The next morning Dick was up early, eager to investigate the palace,
of which he had seen little the night before. The house was large and
handsome, the Rajah having added to it gradually, every year. On
passing the doors, the great hall was at once entered. Its roof, of
elaborately carved stones, was supported by two rows of pillars with
sculptured capitals. The floor was made of inlaid marble, and at one
end was raised a foot above the general level. Here stood a stone
chair, on which the Rajah sat when he adjudicated upon disputes among
his people, heard petitions, and gave audiences; while a massive door
on the left-hand side gave entrance to the private apartments. These
were all small, in comparison with the entrance hall. The walls were
lined with marble slabs, richly carved, and were dimly lighted by
windows, generally high up in the walls, which were of great
thickness. The marble floors were covered with thick rugs, and each
room had its divan, with soft cushions and rich shawls and covers.
The room in which they had supped the night before was the only
exception. This had been specially furnished and decorated, in English
fashion. The windows here were low, and afforded a view over the
garden. Next to it were several apartments, all fitted with divans,
but with low windows and a bright outlook. They could be darkened,
during the heat of the day, by shutters. With the exception of these
windows, the others throughout the house contained no glass, the light
entering through innumerable holes that formed a filigree work in the
thin slabs of stone that filled the orifices.
The grounds round the palace were thickly planted with trees, which
constituted a grove rather than a garden, according to Dick's English
notions. This was, indeed, the great object of the planter, and
numerous fountains added to the effect of the overhanging foliage.
Dick wandered about, delighted. Early as it was, men with water skins
were at work among the clumps of flowers and shrubs, that covered the
ground wherever there was a break among the trees. Here and there were
small pavilions, whose roofs of sculptured stone were supported by
shafts of marble. The foliage of shrubs and trees alike was new to
Dick, and the whole scene delighted him. Half an hour later, his two
cousins joined him.
"We wondered what had become of you," Doast said, "and should not have
found you, if Rajbullub had not told us that he saw you come out here.
"Come in, now. Coffee is ready. We always have coffee the first thing,
except in very hot weather, when we have fruit sherbet. After that we
ride or shoot till the sun gets hot, and then come in to the morning
meal, at ten."
On going in, Dick found that his mother and the ranee were both up,
and they all sat down to what Dick considered a breakfast, consisting
of coffee and a variety of fruit and bread. One or two dishes of meat
were also handed round, but were taken away untouched.
"Now come out to the stables, Dick," the Rajah said. "Anwar, the
officer who commanded the escort, will meet us there. He will be your
instructor."
The stables were large. The horses were fastened to rings along each
side, and were not, as in England, separated from each other by
stalls. A small stone trough, with running water, was fixed against
each wall at a convenient height, and beneath this was a pile of
fodder before each horse.
"This is the one that I have chosen for you," the Rajah said, stopping
before a pretty creature, that possessed a considerable proportion of
Arab blood, as was shown by its small head. "It is very gentle and
well trained, and is very fast. When you have got perfectly at ease
upon it, you shall have something more difficult to sit, until you are
able to ride any horse in the stable, bare backed. Murad is to be your
own property, as long as you are out here."
A syce led the horse out. It was bridled but unsaddled, and Anwar gave
a few instructions to Dick, and then said:
"I will help you up, but in a short time you will learn to vault on to
his back, without any assistance. See! you gather your reins so, in
your left hand, place your right hand on its shoulder, and then spring
up."
"I can do that now," Dick laughed, and, placing his hand on the
horse's shoulder, he lightly vaulted into his seat.
"Well done, Dick," the Rajah said, while the two boys, who had been
looking on with amused faces, clapped their hands.
"Now, Sahib," Anwar went on, "you must let your legs hang easily.
Press with your knees, and let your body sway slightly with the
movement of the horse. Balance yourself, rather than try to hold on."
"I understand," Dick said. "It is just as you do on board ship, when
she is rolling a bit. Let go the reins."
For half an hour the horse proceeded, at a walk, along the road that
wound in and out through the park-like grounds.
