Somehow, in the hurry and confusion of this struggle, the oyster
remained with the British Government, who had so kindly offered to dress
it for the Emperor, while his Majesty was obliged to be contented with
the shell.

The force encamped at Kanouge bore the title of the Grand Army of the
Ganges and the Jumna; it consisted of eleven regiments of cavalry and
twelve battalions of infantry, and was commanded by General Lake in
person.

Well, on the 1st of September we stormed Perron's camp at Allyghur;
on the fourth we took that fortress by assault; and as my name
was mentioned in general orders, I may as well quote the
Commander-in-Chief's words regarding me--they will spare me the trouble
of composing my own eulogium:--

"The Commander-in-Chief is proud thus publicly to declare his high sense
of the gallantry of Lieutenant Gahagan, of the ---- cavalry. In the
storming of the fortress, although unprovided with a single ladder,
and accompanied but by a few brave men, Lieutenant Gahagan succeeded in
escalading the inner and fourteenth wall of the place. Fourteen ditches
lined with sword-blades and poisoned chevaux-de-frise, fourteen walls
bristling with innumerable artillery and as smooth as looking-glasses,
were in turn triumphantly passed by that enterprising officer. His
course was to be traced by the heaps of slaughtered enemies lying thick
upon the platforms; and alas! by the corpses of most of the gallant
men who followed him!--when at length he effected his lodgment, and the
dastardly enemy, who dared not to confront him with arms, let loose
upon him the tigers and lions of Scindiah's menagerie. This meritorious
officer destroyed, with his own hand, four of the largest and most
ferocious animals, and the rest, awed by the indomitable majesty of
BRITISH VALOR, shrank back to their dens. Thomas Higgory, a private,
and Runty Goss, havildar, were the only two who remained out of the nine
hundred who followed Lieutenant Gahagan. Honor to them! honor and tears
for the brave men who perished on that awful day!"

*****

I have copied this, word for word, from the Bengal Hurkaru of September
24, 1803: and anybody who has the slightest doubt as to the statement,
may refer to the paper itself.

And here I must pause to give thanks to Fortune, which so marvellously
preserved me, Sergeant-Major Higgory, and Runty Goss. Were I to say that
any valor of ours had carried us unhurt through this tremendous
combat, the reader w