Their residence in the brisk air of the hills completely restored their health, and they returned to Madras perfectly4 ready to take part in the great operations which were impending5. Charlie, on his return, was appointed to serve as chief of the staff to Colonel Coote; Captain Peters being given the command of a small body of European horse, who were, with a large body of irregulars, to aid in bringing in supplies to the British army, and to prevent the enemy from receiving food from the surrounding country.
Early in June, the British squadron off the coast was joined by two ships of the line, the Norfolk and Panther, from England; and a hundred Europeans, and a detachment of European and native artillery6 came down from Bombay.
Around Pondicherry ran a strong cactus7 hedge, strengthened with palisades, and the French retired8 into this at the beginning of July. They were too strongly posted there to be attacked by the force with which the English at first approached them, and they were expecting the arrival of a large body of troops from Mysore, with a great convoy9 of provisions.
On the 17th these approached. Major Moore, who was guarding the English rear, had a hundred and eighty European infantry10; fifty English horse, under Peters; sixteen hundred irregular horse; and eleven hundred Sepoys. The Mysoreans had four thousand good horse, a thousand Sepoys, and two hundred Europeans, with eight pieces of cannon11.
The fight lasted but a few minutes. The British native horse and Sepoys at once gave way; and the English infantry retreated, in great disorder12, to the fort of Trivadi, which they gained with a loss of fifteen killed and forty wounded. Peters' horse alone behaved well. Several times they charged right through the masses of Mysorean horse; but when five-and-twenty were killed, and most of the rest, including their commander, severely13 wounded, they also fell back into the fort.
Colonel Coote, when the news of the disaster reached him, determined14, if possible, to get possession of the fort of Vellenore, which stood on the river Ariangopang, some three miles from Pondicherry, and covered the approaches of the town from that side. The English encampment was at Perimbe, on the main road leading, through an avenue of trees, to Pondicherry. Colonel Coote threw up a redoubt on the hill behind Perimbe, and another on the avenue, to check any French force advancing from Pondicherry. These works were finished on the morning of the 19th of July.
The next morning the French army advanced along the river Ariangopang, but Coote marched half his force to meet them, while he moved the rest as if to attack the redoubts, interspersed15 along the line of hedge. As the fall of these would have placed the attacking force in his rear, Lally at once returned to the town. The same evening the Mysoreans, with three thousand bullocks carrying their artillery and drawing their baggage, and three thousand more laden16 with rice and other provisions, arrived on the other bank of the Ariangopang river, crossed under the guns of the redoubt of that name, and entered the town.
The fort of Vellenore was strong, but the road had been cut straight through the glacis to the gate, and the French had neglected to erect17 works to cover this passage. Coote took advantage of the oversight18, and laid his two eighteen-pounders to play upon the gate, while two others were placed to fire upon the parapet. The English batteries opened at daybreak on the 16th, and at nine o'clock the whole of the French army, with the Mysoreans, advanced along the bank of the river.
Coote at once got his troops under arms, and advanced towards the French, sending a small detachment of Europeans to reinforce the Sepoys firing at the fort of Vellenore. By this time the batteries had beaten down the parapet, and silenced the enemy's fire. Two companies of Sepoys set forward, at full run, up to the very crest19 of the glacis.
The French commander of the place had really nothing to fear, as the Sepoys had a ditch to pass, and a very imperfect breach20 to mount, and the fort might have held out for two days, before the English could have been in a position to storm it. The French army was in sight, and in ten minutes a general engagement would have begun. In spite of all this, the coward at once hoisted21 a flag of truce22, and surrendered. The Europeans and Sepoys ran in through the gate, and the former instantly turned the guns of the fort upon the French army. This halted, struck with amazement23 and anger, and Lally at once ordered it to retire upon the town.
A week afterwards six ships, with six hundred fresh troops from England, arrived.
The Mysoreans, who had brought food into Pondicherry, made many excursions in the country, but were sharply checked. They were unable to supply themselves with food, and none could be spared them from the stores in the magazines. Great distress24 set in among them, and this was heightened by the failure of a party, with two thousand bullocks with rice, to enter the town. This party, escorted by the greater portion of the Mysorean horse from Pondicherry, was attacked and defeated, and nine hundred bullocks, laden with baggage, captured. Shortly afterwards the rest of the Mysorean troops left Pondicherry, and marched to attack Trinomany.
