१८५७ का स्वातन्त्र्य समर (वीर विनायक दामोदर सावरकर - अंग्रेजों द्वारा छपने से पूर्व प्रतिबन्धित महाग्रन्थ)

TEMPORARY PACIFICATION
just, with infinite difficulty, ascended a hill with his army,
when he saw Tatia just descending on the other side.
But the English army was so tired that it could hardly
go forth a step further. So it rested for a while ; Tatia
took advantage of it and continued his march. He was
not tired ! The next day, Mitchell recommenced the pur-
suit and at last came upon Tatia. The Revolutionaries
were in their turn tired of the marches and prepared to
give battle. They numbered at the time about five thou-
sand and had about thirty guns. But the most wonderful
thing is that, as soon as about one thousand of the English
fell upon them, before even much blood was shed, they
began to retreat, leaving their guns behind ! It is on
such occasions that we notice the difference between the
guerilla tactics of Kumar Singh and of Tatia Topé. The
latter’s army did not take advantage of the opportunities
that came in their way to deviate from the rule of not
fighting an open battle with the English.
Leaving the maidan at Raigarh behind, Tatia’s army
entered into the forest on the banks of the river Betwa
and came out on the other side, at a place called Siranj.
At Siranj, Tatia got four guns again. The English army
could not move for some time on account of an excessive
fall of rain. And so Tatia got some time to rest his
troops. He therefore let his army rest for a week. At
the end of the week, he marched again to the north. The
town of Isagarh, in the Scindia’s dominions, would not
give him any provisions ; so, it was taken by assault and
Tatia again got eight guns. This was all right, but the
Narbada was thus being left further behind. It appeared
that the Mahratta lion could not get into his mountain
cave on account of the numerous English lances blocking
his way. While so many English armies are after one
man, why talk of the Narbada ? ¹

1. An English writer says : “Then commenced that marvel-
   lous series of retreats which, continued for ten months, seemed to
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