by G. A. Henty
Chapter 10: The Fall Of Seringam.
Although called an island, Seringam is in fact a long narrow tongue ofland, running between the two branches of the river Kavari. In someplaces these arms are but a few hundred yards apart, and the islandcan therefore be defended against an attack along the land. But theretreat of the French by this line was equally difficult, as we heldthe narrowest part of the neck, two miles from Koiladi.
Upon the south, our forces at Trichinopoli faced the French across theriver. Upon the other side of the Kolrun, as the northern arm of theKavari is called, the French could cross the river and make theirretreat, if necessary, in any direction. The two principal roads,however, led from Paichandah, a strong fortified position on the bankof the river, facing the temple of Seringam.
Clive saw that a force crossing the river, and taking up its positionon the north, would entirely cut off Law's army in the island; wouldintercept any reinforcements sent by Dupleix to its rescue; and mightcompel the surrender of the whole French army. The attempt would, ofcourse, be a dangerous one. The French force was considerably strongerthan the English, and were the latter divided into two portions,entirely cut off from each other, the central point between them beingoccupied by the French, the latter would have an opportunity ofthrowing his whole force upon one after the other.
This danger would have been so great that, had the French beencommanded by an able and active officer, the attempt would never havebeen made. Law, however, had shown amply that he had neither energynor intelligence, and Major Lawrence therefore accepted Clive'sproposal.
But to be successful, it was necessary that both portions of theEnglish force should be well commanded. Major Lawrence felt confidentin his own capacity to withstand Law upon the southern bank, and incase of necessity he could fall back under the guns of Trichinopoli.He felt sure that he could, with equal certainty, confide the commandof the other party to Captain Clive. There was, however, thedifficulty that he was the junior captain present; and that alreadygreat jealousy had been excited, among his seniors, by the rank whichhe occupied in the councils of Lawrence.
Fortunately, the difficulty was settled by the native allies. MajorLawrence laid his plans before Muhammud Ali and his allies, whosecooperation and assistance were absolutely necessary. These, afterhearing the proposal, agreed to give their assistance, but only uponthe condition that Clive should be placed in command of theexpeditionary party. They had already seen the paralysing effects ofthe incapacity of some English officers. Clive's defence of Arcot, andthe victories of Arni and Kavaripak, had excited their intenseadmiration, and caused them to place unbounded confidence in him.Therefore they said:
"If Captain Clive commands, we will go--unless he commands, we donot."
Major Lawrence was glad that the pressure thus placed upon him enabledhim, without incurring a charge of favouritism, to place the commandin the hands of the officer upon whom he most relied.
On the night of the 6th of April Clive set out; with a force composedof four hundred English, seven hundred Sepoys, three thousand Mahrattacavalry, a thousand Tanjore cavalry, six light guns and two heavyones. Descending the river, he crossed the island at a point threemiles to the east of Law's camping ground, and marched to Samieaveram,a town nine miles north of the island, and commanding the roads fromthe north and east.
The movement was just made in time. Dupleix, utterly disgusted withLaw, had resolved to displace him. D'Auteuil, the only officer he hadof sufficient high rank to take his place, had not, when previouslyemployed, betrayed any great energy or capacity. It appeared,nevertheless, that he was at any rate superior to Law. On the 10th ofApril, therefore, he despatched D'Auteuil, with a hundred and twentyFrench, and five hundred Sepoys, with four guns and a large convoy, toSeringam, where he was to take the command. When he arrived withinfifteen miles of Samieaveram, he learned that Clive had possession ofthat village, and he determined upon a circuitous route, by which hemight avoid him. He therefore sent a messenger to Law, to acquaint himwith his plans, in order that he might aid him by making a diversion.
Clive, in the meantime, had been at work. On the day after his arrivalat Samieaveram, he attacked and captured the temple of Mansurpet,halfway between the village and the island. The temple was lofty, andstood on rising ground, and commanded a range of the country for manymiles round.
On its top, Clive established a signal station. Upon the following dayhe carried the mud fort of Lalgudi, which was situated on the northbank of the river, two miles to the east of Paichandah, which nowremained Law's only place of exit from the island.
D'Auteuil, after sending word to Law of his intentions, marched fromUtatua, where he was lying, by a road to the west which would enablehim to move round Samieaveram to Paichandah. Clive captured one of themessengers, and set off with his force to intercept him. D'Auteuil,however, received information by his spies of Clive's movement, andnot wishing to fight a battle in the open, with a superior force, fellback to Utatua, while Clive returned to Samieaveram.
Law, too, had received news of Clive's movement. Here was a chance ofretrieving the misfortunes of the campaign. Paichandah being still inhis hands, he could sally out with his whole force and that of ChundaSahib, seize Samieaveram in Clive's absence, and extend his hand toD'Auteuil, or fall upon Clive's rear. Instead of this, he repeated themistake he had made before Trichinopoli; and, instead of marching outwith his whole force, he sent only eighty Europeans, of whom fortywere deserters from the English army, and seven hundred Sepoys.
