A few days after Plassey, Colonel Clive sent for Charlie.
"Marryat," he said, "I must send you back, with two hundred men, to
Madras. The governor there has been writing to me, by every ship which
has come up the coast, begging me to move down with the bulk of the
force, as soon as affairs are a little settled here. That is out of
the question. There are innumerable matters to be arranged. Meer
Jaffier must be sustained. The French under Law must be driven
entirely out of Bengal. The Dutch must be dealt with. Altogether, I
have need of every moment of my time, and of every man under my
orders, for at least two years.
"However, I shall at once raise a Bengal native army, and so release
the Sepoys of Madras. If there be any special and sore need, I must,
of course, denude myself here of troops, to succour Madras; but I hope
it will not come to that. In the meantime, I propose that you shall
take back two hundred of the Madras Europeans. Lawrence will be glad
to have you, and your chances of fighting are greater there than they
will be here. Bengal is overawed, and so long as I maintain the force
I now have, it is unlikely in the extreme to rise; whereas battles and
sieges, great and small, are the normal condition of Madras."
The next day Charlie, with two hundred European troops, marched down
towards Calcutta. Clive had told him to select any officer he pleased
to accompany him, as second in command; and he chose Peters, who,
seeing that there were likely to be far more exciting times in Madras
than in Bengal at present, was very glad to accompany him. Three days
after reaching Calcutta, Charlie and his party embarked on board a
ship, which conveyed them without adventure to Madras.
The authorities were glad, indeed, of the reinforcement; for the
country was disturbed from end to end. Since the departure of every
available man for Calcutta, the Company had been able to afford but
little aid to Muhammud Ali, and the authority of the latter had
dwindled to a mere shadow, in the Carnatic. The Mahrattas made
incursions in all directions. The minor chiefs revolted and refused to
pay tribute, and many of them entered into alliance with the French.
Disorder everywhere reigned in the Carnatic, and Trichinopoli was,
again, the one place which Muhammud Ali held.
The evening after landing, Charlie Marryat had a long chat with
Colonel Lawrence; who, after explaining to him exactly the condition
of affairs in the country, asked him to tell him, frankly, what
command he would like to receive.
"I have thought for some time," Charlie said, "that the establishment
of a small force of really efficient cavalry, trained to act as
infantry, also, would be invaluable. The Mahratta horsemen, by their
rapid movements, set our infantry in defiance; and the native horse of
our allies are useless against them. I am convinced that two hundred
horsemen, trained and drilled like our cavalry at home, would ride
through any number of them. In a country like this, where every petty
rajah has his castle, cavalry alone could, however, do little. They
must be able to act as infantry, and should have a couple of little
four-pounders to take about with them. A force like this would do more
to keep order in the Carnatic than one composed of infantry, alone, of
ten times its strength. It could act as a police force, call upon
petty chiefs who refuse to pay their share of the revenue, restore
order in disturbed places, and permit the peasants to carry on their
agricultural work, upon which the revenue of the Company depends; and,
altogether, render valuable services.
"Among the soldiers who came down with me is a sergeant who was at one
time a trooper in an English regiment. He exchanged to come out with
the 39th to India, and has again exchanged into the Company's service.
I would make him drill instructor, if you will give him a commission
as ensign. Peters I should like as my second in command; and, if you
approve of the plan, I should be very much obliged if you would get
him his step as captain. He's a good officer, but has not had such
luck as I have."
Colonel Lawrence was very much pleased at the idea, and gave Charlie
full authority to carry it out. The work of enlistment at once
commenced. Hossein made an excellent recruiting sergeant. He went into
the native bazaars; and by telling of the exploits of Charlie at Ambur
and Suwarndrug, and holding out bright prospects of the plunder which
such a force would be likely to obtain, he succeeded in recruiting a
hundred and fifty of his co-religionists. In those days, fighting was
a trade in India; and in addition to the restless spirits of the local
communities, great numbers of the hardy natives of northern India,
Afghans, Pathans, and others, were scattered over India, ever ready to
enlist in the service of the highest bidder. Among such men as these,
Hossein had no difficulty in obtaining a hundred and fifty picked
horsemen.
Charlie had determined that his force should consist of four troops,
each of fifty strong. Of these one would be composed of Europeans, and
he was permitted to take this number from the party he had brought
down. He had no difficulty in obtaining volunteers, for as soon as the
nature of the force was known, the men were eager to engage in it. To
this troop, the two little field pieces would be committed.
