Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/284

276 in time to prevent the success of it, and the prisoners were removed in the latter end of December to Chinglapett. Thus ended the year 1752 in the Carnatic.

On the 3d of January 1753, the French, consisting of 500 Europeans, and a troop of 60 horse, together with 2000 Sepoys, and 400O Morattoes under the command of Morari-row, marched from Valdore, and entrenched on the banks of the river Pannar, in sight of Trivadi: upon which Major Lawrence, with the Nabob, returned from Fort St. David to their former encampment at that place. Their force consisted of 700 Europeans, 2000 Sepoys, and 1500 dastardly horse belonging to the Nabob. On the 9th the Morattoes, supported by two companies of Topasses in their own pay, advanced with three field pieces, and began to cannonade the village of Trivadi. The battalion was immediately under arms, and the grenadiers, with some Sepoys, were ordered to attack their guns, which they got possession of before the enemy had time to fire a second round: the Morattoes still remaining on the plain, Major Lawrence followed them two miles towards their camp, and having as he thought sufficiently dispersed them with his field pieces, prepared to return, when they came galloping up again furiously on all sides, and surrounded him. The soldiers preserved their fire till every shot did execution, and the artillery men behaving with the same calmness and resolution soon beat them off, with the loss of 100 men killed. Morari-row, on his return to the camp reproached the French for their cowardice, in not having supported him in the manner that had been concerted between them. He continued however with great activity to distress their enemies, by sending out parties, which prevented the country people from bringing provisions to the English camp; and this obliged Major Lawrence, when in want, to march with his whole force, and escort his supplies from Fort St. David. These marches were excessively fatiguing, and might have been dangerous, had the French behaved with the same activity and spirit as the Morattoes, who never failed to be on the road harrassing, and sometimes charging, the line of march: on the 28th of January, in particular, they accompanied the battalion the whole way from Trivadi to Fort St. David: but dispirited by the loss of 300 of their horses, which were killed by the field pieces in the