The English returned from their march against D'Auteuil. The greaterportion of the troops were housed in two temples, a quarter of a mileapart, known as the Large and Small Pagoda. Clive, with several of hisofficers, was in a caravansary close to the Small Pagoda.
Charlie's company were on guard, and after paying a visit to thesentries, and seeing that all were on the alert, he returned to thecaravansary. The day had been a long one, and the march under the heatof the sun very fatiguing. There was therefore but littleconversation, and Charlie, finding, on his return from visiting thesentries, that his leader and the other officers had already wrappedthemselves in their cloaks and lain down to rest, imitated theirexample.
Half an hour later, the French column arrived at Samieaveram. Theofficer in command was a daring and determined man. Before reachingthe place, he had heard that the English had returned; and, findingthat he had been forestalled, he might well have returned to Law. Hedetermined, however, to attempt to surprise the camp. He placed hisdeserters in front, and when the column, arriving near the Sepoysentinel, was challenged, the officer in command of the deserters, anIrishman, stepped forward, and said that he had been sent by MajorLawrence to the support of Captain Clive. As the other English-speakingsoldiers now came up, the sentry and native officer with him werecompletely deceived, and the latter sent a soldier to guide the columnto the English quarter of the camp.
Without interruption, the column marched on through lines of sleepingSepoys and Mahrattas until they reached the heart of the village. Herethey were again challenged. They replied with a volley of musketryinto the caravansary, and another into the pagoda. Then they rushedinto the pagoda, bayoneting all they found there.
Charlie, who had just dropped off to sleep, sprang to his feet, as didthe other officers. While, confused by the noise and suddenness of theattack, others scarcely understood what was happening, Clive's clearhead and ready judgment grasped the situation at once.
"Gentlemen," he said calmly, "there is no firing going on in thedirection of the Great Pagoda. Follow me there at once."
Snatching up their arms, the officers followed him at a run. The wholevillage was a scene of wild confusion. The firing round the pagoda andcaravansary were continuous. The Mahratta horsemen were climbing intotheir saddles, and riding away out into the plain; the Sepoys wererunning hither and thither.
At the pagoda he found the soldiers turning out under arms, and Clive,ordering his officers to do their best to rally the native troops in
good order against the enemy, at once moved forward towards thecaravansary, with two hundred English troops. On arriving there, hefound a large body of Sepoys firing away at random. Believing them tobe his own men, for the French and English Sepoys were alike dressedin white, he halted the English a few yards from them, and rushedamong them, upbraiding them for their panic, striking them, andordering them instantly to cease firing, and to form in order.
One of the Sepoy officers recognized Clive to be an Englishman, struckat him, and wounded him with his sword. Clive, still believing him tobe one of his own men, was furious at what he considered an act ofinsolent insubordination; and, seizing him, dragged him across to theSmall Pagoda to hand him over, as he supposed, to the guard there. Tohis astonishment he found six Frenchmen at the gate, and these at oncesummoned him to surrender.
Great as was his surprise, he did not for a moment lose coolness, andat once told them that he had come to beg them to lay down their arms,that they were surrounded by his whole army, and that, unless theysurrendered, his troops would give no quarter. So impressed were theFrenchmen with the firmness of the speaker that three of them at oncesurrendered, while the other three ran into the temple to inform theircommander.
Clive took the three men who had surrendered, and returned to theEnglish troops he had left near the caravansary. The French Sepoys haddiscovered that the English were enemies, and had moved quietly off.
Confusion still reigned. Clive did not imagine, for a moment, that sodaring an assault could have been made on his camp by a small body ofenemies, and expected every moment an attack by Law's whole force. Thecommander of the French, in the pagoda, was disturbed by the newsbrought in by the three men from the gate, and despatched eight of hismost intelligent men to ascertain exactly what was going on.
These, however, fell into the hands of the English; and the officer ofthe party, not knowing that the Small Pagoda was in the hands of theFrench, handed them over to a sergeant, and told him to take a partyand escort his eight prisoners, and the three Captain Clive hadcaptured, to that pagoda for confinement there.
Upon arrival at the gate the Frenchmen at once joined their comrades,and these latter were also so bewildered at the affair, that theyallowed the English sergeant and his guard to march off again,unmolested.
By this time, owing to the absence of all resistance elsewhere, Clivehad learnt that the whole of the party who had entered the camp werein the Lesser Pagoda; and, as he was still expecting, momentarily, tobe attacked by Law's main army, he determined to rid himself of thisenemy in his midst. The pagoda was very strong, and only two men couldenter abreast. Clive led his men to the attack, but so well did theFrench defend themselves that, after losing an officer and fifteenmen, Clive determined to wait till morning.
