As the English troops advanced, they were met on the outskirts of the
settlement by the enemy, who contested bravely every garden and
inclosure with them. The British force was, however, too strong to be
resisted, and gradually the French were driven back, until they formed
in rear of the battery. Clive at once took possession of the houses
surrounding it, and from them kept up, all day, a heavy fire upon the
defenders; until, at nightfall, these fell back upon the fort, after
spiking their guns. The loss of this position compelled the French to
abandon the other outlying batteries, from which, during the night,
they withdrew their guns into the fort.
The next four days Clive spent in bringing up the guns landed from the
fleet, and establishing batteries round the fort; and on the 19th he
opened fire against it. On the same day the three men of war; the Kent
of sixty-four guns, the Tiger of sixty, and the Salisbury of fifty,
anchored just below the channel, which the governor believed he had
blocked up. The next four days were spent by the fleet in sounding, to
discover whether the statements of the French deserter were correct.
During this time, a heavy cannonade was kept up unceasingly between
Clive and the fort. In this the garrison had the best of it, silenced
some of the English guns, killed many of the assailants, and would
certainly have beaten off the land attack, had the fleet not been able
to interfere in the struggle.
All this time, the governor was hoping that aid would arrive from the
nabob. The latter, indeed, did send a force under Rajah Dulab Ram, but
the governor of Hoogly, bribed by Omichund, sent messages to this
officer urging him to halt, as Chandranagore was about to surrender,
and he would only incur the anger of the English, uselessly.
On the morning of the 23rd, having ascertained that a channel was
free, the fleet advanced. The Tiger, leading, made her way through the
passage and, taking up a position abreast of the northeast bastion of
the fort, opened a heavy fire upon it with her guns, and harassed the
besieged with a musketry fire from her tops. The Kent was on the point
of anchoring opposite the watergate, when so heavy a fire was poured
upon her that, in the confusion, the cable ran out; and the ship
dropped down, till she anchored at a point exposed to a heavy
crossfire from the southeast and southwest bastions. Owing to this
accident, the Salisbury was forced to anchor a hundred and fifty yards
below the fort.
The French fought with extreme bravery. Vastly superior as were the
English force and guns, the French fire was maintained with the
greatest energy and spirit, the gunners being directed and animated by
Monsieur De Vignes, captain of one of the ships which had been sunk.
No advantage was gained by the Tiger, in her struggle with the
northeast bastion, and the guns of the southwest bastion galled the
Kent so severely that the admiral, neglecting the southeast bastion,
was forced to turn the whole of his guns upon it.
De Vignes concentrated his fire against one point in the Kent, and
presently succeeded in setting her on fire. The conflagration spread,
a panic ensued, and some seventy or eighty men jumped into the boats
alongside.
The officers, however, rallied the rest of the crew. The fire was
extinguished, the men returned to their duty, and the cannonade was
recommenced.
After the battle had raged for two hours, the fire of the fort began
to slacken, as one after another of the guns was dismounted. Monsieur
Renault saw that the place could be no longer defended. Of his hundred
and forty-six soldiers, over ninety had been killed and wounded.
Collecting the remainder, and their officers, with twenty Sepoys, the
governor ordered them to leave the fort immediately; making a detour
to avoid the English, who were aiding the fleet by attacking the land
side, and to march to Kossimbazar to join Monsieur Law, who commanded
there. Then, there remaining in the fort only the clerks, women, and
wounded, he hoisted a flag of truce.
Terms were speedily arranged. The governor, and all the civilians and
natives, were allowed to go where they chose, with their clothes and
linen. The wounded French soldiers were to remain, as prisoners of
war.
Chandranagore cost the English two hundred and six men. The attack
upon the French colony was blamed by many, at the time, for in the
hour of English distress they had offered to remain neutral, instead
of joining the nabob in crushing us. Upon the other hand, there was
force in the arguments with which Admiral Watson had defended his
refusal to sign the treaty of neutrality. That treaty would not be
binding, unless ratified by Pondicherry; and to Pondicherry it was
known that the most powerful fleet and army France had ever sent to
India was on its way. It was also known that Bussy, at the court of
the Nizam of the Deccan, was in communication with the nabob. Thus,
then, in a short time English interests in India might be menaced more
formidably than ever before, and the crushing out of the French
colony, almost at the gates of Calcutta, was a measure of extreme
importance. It was hard upon the gallant governor of Chandranagore,
but public opinion generally agreed that the urgency of the case
justified the course adopted by the English authorities at Calcutta.
Suraja-u-Dowlah was filled with fury, at the news of the capture of
Chandranagore; but hearing a rumour, two days later, that the Afghans
were upon their march to attack him, he wrote letters to Clive and
Watson, congratulating them upon their success, and offering to them
the territory of Chandranagore, on the same terms upon which it had
been held by the French.
