A few days later Charlie received a message from the Rajah of
Permacoil, saying that he was besieged by a strong native force, aided
by the French. He at once moved his force to his assistance. He found
that the besiegers, among whom were two hundred French troops, were
too strong to be attacked. He therefore established himself in their
rear, attacked and captured convoys, and prevented the country people
from bringing in provisions. Several times the besieging infantry
advanced against him, but before these he at once fell back, only to
return as soon as they retired to their camp. Whenever their horse
ventured out against him, he beat them back, with considerable loss.
Ten days after his arrival, the enemy, finding it impossible to
maintain themselves in the face of so active an enemy, and suffering
greatly from want of provisions, raised the siege and fell back.
As soon as they had drawn off, Charlie entered the fort. The rajah
received him with the greatest warmth. He was, however, much
distressed at the capture of a hill fort, at some distance from
Permacoil. In this he had stowed his wives and treasure, thinking that
it would be unmolested. The French, however, had, just before
Charlie's arrival, detached a strong force with some guns, and these
had captured the place. The force which had accomplished this had, he
now heard, marched to Trinavody, a fort and town thirty miles away,
upon the road by which the force which had besieged the town was
retiring. The treasure was a considerable one, amounting to seven lacs
of rupees, and as the rajah stated his willingness that the troops
should take possession of this, if they could but rescue his women,
Charlie at once determined to attempt the feat.
The main body of the enemy would not reach the place, until the
afternoon of the following day. Charlie soon collected his men and,
making a detour through the country, arrived next morning within a
mile of Trinavody.
The town was a small one, and the fort one of the ordinary native
forts, built in a parallelogram with flanking towers. The place,
however, contained a very large and solidly built pagoda or temple. It
was surrounded by a wall, forty feet high; and at the gateway stood an
immense tower, with terraces rising one above the other.
Capturing a native, Charlie learnt that the fort was tenanted only by
the troops of the native rajah of the place, the French detachment
being encamped in the pagoda. He at once rode forward with his troops,
dashed through the native town, and in through the wide gateway of the
tower, into the courtyard within. Beyond two or three straggling shots
from the sentries, he had so far encountered no opposition, and the
native troops in the courtyard, thrown into wild confusion by this
sudden appearance of a hostile force, threw down their arms and cried
for mercy. From the temple within, however, the French infantry, a
hundred strong, opened a brisk fire.
Charlie sent some of his men on to the tower, whence their fire
commanded the flat roof of the temple, and these speedily drove the
defenders from that post. The field pieces were unlimbered, and
directed towards the gate of the inner temple, while a musketry fire
was kept up against every window and loophole in the building. The
gate gave way after a few shots had been fired, and Charlie led his
party to the assault.
The French defended themselves bravely, but they were outnumbered and
were driven, fighting, from room to room, until the survivors laid
down their arms. The assault, however, had cost the British a loss of
twenty-five men.
The Rajah of Permacoil's treasure, and his women, fell into the hands
of the captors. Charlie ordered the chests to be brought down, and
placed in bullock waggons. Just as he was about to order his men, who
were scattered through the temple looting, to form up, he heard a
shout from the tower; and, looking up, saw one of his men there
gesticulating wildly. He ran up the tower, and on reaching the first
terrace saw, to his surprise, the whole of the force which he believed
to be fifteen miles distant, already entering the town.
The French officer in command, knowing the activity and dash of his
opponent, and fearing that an attempt might be made to carry Trinavody
and recapture the rajah's treasure, had marched all night. When within
a mile of the place, he heard what had happened, and at once pushed
forward.
Charlie saw that, already, his retreat was cut off; and, running to
the edge of the terrace, shouted to Peters to hurry out with all the
men already in the courtyard, to occupy the houses outside the gate,
and to keep back the advancing enemy. Summoning another party to the
tower, four guns upon the terrace were at once loaded, and these
opened upon the head of the enemy's column, as they entered the street
leading to the temple.
In a short time, a brisk fight began. The enemy planted guns to bear
upon the tower. The cannon of the fort joined in the assault, the
infantry pressed forward through the houses and inclosures to the
temple, and were soon engaged with the men under Captain Peters, while
the guns and musketry from the tower also opened upon them.
Having seen that the preparations to repulse an immediate attack were
complete, Charlie again ran down to the courtyard. The weak point of
the defences was the gateway. This was fifty feet wide, and unprovided
with gates; and Charlie at once set a strong party to work, to form a
barricade across it.
