15th of March, Major Lawrence arrived from England, and the command of the force was, of course, entrusted to him. It consisted of 400 Europeans, 1,100 sepoys, and eight guns. Clive held a commission under Major Lawrence, and took a very conspicuous and important part in the operations which followed.

without a battering train, with which he was not provided; but the enemy's movement enabled him to carry out a scheme which was proposed by Captain Clive, and which ended in the complete discomfiture of the enemy.

Major Lawrence said, he "risked the whole to gain the whole." But he considered it right to run the risk; and Clive was placed at the head of a select detachment of the regular troops and one-half of the corps of Morari Rao, under his best general, Yoonas Khan. A corps of 1,000 Tanjore horse was also attached to this division of the British force. On this occasion, a striking proof was given of the impression which the bravery and skill displayed by Captain Clive had made on the native troops. All the British captains were his seniors; and though Major Lawrence, as soon as he determined upon adopting Clive's suggestion, resolved also that he should have the command, yet, on account of this seniority of the other officers, he refrained from making his intention public till he could reconcile them to the appointment. The Mahratta and Mysorean commanders at once relieved him from his difficulty. As soon as it was known that the expedition was determined upon, and that some of their troops would be required to join it, they at once declared that none of their men should march from Trichinopoly, if they were to be commanded by any other person than Clive. Of course, he was immediately appointed, and no objection was made by his senior officers.

The plan which Clive submitted to his commander was, that their small force should be divided; and whilst one part reA large quantity of military stores accom- mained at Trichinopoly, the other should panied the English army, and it was of the take up a position to the north of the Coleutmost importance that they should reach roon, on the road from Seringham and PonTrichinopoly in safety. M. Dupleix was, of dicherry, in order to cut off the communicourse, desirous to have them intercepted. cation between the two places, and thus deThe French force before Trichinopoly was prive the French in Seringham of their then commanded by M. Law, a Scotch-supplies. It was a bold measure; for, as man, a nephew of John Law, the celebrated financial projector, whose Mississippi Company had ruined so many persons a few years previously. To this officer, the governor of Pondicherry sent repeated orders to intercept the advancing force, which was permitted to arrive too near the fort before any effort was made to arrest its progress. Then M. Law took up a position by no means calculated to enable him to effect his purpose; and some regular troops being sent from the town to aid Major Lawrence, he arrived safely with all the stores on the 28th of March; a cannonade which the French opened upon him being completely ineffectual. This successful exploit raised the spirits of the troops with Mohammed Ali, and equally disheartened the enemy. M. Law remained a few days in his old position, inactive; he then adopted, perhaps, one of the worst steps he could have taken. Opposite Trichinopoly, the river Cavery separates into two branches, and forms the island of Seringham; the branch which runs to the south retaining the name of the Cavery, whilst that to the north is called the Coleroon. There were two pagodas on this island, the largest of which stood a short distance from the banks of the latter river. This building was composed of seven square enclosures, one within the other, at The village of Samiaveram-a forced a distance of 350 feet. Every enclosure march from the head-quarters of the armywas surrounded by a wall 25 feet high and was taken possession of by Clive, and formed 4 feet thick, with a gate and high tower on into a post of support for his operations. each side, opposite the four cardinal points. There were two pagodas in the village, The outward wall measured nearly a mile which were fortified; and the place was on each of its four sides. The other pagoda rendered capable of sustaining an attack was nearer the Cavery. The French had from the whole force of M. Law, if he taken possession of this island, and fortified should be induced to make it. But though the pagodas; and here M. Law determined he was urged by Chunda Sahib to take to retire with all his force. It is true, that measures to relieve him from the alarming the position was so strong, that Major Law-position in which he was placed, he rerence could not attempt to take it by force mained inactive for some days. Dupleix,