A few days after the scheme had been sanctioned, Ensign Anstey was at
work drilling the recruits as cavalry. Charlie and Peters were
instructed by him, also, in the drill and words of command, and were
soon able to assist. Two months were spent in severe work and, at the
end of that time, the little regiment were able to execute all simple
cavalry manoeuvres with steadiness and regularity. The natives were
all men who had lived on horseback from their youth, and therefore
required no teaching to ride.
They were also, at the end of that time, able to act as infantry, with
as much regularity as the ordinary Sepoys. When so engaged, four
horses were held by one man, so that a hundred and fifty men were
available for fighting on foot.
The work had been unusually severe, but as the officers did not spare
themselves, and Charlie had promised a present to each man of the
troop, when fit for service, they had worked with alacrity, and had
taken great interest in learning their new duties. At the end of two
months, they were inspected by Colonel Lawrence and Governor Pigot,
and both expressed their highest gratification and surprise at their
efficiency, and anticipated great benefits would arise from the
organization.
So urgent, indeed, was the necessity that something should be done for
the restoration of order, that Charlie had with difficulty obtained
the two months necessary to attain the degree of perfection which he
deemed necessary.
The day after the inspection, the troop marched out from Madras.
Ensign Anstey commanded the white troop, the other three were led by
native officers. Captain Peters commanded the squadron composed of the
white troop and one of the others. A Lieutenant Hallowes, whom Peters
knew to be a hard working and energetic officer, was, at Charlie's
request, appointed to the command of the other squadron. He himself
commanded the whole.
They had been ordered, in the first place, to move to Arcot, which was
held by a garrison of Muhammud Ali. The whole of the country around
was greatly disturbed. French intrigues, and the sight of the
diminished power of the English, had caused most of the minor chiefs
in that neighbourhood to throw off their allegiance. A body of
Mahratta horse were ravaging the country districts; and it was against
these that Charlie determined, in the first place, to act.
He had been permitted to have his own way in the clothing and arming
of his force. Each man carried a musket, which had been shortened some
six inches, and hung in slings from the saddle, the muzzle resting in
a piece of leather, technically termed a bucket. The ammunition pouch
was slung on the other side of the saddle, and could be fastened in an
instant, by two straps, to the belts which the troopers wore round
their waists. The men were dressed in brown, thick cotton cloth,
called karkee. Round their black forage caps was wound a long length
of blue and white cotton cloth, forming a turban, with the ends
hanging down to protect the back of the neck and spine from the sun.
Having obtained news that the Mahratta horse, two thousand strong,
were pillaging at a distance of six miles from the town, Charlie set
off the day following his arrival to meet them. The Mahrattas had
notice of his coming; but hearing that the force consisted only of two
hundred horse, they regarded it with contempt.
When Charlie first came upon them they were in the open country; and,
seeing that they were prepared to attack him, he drew up his little
force in two lines. The second line he ordered to dismount, to act as
infantry. The two guns were loaded with grape, and the men of the
first line were drawn up at sufficient intervals to allow an
infantryman to pass between each horse.
With shouts of anticipated triumph, the Mahratta horse swept down. The
front line of English horsemen had screened the movements of those
behind, and when the enemy were within fifty yards, Charlie gave the
word. The troopers already sat, musket in hand, and between each horse
an infantry soldier now stepped forward; while towards each end, the
line opened and the two field pieces were advanced.
The Mahratta horsemen were astonished at this sudden manoeuvre; but,
pressed by the mass from behind, they still continued their charge.
When but fifteen yards from the English line, a stream of fire ran
along this, from end to end. Every musket was emptied into the
advancing force, while the guns on either flank swept them with grape.
The effect was tremendous. Scarcely a man of the front line survived
the fire, and the whole mass halted, and recoiled in confusion. Before
they could recover themselves, another volley of shot and grape was
fired into them. Then Charlie's infantry ran back; and the cavalry,
closing up, dashed upon the foe, followed half a minute afterwards by
the lately dismounted men of the other two troops; ten white soldiers,
alone, remaining to work and guard the guns.
The effect of the charge of these two hundred disciplined horse, upon
the already disorganized mob of Mahratta horsemen, was irresistible;
and in a few minutes the Mahrattas were scattered, and in full flight
over the plain, pursued by the British cavalry, now broken up into
eight half troops. The rout was complete, and in a very short time the
last Mahratta had fled, leaving behind them three hundred dead upon
the plain.
Greatly gratified with their success; and feeling confident, now, in
their own powers, the British force returned to Arcot.
Charlie now determined to attack the fort of Vellore, which was
regarded as impregnable. The town lay at the foot of some very steep
and rugged hills, which were surmounted by three detached forts. The
rajah, encouraged by the French, had renounced his allegiance to
Muhammud Ali, and had declared himself independent. As, however, it
was certain that he was prepared to give assistance to the French,
when they took the field against the English, Charlie determined to
attack the place.
