Wellington, soldier and statesman, and the revival of the military power of England . of his best the summer of 1804, Lake, a very able but some-what incautious chief, had moved forward ColonelMonson with 4000 or 5000 men, to a greatdistance beyond the main army; and Monson hadpushed forward outside the positions he had beendirected to hold in the lands of Malwa. Holkarinstantly prepared to cut his enemy off; he reachedthe Chambal, no doubt, in immensely superiornumbers; and had Monson attacked like Wellesleyat Assaye — and certainly he had a better chance —he might have plucked
Wellington, soldier and statesman, and the revival of the military power of England . of his best the summer of 1804, Lake, a very able but some-what incautious chief, had moved forward ColonelMonson with 4000 or 5000 men, to a greatdistance beyond the main army; and Monson hadpushed forward outside the positions he had beendirected to hold in the lands of Malwa. Holkarinstantly prepared to cut his enemy off; he reachedthe Chambal, no doubt, in immensely superiornumbers; and had Monson attacked like Wellesleyat Assaye — and certainly he had a better chance —he might have plucked safety, nay, a brilliant tri-umph, out of danger: most unhappily he fell backbefore his antagonist; one of the most calamitousof retreats followed ; the small British division wasall but cut to pieces and ruined in a march of hun-dreds of miles; a mere shattered wreck drifted underthe walls of Agra. The comment of Wellesley wasbrief but decisive: These are woful examples ofthe risk to be incurred by advancing too far withoutcompetent supplies, and of the danger of attempting. Career in India 39 to retreat before such an army as Holkars. Hewould have done much better to attack Holkar atonce, and he would probably have put an end to Wellesley did not attempt to pursue the defeatedarmy ; we may, perhaps, see here one of his pecu-liarities in war ; his were not the lightning strokes ofNapoleon, in annihilating an enemy beaten in thefield. But he successfully closed a very brilliantcampaign. Stevenson, having joined him afterAssaye, was despatched to overrun Scindiahscountry ; he captured two of the Princes strong-holds ; negotiations ensued, but they came to no-thing. Wellesley and Stevenson having come intoline, they now advanced northwards, and met thehostile forces drawn up around the petty town ofArgaum, still greatly superior in numbers. TheBritish General was now at the head of 18,000 men;he made his arrangements for an immediate attack;the result of the battle
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