enraged at his supineness, sent M. d'Auteuil | sistance (killing an officer and fifteen men), from Pondicherry with 620 men, his in- that the attack was suspended till daystructions being to throw himself into the break. Then the French officer who comisland of Seringham, and supersede M. Law manded, seeing his danger, attempted to in the command. He arrived at a small make a sally, but was shot down with fort called Utatore, on the 14th of April, twelve of his men. Captain Clive, who was "intending, by making a large circuit to seriously wounded, and very weak from loss the west of Samiaveram, to gain, in the of blood, advanced to the gate, leaning on night, the banks of the Coleroon. The fate two sergeants, with a view of entering into of the two armies depended, in a great a parley for the surrender of the troops remeasure, upon the success or miscarriage of maining in the pagoda. He was received this reinforcement;" and Captain Clive re- by an Irish officer (the commander of the solved to intercept it. He set out the same deserters) with great insolence: he threatnight, at the head of the greater part of his ened to shoot the English commander, and force; and D'Auteuil, who was also on his did discharge his musket, but missed Clive, march, informed by his spies of the advance and killed both the sergeants by whom he of the English, retreated to Utatore, not was supported. The French immediately daring to meet them. Clive, finding that surrendered. "By this time, the body of the enemy had fallen back, returned to the enemy's sepoys had passed out of the Samiaveram, which he reached just before village with as little interruption as they an attack was made upon his posts. M. Law had entered. Orders were sent to the heard of his leaving the village, but he did Mahrattas to pursue them; and Yoonas not know of his return; and in the night, Khan, with all his men, mounted at dayhe sent eighty Europeans, forty of whom break, came up with them in the open plain were English and Irish deserters, and 700 before they gained the banks of the Colesepoys, to attack it, expecting an easy con-roon, and, according to the Mahratta request. The enemy, about midnight, arrived port, not a single man of the 700 escaped at the English pickets. The deserters being alive."* in front, and telling the sentinels that it The effects of these events were soon apwas a reinforcement sent by Major Law-parent. M. d'Auteuil and his entire force rence, they were permitted to pass; and surrendered to the English; and Chunda. proceeded quietly until they reached one of the pagodas, which was close to a choultry, or place of entertainment, where Clive had retired to rest. Here they were challenged by the sentinels, and they replied by a discharge of musketry. This roused Captain Clive, a musket-ball having struck the chest on which he had laid his head. Some time elapsed before the real state of things was ascertained; for Clive took the French sepoys for his own men, till, following one of them who had attacked and wounded him in two places, he found himself in the presence of six Frenchmen. He immediately saw all that had occurred; and accosting the men, "he told them, with great composure, that he had come to offer them terms, and if they would look out they would see the pagoda, of which one party had taken possession, surrounded by his whole army, who were determined to give no quarter if any resistance was made. Three of the Frenchmen ran to the pagoda to carry this intelligence, and the others surrendered themselves prisoners." The pagoda was then attacked by the English; but the deserters made such a desperate re

Sahib's men began to desert him on all sides-2,000 of his best horse, and 1,500 sepoys, joining Captain Clive. Ill in health, and completely disheartened as to his prospects, the nabob resolved to take the advice of M. Law, to give himself up to Monajee, the commander of the Tanjore contingent sent to the aid of Mohammed Ali. Mouajee bound himself by the most solemn oath to convey his prisoner to the French settlement.

He swore 66 on his sword and dagger," an adjuration a Mahratta seldom breaks. He did so, however, on this occasion; and for his breach of faith many reasons are assigned. "One eminent writer asserts, on native authority, that he acted as the agent of Mohammed Ali.† Orme says, that his treachery originated in the disputes which took place in the camp of the allies, so soon as the arrival of Chunda Sahib became known. Fearing that his prize would be snatched away, either by the English, the Mysoreans, or the Mahrattas, for their own ends, he settled the dispute. by causing him to be put to death." It East India Military Calendar. Wilks' History of Mysore.