Seeing that there was little fear of their returning to succour Pondicherry, the English now determined to complete the blockade of that place. In order to have any chance of reducing it by famine, it was necessary to obtain possession of the country within the hedge; which, with its redoubts, extended in the arc of a circle from the river Ariangopang to the sea. The space thus included contained an area of nearly seven square miles, affording pasture for the bullocks, of which there were sufficient to supply the troops and inhabitants for many months. Therefore, although the army was not yet strong enough to open trenches25 against the town, and indeed the siege artillery had not yet sailed from Madras, it was determined to get possession of the hedge and its redoubts.
Before doing this, however, it was necessary to capture the fort of Ariangopang. This was a difficult undertaking26. The whole European force was but two thousand strong, and if eight hundred of these were detached across the river to attack the fort, the main body would be scarcely a match for the enemy, should he march out against them. If, on the other hand, the whole army moved round to attack the fort, the enemy would be able to send out and fetch in the great convoy of provisions collected at Jinji.
Mr. Pigot therefore requested Admiral Stevens to land the marines of the fleet. Although, seeing that a large French fleet was expected, the admiral was unwilling27 to weaken his squadron; he complied with the request, seeing the urgency of the case, and four hundred and twenty marines were landed.
On the 2nd of September two more men-of-war, the America and Medway, arrived, raising the fleet before Pondicherry to seventeen ships of the line. They convoyed several Company's ships, who had brought with them the wing of a Highland28 regiment29.
The same evening Coote ordered four hundred men to march to invest the fort of Ariangopang; but Colonel Monson, second in command, was so strongly against the step that, at the last moment, he countermanded30 his orders. The change was fortunate, for Lally, who had heard from his spies of the English intentions, moved his whole army out to attack the--as he supposed--weakened force.
At ten at night fourteen hundred French infantry, a hundred French horse, and nine hundred Sepoys marched out to attack the English, who had no suspicion of their intent. Two hundred marines and five hundred Sepoys proceeded, in two columns. Marching from the Valdore redoubt, one party turned to the right to attack the Tamarind redoubt, which the English had erected31 on the Red Hill. Having taken this, they were to turn to their left and join the other column. This skirted the foot of the Red Hill, to attack the redoubt erected on a hillock at its foot, on the 18th July.
Four hundred Sepoys and a company of Portuguese32 were to take post at the junction33 of the Valdore and Oulgarry avenues. The regiments34 of Lorraine and Lally were to attack the battery in this avenue, Lorraine's from the front, while Lally's, marching outwards35 in the fields, was to fall on its right flank. The Indian battalion36, with the Bourbon volunteers, three hundred strong, were to march from the fort of Ariangopang, across the river, to the villages under the fort of Vellenore; and, as soon as the fire became general, were to fall upon the right rear of the English encampment.
At midnight a rocket gave the signal, and the attack immediately commenced. The attack on the Tamarind redoubt was repulsed37, but the redoubt on the hillock was captured, and the guns spiked38. At the intrenchment on the Oulgarry Road the fight was fierce, and Colonel Coote himself brought down his troops to its defence. The attack was continued, but as, owing to some mistake, the column intended to fall upon the English rear had halted, and did not arrive in time, the regiments of Lorraine and Lally drew off, and the whole force retired to the town.
The ships arriving from England brought a commission appointing Monson to the rank of Colonel, with a date prior to that of Colonel Coote; ordering him, however, not to assert his seniority, so long as Coote remained at Madras. Coote, however, considered that it was intended that he should return to Bengal, and so handing over the command to Monson, he went back to Madras.
Colonel Monson at once prepared to attack the hedge, and its redoubts. Leaving sufficient guards for the camp, he advanced at midnight, with his troops divided into two brigades, the one commanded by himself, the other by Major Smith. Major Smith's division was first to attack the enemy, outside the hedge in the village of Oulgarry; and, driving them hence, to carry the Vellenore redoubt, while the main body were to make a sweep round the Red Hill, and come down to the attack of the Valdore redoubt.
Smith, moving to the right of the Oulgarry avenue, attacked that position on the left; and the advance, led by Captain Myers, carried by storm a redoubt in front of the village, and seized four pieces of cannon. Major Smith, heading his grenadiers, then charged the village, tore down all obstacles, and carried the place.
