_PLASSY_
And now it befalls to me to relate what I saw of that famous day which
changed the relations between the English and Moors throughout the
whole empire of Indostan. And I think that never before nor since was
such a singular engagement fought, and so little really done to effect
so tremendous a result.
After I had communicated to Colonel Clive what had passed between Meer
Jaffier and myself at our secret interview, he believed less than ever
in the Meer's promises of assistance.
"I do not think the man means to betray me, but like all the Bengalese
he is a coward, and dares not carry out his promises when the moment
comes."
Such was his judgment, in which I was obliged to agree; though I
confess I had a liking for Meer Jaffier, and felt much pity for him in
his subsequent misfortunes.
It was one o'clock, an hour after midnight, when our little army of
three thousand men arrived and took up their quarters in the grove of
Plassy. Of these, two thousand were Sepoys, the remainder being
European troops, with some sailors from the fleet and about one
hundred Topasses: we had also eight field-pieces and two howitzers.
The grove in which we encamped was enclosed in a bank and ditch,
within which were mango trees, very regularly planted in straight
rows, the whole place being about half a mile in length, and less than
a quarter in breadth. It stood near the edge of the river, which
defended it from approach on the left, where there was a small house
or hunting lodge, which Colonel Clive chose as his headquarters.
Facing the grove to the north was the entrenched camp where the
Nabob's army had lain ever since their retreat from Calcutta. The
troops had been partly withdrawn a few days before, but they were now
returned; and we heard their drums and cymbals beating all night long.
Colonel Clive, who had restored me to my former position as his
secretary, and kept me near him, bade me lie down and sleep in the
lodge. But though I lay down, I was too excited to do more than doze
off for a minute at a time, and every time that I opened my eyes I saw
the Colonel either walking to and fro, as if impatient for the day to
break, or sitting at a table with maps spread out before him, studying
them by the light of a torch. Sometimes he went out of the lodge for a
few minutes to see that all was quiet, but soon returned and resumed
his meditations.
As soon as it was light enough to see, I got up, unable to lie still
any longer, and joined Mr. Clive.
"Ah, Ford, so you are awake, eh!" he observed smiling. "You don't look
as though you had slept very soundly. Let us get on to the roof, and
perhaps we may see what those fellows are about."
We mounted together by a narrow stair leading on to a flat roof, and
looked about us. On the left the mist was slowly rising from the
river, on the right the foliage of the trees hid our own troops from
view. But in front of us to the north we beheld spread out a scene of
such magnificence that I confess I trembled, and even Colonel Clive
uttered an exclamation of surprise.
The Nabob's army lay in their entrenched camp, one angle of the
rampart, that nearest to us, being strengthened with a small redoubt
armed with cannon. Behind and away almost as far as we could see,
stretched the tents and lines of armed men, the whole just beginning
to stir with the first movements of the day. In the midst rose a
splendid pavilion, adorned by flags, before the door of which stood a
train of horses and attendants, while lesser tents were pitched all
round it, each one displaying the ensign of some great officer. Crowds
of men could be seen pushing to and fro, catching up their weapons and
falling into some sort of military order, while others brought up
horses and elephants, the caparisons of which shone gaily with silk of
many colours. So great was the throng, and so confused were their
motions, that I could not even guess their numbers, but Colonel Clive,
glancing over them with the eye of a veteran, declared that there must
be at least fifty thousand men, of whom upwards of fifteen thousand
were cavalry. Their guns I counted myself up to forty-three, and they
had others which they left in the camp.
As we stood and watched, this great host began to slowly pour out from
different openings in the rampart and advance on the plain, forming a
sort of bow round the front and right flank of our position. The
river, as I have said, protected the left, and they made no attempt to
close round the rear.
"I wonder which is Meer Jaffier's division?" muttered Colonel Clive
anxiously, as the array extended itself. The infantry remained for the
most part between the camp and our front, while the masses of cavalry
spread away to our right, forming their left wing. The army was not in
one line, but seemed to advance in a number of detached bodies, the
intervals between them being filled up with the guns.
This artillery was a truly formidable spectacle. Our own few guns were
merely six-pounders, nor had we the means of transport for larger
pieces. But many of the Nabob's cannon were of immense calibre, 24 and
even 32-pounders, more suitable for siege guns than to be brought into
action. They were mounted on high wooden stages, which bore not
merely the cannon but the artillerymen and ammunition as well, and
each of these carriages was drawn along by as many as eighty or a
hundred huge white oxen, of the famous Purneah breed. Moreover, in
case the oxen should not prove sufficient, an elephant walked behind
each of these moving platforms, and butted it with his forehead from
behind whenever it stuck from any difficulty of the ground.