Martin's India.

force that could be spared for this service consisted of 200 European recruits, just arrived from England, and 500 newly-raised sepoys. With this insignificant corps, Clive undertook the reduction of the strongholds,

was a singular retribution. "Under what- former thirty-nine miles, and the latter ever impressions the event is considered, no twenty-five to the southward of Madras), one can fail to be struck by the remarkable which had been taken possession of by the fact, that upon the very spot where Chunda French, who frequently sent out detachSahib had, by a false oath upon a counter-ments to plunder the territory belonging to feit Koran, set at nought the bonds of the nabob and the company. The only friendly alliance and good faith, there, after the expiration of sixteen years, ensnared by a similar act of perfidy, did he meet his death by the hand of an assassin."* His fate was followed by the surrender of the French, under M. Law, at Seringham.and they were soon in his possession. That island was taken possession of by Captain Dalton on the 2nd of June; and thirtyfive commissioned officers, 725 rank and file, sixty sick and wounded in the hospital, 2,000 sepoys, four 13-inch mortars, eight colours, two petards, thirty-one pieces of cannon, besides, a great quantity of ammunition and stores, fell into the hands of the victors. While these transactions were taking place, Major Lawrence had several times encountered the French, whom he always defeated; and thus led to the final evacuation of Seringham.-At the close of the campaign, he quitted the army, and went to Fort St. David for the benefit of his health.

Mohammed Ali was now declared nabob of the Carnatic; but M. Dupleix was determined not to give up the cause. He was himself, through the influence of M. Bussy with Salabut Jung, named to that dignity; but he transferred it to the son of Chunda Sahib, whom he endeavoured to support with fresh levies, and negotiations with the Mysoreans and the Mahrattas. He succeeded in detaching Morari Rao from the cause of Mohammed Ali; but after being successful in some skirmishes with small detachments of the English, he was defeated at Bahore, losing all his artillery and stores. Yoonas Khan was on his march to join the French; but as soon as he heard of their defeat, he went to the camp of Mohammed Ali, where he took the oath of fidelity to the nabob-regretting that he had not arrived in time to share in the victory.-At the entreaty of Mohammed Ali, but against his own judgment, Major Lawrence then sent Major Kineer, at the head of a force of Europeans and sepoys, to reduce the strong fortress of Jingee; but the attempt was a failure.-Captain Clive, about the same time, undertook an expedition against Chingleput and Covelong (two fortresses, the • Thornton's History of the British Empire in

India.

His health being much impaired, he then returned to England, having acquired a brilliant military reputation, and a large fortune, from his share of the valuable captures he had made.

The year 1753 found the war still raging; and from a breach of faith on the part of Mohammed Ali with the Rajah of Mysore, the Mahrattas and Mysoreans were detached from his cause, and joined his enemies. He had agreed to surrender Trichinopoly to the Mysoreans, as the price of the rajah's assistance; but when the time came for the fulfilment of his promise, he hesitated; and, at last, having agreed to give it up in two months, and during that time, Nunjeraj, the Mysore general, endeavouring to induce Captain Dalton, who was placed in command of the garrison, to surrender the town, he made that an excuse for refusing to carry out his agreement; and avowed his intention to retain the important post in his possession. M. Dupleix, through the able assistance of his lady, opened a communication with Morari Rao and Nunjeraj, with the view of forming a formidable confederacy against Mohammed Ali and the English; being determined not to give up the point of French supremacy, while it was possible to maintain it. He suffered from a want of funds, and of European troops; for the French East India Company had no large revenues at its disposal. He made up the deficiency from his own private fortune, which he spent freely in the cause in which he was embarked. But the want of good soldiers was an evil he could not overcome; and writing home, in 1753, he bitterly complained, not only that, with the exception of M. Bussy, he had not one officer sent out to him on whose ability he could place the smallest reliance, but that the troops sent to him were boys and thieves, the refuse of the most vile canaille. In numbers, however, he had greatly the advantage over Major Lawrence. In January,

1753, he had in the field 500 European infantry, sixty European horse, 2,000 sepoys, and a corps of 400 horse under Morari Rao; and this force became soon greatly increased. Major Lawrence had 700 Europeans, 2,000 sepoys, and 1,500 horse belonging to Mohammed Ali.

