Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/78

72 desponded, at sun-rise, threw a letter from the rampart, written by the prisoner Omichund, to Monickchund, the governor of Hughley, who commanded a considerable body of troops in the army before the fort, requesting him to intercede with the Nabob to cease hostilities, since the English were ready to obey his commands, and only persisted in defending the fort to preserve their lives and honour. The letter was taken up, but the enemy nevertheless continued their attacks until noon, when a large body attempted to escalade the northern curtain, under cover of a strong fire of their small arms from Mr. Cruttenden's house: but, after persevering half an hour they were repulsed, and the fire on all the other quarters of the fort ceased as soon, as this body retreated. In these few hours twenty-five of the garrison had been killed, or were lying desperately wounded, and seventy more had received slighter hurts; and the common soldiers having broke open the store-house of arrack, were intoxicated beyond all sense of duty.

At two the enemy appeared again, but acted faintly; and at four a man was discovered advancing, with a flag of truce in his hand, which Mr. Holwell, at the general request, answered with another on the south-east bastion, from whence he at the same time threw a letter which he had prepared, addressed to the duan, Roydulub, of the same purport as that which Omichund had written in the morning to Monickchund. A parley ensued, during which many of the enemy flocked to the eastern gate of the fort, and to the gate of palisadoes near the south-west bastion, both which they attempted to cut down; whilst greater numbers, with scaling ladders, endeavoured to mount the warehouses to the south: a shot was likewise fired, which wounded Mr. Bailley, as he was standing on the s. E. bastion with Mr. Holwell, who immediately ran down to bring men to the ramparts: but few obeyed, and those who would have been willing, had retired to various parts of the fort to get sleep; and whilst search was making for them, the drunken soldiers, intending to escape to the river, broke open the western gate of the fort, just as a body of the enemy, had forced the gate of palisades, and were rushing to attack this likewise, which they found