Battle of Pollilore.
The whole strength of the enemy was found in position at Pollilore, on the same ground on which Baillie’s detachment had been destroyed the previous year. The effective British strength was 11,000 and that of Hyder Ali and the French 150,000 (regulars and irregulars), with 80 guns. Coote attacked and penetrated the enemy’s centre with his right wing, while his left outflanked the enemy’s right. A general retreat of the enemy then commenced.
The British casualties were:—Killed: Europeans, 24; Native, 105. Wounded: European, 54; Native, 207. Missing: Native, 63. Total, 453.
Again the lack of cavalry, supplies, and transport prevented the victory being exploited, and the army fell back on Tripasore on August 29th.
Battle of Sholinghur.
The Fort at Vellore, which was besieged by the enemy, being in urgent need of relief, Coote with great difficulty collected sufficient transport and rations to march with this object on September 21st.
Hyder Ali was holding a pass through the Sholinghur Hills on the direct road with his whole army. The British army arrived at the pass on September 27th, and at once attacked. Hyder Ali did not realize that the British were seriously attacking. The 2nd Brigade and the Cavalry were sent to turn the enemy’s left flank while the rest of the army attacked frontally. The attack was entirely successful and the enemy fled in disorder after the defeat of the Mysore Cavalry. The strengths of the opposing armies were: British, 11,500; Mysore, 150,000, and 70 guns. The British casualties were only 20 killed, 58 wounded and 9 missing.
Owing to the continual dissensions between the civil and military authorities, an efficient supply and transport service was impossible. Government also would not sanction the raising of cavalry. So for the third time in this year decisive victory was missed. Coote declared that he would rather have had five days’ rice than the trophies and credit of the victory.
In 1889 the battle honour “Sholinghur” was sanctioned for the Battalion in commemoration of its services in this battle.