river, finding that the strength of the position was too great to be carried by the force he could bring against it. He therefore resolved to direct his whole attention to replacing the provisions of the garrison; and stationed himself in a camp at Veerana, as the most favourable place for covering The operations of the Mysoreans were supplies. By this time the force united directed against Trichinopoly, where Cap- against him comprised 400 Europeans, tain Dalton still commanded; and Nun- 1,500 French sepoys, 3,500 Mahrattas, jeraj determined to starve him out. The 8,000 Mysore horse, 1,200 Mysore sepoys, French, under M. Astruc, avoided a general and about 15,000 irregular infantry; making engagement, but endeavoured to attract together the formidable array of 29,600 the attention of Major Lawrence in an men. Major Lawrence had only 500 Euroopposite direction, in order to prevent him peans, 1,300 sepoys, and 100 horse. “With from affording relief to Trichinopoly. Being this immense superiority, the French and informed, however, by Captain Dalton, of Nunjeraj moved to the southward of the the position in which he was placed, and rivers, and obliged the major to withdraw that through the treachery of the purveyor, his camp nearer to the fortress, extending the troops were almost destitute of pro- themselves between him and the route of visions, the major resolved to march to his his supplies, so as to form an effectual relief. The weather was oppressively hot; blockade. Under these circumstances, the and so rapid were his movements, that most sanguine began to despair, and to apseveral soldiers died on the road; others prehend that the city must be abandoned, in had to be sent back to Fort St. David; and order to save the troops from perishing by 100 were sent into hospital immediately on famine."*-We may remark, that the Mytheir arrival, on the 6th of May, at Trichi- sore sepoys with Nunjeraj were commanded nopoly. The combined forces of the two by Hyder Ali; and it is the first mention officers, after providing for the duties of the we have of that subsequently celebrated garrison, would only allow them to furnish Mysore chief. He was a soldier of fortune, for the field 500 Europeans and 2,000 who entered the service of the Rajah of sepoys; and the latter were soon reduced Mysore in 1749; and by his talents and to 1,300, by the dispatch of 700 in search bravery soon rose to eminence. of provisions. The nabob's cavalry were On a rock, about 200 yards to the southwith them; but on Major Lawrence deter- west of his camp, Major Lawrence had mining, on the 10th of May, to attack stationed a guard of 200 sepoys, in the Seringham, they refused to take any share hope of being able sometimes to evade the in the action, as their pay was greatly vigilance of the enemy. M. Astruc, aware in arrear. The Mysoreans, with a contin- of the importance of this position, attacked gent of Mahrattas, had occupied that island it on the 26th of June, with his grenadiers early in the year; and as soon as M. Dupleix and a large body of sepoys. Meeting with found that Major Lawrence had reached more resistance than he expected, the whole Trichinopoly, he ordered M. Astruc, with army moved to their support. Major Law200 Europeans, 500 sepoys, and four field-rence, who could not permit the post to be pieces, to go to their support. Major Law- taken without an effort to save it, left a rence's force was much inferior to that of hundred Europeans to take care of the the united French and Mysoreans; but he camp, and marched to the "Golden Rock," crossed the river at daybreak, dispersed the as it was termed, hoping to reach it before usual guard of the ford, and began to form the main body of the enemy arrived. Before his men in order of battle. They were his troops had passed over half the distance soon attacked by the Mysoreans and Mah- from the camp, however, the rock was in rattas, who were finally repulsed; the Eng-possession of the enemy, and was itself lish grenadiers, aided by a detachment of seen covered with sepoys, supported by the Swiss, also defeated a body of sepoys, and French battalions; and the whole Mysore compelled the French to evacuate a water- army was drawn up in the rear. Under course where they had taken shelter. The these circumstances, to advance or retreat fighting continued during the day, and in appeared to be equally desperate. The the evening, Major Lawrence recrossed the • East India Military Calendar.