With the former were four 6–pounders and eight tumbrils, with spare carriages, and with the latter were ten 6–pounders and two 12–pounders.
The division reached Conjeveram on the 1st August. The 2nd company 2nd battalion, now completed by the other half joining, was attached, to the 1st brigade; the 5th company 1st battalion to the 2nd brigade, and a Madras company to the 3rd or reserve, Major Woodburn commanding the artillery.[[27]] This division marched under Colonel Kelly, by Wandiwash to Arnee, which place they had reached by the end of August, and were thus ready to penetrate the valley of Baramahl.
Thus far the campaign had been successful; a line of communication had been established, and the main body and centre division were ready to fall on Tippoo’s dominions from two points—the Baramahl Valley and the Guzelhutty Pass.
The advanced division, under Colonel Lloyd, with which were the 1st, 3rd, and 5th companies of the 2nd battalion artillery was at Sattimungulum, the main body, under General Meadows, at Coimbatore, 60 miles in rear, and the rear division under Colonel Stewart at Palacatcherry, 30 miles in rear of the main body, while Colonel Kelly’s with the centre army was at Baramahl.
Such were the positions of the British army, when, on the 11th September, Tippoo with his whole force descended by the Guzelhutty Pass. His movements had been unknown; want of intelligence, partly caused by the numbers of cavalry who enveloped Tippoo’s movements, and partly from want of arrangements, was a prevailing misfortune in these campaigns, and the first intelligence of this movement was received by Colonel Lloyd on the 12th from some battalions sent out to collect grain.
On the 13th, a cavalry party sent out to reconnoitre, fell in with the advance of Tippoo’s army, and falling back on their supports, kept the enemy at bay till he drew off, and then returned to camp. Tippoo soon followed, but Colonel Floyd took up a position which confined his attack to a cannonade, commencing with three pieces, which he advanced under cover of the hedges, and which, from being at a distance, and the supply of ammunition with the British being short, were not at first molested, he gradually increased them until, by 2 o’clock, there was a semicircle of 15 pieces playing with much execution on the British line; but it may be as well to extract, from a letter of Lieutenant Hardwicke, who was in the action with Captain Sampson’s company, to Lieutenant Wittit:—“The enemy advanced so fast, that the camp was struck a second time, and all baggage thrown into a place of security. The line formed and advanced, and about 10 o’clock the enemy’s guns opened upon us, and by 11 o’clock we had taken our position and returned the fire. The enemy extended his line so as to form a crescent, and opened guns to bear upon us in every situation, and so well were they served that every shot did execution. * * * On the right of our line an 18, two 12, and two 6–pounders kept up a smart fire, against which the enemy returned a most galling one. About 12 o’clock our commandant, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Deare,[[28]] received a shot in his breast, and expired immediately. Half an hour afterwards, Captain Sampson, our second in command, while speaking to me, received a very dangerous wound in the head, from a stone which a shot, that at this moment killed my horse, had raised; whole files of the grenadiers were swept away; half our gun bullocks fell; and the desertion of all the drivers increased the confusion. The cannonade continued till the close of day, and before it was quite dark we could perceive they were drawing off their guns. The two 12–pounders were rendered useless very early in the day by the axletrees giving way; the 18–pounder limber received a shot and blew up; both my 6–pounders were so damaged by shot that one only could travel; except the left of the line, every part of the ordnance suffered much, and it appeared impossible to bear such a cannonade till relief could come from the grand army; to stand another day seemed likely to lessen our means of getting off, and while we had guns to defend ourselves in a retreat, that measure was thought most advisable.”
The day had been disastrous, many killed and wounded, and three guns disabled, but Colonel Floyd reported that the “rest of the guns fired with excellent aim, but sparingly, for the stock of ammunition was not great. H. M.’s regiments and the artillery did themselves justice with their accustomed valour.”
A council of war followed at night, and, as might be expected (for when did a council of war ever recommend an energetic plan?), a retreat to Coimbatore, sacrificing baggage and followers, was resolved on. It certainly does appear strange, with a fort at hand and the main army within 60 miles, the resolution of holding the fort till help arrived was not determined on.
The intention of abandoning the followers got abroad, and they all fled, so that no artificers could be found to repair the damaged carriages; however, the experience of the officers, with the aid of the Europeans, supplied the deficiency, and by 1 A.M. of the 14th they were in a serviceable state; by 4 A.M. the army was in retreat, but from the loss of bullocks one 18, two 12, and three 6–pounders were left behind.
Crossing the “Bavani” in basket-boats, the retreat commenced unmolested, but “about 10 o’clock (and here we again quote Lieutenant Hardwicke’s letter) we could discern the enemy’s line of march, and at 1 o’clock they opened their guns upon us, moving parallel with our line and taking advantage of every situation which gave them a view of the line. About 3 o’clock their infantry and horse crowded on the rear, an advantage the nature of the country or badness of the road gave them; they enfiladed us from behind hedges, buildings, &c., and at 5 o’clock they appeared in all quarters and advanced with a ‘ding’ in crowds. The battalions reserved their fire, and gave it almost on the point of the bayonet with surprising effect; some faced to the rear and resisted the attacks there. * * * A 6–pounder and two tumbrils were, however, here lost, but it was astonishing the havoc the remaining 6–pounder in that quarter made at this time; so severe did they feel our fire, that theirs slackened, and a charge made by the whole of our cavalry gave a turn to the fate of the day. Night closed on the bloody scene, and we continued our march till 9 o’clock. By the lights in the enemy’s camp we could tell they were not far off, and it was thought prudent, weakened as we were by two such days’ fatigue, to continue our march; we accordingly set off again at 3 o’clock, and directed our route towards the hills, expecting to meet a reinforcement from the general; we crept along all the day, suffering almost as much from fatigue, heat, and want of sustenance, as we had before from the enemy. * * * We lost in all six guns and the greatest part of our baggage. Lieutenant Horsborough was slightly wounded in the head, and Lieutenant Winbolt in the arm.”