For some hours, the party outside the gates maintained their position,
but they were gradually driven back; and towards evening, by Charlie's
orders, they retired within the temple. The barricade was now eight
feet high. The face was formed of large slabs of stone, piled one upon
another, backed by a considerable thickness of earthwork. This,
however, although capable of resisting a sudden rush of infantry,
would, Charlie knew, be incapable of resisting artillery.
During the night, he divided his men in two parties, which alternately
slept and worked at the inner defences which he had designed. These
consisted of two walls, running from each side of the gateway to the
temple. They were placed a few feet farther back than the edge of the
gateway, so that an enemy advancing to the storm would not see them,
until within the gate. These walls he intended to be eight feet high;
and to be backed with earth, four feet high, so as to form a bank on
which the defenders could stand, and fire into the space between them.
To obtain materials, he pulled down several buildings forming a part
of the temple. The distance from the gateway to the temple was fifty
yards, and although the men worked without ceasing, the wall had made
but little progress when daylight dawned.
During the night, Charlie lowered one of his men from the wall
farthest from the enemy; with instructions to make his way, as fast as
possible, to Madras to ask for succour. In the morning, Charlie found
that the enemy had, on their side, been also busy. A house, which
faced the end of the street leading to the temple, had been pulled
down; and a battery of four guns erected there.
As soon as it was light, the combat began. The enemy had sixteen
pieces of artillery, besides those on the fort; and while the four
guns in front played unceasingly upon the barricade across the
gateway, the others cannonaded the tower, whence the English guns kept
up a fire on the battery in front. So well were these directed, and so
heavy was the musketry, that the enemy's guns were several times
silenced, and the artillerymen driven from them.
Behind the barricade, a working party threw up fresh earth, to
strengthen the part most shaken by the enemy's fire, and then set to
work to form a similar barricade, in a line with the back of the
gateway. This was completed by nightfall, by which time the enemy's
guns had completely shattered the stone facing of the outer barricade,
rendering it possible for it to be carried with a rush. As, from the
windows of the houses, they could see the new work behind it; they
would, Charlie judged, not attempt an assault, until this also was
destroyed.
During the night, large quantities of fresh earth were piled on the
outer barricade, which was now useful as forming a screen to that
behind it from the guns. All night the work at the parallel walls
continued, and by morning these had reached a height of three feet.
During the next two days the fight continued, without much advantage
on either side. Each day the enemy's guns shattered the outer
barricade, but this was as regularly repaired at night, in spite of
the heavy artillery and matchlock fire which they kept up towards the
spot.
On the fourth day the enemy pulled down a house, standing just in the
rear of their battery, and Charlie found that behind it they had
erected another. It was a solidly built work, of fifteen feet in
height, and the enemy must have laboured continuously at it, every
night. It had a strong and high parapet, of sandbags, protecting the
gunners from the musketry fire of the tower. The muzzles of four guns
projected through embrasures, which had been left for them, and these
opened fire over the heads of the gunners in the lower battery.
In spite of the efforts of the besieged, the enemy kept up so heavy a
fire that, by the afternoon, the inner as well as the outer barricade
was knocked to pieces. By this time, however, the inner walls were
completed, and the English awaited the storm with confidence. The
doorway of the temple had been closed, and blocked up behind; but the
doors had been shattered to pieces, by the shot which had passed
through the gateway, and the entrance now stood open.
Inside the temple, out of the line of fire, Charlie had the two little
field pieces, each crammed to the muzzle with bullets, placed in
readiness to fire. The lower floor of the tower had been pierced,
above the gateway, and here two huge caldrons filled with boiling
lead, stripped from the roof, stood ready for action.
At three in the afternoon, after a furious cannonade, the fire of the
enemy's battery suddenly ceased. They had formed communications
between the houses, on either side of the street; and, at the signal,
the troops poured out from these in large bodies, and rushed to the
assault.
The guns from the tower, which had been awaiting the moment, poured
showers of grape among them; but, believing that the temple now lay at
their mercy, the enemy did not hesitate, but rushed at the gateway.
Not a shot was fired, as they entered. Scrambling over the remains of
the two barricades, the enemy poured with exulting shouts into the
courtyard. Then those in front hesitated. On either hand, as far as
the doorway of the temple, extended a massive wall, eight feet high;
roughly built, certainly, but far too strong to be battered down, too
steep to be scaled. They would have retreated, but they were driven
forward by the mass which poured in through the gateway behind them;
and, seeing that their only safety was in victory, they pressed
forward again.
