Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/353

Book V. Most of the Sepoys flung down their arms and fled at the beginning of the onset. The bullocks, terrified by the tumult, increased it by pushing on all sides to get away, sometimes against the enemy, sometimes upon the escort. The fight however continued until the French troops came up, who obliging the Morattoes, much against their will, to sheathe their swords, offered quarter, which was accepted; 38 soldiers were made prisoners, and of these 100 were wounded, 50 were killed on the spot: of eight officers five were killed, and the other three were wounded; amongst them the commanding officer, mortally. Lieutenant Revel, the same who served at the defence of Arcot, commanded the artillery in this action: this brave man seeing the day lost, and the enemy on the point of getting possession of the cannon, suffered himself to be cut down without making resistance, rather than quit the work in which he was employed, of spiking up one of the field pieces. The garrison of Elimiserum, as soon as they heard the firing, marched to secure the village of Cootaparah, that he convoy might take post in it: but all was lost before they arrived there.

This was by far the severest blow which the English troops had suffered during the course of the war; it took off one third of the battalion; but what rendered the misfortune irreparable, was the loss of that gallant company of grenadiers, whose courage on every occasion we have seen deciding the victory, and who may be said, without exaggeration, to have rendered more service than the same nmber of troops belonging to any nation in any part of the world. The whole convoy, provisions, military stores, and 7000 pounds in money, fell into the enemy's hands, who returned with their booty and their prisoners to the island. They soon after set the Sepoys at liberty, who returned to the English camp; and they permitted the two surviving English officers to depart on their parole, which was taken in the name of Sallabadjing. The presidency of Madrass, as soon as they heard of this misfortune. sent a detachment of 180 men, under the command of captain Pigou, to Devi Cottah, by sea; and about the same time hopes were entertained of reinforcing the army with a body of cavalry, which had lately arrived at Arcot, under the command of Maphuze Khan,