14 June 1824 Calcutta HG SRa Cover

14 June 1824

HJ EDDISON STAMPS & POSTAL HISTORY Global Classics, Rarities & Specialised Collections=TRANSCRIPTION OF THE LETTER: Rangoon, 14 th June 1824Sender: J. Anderson[Page 1] My dear Alexander,I write you a hurried letter a fortnight ago detailing a few of our operations before our arrival here — I shall now give a few more. about 10 days ago when the whole force went out in different directions against stockades one our Corps & 2 companies of the [13 th & 38 th?] went out and it was abandoned after firing a few shot at some canoes. we returned with nearly all the Europeans in dhoolies mostly knocked up. we never had such a march in all my life.The other party of Madras Europeans & Native troops were more fortunate. they fell in with 3 stockades & after a good deal of trouble they took 2 but the 3 d [being strong?] & their ammunition being nearly expended they re-turned to the lines — they lost 6 or 8 men killed & 20 or 30 wounded — two officers were also wounded. — And as Sir Arch Campbell determined to give them a treat of the 18 prs so three days ago almost all the force went out[Page 2] with two 18 prs & 4 mortars — however on getting to the large stockade they left it & took a panic. kind of a breach was soon made, a storming party of the 41 st & M [Madras European] Regiment was ordered to advance which they did gallantly soon in the crack they lost a very few, I think only two men but a great number with the sharp bamboos and small craw taes [caltrops] nearly as sharp as a lance were wounded in the feet. they killed 163 an ugly sight to see them.. two officers were wounded.Major Chambers 41 st through the mouth with a spear the Burmese strode like statues and were butchered people say they are brave but i think it rather infatuating as if they do not give in the blockade their heads are taken off afterwards and all we [went?] to the large one and got the Batteries but it was too late to do much that night. in the morning [at?] 10 commenced the shot and shells for 2 hours — when we were all drawn up around to kill and wound as the orders were for no quarter — however they were[Page 3] so funked by our few shot the night before that unknown to us they decamped about 3 o clock in the morning — only one poor wretch was found in the stockade who expired on the trail of the gun I was busy in [firing/surveying?] and think sheer fear he might have taken poison of [some sort?] I did not I may safely say change clothes for three days and a more unpleasant task I never had, an evening down pour of rain all night — however my nerves have not suffered so much as the officers who went in next morning into thea slight fever which we have had two — to day 4 of our companies just returned after burning one of the stockades so [noble?] that we knew nothing about — it was deserted looking as 6 companies went with them other two have gone up the river the water [enticing?] them are lots of stockades thus far we are — we are collecting boats with all dispatch to go up