the orders which I had received from the Governor General
relative to Jeswunt Rao Holkar, and of the nature of the mea-
sures which I had adopted in consequence.
« I have now joined the camp ; the troops will be clothed,
and will have their arms in a few days. The Europeans have
new tents, and the carriages are better than they ever were.
To all this, I add, that I am sanguine in my expectations that
I shall be able to march at an early period in the rains, which
I am determined to attempt, if the accounts of the country
that I shall receive should give any encouragement. I be-
lieve I must wait till the rains for water.
< I want nothing at present. The cattle with the rice would
1804. POONAH. 533
do best to remain for some time longer in the Ceded Districts.
They would die, if they should march at this season. I shall
write to General Campbell for them in due time. If the war
should last, which I think very improbable, I shall want every
thing, particularly arms, horse accoutrements> ordnance car-
riages, carts, &c.
' I conclude that the clothing will be sent to Ahmednuggur.
The other articles mentioned might be sent by sea to Bombay,
from whence I can have them transported to Ahmednuggur.
Both infantry and cavalry will want recruits. I hope, how-
ever, that the war will not last. Some time may elapse before
Holkar may be caught ; but not much, I hope, before we may
leave our allies to pursue him.
' General Lake marched about the beginning of the month ;
although, in a letter, of which I enclose a copy, he appears to
intend to stand upon the defensive. Colonel Murray also will
have marched by this time.
' Holkar had moved to the southward by the last accounts ;
and the commander of Scindiah's army was apprehensive that
he should be placed by this movement between Holkar and
Meer Khan, and that he should be cut off from General Lake.
But he has orders to join Colonel Murray, which I acknow-
ledge I prefer.
' I have desired Colonel Murray to watch Holkar's move-
ments towards Ougein, and yesterday to march to that
quarter.
' I am much obliged to you for the attention you pay to our
wants. One lac and 25,000 pagodas will 'not pay us and the
subsidiary force, but I shall always be able to pick up something
at Poonah and Bombay. The greater part of the money which
the Governor intended, on the 8th instant, to send to Masuli-
patam by sea, will be wanted to answer political demands at
Hyderabad; such as peshcush, pensions, &c., due to the
i. mount of ten lacs of rupees. I wrote to Major Kirkpatrick
about these demands some time ago, and referred him to the
government of Fort St. George for the discharge of them.
However, I am convinced that you and the Governor will not
forget us ; and I shall always be able to get some money for
bills upon Bombay and Bengal.
' I shall be able to arrange the payment of the batta to the
officers of the army, in the manner that you and the Governor
534 THE DECCAN. 1804.
wish. I think that if I had permission to issue treasury notes
in payment of this donation, it would give great satisfaction
to the officers, and would create no inconvenience. Therefore,
the smallest sums would answer best, and they might bear date
from the day on which they should be issued here.
4 You will have seen a letter which I wrote to Lord Wil-
liam Bentinck on the 18th, on the subject of a financial plan of
Mr. Smith. In this letter I have endeavored to throw some
light upon the financial plans of the government of Bombay,
with which this plan of Mr. Smith's materially interferes ; at
the same time, that it will be of no use to the government of
Fort St. George. You will see also that I have endeavored to
arrange a mode of going on at Poonah without drawing money
from the territories under Fort St. George. This endeavor
failed on account of this new warfare, and particularly because
Major Malcolm drew upon the Residency at Poonah for the
sums he wanted at ScindialVs durbar. Till the payments
under the treaty of peace, £c. can be regulated, it will be im-
possible to fix the demands at Poonah ; but when that is
done, I shall be able to arrange with the merchants of Bom-
bay, a mode of supply which will be convenient to the public.
1 I have the honor to be, &c.
« Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
( SIR, ' Camp at Panowullah, 23rd May, 1804.
' I have the honor to enclose Lieut. Colonel Close's dispatch
to you of the 12th instant, which was referred to my consider-
ation by the Honorable the Governor in Council.
' I have the honor to enclose the copy of a letter which I
have addressed to the Governor of Fort St. George, on the.
subject of the financial plan proposed by Mr. Smith ; and I
shall be much obliged to you if you will lay my request before
the Governor in Council, that all proceedings in conformity to
this plan may be suspended, until Colonel Close shall have
received the further orders of the Right Honorable the Gover-
nor in Council of Fort St. George.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
* The Sec. of Gov., Bombay.' ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1804. POONAH. 535
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
* SlR, ' Camp at Panowullah, 23rd May, 1804.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 21st
instant, containing the copy of a petition from Mr. San
Martinho de Arango, late an officer in the service of the
Marhatta states. In my opinion it is necessary that Mr. de
Arango should prove, in a satisfactory manner, the truth of
the allegations in his petition ; that he was in the service
of the Marhatta states ; that he held the rank of Captain ;
enjoyed 300 rupees a month ; and quitted the service in con-
sequence of the proclamation of his Excellency the Governor
General at the period stated. If he should prove those facts,
it will be proper to pay him 300 rupees per mensem, from the
period at which he quitted the service of the Marhatta states,
to the 30th of December, the date of the treaty of peace, and
to send him to Goa.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
« The Sec. ofGov., Bombay.' * ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lord W. Bentinck,
Governor of Fort St. George.
4 MY LORD, ' Camp at Panowullah, 27th May, 1804.
c I have the honor to enclose a letter addressed to your
Lordship by the house of Forbes and Co., at Bombay, to-
gether with one to myself, and a private letter from Mr.
Forbes, on the subject of a proposal from the house to pur-
chase the Company's sandal wood at Madras, and to pay the
money into the treasury at Poonah.
4 I am unable to give any opinion on the mercantile part of
Mr. Forbes's proposal, as it refers to prices of sandal wood
at Madras and in China, with which I am entirely unac-
quainted ; but it will be very advantageous to the provinces
under your Lordship's government to save the export of so
large a sum in specie as five lacs of rupees ; and it will be very
convenient to the army to have the command of that sum at
Poonah.
* Upon the occasion of addressing myself to your Lordship
upon this subject, I cannot avoid adverting and drawing your
536
THE DECCAK.
1804.
Lordship^s notice to the public spirit of Mr. Forbes, who seeks
opportunities to render his private speculations, as a merchant,
useful to the public service. By this conduct, he has upon u
variety of occasions, and particularly in the last year, given
most material aid to the cause of the British Government on
this side of India.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lord W. Bentinck: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellealey to General Lake,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, '27th May, 180<
******* ' The account you give of the state of
Holkar's army is very satisfactory. 1 have served a good deal
in this part of India against this description of freebooter ;
and I think that the best mode of operating, is to press hii
•with one or two corps capable of moving with tolerable ceh
rity, and of such strength as to render the result of an action
by no means doubtful, if he should venture to risk one. There
is but little hope, it is true, that he will risk an action, or that
any one of these corps will come up with him. The effect to
be produced by this mode of operation is to oblige him to
move constantly and with great celerity. When reduced to
this necessity, he cannot venture to stop to plunder the country,
and he does comparatively but little mischief: at all events
the subsistence of his army becomes difficult and precari(
the horsemen become dissatisfied, they perceive that their situa-
tion is hopeless, and they desert in numbers daily : the free-
booter ends by having with him only a few adherents ; am
he is reduced to such a state as to be liable to be taken by air
small body of country horse, which are the fittest troops to be
then employed against him.
' In proportion as the body of our troops, to be employed
against a freebooter of this description, have the power
of moving with celerity, will such freebooter be distressed.
Whenever the largest and most formidable bodies of them are
hard pressed by our troops, the village people attack them
upon their rear and flanks, cut off stragglers, and will not
allow a man to enter their villages ; because their villages being
in some degree fortified, they know well that the freebooters
18CM. POONAII. 537
dare not wait the time which would be necessary to reduce
them. When this is the case, all their means of subsistence
vanish, no resource remains excepting to separate; and even
this resource is attended by risk, as the village people cut them
off on their way to their homes.
' You will have been informed by Mr. Webbe that Colonel
Murray has moved before this time.
' I have the pleasure to inform you that I have great hopes
that I shall be able to move, and to make the siege of Chan-
dore in the course of the month of June. Every thing is
ready. The troops have been clothed and equipped, and I
wait only for a fall of rain to insure water.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' General Lake." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
' SIR, ' Camp at Panowullah, 27th May, 1804.
' I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 25th instant, upon the subject of the landing of the
troops from the Ternate, at Bassein.
* Among the papers enclosed, I observed the copy of a letter
from Mr. Denton, in which he complains of the conduct of the
soubahdar of Bassein ; upon which subject I should have
made an immediate representation to the Peshwah, did I not
observe a letter from Lieut. Frederick to Captain Nicolls,
in which Lieut. Frederick notices the polite conduct of the
soubahdar towards him. However, polite conduct towards
one officer affords no excuse for conduct of a different tendency
towards another ; although it affords some ground to hope
that the state of the officer who complains was not understood
and this requires further explanation.