But the young tyrant of Moorshedabad was swayed by constantly
fluctuating feeling. At one moment his fears were uppermost; the next,
his anger and hate of the English. Instead of recalling the army of
Rajah Dulab Ram, as he had promised, he ordered it to halt at Plassey,
a large village twenty-two miles south of Moorshedabad.
The English were represented at his court by Mr. Watts, who had the
greatest difficulty in maintaining his position, in the constantly
changing moods of the nabob. One day the latter would threaten to
order him to be led to instant execution, the next he would load him
with presents.
Besides Mr. Watts, the English affairs were conducted by Omichund who,
aided by the Sets, or native bankers, whom Suraja-u-Dowlah had
plundered and despoiled, got up a conspiracy among the nabob's most
intimate followers.
The history of these intrigues is the most unpleasant feature in the
life of Clive. Meer Jaffier, the nabob's general, himself offered to
Mr. Watts to turn traitor, if the succession to the kingdom was
bestowed upon him. This was agreed to, upon his promise to pay, not
only immense sums to the Company, but enormous amounts to the
principal persons on the English side. So enormous, indeed, were these
demands, that even Meer Jaffier, anxious as he was to conclude the
alliance, was aghast. The squadron was to have two million and a half
rupees, and the same amount was to be paid for the army. Presents
amounting to six millions of rupees were to be distributed between
Clive, Major Kilpatrick, the governor, and the members of the council.
Clive's share of these enormous sums amounted to two million, eighty
thousand rupees. In those days, a rupee was worth half a crown. Never
did an English officer make such a bargain for himself.
But even this is not the most dishonorable feature of the transaction.
Omichund had, for some time, been kept in the dark as to what was
going forward; but, obtaining information through his agents, he
questioned Mr. Watts concerning it. The latter then informed him of
the whole state of affairs, and Omichund, whose services to the
English had been immense, naturally demanded a share of the plunder.
Whether or not he threatened to divulge the plot to the nabob, unless
his demands were satisfied, is doubtful. At any rate, it was
considered prudent to pacify him, and he was accordingly told that he
should receive the sum he named. Clive, and the members of the
council, however, although willing to gratify their own extortionate
greed, at the expense of Meer Jaffier, determined to rob Omichund of
his share. In order to do this, two copies of the treaty with Meer
Jaffier were drawn up, on different coloured papers. They were exactly
alike, except that, in one, the amount to be given to Omichund was
entirely omitted. This was the real treaty. The other was intended to
be destroyed, after being shown to a friend of Omichund, in order to
convince the latter that all was straight and honorable.
All the English authorities placed their signatures to the real
treaty, but Admiral Watson indignantly refused to have anything to do
with the fictitious one; or to be a party, in any way, to the deceit
practised on Omichund. In order to get out of the difficulty, Clive
himself forged Admiral Watson's signature to the fictitious treaty.
A more disgraceful transaction was never entered into, by a body of
English gentlemen. That Mr. Drake and the members of his council, the
pitiful cowards who fled from Calcutta, and refused to allow the ships
to draw off its brave garrison, should consent to such a transaction
was but natural; but that Clive, the gallant and dashing commander,
should have stooped to it, is sad, indeed.
It may be said that, to the end of his life, Clive defended his
conduct in this transaction, under the excuse that Omichund was a
scoundrel. The Indian was not, indeed, an estimable character. Openly,
he was the friend and confidant of the nabob while, all the time, he
was engaged in bribing and corrupting his officers, and in plotting
with his enemies. This, however, in no way alters the facts that he
rendered inestimable service to the English; and that the men who
deceived and cheated him were, to the full, as greedy and grasping as
himself; without, in the case of the governor and his council, having
rendered any service whatever to the cause.
At last, the negotiations were complete. More and more severely did
Clive press upon the nabob. Having compelled him to expel Law and the
French, first from Moorshedabad and then from his dominions, he
pressed fresh demands upon him; until the unfortunate prince, driven
to despair, and buoyed up with the hope that he should receive
assistance from Bussy, who had just expelled the English from their
factory at Vizapatam, ordered Meer Jaffier to advance, with fifteen
thousand men, to reinforce Rajah Dulab Ram at Plassey.
Clive, in fact, forced on hostilities. His presence, with that of a
considerable portion of his army, was urgently required at Madras. He
was sure, however, that the instant he had gone, and the English force
was greatly weakened, the nabob would again commence hostilities; and
the belief was shared by all in India. He was, therefore, determined
to force on the crisis, as soon as possible; in order that, the nabob
being disposed of, he should be able to send reinforcements to Madras.
