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direct way, and neceffarily led him to change his courfe confiderably to the weftward; but no idea was then entertained of any danger or difficulty that could occur in making good the junction.

veram was entirely out of Baillie's the troops prefent as for thofe that were expected on the following day; accompanied with a requifition equally urgent, that he would ufe all poffible means to obtain intelligence of the ftate and motions of the enemy. The anfwer made by this agent of the Nabob's, is perhaps without a parallel upon any fimiliar occafion. He told the general, that he was under orders to attend him, but that he had no authority to procure either provifions or intelligence.-As there was only four days provifion left, the army had no other refource than to encoun ter the difficulties of the weather and the danger of the enemy's horfe, by collecting paddy (as the growing rice is called) in the open but overflowed furrounded country.

Under this determination, difpatches being forwarded to Baillie, with inftructions for the new courfe he was to take, the army was ordered to march from the Mount, Such was the wretched ftate of things at this time, that it was with the greatest difficulty (after a month's preparation or alarm, and within fix miles of Madras) that the general could procure eight days rice for the army; while the collecting of draughtbullocks was fo impracticable, that the fepoys were obliged to carry half this provifion on their backs. The whole force was only about 6,000 men; but of thefe were Lord Macleod's and a Company's regiment of Europeans; befides a company or two of European grenadiers, belonging to other regiments, and 300 artillery.

They arrived in four 29th. days march at Conjeve

ram, being harraffed by the enemy's horfe, which followed and hung on all fides of them during the way; but they were much more incommoded by the violence of the rains than by the enemy; and their condition was not amend ed by finding the whole country under water at their arrival. An officer from the Nabob attended the coming of the army at Conjeveram, who was to conduct them on their way to Arcot. To him the general immediately applied to procure provifions, as well for VOL. XXV.

Hyder Ally, as the general forefaw, raised the fiege of Arcot, upon his movement towards Conjeveram; but, what had not been expected, he threw his army in fuch a manner across the courie which Baillie's detachment were. making to that place, as to prevent the intended junction. This was expected to have taken place the day after the arrival of the army; but Baillie, before the intervention of the enemy, was for fome days ftopped, at no great diftance, by the fudden rifing of a fmall river in his way. For about a week after the arrival of the army in the neighbourhood of Conjeveram, it rained almost continually by day and night, and the waters were out in fuch a degree, that they were obliged to change the fituation of their encampment to higher ground, whilft the induftry of the troops, in collecting [E]

paddy

paddy, and beating the rice from the ftraw, was no more than fufficient for their present fubfiftence. Such was the ftate of intelligence under all these difficulties, that, excepting the accidental report of a deferter, the first account which the general received of Hyder's having quitted his ground before Arcot, of his having croffed the river Palaar, and being encamp. ed within five miles of his front, was from one of his own Sept. 3d. officers, who was out upon detached fervice. In two days after, he received intelligence from Col. Baillie, of his having at length croffed the river, which had fo unfortunately barred his paf-, fage.

But that officer was now doomed to meet with more unfurmountable obftacles. On the day after the general had received this advice, the enemy's army made a great movement to the north-eaft, which induced Sir Hector Monro to change his pofition likewife, and to advance about two miles, to a high ground on the Trepaffore road, which was the way that the expected detachment was to come. By thefe movements, the hoftile camps were brought within two miles of each other; the enemy lying about that diftance to the left of the English.

Hyder's view in this movement, was to cover and fupport the great attack which he intended that day upon Baillie's detachment. He had already fent his brotherin-law, Meer Saib, with 8,000 horfe upon that fervice; who being gallantly repulfed on the preceding day, he, immediately after this movement, detached his fon, Tippoo Saib, with 6,000 regular in

fantry, 12 pieces of cannon, and 18,000 cavalry, the whole being compofed of the best troops in his army, to join the former party in an united and decifive attack. They encountered Col. Bail6th. lie at a place called Perimbancum, where he made the most mafterly difpofitions to withstand this prodigious fuperiority of force. After an exceedingly fevere and well-fought action, of several hours continuance, the enemy were routed, and Baillie gained as complete a victory as a total want of cavalry and the fmalinefs of his number could poffibly admit. Through thefe circumftances he loft his baggage; and that of a number of brave men was inevitable. His whole force did not exceed three or four battalions of fepoys, and from one to two companies of European artillery. The event fhewed the fuperior excellence of those troops.

