Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/276

268 that event; and lie no sooner heard that they had returned into winter quarters, than he sent away Morari-row, with all his Morattoes excepting 500, to Pondicherry; and Innis Khan, with those under his command, quitted the Nabob at Trivadi in the beginning of November, but not without having got some of the money received at Vandiwash. Mr. Dupleix promised to send some Europeans to Seringham, and the regent hoping to divert the garrison of Tritchinopoly from making any attempt against him before they arrived, pretended that he had no design to make war with the Nabob, and that Morari-row had left him in consequence of a dispute which had arisen on settling their accounts; but notwithstanding this declaration his patroles of horse stopped and carried to his camp all the provisions that were coming to the city: the effects of this hostility were soon felt; and the presidency of Madrass, who, in consideration of his pretensions to Tritchinopoly, had hitherto declined to take revenge of his treacherous attempts to get possession of it, now thought it time to treat him as a declared enemy. In consequence of this resolution, captain Dalton on the 23d of December marched out of the city at ten o'clock at night, with the greatest part of the Europeans and Sepoys, to beat up his camp, which extended under the northern wall of Seringham; but the regent himself with a considerable guard remained within the pagoda. An artillery officer with three pieces of cannon was previously posted on the southern bank of the Caveri, opposite the pagoda, with orders to create what alarm he could by throwing shot into the place, as soon as he should hear the fire of the musketry in the camp: the troops passed the Caveri at Chuckly-pollam, and then crossing the island marched along the bank of the Coleroon, until they came in a quarter of a mile of the enemy's camp, when they halted in order to refresh themselves, and to form for the attack: but on the review it was found that no less than 500 of the Sepoys were absent, having, as they afterwards affirmed, inadvertently missed the line of march in the dark; however the rest not seeming to be discouraged, it was determined to proceed they were divided into two bodies, the first marched only four in front, being designed to penetrate through the camp, firing two to the right, and two to the left;