by G. A. Henty
Chapter 28: The Defeat Of Lally.
A large quantity of plunder was obtained at Masulipatam. Half was atonce divided among the troops, according to promise, and the otherhalf retained until the permission, applied for by Colonel Forde, wasreceived from Madras for its division among them.
The morning after the capture of the town, the Mahratta horse ofSalabut Jung appeared. The nizam was furious when he found that he hadarrived too late; but he resolved that when the three hundred Frenchtroops, daily expected by sea, arrived, he would besiege Forde in histurn; as, with the new arrivals, Du Rocher's force would alone besuperior to that of Forde, and there would be, in addition, his ownarmy of forty thousand men.
The ships arrived off the port three days later, and sent a messengeron shore to Conflans. Finding that no answer was returned, and thatthe fire had entirely ceased, they came to the conclusion that theplace was captured by the English, and sailed away to Pondicherryagain. Had Du Rocher taken the precaution of having boats in readinessto communicate with them, inform them of the real state of affairs,and order them to land farther along the coast and join him, Fordewould have been besieged in his turn, although certainly the siegewould have been ineffectual.
Rajah Anandraz, greatly terrified at the approach of the nizam, had,two days after the capture of the place, received a portion of theplunder as his share, and marched away to his own country; Forde,disgusted with his conduct throughout the campaign, making no effortwhatever to retain him.
When Salabut Jung heard that the French had sailed away toPondicherry, he felt that his prospects of retaking the town weresmall; and, at the same time receiving news that his own dominionswere threatened by an enemy, he concluded a treaty with Forde,granting Masulipatam and the Northern Sirkars to the English, andagreeing never again to allow any French troops to enter hisdominions. He then marched back to his own country.
Colonel Forde sailed with a portion of the force to Calcutta, where heshortly afterwards commanded at the battle of Chinsurah, where theDutch, who had made vast preparations to dispute the supremacy of theEnglish, were completely defeated; and thenceforth they, as well asthe French, sunk to the rank of small trading colonies under Britishprotection, in Bengal.
Charlie returned to Madras, and journeying up the country he joinedthe main body of his troop, under Peters. They had been engaged inseveral dashing expeditions, and had rendered great service; but theyhad been reduced in numbers, by action and sickness; and the wholeforce, when reunited, only numbered eighty sabres--Lieutenant Hallowesbeing killed. Peters had been twice wounded. The two friends weregreatly pleased to meet again, and had much to tell each other oftheir adventures, since they parted.
The next morning, a deputation of four of the men waited upon Charlie.They said that, from their share of the booty of the various placesthey had taken, all were now possessed of sums sufficient, in India,to enable them to live in comfort for the rest of their lives. Theyhoped, therefore, that Charlie would ask the authorities at Madras todisband the corps, and allow them to return home. Their commander,however, pointed out to them that the position was still a criticalone; that the French possessed a very powerful army at Pondicherry,which would shortly take the field; and that the English would needevery one of their soldiers, to meet the storm. If victorious, therecould be no doubt that a final blow would be dealt to Frenchinfluence, and that the Company would then be able to reduce itsforces. A few months would settle the event, and it would, he knew, beuseless to apply for their discharge before that time. He thought hecould promise them, however, that by the end of the year, at latest,their services would be dispensed with.
The men, although rather disappointed, retired, content to make thebest of the circumstances. Desertions were very frequent in the Sepoyforce of the Company, as the men, returning to their native villagesand resuming their former dress and occupation, were in no dangerwhatever of discovery. But in Charlie's force not a single desertionhad taken place since it was raised; as the men knew that, by leavingthe colours, they would forfeit their share of the prize money, heldfor them in the Madras treasury.
"Have you heard from home lately?" Peters asked.
"Yes," Charlie said. "There was a large batch of letters lying for me,at Madras. My eldest sister, who has now been married three years, hasjust presented me with a second nephew. Katie and my mother are well."
"Your sister is not engaged yet?" Peters asked.
"No. Katie says she's quite heart whole at present. Let me see--howold is she now? It is just eight years and a half since we leftEngland, and she was twelve years old then. She is now past twenty.
"She would do nicely for you, Peters, when you go back. It would beawfully jolly, if you two were to fall in love with each other."
"I feel quite disposed to do so," Peters said, laughing, "from yourdescriptions of her. I've heard so much of her, in all the time we'vebeen together; and she writes such bright merry letters, that I seemto know her quite well."
For Charlie, during the long evenings by the campfires, had often readto his friend the lively letters which he received from his sisters.Peters had no sisters of his own; and he had more than once sent homepresents, from the many articles of jewelry which fell to his share ofthe loot of captured fortresses, to his friend's sisters, saying toCharlie that he had no one in England to send things to, and that itkept up his tie with the old country; for he had been left an orphan,as a child.
