Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/640

 606

illSTOltV OF INDIA.

H(/OK III.

Mount St. Thome, near Madras.— From Hunter's Picturestjue Scenery of Mysore.

A D 1768 was suppo.sed to be his object; and as both parties were now fully alive to its im[)ortance, the presidency, alarmetl for the safety of a supply of provisions which

wa.s then on the way to it, and on the arrival of which its ability to make a succe.ss- ful defence would greatly depend, re- .solved immediate- ly to take the field, with 1200 Euro- peans and 1 800 sepoys — forming by far tlie larger part of the ^Iadra.s garrison. One-half of these troo})«, under Colonel Draper, advanced to Yandaloor, about half-w^ay between Madras and Chingleput; the other half, under command of Colonel Lawrence, halted at St. Tiiom^, in a position which both covered Madras and kept open a communication with Draper. These movements defeated the enemy's design on the convoy of provisions, and the safety of Chingleput was effectually secured. Lally s disappointment was great. The danger of leaving such a place in his rear was sufficiently obvious, but he detennined to run the risk, as he had only a choice of difficulties, and might, in attempting to take Chingleput, lose the only opportunity which he might have to lay siege to Madras. Lally ap- Qn the 7th of December, Lally, now advancing wdth his whole army, halted

pears before

.Madras. at Vaudaloor. All the British troops which had taken the field were still sta- tioned at St. Thomd, under Colonel Lawrence. This able and cautious officer had no intention to risk a general action; and therefore, on penetrating the object of a feint which Lally employed with some dexterity, in the hope of placing himself between the city and the camp, he struck his tents and moved with his whole force to the Choultry Plain, lying about a mile and a half south- west of Fort St. George. Lally halted at St. Thome till the morning of the 1 2th, when he again moved and continued his approach. A smart cannonade was meanwhile kept up by both sides ; but as Colonel Lawrence had no other object in removing without the walls than to gain time, he retired as the enemy approached, and marched with his main body into the fort, leaving only some detachments of Europeans and sepoys to guard the passes of the Black Town. As soon as the fort was thus occupied, the covmcil of the presidency assembled and committed the defence of the siege to the governor, Mr. Pigott, with a recom-