The conqueror now experienced a new and strange fituation of things; being reduced to the most diftreffing circumftances in the arms of victory. The English camp was within a few miles; but Hyder's whole army lay full in his way; and, if any advantages were to be derived from his prefent poft, he could not retain them through the want of provifions. He accordingly dispatched an exprefs to the general with an account of his fituation, ftating the lofs he had fuftained in the late action, which rendered him incapable of advancing; and the impoffibility of continuing where he was. He accordingly urged the neceffity, holding out at the fame time the fulleft confidence of his being speedily extricated by the

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arrival of the army at Perimban- diftinguished merit, appointed with a ftrong detachment, compofed of the flower and most active part of the army, to the relief of Baillie. The force upon this expedition, confifted of the grenadier and light infantry companies of Lord Macleod's highland regiment, two other companies of European grenadiers, one pany of fepoy marksmen, and ten companies of fepoy grenadiers. As their fecurity depended upon the remotenefs and difficulty of their way as well as the filence and fecrecy of their march, Fletcher refufed four fix pounders which were offered, and fet out from the camp at nine o'clock at night, Though the men left their knapfacks behind, it was thought neceffary that they fhould carry two day's rice, with fome bifcuit and arrack, to provide against the penury at Perimbancum.

The general's fituation, upon this occafion, was undoubtedly very difficult. He found himself in a dilemma, where the hazard and danger were fo balanced on both fides, that the determination which to take, feemed to be a mat. ter rather of fortune than of judgment. The question was, whether, for the purpose of extricating Baillie's detachment, which was to be confidered as a matter of abfolute neceffity, he should, with the very inferior force under his command, give Hyder every poffible advantage over him in a general action, by advancing with the army into a flat and open country, where the immenfe cavalry of the enemy could act upon them on every fide with the utmost effect? or, Whether he fhould endeavour to attain his object at lefs apparent hazard, by fending fuch a reinforcement to Baillie as would enable him to push forward to the camp, in defpite of the enemy? In the former cafe, befides the difadvantage we have mentioned, the army muft have abandoned their only provifion, confifting in a pagoda full of paddy, which they had collected fince their arrival. This the enemy would immediately have feized, as well as the poft of Conjeveram, and the ftrong grounds which they had quitted. Thus the army would have been equally deftitute of fhelter, and expofed to the danger of ftarving, upon its return from Perimbancum. Nor was the other part of the alternative without its full fhare of difficulty, hazard, and danger.

This was, however, adopted; and Col. Fletcher, an officer of

Hyder had fuch excellent intelligence in the English camp, that he had an early and exact knowledge not only of the defign, but of the particular circumftances relative to Fletcher's detachment; the time, the route, the number and nature of his troops, and even their proceeding without artillery, were all faithfully com. municated by his fpies. He ac cordingly fent a ftrong body of forces to intercept and cut off the detachment on their way; but Col. Fletcher, by a fingular fagacity, having conceived fome fufpicion of his guides, fuddenly changed his route, and by a wide circuitous fweep, through ricefields and fwamps to the right, he by that means, and the cover of the night, evaded the danger.

The late defeat of Meer and [E] 2 Tippoo

Tippoo Saib, by a force fo totally inferior in point of number, had greatly damped the fpirit of the Myfore army; but the account of Fletcher's junction with Baillie fpread univerfal difmay through their camp. The foreign officers were particularly alarmed. They confidered the whole as a masterly ftroke of generalfhip, by which the army would be enclofed; and being attacked on both fides at once, that nothing but ruin could enfve. Under this impreffion, Col. Lallie, with most of the native general officers, ftrongly remonftrated with Hyder on the neceffity of immediately breaking up his camp, and repaffing the Palaar, to avoid the immediate danger which they otherwife confidered as inevitable. Hyder himfelf was undetermined how to act, and feemed to be giving way to the general fentiment, when the arrival of two of his fpies from Conjeveram, fuddenly changed the ftate of things. The affurances given by thefe, that the English army was perfectly quiet in camp, and that the fmalleft preparation was not making, nor in fact any defign of a movement entertained, at once determined Hyder's conduct. The Europeans ftill, to a man, held their former opinion. They confidered the intelligence as too extraordinary, and even too near an impoffibility, to be at all credited. They accordingly concluded, that the fpies had fold Hyder; and that his facility in giving way to the deception, had rendered his ruin inevitable. Lally, however, went once more to Hyder, to urge thfe neceffity of fending off, at any rate, the guns and infantry.

