Wearing British clothes as a second-generation aristocrat

60. The Argan Campaign 1

The British troops rested for a full month after the Battle of Assaya.

Under the implementation of Dugan's new hygiene standards, the field hospitals of the entire army were completely reformed. Clean and well-ventilated wards, equipment sterilized by boiling water, and environments that were regularly disinfected, combined with Indian herbal medicine, led to a precipitous drop in the non-combat infection mortality rate of the entire army.

The horrific conditions of persistent high fever, festering wounds, and sudden death from septicemia, which were common after the war, were greatly reduced, and the recovery speed of British wounded soldiers was far faster than before.

Even Wellesley publicly remarked in a letter to his brother (the Governor-General of India) that this new set of health and medical treatment laws alone would be enough to increase the army's sustained combat capability by more than 30%.

As for Chief Physician Maxim Donmini, he was completely immersed in his research, spending his days collecting transparent glass materials and polishing lenses day and night, single-mindedly replicating Hooke's ultra-high magnification microscope. He had long since stopped bothering Dugan with questions about the principles of microscopic medicine, only hoping to create the magic mirror himself and see the legendary "tiny living bacteria" with his own eyes.

The arrival of 12 large-caliber artillery pieces in Dugan's 108th Infantry Regiment made Dugan re-evaluate Captain Chrysler.

All twelve captured French cannons and howitzers were calibrated and reorganized into a complete regimental artillery battalion, under the full command of Captain Chrysler, who was an artilleryman.

To Chrysler, these twelve exquisite French cannons were not merely cold, hard metal objects, but rather twelve unparalleled beauties belonging solely to him.

During the month of rest, he personally led the team to polish the gun barrels day and night, calibrate the gun distance, practice loading and rapid firing, and conduct a full set of tactics for attacking enemy positions with curved firing. With extreme obsession and preference, he named all twelve French cannons after beautiful women.

From the gentle and charming Lily, Anna, Sophie, and Isabella, to the cold and sharp Victoria, Catherine, and Elizabeth, twelve cannons and twelve women of different styles are all his devoted lovers.

He meticulously cleaned and maintained every cannon, never allowing anyone to bump or damage it. Even a speck of dust on the cannon would cause him heartache for a long time.

Dugan once even saw Chrysler hugging a cannon, his whole body pressed against it, and constantly stroking the cannon with his hands, just like he had when he was caressing Milissa's breasts.

Dugan felt goosebumps rising on his skin.

However, under Captain Chrysler's rigorous training, the skills of the artillery battalion soldiers of the 108th Infantry Regiment improved at a visible rate.

During his rest period, Dugan received a letter from his brother Megan.

In her letter, Megan said that her father, who was far away in London, knew about Dugan's affairs in India and was now very happy, feeling it was time for Dugan to return to London.

In her letter, Megan also said that her mother, Maria, had found several suitable aristocratic ladies for Dugan and urged him to return to London to get married and have children.

However, Dugan is no longer in a hurry to return to London.

When he first arrived in India, Dugan thought that if he could achieve something there, he could return to London sooner.

But now, Dugan feels quite good in India.

Especially after winning several battles, Dugan felt a great sense of accomplishment and found the extravagant and decadent life in London less interesting than the battlefields of India.

"In London, you can only indulge in debauchery, but in India, you can fight a war and continue indulging in debauchery." Dugan found a reason for himself and wrote it in his reply to Megan with great confidence.

When Dugan heard Megan mention that her family had arranged a marriage, he suddenly thought of Miss Catalina, whom he had only met once.

So, almost as if possessed, Dugan wrote in the letter that he wanted to help inquire about Miss Catalina's current situation.

Finally, in his letter to his brother Megan, Dugan replied that he was now a colonel and would at least strive to become a major general before returning to London.

After the Battle of Assaya, Wellesley always believed that he had not completely defeated Cynthia and Bornsler.

Similarly, Cindia and Bornsler also believed that the Battle of Assaye was just a minor defeat and did not seriously damage them.

