Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/695

Book XIII. to the post, retired with the regiments to the glacis of the town. Major Smith immediately took possession of the redoubts, and was soon after joined by the Highlanders commanded by Major Scot, who belonging to Monaon's attack had Graced their way through the hedge between the Valdore and the Villenore redoubts. The battalion of India still continued at or about the Ariancopang redoubt, having entertained no notion of retreating; but were deterred from making any motion to support the other posts, in expectation of being attacked themselves: this however did not happen; for the cavalry of the army under the command of Vasserot, who were intended to make a feint attack upon this quarter, when the other two should commence, did not appear upon their ground until all was finished. There was a small opening in the hedge about a quarter of a mile from the Villenore redoubt, where a retrenchment had been thrown up, and the battalion of India kept a guard, who abandoned it on the appearance of a party which Major Smith detached along the inside of the hedge to attack them in the rear. The total loss sustained in the two attacks, were 115 Europeans killed and wounded, which fell nearly equal in both brigades, but in Monson's heaviest amongst the grenadiers, of whom, besides rank and file, a Lieutenant and an Ensign were killed. The Sepoys suffered much less, having been very little exposed. The French loss was not known; but they suffered most at the attacks of Oulgarry, where some were likewise made prisoners.

The Bombay detachment of 350 men were stationed to guard the three posts in the hedge, and the body of the army assembled and encamped in the paddy-fields to the left of Oulgarry. The situation was ill chosen, being commanded by higher grounds, and liable to be swamped on the first rain; but the talents of Major Robert Gordon were inadequate to the general command, which devolved on him by the incapacity to which Colonel Monson was reduced by his wound. Major Joseph Smith advised that the whole of the Company's battalion, 1000 men, should remain in the village of Oulgarry to cover the three posts in the hedge; and that their gorges, which were open, should be retrenched,