"I begin to feel quite at home," Dick said, at the end of that time.
"I should like to go a bit faster now. It is no odds if I do tumble
off."
"Shake your rein a little. The horse will understand it," Anwar said.
Dick did so, and Murad at once started at a gentle canter. Easy as it
was, Dick thought several times that he would be off. However, he
gripped as tightly as he could with his knees, and as he became
accustomed to the motion, and learned to give to it, acquired ease and
confidence. He was not, however, sorry when, at the end of another
half hour, Anwar held up his hand as he approached him, and the horse
stopped at the slightest touch of the rein.
As he slid off, his legs felt as if they did not belong to him, and
his back ached so that he could scarce straighten it. The Rajah and
his sons had returned to the palace, and the boys were there waiting
for him.
"You have done very well, cousin," Doast said, with grave approval.
"You will not be long before you can ride as well as we can. Now you
had better go up at once and have a bath, and put on fresh clothes."
Dick felt that the advice was good, as, bathed in perspiration, and
stiff and sore in every limb, he slowly made his way to his room.
For the next month, he spent the greater part of his time on
horseback. For the first week he rode only in the grounds of the
palace; then he ventured beyond, accompanied by Anwar on horseback;
then his two cousins joined the party; and, by the end of the month,
he was perfectly at home on Murad's back.
So far, he had not begun to practise shooting.
"It would be of no use," the Rajah said, when he one day spoke of it.
"You want your nerves in good order for that, and it requires an old
horseman to have his hand steady enough for shooting straight, after a
hard ride. Your rides are not severe for a horseman, but they are
trying for you. Leave the shooting alone, lad. There is no hurry for
it."
By this time, the Rajah had become convinced that it was useless to
try and dissuade either his sister or Dick from attempting the
enterprise for which they had come over. Possibly, the earnest
conviction of the former that her husband was still alive influenced
him to some extent, and the strength and activity of Dick showed him
that he was able to play the part of a man. He said little, but
watched the boy closely, made him go through trials of strength with
some of his troopers, and saw him practise with blunted swords with
others. Dick did well in both trials, and the Rajah then requested
Anwar, who was celebrated for his skill with the tulwar, to give him,
daily, half-an-hour's sword play, after his riding lesson. He himself
undertook to teach him to use the rifle and pistol.
Dick threw himself into his work with great ardour, and in a very
short time could sit any horse in the stable, and came to use a rifle
and pistol with an amount of accuracy that surprised his young
cousins.
"The boy is getting on wonderfully well," the Rajah said one day to
his sister. "His exercises have given him so much nerve, and so steady
a hand, that he already shoots very fairly. I should expect him to
grow up into a fine man, Margaret, were it not that I have the gravest
fears as to this mad enterprise, which I cannot help telling you, both
for your good and his, is, in my opinion, absolutely hopeless."
"I know, Mortiz," she said, "that you think it is folly, on my part,
to cling to hope; and while I do not disguise from myself that there
would seem but small chance that my husband has survived, and that I
can give no reason for my faith in his still being alive, and my
confidence that he will be restored to me some day, I have so firm a
conviction that nothing will shake it. Why should I have such a
confidence, if it were not well founded? In my dreams, I always see
him alive, and I believe firmly that I dream of him so often, because
he is thinking of me.
"When he was at sea, several times I felt disturbed and anxious,
though without any reason for doing so; and each time, on his return,
I found, when we compared dates, that his ship was battling with a
tempest at the time I was so troubled about him. I remember that, the
first time this happened, he laughed at me; but when, upon two other
occasions, it turned out so, he said:
"'There are things we do not understand, Margaret. You know that, in
Scotland, there are many who believe in second sight, as it is called;
and that there are families there, and they say in Ireland, also,
where a sort of warning is given of the death of a member of the
family. We sailors are a superstitious people, and believe in things
that landsmen laugh at. It does not seem to me impossible that, when
two people love each other dearly, as we do, one may feel when the
other is in danger, or may be conscious of his death. It may be said
that such things seldom happen; but that is no proof that they never
do so, for some people may be more sensitive to such feelings or
impressions than others, and you may be one of them.
