Page:Our Indian Army.djvu/372

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348
OUR ANGLO-INDIAN ARMY.

teries erected by the enemy at Killianore, captured seven guns, and defeated a body of troops amounting to five thousand men. In the beginning of March, Colonel Chalmers advanced with the western division, to effect a junction with Colonel St. Leger, and encamped about twelve miles north of the Rajah's capital, Quilon. About the same period the force on the northern frontier, under Colonel Cuppage, entered without opposition, and took up the strong position of Paroor; while the troops from the southern division of the army, under the command of Colonel Wilkinson, took possession of the defile of Armagawal, and proceeded to occupy the passes of Shincottee and Achincoil.

The Dewan now fled towards the mountains on the northern frontier; and, being abandoned by his master, whom he had misled, parties were despatched in all directions to endeavour to apprehend him. Negotiations commenced for the restoration of amity between Travancore and the Company, and affairs speedily returned to their former state. The Dewan wandered in the mountains, till compelled to retire by the difficulty of procuring food among rocks and jungles, which was increased by the seizure of some of his followers, by whom he had been previously supplied. In this extremity he came to the resolution of repairing to a pagoda, named Bhagwady, where he put an end to his life, by stabbing himself in various places. His brother was apprehended; and as he had participated in the atrocious murder of the thirty-four unhappy persons belonging to H.M. 12th regiment, he was, by the Rajah's orders, most justly executed in sight of that regiment.

The course of events has now brought us to one of the most deplorable transactions connected with the history of our Anglo-Indian Army, the progress of which threatened to involve the whole peninsula in anarchy and blood, and to subvert a Government which had so long and so successfully resisted the repeated attacks of its bitterest enemies. This was the unhappy revolt of the