Not a defender showed himself, until the head of the column had
reached a point two-thirds of the distance across the courtyard. Then
suddenly, on either side, the wall was lined by the British, who at
once opened a tremendous fire on the mass below. At the same moment,
the guns were run into the doorway, and poured their contents into the
struggling mass.
Pent up between the walls, unable to return the fire poured down upon
them, with lanes torn through them by the discharge of the cannon, the
greater portion of the mass strove to turn and retire. The officer in
command, a gallant Frenchman, called upon the survivors of the fifty
French infantry, who had led the attack, to follow him; and rushed
forward upon the guns. Here, however, Charlie had posted his
Europeans, and these, swarming out from the temple, poured a volley
into the advancing French, and then charged them with the bayonet.
The pressure from behind had now ceased. Streams of boiling lead,
poured through the holes above the archway, had effectually checked
the advance; and through this molten shower, the shattered remnants of
the assaulting column now fled for their lives, leaving two hundred
and fifty of their best men dead behind them.
As the last of the column issued out, the guns of the battery again
angrily opened fire. As Charlie had anticipated, the enemy, finding
how strong were the inner defences, abandoned all further idea of
attack by the gateway; and, leaving only two guns there to prevent a
sortie, placed their whole artillery on the western side of the
pagoda, and opened fire to prepare a breach there.
For a week the siege continued, and then Charlie determined to
evacuate the place. The rajah's treasure was made up into small sacks,
which were fastened to the horses' croups. Had it not been for these
animals, he would have defended the place to the last, confident in
his power to devise fresh means to repel fresh assaults. The store of
forage, however, collected by the enemy for their own use in the
temple, was now exhausted. Charlie directed Peters, with twenty men,
to sally out from the gate at midnight, to enter the nearest house on
the right hand side, and to follow the communications made by the
enemy before the assault, until they came to the end of the street.
Lieutenant Hallowes, with a similar party, was to take the left side.
If they found any guards within the houses, they were to overpower
these; and, rushing straight on, to attack the battery, and spike the
guns. Should they find the houses deserted, they were to gather in the
houses nearest the battery, when Peters was to fire his pistol as a
signal to Hallowes, and both parties were to attack the battery.
One of the inner walls had been pulled down, and the main body of the
force, having the wounded and the ladies of the rajah's zenana in
their centre, were to sally out, the instant the guns were taken.
The plan was carried out with the greatest success. The houses on both
sides of the street were found to be deserted, and as Peters fired his
pistol, the party dashed at the flanks of the battery. The French
gunners leaped to their feet and, believing that they were attacked in
front, discharged their cannon. The grapeshot swept along the empty
street, and through the gateway; and Charlie, leading one of the
troops, at once dashed down the street.
At their first rush, Peters and Hallowes had carried the battery,
cutting down the gunners. Immediately behind, however, the enemy had
posted a support, several hundred strong, and these speedily advanced
to recover the battery.
Leaving their horses in charge of a small party, Charlie dismounted
his men and joined Peters, and his fire quickly checked the assault.
In the meantime, the rest of the defenders of the temple rode down the
street and, leaving a few men with the horses of Peters' and Hallowes'
detachments, rode out into the open country. After driving back his
assailants, Charlie led his party back to their horses, mounted them,
and speedily rejoined the main body. An hour later they were well on
their way towards Permacoil, which they reached, next day.
The rajah was delighted at recovering his family. The treasure was
divided, and the portion belonging to the troops was, with the
Company's share, sent down under a strong escort to Madras.
For a considerable time, Charlie's force were occupied with small
undertakings. Lally had now arrived, from France, and had taken the
command. He had, at his orders, a European force considerably
exceeding any that had hitherto been gathered in India, and he boasted
that he was going to capture Madras, and drive the English out of
India. Nothing could have been more unfortunate for the French than
the choice of such a man, and his appointment was destined to give the
last blow to French influence in India, as the supercession of Dupleix
had given the first.
Monsieur Lally had one virtue. He was personally brave; but he was
arrogant, passionate, and jealous. He had no capacity, whatever, for
either awing or conciliating those with whom he came in contact. He
treated the natives with open contempt, and was soon as much hated, by
them, as by his own soldiers.
His first step had been to order Bussy down, from Hyderabad, with the
whole of his force. Bussy, a man of great genius, of extreme tact, of
perfect knowledge of the Indian character; had, for eight years,
maintained French influence supreme at that court, and had acquired
for France the Northern Sirkars, a splendid and most valuable
province, on the seacoast north of Madras. Salabut Jung, the ruler of
Hyderabad, the protege of the French, heard with dismay the order
which Bussy had received. To Bussy himself, the blow was a heavy one,
and he saw that his departure would entail the ruin of the edifice of
French influence, which he had built up by so many years of thought
and toil.
