Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/207

Book III. the town of Arni: which at midnight they quitted in great disorder, intending to make the best of their way to Gingee; and the next morning the English entered the town, in which they found many tents, and a large quantity of baggage. The Morattoes set out in pursuit of the enemy, and, before night, returned with 400 horses, and Raja-saheb's military chest, in which they found 100,000 rupees. A great number of the enemy's Sepoys came and offered their service to captain Clive, who enlisted as many as brought good arms; of whom the number amounted to 600. Receiving intelligence from them that Raja-saheb had deposited some valuable effects in the fort of Arni, he summoned the governor to deliver them up, together with his fort; who, after some altercations, sent out an elephant and 15 horses, with a great quantity of baggage, and agreed to take the oath of fealty to Mahomed-ally, but refused to surrender his fort; which the army, having no battering cannon, was not in a condition to attack.

The French, during the siege of Arcot, had again taken possession of the great pagoda of Conjeveram, and placed in it a garrison of 30 Europeans and 300 Sepoys, who from hence interrupted the communication between Arcot and Madrass, and had surprized a party of disabled men, returning from the siege. Amongst these were the officers Revel and Glass, to whom the French gave quarter, after they had murdered five or six Europeans as they lay in their litters without arms, and incapable of making resistance. Captain Clive determined to avail himself of the dispersion of Raja-saheb's forces to reduce Conjeveram; and two or three days after his victory, marched thither at the head of his own force: for Basin-row, in obedience to orders which he had received from his uncle, proceeded with the Morattoes from Arni to Tritchinopoly. The French officer at Conjeveram was summoned to surrender; and none of the garrison understanding the English language, he ordered his prisoners, Revel and Glass, to write a letter, and acquaint captain Clive, that he intended to expose them on the walls, if the pagoda was attacked. They wrote this, but added, that they hoped no regard to their safety would induce him to discontinue his operations against the place. The army waited some days for two 18 pounders, which were coming from Madrass; and