The day after the deputation from his men had spoken to Charlie, Timsaid:
"I hope, yer honor, that whin the troop's disbanded, you will be goinghome for a bit, yourself."
"I intend to do so, Tim. I have been wanting to get away, for the lasttwo years, but I did not like to ask for leave until everything wassettled here. And what is more, when I once get back, I don't thinkthey will ever see me in India again. I have sufficient means to liveas a wealthy man in England, and I've seen enough fighting to last alifetime."
"Hooroo!" shouted Tim. "That's the best word I've heard for a longtime. And I shall settle down as yer honor's butler, and look afterthe grand house, and see that you're comfortable."
"You must never leave me, Tim, that's certain," Charlie said. "Atleast, till you marry and set up an establishment of your own."
"If I can't marry without leaving yer honor, divil a wife will TimKelly ever take."
"Wait till you see the right woman, Tim. There is no saying what thestrongest of us will do, when he's once caught in a woman's net.However, we'll talk of that when the time comes."
"And there's Hossein, yer honor. Fire and water wouldn't keep him awayfrom you, though what he'll do in the colds of the winter at home ismore than I know. It makes me laugh to see how his teeth chatter, andhow the creetur shivers of a cold morning, here. But, cold or no cold,he'd follow you to the north pole, and climb up it if yer honor toldhim."
Charlie laughed.
"He is safe not to be put to the test there, Tim. However, you may besure that if Hossein is willing to go to England with me, he shall go.He has saved my life more than once; and you and he shall never partfrom me, so long as you are disposed to stay by my side."
For some months, no great undertaking was attempted on either side.Many petty sieges and skirmishes took place, each party preparing forthe great struggle, which was to decide the fate of Southern India.
At last, in January, 1760, the rival armies approached each other.Captain Sherlock, with thirty Europeans and three hundred Sepoys, werebesieged by the French in the fort of Vandivash, which had shortlybefore been captured by them from the French.
Lally was himself commanding the siege, having as his second incommand Monsieur Bussy, of whom, however, he was more jealous thanever. Lally's own incapacity was so marked that the whole army, andeven Lally's own regiment, recognized the superior talents of Bussy.But although Lally constantly asked the advice of his subordinate, hisjealousy of that officer generally impelled him to neglect it.
When the English, under Colonel Coote, who n
ow commanded their forcesin Madras, were known to be advancing against him, Bussy stronglyadvised that the siege should be abandoned, and a strong positiontaken up for the battle. The advice was unquestionably good, but Lallyneglected it, and remained in front of Vandivash until the Englishwere seen approaching. The French cavalry, among whom were threehundred European dragoons, and a cloud of Mahratta horse moved forwardagainst the English, whose troops were scattered on the line of march.
Colonel Coote brought up two guns, and these, being kept concealedfrom the enemy until they came within two hundred yards, openedsuddenly upon them, while the Sepoys fired heavily with their muskets.The Mahrattas rapidly turned and rode off, and the French cavalry,finding themselves alone, retired in good order.
Colonel Coote now drew up his army in order of battle, and marched histroops so as to take up a position in front of some gardens, and otherinclosures, which extended for some distance from the foot of themountains out on to the plain. These inclosures would serve as adefence, in case the army should be forced to retire from the open.
The French remained immovable in their camp. Seeing this, ColonelCoote marched his troops to the right, the infantry taking up theirpost in the stony ground at the foot of the mountain, at a mile and ahalf from the French camp. Some of the French cavalry came out toreconnoitre; but, being fired upon, returned.
Finding that the French would not come out to attack, Colonel Cooteagain advanced until he reached a point where, swinging round hisright, he faced the enemy in a position of great strength. His rightwas now covered by the fire of the fort, his left by the broken groundat the foot of the hills.
As soon as the English had taken up their position, the French salliedout from their camp and formed in line of battle. The French cavalrywere on their right; next to these was the regiment of Lorraine, fourhundred strong; in the centre the battalion of India, seven hundredstrong. Next to these was Lally's regiment, four hundred strong, itsleft resting upon an intrenched tank, which was held by three hundredmarines and sailors from their fleet, with four guns. Twelve otherguns were in line, three between each regiment. Four hundred Sepoyswere in reserve, at a tank in rear of that held by the marines. Ninehundred Sepoys held a ridge behind the position, but in front of thecamp, and at each end of this ridge was an intrenchment, guarded byfifty Europeans. A hundred and fifty Europeans and three hundredSepoys remained in the batteries, facing Vandivash. The whole forceconsisted of two thousand four hundred Europeans, and sixteen hundredSepoys. The Mahrattas, three thousand strong, remained in their owncamp, and did not advance to the assistance of their allies.
