Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/706

682 to the ground opposite their respective attacks. All bore down properly, as it had been concerted. Colonel Coote's division easily pushed round, and that on the right through the hedge; and as soon as within both advanced, driving the guards before them, to gain the rear of the redoubt, against which the division which attacked it had not succeeded, having more difficulties and resistance to encounter; but as soon as the guard saw the danger approaching from either hand within the hedge, they abandoned the redoubt, and retreated hastily into the warehouses of the bleaching town, which stood within 200 yards inclosed with a high wall. Five Sepoys were killed, and the same number wounded in the different attacks. All the three companies, with an Ensign, were left at the redoubt; Colonel Coote and Major Smith returned, tho Major to his post, the Colonel to the camp, from whence he sent off a party of pioneers with gabions and fascines under the command of Ensign Macmahon, to close and retrench the gorge of the redoubt; but they were first to proceed to Major Smith's post, from whence they were to be accompained by a detachment of European soldiers: but Macmahon, mistaking his orders, did not call for this necessary reinforcement. In war more than in all the other occupations of man, neglect rarely fails to bring on is own punishment.

At midnight, whilst the pioneers were at work, they were suddenly attacked by 400 Europeans, and 600 Sepoys, detached from the town. The Ensign, a Dane, who commanded the Sepoys in the redoubt, abandoned it on the first onset, in which Ensign Macmahon was killed; and the pioneers, surprized and defenceless, escaped as they could; what Sepoys were within the redoubt jumped out; but the greatest part, who were stationed round, encouraged by a Subahdar named Coven Naig, kept with him, and gained the plain at some distance without fright, where they formed, under his direction, and followed him to recover the post. They mounted the outside of the rampart, gained footing on the inside, kept it, and continued a hot fire on the area below, especially towards the gorge. The enemy imputed this resolution to much greater numbers than they expected, and than really were at