Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/696

672 without delay, and sufficient day remained to accomplish the work; but Robert Gordon, from the false shame of ignorance, would not see the necessity: and in the ensuing night, the enemy made a vigorous attack on all the three posts, which they would have carried, had not the guards defended them, as dearly purchased, with the utmost resolution, until reinforced by the picquets from the camp, when the enemy retreated. Seventeen or eighteen Europeans of the Bombay detachment were killed in this defence; the enemy's loss was not known, but could not be less. Had they attacked with their whole force, the redoubt would have been retaken, for the guards, inferior in number, had no advantage of defences on the side towards the town, and the main body of the army, exhausted with fatigue, and dead with sleep, were at too great a distance to have come up in time to share the contest.

Two days after, the battalion of India retreated from their stations at the hedge near the Ariancopang redoubt; but the usual guard continued in the redoubt, and the usual garrison in the fort of Ariancopang on the other side of the river. But the enemy receiving intelligence that preparations were making in the camp to attack the fort, the garrison evacuated it on the 13th at noon, and as they were going off sprung a mine, which blew up the bastion to the east with part of the rampart, and laid the body of the place open. They retreated to the glacis of the town, were the main body of the army lay encamped, and had been reinforced by the arrival of several small escorts with provisions, which the removal of the English army from Perimbe had encouraged to venture round the Red Hill; the guard still continued at the redoubt of Ariancopang. The troops which Mahomed Issoof appointed to attack the districts of Dindigul from Madura, were 300 horse, 1500 Sepoys, and 3000 Peons; but as most of them had first to march from Tinnivelly, it was the middle of July before they commenced hostilities, when passing by Sholavanden, they reduced several small posts, commanding defiles, but weakly garrisoned, until they arrived at a more considerable fort, called Battal Gunta, 12 miles to the s. E. of Dindigul, which made more resistance; and the troops of Madura having only