Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/633

Book XII. and seven Sepoys, were killed; 10 Europeans and 25 Sepoys were wounded: in the false attack on the upper fort, two Sepoys were wounded, and Ensign Blakeney was killed. The next day, which was the 3d of the month, the fire of the fort diminished considerably, as it was supposed, and rightly, from scarcity of ammunition. At noon, a letter came from Colonel O'Kennedy requesting a cessation of 24 hours, to obtain Mr. Lally's orders concerning the surrender: this was refused, and soon after he sent another letter requesting the honours of war, which were likewise denied. Several Europeans and Sepoys were killed and wounded through the day and night. Before noon of the next day, which was the fifth of the attack, a brass six-pounder was got up the hill with much difficulty by Captain Barker. There were two choultries in the lower fort, standing 100 yards from the ridge and rampart, which divide it from the upper: one of these choultries was near the wall which runs along the edge of the rock on the side over the pettah; and in this choultry the field-piece was planted; the other was a few yards on the left, which sheltered those whom it was not necessary to expose. The defences in the upper fort immediately opposite to the choultries lay in a large re-entering angle, at the two extremities of which was a round tower, one on the edge of the rock overlooking the pettah, the other about the middle of the ridge, which from hence falls back in another zig-zag out of sight of the choultries. The gate leading into the upper fort was on the left of the tower in the middle of the ridge. The field-piece managed by Captain Barker battered, firing upwards out of the choultry, against the gate and the parapet of the tower, both which were ruined before night; but the garrison had heaped earth at the back of the gate, which continued to stop the entrance. Many of those exposed in this service suffered. New scaling-ladders had been provided; and the next morning, as the troops were preparing to advance with them, the garrison beat the chamade, and surrendered at discretion. They were fifteen European gunners, chosen men, 32 Coffrees, and 100 Sepoys: only one of each had been killed. There were in the fort 20 pieces of cannon, but not ammunition