Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/650

 ■I /

UIG

lilriTOKV ut i:sUL.

[B^iOK J 1 1.

A.D. i7ao.

Tlie assault and capture of Masuli- pa tarn.

The storm- ing party.

Conflans surrenders.

and fiininess, and the batteries opened, than news airived that Basalut Juu^ with his army was only forty miles distant. Anunderauz and the zemindaj>> with him were so alanned, that in the course of the night, without a not<; of warning, they marched off with their whole forces, and could not be induced Uj return till it was made palpaljle to them that by their flight they were only rushing to destruction instead of escaping from it.

The batteries had kept up a hot fire from the 2.'3th of March to the 0th April On the evening of this day the engineers reported that it could only be continued for two days more, as by that time the ammunition would be expended. What was now to be done? Salabut Jung, and a body of French troops who had been scouring the surrounding country, were now so near that the retreat by land was absolutely cut off. An escape by sea was still possible, but Forde rejected it as disgraceful, and determined to storm. With this view the fire was main- tained with double vivacity on the 7th, and with so much effect, that three bastions, one near the centre, and the other two at the extremities of tlie eastern wall, were sufficiently ruined to admit of mounting. As the attack might thus be made from more places than one, the attention of the garrison was distracted ; and hence, while two feints were practised, the real attack made at the bastion of the north-east angle met with comparatively little obstruction. It was com- mitted to the Eiu'opean battalion, mustering in all, with the ailillerjTnen, and thirty sailors taken from the Rardwicke, 346 rank and file, and 1400 sepoys. One would willingly tell of the heroism of the assailants, but unfortunately very little was displayed, and success was not so much extorted by them as yielded by their opponents. When the storming party was about to move. Captain Callendar, appointed to lead them, was nowhere to be found. He aftei-wards appeared when the assault was understood to have succeeded, and met from a stray shot the death which he had in vain endeavomred to escape by cowardice. Even after the breach was mounted, and an advance made along the rampart, the cry of "A mine!" produced such a panic, that Captain Yorke, who was gal- lantly heading the storming party, found himself suddenly left with only two drummers ; and on hastening back to the breach, found all his men in confu.sion, some even proposing to make their escape. Partly by threats, and partly by persuasion, having induced a small band to follow, the otliers regained their courage, and the captm-e was achieved. Conflans, indeed, gave little fm'ther trouble. Seated in his own house, he continued receiTjig and sending contra- dictory messages, and was no sooner summoned than he hastened to surrender. To his disgrace it must be added, that when the prisoners were counted they considerably outnumbered the captors. Among them were 500 Em-opeans. Within the fort were found 1 20 pieces of cannon, abundance of militar}- stores, and much valuable plunder. The improbability of the assault is said to have been the pi'incipal cause of its success. The garrison had from the first treated the siege as a mockery ; and being in expectation of a reinforcement from Pondi-