"'There is one thing, Margaret. The fact that you have somehow felt
when I was in trouble should cheer you, when I am away, for if mere
danger should so affect you, surely you will know should death befall
me; and as long as you do not feel that, you may be sure that I shall
return safe and sound to you.'
"Now, I believe that firmly. I was once troubled--so troubled, that,
for two or three days, I was ill--and so convinced was I that
something had happened to Jack, and yet that he was not dead, that
when, nigh two years afterwards, Ben came home, and I learned that it
was on the day of the wreck of his ship that I had so suffered, I was
not in the least surprised. Since then, I have more than once had the
same feelings, and have always been sure that, at the time, Jack was
in special danger; but I have never once felt that he was dead, never
once thought so, and am as certain that he is still alive as if I saw
him sitting in the chair opposite to me, for I firmly believe that,
did he die, I should see his spirit, or that, at any rate, I should
know for certain that he had gone.
"So whatever you say, though reason may be altogether on your side, it
will not shake my confidence, one bit. I know that Jack is alive, and
I believe firmly, although of this I am not absolutely sure, that he
will, someday, be restored to me."
"You did not tell me this before, Margaret," the Rajah said, "and what
you say goes for much, with me. Here in India there are many who, as
is said, possess this power that you call second sight. Certainly,
some of the Fakirs do. I have heard many tales of warnings they have
given, and these have always come true. I will not try, in future, to
damp your confidence; and will hope, with you, that your husband may
yet be restored to you."
One evening, Dick remarked:
"You said down at Madras, Uncle, that you would, someday, tell me
about the invasion by Hyder Ali. Will you tell me about it, now?"
The Rajah nodded. His sons took their seats at his feet, and Dick
curled himself up on the divan, by his side.
"You must know," the Rajah began, "that the war was really the result
of the intrigues of Sir Thomas Rumbold, the governor of Madras, and
his council. In the first place, they had seriously angered the Nizam.
The latter had taken a French force into his service, which the
English had compelled Basult Jung to dismiss; and Madras sent an
officer to his court, with instructions to remonstrate with him for so
doing. At the same time, they gave him notice that they should no
longer pay to him the tribute they had agreed upon, for the territory
called the Northern Circars. This would have led to war, but the
Bengal government promptly interfered, cancelled altogether the
demands made by the Madras government, and for the time patched up the
quarrel. The Nizam professed to be satisfied, but he saw that trouble
might arise when the English were more prepared to enforce their
demands. He therefore entered into negotiations with Hyder Ali and the
Mahrattis for an alliance, whose object was the entire expulsion of
the British from India.
"The Mahrattis from Poonah were to operate against Bombay; those in
Central India and the north were to make incursions into Bengal; the
Nizam was to invade the Northern Circars; and Hyder was to direct his
force against Madras. Hyder at once began to collect military stores,
and obtained large quantities from the French at Mahe, a town they
still retain, on the Malabar coast.
"The Madras government prepared to attack Mahe, when Hyder informed
them that the settlements of the Dutch, French, and English on the
Malabar coast, being situated within his territory, were equally
entitled to his protection; and that, if Mahe were attacked, he should
retaliate by an incursion into the province of Arcot. In spite of this
threat, Mahe was captured. Hyder for a time remained quiet, but the
Madras government gave him fresh cause for offence by sending a force,
in August, 1779, to the assistance of Basult Jung at Adoni.
"To get there, this detachment had to pursue a route which led, for
two hundred miles, through the most difficult passes, and through the
territories both of the Nizam and Hyder. The Council altogether
ignored the expressed determination, of both these princes, to oppose
the march, and did not even observe the civility of informing them
that they were going to send troops through their territory.
"I do not say, Dick, that this made any real difference, in the end.