' I therefore request that inquiry may be made, whether
Mr. Denton went on shore in his uniform as an officer ; the
hour at which he reached Bassein; whether he was forcibly
detained in the choultry, contrary to his inclination ; or if he
stayed there as a place of shelter till he should have an oppor-
tunity of seeing the soubahdar?
' If I should find that Mr. Denton, when known to be an
officer, was treated with impoliteness or indignity, I shall con-
538 THE DECCAN. 1804.
sider it to be my duty to remonstrate with his Highness the
Peshwah, in the most serious manner ; and I make no doubt
but that the soubahdar will receive the punishment which he
deserves, as in this instance he will have disobeyed the positive
orders of his Highness, given to him at my earnest request.
< I have the honor to be, &c.
« The Sec. of Gov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
1 SIR, ' Camp at Panowullah, 28th May, 1804.
' Since I had last the honor of addressing you, I have
received a private letter from General Lake, written after he
had received mine of the 23rd of April, in which he tells me
that Holkar's army is in the greatest distress ; that his men
were deserting daily, and were coining to the British camp by
hundreds ; that Holkar had fled to the southward and crossed
the Chumbul ; and that Colonel Monson, with a British corps,
Was at Boondy. These accounts are corroborated in a very
satisfactory manner by the ackbar from Scindiah's camp, and
from Hindustan.
f From the position of Holkar's different detachments and
their movements, I judge that they intend to enter Bundel-
cund : when Colonel Murray shall have moved they must either
do that, qr cross the Nerbudda, or fight ; and by all accounts
Holkar has determined to avoid risking an action. However,
if his force fritters away in his flight, which if he is pursued
it will, the object is equally answered. He will end by being
too weak for Scindiah's army of horse, and then he must be
destroyed.
* In my last letter I mentioned generally our wants in this
quarter ; if the war should last, I shall send a detailed list of
them in a few days.
( I have strongly urged General Lake to continue his pur-
suit of Holkar, even although he should have no hopes of
bringing him to action. If he does this, 1 have not a doubt
but that the business will soon be over. Indeed if the Go-
vernor General had allotted a subsidiary force to Scindiah;it
would have been over by this time.
'I have the honor to be, &c.
• Lieut. General Stuart. ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1804. POONAH. 539
e P.S. I have received a letter from Mr. Duncan, of the
26th, in which he tells me that the Anne, extra ship, supposed
to have been lost, had arrived. Three China Indiamen had
also arrived at Bombay, having left England on the 13th of
February. The Recorder of Bombay came out by this occa-
sion. Mr. Duncan had not received any particular intelligence
when he wrote ; but he says that the appearances of invasion
had not diminished when these ships sailed from England.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Wilks,
Acting Resident at Mysore.
* MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Panowullah, 30th May, 1804.
f I have this instant received your letter of the 22nd instant.
I sent Bistnapah a rahdarry for Maunsel's battalion, and the
guns some time ago, and 1 conclude that they have marched.
I do not know that Bistnapah has kept with him even the 100
men you mention.
' The 2nd battalion 12th regiment has marched to Hullihall,
and I have desired the commanding officer to apply for the
clothing. I was obliged to send this battalion to the south-
ward, in order to relieve a Bombay battalion at Goa, which I
have sent into Guzerat, to reinforce Colonel Murray's corps.
I have clothed, as well as armed and equipped, the whole
army. They are in high order and in good spirits, and, please
God, when the rain shall set in, I shall commence my opera-
tions. The rain may do some injury to my cattle, but there
will be no water in the country for the army till the rain
shall supply it.
1 Our prospect, from the famished state of the country, is
bad, but I have resources which will serve us. There is no
occasion for delaying the convoy to send the clothing for
the 1st of the 3rd or the pioneers. If you can find means
of moving it, let it go to General Campbell's division : and
I will arrange to have it brought forward with grain, at a
more advanced period of the season.
6 1 have given directions that the Mysore peons might be
relieved from the road by Meritch to Poonah by runners hired
at Poonah.
' I hear from General Lake that Holkar is in the greatest
distress, his troops deserting from him daily, and coming by
540 THE DECCAN. 1801.
hundreds into General Lake's camp. General Lake was in
Jeypoor, I believe ; and Colonel Monson, with a British detach-
ment, at Boondy. Holkar had fled with great celerity from the
latter to the southward, and had crossed the Chumbul. From
the position and movements of the different detachments of his
army, I judge that he is going into Bundelcund.
' Colonel Murray must have marched before this time. He
has a very strong corps of infantry and some cavalry, but he is
weak in the latter. If Scindiah's army, however, cannot join
General Lake, which is supposed to be doubtful, they will
join Colonel Murray, and then Holkar must quit Malwa en-
tirely.
* Besides Colonel Murray's corps, there is a reserve in
Guzerat, which will keep all secure in that quarter. In
short, every thing promises fairly, excepting the famine in
the Deccan ; and that I have provided against, as far as it was
in my power.
e It is said that Scindiah is going to Ougein, which shows
confidence, at least, in his and our strength : and I see by
the ackbars that he has given orders to certain bodies of his
troops to take possession of Chooley Myhissur, and Indore,
in conformity with suggestions which 1 had made to him.
' Believe me, &c.
' Captain Wilks* ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' P.S. You will of course tell Purneah how much grati-
fied I am by his continued attention to his troops.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
( MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Panowullah, 30th May, 1804.
' I have received your letter of the 27th, and I have no
doubt of the right of Cavy Jung to Nushin. You will there-
fore make such arrangements with his agents, as you may think
proper, for the security of that place, and for the enjoyment of
the revenue of the district.
' Believe me, &c.
1 Major Graham." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1804. POONAH. 541
Major General the Hon. A. Wellfisley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
' SIR, ' Camp at Panowullah, 31st May, 1804.
' I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 28th instant, with which you have transmitted one of
the 20th, from the liesident at Baroda.
' It is very proper that endeavors should be made to induce
Arund Rao To war to join the corps of British troops under
Colonel Murray ; and if Arund Rao should join Colonel
Murray, he will be entitled to the consideration of the British
Government. I beg leave to recommend, however, that the
gentlemen in Guzerat should cautiously avoid contracting any
engagement with Arund Rao Powar.
' The family of Powar was formerly equal with those of
Scindiah and Holkar in its rank in the Marhatta empire ; and
it shared in the conquests made in the same proportion with
those families and with the Peshwah. But in the course of
time the family of Powar has fallen to decay ; and in our
recent transactions in the Marhatta empire, we found Arund
Rao, the head of the family, a chief of no consequence, and
serving in Scindiah's army with a small body of horse at the
battle of Assye.
* It is my opinion that Arund Rao Powar cannot be con-
sidered in the light of an independent chief, because Scindiah
and Holkar are so considered, and because the family of
Powar were formerly of the same rank in the empire with
those of Scindiah and Holkar. Those Chiefs are considered to
be independent for a variety of reasons, which it is not neces-
sary at present to detail ; but principally, I imagine, because
their acts had, for a series of years, been uncontrolled by the
Peshwah, (the servants of whose government they were for-
merly,) or by any other power ; and they were to all intents
and purposes, in fact, independent. This reasoning will not
apply to Arund Rao Powar; he was formerly, like every
other Marhatta chief, a servant of the Peshwah. We do not
know of his independence, and we found him serving in Scin-
diah's army. Under these circumstances, it is my opinion
that we ought to avoid making any engagement with him, the
formation of which must be an acknowledgment of his inde-
pendence.
4 I have the honor to be, &c.
• The Sec, of Gov., Bombay.' ' ARTHUR WKLLESLEV.
542 THE DECCAN. 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
< SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 1st June, 1804.
' I have bad the honor of receiving your letter of the 28th
of May, in which you have enclosed copies of letters received
from Mr. Crow, the magistrate at Surat, containing complaints
of the conduct of Lieut. , of the 1st battalion, 3rd regi-
ment.
' In consequence of those complaints I have given direc-
tions that Lieut. may be put in arrest, for a crime, of
which I enclose a copy ; and I have sent orders to Colonel
Murray that he may be brought to trial before a General
Court Martial, which is now sitting in Guzerat ; and I shall be
much obliged to you if you will lay my request before the
Governor in Council, that Mr. Crow may be directed to order
the witnesses of the facts related in his letters to attend this
General Court Martial, when their attendance may be re-
quired.
' These frequent complaints against the officers of the army
have given me the most serious concern ; and I trust that the
Governor in Council will do me the justice to believe that I
shall exert the power which is in my hands to restrain and
punish these disorders and irregularities. As, however, the
complaints are frequent, and have been made against many
individuals, it is to be apprehended that the only power which
is in my hands, viz., that of trial by court martial, will fail to
induce the wished for effect, of deterring others by the ex-
ample of the punishment of the prisoner who is now to be
tried. If this should be the case, I beg to recommend that in
future those officers of the army who may be guilty of riots,
or who may oppose the execution of the laws, by acts of vio-
lence and outrage, or who may insult the magistrates, may be
suspended from the service by authority of Government, or
tried before the Recorder of Bombay.
