Dowlat Rao Scindiah, aspiring to the conquest of Hindustan, entered into negotiations with other Mahratta (MÁrÁthÁ) leaders to attack the British and the Peishwah, who having allied himself to the British had been restored to his ancient position. The treaty of Bassein, in which the British agreed to restore him, has been described as "the greatest diplomatic triumph the world has ever witnessed." The war did not last long.

Allighur.—The first serious engagement was the storming of Allighur, "a bloody struggle, an hour in duration," on September 4th, 1803. The place was defended by General Perron, who had risen from the rank of a non-commissioned officer of the French Marine to be Commander in Chief of the Scindiah's army. General Lake, the British Commander-in-Chief, was his opponent, and he took the fortress by blowing in the gate, an operation described in the Wellington dispatch as "one of the most extraordinary feats I have heard of in this country." The 76th Regiment, led by Colonel Monson, was mainly instrumental in this daring feat; 2,000 of the defenders fell, and 17 officers and 261 men of the British army were killed and wounded. The 27th and 29th Dragoons were the only other European regiments present.

Delhi.—Within a few days the battle of Delhi was fought and won. A portion of the force was dispatched, and on the 11th day of September, 1803, encamped near the Jehna Nullah within 6 miles of Delhi. Here Lake was, with 4,500 fighting men, confronted by an army of 13,000 infantry and 6,000 horsemen, with 79 pieces of artillery, under the command of a French officer, Louis Bourquien. Lake, despite the fatigued condition of his men, decided to give battle, and the result was a crowning victory for the British General, who with a native army—he had only two of the King's regiments with him, the 76th Foot and 27th Dragoons (since disbanded), to stiffen it—utterly routed the Mahrattas, who lost 3,000 men. The British losses were severe, for 585 men, including 17 European officers, fell ere the victorious army bivouacked on the field of battle, after being seventeen hours under arms. On September 13th the gallant Lake and his men entered Delhi. The result of this victory was the restoration of the Great Mogul, the blind Shah Alum, who had been a prisoner of the Scindiah's for years.

Assaye.[3]—Meanwhile Major-General the Hon. Arthur Wellesley had besieged and taken Ahmednuggur, possibly at the time the strongest stone fort in India. This he made his base of operations, and hastened to get into touch with Colonel Stevenson in order to make a combined attack on the enemy on September 24th, but while Wellesley was on the march he discovered, when at Naulmah on the 23rd, that he was within 6 miles of the Mahratta army; he decided, therefore, to take what he afterwards termed "a desperate expedient." With a force of 6,400 infantry and 1,600 cavalry (of these only 1,500 were British) and only 17 guns, the man who was to become the hero of Waterloo offered battle to the armies of the confederate chiefs, which included 30,000 horse and 128 cannon in position behind the steep banks of the River Kaitna. The result of the battle was as brilliant as the commander's resolve was daring, for the Mahratta army was routed by one only a fifth its size, and left 2,000 dead on the field; but the cost to the British was a third of the army killed or wounded, including 170 officers. Wellesley had one horse killed under him by a cannon shot, and another by a bayonet wound in the breast—sufficient evidence of the part the General took in the attack. The battle of Assaye, Wellington's first victory, is excellent evidence that he was as bold in attack as he was brilliant in defence. The 19th Light Dragoons (since disbanded), the 74th and 78th Foot were the British regiments engaged in the battle, and while the latter bore the brunt of the conflict, the Dragoons largely contributed to it by their brilliant charge.

Siege of Agra.—The Mahrattas, who had evacuated Delhi after the surrender of their European officers, fell back on Agra, where the garrison, desirous of keeping the great treasure the city held, had shut the gates to their Mahratta countrymen. General Lake, having ordered his army in pursuit, had therefore to deal with these before laying siege to Agra. After a stiff fight, a charge of sepoys was all that was necessary before proceeding to take the city, which when it fell, on October 18th, was found to contain treasure worth £280,000. For this battle no recognition was given, as we shall see when listing the bars for the medals granted for the wars and battles in India between September 4th, 1803, and January 1826.

Asseerghur.—At the battle of Asseerghur (October 21st, 1803) there was only one British regiment present, the 94th Foot (the Scotch Brigade). On October 16th Colonel Stevenson took possession of Burhampoor, and then proceeded to Asseerghur, where he assaulted the Pettah, or Citadel, on the 17th, and on the 21st, after cannonading the fort, received the surrender of the place. The battle practically cleared the Scindiah out of the Deccan, but did not humiliate him.

Laswarree.—The decisive defeat of the Scindiah's army at Laswarree on November 1st, 1803, might be called the crowning glory of Lake's life, for the battle was a particularly desperate one, fought against great odds, and with a tenacity which had not characterised any previous battles, hard-fought though they had been, the enemy contesting the ground inch by inch. The Mahratta force comprised 9,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry, with 72 guns, and of this fine army 7,000 were left dead on the field of battle, while 2,000 were taken prisoners; the British force, numbering only 4,000, had 172 killed and 652 wounded. The British regiments present were the Royal Irish Hussars (8th); the 27th and 29th Light Dragoons; and the 76th Regiment, which lost heavily in the battle, but covered itself with glory after a night march of nearly 25 miles; indeed, the whole of the British army had been under arms for sixteen hours. General Lake, who it was said had "carried bravery to the very verge of rashness," was created Baron Lake of Delhi and Laswarree.

