Page:Our Indian Army.djvu/315

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OUR ANGLO-INDIAN ARMY.
291

the other composed of two brass twelve-pounders, and two five-inch howitzers, to clear and destroy the defences on the point of attack. On the same night the troops of General Wellesley's division constructed a battery on a mountain towards the southern gate. Two brass twelve-pounders were here mounted – two iron ones were to have been added, but no exertions of the troops could get them into their places.

All the batteries opened their fire on the morning of the 13th; and on the 14th, at night, the breaches in the walls of the outer fort were practicable. Everything was now in readiness for the assault, and Lieutenant-Colonel Kenny, of the 11th regiment, took the command of the storming-party – consisting of the flank companies of the 94th, and of the native corps in Colonel Stevenson's division: at the same time Lieutenant-Colonel Wallace attacked the south gate, and Lieutenant-Colonel Chalmers the north-west gate, to cause a diversion in favour of the storming-party. About ten in the morning the three parties advanced, and nearly simultaneously. The detachment under Colonel Chalmers arrived at the north-west gate at the moment when the enemy were endeavouring to escape through it from the bayonets of the assailants under Colonel Kenny. Thus far, therefore, the attack had entirely succeeded; but the wall of the inner fort, in which no breach had been made, was yet to be carried. After some attempts upon the gate of communication between the inner and outer fort, a place was found at which it was deemed practicable to escalade. Ladders were accordingly brought, by which Captain Campbell (now Lieutenant-General Sir Colin), and the light infantry of the King's 94th, ascended: then dashing gallantly into the citadel, they flung the gates wide open, the storming-party rushed impetuously in, and the fort of Gawilghur was in the possession of the British.

This acquisition was made with comparatively small loss; the total amount of British casualties, during the siege and storm, being one hundred and twenty-six killed