Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/147

Book VII. southward they had four batteries, three of which were in the principal streets leading to the fort; and the other close to the river, about 150 yards south of the fort commanded a narrow part of the channel, in which several ships had been sunk, in order to stop the passage of the men of war. The garrison consisted of 600 Europeans, and 300 Sepoys; but only 300 of the Europeans were regular troops, the rest being inhabitants of the town and sailors they likewise expected the assistance of the troops belonging to Hughley, of which a part were already stationed within their bounds; but Nuncomar fulfilled his promise to Omichund, and recalled these troops as soon as the English appeared in sight, alleging to the Nabob, that he had withdrawn them in order to preserve the standard of the province from the disgrace to which it would inevitably have been exposed, by assisting the French against so superior a force as that which was come to attack them.

The detachment from Bombay having joined, Colonel Clive commenced hostilities on the 14th of March. In order to avoid the opposition of the batteries in the southern part of the town, the troops entered the French limits from the westward, along the high road leading to the north face of the fort; detachments from the garrison were placed in the thickets on either hand, who skirmished until three in the afternoon, and then retired to the battery in the road, which lay under command of the north-west bastion. The English from several houses near continued to fire upon the battery with their small arms until night, when the enemy spiked up the cannon and retreated into the fort. The desertion of this battery rendered the other four to the south, excepting that on the bank of the river, of no use, and exposed them all to be taken in the rear, when the retreat of their guards to the fort would be cut off: to prevent which their guns and men were recalled early the next morning, before the English troops were in motion to intercept them. At noon the English army took possession of the houses nearest to the southern esplanade, and under their shelter suffered very little from the fire of the garrison. The 16th was employed in bringing up the artillery and stores, and the next day they began to fire musketry from