Argaum.—The battle of Argaum, fought on November 29th, 1803, broke the Mahratta power, Wellesley routing the enemy, who abandoned 38 pieces of cannon and all their ammunition. In this battle the 74th and 78th Highlanders were particularly praised by Major-General Wellesley for repulsing and practically destroying a body of Persian or Arab cavalry. The other infantry regiment present was the 94th, and the only British cavalry regiment the 19th Light Dragoons.

Gawilghur.—Pressing on, Wellesley arranged with Colonel Stevenson to besiege the fort of Gawilghur, the event taking place on December 15th, 1803. This was only possible after considerable hardships and endurance on the part of the army, which had to make roads along which it could drag its guns by hand. Their labours, however, were rewarded by a comparatively bloodless victory for themselves, in which the enemy lost a large number of men during the storming, among them being Killadar and Bery Sing. Two days later the treaty of peace between the Rajah of Berar and the Honourable East India Company was ratified, and the Scindiah also ratified a treaty of peace on January 5th, 1804, and thus a campaign of five months' duration was brought to an end by the astuteness and daring of Lake and Wellesley. The 74th and 78th Highlanders, and the 94th Foot (then the Scotch Brigade, now 2nd Battalion Connaught Rangers) were the only British regiments present at Gawilghur.

Defence of Delhi.—Holkar yet remained to be dealt with, and a series of unfortunate circumstances made him somewhat bold, so he set about besieging Delhi, which was held by Indian troops and four companies of Europeans under British officers, who, numbering only 2,500, had to defend a city 10 miles in circumference from the attacks of an army of 70,000 men with 130 guns. Meanwhile General Lake, learning of the trouble, marched rapidly up from Agra, and reached the city on October 18th, 1804. Holkar thereupon raised the siege, crossed the Jumna, and proceeded to lay waste the land.

Battle of Deig.—Lake, however, with his usual daring, made after him with his European cavalry and artillery, accompanied by the Delhi garrison. General Frazer was detached to march on Deig, where in the battle outside he was mortally wounded. In this battle the 76th (the only British regiment present) again distinguished itself, and drove the left flank of the enemy into the morass, where many were drowned. Besides the 76th the H.E.I. Co.'s 101st (Bengal Fusiliers) and the Bengal Native Infantry took part. During this action, in which the Mahrattas lost about 2,000 men, Holkar was closely pursued by General Lake, and was ultimately compelled to fly with a few adherents before the surprising onslaught of Lake, who, finding that the Bajah of Bhurtpoor had assisted with his cavalry in the battle of Deig, and not only sheltered Holkar's retreating troops but had fired on their pursuers, determined to act promptly and firmly.

Capture of Deig.—On December 13th he invested the fortress, but not until the night of the 23rd was the assault made—ten days having been occupied in making a breach—and then within one hour the place was taken after a short but desperate resistance; the citadel, however, still remained in the hands of the enemy, who evacuated the town and citadel on Christmas Eve 1804, and fled to Bhurtpoor, whither Lake resolved to pursue their army. The British regiments present at the capture were the 8th and 29th Light Dragoons, and portions of the 22nd (the Cheshire Regiment) and the 76th Foot. The H.E.I. Co.'s 1st European Regiment, 6th Light Cavalry, and 8th Native Infantry were also present.

Lord Lake made the one mistake in his Indian warfare when he sat down before Bhurtpoor, because matÉriel necessary to a successful issue was lacking. After several unsuccessful assaults, Lake deemed it advisable to withdraw, and on the 24th took up a position 6 miles off, there to await fresh supplies of stores and ammunition. On April 9th he renewed operations, and by the 21st had settled accounts with the Rajah. The Scindiah, having joined Holkar, was pursued by Lake, and on November 23rd, 1805, a treaty was ratified with him; later Holkar was also glad to sign a treaty, whereby the peace of Hindustan was secured for twelve years, and here we must leave for a period the tale of Indian wars, which went unrewarded until April 1851—forty-eight years after the battle of Allighur—and take up the thread with the war in Nepaul.

Maida, 1806.—The first official war medal for military service was awarded to the seventeen superior officers who were engaged in the decisive and brilliant victory of Sir John Stuart—then Major-General—at Maida in Calabria, on July 4th, 1806, when the French were defeated, leaving about 700 dead on the field. The order for striking the medals was issued in 1808. On the obverse is a laureated head of King George with the legend GEORGIVS TERTIVS REX, and on the reverse the figure of Britannia hurling a spear with the right hand, while guarding herself with a circular shield whereon the Union Jack is delineated, and just underneath this the inscription MAI
DA
IVL. IV
MDCCCVI. Above is a small flying figure of Victory, crowning her with a wreath of laurel, and behind, the ancient symbol of Sicily—the triguetra, or triple leg—like the Manx arms; in the exergue are two crossed darts tied with a knot. This medal, 1½ in. in diameter, framed and glazed, was worn from the button-hole of the uniform, suspended by a claret-coloured blue-edged ribbon from a gold swivel and loop. The names and rank of recipients are inscribed on the edge; it was cut by Pidgeon. The medal illustrated facing page 20 was awarded to Lieut.-Gen. Henry Edward Bunbury, Bart., K.C.B., who was Under Secretary of State for War, 1809-16. It was kindly photographed for use in this book by his grandson, Sir Henry Bunbury, Bart.