Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/512

488 number of Sepoys, threatening at the point of bayonet to kill the first that moved; but very few of them ventured any disturbance. The Rajah's troops had for some time begun their attack on the ravelin on the causeway, and, if nothing more, with much din and clamour; but the fire of the false attack with Captain Knox continually diminished; as having begun earlier, they had expended most of their ammunition, although, finding the enemy prepared in this quarter, they only fired across without venturing to pass the quagmire. However, this attack kept some of the garrison from the more material service against the real, and the Rajah's prevented the guard at the ravelin from returning into the fort, which they ought to have done, as being of little use without the walls, whilst the body of the place was in instant danger. But the separation of the main attack into two divisions, confounded the defence much more than the attacks without. Mr. Conflans, not knowing what to do, kept at his house near the Sound, continually receiving messages magnifying the danger, and sending orders which new reports continually induced him to contradict.

The parade of the fort was under the bastion of the great gate, and as this is the usual place of rendezvous on alarm, most of the troops and officers who remained willing to continue the defence, whether driven from their posts, or wanting immediate orders, repaired hither, and had joined the guard of the bastion above, before Fischer's division was ready to advance from that of the church-yard. Near 100 were assembled, but their fire began before the division was sufficiently near, which preserved theirs, and only giving that of the first platoon, rushed on, and soon cleared the bastion. Fischer immediately sent down to secure the gate below, which shut out the troops on the ravelin, and prevented the escape of any from within. Whilst the division was getting into order to proceed again, appeared Captain Callender, no one knew from whence, and taking the command, marched at their head towards the next bastion, called the Pettah, from which came scattering shot, scarcely more than one at a time, and the last that dropped, shot Callender dead; immediately after which the fire of the