GOP
583
about fourteen miles west from Neemkar. Captain HoUings made his arrangements to surprise this party and on the evening of the 3rd of July 1841, he marched from Neemkar at the head of three companies of that battalion, and a little before midnight he came within three quarters of a mile of the rebel's post. After halting his party for a short time to enable the officers and sipahees to throw off all superfluous clothing and utensils, Captain HoUings moved on to the attack. When the advanced guard reached the outskirts of the robber's position about midnight, they were first challenged and then fired upon by the sentries. The subadar in command of this advance guard fell dead, and a non-commissioned officer and a sipahee were severely wounded.
" The whole party now fired in upon the gang and rushed on. One of the robbers was shot, and the rest all escaped out on the opposite side of the jungle. The sipahees believing, since the surprise had been complete, that the robbers must have left all their wealth behind them, dispersed, as soon as the firing ceased and the robbers disappeared, to get every man as much as he could. While thus engaged they were surrounded by the Gohar (or body auxiliaries which these landholders send to each other's aid on the concerted signal) and fired in upon from the front, and both right and left flanks. Taken by surprise, they collected together in disorder, while the assailants from the front and sides continued to pour in their fire upon them; and they were obliged to retire in haste and confusion, closely followed by the auxiliaries, who gained confidence, and pressed closer as their number increased by the quotas they received from the villages the detachment had to pass in their retreat.
"All efforts on the part of Captain HoUings to preserve order in the ranks were vain. His men returned the fire of their pursuers, but without aim or effect. At the head of the auxiliaries were Punchum Sing of Ahroree and Mirza Akbar Beg of Deureea; and they were fast closing in upon the party, and might have destroyed it, when Girwur Sing tomandar, came up with a detachment of the special police of the thuggee and dacoity department. At this time the three companies were altogether disorganized and disheartened, as the firing and pursuit had lasted from midnight to daybreak; but on seeing the Special Police come up and join with spirit in the defence, they rallied, and the assailants, thinking the reinforcement more formidable thaa it really was, lost confidence and held back. Captain HoUings mounted the fresh horse of the tomandar, and led his detachment without further loss or molestation back to Neemkar. His loss had been one subadar, one havUdar, and three sipahees kiUed; one subadar two havildars, one naik, and fourteen sipahees wounded and missing. Captain HoUing's groom was shot dead, and one of his palankeenbearers was wounded. His horse, palankeen, desk, clothes, and all the superfluous clothing and utensUs, which the sipahees had thrown Attempts off preparatory to the attack feU into the hands of the assailants. were made to take up and carry off the kUled and wounded; but the detachment was so sorely pressed that they were obliged to leave both on the ground. The loss would have been much greater than it was but for the darkness of the night, which prevented the assailants from taking good aim; and the detachment would, in all probability, have been cut to pieces, but for the timely arrival of the Special Police under Girwur Sing.,