The day had begun to dawn when Colonel Monson approached the Valdore redoubt. But at the last moment, making a mistake in their way, the head of the column halted. At this moment the enemy perceived them, and discharged a twenty-four pounder, loaded with small shot, into the column. Eleven men were killed and twenty-six wounded by this terrible discharge, among the latter Colonel Monson himself, his leg being broken. The grenadiers now rushed furiously to the attack, swarmed39 round the redoubt and, although several times repulsed, at last forced their way through the embrasures and captured the position.
The defenders40 of the village of Oulgarry had halted outside the Vellenore redoubt; but, upon hearing the firing to their right, retreated hastily within it. Major Smith pressed them hotly with his brigade, and followed so closely upon their heels that they did not stop to defend the position, but retreated to the town. Major Smith was soon joined by the Highlanders, under Major Scott, who had forced a way through the hedge between the two captured redoubts.
Thus the whole line of the outer defence fell into the hands of the English, with the exception of the Ariangopang redoubt on the left, which was held by the India regiment. Major Gordon, who now took the command, placed the Bombay detachment, of three hundred and fifty men, in the captured redoubts; and encamped the whole of the force in the fields to the right of Oulgarry.
Major Smith advised that at least a thousand men should be left, near at hand, to succour the garrisons41 of the redoubts; which, being open at the rear, were liable to an attack. Major Gordon foolishly refused to follow his advice, and the same night the French attacked the redoubts. The Bombay troops, however, defended themselves with extreme bravery until assistance arrived.
Three days later the French evacuated43 and blew up the fort of Ariangopang, which the English were preparing to attack, and the India regiment retired into the town, leaving, however, the usual guard in the Ariangopang redoubt.
Colonel Coote had scarcely arrived at Madras when he received a letter from Colonel Monson, saying that he was likely to be incapacitated by his wound for some months, and requesting that he would resume the command of the army. The authorities of Madras strongly urged Coote to return, representing the extreme importance of the struggle in which they were engaged. He consented, and reached camp on the night of the 20th. He at once ordered the captured redoubts to be fortified44, to prevent the enemy again taking the offensive; and erected a strong work, called the North Redoubt, near the seashore and facing the Madras redoubt.
A few days later, on a party of Sepoys approaching the Ariangopang redoubt, the occupants of that place were seized with a panic, abandoned the place, and went into the town. The English had now possession of the whole of the outward defences of Pondicherry, with the exception of the two redoubts by the seashore.
A day or two later Colonel Coote, advancing along the sea beach as if with a view of merely making a reconnaissance, pushed on suddenly, entered the village called the Blancherie, as it was principally inhabited by washerwomen, and attacked the Madras redoubt. This was carried, but the same night the garrison42 sallied out again, and fell upon the party of Sepoys posted there. Ensign MacMahon was killed, but the Sepoys, although driven out from the redoubt, bravely returned and again attacked the French; who, thinking that the Sepoys must have received large reinforcements, fell back into the village; from which, a day or two later, they retired into the town.
The whole of the ground outside the fort, between the river Ariangopang and the sea, was now in the hands of the English. The French still maintained their communications with the south by the sandy line of coast. By this time the attacks, which the English from Trichinopoli and Madura had made upon the Mysoreans, had compelled the latter to make peace, and recall their army, which was still hovering46 in the neighbourhood of Pondicherry.
Charlie, who had been suffering from a slight attack of fever, had for some time been staying on board ship, for change. In the road of Pondicherry three of the French Indiamen, the Hermione, Baleine, and the Compagnie des Indes, were at anchor, near the edge of the surf, under the cover of a hundred guns mounted on the sea face of the fort. These ships were awaiting the stormy weather, at the breaking of the monsoon47, when it would be difficult for the English fleet to maintain their position off the town. They then intended to sail away to the south, fill up with provisions, and return to Pondicherry.
Admiral Stevens, in order to prevent this contingency48, which would have greatly delayed the reduction of the place, determined to cut them out. Charlie's health being much restored by the sea breezes, he asked leave of the admiral to accompany the expedition, as a volunteer. On the evening of the 6th, six-and-twenty of the boats of the fleet, manned by four hundred sailors, were lowered and rowed to the Tiger, which was at anchor within two miles of Pondicherry, the rest of the fleet lying some distance farther away.
When, at midnight, the cabin lights of the Hermione were extinguished, the expedition started. The boats moved in two divisions, one of which was to attack the Hermione, the other the Baleine. The third vessel49 lay nearer in shore, and was to be attacked if the others were captured.