While these negotiations had been going on, Charlie Marryat had
remained in Calcutta. He had been severely wounded in the attack on
Chandranagore, and was carried down to Calcutta in a boat. On arriving
there, he heard that the Lizzie Anderson had just cast anchor off the
fort. He caused himself at once to be conveyed on board, and was
received with the greatest heartiness and pleasure, by his old friend,
the captain; and assiduously attended by the doctor of the ship. In
order that he might have as much air as possible, the captain had a
sort of tent, with a double covering, erected on deck. During the
daytime the sides of this were lifted, so that the air could pass
freely across the bed.
Charlie's wound was a severe one and, had he been nursed in a hospital
on shore, it is probable that it would have been fatal. Thanks,
however, to the comforts on board ship, the freshness and coolness of
the situation, and the care of all surrounding him, he was, after some
weeks' illness, pronounced convalescent; and was sufficiently
recovered to join the force with which Clive marched against Plassey.
This force consisted of nine hundred and fifty European infantry, a
hundred artillerymen, fifty sailors, and two thousand one hundred
Sepoys. The artillery consisted of eight six-pounders and two small
howitzers. The army of the nabob was fifty thousand strong, and
against such a force it was, indeed, an adventurous task for an army
of three thousand men, of whom only one-third were Europeans, to
advance to the attack. Everything depended, in fact, upon Meer Jaffier
and his two colleagues in treachery, Rajah Dulab Ram and Yar Lutf
Khan.
The nabob, on hearing of Clive's advance, had sent to Monsieur Law;
who was, with a hundred and fifty men, at a place over a hundred miles
distant; to which he had, in accordance with the orders of Clive, been
obliged to retire; and begged him to advance to join him, with all
speed. The nabob had with him forty or fifty Frenchmen, commanded by
Monsieur Saint Frais, formerly one of the council of Chandranagore.
These had some field pieces of their own, and also directed the native
artillery, of fifty-three guns; principally thirty-two, twenty-four,
and eighteen pounders.
Had Clive been sure of the cooperation of Meer Jaffier and his
confederates, who commanded three out of the four divisions of the
nabob's army, he need not have hesitated. But he was, till the last
moment, in ignorance whether to rely upon them. The nabob, having
become suspicious of Meer Jaffier, had obtained from him an oath,
sworn on the Koran, of fidelity; and although the traitor continued
his correspondence with Clive, his letters were of a very dubious
character, and Clive was in total ignorance as to his real intentions.
So doubtful, indeed, was he that, when only a few miles of ground and
the river Bhagirathi lay between him and the enemy, Clive felt the
position so serious that he called a council of war; and put to them
the question whether they should attack the nabob, or fortify
themselves at Katwa, and hold that place until the rainy season, which
had just set in with great violence, should abate.
All the officers above the rank of subalterns, twenty in number, were
present. Clive himself, contrary to custom, gave his vote first in
favour of halting at Katwa. Major Kilpatrick, who commanded the
Company's troops, Major Grant of the 37th, and ten other officers
voted the same way. Major Eyre Coote declared in favour of an
immediate advance. He argued that the troops were in high spirits, and
had hitherto been everywhere successful, and that a delay would allow
Monsieur Law and his troops to arrive. He considered that, if they
determined not to fight, they should fall back upon Calcutta. Charlie
Marryat supported him, as did five other officers, all belonging to
the Indian service.
The decision taken, the council separated, and Clive strolled away to
a grove, and sat down by himself. There he thought over, in his mind,
the arguments which had been advanced by both sides. He saw the force
of the arguments which had been adduced by Major Eyre Coote and
Charlie Marryat; and his own experience showed him that the daring
course is always the most prudent one, in fighting Asiatics. At last,
he came to a conclusion. Rising, he returned to the camp; and, meeting
Major Coote on the way, informed him that he had changed his mind, and
would fight the next day.
Charlie returned to his tent after the council broke up, disheartened
at the result. He was greeted by Tim.
"Shure, yer honor, Hossein is in despair. The water has filled up the
holes, where he makes his fires, and the rain has soaked the wood. Yer
dinner is not near cooked yet, and half the dishes are spoilt."
"It does not matter a bit, Tim," Charlie said. "You know I'm not
particular about my eating, though Hossein will always prepare a
dinner fit for an alderman."
"We are going to fight them tomorrow, yer honor, I hope," Tim said.
"It's sick to death I am of wading about here in the wet, like a duck.
It's as bare as the bogs of ould Ireland, without the blessings of the
pigs and potatoes, to say nothing of the colleens."
"No, Tim, I'm afraid we're going to stop where we are, for a bit. The
council of war have decided not to fight."
"Shure and that's bad news," Tim said. "The worst I've heard for many
a day. What if there be fifty thousand of 'em, Mister Charles, haven't
we bate 'em at long odds before, and can't we do it agin?"