4 1 am concerned to say that frequent complaints have been
forwarded to me by Government, of instances of all these
crimes; and it will be ruinous, as well to the authority of
Government, as to the discipline of the army, if, owing to the
defects of the military tribunal, or to any other causes, they
should hereafter be unpunished.
1804. POONAH. 543
' I conclude that, under the regulation for the civil govern-
ment of the city of Surat, all native inhabitants of that city,
whether belonging to the military profession, or followers of
the military, are liable to the jurisdiction of the magistrate.
I am desirous of receiving information upon this point, before
I notice these disorders in the General Orders to the army.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. ofGov., Bombay: « ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Wilks,
Acting Resident at Mysore.
c MY DEAR SIR, * Camp at Poonah, 1st June, 1804.
* I received last night your letter of the 24th of May. When
I was at Bombay, finding that the letters were longer on the
road to and from Madras than was necessary, and that the
communication was not a daily one, I recommended to the
Governor to make it so ; and to use the camp tappall be-
tween Poonah and Hurryhur, and thence the Mysore tappall
to Madras for this purpose. He attended to my recom-
mendation and made arrangements accordingly, and the Post-
master at Bombay wrote to Mr. Piele.
.* This arrangement was entirely independent of the relief of
the runners on the road ; and was done in order to let Pur-
ueah's peons go back to Mysore. I shall send them orders from
hence, to return to Mysore as fast as they shall be relieved.
* Orders will go to Hurryhur regarding the clothing.
* I learn from Hindustan that Holkar's fort of Rampoora
has been taken by assault, with small loss on our side.
( Believe me, &c.
* Captain Wilk*: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the lion. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Gore,
Commanding the 33rd Regiment.
1 MY DEAR COLONEL, ' Camp atChinchore, 7th June, 1804.
' I have just received your letter of the 25th of May. I
was much concerned to hear of Mr. Me Roberts' s death, and I
beg you to recommend for the situation whomsoever you may
think best, provided it is not Mr. , with whom I am ac-
quainted. Colonel has before now favored the 33rd
with officers of whom l^e did not entirely approve; but I
541 THE DECCAN. 1804.
think it as well that, if we can do so, we should choose for our-
selves, particularly medical men. Mr. Christie is a very able
man, but of course the 74th will not part with him ; indeed
he is now senior assistant surgeon of that regiment, and I think
lias a better chance of promotion than he would have in the
33rd. At all events, supposing him to be moved to the latter, I
could not allow him to quit the army.
6 I do not understand how you manage Ensign 's sale
of his Ensigncy ; however, I conclude it is all right.
' We cannot enlist Major Davison's band at the rate pro-
posed. In respect to a purchaser vice Captain West, you
must settle that matter as you think proper.
' According to Knox's account there are now three com-
panies for sale, viz., Gaff's, Collington's, and West's. He has
made his arrangements for the purchase of Gaff's, and he
is the senior Lieutenant ; he has therefore good ground to
expect that he should be first recommended, and stand first as
Captain. If Gaff has esigned his commission,, I see no reason
for delaying to recommend Knox for the company ; and I wish
you to send in the recommendations, and afterwards you will
recommend the officers next in succession who will purchase
the two other companies for sale. This mode of proceeding
will be entirely consistent with justice to all parties.
' If Captain Gaff's commission is not to be sold, Knox must
then decide whether he will take Captain West's or Captain
Collington's ; and if he does not choose to do so, then the next
in succession must be recommended.
' Believe me, &c.
' Lieut. Colonel Gore: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to Major Kir kpai rick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
( SIR, ' Camp at Chinchore, 7th June, 180-1.
* I have received your private letter of the 30th of May.
My last public letter will have shown you that I had de-
termined to delay my operations against Chandore, in conse-
quence of the want of supplies in Colonel Halyburton's corps,
and the distressed state of the country in general; but that
as Colonel Halyburton had authorised the attack of Umber,
the design to commence operations against Holkar could no
1604. POONAH. 545
longer be concealed, and therefore that the best mensure to be
adopted was to call upon the Soubah to provide his contingent.
6 I now intend to send the battering train to Ahmednuo-o-nr
™ ?5t> *
and thence to Aurungabad ; and to desire Colonel Haly-
burton to move as soon as he shall have a sufficient supply of
provisions for his followers : he has plenty for his fighting
men ; and I propose to join his division either with the whole
or a part of this, according to the prospect I may have of
being able to feed them upon the march, as soon as I shall
hear that Colonel Halyburton is ready to advance. Holkar
lias no force in the Deccan, and he can bring none to inter-
rupt us.
' The jaghiredar system is known to be so bad, that it is a
waste of time to notice its defects. It is particularly defective
in times of scarcity, and when the troops are to be employed
upon distant expeditions, as the jaghiredars have no money,
and the troops get no pay, and desert to the enemy, or return
to their homes.
' The remedy for this evil is certainly that which you pro-
pose, viz., to supply the jaghiredars with small sums of money
occasionally ; but the supply must be given with the know-
ledge and consent of the persons employed on the part of the
Soubah 's government, otherwise it will never be repaid : how-
ever, if in the course of this service I should see occasion to
make advances of cash, and I should be able to afford it, I
shall certainly make them.
' In respect to the person to be in charge of the Soubah's
forces, I acknowledge that I have no objection to Mohiput
Ham. It appears that he possesses the confidence of the
Soubah's government ; and although I have had some reason
to complain of him occasionally, I believe that upon the whole
any other person would have given at least equal ground for
complaint. He may therefore as well remain at the head of
the army.
4 You will have heard that I had put Captain in arrest,
in consequence of a complaint of Rajah Mohiput Ram ; and I
have assembled a General Court Martial for his trial. I
should have sent you the papers upon this subject, only that I
did not wish to make it the subject of public correspondence
and remark, till the General Court Martial should decide
upon it.
VOL. in. 2 N
546 THE DECCAN. 1804.
' As Captain had been employed upon some important
occasions both by Colonel Stevenson and me ; and as I men-
tioned him more than once in a favorable point of view to the
Governor General ; and as I entertained a good opinion of him,
I requested Rajah Mohiput Ram to reconsider his first com-
plaint ; and if he had no ground for it, excepting a trifling mis-
understanding which might occur between friends at any time,
I should take no further notice of it ; but that if he should
persist in it, Captain must be brought to trial. He did
persist in making very serious complaints of Captain ,
whose explanations were by no means satisfactory, and he is
now I believe before a General Court Martial.
' I am obliged to you for the good intelligence you send me
about money. I hope you will have sent the six lacs of rupees
to Ahmednuggur.
c Believe me, &c.
* Major Kirkpatrick: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
' Camp at Chinchore, near Poonah,
1 DEAR SIR, 9th June, 1804.
' You will have heard that the Governor General has given
orders that Jeswunt Rao Holkar might be attacked, and that
I have consequently rejoined the army by his directions.
6 The Commander in Chief is in the field against Holkar in
Hindustan, and has had some success, having taken the fort
of Rampoora by assault, with a detachment under Lieut. Co-
lonel Don ; and having pushed Holkar so hard with another
detachment under Colonel Monson, that many of his men
had deserted from him, and had gone to the Commander in
Chief's camp. Holkar was in the greatest distress for provi-
sions, and every necessary which an army could require.
' 1 have delayed writing to you in hopes that I should be
able to apprize you of the nature of the operations which I
intended to adopt ; but such is the state of distress in the
Deccan from the want of provisions, that I am obliged, for the
present at least, to remain inactive. I hope, however, that I
shall be able to attack Holkar's possessions in Candeish before
the rains are over.
' Lieut. Colonel Halyburton was in the district of Jalnapoor,
1804. POONAH. 547
north of the Godavery, but he has been obliged to fall back
towards Urumah in Berar, to receive provisions for his camp.
However, I trust I shall be able to weather through the
rains.
' I shall be very much obliged to you if you will be so kind
as to order forward the rice and bullocks, which have been so
long in readiness at my call. Let them cross the Kistna, and
come by the road of Calburga to Perinda, and thence to Ah-
mednuggur. I shall be obliged to you if you will send a small
escort with them. If the officer in charge of them should
find the Kistna full, I recommend that he should not keep the
bullocks collected at the ghaut, but allow them to lay down
their loads, and then either cross the river, or separate in
different villages in the neighbourhood, either on the north or
south bank of it. He may then have the rice bags passed
over, and as soon as he shall have got them all over, he may
call in his bullock men with their bullocks and carry them off.
My reason for suggesting this measure to you is, that I know
well that such a number of bullocks collected in any one place,
for the length of time that will be necessary to cross over with
this rice, will suffer distress; and it is probable that if the
bullocks are separated, their owners will be able to get some
shelter for them in the villages, by which their lives will be
saved in case of a violent fall of rain. If the officer should
adopt this plan, he ought to keep the principal owners or their
head servants by him, in order to know where he can find
the bullocks when he may require them.
6 I shall keep you informed of every thing that occurs.
Colonel Murray has marched with a detachment from Guzerat
into Malwa towards Ougein ; and Scindiah's army has, I be-
live, joined Colonel Brown.
