With the Madras European Regiment in Burma

This is a fascinating book. It is the first-hand account of an officer of the Madras European Regiment of the Honourable East India Company’s Army - which is a rarity in itself. It concerns the First Burma War - a subject of much interest to students of Indian military history, about which virtually nothing is currently available. The war was a bloody and savage business of pitched battles, ambushes, sieges and the storming of timber stockades; it was a war of gunboats against war canoes - and always there was the impenetrable, nightmare jungle, a formidable opponent in its own right. Butler’s text is supplemented by a history of the Indian Army at this time to provide background and context to this remarkable account.

Soon after daybreak on the morning of the 5th, the force stationed at the white-house picket, about six hundred bayonets, moved off in column of companies, and within a hundred paces of the enemy's entrenchments the force closed to the front, and deployed into line, under a heavy and well directed fire from the enemy, which killed our commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Walker, and was the cause of some delay, during which we were exposed to a galling fire which annoyed us greatly; but not a shot was fired by our little party until the bugles sounded the advance, when the whole line rushed forwards, and drove the enemy from their entrenchments at the point of the bayonet.

To our left was a battery with a twelve pound carronade, round which the Burmese rallied, and opened a heavy fire on the rear of our force, as it advanced in pursuit of the enemy; but a charge made by the light company of the regiment, soon cleared the battery and captured the gun, which we spiked, and again charged the enemy, who had now rallied in considerable strength behind a breastwork within their entrenchments.

As I sprang on the top of this work, I found myself alone and within a few paces of a large body of the enemy; but my little party were close by, and I turned half round to urge them on, when I received a severe wound, and before I had recovered from the shock, the Burmese were driven almost out of sight; for our little force were still hotly in pursuit of the enemy, and as I soon found it useless to attempt to overtake them, I determined to return to the picket, and was accompanied by a havildar of the 34th regiment, who was also severely wounded.

We had, however, scarcely gone a quarter of a mile, when my servant, who had accompanied me throughout the day, seized me by the arm, and called out that the Burmese were coming; and true enough they were; for at no great distance, I saw the Gassy horse coming down upon us as fast as their little horses could carry them, and there appeared but small hope of our being able to escape them. Nevertheless we determined to do our best. I called out to the havildar to come along, and for some time he kept up pretty well; but we were both very weak, and could make but little progress; and as the enemy neared us, the poor havildar dropped more in the rear, and as I turned round to urge him on, I saw the Burmese ride over him.

At this moment a heavy shower of grape-shot came whistling through the air, and a well directed fire on the enemy was continued by Lieutenant Onslow, the artillery officer, in charge of the picket, at the same time that he dispatched a party of artillery men to my assistance, and in a few minutes I was safe. The Gassy horse fell back, and I saw no more of them, although at one time they were so close, that any bold fellow might have dashed out, and have cut me down, long before assistance could have reached me. My escape was entirely owing to the well directed fire opened on the enemy at that critical moment; and to Lieutenant Onslow I certainly am indebted for my life.

The poor havildar was shortly after brought in alive, but very severely wounded. But although he ultimately recovered he was unfit for duty, and retired on the pension establishment. He afterwards said, that as he saw it was impossible for us both to get off, he had stayed behind to divert the attention of the Burmese, and give me time to make my escape.

A soldier of the regiment had also a very narrow escape from the same body of Gassy horse this day. He was alone, and considerably in rear of the column, when he found himself surrounded; but whenever they approached him, he levelled his musket, and they wheeled off, merely throwing their spears at him from a distance, and this continued for some time before he was observed, and a party sent to his rescue. On being complimented on his coolness and presence of mind in not firing his musket, he said, "Oh! The by bóh wouldn't go off". It was evident that he owed his safety to the impression of the enemy that his musket was loaded.

A simultaneous attack on the enemyís lines was also made from the great pagoda, in which part of the regiment was also engaged; the enemy were routed in every direction, and pursued a considerable distance on the road to Kokeen. Indeed, success appeared to be complete, and so satisfied was Sir Archibald Campbell that the Burmese were totally routed, and that they would not be able to rally their troops for a fresh attack, as most of their guns, jingalls, and working implements had fallen into our hands, that his parole for that night was ìvictoryî, and the countersign ìcompleteî.

However, he soon ascertained that he was deceived, for the Great Bundoola managed to assemble his troops again in large numbers, and showed a determination to keep his ground as long as he was able, and if possible fulfil his promise to the king of Ava, that he would drive the English rebels into the sea; but as Jonathan would say, I guess he found it a tarnation hard job.