With Sindia's stronghold intact and Bornsler's fresh forces well preserved, the two remaining forces retreated westward, gathering defeated soldiers, recruiting civilians, and repairing fortifications along the way. They remained entrenched in the plains of central and western India, ready to launch a counterattack at any time, threatening British supply lines and colonial outposts.

Therefore, Wellesley decided to continue the pursuit and completely destroy the enemy.

British troops broke camp and set up camp, and the long red dragon once again galloped across the Indian wilderness.

Cavalry led the way, artillery followed in the center, infantry brought up the rear, and supply trains trailed behind. The formation was well-organized, and the advance and retreat were orderly. They steadily advanced towards the direction where the remnants of the Maratha forces were entrenched.

The next fifteen days will be a massive maneuvering exercise that will put endurance and tactics to the ultimate test.

The Maratha coalition knew that it had no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation with the elite British forces, so it relied on the terrain advantage of its homeland to constantly maneuver, retreat, flank, and feign retreat.

They would sometimes advance rapidly to try to cut off the British army's supply lines, sometimes retreat quickly to avoid the British army's sharp edge, and sometimes split up their forces to roam around and lure the British army into pursuing them, making the most of their guerrilla tactics.

Wellesley responded calmly, not rushing into a decisive battle or blindly dividing his forces. He kept his main force together, steadily compressing the enemy's operational space and gradually crushing the Marathas's mobility advantage with a strong and aggressive advance.

After fifteen days of back-and-forth, roundabout back-and-forth, both sides were exhausted, yet remained on edge, unwilling to reveal the slightest weakness.

Finally, the inevitable decisive battle officially began on the vast Argan Plain.

The Argan Plain is open and boundless, without high mountains or dense forests, making it a pure battlefield for open-field combat.

There are no villages to rely on here, no fortifications to protect us. This is destined to be a fair and square, head-on battle between the main forces. Troop strength, formation, firepower, and morale will determine the final outcome.

The morning mist slowly dissipated, and sunlight bathed the entire field.

On the distant horizon, dark shadows stretched endlessly, layer upon layer.

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. The two princes, Cindia and Bornsler, poured all their remaining resources into a single force, assembling a massive allied army.

The Marathas army consisted of 25000 cavalry and 15000 infantry.

Among them were two mercenary groups: one was a force of 1500 elite Arab mercenaries commanded by Manu Bap; the other was a German mercenary group led by the Mughal ruler Falzana.

Farzana, also known as Begum Samru, was the wife of Walter Reinhardt, a mercenary leader from Germany. After her husband's death, Farzana inherited his territory and army.

In the Battle of Assaye, facing the British army led by the renowned Arthur Wellsley, Falzana's men nearly annihilated the entire 74th Hill Infantry Regiment. They also successfully halted the British light cavalry charge, allowing their retreating Maratha allies to withdraw from the battlefield.

Sindia and Bornsler also gathered and integrated the remaining heavy firepower of the entire army, a total of fifty-six French artillery pieces of various types, including heavy field cannons and long-range howitzers, covering both near and far battlefields. They poured all their resources into turning the tide, betting the fate of the nation on this decisive battle in the Arkansas.

The Maratha coalition was the first to complete its formation, with layers upon layers of infantry lines densely packed in the center, forming a thick, wall-like formation. On both flanks, eight thousand heavy cavalry were spread out, ready to infiltrate, attack, and outflank at any time.

Fifty-six French cannons were positioned along the front line, their muzzles all aimed at the advancing British troops, creating a powerful sense of pressure.

Shortly after, the main British forces arrived on the battlefield.

Wellesley's main force in this battle consisted of only 11,000 regular British infantry, 1,200 cavalry, and a small number of auxiliary supply troops, totaling less than 13,000 men, putting him at a significant disadvantage in terms of numbers.

However, their advantage lies in the fact that all of them are seasoned veterans, have strict military discipline, and their combat skills far surpass those of the indigenous coalition forces.

Stevenson's forces stabilized the left flank on the northern front, while the remnants of Orak's forces held the central position. Wellesley placed Dugan's 108th Infantry Regiment in the right flank salient.

After fifteen days of maneuvering and stalemate, everyone was filled with resentment, and all the probing, maneuvering, infiltration, and luring of the enemy had come to an end.