' The southern jaghiredars are all in tranquillity, but their
conduct must always be closely watched.
f I have lately sent the 2nd battalion of the 12th regiment
to garrison Hullihall in Soonda, and eventually to replace
at Goa the corps of Bombay native infantry, which 1 had
drawn from thence into Guzerat.
6 There is no occasion for the escort with the bullocks and
rice hurrying on the march to Ahmednuggur.
• Believe me, &c.
' Major General Campbell: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
518 THE DECCAX. 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, * Camp at Chinchore, 9th June, 1804.
' Since I wrote to you last I have received very bad accounts
of the state of the countries to the northward ; and particularly
of Lieut. Colonel Halyburton's resources and supplies. He
had been obliged to draw nearer to Berar, in order to save the
troops from the greatest distress. I have also been obliged to
draw grain from the depot formed at Poonah, a measure, how-
ever, to which I had long expected to be reduced ; but at the
same time that the necessity for it exists, and that consequently,
in case I should march, there will be much work for the cattle.
I am sorry to say they are sadly reduced in condition, and die
in numbers owing to the late rains.
( However, I do not yet give up all hopes of marching, at
least with a part of my corps, and of being able to make the
siege of Chandore during the rains. I shall immediately send
on the battering train to Ahmednuggur, if not to Aurunga-
bad, and shall try to march as soon as Colonel Haly burton is
prepared.
* The depot at Poonah is large and will hold out till the
harvest ; I have another at Ahmednuggur, and I have more
supplies coming up from Bombay. God knows how the un-
fortunate inhabitants of Poonah and of this wretched country
are to live through the rains. Since they have commenced, the
most common grains have sold there for two seers for a rupee ;
and even at that price they are with difficulty procured.
c You will have before you, in a public form, the mode in
which the rice is issued from our depot. It sells in the camp
for six seers for a rupee, which is well enough, considering that
the remainder of the country is starving. But I am forced to
restrict the sale of rice to the followers of the army, otherwise
all the starving wretches in the country would flock to camp
for subsistence, and would soon reduce us to the same state
with themselves.
4 Gram and all common grains are at two seers for a rupee.
In short, such is the state of the country, that it will require
some ingenuity to keep the troops together, and in an efficient
state, till the rains are over. There is nothing new from Hin-
dustan.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
'Lieut. General Stuart.' ( AiiTiiuu WELLKSLEV.
1804. rooNAH. 549
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Harvey.
6 DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Chinchore, 10th June, 1804.
' I received only last night your letter of the 25th of April,
and I assure you that the respect and regard which you
profess for your late friend, Colonel Harness, has tended to
increase the good opinion I had already entertained of your
character.
' I am much concerned to hear that detailed and accurate
accounts of the circumstances attending the sickness and death
of Colonel Harness had not been sent to his regiment ; arid I
certainly should have written to Mr. Christie or yourself, if I
had not had reason to believe that one of the officers of the
staff, attached to Colonel Harness, would have given you those
details.
' Colonel Harness was taken ill a day or two before the
battle of Argaum, on the 29th of November, and he was so
unwell upon that occasion as to be delirious when the troops
were going into the action, and I was obliged to order him
into his palanquin. After the battle of Argaum, the army
made some rapid marches towards Ellichpoor, in order to
prevent the enemy from taking a new position under the pro-
tection of the fort of Gawilghur, which did Colonel Harness
no good ; and on our arrival at Ellichpoor, he went into that
place for the benefit of his health. He remained there during
the siege of Gawilghur, and I saw him afterwards as the army
was marching through Ellichpoor towards Nagpoor, and he
was much recovered.
' Peace having been concluded with the Rajah of Berar,
the army returned to the westward through Ellichpoor,
and I saw Colonel Harness again much recovered; but
he appeared to have a shortness of breath, which I attri-
buted to weakness ; particularly as he had no complaint at
that time, yet he said that he did not find himself sufficiently
recovered to join the army, a measure to which I earnestly
urged him. A few days afterwards I heard of his death.
' It appears by the papers which I enclose that his disorder
was in the heart. He was attended by Mr. Gilmour, the head
surgeon of the army, and by Mr. Baird, the surgeon of the
hospital at Ellichpoor. Every attention was paid to him, and
he had every comfort about him which he could have had in
550 THE DECCAN. 1804.
any situation. But these gentlemen appear to be of opinion
that the disorder was one of long standing, and of a nature not
to be got the better of in any situation.
' I had heard for some time before Colonel Harness's death,
that he intended to quit the army, and I gave particular direc-
tions that his papers might be examined, to see if he had
signed his resignation. I enclose a copy of a paper which was
found a considerable length of time after his decease. It was
immediately sent to me, and I forwarded it to the Commander
in Chief, with a request and recommendation that Colonel
Harness's commission might be sold. I have received no
answer to this application ; but I see that Colonel Harness's
commission is given to another officer, and therefore I conclude
that the Commander in Chief had determined not to attend to
my recommendation.
e You will see that this paper is dated in December, and that
Colonel Harness died in January.
' I enclose the copy of an order to Colonel Wallace, regard-
ing the disposal of Colonel Harness's effects, and a statement
of the measures taken in consequence of those orders.
' It is probable that nothing can tend to diminish the regret
and grief of Mrs. Harness for the loss she has sustained, and
she must have been well acquainted with the merits of the
person who is the subject of this letter. But it may be satis-
factory to her to know that in the late arduous contest in the
Deccan, Colonel Harness filled an important station in the
army, that he conducted himself upon every occasion in a
manner most satisfactory to me and honorable to himself, and
that his death was lamented by the whole army, and by no
person more than by myself.
' Believe me, &c.
' Captain Harvey: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellcsley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
* SIR, 'Camp at Chinchore, lOih June, 1804.
* I have the honor to enclose the dimensions of all the pieces
of ordnance with the division of this army which require new
carriages ; and a list of stores required here, which cannot be
procured at Bombay, and which must come from Madras.
' I recommend that all the carriages which will probably be
1804. POONAH. 551
made at Seringapatam, might be sent at an early period of the
season to Mangalore, and there embarked for Bombay : from
whence I shall bring them up to Poonah or to Ahmednuggur.
* I recommend that the other articles of stores may be sent
by sea from Madras to Bombay ; excepting the tents, which
will probably be made in the Northern Circars, and might come
by land to Ahmednuggur, as they would receive damage at sea,
unless more care is taken in stowing them in the ship than can
be expected.
' In this return of stores, I have not included arms or accou-
trements for the infantry. However, unless the arsenal at
Bombay should be replenished, particularly with the former,
it will not be very capable of supplying our demands.
' With these articles of public stores, it would be very desir-
able to receive the horse accoutrements belonging to command-
ing officers of corps of cavalry. But upon this point I shall
communicate with those officers.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Wilks,
Acting Resident at Mysore.
' MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Chinchore, 12th June, 1804.
' I have just received your letter of the 3rd, and I am
obliged to you for your intention of sending up the clothing,
although I have clothed all the troops.
6 1 have already, at the suggestion of Bistnapah, ordered the
relief of the parties of horse at Goorgherry and Sungoly.
6 No news, excepting that Major Malcolm is arrived at
Poonah, and is by no means well.
* Believe me, &c.
• Captain Wilks: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
t g1R < Camp at Chinchore, 18th June, 1804.
' I conclude that you will have received the Governor Ge-
neral's notes of the 25th of May ; and I proceed to inform you
of the measures which I shall take in consequence of them.
552 THE DKCCAN. ISO I.
' First, I propose to request Mr. Duncan not to stop Colonel
Murray's march into Malwa.
, ' Secondly, to send II. M. 78th regiment to Bombay; and to
get from thence the battalion of the 7th regiment reinforced to
1000 men. By the arrival of this battalion I shall be able to
relieve two of the Coast battalions ; and I propose to march two
of them to the southward, with the 1.9th dragoons and the 4th
regiment of cavalry, and the greater part, if not the whole, of
the Coast artillery. I shall only put these corps in motion
towards Mysore, expecting that you will give orders as to
their destination.
* Thirdly, I propose to order two of the battalions of the
Nizam's subsidiary force to march towards Hyderabad ; which
will enable you to order either those two battalions, or the two
battalions now at Hyderabad, into the Company's territories.
' The weakest of the corps shall go from that place; and
the 1st of the 4th, and the 1st of the 10th, from hence.
* I shall leave here the 5th and 7th regiments of cavalry, as
both together they do not make more than one regiment of
the strength which the Peshwah ought to have.
' You have thus the outline of my plan for sending away the
troops. By marching the four corps, ordered to go immedi-
ately to the southward into Malabar, or Canara, or Goa, it
will be possible to bring up the Bombay corps in the month of
August, and thus to effect the relief at a very early period
indeed.
'But I shall write to you in detail upon all the points con-
nected with the Governor General's notes as soon as possible.
I only now give you notice of the outline of my plan for car-
rying into execution the order of the Governor General. I
shall proceed to Mysore as soon as possible.
