Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/417

Book X. street occupied by other platoons and the field-pieces, had gone into a large enclosure on the side of the street opposite to the rubbish; and as well as the others who had taken shelter in houses on the right were not apprized of the retreat: all who were marched huddled together down the cross-street, which opened in less than 300 yards upon the esplanade, and under the protection of the guns of the fort; but the enemy followed so close, and their fire both of cannon and musketry became so superior, that the two field-pieces in the rear of the detachment were abandoned; and the enemy's divisions had advanced to the enclosure in which the grenadiers had taken refuge, before they had thought of marching out. They were offered quarter, which they accepted, because they could make no effectual resistance, although they were eighty, the prime men of the garrison. During the fight in the western part of the black town, the regiment of Lally towards the sea were with much difficulty got under arms by Mr. Bussy; for most of the common men were reeling drunk. However, they had advanced, sheltered by houses from the fire of the fort, until they came within 300 yards of the street in which the English were retreating, and arrived there just as the line were coming out of it upon the esplanade, when the interval between them was open to the fire of the fort; the fear of which, and the mistrust of their intoxicated men, deterred the officers from leading them on to the fair attack before them; and they only fired random musketry, and from two field-pieces ill-pointed at Draper's line, who, as soon as out of the street, turned short to the south, and proceeded on the lower ground under the houses which skirted the west face of the esplanade, until they came opposite to the north-west angle of the glacis, and met in the way the covering party with Major Brereton, which had advanced and was waiting for them in good order: the nearer the line came to the fort, the greater became their hurry to get into it, for many ran over the glacis; but all the officers, with as many men as they could keep together, marched in order to the entrance on the eastern face of the north ravelin. No officer, excepting Lieutenant Billock, was killed on the spot; but Major Polier, Captain Hume, and Ensign