The English army consisted of nineteen hundred Europeans, of whomeighty were cavalry, two thousand one hundred Sepoys, twelve hundredand fifty irregular horse, and twenty-six field guns. The Sepoys wereon the flanks, the Company's two battalions in the centre, withCoote's regiment on their right and Draper's on their left. The fourgrenadier companies of the white regiments were withdrawn from thefighting line; and, with two hundred Sepoys on each flank, were heldas a reserve. Ten field pieces were in line with the troops; two, withtwo companies of Sepoys, were posted a little on the left; the restwere in reserve. The English line was placed somewhat obliquely acrossthat of the French, their left being the nearest to the enemy.
As the English took up their position, Lally led out his cavalry, madea wide sweep round the plain, and then advanced against the Englishhorse, who were drawn up some little distance behind the reserve. Uponseeing their approach, the whole of the irregular horse fled at once,leaving only Charlie's troop remaining. The Sepoys with the two gunson the left were ordered to turn these round, so as to take theadvancing French in flank; but the flight of their horse had shakenthe natives, and the French cavalry would have fallen, unchecked, onCharlie's little troop, which was already moving forward to meet them,had not Captain Barlow, who commanded the British artillery, turnedtwo of his guns and opened fire upon them.
Fifteen men and horses fell at the first discharge, throwing the restinto some confusion; and at the next deadly discharge, the wholeturned and rode off. Seeing the enemy retreating, many of theirregular horse rode back, and, joining Charlie's troop, pursued themround to the rear of their own camp.
For a short time a cannonade was kept up by the guns on both sides,the English fire, being better directed, causing some damage. UponLally's return to his camp with the cavalry, he at once gave the orderto advance. Coote ordered the Europeans of his force to do the same,the Sepoys to remain on their ground.
The musketry fire began at one o'clock. The English, according toCoote's orders, retained theirs until the enemy came close at hand.Following the tactics which were afterwards repeated many times in thePeninsula, the Lorraine regiment, forming a column twelve deep,advanced against that of Coote, which received them in line. TheFrench came on at the double. When within a distance of fifty yards,Coote's regiment poured a volley into the front and flanks of thecolumn. Although they suffered heavily from this fire, the Frenchbravely pressed on with levelled bayonets, and the head of the column,by sheer weight, broke through the English line.
The flanks of the English, however, closed in on the sides of theFrench column, and a desperate hand-to-hand fight ensued. In this, theEnglish had all the advantage, attacking the French fiercely on eitherside, until the latter broke and ran back to the camp.
Colonel Coote, who was with his regiment, ordered it to form inregular order again, before it advanced, and rode off to see what wasgoing on in the rest of the line. As he was passing on, a shot struckan ammunition waggon in the intrenched tank held by the French. Thisexploded, killing and wounding eighty men, among whom was thecommander of the post. The rest of its occupants, panic stricken bythe explosion, ran back to the next tank. Their panic communicateditself to the Sepoys there, and all ran back together to the camp.
Colonel Coote at once sent orders to Major Brereton, who commandedDraper's regiment, to take possession of the tank, before the enemyrecovered from the confusion which the explosion would be sure tocause. The ground opposite that which Draper's regiment occupied washeld by Lally's regiment, and in order to prevent his men beingexposed to a flanking fire from these, Draper ordered them to file offto the right. Bussy, who commanded at this wing, endeavoured to rallythe fugitives, and gathering fifty or sixty together, added twocompanies of Lally's regiment to them, and posted them in the tank; hethen returned to the regiment.
As Major Brereton, moving up his men, reached the intrenchment, aheavy fire was poured upon him. Major Brereton fell, mortally wounded,and many of his men were killed. The rest, however, with a rushcarried the intrenchment, and firing down from the parapet on the gunson Lally's left, drove the gunners from them. Two companies held theintrenchment, and the rest formed in the plain on its left, to preventLally's regiment attacking it on this side.
Bussy wheeled Lally's regiment, detached a portion of it to recoverthe intrenchment, and with the rest marched against Draper's troops inthe plain. A heavy musketry fire was kept up on both sides, until thetwo guns, posted by Draper's regiment, and left behind when theyattacked the intrenchment, came up and opened on the French. Thesebegan to waver. Bussy, as the only chance of gaining the day, puthimself at their head, and endeavoured to lead them forward to attackthe English with the bayonet. His horse, however, was struck with aball and soon fell; the English fire was redoubled, and but twenty ofLally's men kept round him.