* I am afraid that this arrangement of the subsidiary force
at Poonah will alter those which I had made for it, and that
Lieut. Bellingham will lose his office: that being the case,
therefore, if you should not already have appointed an officer
to fill Captain Cunningham's office, I shall be obliged to you
if you will appoint Lieut. Bellingham to be Deputy Quar-
ter Master General in Mysore.
* I omitted to mention, that as all the corps are weak, and
as the siege of Chandore must still be undertaken, I propose
1804. POONAII. 553
to leave with the subsidiary force at Poonah the 74th regiment,
till jour orders shall be received.
' I have the honor to be, Sec.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wettesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
' SIR, ' Camp at Chinchore, 19th June, 1804.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 16th
instant, with which you have sent the copy of the petition of
Mr. Christovao da Costa Maquiras to the Honorable the
Governor in Council. It is my opinion that that person has
no claim whatever upon the bounty of the British Government,
under the proclamation of His Excellency the Governor
General, of August, 1803; and accordingly, I beg to recom-
mend that he may be disposed of in such manner as the
Honorable the Governor in Council is accustomed to dispose
of vagabond Portuguese, by taking care to prevent his return
to the territories, or the service of the Marhattas.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. ofGov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellealey to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp at Chinchore, 20th June, 1804.
' Since I addressed you last, I have received the Governor
General's instructions of the 3rd of May, in which I am
ordered to proceed to Bengal. I should imagine that the ob-
ject in calling me to Bengal is to communicate with me upon
several subjects connected with Marhatta affairs in this country ;
and as I cannot speak with information or confidence upon any
subject, without being acquainted with your sentiments, and
those of the Governor of Fort St. George; and as I shall lose
but little time by going to Madras, and certainly derive
advantage from it, I purpose to go by that place through
Mysore. I write, therefore, this day to Lord William Ben-
tinck, to request that he will order that palanquin boys may be
posted on the road for me from Seringapatam, and that a
554 ' THE DECCAN. 1804.
vessel may be prepared to sail with me to Calcutta. I hope
to be at Madras in the middle of July.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
' DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Chinchore, 20th June, 1804.
6 1 have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 12th
instant ; and I shall avail myself of the means which you have
adopted for my convenience. I should be happy to have
an opportunity of meeting you, only that I think it necessary
to go to Madras ; and I believe my journey will be more expe-
ditious through Mysore, than through the Soubah territories.
I hope to hear from you if you should be of opinion that I can
be of any service to you in Bengal.
' I have commenced carrying into execution the Governor
General's instructions of the 25th May, in some degree ; and
in order to enable General Stuart to draw from Hyderabad
the two battalions now stationed there, without inconvenience
to you, I have ordered two battalions, the 1st of the 6th, and
2nd of the 9th from Colonel Halyburton's camp towards Hy-
derabad ; and I have desired Colonel Halyburton to draw the
two battalions of the llth out of Berar to his own camp. I
am preparing a dispatch for you, which will point out my
orders regarding our operations in the Deccan.
c I shall be obliged to you, if you will give directions that
the money coming from Masulipatam may be sent forward, as
soon as it may arrive at Hyderabad. It is desirable that it
should be divided into two equal sums, each having an equal
proportion of the different coins. Let Colonel Halyburton
know when you will send it off, in order that a detachment
from his corps may meet the sum for his use, at any place on
the road to Ahmednuggur that you may appoint ; and the
remainder might proceed on to Ahmednuggur. This will save
time, and the detachment at Hyderabad the trouble of making
a march to Colonel Halyburton's camp.
' Believe me, &c.
• Major Kirkpatrick: < ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
1804. POONAH. 555
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lord William Bentinck,
Governor of Fort St. George.
' MY LORD, ' Camp at Chinchore, 20th June, 1804.
* Your Lordship will have received from his Excellency the
Governor General the copies of his orders to me of the 25th
and 30th of May ; and Lieut. General Stuart will have laid
before you the outline of the measures which I proposed to
adopt in consequence of the receipt of the former. From the
nature of the subjects on which it is his Excellency's wish to
communicate with me personally, I judge that I shall appear
before him with very defective information, unless I should be
previously made acquainted with your Lordship's sentiments,
and those of General Stuart.
' I therefore propose to go to Madras on my way to Cal-
cutta, that I may pay my respects to your Lordship, and
receive your orders ; and because I think I shall lose but little
time, and shall derive great advantage by this deviation from
the direct route.
' I propose to go through Mysore. I shall therefore be
much obliged to your Lordship if you will direct the officers
of the police at Madras to send bearers for me on the road to
Seringapatam, and if you will give directions that a vessel
may be ready to transport me from Madras to Calcutta, or the
mouth of the Hoogley.
' I hope to reach Madras in the middle of July.
8 I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lord William Bentinck: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Wilks,
Acting Resident at Mysore.
< MY DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Chinchore, 20th June, 1804.
* I beg you to inform Purneah, that in consequence of orders
from the Governor General, I have broken up the army, and
have established the subsidiary force at Poonah ; and that I
propose to commence my march to Seringapatam on the day
after to-morrow. I shall proceed by Hurry hur, &c., and I
shall lose no time upon the road.
6 I have also ordered Bistnapah into Mysore ; but I cannot
tell whether he will join our troops near Meritch, and cross the
Kistna at Erroor, or cross it lower down by Beejapoor.
55G THE DECCAN. 180J.
' I shall be obliged to you if you will ask Pnrncah to give
orders that I may be supplied on my march through Mysore.
' Believe me, &c.
' Captain Wilks: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Welleslcy to Major Graham,
Collector at Ahmednuggur.
* SIR, ' Camp at Chinchore, 20th June, 1804.
' I have had the honor of receiving your private letter of the
16th instant, containing a copy of the evidence against the
freebooter impostor Seyd Sultaun Aly. I know nothing about
that person ; and I do not believe that he has ever been even
a menial servant of mine. I desire that he may be publicly
whipped in the pettah of Ahmednuggur, for having made use
of my name to plunder the country ; and that he and his fol-
lowers may be put in irons, and employed for six months at
hard labor upon the work of Ahmednuggur.
' I desire that you will make enquiry into the circumstances
of the murder committed between Coraygaum and Soupah ;
and if you should find that the persons who are now in con-
finement in the main guard at Ahmednuggur are guilty of it,
I beg you to give orders that they may be hanged in a public
place.
* Believe me, &c.
' Major Graham: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Hill.
* SIR, ' Camp at Poonah, 24th June, 1804.
* As soon as the troops, departments, &c., shall be prepared
to move, you will march to the southward, by a route which is
enclosed.
' You will be so kind as to take care to keep up the most
strict discipline among the troops and their followers, and to
pay for every thing you may receive or require.
' In passing Meritch, or any other fortress, you will avoid
approaching it so closely, or encamping so near it, as to occasion
any alarm .
' You will be pleased to report to me, and to head quar-
ters your progress on the march.
4 You will have with you 500 bullock loads of rice, to be issued
to the native troops at the rate of half a seer per diem each
1801. POONATT. 557
man : gram for the cavalry horses for one month ; and pay for
the troops for the month of June. You will be so kind as to
avoid issuing the pay till a late period in July ; but I shall
take measures that you may receive a further sum of money on
your march.
' In case you should have reason to apprehend that you can-
not reach Hurryhur till the month for which you will have
gram shall have expired, a sum of money amounting to 1000
star pagodas is sent, which you will advance to Lieut. Young,
in charge of the gram department, to make purchases of gram
where it can be got.
' You will march upon the tappall road, and you will take
care to communicate daily with the tappall stages, so as to get
any letter that may be addressed to you.
' There are boats upon all the rivers to transport the troops.
' I have the honor to be, &c.,
' Lieut. Colonel Hill: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Brunton,
Military Auditor General.
* DEAR Sis, ' Camp at Seroor, 2Gth June, 1804.
c I have had the honor to receive your letter enclosing the
copy of a bill for loss of exchange on bills drawn on Bombay.
4 When the troops arrived at Foonali, every thing was in
the greatest confusion, and some time elapsed before the com-
mon mercantile intercourse between that city and Bombay was
re-established. In addition to this inconvenience, the soucars
at Poonah and Bombay knew well, that as there was a large
body of troops at Poonah belonging to the Madras and Bom-
bay establishments, a large sum of money would be required ;
and, they became exorbitant in their demands of premium on
bills of exchange, whether drawn on Bombay at Poonah, or
on Poonah at Bombay. In this manner the premium on bills
of exchange came to the rate stated in the bill you enclosed ;
and, indeed, Mr. Duncan was obliged to acquiesce in incurring
the same loss on bills which he purchased at Bombay, drawn on
soucars at Poonah for the purpose of paying the Bombay
troops.
* Notwithstanding this great loss, we were obliged to draw
the bills, as no money could be procured at Bombay, excepting
558 THE DECCAN. 1804.
mohurs, which we were obliged to issue to the troops at a de-
preciated rate of exchange, thereby incurring a greater loss
than by drawing the bills.
