Battle of Assaye: Encyclopedia II - Battle of Assaye - The Battle

Battle of Assaye - The Battle

On the 20th September General Wellesley and Colonel Stevenson separated at Bednapur; Stevenson advancing through a valley some 14 miles west of Wellesley's line of march. He and Wellesley had planned to join forces again at a village twelwe miles from Bokerdunon on the 24 September. But Wellesley encountered the army of Sindhia and Ragojee Bhonsla at Assaye on 23 September. The latter numbered between 40,000 and 50,000 strong, including three brigades of regular infantry, the largest under the command of Anthony Pohlmann, a Hanoverian soldier of fortune, who had previously been a sergeant in the East India Company before defecting to the Marathas. The Maratha forces had taken position between the Kaitna and the Juah rivers; a position that the princes thought would be only attacked from across the Kaitna. Despite the numbers facing him Wellesley determined to attack.

Nearby, Wellesley found a place to ford the river near the village of Assaye. He then attempted to attacked a flank of the princes' army. This maneuver failed because his party was spotted as he crossed the river; the Indian army turned their front so they were again facing the British. But a valorous charge led by two Scottish battalions, HM 74th Highlanders (which lost all its officers) and 78th Highlanders, shattered the combined forces and the armies of the princes fled. The casualties of the princes' forces numbered about 6,000 men, while the British lost approximately 1,500. Despite sustaining such heavy casualties in their frontal attack, the British/Indian combined force won a considerable victory but having sustained such casualties, and having fought the battle after a 24-mile march, Wellesley's exhausted army was unable to pursue his defeated enemy.

This was 34 year old Wellesley's first major success, and one that he always held in the highest estimation, even when compared to his later triumphant career. According to anecdotal evidence, in his retirement years Wellington considered this his finest battle, surpassing even his victory at the Battle of Waterloo.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "The Battle", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki