Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/300

292 drew up at once directly opposite to the enemy, at the distance of 20 yards.

The French troops were struck with consternation upon seeing themselves thus daringly attacked in the midst of their numerous allies, by such a handful of men; and indeed a stranger, taking a view of the two armies from the top of one of the rocks on the plain, could scarcely have believed that the one ventured to dispute a province with the other.

Mr. Astruc exerted himself as a brave and active officer, and with difficulty prevailed on his men to keep their ranks with recovered arms, until the English gave their fire, which falling in a well levell'd discharge from the whole battalion, and seconded by a hot fire from the rock, together with a discharge of grape shot from the first field piece that came up, threw them into irreparable disorder; they ran away with the utmost precipitation, leaving three pieces of cannon, with some ammunition carts behind them. The Morattoes immediately made a gallant effort to cover their retreat by flinging themselves between, and some of the grenadiers, who had run forward to seize the field pieces, fell under their sabres. Animated by this success, they attacked the battalion, pushing in several charges up to the very bayonets, and endeavouring to cut down the men, who constantly received them with so much steadiness, that they were not able to throw a single platoon into disorder: at length having suffered much, and lost several of their best men by the incessant fire of the line, they desisted from their attacks, and retreated to the main body of the Mysoreans: amongst their dead was Ballapah, one of their principal officers, brother-in-law to Morari-row, a very gallant man, much esteemed by the English, who had often seen him exert himself with great bravery when fighting on their side: he had broke his sword in cutting down a grenadier, when another, who was loading his piece, and saw his comrade fall, shot both ball and ramrod through his body. In the mean time the French never halted until they got into the rear of the Mysore army, when their officers prevailed on them to get into order: again, and drew them up in a line with their allies, from whence they fired their two remaining field pieces with great vivacity, although the shot did not reach above half way.