Two companies of the English rushed forward and surrounded the littleparty, who at once surrendered. Bussy was led a prisoner to the rear,and as he went was surprised at the sight of the three hundredgrenadiers, the best troops in the English army, remaining quietly inreserve.
While on either flank the French were now beaten, the fight in thecentre, between the European troops of the English and FrenchCompanies, had continued, but had been confined to a hot musketry andartillery fire. But upon seeing the defeat of their flanks, theenemy's centre likewise fell back to their camp.
From the moment when t
he Lorraine regiment had been routed, four fieldpieces kept up an incessant fire into their camp, to prevent them fromrallying. The three English regiments now advanced in line, andentered the enemy's camp without the least opposition. The Lorraineregiment had passed through it, a mass of fugitives. The Indiaregiment and Lally's went through rapidly, but in good order.
Lally had, in vain, endeavoured to bring the Sepoys forward to theattack, to restore the day. The French cavalry, seeing the defeat ofLorraine's regiment, advanced to cover it, their appearance completelyintimidating the English irregular horse. Charlie's troop were tooweak to charge them single handed.
Reanimated by the attitude of their cavalry, the men of the Lorraineregiment rallied, yoked up four field pieces which were standing inthe rear of the camp, and moved off in fair order. They were joined inthe plain by Lally's regiment and the India battalion, and the whole,setting fire to their tents, moved off in good order. The four fieldpieces kept in the rear, and behind these moved the cavalry. As theyretired, they were joined by the four hundred and fifty men from thebatteries opposite Vandivash.
Colonel Coote sent orders to his cavalry to harass the enemy. Thesefollowed them for five miles, but as the native horse would notventure within range of the enemy's field guns, Charlie, to his greatdisappointment, was able to do nothing.
Upon neither side did the Sepoys take any part in the battle ofVandivash. It was fought entirely between the two thousand two hundredand fifty French, not including those in their battery, and sixteenhundred English, excluding the grenadiers, who never fired a shot.Twenty-four pieces of cannon were taken, and eleven waggons ofammunition, and all the tents, stores, and baggage that were notburned. The French left two hundred dead upon the field. A hundred andsixty were taken prisoners, of whom thirty died of their wounds beforethe next morning. Large numbers dropped upon the march, and wereafterwards captured. The English had sixty-three killed, and a hundredand twenty-four wounded.
The news of this victory reached Madras on the following morning, andexcited as much enthusiastic joy as that of Plassey had done atCalcutta; and the event was almost as important a one. There was nolonger the slightest fear of danger, and the Madras authorities beganto meditate an attack upon Pondicherry. So long as the great Frenchsettlement remained intact, so long would Madras be exposed to freshinvasions; and it was certain that France, driven now from Bengal,would make a desperate effort to regain her shaken supremacy inMadras.
The force, however, at the disposal of the Madras authorities, wasstill far too weak to enable them to undertake an enterprise like thesiege of Pondicherry; for their army did not exceed, in numbers, thatwhich Lally possessed for its defence. Accordingly, urgent letterswere sent to Clive to ask him to send down, in the summer, as manytroops as he could spare, other reinforcements being expected fromEngland at that time. The intervening time was spent in the reductionof Chittapett, Karical, and many other forts which held out for theFrench.
After the battle of Vandivash, Charlie kept his promise to his men. Herepresented to Mr. Pigot that they had already served some months overthe time for which they were enlisted, that they had gone throughgreat hardships, and performed great services, and that they were nowanxious to retire to enjoy the prize money they had earned. He addedthat he had given his own promise that they should be allowed toretire, if they would extend their service until after a decisivebattle with the French. Mr. Pigot at once assented to Charlie'srequest, and ordered that a batta of six months' pay should be givento each man, upon leaving.
The troop, joined by many of their comrades, who had been at differenttimes sent down sick and wounded to Madras, formed up there on paradefor the last time. They responded with three hearty cheers to theaddress which Charlie gave them, thanking them for their services,bidding them farewell, and hoping that they would long enjoy the prizemoney which they had gallantly won. Then they delivered over theirhorses to the authorities, drew their prize money from the treasury,and started for their respective homes, the English portion taking uptheir quarters in barracks, until the next ship should sail forEngland.
"I am sorry to leave them," Charlie said to Peters, as they stoodalone upon the parade. "We have gone through a lot of stirring worktogether, and no fellows could have behaved better."
"No," Peters agreed. "It is singular that, contemptible as are thesenatives of India when officered by men of their own race and religion,they will fight to the death when led by us."