The alliance between the three native Powers being made, it was
certain that war would break out shortly. Still, had it not been for
their folly, in giving Hyder and the Nizam a reasonable excuse for
entering upon hostilities, it might have been deferred until the
Madras government was better prepared to meet the storm.
"The Bengal government, fortunately, again stepped in and undid at
least a part of the evil. It took the entire management of affairs out
of the hands of Rumbold's council; and its action was confirmed by the
Board of Directors, who censured all the proceedings, dismissed Sir
Thomas Rumbold and his two chief associates from the Council, and
suspended other members.
"The prompt and conciliatory measures, taken by the Bengal government,
appeased the resentment felt by the Nizam, and induced him to withdraw
from the Confederacy. Hyder, however, was bent upon war, and the
imbecile government here took no steps, whatever, to meet the storm.
The commissariat was entirely neglected, they had no transport train
whatever, and the most important posts were left without a garrison.
"It was towards the end of June that we received the news that Hyder
had left his capital at the head of an army of ninety thousand men, of
whom twenty-eight thousand were cavalry. He attempted no disguise as
to his object, and moved, confident in his power, to conquer the
Carnatic and drive the English into the sea.
"My father had already made his preparations. Everything was in
readiness, and as soon as the news reached him, he started for Madras,
under the guard of his escort, with my mother and myself, most of the
traders of the town, and the landowners, who had gathered here in fear
and trembling.
"It was a painful scene, as you may imagine, and I shall never forget
the terrified crowds in the streets, and the wailing of the women.
Many families who then left reached Madras in safety, but of those who
remained in the town, all are dead, or prisoners beyond the hills.
Hyder descended through the pass of Changama on the 20th of July, and
his horsemen spread out like a cloud over the country, burning,
devastating, and slaughtering. Hyder moved with the main army slowly,
occupying town after town, and placing garrisons in them.
"You must not suppose that he devastated the whole country. He was too
wise for that. He anticipated reigning over it as its sovereign, and
had no wish to injure its prosperity. It was only over tracts where he
considered that devastation would hamper the movements of an English
army, that everything was laid waste.
"On the 21st of August he invested Arcot, and a week later, hearing
that the British army had moved out from Madras, he broke up the siege
and advanced to meet them. Sir Hector Munro, the British general, was
no doubt brave, but he committed a terrible blunder. Instead of
marching to combine his force with that of Colonel Baillie, who was
coming down from Guntoor, he marched in the opposite direction to
Conjeveram, sending word to Colonel Baillie to follow him. Baillie's
force amounted to over two thousand eight hundred men, Munro's to five
thousand two hundred. Had they united, the force would have exceeded
eight thousand, and could have given battle to Hyder's immense army
with fair hope of success. The English have won, before now, with
greater odds against them.
"My father had marched out with his cavalry, one hundred and fifty
strong, with Munro. Of course, I was with him, and it was to him that
the English general gave the despatch to carry to Colonel Baillie. We
rode hard, for at any moment Hyder's cavalry might swoop down and bar
the road; but we got through safely, and the next morning, the 24th,
Baillie started.
"The encampment was within twenty-five miles of Madras, and with one
long forced march, we could have effected a junction with Munro. The
heat was tremendous, and Baillie halted that night on the bank of the
River Cortelour. The bed was dry, and my father urged him to cross
before halting. The colonel replied that the men were too exhausted to
move farther, and that, as he would the next day be able to join
Munro, it mattered not on which side of the river he encamped.
"That night the river rose, and for ten days we were unable to cross.
On the 4th of September we got over; but by that time Tippoo, with
five thousand picked infantry, six thousand horse, six heavy guns, and
a large body of irregulars, detached by Hyder to watch us, barred the
way.