Between the grove where we lay and the enemy's camp there were a
couple of tanks, such as the Indians build to contain rain water.
These tanks, being protected by banks of earth, served the purpose of
redoubts, and we saw a small body of men, about forty or fifty,
advance to the tank nearest us, dragging two light guns, with which
they at once began playing on the grove.
"Those are white men!" exclaimed Colonel Clive, who had been watching
this movement. "They must be Frenchmen sent from Brassy--unless they
are some of those that escaped from Chander Nugger."
While he was speaking the fire from the tank was taken up by the rest
of the Nabob's artillery, and a roar arose from the whole face of the
advancing army. Colonel Clive watched the result closely for a few
minutes.
"They are doing very little harm," he observed. "They fire too high.
Most of the balls are passing over the heads of our men. But it will
not do for us to stay in the shelter of the grove; they may think we
are afraid of them."
He hurried down to the ground, bidding me keep near him, and went to
where our men were waiting, just within the ditch which enclosed the
grove. One Sepoy had been killed by the discharge from the tank, and
three or four wounded, but otherwise we had not suffered.
The Colonel quickly made his dispositions, and the little force
marched boldly out from its shelter and faced the enemy. At this the
whole Moorish army halted, still out of point-blank range, and
contented themselves with continuing their artillery fire, which we
returned as best we could with our few guns. Colonel Clive passed to
and fro along the line several times, noting everything that happened,
and anxiously watching for some symptom of the promised desertion by
Meer Jaffier. But nothing happened, the Moor's infantry remained
steady in our front, and the dark masses of cavalry continued to hang
threateningly on our flank.
"I have brought my men out to give Meer Jaffier his chance," said
Colonel Clive to me in a low tone, "but if he is afraid to move, we
are done. It is impossible to order an advance in face of that army."
He walked down the line once again, and counted our casualties. By
this time we had lost ten Europeans, and about twice as many Sepoys.
"That is enough," the Colonel exclaimed sharply. "It is useless to
expose the men for nothing. Retire into the grove again."
This order was executed, and the enemy, appearing to gather courage
from our retreat, advanced their artillery nearer, and quickened their
fire. However, their aim continued very bad, most of the shot merely
struck the branches of the trees, and the men were ordered to lie down
for the sake of greater safety. I was pleased to observe that all,
even the Sepoys and Topasses, displayed the utmost coolness and
confidence. Several powder explosions happened about this time in
different places in the enemy's ranks, and this served to increase the
contempt of our own men for the Nabob's forces.
About eleven o'clock Colonel Clive called some of the officers
together, and communicated his plans to them.
"It is quite clear that the Nabob is afraid to attack us at close
quarters," he said, "or he would have ordered a further advance before
this. Still I do not consider we are justified in quitting our shelter
for the present, in the absence of any demonstration from Meer
Jaffier. It will be better to let the cannonade go on for the rest of
the day, and then try a night attack on their camp."
Most of the officers concurred in this opinion. As the Colonel and I
were walking back to the lodge he turned to me suddenly, and asked me
what I thought.
"Why, sir, to be plain with you, I think the only men we have to
regard are those forty Frenchmen in the tank," I answered. "As far as
the rest are concerned, I very much doubt if they would stand five
minutes against a charge."
The Colonel nodded.
"I shouldn't be surprised if you were right. But remember, Ford, that
those nine hundred men are the only European troops in Bengal, and if
I lose even two hundred of them this will be an expensive victory for
me. What I want is to hold on till Surajah Dowlah's own troops desert
him, and then I may win everything without loss of life."
I was much impressed by this glimpse into Mr. Clive's mind, which
showed him as something very different from the reckless, hot-headed
soldier some of his enemies have called him.
Just at this time a shower of rain fell, and soon after the fire of
the enemy sensibly slackened, some of their powder evidently having
been spoiled. Towards two o'clock a stranger thing took place, for the
firing ceased altogether, and the Moors were perceived yoking their
white oxen to the gun-stages again; and immediately after the whole
army commenced to fall back slowly and re-enter the camp.
