for ever. This instance, with something of historical interest to recommend it, will prove sufficiently, what hundreds more might be drawn from the privacies of life to attest, that the kindliest sympathies in him warmed the same breast, which could be steeled by fixedness of purpose, and that hardihood of soul which despises toil and danger. In now concluding, I have to state my conviction, that the facts related or referred to in depicting the subject of this sketch will be found substantially correct. Relying solely on the unalterable evidence which they afford, and suppressing the voice of partial regard, I shall be authorized to pronounce Ochterlony in the naked excellence of his character, divested of the drapery of titles and station, to have been a man who derived his highest nobility from nature, and earned, by his public services, a conspicuous place among the distinguished British officers who have extended the dominion, and upheld the true glory of their country in Asia. 230 MEMORIALS OF NEPAUL. CHAPTER VI. FORMATION AND SERVICES OF THE SIRMOOR IN the year 1815, four battalions were formed from the disbanded Nepaulese troops, each corps consisting of ten companies of one soobadar, four jumadars, eight havildars, eight naiks, two buglers, and a hundred and twenty sepoys each. The Sirmoor battalion was formed at Nahan under its present gallant commander, then Licutenant Young; two others, designated the first and second Nusseerce, at Sabathoo, under Lieutenants Ross and M'Hargie respectively; and the fourth was raised at Kumaon from the troops who came over to Colonel Nicols at the close of the campaign. The Sirmoor battalion had not been embodied six months when it was reported by its zealous commandant, " fit for active service;" it was immediately directed to join the force forming at Sectapore, to invade the pass into Nepaul. The corps moved at once, and had reached Moradabad when the army was suddenly broken up, and the battalion returned to Deyrah, which was selected as their future. cantonment in preference to the former post. of Nahan. Scarcely, however, had temporary huts been erected, when the army at Sectapore was again formed under Colonel Nicols. The corps marched at a moment's warning, pushed across the Ganges below Hurdwar, and joined the rendezvous by rapid marches. The battalion was on its arrival received by Colonel Nicols, highly complimented, and reported by him to be "the only corps with the army properly equipped for Hill-service." Their ammunition was packed in portable boxes, pre 232 MEMORIALS OF NEPAUL. pared for the purpose by Lieutenant Young, and transported on the backs of hill Klashies or Peepawallahs, recruited for the purpose, and permanently attached to the corps. The Goorkhas were clothed in their mountain costume, and were unincumbered with tents of any description, nor, indeed, did they require them, for in a wooded country, such as they were about to invade, the Rhokerees by their sides would have provided a comfortable shelter in ten minutes, and they had been too long accustomed to bivouac on their native mountains, under the open canopy of Heaven, to feel the absence of camp equipage as a deprivation. Notwithstanding the praises of Colonel Nicols, he intimated that "he could not trust" the little Highlanders, as it was not natural to suppose that they would so soon fight against their brethren of Nepaul. Their commander smiled at the idea, feeling the utmost confidence in his men, and longing to prove to the gallant colonel, that the Goorkhas were soldiers of fortune, who would fight faithfully and bravely for their employers: unfortunately The successes of Sir they were not tried. David Ochterlony brought on peace with the Nepaulese; and the corps once more returned to Deyrah, and remained till 1818, when the 2nd Nusseeree battalion was ordered to join the army forming under Sir David Ochterlony at Kurnaul. It was, however, ascertained that the corps was not in a sufficiently good state of discipline; and Captain Young immediately solicited and obtained permission for the employment of his battalion in their stead, before (to use his own expression) "the spirit of the corps evaporated." Accordingly, in the month of October, 1818, the Sirmoor battalion, joined, by forced marches, the reserve of the grand army at Goorgong, and served under Sir David the whole of the Mahratta campaign, which closed, on the part of this force, with the taking of Jumshed's gun at Sambertoke, after three days' forced marching under General Knox. Shortly afterwards, three hundred guns |