Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/657

Book XII where he remained, still full of supicions of the evil intentions of the Nabob, until encouraged to trust him by repeated assurances from the Presidency, that no harm should befall him. He arrived with very few attendants, and had not money to entertain more. From Verdachelum, the troops continued their route by Villaporum and Vieravandi, and arrived at Valdore on the 3d of May. The Nabob remained in the camp until the 10th, much delighted with the army and commanders, who had restored him to so great a part of his dominions. He then proceeded to Madrass, in order to regulate with the Presidency the modes of administration in the countries which had been recovered.

The French, when they abandoned Cuddalore, demolished the parapets of the bastions, took down the three gates, and made several breaches in the rampart, and the whole face of the town fronting the sea never had a wall. Several informations had been lately received, that Mr. Lally intended to retake Cuddalore, of which Colonel Coote advised the officers there, and warned them to keep special guard. On the 10th at night, 100 Europeans with 60 hussars and three companies of Sepoys, entered the town, suprized and dispersed the Sepoys, and advanced to the hospital, where they took five surgeons, six petty officers, and 58 sailors and marines belonging to the squadron, mostly sick, whom they earned away, and left none of their own men to maintain the place. The next day, a reinforcement of two companies of Sepoys, with 20 of the European horse, and a field-piece, under the command of Lieutenant Fitzgerald, were sent into the town from the camp, and 60 marines were landed from the squadron. At four in the ensuing morning, whilst it was yet dark, a stronger party than the night before entered the town again, and took the field-piece; but, finding more resistance than they expected, retreated over the rivers towards Fort St. David, of which the fortifications had been so completely demolished, that a single redoubt was not left to give post to a company of infantry. Lieutenant Fitzgerald, with the hussars and some Sepoys, for all would not move, and none of the marines, followed, and hung in their rear, until they had recrossed the Panar