' In the state of uncertainty of the times, and the doubt on
men's minds respecting the result of the war, till the battle of
Assye, every man was suspected ; and we did not know how
long we should be able to keep up the communication between
Bombay and Poonah : I therefore took care to keep the trea-
sury full at Poonah by taking up in bills on Bombay all the
money that could be got, even at this loss. The sums pro-
cured in this manner defrayed the extraordinary expenses -of
the war, and those of the Bombay troops, for which no other
provision was made. The transaction was always managed
by the Resident at Poonah ; the Paymaster and I having
nothing to do with it, excepting to sign our names to the bills.
' The loss certainly appears, and is, very large ; but there
ought to be a set off against it of about 2 per cent, on the issue
of the Chandory rupees to the troops. Those of my division
received them according to the Mysore nerrick, at the same
rate as Rajah rupees, or Pondicherry rupees, which are about
2 per cent, better than the Company's rupees.
' Believe me, &c.
* Lieut. Colonel Brunt on.' ( ARTHUR WELLESLKY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
( SIR, ' Camp at Tiraloo, 27th June, 1804.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 18th
instant, upon the subject of an application from Colonel
Murray, that provision might be made for the Silladar horse
who might be wounded in the service ; and for the families of
those who might be killed.
' It is not reasonable to expect that persons of this descrip-
tion, who have no means of subsistence, excepting those afforded
by military service, will risk their lives, or being disabled, un-
less made certain of a provision hereafter. The want of this
provision is the great defect of all the native military ser-
vices ; and is the cause of the frequent instances of misbehavior
before an enemy of the country troops. The truth of this
observation is proved by the fact, that the troops in the service
1804. RETURN TO SERINGAPATAM. 559
of Hyder Aly, and his son Tippoo, and those now in the service
of the Rajah of Mysore, for whom provision is made, in case
they should receive wounds, and for their families, in case they
should be killed, have uniformly behaved better in battle than
any other native troops of whom we have a knowledge.
* I therefore strongly recommend to government, that the
means proposed by Colonel Murray may be adopted. It
would be necessary, however, in the first instance, to submit
the claims of those disabled by wounds, and of the families of
the horsemen who may be killed in the service, to the decision
of a committee of officers, in the same manner as the claims of
persons actually in the military service of the Honorable Com-
pany. With the same view of rendering more efficient this
body of cavalry attached to Colonel Murray's corps, I beg
leave to suggest to the Governor in Council the expediency
of paying for the horses which may be killed, or rendered un-
fit for service by wounds received in action. This is another
measure which has been practised by Hyder and Tippoo, and
the present Mysore government, and with the best effects.
' There are two modes of paying for these horses. One,
which has always been practised by the Mussulman arid Hindu
government of Mysore, is to pay the horsemen 200 rupees
for every horse killed or disabled, whatever may be his value :
the other is to register a description and value of the horse
when the horseman is entertained; and when the horse is
killed or disabled, to pay for him at the rate at which he shall
be valued in the register. I rather believe that the horsemen
would prefer the latter mode, and it will probably prove
equally cheap to the Honorable Company, as but few of their
horses can be valued at a higher rate than 200 rupees. If this
measure should be adopted, a committee ought to be assembled
to ascertain the claims of the horsemen.
6 When all these measures shall be adopted, the Silladar
horse with Colonel Murray ought to be a most efficient body.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' The Sec. of Got?., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLES LEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Kirkpatrick,
Resident at Hyderabad.
i gIRj ' Camp at Tiraloo, 27th June, 1804.
4 I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your
5GO THE DECCAN. 18(H.
letter of the 15th June, for which I return you many thanks.
My public letter of the 24th will have made you acquainted
with the mode by which I propose to carry on the operations
in the Deccan during my absence. With this, you will receive
a dispatch to the Governor General, which will make you ac-
quainted with all the arrangements made, and the reasons for
which I adopted them.
' I have received a letter from Colonel Halyburton, from
which I learn that he still fears that he will not be able to
move till after the monsoon. It is most desirable that the
operations against Chandore should be begun in August, so
that they may be concluded before the rivers fall ; other-
wise, as all our disposable troops will be employed at this
siege, a very small body of the enemy would be able to do a
great deal of mischief in the country. The siege of Chandore *
once concluded, and the troops at liberty to act where they
may be required, no mischief can happen.
' I shall write to Colonel Halyburton upon this subject, but
I now mention it to you, that you may urge the durbar to
exert themselves to induce the brinjarries to attend Colonel
Halyburton. As he will have grain in July, the want of
carnage for it will be the only impediment to his march.
* I have the honor to be, &c.
' Major Kirkpatrick. 6 ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' It is but justice to the Governor General, and to you,
to mention to you that I have had no private correspondence
with him on any subject. I have done you justice in my
public correspondence, upon subjects which must, at all events,
have attracted the notice of the Governor General.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major Macauley.
( MY DEAR MACAULEY, ' Camp at Tiraloo, 27th June, 180J.
' I have only this day received your letters of the 24th
and 28th of March. They had been sent to Cannanore, and
Mr. Baber detained them. I rejoice at your success in the
defeat of the intrigue, the particulars of which you relate.
' In consequence of orders from the Governor General, I
* Chandore was taken on the 12th of October, by the army under Lieut.
Colonel Wallace, in the absence of Major General Wcllesloy.
804. RETURN TO SKRINGAPATAM. 561
have broken up the army in the Deccan ; I have established
the subsidiary force at Poonah, and sent some of the troops
to the southward, and I am now on my way towards
Seringapatam.
' I do not apprehend any inconvenience from these arrange-
ments. I have provided for the operations of the war against
Holkar, and if they can be begun before the end of August,
all will answer.
1 The Bombay troops are to be relieved in Malabar by those
belonging to Fort St. George. The former are to be the sub-
sidiary force at Poonah.
' Believe me, &c.
1 Major Macauley; ' ARTHUR WELLES LEV.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Captain Wilks,
Acting Resident at Mysore.
' SIR, ' Camp at Tiraloo, 27th June, 1804.
( I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 15th
instant. In consequence of the instructions of his Excellency
the Governor General, of which the Right Hon. the Governor
of Fort St. George has sent you an extract, I have ordered
the Mysore troops under Bistnapah Pundit to march towards
Mysore.
* I cannot at present say exactly by what route Bistnapah
will enter Mysore, or the period at which he will arrive on the
frontier; but I hope to be able to give you information on
these points in the course of a few days.
' I expect to meet the convoy on the road, and shall give
them instructions ; and I shall bring away with me the de-
tachments of troops stationed between the rivers Kistna,
Gutpurba, and Malpoorba.
' I hope to have the pleasure of meeting you soon at Se-
ringapatam, and to have a conversation with you and the
Dewan regarding the future disposal of the Siiladar horse.
' 1 have the honor to be, &c.
' Captain Wilks." ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
VOL. in.
662 THE DECCAN. 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' Camp at Niggeree, 28th June, 1804.
'As the best mode of making you acquainted with all the
measures which I have adopted, in consequence of the Gover-
nor General's orders of the 25th and 30th May, I have the
honor to enclose a copy of my dispatch to him of 'yesterday's
date.
' I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 15th
instant. I hope soon to pay you my respects at Madras ; but,
notwithstanding that, I shall take an opportunity of addressing
you upon the subject adverted to in your letter.
' I have the honor to be, &c.,
' Lieut. General Stuart: ( ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. Colonel Wallace *,
Commanding the Subsidiary Force with the Peshwah.
' MY DEAR WALLACE, ' Camp at Niggeree, 28th June, 1804.
' I have not yet been able to send you the copies of my let-
ters to the Resident, which I promised you, but I shall send
them as soon as I shall have a leisure moment.
' I have got on well ; but nothing can be more erroneous
than Captain Johnson's route. He was wrong eight miles
between Poonah and Kichaire, and between that place and
this about twenty miles ! ! ! He did not even measure the route
* A characteristic trait of this officer is recollected by those who served with
the army in the Deccan. At the siege of Gawilghur, he had been charged with
the execution of certain details, necessary to the capture of that place. A heavy
gim had been directed to be conveyed by night to an important point, and its
transportation over the most rugged mountain so long baffled all endeavors, that
the artillery officer, in despair, reported the accomplishment of it to be impossible.
' /////>//.v.v/7//.-, Sir!' exclaimed Colonel Wallace, who had all his life maintained the
most rigid adherence to obedience, * Imposmble ! /.el //.* .vr?/' lie then calli -<i
lor ;L light, pulled the instructions from his pocket, and having read them, said,
'Ok, no! not impossible; I he order is positive.' The result evinced the efficacy
of the order ; and also afforded another proof that implicit obedience, when ac-
companied by devoted zeal, will in general overcome every difficulty.
The expression attributed to Napoleon, on a similar occasion, was more poetical
— ' Monsieur! faire f impossible, Jest Francuin /' This was more chivalrous, and
no doubt particularly exciting, when addressed to a Frenchman ; but the expres-
sion of Colonel Wallace had its source in the higher yet more sober military
feeling of duty, that WHAT is OHDEREO MUST JJE EXECUTED.
1804. RETURN TO SERINGAPATAM. 563
correctly from his own map. The road is very good, and Hill
will get on well.
