Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/622

598 Captain Smith and Lieutenant Horne pulled themselves at the guns; their example brought more assistance: but of ten, who were at the gun with Smith, two were shot dead, and three wounded, before they got them into the choultry, when a few rounds brought down the gateway; in this instant Captain Smith received a ball under his shoulder, which totally disabled him. Lieutenant Home then took his place and endeavoured to lead the men to the assault, but the detachment had suffered so severely that rone would follow him; he, however, prevailed on them to abide, and bring off the wounded, and the two guns. Soon after, a certain account was received of the strength of the French parties at Utatore, which appeared an overmatch for the dispirited troops at Samiaveram: nor could Tritchinopoly spare a reinforcement equal to what the French troops in the island might then safely send to act in conjunction with those coming from Utatore; the whole detachment at Samiaveram were therefore recalled, and arrived the second of February at Tritchinopoly. Their retreat relieved the French troops in the pagoda of Seringham from great distress; for they had little ammunition left, and straightened towards the Caveri by the garrison of Tritchinopoly, and on the other side of the Coleroon by parties from the encampment at Samiaveram, they could neither venture out to seek, nor the country people to bring them in provisions; so that all their subsistence, for-several days, had been what they had plundered from the bramins in the pagoda, whose houses they pulled down for fire-wood to dress the victuals they found in them.

The French troops at Utatore having waited for some stores, which were lagging on the road, did not arrive at Seringham until the 8th: they were 140 Europeans, five pieces of cannon, and 600 Sepoys; and brought with them a competent stock of ammunition and spare arms. A day or two after their arrival, 200 of their Europeans, with 600 Sepoys, commanded by Hussan Ally, marched against Totcum, which had been taken for the Nabob on the 26th of December. The garrison left in it were four companies of Sepoys, under the command of two European Serjeants; all of whom, although there were guns in the fort, behaved very ill, and