However, he obeyed at once; and marched, with two hundred and fifty
Europeans and five hundred native troops, into the Sirkars. He made
over the charge of this treaty to the Marquis de Conflans, whom,
although but just arrived from Europe, and entirely new to Indian
affairs, Count de Lally had sent to replace Monsieur Moracin, who had,
for years, ably managed the province. He then marched, with his
troops, to join the main army under Count de Lally.
This force, having taken Fort Saint David, had operated against
Tanjore, where it had suffered a repulse. The news of this reached the
Northern Sirkars, soon after the departure of Bussy; and Anandraz, the
most powerful chief of the country, rose in rebellion, and sent a
messenger to Calcutta, begging the assistance of the English to drive
out the French.
While the rest of the Bengal council, seeing that Bengal was, at the
time, threatened with invasion from the north, and menaced with
troubles within, considered that it would be an act little short of
madness to send troops, at a time when they could be so little spared,
to assist a chief, who, even from his own accounts, was only able to
raise three thousand irregular followers, Clive thought otherwise. He
saw the great value of the Northern Sirkars, whose possession would
complete the line of British territory, along the seacoast, from
Calcutta down to Madras. He saw, too, that a movement here would
effect a diversion, in favour of Madras. The situation there appeared
very serious, and he could spare no troops which would suffice to turn
the scale. But even should Madras be lost, the gain of the Northern
Sirkars would almost compensate for the disaster.
Having gained the council to his views, he sent Lieutenant Colonel
Forde, who commanded the Company's troops in Bengal, with five hundred
Europeans, two thousand natives, and six six-pounders, by sea to
Vizagapatam, a port which Anandraz had seized. These landed on the
20th of October, 1758.
Had Conflans been an efficient officer, he could have crushed Anandraz
long before the arrival of the English. He had, under his orders, a
force composed of five hundred European troops, men trained by Bussy,
and accustomed to victory; four thousand native troops, and a brigade
of artillery. Instead of marching at once to crush the rebellion, he
sent messenger after messenger to Lally, begging for assistance. It
was only when he heard, from Lally, that he had directed Moracin, with
three hundred European troops, to support him, that he moved against
Anandraz.
His opportunity had, however, slipped from his hands. He had thrown
away six weeks; and when, upon the march, the news reached him of the
landing of the English, he took up the very strong position within
sight of the fort Peddapur, and intrenched himself there.
Clive had sent to Madras the news that he was despatching Colonel
Forde to the Sirkars, and begged that any body of troops who might be
available might be forwarded. Charlie's corps had already been
recalled towards Madras, to keep the bodies of French who were
converging in that direction at a distance, as long as possible, so as
to allow the victualling of Madras to go on uninterrupted. Mr. Pigot
now instructed Charlie to hand over the command of that force to
Peters; and, with fifty men, to make his way north and to effect a
junction with Forde, who was entirely deficient in cavalry.
Avoiding the French force, Charlie reached Vizagapatam upon the 2nd of
December, and found that Forde had marched on the previous day. He
started at once, and on the evening of the 3rd came up to Forde, who
had arrived in sight of the French position.
Charlie had already made the acquaintance of Colonel Forde in Bengal,
and Forde was glad to obtain the assistance, and advice, of an officer
who had seen so much service. An hour after arriving, Charlie rode out
with his commander and reconnoitred the French position; which was,
they concluded, too strong to be attacked. In point of numbers, the
forces were about even. Conflans had, in addition to his five hundred
Europeans, six thousand native infantry, five hundred native cavalry,
and thirty guns. Forde had four hundred and seventy Europeans, one
thousand nine hundred Sepoys, and six guns. Anandraz had forty
Europeans, five thousand infantry, five hundred horsemen, and four
guns. These five thousand men were, however, a mere ragged mob, of
whom very few had firearms, and the rest were armed with bows and
arrows. His horsemen were equally worthless, and Forde could only rely
upon the troops he had brought with him from Calcutta, and the troop
of fifty natives under Charlie Marryat.
Finding that the French position was too strong to be attacked, Forde
fell back to a strong position at Chambol, a village nearly four miles
from the French camp. Here, for four days, the two armies remained
watching each other, the leaders of both sides considering that the
position of the other was too strong to be attacked.