December

Decr. 1.
Sunday! — I marched off the Detachment from Lackercote at 6,O'Clock this morning. — Wither about two miles of Dohud, Lieut. Colonel Drummond attended by his staff and several other officers belonging to that Station, came out to meet me; and Lieut. Colonel Drummond being a junior officer, delivered me a Return of the Troops under his command at Dohud.

After a short easy march of Seven miles from Lackercote, arrived at Dohud at half past 8,O'Clock, and Encamped the Detachment close to the Fort of Dohud. —

I Breakfasted with Capt. Hill of the 1st. Bn. of the 4th. Regt. N. Infy. and the other officers of that Corps who had invited the whole of the officers of my Detachment, as well [as] myself to Breakfast with them; Capt. Hill being my old Ship-mate on board the City of London recently from England. —

After Breakfast Lieut. Colonel Drummond delivered me over charge of the Troops, Treasure, and Public Stores & Provisions at the Frontier Station of Dohud; and I accordingly assumed the Command of all the Troops at this Station from this date, announcing in Morning Line Orders to the Troops my having done so. —

The Troops I found at this station consist of the following Corps - vizt. a Small Detachment of European Artillery & Lascars; Two Companies of H.M. 65th. Regt., and the entire of the 1st. Bn. of the 4th. Regt. of N. Infy. Commanded by Lt. Col: Drummond; amounting in all to about 900 Fighting men; - this, and the Detachment I have brought up with me from Baroda, make up a Force of nearly 1300 Fighting men that I now have the honor to Command at Dohud; and where, agreeably to the orders I received from Lieut. Genl. Nicolls previous to my leaving Bombay, I am directed to remain in command till I receive orders from Major [General] Jones to join him in Hindostan; which I find is at present quite impracticable; the whole of the intermediate Country, between this Frontier Station and the Bombay Field Army, being occupied by the enemy, and at present infested and over-run with large Bodies of his Predatory Horse. — I therefore much fear I shall have to remain a long time at Dohud before the Communication becomes open for joining Genl. Jones with so small a Force as can be spared from this Station; - the more especially as the Bombay Field Army have lately moved on from their Monsoon Cantonments at Tonk [?] to join the Grand Army under General Lord Lake; both being now in full Pursuit of Holkar's Army in the northern Parts of Hindostan, and not less than 400 British miles distant from Dohud; but Letters still find their way to and from the Army; and I have written this day by an Express Cossid to Genl. Jones, reporting to him my arrival here - and requesting to be favored with his Instructions for my future conduct and guidance.

The Town and District of Dohud is situated properly in the Province of Malwa, forming the Boundary line between the latter and the Province of Guzerat. It lies in Latd. 22° 55' North, and in 74° 18' East Longitude; being about 350 Miles in a N.N. East direction from Bombay and 92 miles from Baroda, and forming part of Scindia's Territories. The Killidar [sic] of the Fort of Dohud waited upon me in the afternoon at Lt. Col: Drummond's House within the Fort, to be introduced and pay his Compliments on my arrival and succeeding to the command of the Station; he being here as the representative or Military Governor of Scindia.

I rode out in the Evening along with Lt. Col: Drummond to look at proper Ground in Front for Encamping the whole of the Troops on; it being my intention to remove them all out of the Fort in the course of a few days. —

I dined afterwards with Lieut. Colonel Drummond in the Fort. —

Decr. 2.
Monday. — I marched the Baroda Detachment this morning at Day-break from its former ground near the Fort of Dohud to the new Ground I pitched upon and marked out last night for the whole of the Troops to Encamp upon, on a beautiful rising high Ground, about one mile and a half in front and to the northward of the Town and Fort of Dohud; our Right to a large River, and our Left touching a large Tank full of water, the Line of Encampment fronting nearly due North. — On this new Ground the Baroda Detachment arrived and Encamped at 7,O'Clock this morning; and to all appearance this situation must be healthy, and it is certainly a most convenient distance from the Town. — I had all the under and Brush-wood, near the Line of Encampment, cut and cleared away immediately, and also a General Parade made in Front of the Line for the Troops to mount Guard and Exercise on. —

I went into the Fort after Breakfast to return the Mahratta Killidar's Visit of Ceremony, and to give orders respecting the rest of the Troops preparing to march out in a few day[s] to Encamp. —

Decr. 3.
Tuesday. — In my Line Orders of this day, I formed the Two Companies of the 65th. under Capt. Story, and the Detachment of the 86th. Regt. under Capt. Burke, into one Corps under the command of Capt. Story as the Senior officer - and to be in future denominated "The European Detachment Corps". —

In like manner I formed all the small Detachments of Native Corps, belonging to M. Genl. Jones's Army, into one Corps under the command of the senior officer Capt. Broomhall, and to be denominated in future "The Native Detachment Corps." — I have also in the Line Orders of this day pointed out the different parts of the Line of Encampment the several Corps are respectively to occupy on coming to their Ground: - namely - The European Corps in the Center; the 1st. Bn. of the 4th. Regt. N. Infy. on the Right; the Native Detacht. Corps on the Left; and the Detachment of European Artillery & Lascars, commanded by Lieut. Clifton, to be equally divided on the Flanks of the Line, with one Six Pounder on each Flank. —

I have continued Lieut. Betts in his Capacity of Line Adjutant, and have asked him to live with me entirely - which he has agreed to do. —

Decr. 4.
Wednesday. — The Detachment of Artillery and the Two Companies of the 65th. Regt., marched into Camp and took up their Ground in Line this morning at 8,O'Clock. —