"Colonel Baillie, finding that there was no possibility of reaching
Conjeveram without fighting, took up a position at a village, and on
the 6th was attacked by Tippoo. The action lasted three hours, and
although the enemy were four times more numerous than we were, the
English beat off the attacks. We were not engaged, for against
Tippoo's large cavalry force our few horsemen could do nothing, and
were therefore forced to remain in the rear of the British line. But
though Colonel Baillie had beaten off the attacks made on him, he felt
that he was not strong enough to fight his way to Conjeveram, which
was but fourteen miles distant; and he therefore wrote to Sir Hector
Munro, to come to his assistance.
"For three days Sir Hector did nothing, but on the evening of the 8th
he sent off a force, composed of the flank companies of the regiments
with him. These managed to make their way past the forces both of
Hyder and Tippoo, and reached us without having to fire a shot.
"Their arrival brought our force up to over three thousand seven
hundred men. Had Munro made a feigned attack upon Hyder, and so
prevented him from moving to reinforce Tippoo, we could have got
through without much difficulty. But he did nothing; and Hyder, seeing
the utter incapacity of the man opposed to him, moved off with his
whole army and guns to join his son.
"Our force set out as soon as it was dark, on the evening of the 9th;
but the moment we started, we were harassed by the enemy's irregulars.
The march was continued for five or six miles, our position becoming
more and more serious, and at last Colonel Baillie took the fatal
resolution of halting till morning, instead of taking advantage of the
darkness to press forward. At daybreak, fifty guns opened on us. Our
ten field pieces returned the fire, until our ammunition was
exhausted. No orders were issued by the colonel, who had completely
lost his head; so that our men were mowed down by hundreds, until at
last the enemy poured down and slaughtered them relentlessly.
"We did not see the end of the conflict. When the colonel gave the
orders to halt, my father said to me:
"'This foolish officer will sacrifice all our lives. Does he think
that three thousand men can withstand one hundred thousand, with a
great number of guns? We will go while we can. We can do no good
here.'
"We mounted our horses and rode off. In the darkness, we came suddenly
upon a body of Tippoo's horsemen, but dashed straight at them and cut
our way through, but with the loss of half our force, and did not draw
rein until we reached Madras.
"The roar of battle had been heard at Conjeveram, and the fury and
indignation in the camp, at the desertion of Colonel Baillie's
detachment, was so great that the general at last gave orders to march
to their assistance. When his force arrived within two miles of the
scene of conflict, the cessation of fire showed that it was too late,
and that Baillie's force was well-nigh annihilated. Munro retired to
Conjeveram, and at three o'clock the next morning retreated, with the
loss of all his heavy guns and stores, to Madras.
"The campaign only lasted twenty-one days, and was marked by almost
incredible stupidity and incapacity on the part of the two English
commanders. We remained at Madras. My father determined that he would
take no more share in the fighting until some English general,
possessing the courage and ability that had always before
distinguished them, took the command. In the meantime, Hyder
surrounded and captured Arcot, after six weeks' delay, and then laid
siege to Amboor, Chingleput, and Wandiwash.
"In November Sir Eyre Coote arrived from England and took the command.
Confidence was at once restored, for he was a fine old soldier, and
had been engaged in every struggle in India from the time of Clive;
but with the whole country in the hands of Hyder, it was impossible to
obtain draft animals or carts, and it was not until the middle of
January that he was able to move. On the 19th he reached Chingleput,
and on the 20th sent off a thousand men to obtain possession of the
fort of Carangooly. It was a strong place, and the works had been
added to by Hyder, who had placed there a garrison of seven hundred
men. The detachment would not have been sent against it, had not news
been obtained, on the way, that the garrison had fallen back to
Chingleput.
"Our troop of cavalry went with the detachment, as my father knew the
country well. To the surprise of Captain Davis, who was in command, we
found the garrison on the walls.
"'What do you think, Rajah?' Captain Davis, who was riding by his
side, asked. 'My orders were that I was to take possession of the
place, but it was supposed that I should find it empty.'
"'I should say that you had better try, with or without orders,' my
father replied. 'The annihilation of Baillie's force, and the
miserable retreat of Munro, have made a terribly bad impression
through the country, and a success is sorely needed to raise the
spirits of our friends.'
