Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/490

466 were disaffected to the other Rheddi, who had been restored in his stead. They sometimes made plundering excursions into the country between Terriore and Utatore; but attempted nothing of consequence. However, their numbers increased; and they kept up a correspondence with several of the principal men-who continued to reside with the Rheddi in Terriore. When Mahomed Issoof march-ed away in November to the relief of Madrass, the garrison of Tritchinopoly could not spare the number of Sepoys necessary to complete his command, and three of the five companies which had been left in Terriore, were recalled to make up the deficiency. As soon as they were gone, the expelled Rheddi, with his troops, who were waiting to retake the place, arrived before they were discovered at the barrier of the wood, where some of the remaining Sepoys were stationed; but the rest of the guard had been seduced, and instead of assisting the Sepoys, turned their arms upon them, and delivered up the barrier to the enemy, who marched on, and advanced to the town without interruption, sending so much terror before them, that the Rheddi within, with his troops, and the inhabitants, that adhered to him, ran away into the wood and hills, leaving the English serjeant, with the Sepoys, to defend themselves as they could. The serjeant took possession of the palace, which was an extensive building; but the enemy surrounded it in the houses on all sides, that not a man could appear who was not exposed to their fire, which obliged the serjeant to capitulate, and he easily obtained permission to march away to Tritchinopoly, with their arms, and whatever else they chose to carry. Captain Joseph Smith had received some intelligence of the intention to attack the place, and had detached some troops to reinforce it, but it was lost before they arrived at the wood. This event happened in the end of November. In the next month, Hussein Cawn, who had been driven, in the month of July, from Seringham by a detachment from Tritchinopoly, returned from Pondicherry with some Sepoys and two field-pieces, and took post at Utatore, intending again to advance to the island, and retake the pagoda; but Captain Smith sent a party from the garrison, under the command of Captain Blake, who did