' I beg you to let me hear any reports that may reach you
about your own situation. You need be under no apprehen-
sion. You may depend upon it that I will take care that you
shall not lose it.
' I believe that in my public dispatches I have alluded to
every point to which I should wish to draw your attention,
excepting one, which I will mention to you — that is the secrecy
of your proceedings.
' There is nothing more certain than that, of one hundred
affairs, ninety-nine might be posted up at the market-cross,
without injury to the public interests : but the misfortune is
that where the public business is the subject of general conver-
sation, and is not kept secret, as a matter of course, upon every
occasion, it is very difficult to keep it secret upon that occasion
on which it is necessary. There is an awkwardness in a secret
which enables observing men (of which description there are
always plenty in an army) invariably to find it out ; and it may
be depended upon that, whenever the public business ought to
be kept secret, it always suffers when it is exposed to public
iew.
' For this reason secrecy is always best, and those who have
been long trusted with the conduct of public affairs are in the
habit of never making public any business of any description,
that it is not necessary that the public should know. The
consequence is that secrecy becomes natural to them, and as
much a habit as it is to others to talk of public matters ; and
they have it in their power to keep things secret or not, as they
may think proper.
' I mention this subject to you because, in fact, I have been
the means of throwing the public affairs into your hands, and
I am anxious that you should conduct them as you ought.
This is a matter which would never occur to you, but it is
essentially necessary .
' Remember, that what I recommend to you is far removed
from mystery : in fact, I recommend silence upon the public
business upon all occasions, in order to avoid the necessity of
mystery upon any.
' Believe me, &c.
• Lieut. Colonel Wallace: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
5G4 THE DECCAN. 1804.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
« SIR, ' Camp at Bellowra, 29th June, 1804.
' I have the honor to enclose the copy of the instructions
which I have given to Lieut. Colonel Hill, who commands the
detachment of troops on their march from Poonah. The road
by which Lieut. Colonel Hill will march is by Meritch, and
the different posts of Erroor, on the Kistna ; Goorgherry, on
the Gutpurba ; Sungoly, on the Malpoorba ; Deogeerry, on
the Werdah, and Hurryhur. He may arrive on the Kistna
about the 12th or 13th of July; so that your orders addressed
to him at Erroor, or at any of the other posts, will reach him.
* He will require money in the beginning of August, to the
amount of about 30,000 pagodas ; and I dare say that, if he
should enter Mysore by Hurryhur, the Dewan will supply him
with that sum, if you will make Captain Wilks acquainted
with your wishes.
* The rice, reduced to 1000 bags, will last Colonel Hill two
months; and the provisions, till the dragoons shall enter the
Company's territories. He will get grain on his advance to the
southward. But I shall write to the commanding officer at
Hullihall in Soonda, to endeavor to procure some there,
and to send it to meet Colonel Hill at Sungoly on the Mal-
poorba.
1 In a letter which I received last night from Mr. Duncan,
he informs me that he shall send the native battalion to Poonah.
He also tells me that the earliest period at which vessels can
be sent to the southward, to bring up the troops, will be the
20th of August.
6 1 conclude that you will write to him, to let him know which
of the posts you intend to have relieved first, and the period at
which you expect that the Coast troops will arrive to make the
relief; in order that he may make his arrangements to send
down vessels to bring up the Bombay troops.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. General Stuart: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. General Stuart,
Commander in Chief.
< SIR, ' 3rd July, 180-1.
I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 15th of
1804. RETURN TO SERINGAPATAM. 565
June. I have never had an opportunity of considering in
detail the military establishment of Fort St. George. I have
never served in any division excepting Mysore ; and of course
my ideas regarding the force, required for the defence or secu-
rity of other parts of the Company's possessions, must be very
general, and cannot be founded on original or very accurate in-
formation. I cannot, therefore, reply to your letter as I
could wish.
6 I wrote to you fully in February or March of the year
1802, on the subject of the forces required for Mysore, Mala-
bar, Canara, and Goa. The forces then thought necessary
were not with a view to foreign war, but to the preservation
of domestic tranquillity ; and nothing has occurred in these
countries or elsewhere, to induce me to be of opinion that one
man less would answer the purpose. Indeed, the number
ought to be increased in proportion to the increased number
of troops required for the protection of Goa.
' You have my sentiments on the increase of the army of
Fort St. George, in the event of the Bombay troops furnishing
the subsidiary force at Poonah ; and those of Madras the sub-
sidiary force at Hyderabad, in letters which I wrote to you on
the 14th of February, and from Bombay. I have nothing to
add to those letters, upon the subject of the local affairs of the
division which I command, or of the increase of the army of
Fort St. George, in reference to the relief of the Bombay
troops on the western coast of the peninsula.
' The only part of the disposition which I have proposed
in my letters of 1802, to which I think it probable there may
be an objection, is the large garrison in Seringapatam. But I
have always been of opinion that that place was the main point
of our strength in the Peninsula, and that a strong garrison
there would keep Malabar and Canara in order. The justness
of this opinion will soon be experienced. I suspect that it will
be found that as the troubles in Malabar became serious when
the troops marched from Seringapatam, notwithstanding there
were, at that time, as many troops in Malabar as there will ever
be, so order will be restored when they shall return to that
garrison.
' In respect to the general question of a military establish-
ment, it has always appeared to me that Government has made
566 THE DECCAN. 1804.
an erroneous calculation of the value of their conquests, as those
were to tend to the decrease of the military establishments and
their expense. They have adverted only to the fact that, by
the success of their arms, they have diminished the number of
their external enemies ; and they have imagined, that in propor-
tion as they have become secure abroad, they ought to have the
means of reducing their armies at home. This appears to be
particularly the error of the Court of Directors.
' They have not adverted to the fact that all government in
India, excepting perhaps that in Bengal, is held by the sword ;
that, in order to carry on their foreign wars, they have been
obliged to weaken the means of their internal government, that
is to say the power of the sword in their own provinces, by
which, till this last war, they have invariably suffered; and
that the conclusion of the most successful foreign war in India,
that by which the most formidable enemy may have been sub-
dued, if it gives an accession of territory, must bring with the
territory a necessity to increase the army ; because the govern-
ment must be established in the new territory, and supported,
as well as in the old, by the power of the sword. The want of
knowledge, or rather of recollection, of these facts, is the cause
of all the complaints of high military establishments and ex-
penses, and of all the difficulties in which you must have found
yourself, from the want of troops.
* This want, however, it is to be hoped, will not hereafter be
so severely felt. For the last five or six years, great exertions
have been made, and the Company's power has been vastly
extended, without any very great increase of their military
resources. What has been done has been by great military
activity and exertion ; for I believe it will be found, upon an
examination of the Company's military establishments, that,
excepting in cavalry, they are but little larger than they were
in Lord Cornwallis's time, and not so strong in European
troops. Accordingly, everything has been on the stretch, and
every nerve has been exerted, to support the authority of
government in its extended provinces, as well as to provide the
means of making foreign conquests. But now I believe that
we can conquer no more, at least on the establishment of Fort
St. George ; and the troops and military resources of this
Presidency will be applicable to the defence of the Peninsula
1804. RETURN TO SERINQAPATAM. 567
against a foreign European enemy, and to provide for the
peace of the country.
' I have never had much apprehension of the attack of an
European enemy in India, and least of all in this war ; because
the enemy appear to have turned their resources to that kind
of naval equipment which, it must be obvious, they could not
use in an attack on this country.
f In respect to the internal peace, I have great hopes of it,
from the operation of the systems of government adopted in the
latter end of Lord Clive's time. All arguments founded on
theory are in their favor; and we have also in their favor
the practical example of a long course of peace and increasing
prosperity in the provinces under Fort William, adminis-
tered by the same system ; and that of the peace and tranquil-
lity of the provinces under the government of Fort St. George,
(excepting always Malabar) in the late war, being the only
foreign war in which the Company have ever been engaged,
during which the people in all their provinces in the Peninsula
from which their troops were withdrawn were not in rebellion.
It is true that the circumstances and events of the war were
favorable to internal peace, and all ought not to be attributed
to the system of civil government lately established. But on
the other hand, a Marhatta war is one during which, above all
others, the country is likely to be disturbed, as the Marhattas
have their agents and intrigue every where ; and therefore I
think it but fair to attribute the general tranquillity, excepting
always in Malabar, throughout the late war, to something
more than chance, or than to the circumstances and events of
the war itself.
f Still, however, the sword is the main support of the
government ; and it is necessary now to provide a military
establishment adequate to defend the Peninsula against a
foreign European enemy, and to preserve the internal tranquil-
lity: and I have adverted particularly to the state of the
civil government, as in my opinion that must influence in
a great degree, not only the amount of the force in each of the
military divisions, but the mode in which that force ought to
be disposed.
6 It is difficult, if not impossible, to point out that place on
the great extent of the coast, for the defence of which you
568 THE DECCAN. 1804.
have to provide, on which it is most probable that the French
would make an attack. After providing for. the defence of
Goa, on the western coast, and Masulipatam and Fort St.