The French had received large reinforcements, and had already captured
many forts and strong places, around Pondicherry. They were, however,
awaiting the arrival of still larger forces, known to be on the way,
before they made a decisive and, as they hoped, final attack upon the
English.
The rajah's army consisted of some fifteen hundred infantry, and as
many cavalry. These advanced to meet the English force. Charlie
feigned a retreat, as they came on; and retired to a village, some
thirty miles distant. The cavalry pursued at full speed, leaving the
infantry behind.
Upon reaching the village, Charlie at once dismounted all his men,
lined the inclosures, and received the enemy's cavalry, as they
galloped up, with so heavy a fire that they speedily drew rein. After
trying for some time to force the position, they began to fall back;
and the English force again mounted, dashed upon them, and completed
their defeat. The broken horsemen, as they rode across the plain, met
their infantry advancing; and these, disheartened at the defeat of the
cavalry, fell back in great haste; and, abandoning the town, which was
without fortification, retired at once to the forts commanding it.
Charlie took possession of the town, and spent the next two days in
reconnoitering the forts. The largest, and nearest, of these faced the
right of the town. It was called Suzarow. The second, on an even
steeper hill, was called Guzarow. The third, which lay some distance
behind this, and was much smaller, was called Mortz Azur.
Charlie determined to attempt, in the first place, to carry Guzarow;
as in this, which was considered the most inaccessible, the rajah
himself had taken up his position, having with him all his treasure.
Charlie saw that it would be next to impossible, with so small a
force, to carry it by a direct attack, by the road which led to it, as
this was completely covered by its guns. It appeared to him, however,
that the rocks upon which it stood were, by no means, inaccessible.
He left twenty men to guard his guns, placed a guard of ten upon the
road leading up to the fort, to prevent the inhabitants from sending
up news of his intentions to the garrison, who had, with that of
Suzarow, kept up a fire from their guns upon the town, since his
arrival there. The moon was not to rise until eleven o'clock, and at
nine Charlie marched, with a hundred and seventy men, from the town.
Making a considerable detour, he found himself, at half past ten, at
the foot of the rocks, rising almost sheer from the upper part of the
hill.
He was well provided with ropes and ladders. The most perfect silence
had been enjoined upon the men and, in the darkness, the march had
been unseen by the enemy. While waiting for the moon to rise, the
troopers all wound pieces of cloth, with which they had come provided,
round their boots, to prevent these from making a noise, by slipping
or stumbling on the rocks.
When the moon rose, the ascent of the rocks began at the point which
Charlie had, after a close inspection through a telescope, judged to
be most accessible. The toil was very severe. One by one, the men
climbed from ledge to ledge, some of the most active hill men, from
northern India, leading the way, and aiding their comrades to follow
them, by lowering ropes, and placing ladders at the most inaccessible
spots. All this time, they were completely hidden from the observation
of the garrison, above.
At last, the leaders of the party stood at the foot of the walls,
which rose a few feet from the edge of the cliff. The operation had
been performed almost noiselessly. The ammunition pouches had been
left behind, each man carrying ten rounds in his belt. Every piece of
metal had been carefully removed from their uniforms, the very buttons
having been cut off, lest these should strike against the rocks; and
the muskets had been swathed up in thick coverings.
The men, as they gained the upper ridge, spread along at the foot of
the walls, until the whole body had gathered there. They could hear
the voices of the sentries, thirty feet above them; but these, having
no idea of the vicinity of an enemy, did not look over the edge of the
wall. Indeed, the parapets of the Indian fortifications were always so
high, that it was only from projecting towers that the foot of the
wall could be seen.
When the English force were assembled, the ladders, which, like
everything else, had been muffled, were placed against the walls; and,
headed by their officers, the troops ascended. The surprise was
complete. Not until the leaders of the storming party stood upon the
parapet was their presence perceived. The guards discharged their
firelocks, and fled hastily.
As soon as twenty men were collected on the wall, Charlie took the
command of these, and hurried forward towards the gate. Hallowes was
to lead the next party along the opposite direction. Peters was to
form the rest up, as they gained the wall, and to follow Charlie with
fifty more; while Anstey was to hold the remainder in reserve, to be
used as circumstances might demand.
The resistance, however, was slight. Taken absolutely by surprise, the
enemy rushed out from their sleeping places. They were immediately
fired upon from the walls. The greater part ran back into shelter,
while some of the more determined, gathering together, made for the
gate. But of this Charlie had already taken possession, and received
them with so vigorous a fire that they speedily fell back.
