THE MYSORE WAR AND SIEGE OF SERINGAPATAM.
FEBRUARY TO MAY, 1799.
Although the reduction of the power and resources of Tippoo Sahib,
effected by the treaty of Seringapatam, which terminated the campaign of
1792, had weakened his influence, yet it had not extinguished his
intense hatred of the British. The Sultan had entered into a negotiation
with the Governor of the Isle of France, in 1798, and sent an embassy to
Zemaun Shah, Sovereign of Cabool, for the purpose of inducing him to
attack the possessions of the Company. Having also derived encouragement
from the successes of the French arms in Egypt, from which country the
Directory intended to act against the British dominions in India, Tippoo
commenced augmenting his military force, and his hostile designs became
every day more apparent. The Governor-General the Earl of Mornington
(afterwards Marquis of Wellesley) perceiving a rupture inevitable,
resolved to anticipate the attack, and ordered the army to take the
field, and march into the heart of Tippoo’s territory.
Major-General George (afterwards Lord) Harris, who was serving with the
local rank of Lieutenant-General, in conformity to these orders,
advanced with the army under his command on the 11th. of February, 1799,
and entered the Mysore territory on the 5th. of March. On the 27th. the
troops arrived at Mallavelly, and on approaching the ground of
encampment the forces of Tippoo were seen drawn up on a height a few
miles off. The enemy attacked the advanced pickets, and a general action
ensued, in which the 33rd. regiment highly distinguished itself. A body
of two thousand men moved forward in the best order towards the
regiment, which, firmly standing its ground, coolly reserved its fire
until within a distance of about sixty yards, and then led by its
Lieutenant-Colonel, the Honourable Arthur Wellesley, in person, boldly
advanced, and charging with the bayonet, compelled the approaching
column to give way. This movement being seconded by Major-General Floyd,
who made a rapid charge with the cavalry, completed the disorder, and
the enemy retreated before the whole of the British line, which
immediately moved forward.
While this attack was being made by the left wing, under
Lieutenant-Colonel the Honourable Arthur Wellesley, with the Nizam’s
contingent, the 33rd., and Major-General Floyd’s cavalry,
Lieutenant-General Harris with the troops, which formed the right wing,
had been also engaged.[7]
In this affair Tippoo sustained a loss of nearly two thousand, including
some of his most valuable officers; whilst the British casualties
amounted to only sixty-six men.
On the following morning the army advanced, and arrived before
Seringapatam on the 5th. of April, when preparations for the siege were
at once commenced.
An attack was made on an entrenchment of the enemy about six o’clock in
the evening of the 20th. of April, in which the flank companies of the
12th. and 73rd. regiments were employed. This was successful, and
although the enemy had two hundred and fifty men killed and wounded, and
the entrenchment was occupied by about eighteen hundred of Tippoo’s
infantry, the British had but one man wounded.
The siege was prosecuted with vigour, and a breach being reported
practicable on the 3rd. of May, the assault was ordered to take place in
the heat of the following day, as the besieged would then be the least
prepared to oppose the attack. On this service were employed the ten
flank companies of the European corps necessarily left to guard the
camp, and outposts, followed by the 12th., 33rd., 73rd., and 74th.
regiments, three corps of grenadier Sepoys, two hundred of the Nizam’s
troops, a hundred of the artillery, and the corps of pioneers, the whole
under the orders of Major-General (afterwards Sir David) Baird. The
assault took place about half-past one o’clock in the afternoon of the
4th. of May, and in a short space of time the British colours waved over
the fortress.[8] The Major-General had divided his force for the purpose
of clearing the ramparts to the right and left; one division was
commanded by Colonel Sherbrooke, and the other by Lieutenant-Colonel
Dunlop; the latter was wounded, but both corps, although strongly
opposed, were completely successful. The spirited attack, led by
Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell, of the 74th. Highlanders, was particularly
mentioned in general orders, in which all the officers and men were
thanked for this memorable achievement. The body of Tippoo Sultan was
found among heaps of slain, and was afterwards interred in the
magnificent mausoleum which he had erected over the tomb of his father,
the once powerful Hyder Ali, a portion of the victorious troops
attending the ceremony.
In this manner terminated the siege of Seringapatam, and the fall of the
capital placed the kingdom of Mysore at the disposal of the British
government, and destroyed a power in India which had proved itself a
formidable enemy.
The following regiments were engaged in the storming and capture of
Seringapatam on the 4th. of May, 1799; namely, the 19th. and 22nd. (late
25th.) Light Dragoons, (both since disbanded;) the 12th., 33rd., 73rd.,
74th., 75th., 77th. regiments, the Scots Brigade, afterwards the
94th.[9] regiment, and the 103rd.
[Illustration:
THE SERINGAPATAM MEDAL.—1799.
]