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had received orders to proceed in advance, and cut off the retreat of Captain Smith, most unaccountably loft his road, and the foldiers being fatigued, did not come up with their colours; with the only battalion that remained Mr. Thomas, on reaching the rear of Captain Smith's line of march, commenced the attack. tain, Smith in order to cover the retreat of his artillery and baggage, drew up to receive Mr. Thomas, and after a flight cannonade continued his route; at this time Mr. Thomas's fecond regiment made its appearance, of which, from the caufes before ftated, not more than seventy men had yet come up, and they advancing incautiously into a field of joar* on the right, without having previously reconnoitred, were fuddenly attacked by a battalion of the enemy; his men being fo few in number made but a feeble refiftance, and before they had time to unlimber, the enemy took poffeffion of four of their guns,

Mr. Thomas hearing of this 'difafter, immediately advanced to the relief of his troops; he

* A grain very common in India.

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was attended on this occafion by Afalut Khawn, a native officer, formerly in the service of the Eaft India Company; they charged the enemy with vigour fword in hand, and after a fevere conflict, in which the commandant of the enemy was taken prifoner, gave them a complete defeat.

Mr. Thomas's men, thinned in their numbers, and exhaufted with fatigue, were unable to continue the purfuit; he fent his cavalry however after the fugitives, who picked up feveral ftands of colours and fmall arms, which had been thrown away in the retreat.

In this encounter the enemy loft feven hundred men, while that of Mr. Thomas did not exceed one hundred; and had it not been for the foldier-like precautions taken by Captain Smith in fending forward his artillery and baggage, while he made head against Mr. Thomas with his infantry, the whole would inevitably have been captured; as it was, he loft the greater part of his ammunition and baggage.

Captain Smith on his defeat returned to Jyjur, and Mr. Thomas pitched his camp about two miles distant from that place.

In the morning he was preparing for a fecond attack, when his hircarrahs, who had been on the look-out, brought intelligence of the approach of Mr. Lewis from an opposite direction, and his own troops being not only fatigued, but many of them dispersed in search of plunder, he did not think it advisable at that time to hazard an engagement.

Mr. Thomas now returned to George Ghur, but had scarcely reached that place when he received intelligence of Mr. Perron's army having arrived at Byree, three cofs from his own encampment.

On the enfuing morning the enemy prepared to attack him. His fituation was at this time critical; the battalions who had before retreated from George Ghur now came back, and took poft within cannon fhot to the eastward of his encampment; the force under Mr. Lewis was ftationed to the fouth-west;

while the enemy's numerous cavalry attacked him in front.

About four o'clock in the afternoon the action commenced by a heavy cannonade on both fides; the motions of the enemy had induced Mr. Thomas to divide his army according to the ground he occupied, the advantage of which, allowing for the quality of the troops, was much in his favor; but his battalions not being accustomed to be expofed to a cannonade, he drew up his army on a loose fand; which thereby deadened the shot and prevented their rifing after the first graze.

His force confifted of ten battalions of infantry, fifty pieces of cannon, fix hundred Rohillas, and about five hundred cavalry, not exceeding in the aggregate five thousand men; of which number only four thousand could be brought into action.

Of this force five battalions were oppofed to Mr. Lewis, two were affigned for the batta lions oppofite the centre of his line, and three to fuftain the shock of the enemy's horse. On

the commencement of the action Mr. Lewis's divifion came on brifkly, having their guns at the drag ropes; Mr. Thomas, by a rapid dif charge of round and grape fhot from his artillery, at first threw them into confufion, and had he been able at this moment to prevent his troops from giving way, would have entirely defeated the enemy; but the centre of his line at this time being hard preffed by the enemy's cavalry, gave way, and no effort could prevent the remainder from following their example.

This rendered an immediate and spirited ad vance neceffary to fupport. For this purpose Mr. Thomas ordered Mr. Hopkins, with the right wing, and Mr. Birch with the left, to advance and charge with bayonets in their refpective wings; which fervice they performed with no lefs gallantry than fuccefs..

The enemy halted, and began to retreat; but a heavy fire being still continued from their numerous and well-ferved artillery, Mr. Thomas's people fell in great numbers, which the enemy's cavalry perceiving charged a fecond time.

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