I paid a Visit to Scindia's Killedar in the Fort of Dohud this forenoon to request of him to encourage some Bazar-men and Shop-keepers to come out from Town to Establish a Bazar for the use of the Troops in Camp, it not being my wish that they should have any communication with Town, and the Killedar has promised to do so. — The officers of the 65th. and Artillery dined with me today. —

Decr. 5.
Thursday. — I had the officers of the 86th. and those of the Native Detachment Corps to dine with me today. —

Decr. 6.
Friday. — The 1st. Battn. 4th. Regt. N. Infy., Commanded by Lt. Col: Drummond, marched into Camp at 8,O'Clock this morning, and occupied the Ground marked out for them in Line. —

Lieut. Col: Drummond and all his officers dined with me today. —

In the Line Orders of this day, I established stated hours for morning and Evening Parades, Guard Mounting, and regular morning and Evening Drills for all the Corps in Camp. —

Decr. 7.
Friday. — Through the assistance of Lt. Col: Drummond's Battalion Bazar-men, and several useful Shopkeepers from the Town of Dohud, I was this day enabled to Establish a very good Bazar in Camp, for the use of the Troops, including a Baker's and two Butcher's Shops.

I placed the Bazar about 500 Yards in the Rear of the Center of the Line; appointed a Chowdrie or Kutwall, to superintend it; with proper regulations for his guidance, and that of all the Bazarmen; and fixed the hours for the opening and shutting of the Shops. —

Decr. 8.
Sunday. — In the Orders of this day, I announced the several days on which I intended Inspecting the different Corps. — I also ordered out the Public Cattle from the neighbourhood of the Town, to be stationed in future in the vicinity of the Camp, but at some distance in the Rear of it near the River; and directed Lieut. Page who is in charge of all the Public Departments at Dohud, to remove from Town to Camp, in order to observe and see that the Public Cattle are taken proper care of by their Keepers; as well as to superintend the issuing of Provisions to the Troops.

The Bhoza [?] Cast of Merchants in the Town of Dohud having sent me a written Complaint against the Killedar, whom they accuse of extorting from them enormous and exhorbitant Duties and Taxes, and that he has shut up their Shops till they pay him; - I went in this forenoon, accompanied by Lt. Col: Drummond, to visit the Killedar and to remonstrate strongly with him on the impropriety and injustice of such conduct. The result of the Conference was an immediate order to open all the Bhozas Shops - and a promise not to molest them in future.

Decr. 12.
Thursday. — I inspected the 1st. Battn. of the 4th. Regt. of Native Infantry Commanded by Lt. Col: Drummond, this afternoon on their own Parade, I was upon the whole pretty well satisfied with their appearance, but the men require a great deal of Drilling.

Decr. 13.
Friday. — I inspected the Artillery and Lascars attached, commanded by Lieut. Clifton; and also the European Detachmt. Corps Commanded by Capt. Story. — The men made a good clean appearance under Arms - but all far behind in their Discipline. — I ordered them to be marched and Exercised in small Squads till further orders every morning and Evening. —

Decr. 14.
Saturday. — I this afternoon Inspected the Native Detachment Corps under the Command of Capt. Broomhall, and found them in very bad order both in point of Dress and Discipline. I therefore ordered a very strict and constant Drill for this Corps for two hours in the morning and the same in the Evening, in small Squads, and under the superintendance of the Adjutant. —

Decr. 15.
Sunday. — I wrote and sent off by this day's Post, a Report to Genl. Nicolls the Commander in Chief at Bombay, of the number and state of discipline of all the Troops now under my command at Dohud. —

Decr. 23.
Monday! — I paid a Visit to the Killedar at his own Durbar in the Fort of Dohud this forenoon on business. — The Detachment of Native Troops commanded by a Jemidar lately stationed at Surkeira [?] arrived from thence this day in Camp.— They were attacked on the Road, near Godra [?] by a large Party of armed Bheel Banditti, and had one Havildar killed and 5 Sepoys badly wounded, during the attack made upon them.

At 3.P.M. An Express Cossid arrived in Camp from that of the Bombay Field Army then at Luddarak: [?] that is on the 12th. Instant. — By this Express I received a Letter from Major Genl. Jones of the foregoing date, in reply to my Letter to him from Baroda of the 19th. of November, and informing me that it has now become entirely unnecessary my joining him with the Detachment from Dohud, being now on his march back to the Guzerat with the Bombay Field Army; — the Co-operation of which with the Grand Army, in the reduction of Holkar, being no longer necessary, Genl. Jones had lately received orders from Genl. Lord Lake to return immediately to Guzerat with the Bombay Field Army - That in pursuance of these orders he is now on his march back to Guzerat, and hopes to arrive at Dohud by the 15th. of next month. —

In consequence of this very unexpected intelligence, as well as the current report that now prevails of the intention of the Supreme Government to conclude a Peace with Holkar on the terms he has lately offered through his Vakeels; I shall now relinquish all idea of advancing farther to join the Bombay Army.

Decr. 25.
Wednesday. — Lieut. Nicholson 86th., Paymr. Irwin of the 65th. Regt. - and Asst. Surgeon Thomas, with a Detachment of Recovered men from Baroda, arrived this forenoon in Camp. —

Source
Macquarie, Lachlan. Journal No. 6 July 1804 - 16 March 1807.
Original held in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
ML Ref: A770 pp.288-309. [Microfilm Reel CY300 Frames #386-#396].