I was standing by myself outside the door of the lodge when this
singular movement commenced, and I at once stepped inside to inform
Colonel Clive. To my astonishment I found him asleep. The exhausting
work of the last few days, followed by the total absence of rest on
the previous night, had proved too much for him. He had fallen on to
a chair, and dropped asleep unawares.
While I was hesitating whether to awaken him I heard some one
approaching without. I went out softly, and found a sergeant of Major
Kilpatrick's company, with a message for the Colonel.
"I will take your message, sergeant," I said, not wishing him to know
of Mr. Clive's slumber.
"Faith, then, sir, it's just this," said the fellow, who was an
Irishman, "that the enemy's beat, and runnin' away entirely, and Major
Kilpathrick's just after starting to take the tank from those
murderin' Frenchies, so as to annoy the Nabob's retreat."
I turned red at this insolent message, which did not even request
Colonel Clive's permission for the movement. Dismissing the sergeant,
I darted in and woke up my commander.
The Colonel was broad awake in an instant. When he heard what had
happened he compressed his lips, without making any remark, and ran
out of the lodge, and across the ground to where Kilpatrick was
leading his company towards the tank.
"Halt!" shouted Colonel Clive, as he approached.
The Major stopped, and looked confused.
"I thought, sir, as every moment was precious----" he began, when Mr.
Clive sharply cut him short.
"I will receive your apologies this evening, sir. At present my orders
to you are to return and order up the whole force to support this
movement which you have so rashly begun."
He waited till the discomfited officer had retired, and then turning
to me, he added with a touch of glee--
"Now, Ford, you and I will take the tank!"
The word was given to double, and we advanced at a run, whereupon the
Frenchmen, after one discharge, evacuated their position, and retired
upon the camp.
The rest of the English force now marched out from the grove, and
advanced in line, pursuing the retreating enemy. But there was one
part of the Nabob's army which did not join in the movement of the
rest. A large division of cavalry, one of those which had formed the
threatening left wing, drew off from the rest and advanced towards our
right rear.
Colonel Clive watched their movements with suspicion.
"Are these fellows trying to take our baggage?" he murmured. "Captain
Grant, take three platoons and a field-piece, and see if you can fight
off those horse."
The order as given was obeyed, the slight demonstration proved
sufficient, and the mysterious division drew away again out of range.
In the meantime our main body advanced steadily, and kept up a brisk
fire on the Nabob's camp with our artillery. On this some of the
retiring troops showed a disposition to come out again and renew the
attack, encouraged by the example of the Frenchmen, who had got
possession of the redoubt in the angle of the rampart, and were plying
us well with their guns. Seeing this disposition on the part of the
enemy, Colonel Clive ordered some shot to be thrown among their
cumbrous artillery trains. This was done with such effect that,
numbers of the oxen being killed, the trains were thrown into
confusion. At the same time some of the Moorish horse made a few
ineffectual offers to charge, but were easily driven off, without ever
coming to close quarters.
Whatever cause had prompted the strange retreat of the enemy, it was
evident that the same cause was now operating to take all heart out of
their defence. The only thing that gave us pause was the attitude of
the Frenchmen in the redoubt, whose spirit communicated itself to the
troops in their immediate neighbourhood. While things were in this
doubtful posture, I happened to glance round to see what had become of
the cavalry division repulsed by Captain Grant. To my surprise I saw
them retiring slowly in an opposite direction to the Nabob's camp.
Instantly I grasped the situation.
"Colonel," I whispered hurriedly, "don't you see that that must be
Meer Jaffier's division!"
Mr. Clive turned and stared for a moment in the direction I pointed
in.
"You are right," he responded. "Meer Jaffier, of course! Well, since
he has put off his assistance so long, he shall see how little we
needed it!"
A thrill of fresh energy seemed to sweep through him as he began
issuing his orders for the final charge. Two columns were told off,
one to clear a small eminence to the right, the other to attack the
French in their redoubt, while the main body was directed to follow up
in a grand attack on the whole camp. By my special request I was
allowed to join the column marching against the Frenchmen. We made a
dash forward--once, twice, thrice the Frenchmen fired at us as we came
on, then we saw them drop their linstocks and run, and in another five
minutes it was all over. The entire English force was over the
ramparts together, the army which had marched out so gallantly against
us that morning was suddenly become a mere herd, a wretched mob of
fugitives crushing one another in their eagerness to escape from us,
and we picked our way amid the plunder of Surajah Dowlah's rich
pavilion, victors of Plassy, masters and law-givers of Indostan!