Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/330

322 not to fire until they were fired upon: but this resolution was immediately after frustrated by an unforeseen accident; for some of them attempting to get to a slight counterwall which lines the backside of the battery, fell into a deep pit, which had been left in the body of the battery itself, contiguous to that wall: none but the most tried soldiers can refrain from firing upon any unexpected alarm in the night, and upon the screaming of those who were tumbling into the hole, several muskets were discharged. The French now concluding that they were discovered, imagined they might intimidate the garrison by shewing how far they were already successful, and turning two of the twelve pounders upon the battery against the town, discharged them together with a volley of small arms, their drums beating, and their soldiers shouting their usual military cry, "vive le roy." Fortunately the main guard, the barracks of the garrison, and the quarters of the officers were in the north part of the town, not more than 400 yards from the battery. Captain Kilpatrick, who commanded, remained so ill of the wounds he had received in the last engagement, that he was mable to remove from his bed; lieutenant Harrison, the next in command, came to him upon the alarm to receive his orders, which he gave with the usual calmness that distinguished his character on all occasions, directing lieutenant Harrison to march instantly with the picquet, reserve, and the Sepoys who were not already posted, to the place where the attack was made, and to order the rest of the garrison to repair to their respective alarm posts, with injunctions not to stir from them upon pain of death. The enemy having drawn up their scaling ladders into the battery, sent two parties down from it into the interval between the two walls: one of these parties carrying two petards, and conducted by a deserter, entered the passage which led through the terrasses, intending to get into the town by blowing open the gate which stands in the inward rampart: the other party carried the ladders, and were appointed to escalade; whilst the main body remained upon the battery, keep ing up a constant fire upon the terrasses, and upon the inward rampart. But by this time the alarm was taken, and the cannon from each hand began to fire smartly into the interval between the two walls, and upon the battery. Lieutenant Harrison, with the main