Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/692

668 ceased firing the field-pieces in the intrenchment across the avenue. Major Smith perceived this wavering, signified it to his troops; and put himself at the head of the grenadiers. Wherever he commanded, affection to the man conspired with duty to the officer. The grenadiers rushed on without firing, forced their way over the enclosures, and fell amongst the enemy, dealing their arms with irresistible impetuosity, increased by the disadvantages they had surmounted: all the rest entered at other parts, driving the enemy before them across the road; but those at the intrenchment had time to spike up the cannon, and then followed the rest, who were running towards a rising ground on the other side of the road, but farther back towards the bound-hedge. The main body of the brigade took possession of Oulgarry, and were soon after joined by the division with captain Myers, which had killed some, and brought prisoners. During this, a body of Eurepeans were described advancing directly towards Oulgarry, in the plain between this and the Valdore avenue: their distinctions could not be perceived, and the sudden halt of the run-a-ways on the rising ground rendered their appearance very suspicious. Messengers after messengers were sent to discover whether they were friends or foes, but none returned before Major William Gordon himself came, and gave an account that the rear division of Colonel Monson's brigade, which he commanded, had separated from the van amongst the sand hills in the dark; and had continued wandering about until they heard the fire of the attack at Oulgarry, to which he had hastened to give assistance; but it was now too late; otherwise his error might have been retrieved by the important service of intercepting the regiments of Lorrain and Lally in the confusion of their flight out of Oulgarry, who, in this case, would in all probability have been destroyed to a man: during his report, strong firing was heard at the Valdore redoubt.

It was some time before the van of Colonel Monson's brigade discovered the separation of the rear, which by turning wrong had got into windings leading towards the plain; and Colonel Monson, apprehensive that the rejunction could not be made before the dawn