"I think we could, Tim," Charlie replied; "but the odds of fifty-three
heavy cannon, which the spies say they've got, to our ten popguns, is
serious. However, I'm sorry we're not going to fight, and I'm afraid
that you must make up your mind to the wet, and Hossein his to giving
me bad dinners for some weeks to come; that is to say, if the enemy
don't turn us out of this."
A few minutes later, Lieutenant Peters entered the tent.
"Is it true, Charlie, that we are not going to fight, after all?"
"True enough," Charlie said. "We are to wait till the rains are over."
"Rains!" Peters said, in disgust; "what have the rains got to do with
it? If we had a six weeks' march before us, I could understand the wet
weather being a hindrance. Men are not water rats, and to march all
day in these heavy downpours, and to lie all night in the mud, would
soon tell upon our strength. But here we are, within a day's march of
the enemy, and the men might as well get wet in the field as here.
Everyone longs to be at the enemy, and a halt will have a very bad
effect.
"What have you got to drink, Charlie?"
"I have some brandy and rum; nothing else," Charlie said. "But what
will be better than either for you is a cup of tea. Hossein makes it
as well as ever. I suppose you have dined?"
"Yes, half an hour ago."
Just as Charlie finished his meal, Major Eyre Coote put his head into
the tent.
"Marryat, the chief has changed his mind. We cross the river the first
thing in the morning, and move at once upon Plassey."
"Hurrah!" Charlie shouted; "Clive is himself again. That is good news,
indeed!"
"You will move your Sepoys down to the river at daybreak, and will be
the first to cross. There is no chance of any opposition, as the spies
tell us that the nabob has not arrived yet at Plassey."
Several other officers afterwards dropped into the tent, for the news
rapidly spread through the camp. There was, as had been the case at
the council, considerable differences of opinion as to the prudence of
the measure; but among the junior officers and men, the news that the
enemy were to be attacked, at once, was received with hearty
satisfaction.
"Here, major," a fellow subaltern of Peters' said, as he entered the
tent, followed by a servant; "I have brought in half a dozen bottles
of champagne. I started with a dozen from Calcutta, and had intended
to keep these to celebrate our victory. But as, in the first place,
all heavy baggage is to be left here; and in the second, it has
occurred to me that possibly I may not come back to help to drink it;
we may as well turn it to the good purpose of drinking success to the
expedition."
Some of the bottles were opened, and a merry evening was spent; but
the party broke up early, for they had a heavy day's work before them,
on the morrow.
At daybreak, the troops were in movement towards the banks of the
Bhagirathi. They had brought boats with them from Chandranagore, and
the work of crossing the river continued, without intermission, until
four in the afternoon, when the whole force was landed on the left
bank. Here Clive received another letter from Meer Jaffier, informing
him that the nabob had halted at Mankarah, and intended to entrench
himself there. He suggested that the English should undertake a
circuitous march, and attack him in the rear; but as this march would
have exposed Clive to being cut off from his communications, and as he
was still very doubtful of the good faith of the conspirators, he
determined to march straight forward; and sent word to Meer Jaffier,
to that effect.
From the point where Clive had crossed the Bhagirathi it was fifteen
miles to Plassey, following, as they did, the curves of the river. It
was necessary to do this, as they had no carriage; and the men were
obliged to tow their supplies in boats, against the stream.
Orders were issued that, as soon as the troops were across, they
should prepare to eat their dinners, as the march was to be resumed at
once. The rain was coming down in a steady pour as the troops,
drenched to the skin, started upon their march. The stream, swollen by
the rains, was in full flood, and the work of towing the heavy-laden
barges was wearisome in the extreme. All took a share in the toil. In
many cases the river had overflowed its banks, and the troops had to
struggle through the water, up to their waists, while they tugged and
strained at the ropes.
Charlie, as a mounted officer, rode at the head of his Sepoys; who
formed the advance of the force. Three hundred men preceded the main
body, who were towing the boats, to guard them from any sudden
surprise. Tim marched beside him, occasionally falling back, and
taking a turn at the ropes.
"This is dog's work, Mister Charles," he said. "It's lucky that it's
raining, for the river can't make us wetter than we are. My hands are
fairly sore, with pulling at the ropes."
"Ah, Tim, you're not fond of ropes, you know. You remember that night
at Moorshedabad."
"Faith, yer honor, and I'll not forget it, if I live to be as old as
Methuselah. Well, yer honor, it will be hard on us if we do not thrash
them niggers, tomorrow, after all the trouble we are taking to be at
them."
At one o'clock in the morning, the weary troops reached the village of
Plassey. They marched through it, and halted and bivouacked in a large
mango grove, a short distance beyond.