Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/619

Book XII he answered, that not a man had been killed in the fort; but that he was willing to surrender it, if not relieved before, at the end of six days, on condition the garrison should be free, have the honours of war, and retire to Pondicherry. This to and fro lasted two hours, when the firing was renewed until dark. The loss this day was only one man killed, and two wounded. In the night, the trenches to the s. were pushed on with much diligence, and the garrison employed every means to interrupt their progress, cannon and shells from the body of the place, musketry, grenades, and fire-balls, which set on fire the blinds, gabions, and fascines of the advancing sap, dangerously wounded Ensign Macmahon, who conducted it, killed one, and wounded ten more of the men employed. Nevertheless, the sap before the morning was very near the foot of the glacis. With the day, which was the 9th, the batteries, having received some more shot from Chinglapett, continued, and by noon their fire had opened both breaches to six feet of the bottom of the rampart; and had dismantled the towers that flanked them: but still the ditch remained to be filled, and no lodgement way yet made in the covered-way. Great therefore was the surprize, to see a flag, followed by a voluntary offer of surrendering the next day, if allowed the honors of war; which as before, implied that the garrison were not to be made prisoners. Colonel Coote refused; and soon after came another letter, offering as the condition, that they might all retire to Pondicherry on their paroles not to serve again. Colonel Coote replied, that he should allow the officers and men whatsoever belonged to them, and good treatment; but reserved the right of disposing of their persons: at the same time, he invited the commandant to supper, who came. The fort was closely surrounded during the night, to prevent any of the garrison from escaping; and early the next morning, the grenadiers of the army took possession of the gates. The garrison consisted of 11 officers, three of whom were captains, and 236 soldiers and artillery-men, in all 247 Europeans, and nearly the same number of Sepoys. The artillery were 4 mortars, and 22 pieces of cannon, of which some were eighteen-pounders: there was likewise a plentiful stock of