Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/511

Book XI at the bastion, some even proposing to go out of the breach and quit the fort. Severity was instantly necessary, and Yorke, as soon as on the bastion, threatened to put the first man to death who offered to come near the breach; on which some of the soldiers who had served with him in Adlercron's regiment, and had enlisted in the Company's service, cried out that their commander was ill used, and offered to follow him wheresoever he pleased: their number immediately increased to 36, with whom he marched off, leaving the rest to follow, as the officers could bring them on. The length of this interruption, joined to the preceding, had given the French officer at the next bastion, the Francois, which stands on the edge of the Sound, time to get down a gun loaded with grape-shot and to point it up the way the party was coming; it fired when they were within a few yards, and with great execution, killing several and wounding sixteen. Captain Yorke fell, with a ball through each of his thighs, and each of the black drummers was killed dead at his side. This havock, however, did not discourage the rest from bringing off their Captain, whom they carried to the Cameleon; and the guards, posted in the St. Jean and Dutch bastions, not dismayed, kept their ground, waiting the event. During these efforts of the left division, the right, commanded by Captain Fischer, was advancing from the Cameleon to the right, but along the rampart. The next, which is the small gate, was not in complete repair; and the Sepoys with Macleane were attempting to scramble up it, which, with the approach of Fischer's division, drove the guard away to the next bastion, called the Church-yard, from which they fired continually, but without order, as the division approached; and when near, asked quarter, which was granted. Colonel Forde continued with the reserve on the bastion of St. Jean, issuing the necessary orders, according to the reports from both divisions. The prisoners as fast as taken were brought to him there, and he sent them, as they came, down the breach, into the ditch, where they were guarded as well as the night permitted by a proper