George on the eastern, that distribution of the army which
would best provide for the support of the internal government,
and would preserve tranquillity, would probably answer best
to defend the Peninsula against the attack of an European
enemy. I shall proceed, therefore, to state my opinion upon
this part of the subject.
' In the countries in which the new systems of government
have been introduced, there can be little occasion (or at least
it is probable that in a short time there will be little occasion)
for the constant interference of the military in the support of
the civil government and of the police. In those districts it
will be possible to collect the troops allotted to the division in
one or two great stations. This arrangement will be advan-
tageous to discipline ; it will be attended by the advantage of
giving you the ability to move* the troops, at once,, to any point
on the coast which may be threatened or attacked ; you will
always have a force ready to move to suppress insurrection or
rebellion ; and supposing that it should be necessary to keep
troops in these districts, at all times, for the support of the civil
government, those which you might withdraw from a great
distance, in which some troops would be left, would not be
missed, as they have been heretofore, when the troops, being-
scattered in numerous small posts, have been withdrawn from
the whole, and all have been left unoccupied in time of war,
when to hold them would appear most important.
* But although I thus recommend the assembly of the
troops, where the new systems of government have been esta-
blished, generally in one large station, I am by no means an
advocate for the destruction of the forts. You have my opinion
already upon that subject ; and I shall only mention here that
the forts in these countries ought either to be made over to
the civil government, or held by small detachments made from
corps at the principal stations.
* In the countries in which the new system of civil govern-
ment has not been introduced, I fear that the old mode of dis-
tributing the troops must still continue. But even in these,
I should recommend, as a general principle, to draw the corps
RETURtf TO SERINGAPATAM. 569
together as much as possible, and to make detachments only
in case of very evident necessity.
' If this principle can be carried into effect in every division
of the army, and I conceive that it might in some degree, it will
give you in each division a small disposable force. This may
not be equal to all the demands which may arise, but it
will give you some strength every where; and considering
the great extent of coast you have to defend, and of the
Company's territories under the government of Fort St.
George, I should prefer that to the concentration of your force
in one position.
' In the present state of the army equipments, I conceive
that, for the purposes of defence against an European enemy,
or even of preserving internal tranquillity and suppressing
insurrection and rebellion, there is but little occasion to have
the troops constantly in the field. Both native and European
troops have their camp equipage always in readiness; and I
can speak with certainty of Seringapatam, and I should think
it probable, of other principal stations of the army, that the
time which would be required to bring in the cattle belonging
to the ordnance, and for the carriage of the camp equipage of
corps, would be sufficient to procure the bullocks which might
be necessary to carry any stores that might be wanted, and
the provisions for the European troops. The cattle for the
carriage of the gram for the horses of the cavalry can always
be procured as soon as the gram.
' Even if you were to form a field force, it is probable that
you would not give it a grain department ; and, therefore,
when it would move, it would depend upon its bazaars and the
country for its supplies, as must the troops when they move
suddenly from these great stations.
' The only advantage in point of equipment that the field
force would have would be carriage for the sick ; but even
some of that is always to be procured : and it is to be supposed
that the troops moving suddenly, for which event the field
force would be provided, would leave their sick behind them
in their station.
' The objections to the centrical field force are, that with the
expense of an army in the field, they become, in a short time,
not much better than troops in a cantonment. The field force
570 THE DECCAN. 1804.
at Hyderabad, and those at Cawnpore and Futtyghur in Ben-
gal, are examples of the truth of this observation. Those troops
are in barracks and the officers in bungalows ; and it is as diffi-
cult to move them, as it is to move a similar number from a
garrison, and a proportion of them must be left to take care
of the cantonment.
' But in respect to an invasion by the French, I should sup-
pose that your mode of defence would be to collect, as speedily
as possible, a body of troops in the neighbourhood of the spot
on which the French might land, with directions to watch and
circumscribe their movements as much as possible, to cut off
their communications with the country, and to prevent them
from receiving supplies of cattle, provisions, &c.
6 Supposing the landing to be made in the Carnatic, and the
number of men the French should land to be as large as any
they have been able to bring out to India, I should imagine
the disposable troops in the eastern division of the Carnatic,
collected, I would suppose, at Wallajahbad, to be fully equal
to the service proposed for them. It is probable that the
centrical field force, unless reinforced by the disposable troops
in the other divisions, would not be equal to more ; and the
troops at Wallajahbad would have the advantage over them,
that the enemy would feel them at an earlier period than they
would the field force.
« On the other hand, supposing the enemy to land on the
western coast, the measures to be used would be the same. The
troops would collect in Malabar in their neighbourhood ; they
would be joined by those from Seringapatam ; and they would
certainly be felt before the field force could approach.
' When preparations are to be made for a great foreign war,
such as the late war with the Marhattas, the mere readiness of
the troops is nothing, in comparison with the preparations re-
quired for the departments of the service. You could march
the troops from the most distant garrisons before these would
be ready, and therefore here again the field force would be of
no use.
' I acknowledge that I have altered my opinion upon this
subject : but the state of the country has altered much since I
formed it ; the equipments of the army have been much im-
proved ; I have gained more experience and knowledge of the
1804. RETURN TO SERINGAPATAM. 571
real benefits of these field forces ; and I acknowledge that I
am sanguine in my expectations, that the improvements of the
civil government have established tranquillity in the districts
in which they have been made, upon a basis more firm than
has hitherto existed.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
' Lieut. Gener.al Stuart? ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to the Secretary of Government,
Bombay.
6 SIR, ' Camp at Yadwar, 6th July, ]804.
* I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 28th
of June, in which you have enclosed the copy of one from
Messrs. Forbes and Co., containing their offer to pay immedi-
ately the money which they had agreed with the government
of Fort St. George should be paid for certain quantities of
sandal wood, when they should be received ; provided interest
should be paid for the money at the rate of three-quarters per
cent, per mensem, from the time they should advance it, to that
at which they shall receive the sandal wood. Such ample
provision has been made for the payment of the troops, that
it is my opinion they will not require the money till after the
month of August, when it is supposed that Messrs. Forbes
will have received the sandal wood. However, I beg leave to
refer you to Colonel Close upon this subject. If the money
should be wanted from Messrs. Forbes immediately, it can be
only on account of the distance from which that must be car-
ried which is expected from Hyderabad, and of the difficulty
of moving in the Deccan at present.
' I have the honor to be, &c.
4 The Sec. ofGov., Bombay: ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Major General Campbell,
Commanding the Reserve at Moodgul.
' DEAR SIR, ' Camp at Akola, llth July, 1804.
' I wrote to you from Poonah, to apprize you, that in con-
sequence of the orders of the Governor General, I had broken
up the army, and had put some of the troops in motion to the
572 THE DECCAN. 1804.
southward, and intended myself to move on the 25th. I hope
you will have been induced to withdraw on the receipt of that
letter, as I find, from a letter from General Stuart, dated the
12th of June, which I received only this day, that he trusted
to me to give you notice of the period at which I should think
you might withdraw the troops which you command into the
Company's territories.
' It is my opinion that you may withdraw them whenever
you may think proper, and that no inconvenience will result
from the measure.
' All is quiet in this country, and I have every hope that I
shall be able to effect a satisfactory arrangement of the Pesh-
wah's affairs with the Southern chiefs.
' Believe me, &c.
' Major General Campbell. ' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
' P.S. I have been delayed by the rain the last two or three
days, but I shall be at Hurryhur to-morrow.'
Major General the Hon. A. Wellesley to Lieut. .
' DEAR , ' Seringapatam, 17th July, 1804.
( I have received your letter, in which, among other things,
you reproach me with having withdrawn from you my con-
fidence. A man must have been stout indeed in his confidence
in any body who would continue to repose it, after having
received such complaints as I have received against you.
* In respect to your money concerns, I do not wish to inquire
into them, excepting to observe, that a person trusted as you
were ought to have refrained from such practices when you
held a public trust. It is not the fact that you did Major
's duty without receiving his salary. You received the
allowance for the duty you did, and your own allowance for
the duty done by another person in the field.
* I shall close upon this subject by telling you, that it is
useless to go into long proofs of matter entirely irrelevant to
the charge brought against you. You have been accused, on
oath, in a public trial, of having received, through your
moonshee, 1200 rupees on corrupt grounds. The moonshee
positively received the money. He must be prosecuted in the
1804. SERINGAPATAM. 573
Phousdarry *, and convicted of a breach of trust and duty,
otherwise you must resign your office of ,
* I cannot go on with a man against whom there will be such
a public imputation as there will be against you, if the moon-
shee should not be convicted of having taken and applied this
money to his own use. I enclose answers to the memorandums
sent.
( Yours truly,
' ARTHUR WELLESLEY.
4 The letter for Colonel Hill shall go to-morrow : send the
enclosed letters, marking, in Marhatta, upon each upon what
subject it is.'
* The Criminal Court in Mysore.
END OF SUPPLEMENT TO VOL. II. AND OF THE THIRD OR
SUPPLEMENTARY VOLUME
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68
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W4A2
v.3
Wellington, Arthur Wellesley
1st auke of
The dispatches of Field
Marshall the Duke of
Wellington
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