'Lieut.-General Sir James Outram's Persian campaign in 1857; comprising general orders and despatches relating to the military operations in Persia, from the landing at Bushire to the treaty of peace; also, selections from his correspondence as commander-in-chief and plenipotentiary during the war in Persia.' [‎31] (50/454)

31
shell; and carrying away large stores of flour, rice, and grain, which
the Persian Government had been collecting for a long time past for
their army, thereby effectually crippling their future operations.
Some of their guns are supposed to have been cast into wells, and as
their wheels and axles fall into our hands, it will be impossible they
can be used again for the present.
At midnight an attack was made upon the rear-guard by the
enemy's horse, and parties threatened the line of march on every side;
the troops were halted, and so formed as to protect the baggage, and
resist the horsemen in whatever direction they might attempt to
charge. Four of the enemy's guns, of heavy metal, opened their fire
upon the column, whilst the darkness of the night prevented any
steps being taken to capture them.
I should here state that, on abandoning the position, Shoojaool-
Moolk with his force had taken the direct road to Shiraz by the
" Mhak Pass," and the Elkhanee with his horse had retired by the one
leading to the " Huft Moola;" and from information subsequently
received, I learned that they had planned a combined attack upon our
camp the night we marched. Indeed the explosion of their large
magazines gave them the first intimation of our departure, when they
hastened after us in the expectation of being able to attack us on the
line of march, and possibly create confusion and panic in the dark.
At daybreak the Persian force, amounting to between 6,000 and
7,000 men, with some guns, was discovered on our left rear (north-east
of our line of march) in order of battle.
Our artillery and cavalry at once moved rapidly to the attack,
supported by two lines of infantry, a third protecting the baggage'
The firing of the artillery was most excellent, and did great execution.
The cavalry brigade twice charged with great gallantry and success.
A standard (of the Kaskhai Regulat Infantry Regiment) was captured
by the Poona Horse; and the 3rd Light Cavalry charged a square and
killed nearly the whole regiment. Indeed, upon the cavalry and
artillery fell the whole brunt of the action, as the enemy moved away
too rapidly for the infantry to overtake them. By 10 o'clock the
defeat of the Persians was complete. Two guns were captured, the
gun ammunition, laden upon mules, fell into our hands, and at least
700 men lay dead upon the field. The number of wounded could not
be ascertained, but it'must have been very large. The remainder fled
in a disorganised state, generally throwing away their arms, which
strewed the field in vast numbers, and nothing but the paucity of onr
cavalry prevented their total destruction and the capture of the
remaining guns.
The troops bivouaced for the day close to the battle-field and
at night accomplished a march of twenty miles (by another route")
over a country rendered almost impassable by the heavy rain which
fell incessantly. After a rest of six hours, the greater portion of the
mfantry continued their march to Bushire, which they reached before
midnight ; thus performing another most arduous march of forty-four
mi es under incessant rain, besides fighting and defeating the enemv
during its progress, within the short period of fifty hours. The
cavalry and artillery reached camp this morning.