When the whole circuit of the walls was in his possession, Charlie
took a hundred of his men, and descended into the fort. Each building,
as he reached it, was searched; and the garrison it contained made to
come out, and lay down their arms, and were then allowed to depart
through the gate.
Upon reaching the rajah's quarters, he at once came out and
surrendered himself. Two guns were discharged, to inform the little
body in the town of the complete success of the movement; and the
guard on the road then fell back, and joined the party with the guns.
Thus, without losing a man, the fort of Guzarow, regarded by the
natives as being impregnable, was carried. Fifteen lacs of rupees were
found in the treasury. Of these, in accordance with the rules of the
service, half was set aside for the Company, the remainder became the
property of the force. Of this half fell to the officers, in
proportion to their rank, and the rest was divided among the men. The
share of each trooper amounted to nearly two hundred pounds.
Knowing how demoralizing the possession of such a sum would be,
Charlie assembled his force next morning. He pointed out to them that,
as the greater part of the plunder was in silver, it would be
impossible for them to carry it on their persons. He advised them,
then, to allow the whole sum to remain in the treasury, to be
forwarded under an escort to Madras; each soldier to receive an order,
for the amount of his share, upon the treasury there. This was agreed
to, unanimously, and Charlie then turned his attention to the other
forts.
The guns of Guzarow were turned against these, and a bombardment
commenced. Suzarow, which extended partly down the slope, was much
exposed to the fire from Guzarow; and although no damage could be done
to the walls at so great a distance, the garrison, suffering from the
fire, and intimidated by the fall of Guzarow, lost heart. Large
numbers deserted, and the governor, in the course of two days, thought
it prudent to obey the orders which the rajah had, upon being made
captive, sent to him to surrender. The next day the governor of Mortz
Azur followed his example; and Vellore, and its three strong forts,
were thus in the possession of the English.
At Vellore, Charlie nearly lost one of his faithful followers. Early
in the morning, Hossein came into Charlie's room.
"Sahib," he said, "something is the matter with Tim."
"What is the matter?" Charlie said, sitting up in his bed.
"I do not know, sahib. When I went to him, he did not move. He was
wide awake, and his eyes are staring. When I went beside him, he shook
his head a little, and said, 'S-s-s-h.' He seems quite rigid, and is
as pale as death."
Charlie leaped out, and hurried to Tim. The latter was lying on the
ground, in the next room. He had carried off three or four cushions,
from the rajah's divan, and had thrown these down, and had spread a
rug over him. He lay on his back, exactly as Hossein had described.
As Charlie hurried up, Tim again gave vent to the warning "S-s-s-h."
"What is the matter, Tim? What is the matter, my poor fellow?"
Tim made a slight motion, with his head, for his master to bend
towards him. Charlie leant over him, and he whispered:
"There is a sarpent in bed with me."
"Are you quite sure, Tim?"
"He woke me with his cold touch," Tim whispered. "I felt him crawling
against my foot, and now he is laying against my leg."
Charlie drew back for a minute, and consulted with Hossein.
"Lie quite still, Tim," he said, "and don't be afraid. We will try to
kill him, without his touching you; but even if he should bite you,
with help ready at hand, there will be no danger."
Charlie now procured two knives; the one a sharp surgical knife, from
a case which he had brought; the other he placed in a charcoal fire,
which one of the men speedily fanned, until the blade had attained a
white heat. Charlie had decided that, if the snake bit Tim, he would
instantly make a deep cut through the line of the puncture of the
fangs, cutting down as low as these could penetrate, and immediately
cauterize it, by placing the hot knife in the gash so made. Six men
were called in, with orders to seize Tim on the instant, and hold his
leg firm, to enable the operation to be performed. Two others were to
occupy themselves with the snake. These were armed with sticks.
Hossein now approached the bed, from which, hitherto, they had all
kept well aloof. The snake, Tim said, lay against his leg, between the
knee and the ankle, and the spot was marked by a slight elevation of
the rug.
Hossein drew his tulwar, examined the edge to see that nothing had
blunted its razor-like keenness, and then took his stand at the foot
of the bed. Twice he raised his weapon; and then let it fall, with a
drawing motion. The keen blade cut through the rug, as if it had been
pasteboard; and, at the same instant, Tim sprang from the other side
of the bed, and fainted in the arms of the men. Hossein threw off the
rug, and there, severed in pieces, lay the writhing body of a huge
cobra.
Tim soon recovered, under the administration of water sprinkled in his
face, and brandy poured down his throat. But he was some time, ere he
thoroughly recovered from the effects of the trying ordeal through
which he had passed. Many of the buildings in the fort were in a very
bad condition, and Charlie had several of the most dilapidated
destroyed, finding in their walls several colonies of cobras, which
were all killed by the troops.