Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/110

102 the south-west part of the town. From hence a detachment was sent the same day to attack the north-west redoubt of the bound-hedge, which the enemy abandoned without resistance, notwithstanding it was capable of making a defence that would have cost the English many lives, had they been obliged to storm it. The garrisons in all the other redoubts were soon after withdrawn.

By the advice of the engineers, it was determined to attack the town on the north-west side; and, to facilitate the communication between the fleet and the camp, the ships were stationed to the North of the town.

On the 30th of August at night the army opened ground, at the distance of 1,500 yards from the walls: by this the engineers shewed themselves little skilled in their art; for it is the general practice in sieges, to make the first parallel within 800 yards of the covered way. In the morning a detachment of 150 men, from the trench first thrown up, were ordered to lodge themselves about 100 yards nearer the town, and being supplied with working tools, soon covered themselves from the fire of the enemy's cannon. About noon 500 Europeans and 700 Sepoys sallied from the town under the command of Paradis, and attacked both trenches at the same time: they were repulsed at both, and lost 100 men, and seven officers; amongst the latter their commander Paradis. Ensign Chive distinguished himself with much gallantry in the defence of the advanced trench; of which we do not repeat the description published in our first edition of this work, because we are informed, that that description is very erroneous. The approaches were continued, but carried on very slowly, from a want of experience in such operations. Two batteries of three guns were raised within 1,200 yards of the town, to check any future sallies. When the army first opened ground, the bomb-ketch was ordered to bombard the citadel night and day: but in a very few days the enemy began to bombard her, and got her distance so exactly, that one of their shells staved the boat astern, and another threw the water in upon her decks; after which she kept out of the reach of the enemy's mortars in the day-time, and only bombarded in the night. Parties sallied at several times, and attacked the detachments which escorted the stores and cannon from the ships to the camp;