Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/703

Book XIII of the Peons 50 wounded, and 40, with an officer of note, killed. The Madura troops retired to a fort three miles distant, called Gadamcotah, one of those which they had taken from the Mysoreans, and were there joined by a reinforcement from Madura, which had marched to relieve Battle Gunta, but came too late; this addition rendered the whole body equal to the Mysoreans, against whom they marched, beat up their camp, took their artillery, recovered possession of Battle Gunta, and advanced to reduce the other posts towards Dindigul. The capitulation of Caroor arrived at Madrass on the 13th of September. On the same day intelligence was received from Captain Preston, that the body of Mysoreans, which had continued with the French troops at Gingee, had moved from thence with all their baggage; and on the 11th the French troops followed, both proceeding in the road to Thiagar. The presidency were by this time convinced that the king of Mysore and Hyder Ally were at utter variance; but considered, that either they might reconcile their differences, or that Hyder, as was most probable, would predominate; and in either of these cases, other schemes might be formed by the Mysore state to balance, as formerly, the contest between the two European nations, against which Caroor in their own hands would be the best indemnity. They therefore ordered Captain Smith to keep possession, still with profession of amity to the king, but neither to give any assistance, nor oppose any force which the king might send against Hyder Ally, but rather to employ his detachment separately against the troops of Hyder Ally, if the opportunity should occur. Colonel Coote was not embarked for Bengal, when the news of the success against the bound-hedge arrived at Madrass, and with it Colonel Monson represented the incapacity in which he was likely to remain for several months of acting in the field, and requested that Calonel Coote might resume the command of the army. The Presidency seconding the request, he consented, and arrived in the camp on the night of the 20th; where he found the army in the greatest discontent, especially the black troops, for the want of provisions, owing to the avarice of the renters appointed by the Nabob in the conquered countries, who, foreseeing that the