General Godwin and Staff having embarked on board the Mahanuddy during the afternoon, that vessel proceeded, and returned to Rangoon at noon this day.

A garrison of 430 men remains at Pegu, 230 Europeans and 200 Sepoys.

The Major-General at first wished the Nerbudda 'to remain at Pegu for a few days, but having subsequently changed his mind, I ordered that vessel to return also, and desired one of the Sphinx's paddle-box boats to remain until further orders.

Mr. Bamadistan, in charge of the Yawl of H. M. S. Winchester, arrived at Pegu, with a convoy of provision boats from Rangoon, on the morning of the 23rd. I have instructed that officer to return to Rangoon with the empty boats as soon as they have been cleared.

I have, &c.,

CHARLES D. A. SHADWELL,
Commander.

Major-General H. Godwin, C.B., Commanding the Forces in Ava, Arracan, and the Tenasserim Provinces, to C. Allen, Esq.

SIR,

Pegu, November 22, 1852. I HAVE the honour to state, for the information of the Governor-General in Council, that Pegu was captured yesterday.

In June last I was induced, by strong representations from various sources, to send a small force to drive out some Burmese from Pegu. We had had some friendly intercourse with the inhabitants of that place, who declared to me that if they were put again in possession of their town they would be able to hold it. There was an

armed party of Taliens at the time from the villages around, who promised their support.

The Burmese were driven out, and the people recovered possession of their town, but, as I feared, they did not hold it a week.

At this time it would have been inconvenient in many ways to have stationed a force there at the commencement of the monsoon.

Since that time I have had various reports of the enemy being in great force at Pegu, and that they had thrown up strong defences on the river, and from it to the Pagoda, within the site of the old city-they became troublesome also to several villages between this and Rangoon.

As the army will shortly be at Prome, with a garrison only at Rangoon, it became imperative to take possession of, and garrison Pegu.

I had determined upon this for some time, and the three small river steamers, with the Mahanuddy, having returned from Prome on the 16th of November, I arranged with Commodore Lambert that the troops should embark on Thursday evening, the 18th, when 300 men of the 1st Bengal Fusiliers, under Lieutenant Colonel Tudor; 300 of the 1st Madras Fusiliers, under Major Hill; 400 men of the 5th Madras N. I., under Major Shubrick; 70 Sappers, with two 24-pounder howitzers and 32 artillerymen, embarked by 7 o'clock, P.M.

This force I placed under the command of Brigadier McNeill, of the Madras Army

I also embarked with my own Staff in the Mahanuddy, for the purpose of accompanying the expedition.

Commander Shadwell, of the Royal Navy, had charge of the Flotilla.

This town is situated åbout 60 miles from Rangoon, on a fine creek called the Pegu River, which

runs into the Rangoon River, just below the town of Rangoon.

We started on Friday morning, the 19th, at day-break, and, in consequence of the shallow water, were obliged to anchor about two miles below Pegu at sunset, on the evening of the 20th.

The troops commenced disembarking at 4 A. M. the next morning, and were all assembled on shore by past 6 o'clock, and when I joined the force at this hour, I found it buried in high grass jungle, and the whole country enveloped in a thick fog.

I was in some degree aware of the position of the enemy, from a plan I had had in my possession for some time, furnished by Captain Latter, he having accompanied the former expedition in June, but not the particulars of it until I saw it on the ground. The site of the old city, wherein the enemy was posted, is formed by a square, surrounded by a high bund, each side of which is presumed to be about two miles in length, the west side facing the river, and the square is surrounded by a wet moat, between 70 and 80 paces wide.

From the south-west angle there is a causeway over the moat, close to, and paralled with, the river. This causeway the enemy had made exceedingly strong by traverses, and breaking it down at various intervals to prevent our advance. On the whole of the south face of the bund, fronting our position, they had bodies of troops stationed, extending for about a mile and quarter.

As the causeway on the right of their position was so narrow that only a file of men could advance along it against their numerous musquetry and local impediments, I abandoned all idea of attacking them there. It was, therefore, determined to force our way along the moat, and to turn the left of their position, on the south face of the square.

Captain Latter, my interpreter, who was with me, had with him a Burmese, who promised to find us a causeway leading into the bund, close to the left of their position. We commenced our advance, the Bengal Fusiliers leading, covered by the Rifle Company of the 5th Madras Native Infantry, and followed by the Madras Fusiliers and 5th Native Infantry, in file, and for two hours was this force, struggling through the almost impenetrable grass and jungle along the outer edge of the moat, and exposed to a very warm fire from the enemy.

We at last reached a part of the moat which admitted of a passage for the troops, and marked by the extreme left of the enemy's position, and where they had a strong post and two guns.

I here directed Colonel Tudor to form a storming party of 150 of his own men, and 100 of the Madras Fusiliers, which the Lieutenant-Colonel led. At the signal given, they crossed the moat through mud and water, and most gallantly stormed the enemy's post. We were now masters of their position.

Our own guns were actively employed under Captain Mallock at the spot from which we first commenced our move, and after some time they were brought up, over almost impassable ground, nearly to the spot where we effected our entrance into the enemy's position, and they were protected by the Grenadiers of the 5th Madras Native Infantry under Captain Wyndham.

After resting the troops for some time, and collecting the wounded men, we again advanced by an excellent path in the direction of the large Pagoda. We suffered no molestation from the enemy, but on approaching the Pagoda, I formed a party for its attack, under Major Hill of the Madras Fusiliers, consisting of 100 of his own regiment, with a similar number of the Bengal

Fusiliers. They advanced up to the steps of the Pagoda, and on ascending received a fire of musquetry, which they soon silenced, and took possession of the place at about one o'clock P.M.

The fatigues of the day were now over, and I am certain that while they lasted no soldiers ever met with more arduous ones, nor ever met the obstacles of such an advance with more cheerful and steady perseverance than did this little band of brave and determined men.

The enemy, by the least computation, could not number less than 5,000 men, evidently headed by people of consideration, by the numerous mounted people, as well as elephants, which were seen retiring by the road to Sitang.

Our loss is not nearly what I apprehended in the morning it might have been, and, considering the difficulties of the ground and exposure to the enemy, I congratulate myself that it is so small.

I have now to ask the Governor-General in Council's consideration of the services performed on this expedition by the officers and men engaged.

To Brigadier Mc Neill, who formed up the force in the morning as it disembarked, and whose indefatigable exertions during the day brought on an exhaustion which occasioned me much distress to witness, and which deprived me of his valuable assistance for a short time.

To Lieutenant-Colonel Tudor, of the Bengal Fusiliers, who led the storming party and carried the enemy's position.

To Major Hill, of the Madras Fusiliers, who led the party which carried the Pagoda.

To Major Shubrick, of the 5th Madras Native Infantry, whose position in the Bentinck, which was considerably in advance of the rest of the Flotilla, called forth his greatest vigilance to pro