Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/482

458 Charles Campbell, Beaver, Richard Smith, Gurtler, de Beck, Freishman, Vasserot, Black, Hume, Donald Campbell, Greig. Every repair and additional work was executed with regularity and dispatch under the direction of Mr. Call the chief engineer, although this was the first siege, whether offensive or defensive, in which he had served. Captain Hislop, who arrived with a company of the King's artillery-men, at the same time as Adlercron's regiment, was the senior officer in this branch; he had served in Bergenop-zoom. The Company's artillery, which furnished all the cannon and ammunition, was commanded by Captain Robert Barker: even the enemy acknowledged that the promptitude and execution of the fire from the fort was superior to their own: whatsoever guns or mortars were disabled on the defences, were immediately replaced by others prepared in store: Colonel Draper and Major Brereton were of the King's troops: so that no town was ever attacked, which had in proportion to the garrison such a number of excellent and experienced officers. The exertions of Major Calliaud and Captain Preston were equal in the field. Thus every officer of distinction on the establishment of Coromandel was employed in the defence of Madrass, excepting Captain Joseph Smith, to whom was committed the preservation of the next important object, Tritchinopoly, in which the French prisoner's out-numbered, five to one, the invalid Europeans of his garrison. In the evening, after the enemy retreated, came in Vasserot and the ten troopers with intelligence from Calliaud. This officer marched from Chinglapet on the 13th, but misled by the guides did not arrive at Sadrass, as he intended, the next night, but the morning after; when the Dutch residents, although remaining in the town only on sufferance from the French, who were in possession of their fort, protested against his entrance with hostile appearance on the territory belonging to the Dutch company. At the same time a party of French troops, which were halting there in their way from Pondicherry to join Mr. Lally, went into the fort, and this reinforcement rendered the attempt impracticable excepting by a regular attack, to which the artillery with Calliaud was not