Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/214

206 in which they promised to charge the French battalion on both flanks; finding that the English still declined to put any thing to risque until the arrival of the Mysore army, and of a reinforcement expected from Fort St. David, they did not scruple to tell them, that they were not the same kind of men as those they had seen fighting so gallantly at Arcot.

In the mean time the army of Mysore, with 4000 Morattoes under Morari-row, had assembled on the frontier of Caroor; and the regent, after many delays, at last yielded to the pressing sollicitations of the Nabob, and prepared to march to Tritchinopoly; when the enemy having intelligence of his intention, ventured to detach a strong party of Europeans, cavalry and Sepoys, to the village of Kistnavaram, situated 30 miles to the west of the city in the high road to Mysore: they found the place, although fortified, without a garrison; and as soon as they were in possession of it, began to improve the defences, spreading a report that if the Mysoreans offered to move, they would attack them, and afterwards pillage their country. This stopped the regent's march, and he wrote to the Nabob desiring that a strong party of Europeans might be sent to his assistance without delay, as he was utterly ignorant of the manner in which he ought to conduct himself against white men who fought with musketry and cannon. Lieutenant Trusler was detached on this service with 40 Europeans and 100 Sepoys; but it soon appearing that this force was insufficient, captain Cope proceeded with 100 more Europeans and two small field pieces. He was instructed to dislodge the enemy at all events, and found them posted in a much stronger situation than he expected. The village was inclosed by a mud wall, flanked by round towers, and in the center of it was a fort: the northern side was close to the bank of the Caveri, and the other sides were surrounded by a deep morass, passable only in one part to the westward; to defend which, the French had flung up on an eminence an entrenchment at the distance of gun-shot from the village. Captain Cope encamped to the west of this eminence, which he intended to attack before day-break, but by some mistake the troops were not ready before the sun was risen, by which time the enemy had reinforced the post, and had lined