| No. 10. | |
|---|---|
| 5th Company 2nd Battalion and 2nd Golundaz. | |
| Captain | C. R. Deare, rejoined June, 1784. |
| Captain-Lieutenant | E. Montague, rejoined April, 1784. |
| Lieutenant | Horsburgh, rejoined June, 1784. |
| Lieutenant | Blundel, rejoined June, 1784. |
| Lieutenant | W. Bruce, rejoined June, 1784. |
| Lieutenant | Tomkyns, rejoined June, 1784. |
| Lieutenant | J. Walker, rejoined June, 1784. |
| Lieutenant Fireworker | McDermott, rejoined June, 1784. |
| Lieutenant Fireworker | Hardwicke, rejoined November, 1783. |
| Lieutenant Fireworker | Nelly, rejoined June, 1784. |
| Lieutenant Fireworker | Barton, rejoined December, 1783. |
| Lieutenant Fireworker | Macbeagh, died August, 1781. |
| Commandant’s Company of Volunteers. | |
| Captain-Lieutenant | W. Harris, rejoined June, 1784. |
| Staff to Colonel Pearse. | |
| Captain-Lieutenant | C. Green, Aide-de-Camp, rejoined June, 1784. |
| Lieutenant | Herbert, Quarter-Master, died December, 1781. |
| Lieutenant | Brown, Adjutant, rejoined May, 1784. |
| Joined Detachment at Madras. | |
| Lieutenant | Constable, December, 1783, went on sick leave and joined detachment. |
| Lieutenant | Addison, March, 1783. |
| Lieutenant | Flemyng, March, 1783, returned June, 1784, with 5th company 1st battalion. |
| Lieutenant | Nash, November, 1781, returned June, 1784, with 5th company 1st battalion. |
| Lieutenant Fireworker | Hollingsbury, 1782. |
| Lieutenant | Syme, died June, 1784. |
On the 16th August, 1781, the army marched from the Mount, and reached Tripassore on the 18th, and took possession of it after only three days’ siege. 27th.—Engaged Hyder Ali’s army on the spot where Baillie had been defeated, and were forced to retire to the Mount from want of provisions. On the 19th September the army again took the field, and on the 23rd the Fort of Pollom surrendered to it. Hyder’s army was in sight; the two next days were spent in collecting grain, and on the 27th, Sir E. Coote went out to reconnoitre, and found the enemy’s whole force in camp near Cuppoor, about five miles off. He then advanced to attack them, Colonel Pearse commanding the left wing, which, from having to pass through much broken ground, bore the heaviest part of the action. Hyder endeavoured to turn it, but his attempts were frustrated by Colonel Pearse’s movements, and his cavalry driven back by discharges of grape. The two wings were much separated, and Colonel Pearse was at one time nearly captured, from his horse taking fright and running away with some of Hyder’s horsemen, who charged through an interval in the line; in endeavouring to get back, he was followed by a horseman, whom his aide-de-camp shot. The action lasted from three till dark, and it was eleven p.m. before the army had encamped at Cuppoor, on Hyder’s ground.
In October, the army marched into the Pollams, and a detachment of six battalions with two 6–pounders from the artillery, the whole under the command of Captain Owen, were sent to secure provisions and intercept a convoy of Hyder’s. Captain Owen conceived the quixotic design of storming the fort of Chittoor, but, unluckily, Hyder marched suddenly and attacked him, on the 23rd October, in his camp, and drove him back with heavy loss. One of the guns fell into the enemy’s hands, but was retaken by a gallant effort made by Captain Moore, with forty Bengal grenadiers, whom an artilleryman informed of the loss.
After this, the whole army moved against Chittoor, on the 7th November. On the 8th, a battery of two guns and two howitzers fired from a hill against the fort, but without effect. On the 19th, a battery of two 18–pounders was formed on the banks of an artificial lake, within three hundred yards of a ruinous round tower, in which a breach was made before night, and the enemy offered to capitulate. Their terms were refused, and firing renewed, and the next day, the troops being ready to storm, the fort surrendered.
Hyder had, in the mean time, taken Poloor, in which were four 18–pounders, and surprised Polipett, where the baggage was left under charge of a battalion with three 6–pounders, and carried off all, and moved against Tripassore.
The army marched to relieve Tripassore, and arrived just in time, as a breach was just made. After destroying the works, they moved into Poonamalee on the 30th November.
Early in January, 1782, the army marched to the relief of Vellore, and on the 9th, encamped near Hyder’s troops. On the 10th, Hyder attacked the rear, while the main body was moving through the dry bed of a lake. Beyond this was a wet one, and the main body crossed this also, but the carts and followers were in the swamp when Hyder reached the bank of the dry lake. Colonel Pearse, who was commanding the rear, formed up three battalions, and his guns, consisting of one 12–pounder, one howitzer, and six 6–pounders, which checked the enemy, who opened a cannonade from upwards of twenty heavy guns, but, with little effect. The position was held for upwards of an hour, until the baggage had all crossed, when Colonel Pearse crossed also, and joined Sir Eyre Coote, and after a little desultory firing Hyder withdrew.
Having thrown his convoy into Vellore, Sir Eyre Coote returned on the 13th, and on reaching his old ground, at the swamp, was again attacked. The passage was covered by a heavy cannonade from the 12 and 18–pounders, and when across, Hyder fell back, but made another attempt at sunset, which was beaten off. The succeeding days were spent in manœuvres on both sides, without coming to an action.
The detachment was engaged in no further service of any consequence until the unsuccessful and mismanaged attack on Cuddalore, in June, 1783, in which Colonel Pearse was wounded, whence they returned to Madras, and remained encamped till April of the next year,—the death of Hyder Ali, and conclusion of a peace with Tippoo, rendering their further services unnecessary.
On the 22nd April the detachment made their first march homewards, and the European artillery accompanied them as far as Musulipatam, where, about the middle of May, they embarked with guns and stores, and reached Calcutta in June, 1784. The strength of each company on its return is annexed.[[24]] There must, however, have been some recruits sent during the service; but as from the day of their quitting Bengal, the companies were struck off the strength of the regiment, it is impossible to trace their actual loss. Captain Hussey and Lieutenant Brown appear to have suffered from wounds, for in Mem. C. 19th July, 1784, on Lieutenant Browns promotion to Captain-Lieut., “The Board observes that this promotion occasions the number of artillery officers to exceed the establishment, which they have been induced to admit, in consequence of the peculiar situations of Captain Hussey and Lieutenant Brown, by the wounds they received while on service in the Carnatic.”