In the mean time the trap was preparing, and laid with no fmall degree of art, ability, and judgment, for the unfortunate corps that were under the command of Baillie and Fletcher. The most covert and difficult ground on the road which they were to pafs, was occupied and enfiladed by several batteries of cannon; and as the time and circumftances of their march were known, large bodies of the beft foot in Hyder's army, lay in ambufcade on either fide; he himself, with almost his whole force, being in readiness to fupport the attack. While thefe real difpofitions were making, or taking effect, which, by degrees, occupied all the valuable part of Hyder's army, a cloud of irregular cavalry were employed in various motions on the fide of Conjeveram, in order to attract the attention of the English camp.

Juft at day-light, Sept. 10th. Baillie's corps was perceived by the enemy, advancing into the very center of the toils which they had laid for them. They marched in column; and the first notice they had of their danger, was the opening of a battery of twelve guns, loaded with grape fhot, which poured in upon their right flank. În half an hour, 57 pieces of cannon were brought fo to bear, as to penetrate into every part of the British line; and by feven o'clock, the action was become as general as fuch a handful of men, engaged with fo vaft an hoft, could make it. Such a conflict has feldom been heard of; nor will the example render it common in the practice. Surrounded and attacked on all fides by 25,000 cavalry, by 30 regiments of difciplined

fepoy

fepoy infantry, befides Hyder's European corps, and a numerous artillery, generally playing upon them within grape fhot diftance, yet this invincible column ftood firm and undaunted, and repulfed every charge made by the Myfore army, with a prodigious flaughter of their bravest men. Some European gentlemen who were upon bufinefs in Hyder's camp, and thereby became fpectators of the battle, while they beheld with admiration the cool and intrepid countenance preferved by the commander, and by his unequalled followers, were still ftruck with greater aftonishment, in the midft of all the tumult and danger of fo unequal a conflict, to fee their various evolutions performed with a precifion and fteadinefs which would have gained applaufe in the regulated exercifes of a field-day. Col. Baillie had only ten pieces of cannon; but these were fo excellently ferved, that they kept up an unremitting fire, and made great havock among the enemy during the whole engagement. After a dubious conteft of three hours, victory began at half past nine o'clock to declare for the English; the flower of the Myfore cavalry, after many bloody repulfes, were at length entirely defeated, with great flaughter, and driven back upon the main body; and the right wing, compofed of Hyder's beft forces, was thrown into diforder, and began to give way. Hyder himself, defpairing of keeping his infantry much longer in the field, prepared for a retreat. A rapid and mafterly movement, from the right to the center, made at the inftant by Col. Baillie, confirmed this dif

pofition, and feemed entirely to decide the fortune of the day. Orders were accordingly given to Lally to draw off the artillery, and to the cavalry to cover the retreat.

At this moment of joy, exulta→ tion, and triumph, as well for unhoped deliverance as for victory, on the one fide, and of disappointment and difmay on the other, an unforeseen and unavoidable miffortune fuddenly changed the fortune of the day.

From whatever fatality it proceeded, the tumbrils which contained the ammunition, fuddenly blew up, with two dreadful explofions in the center of the Britifh lines. One whole face of their column was entirely laid open, and their artillery overturned and deftroyed. Though the deftruction of men was great, the total lofs of ammunition was ftill more dreadful to the furvivors. Tippoo Saib inftantly caught the moment of advantage, and, without waiting for orders, fell with the utmost rapidity, at the head of the Mogul and Carnatic horse, into the broken square, which had not yet time in any degree to recover its order or form; and the cavalry being fpeedily followed by the French corps and by the firft line of infantry, the fate of that gallant band was no longer doubtful. After the prodigies of valour which they had fo nobly exhibited, the brave fepoys were almost to a man cut to pieces.

Col. Baillie, though already feverely wounded, rallied the Eu ropeans, and, under the fire of the whole immenfe artillery of the enemy, gained a little eminence, and forming a new fquare, thefe

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