Wearing British clothes as a second-generation aristocrat

Amidst the booming cannon fire and billowing smoke, the British troops gradually approached the village of Assaye.

The village's outline became clearer amidst the smoke of battle, with mud walls and thatched roofs forming a natural defensive barrier, and forty cannons mounted on the earthen slope and walls at the village entrance.

Duggan led the 108th Infantry Regiment in a breakthrough from the south, Stevenson's troops launched an offensive on the north flank, and the remnants of Orak's forces regrouped in the center. The three British forces cooperated with each other and launched a fierce attack on the village of Assaye. Shouts of battle, gunfire, and artillery fire mingled together, shaking the earth slightly.

But they soon discovered that this seemingly ordinary village had already been transformed into an impregnable fortress.

Commanding the Maratha garrison in the village was Ghadorn Rao, the most trusted prime minister of the Maharaja of Cindia, and Chuck Garrison, a retired British artillery lieutenant colonel hired by the Maharaja of Cindia at great expense.

Chuck Garrison was an expert in artillery tactics and familiar with the British offensive patterns, maximizing the artillery combat effectiveness of the Maratha defenders.

At this moment, Chuck Garrison, dressed in Maratha noble attire, stood atop the highest earthen fort at the edge of the village, his binoculars fixed on the approaching British troops.

He served in the British artillery for over twenty years, participating in countless colonial wars, and was intimately familiar with the British army's phalanx tactics and charge rhythm.

Moreover, the British army now lacks cover in open areas, and once suppressed by artillery fire, it will be difficult to launch an effective offensive.

"Maintain the rate of fire of the artillery and concentrate fire on the flanks of the British charging formation!" Chuck shouted the order to the messenger beside him.

"Infantry should establish a defensive line using the perimeter wall as cover, and are strictly prohibited from launching attacks without authorization. Wait until the British are within rifle range before unleashing a volley!"

He knew that the British army's advantage lay in its discipline and rapid advance, while the Maratha defenders' advantage lay in their reliance on village defenses and their superior artillery firepower.

Chuck believed that in open field battles, no one in the world could defeat the British army.

Only by holding our ground and remaining calm can we firmly suppress the British offensive.

Under Chuck's command, the Maratha garrison deployed its defenses in an orderly manner.

Forty cannons bombarded the British troops in turn, solid shells whistling as they crashed into the charging British ranks, while grapeshot exploded in front of the British lines, dense shrapnel falling like raindrops, sweeping down swathes of soldiers at the forefront.

Outside the village, the Marathas had long since erected breastworks. Maratha infantrymen, hiding behind the breastworks, held rifles and, relying on the crenellations, aimed down at the British troops from their elevated positions.

Whenever the British troops approached, a dense volley of fire would erupt, bullets raining down on them like locusts, claiming one life after another.

Dugan wasn't as fierce as Orak. Although he also advanced with his infantry, he was positioned relatively far back.

He could only judge the casualties of his troops by the speed at which the soldiers in the back row moved forward to fill in.

The closer they got to the village, the more frequently the soldiers were replaced in the back row, indicating that casualties were constantly increasing.

"Charge! Charge forward!"

Dugan ordered his troops to speed up their advance in an attempt to break through the Maratha's artillery barrage, but every meter they advanced came at a heavy price.

"Concentrate fire to suppress the artillery positions at the edge of the village!" Dugan ordered a messenger to relay the command to Captain Kleisker, instructing him to provide suppressive fire.

"Have the Indian soldiers maneuver to the gap on the south side of the village and seize the opportunity to break through the wall!"

Upon receiving the order, the artillery of the 108th Infantry Regiment quickly launched a counterattack, with shells flying toward the Marata artillery position at the edge of the village.

Chuck had anticipated this move by the British and had adjusted the deployment of his artillery positions in advance. Most of the British shells landed on open ground and did not pose a significant threat to the Maratha artillery.

The Indian soldiers who circled around to the gap on the south side of the village were met with fierce fire from the Maratha garrison as soon as they approached the wall, suffering heavy casualties and having to retreat temporarily.

Stevenson's troops were also in trouble. He led his old men in a desperate charge to try to rescue the remnants of the besieged 74th Infantry Regiment, but the Maratha artillery fire was like an impenetrable wall, blocking their way.

Colonel Orak, in the center, had long lost his initial stubbornness and arrogance. His troops had suffered more than half their casualties, their charging formation was in disarray, and the soldiers were all filled with fear, having lost the momentum they had shown when they attacked.

Astride his warhorse, Orak looked at the horrific battle before him, filled with regret. If he had listened to Dugan and Stevenson's advice and hadn't attacked rashly, such heavy casualties wouldn't have occurred.

But now there was no turning back, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and order his troops to hold their ground and wait for a turn of events.

The fierce battle lasted for more than half an hour. The British launched several assaults, but were unable to break through the Maratha's defenses.

When Dugan's troops advanced to within 100 yards of the village of Asaya, the Maratha artillery fire intensified, and the infantry volleys became increasingly dense.

British soldiers were pinned down in this open area, unable to advance or retreat. They could only lie on the ground, using the mud as cover to barely avoid artillery fire and bullets. The battle had completely reached a stalemate.

"Retreat!" After some deliberation, Dugan gave the order to retreat, and also sent messengers to inform Olak and Stevenson of his retreat.

Upon learning that Dugan was going to retreat, Orak took advantage of the reason that his allies were retreating and also issued a retreat order.

Upon receiving the news, Stevenson naturally retreated immediately.

The first round of fighting in Asaye village, which lasted for more than half an hour, ended with the British army leaving behind hundreds of corpses.

On the earthen fort at the edge of the village, Chuck Garrison put down his binoculars, a smug smile on his face.

He said to Gadonn Rao, "Your Excellency, the British army has fallen into our trap. Their advance has been completely halted, and their casualties are mounting. It won't be long before they collapse completely. If we hold out for a little longer until General Bornsler's reinforcements arrive, we will surely annihilate all of these British troops."

Gadorn Raoh raised his head slightly, his face still solemn: "Even so, we cannot carry them. We must have the soldiers hold their ground and not slacken in the slightest. We must hold out until reinforcements arrive."

Upon returning to the camp, Dugan immediately sent men to invite Olac and Stevenson.

The three men lay down behind a sloping hill and observed Asaye through binoculars.

"This open area is very disadvantageous for us," Dugan said.

Colonel Orak, somewhat impatient, interrupted rudely, saying, "Colonel Dugan, tell us something we don't know!"

Dugan pointed ahead and said, "From this open area, our charge towards Asayer is at least 500 yards, enough for the Marathas to bombard us several times. What if we could shorten that distance?"

"Good idea, maybe we can put wings on our butts," Olak interjected again.

Dugan couldn't hold back any longer and said to Olak, "Colonel Olak, I admire your courage, but if you continue to interrupt me so rudely, I'd be happy to watch you and your men die in the next attack!"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Olak made an apologetic expression.

Stevenson then asked, "How can we shorten this attack distance?"

"Dig trenches!" Dugan pointed to the open area in front of Asaye village and said, "It looks like this open area used to be a riverbed, but it dried up during the dry season. We'll advance by digging trenches, making it harder for the Marathas' cannons and rifles to hit us."