"'We will do it,' Captain Davis said, and called up a few English
engineers, and a company of white troops he had with him, and ordered
them to blow in the gate.
"My father volunteered to follow close behind them, with his
dismounted cavalry, and, when the word was given, forward we went. It
was hot work, I can tell you. The enemy's guns swept the road, and
their musketry kept up an incessant roar. Many fell, but we kept on
until close to the gate, and then the white troops opened fire upon
Hyder's men on the walls, so as to cover the sappers, who were fixing
the powder bags.
"They soon ran back to us. There was a great explosion, and the gates
fell. With loud shouts we rushed forward into the fort; and close
behind us came the Sepoys, led by Captain Davis.
"It took some sharp fighting before we overcame the resistance of the
garrison, who fought desperately, knowing well enough that, after the
massacre of Baillie's force, little quarter would be given them. The
British loss was considerable, and twenty of my father's little
company were among the killed. Great stores of provisions were found
here, and proved most useful to the army.
"The news, of the capture of Carangooly, so alarmed the besiegers of
Wandiwash that they at once raised the siege, and retreated; and, on
the following day, Sir Eyre Coote and his force arrived there. It was
a curious thing that, on the same day of the same month, Sir Eyre
Coote had, twenty-one years before, raised the siege of Wandiwash by a
victory over the army that was covering the operation. Wandiwash had
been nobly defended by a young lieutenant named Flint, who had made
his way in through the enemy's lines, a few hours before the
treacherous native officer in command had arranged with Hyder to
surrender it, and, taking command, had repulsed every attack, and had
even made a sortie.
"There was now a long pause. Having no commissariat train, Sir Eyre
Coote was forced to make for the seashore, and, though hotly followed
by Hyder, reached Cuddalore. A French fleet off the coast, however,
prevented provisions being sent to him, and, even after the French had
retired, the Madras government were so dilatory in forwarding supplies
that the army was reduced to the verge of starvation.
"It was not until the middle of June that a movement was possible,
owing to the want of carriage. The country inland had been swept bare
by Hyder, and, on leaving Cuddalore, Sir Eyre Coote was obliged to
follow the seacoast. When he arrived at Porto Novo, the army was
delighted to find a British fleet there, and scarcely less pleased to
hear that Lord Macartney had arrived as governor of Madras.
"Hyder's army had taken up a strong position, between the camp and
Cuddalore, and Sir Eyre Coote determined to give him battle. Four
days' rice was landed from the fleet, and with this scanty supply in
their knapsacks, the troops marched out to attack Hyder. We formed
part of the baggage guard and had, therefore, an excellent opportunity
of seeing the fight. The march was by the sea. The infantry moved in
order of battle, in two lines. After going for some distance, we could
see the enemy's position plainly. It was a very strong one. On its
right was high ground, on which were numerous batteries, which would
take us in flank as we advanced, and their line extended from these
heights to the sand hills by the shore.
"They had thrown up several batteries, and might, for aught we knew,
have many guns hidden on the high ground on either flank. An hour was
spent in reconnoitring the enemy's position, during which they kept up
an incessant cannonade, to which the English field guns attempted no
reply. To me, and the officers of this troop, it seemed impossible
that any force could advance to the attack of Hyder's position without
being literally swept away by the crossfire that would be opened upon
it; but when I expressed my fears, my father said:
"'No; you will see no repetition of that terrible affair with
Baillie's column. The English have now got a commander who knows his
business, and when that is the case, there is never any fear as to
what the result will be. I grant that the lookout seems desperate.
Hyder has all the advantage of a very strong position, a very powerful
artillery, and has six or seven to one in point of numbers; but for
all that, I firmly believe that, before night, you will see us in
possession of those hills, and Hyder's army in full flight.'
"Presently, we saw a movement. The two lines of infantry formed into
columns, and instead of advancing towards Hyder's position, turned
down towards the sea, and marched along between it and the sand hills.