The night was a very dark one, and the boats of each division moved in line, with ropes stretched from boat to boat, to ensure their keeping together in the right direction. Charlie was in one of the boats intended to attack the Hermione. Tim accompanied him, but the admiral had refused permission for Hossein to do so, as there were many more white volunteers for the service than the boats would accommodate. They were within fifty yards of the Hermione before they were discovered, and a scattering50 musket51 fire was at once opened upon them.
The crews gave a mighty52 cheer and, casting off the ropes, separated; five making for each side of the ship, while two rowed forward to cut the cables at her bows. The Compagnie des Indes opened fire upon the boats, but these were already alongside the ship, and the sailors swarmed over the side at ten points.
The combat was a short one. The seventy men on board fought bravely, for a minute or two, but they were speedily driven below. The hatches were closed over them, and the cables being already cut, the mizzen topsail, the only sail bent53, was hoisted; and the boats, taking towropes, began to row her away from shore.
The instant, however, that the cessation of fire informed the garrison the ship was captured, a tremendous cannonade was opened by the guns of the fortress54. The lightning was flashing vividly55, and this enabled the gunners to direct their aim upon the ship. Over and over again she was struck, and one shot destroyed the steering56 wheel, cut the tiller rope, and killed two men who were steering. The single sail was not sufficient to assist in steering her, and the men in the boats rowed with such energy that the ropes continually snapped.
The fire continued from the shore, doing considerable damage; and the men in the boats, who could not see that the ship was moving through the water, concluded that she was anchored by a concealed57 cable and anchor. The officer in command, therefore, called up the Frenchmen from below, telling them he was about to fire the ship. They came on deck and took their places in the boats, which rowed back to the Tiger.
Upon arriving there Captain Dent58, who commanded her, sternly rebuked59 the officer; and said that, unless the boats returned instantly and brought the Hermione out, he should send his own crew in their boats to fetch her. The division thereupon returned, and met the ship half a mile off shore, the land wind having now sprung up.
The Baleine had been easily captured and, having several sails bent, she was brought out without difficulty. No attempt was made to capture the third vessel.
The rains had now set in, but the English laboured steadily60 at their batteries. The French were becoming pressed for provisions, and Lally turned the whole of the natives remaining in the town, to the number of fourteen hundred men and women, outside the fortifications. On their arrival at the English lines they were refused permission to pass, as Colonel Coote did not wish to relieve the garrison of the consumption of food caused by them. They returned to the French lines, and begged to be again received; but they were, by Lally's orders, fired upon, and several killed.
For seven days the unhappy wretches61 remained without food, save the roots they could gather in the fields. Then Colonel Coote, seeing that Lally was inflexible62, allowed them to pass.
On the 10th of November the batteries opened, and every day added to the strength of the fire upon the town. The fortifications, however, were strong, and the siege progressed but slowly. On the 30th of December a tremendous storm burst, and committed the greatest havoc63, both at land and sea. The Newcastle, man-of-war; the Queenborough, frigate64; and the Protector, fire ship were driven ashore45 and dashed to pieces; but the crews, with the exception of seven, were saved. The Duke of Aquitaine, the Sunderland, and the Duke, store ship, were sunk, and eleven hundred sailors drowned. Most of the other ships were dismasted.
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1
arduous
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| adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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3
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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4
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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5
impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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6
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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7
cactus
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| n.仙人掌 | |
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8
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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9
convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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10
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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12
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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13
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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14
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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15
interspersed
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| adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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17
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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18
oversight
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| n.勘漏，失察，疏忽 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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20
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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21
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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28
highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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countermanded
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| v.取消（命令），撤回( countermand的过去分词 ) | |
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31
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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32
Portuguese
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| n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语 | |
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33
junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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outwards
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| adj.外面的，公开的，向外的；adv.向外；n.外形 | |
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battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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37
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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spiked
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| adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的 | |
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swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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40
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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41
garrisons
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| 守备部队，卫戍部队( garrison的名词复数 ) | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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43
evacuated
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| 撤退者的 | |
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44
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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45
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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46
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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47
monsoon
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| n.季雨，季风，大雨 | |
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48
contingency
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| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
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49
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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50
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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51
musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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52
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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53
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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54
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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55
vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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56
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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57
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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58
dent
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| n.凹痕，凹坑；初步进展 | |
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59
rebuked
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| 责难或指责( rebuke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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61
wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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62
inflexible
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| adj.不可改变的，不受影响的，不屈服的 | |
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63
havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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64
frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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