The French officer, knowing that he was surrounded, and beyond thereach of all assistance, resolved upon cutting a way through, and atdaylight his men sallied out from the temple. So fierce, however, wasthe fire with which the English received him, that twelve of his menwere instantly killed, and the rest ran back into the temple.
Clive, hoping that their commander would now surrender without furthereffusion of blood, advanced to the gateway and entered the porch tooffer terms. He was himself so faint, from the loss of blood from hiswounds, that he could not stand alone, but leaned against a wall,supported by two sergeants. The officer commanding the deserters cameout to parley, but, after heaping abuse upon Clive, levelled hismusket and discharged it at him. He missed Clive, but killed the twosergeants who were supporting him.
The French officer in command, indignant at this conduct, rushedforward at once to disavow it; and stated that he had determined todefend the post to the last, solely for the sake of the deserters, butthat the conduct of their officer had released him from thatobligation, and he now therefore surrendered at once.
The instant day broke, and Clive saw that Law was not, as he expected,at hand, he despatched the Mahratta horse in pursuit of the FrenchSepoys. These were overtaken and cut to pieces, and not one man, ofthe force which Law had despatched against Clive returned to theisland.
The English loss was heavy. The greater portion of the occupants ofthe Small Pagoda were bayoneted by the French, when they entered; and,as fifteen others were killed in the attack, it is probable that atleast one-fourth of the English force under Clive were killed.
Clive's own escapes were extraordinary. In addition to those of beingkilled by the French Sepoys, among whom he ran by mistake, and ofdeath at the hands of the treacherous deserter, he had one almost asclose, when the French fired their volley into the caravansary. A boxat his feet was shattered, and a servant who slept close to him waskilled.
Some days passed, after this attack, without any fresh movement oneither side. Major Lawrence then determined to drive back D'Auteuil.He did not despatch Clive against him, as this would involve the riskthat Law might again march out to surprise Samieaveram. He thereforedirected Clive to remain at that place and watch the island, while hesent a force of a hundred and fifty English, four hundred Sepoys, fivehundred Mahrattas, with four guns, to attack D'Auteuil; from his ownforce, under Captain Dalton. This officer, in the advance, marched histroops near Samieaveram; and, making as much show with them as hecould, impressed D'Auteuil with the idea that the force was that ofClive.
Accordingly, he broke up his camp at Utatua in the night, abandonedhis stores, and retreated hastily upon Valconda. Dalton then marchedto Samieaveram, and placed his force at Clive's disposal; and, toprevent any disputes arising as to precedence and rank, offeredhimself to serve under him as a volunteer.
Not only D'Auteuil, but Law, was deceived by Dalton's march. From thelofty towers of Seringam he saw the force marching towards Utatua,believed that Clive with his whole force had left Samieaveram, and didnow what he should have before done--crossed the river with all histroops.
Clive's lookout on the temple of Mansurpet perceived what was goingon, and signalled the news to Clive, who at once set out with hiswhole force; and, before Law was prepared to issue out fromPaichandah, Clive was within a mile of that place. Law might stillhave fought with a fair chance of success, as he was far stronger thanhis enemy, but he was again the victim of indecision and want ofenergy, and, covered by Paichandah, he fell back across the riveragain.
On the 15th of May Clive captured Paichandah, and then determined togive a final blow to D'Auteuil's force; which had, he learned, againset out to endeavour to relieve Law. He marched to Utatua to intercepthim.
D'Auteuil, hearing of his coming, instantly fell back again toValconda. The native chief of this town, however, seeing that theaffairs of the French were desperate; and willing, like all hiscountrymen, to make his peace with the strongest, had already acceptedbribes from the English; and upon D'Auteuil's return, closed the gatesand refused to admit him. Clive soon arrived, and D'Auteuil, caughtbetween two fires, surrendered with his whole force.
Had Law been a man of energy, he had yet a chance of escape. He hadstill seven or eight hundred French troops with him, two thousandSepoys, and four thousand of Chunda Sahib's troops. He might, then,have easily crossed the Kavari at night and fallen upon Lawrence,whose force there now was greatly inferior to his own. Chunda Sahib,in vain, begged him to do so. His hesitation continued until, threedays after the surrender of D'Auteuil, a battering train reachedLawrence; whereupon Law at once surrendered, his chief stipulationbeing that the life of Chunda Sahib should be spared.
This promise was not kept. The unfortunate prince had preferred tosurrender to the Rajah of Tanjore, who had several times intriguedsecretly with him, rather than to Muhammud Ali or the English, whom heregarded as his implacable enemies. Had he placed himself in ourhands, his life would have been safe. He was murdered, by thetreacherous rajah, within twenty-four hours of his surrender.