We were at the same time set in motion, and kept along between the
infantry and the sea, so as to be under their protection, if Hyder's
cavalry should sweep down. All his preparations had been made under
the supposition that we should advance by the main road to Cuddalore,
and this movement entirely disconcerted his plans. The sand hills
completely protected our advancing columns, and when they had reached
a point almost in line with Hyder's centre, the artillery dashed up to
the crest of the hills, and the first column passed through a break in
them, and moved forward against the enemy, the guns above clearing a
way for them.
"A short halt was made, until the artillery of the second line came
up, and also took their position on the hill. Then the first column,
with its guns, moved forward again.
"Hyder had, in the meantime, moved back his line and batteries into a
position at right angles to that they had before occupied, and facing
the passage through the sand hills by which the English were
advancing. As soon as the column issued from the valley, a tremendous
fire was poured upon it, but it again formed into line of battle, and,
covered by the fire of the artillery, moved forward.
"It was a grand sight. My father and I had left the baggage, which
remained by the sea, and had ridden up on to a sand hill, from which
we had a view of the whole of the battleground. It was astonishing to
see the line of English infantry advancing, under that tremendous
fire, against the rising ground occupied by the dense masses of the
enemy.
"Presently there was a movement opposite, and a vast body of cavalry
moved down the slope. As they came the red English line suddenly broke
up, and, as if by magic, a number of small squares, surrounded by
glistening bayonets, appeared where it had stood.
"Down rode Hyder's cavalry. Every gun on our side was turned upon
them. But though we could see the confusion in the ranks, caused by
the shot that swept them, they kept on. It seemed that the little red
patches must be altogether overwhelmed by the advancing wave. But as
it came closer, flashes of fire spurted out from the faces of the
squares. We could see the horses recoil when close to the bayonets,
and then the stream poured through the intervals between the squares.
As they did so, crackling volleys broke out, while from the batteries
on the sand hills an incessant fire was kept up upon them. Then,
following the volleys, came the incessant rattle of musketry. The
confusion among the cavalry grew greater and greater. Regiments were
mixed up together, and their very numbers impeded their action. Many
gallant fellows, detaching themselves from the mass, rode bravely at
the squares, and died on the bayonets; others huddled together,
confused and helpless against the storm of bullets and shot; and at
last, as if with a sudden impulse, they rode off in all directions,
and, sweeping round, regained their position in the rear of their
infantry, while loud cheers broke from our side.
"The squares again fell into line, which, advancing steadily, drove
Hyder's infantry before it. As this was going on, a strong force of
infantry and cavalry, with guns, was moved round by Hyder to fall on
the British rear. These, however, were met by the second line, which
had hitherto remained in reserve, and after fierce fighting were
driven back along the sand hills. But, as they were retiring, the main
body of Hyder's cavalry moved round to support the attack. Fortunately
a British schooner, which had sailed from Porto Novo when the troops
started, had anchored near the shore to give what protection she could
to the baggage, and now opened fire with her guns upon the cavalry, as
they rode along between the sand hills and the sea; and with such
effect that they halted and wavered; and when two of the batteries on
the sand hills also opened fire upon them, they fell back in haste.
"This was Hyder's last effort. The British line continued to advance,
until it had gained all the positions occupied by the enemy, and these
were soon in headlong flight; Hyder himself, who had been almost
forced by his attendants to leave the ground, being with them. It was
a wonderful victory. The English numbered but 8,476 men, of whom 306
were killed or wounded. Hyder's force was about 65,000, and his loss
was not less than 10,000.
"The victory had an immense effect in restoring the confidence of the
English troops, which had been greatly shaken by the misfortunes
caused by the incapacity of Munro and Baillie. But it had no other
consequences, for want of carriage, and a deficiency of provisions and
equipment, prevented Sir Eyre Coote from taking the offensive, and he
was obliged to confine himself to capturing a few forts near the
coast.
