Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/215

Book III. several banks and water-courses leading to it with Sepoys: he nevertheless persisted in his intention; but the forlorn-hope coming to a bank which sheltered them from the enemy's fire, could not be prevailed on to advance beyond it, and this example was followed by the rest. Lieutenant Felix received a shot through the body, as he stood encouraging them on the top of the bank; and soon after, captain Cope, returning with a platoon from the reserve, was mortally wounded: on which disasters the whole party retreated to their camp in disorder. Captain Dalton was sent from Tritchinopoly to take the command, and found the detachment joined by the van of the Mysore army; and two days after the regent himself came up with the rest; the whole consisted of 12,000 horse and 8,000 foot, including the Morattoes. He immediately desired a conference with captain Dalton, whom he received with great politeness, admiring, not without astonishment, the martial appearance and regularity of the English troops; and forming naturally the same high opinion of the French, he declared, that he should neither expose his men, nor lose time, in attacking them, but proceed at midnight with half the army directly to Tritchinopoly by another road at some distance on the plain, leaving the rest with captain Dalton, whom he requested to divert the enemy's attention by a false attack until be was out of the reach of danger: and, not content with these precautions, he desired that some Europeans might accompany him as a safeguard to his person. These dispositions answering the purpose for which the detachment was sent, captain Dalton encouraged him in his resolution, and at midnight began to skirmish against the enemy's posts, which he kept alarmed until morning, by which time the rear of the regent's division was out of sight. This service proved to be much more necessary than it first appeared to be: for such was the military ignorance of the Mysoreans, that they were discovered in the night passing over the plain with ten thousand lights, as if they had been marching in the procession of an Indian wedding. The next day the rest of their army proceeded, desiring captain Dalton to remain before the village until they were out of sight, and promised to halt and wait for him; but they were no sooner out of danger than they hurried away to join the regent. Some hours after, the English detachment