With the fall of Seringam terminated the contest for the supremacy ofthe Carnatic, between the English and French, fighting respectively onbehalf of their puppets, Muhammud Ali and Chunda Sahib.
This stage ofthe struggle was not a final one; but both by its circumstances, andby the prestige which we acquired in the eyes of the natives, it gaveus a moral ascendency which, even when our fortunes were afterwards attheir worst, was never lost again.
Muhammud Ali had, himself, gained but little in the struggle. He was,indeed, nominally ruler of the Carnatic, but he had to rely for hisposition solely on the support of the English bayonets. Indeed, thepromises, of which he had been obliged to be lavish to his nativeallies, to keep them faithful to his cause, when that cause seemed allbut lost, now came upon him to trouble him; and so precarious was hisposition, that he was obliged to ask the English to leave two hundredEnglish troops, and fifteen hundred of their Sepoys, to protect theplace against Murari Reo, and the Rajahs of Mysore and Tanjore.
The fatigues of the expedition had been great and, when the forcereached the seacoast, Major Lawrence was forced to retire to FortSaint David to recover his health; while Clive, whose health had nowgreatly broken down, betook himself to Madras; which had, when thedanger of invasion by the French was at an end, become theheadquarters of the government of the presidency.
There were, however, two French strongholds dangerously near toMadras, Covelong and Chengalpatt. Two hundred recruits had justarrived from England, and five hundred natives had been enlisted asSepoys. Mr. Saunders begged Clive to take the command of these, andreduce the two fortresses. He took with him two twenty-four pounders,and four officers, of whom two were Charlie Marryat and Peters; toboth of whom Clive was much attached, owing to their courage,readiness, and good humour.
Covelong was first attacked. It mounted thirty guns, and wasgarrisoned by fifty French, and three hundred Sepoys.
"I don't like the look o' things, Mr. Charles," Tim Kelly said."There's nothing but boys altogether, white and black. Does it standto reason that a lot of gossoons, who haven't learnt the goose step,and haven't as much as a shred of faith, ayther in themselves or theirofficers, are fit to fight the French?"
"Oh, I don't know, Tim," Charlie said. "Boys are just as plucky asmen, in their way, and are ready to do all sorts of foolhardy things,which men would hesitate to attempt."
"And that is so, Mr. Charles, when they've only other boys to dalewith; but as they're growing up, they take some time before they'requite sure they're a match for men. That's what it is, yer honor, Itell ye, and you will see it, soon."
Tim's predictions were speedily verified. The very morning after theyarrived before the fort, the garrison made a sally, fell upon thetroops, and killed one of their officers.
The whole of the new levies took to their heels, and fled away fromthe fight. Clive, with his three officers, threw himself among themand, for some time, in vain attempted to turn the tide. It was not,indeed, until several had been cut down that the rout was arrested,and they were brought back to their duty.
A day or two later a shot, striking a rock, killed or wounded fourteenmen; and excited such a panic, that it was some time before the restwould venture near the front.
The enemy, with a considerable force, marched from Chengalpatt torelieve the place. Clive left half his force to continue the siege,and with the rest marched out and offered battle to the relievingforce. Daring and confidence, as usual, prevailed. Had the enemyattacked, there is little doubt they would have put Clive's raw leviesto flight. They were, however, cowed by his attitude of defiance, andretreated hastily.
The governor of Covelong at once lost heart and surrendered the place;which he might have maintained, for months, against the force beforeit; and on the fourth day of the siege, capitulated.
A few hours afterwards the enemy from Chengalpatt, ignorant of thefall of the fort, again advanced; and Clive met them with his wholeforce. Taken by surprise, they suffered heavily. Clive pursued them tothe gates of their fort, to which he at once laid siege.
Fortunately for the English, the commander of this place, like him ofCovelong, was cowardly and incapable. Had it not been so, the fort,which was very strong, well provisioned, and well garrisoned, mighthave held out for an indefinite time. As it was, it surrendered on thefourth day, and Clive took possession on the 31st of August.
He returned to Madras, and there, a short time afterwards, marriedMiss Maskelyne. Finding his health, however, continuing todeteriorate, he sailed for Europe in February, 1753. It was but fiveyears since he had first taken up arms to defend Fort Saint David, anunknown clerk, without prospects and without fortune, utterlydiscontented and disheartened.
Madras was in the hands of the French. Everywhere their policy wastriumphant, and the soil surrounded by the walls of Saint David's,alone, remained to the English in Southern India. In the five yearswhich had elapsed, all had changed. The English were masters of theCarnatic. The French were broken and discredited. The English wereregarded by the natives throughout the country as the coming power;and of this great change, no slight portion was due to the energy andgenius of Clive, himself.