"On the 27th of August the armies met again, Hyder having chosen the
scene of his victory over Baillie's force to give battle, believing
the position to be a fortunate one for himself. Hyder had now been
joined by Tippoo, who had not been present at the last battle, and his
force numbered 80,000 men, while the English were 11,000 strong.
"I did not see the battle, as we were, at the time, occupied in
escorting a convoy of provisions from Madras. The fight was much
better contested than the previous battle had been. Hyder was well
acquainted with the ground, and made skilful use of his opportunities,
by fortifying all the points at which he could be attacked. The fight
lasted eight hours. At last Sir Eyre Coote's first division turned the
enemy's left flank, by the capture of the village of Pillalore; while
his second turned their right, and Hyder was obliged to fall back. But
this was done in good order, and the enemy claimed that it was a drawn
battle. This, however, was not the case, as the English, at night,
encamped on the position occupied by Hyder in the morning.
"Still, the scandalous mismanagement at Madras continued to cripple
us. But, learning from the commandant at Vellore that, unless he were
relieved, he would be driven to surrender for want of provisions, Sir
Eyre Coote marched to his help. He met the enemy on the way. Hyder was
taken by surprise, and was moving off when the English arrived. In
order to give his infantry time to march away, he hurled the whole of
his cavalry against the English. Again and again they charged down,
with the greatest bravery, and although the batteries swept their
ranks with grape, and the squares received them with deadly volleys,
they persevered until Tippoo had carried off his infantry and guns;
and then, having lost five thousand men, followed him. The English
then moved on towards Vellore. Hyder avoided another encounter, and
Vellore was relieved. Sir Eyre Coote handed over, to its commandant,
almost the whole of the provisions carried by the army, and, having
thus supplied the garrison with sufficient food for six weeks, marched
back to Madras, his troops suffering greatly from famine on the way.
"Nothing took place during the winter, except that Sir Eyre Coote
again advanced and revictualled Vellore. In March a French fleet
arrived off the coast, landed a force of three thousand men to assist
Hyder, and informed him that a much larger division was on its way.
Fortunately, this did not arrive, many of the ships being captured by
the English on their way out. In the course of the year there were
several fights, but none of any consequence, and things remained in
the same state until the end of the year, when, on the 7th of
December, Hyder died, and Tippoo was proclaimed his successor.
"Bussy arrived with fresh reinforcements from France in April, and
took the command of Hyder's French contingent, and in June there was a
battle between him and a force commanded by General Stuart, the
successor to Sir Eyre Coote, who had been obliged to resign from ill
health, and who had died in the spring.
"The French position was a very strong one, and was protected by
numerous field works. The battle was the most sanguinary fought during
the war, considering the numbers engaged. The English carried a
portion of the works, and captured fourteen guns, and, as the French
retired during the night, were able to claim a victory. Their loss,
however, was over a thousand, while that of the French was not more
than a third of that number.
"During that year there was little fighting down here. A Bombay force,
however, under the command of General Matthews, captured Bednore; but
Tippoo hastened against him with a great force, besieged Bednore, and
forced it to surrender, after a desperate defence. Tippoo violated the
terms of capitulation, and made the defenders prisoners. Bangalore was
next besieged by him, but resisted for nearly nine months, and only
surrendered in January, 1784.
"Tippoo had, by this time, lost the services of his French
auxiliaries, as England and France had made peace at home.
Negotiations between Tippoo and the English went on till March, when a
treaty was signed. By its provisions, Tippoo should have handed back
all his prisoners. He murdered large numbers of them, but 1000 British
soldiers, and 1600 Sepoys obtained their liberty. No one knows how
many were retained of the number, calculated at 200,000, of natives
carried off from the countries overrun by Hyder's troops. Only 2000
were released.
"More British would doubtless have been freed, had it not been for the
scandalous cowardice of the three men sent up, as British
commissioners, to Tippoo. They were treated with the greatest insult
and contempt by him, and, in fear of their lives, were too glad to
accept the prisoners he chose to hand over, without troubling
themselves in the slightest about the rest, whom they basely deserted
and left to their fate."