Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/567

Book XI. an express from Major Brereten of his success on the pettah of Vandiwash; and immediately made a forced march towards him. The next day, he left Major Monson to bring on the line, and proceeding with the cavalry, arrived before noon at Vandiwash, where Brereton had almost completed a battery for the two eighteen-pounders which accompanied his division. It was erected in the western pettah, against the tower and cavalier in the s. w. angle of the fort. In the night, another battery was begun near the N. w. angle of the southern pettah, directly opposite to the same tower; and both were completed before the morning; but as the two eighteen-pounders expected from Chinglapet were not arrived, two twelve-pounders brought up from the line were mounted in their stead. Hitherto the enemy had fired day and night from the walls, and only slightly wounded one man. The fire of the batteries opened with the day, which was the 29th, and the tower attacked was silenced, and a practicable breach made in it, before noon: when Colonel Coote summoned the French officer, who answered, that he should obey the orders he had received, to defend the fort to extremity. The batteries then continued to dismantle other parts of the defences; and in the evening Major Monson came up, with the main body of the army.

In the morning, the Kellidar sent some of his officers and servants, to stipulate for his own security in the event. Colonel Coote pledged himself to coutinue him in the fort, and in the rent of the districts, as a dependant of the Company, if he would, with his own troops, seize, and deliver up those he had admitted belonging to the French; but insisted on a positive answer by two in the afternoon; at which hour no answer came; but a little after, the French soldiers appeared on the walls, and called out that they would deliver up the fort. Colonel Coote chanced to be at the battery, and immediately ordered a company of Sepoys to advance, and take possession of the gateway; who when they came there, were told that the key was with the Kellidar. This baulk might have produced untoward consequences, if Colonel Coote, at the same time that he sent the Sepoys to the gate, had not advanced himself with another company to the