The artillery lost in these actions—1 lieutenant-colonel, 1 corporal, 6 lascars killed, 2 captains, 2 lieutenants, 10 Europeans, and 15 lascars wounded.
The whole army was now collected at Coimbatore, and on it moving forwards, Tippoo made an unsuccessful attempt on the place.
On Colonel Kelly’s death, on the 24th September, the centre army fell under Colonel Maxwell’s command, and entered the Baramahl valley; but the operations of this division only once brought them into contact with the enemy, on the 12th of November, on which occasion the good position taken up, and the correct fire of a gun, prevented an attack by the overwhelming numbers opposed.
A junction took place with the main army on the 10th November, and both armies followed Tippoo, to relieve Trichinopoly, and after some desultory operations, the campaign concluded.
In November and December Lieutenants Jones and Nash, of the artillery, died, and Lieutenants T. Green, Exshaw, McLeod, Drummond, and Buchan came round from Bengal to join the battalion.
By Lieutenant-Colonel Deare’s death, Captain Montague was promoted to a majority, but directed to remain with the 2nd battalion; Lieutenant Glass to a company, and joined; Colonel Duff was ordered round to command the Bengal artillery, and arrived about the middle of December. These promotions were made subject to the Court of Directors’ approval, because Colonel Duff had memorialized to be allowed to command the artillery brigade as senior officer. The regimental formation having taken place, his claim was not allowed by the Indian Government, but referred home, where it was finally negatived, and these promotions confirmed, in the Courts letter, 4th August, 1791.
On the 12th December Lord Cornwallis arrived, and assumed command of the army; fresh energy was instilled into every department, and by the 5th February the march commenced.
The park consisted of eleven 18–pounders, six 12–pounders, and eight mortars, with an ample supply of ammunition and stores. Lieutenant-Colonel Giels (Madras artillery) commanded artillery of right wing; Major Moorhouse, left wing; Major Woodburn, heavy park; Major Montague, of the advance.
The plan of the campaign was to penetrate Mysore by the line of Vellore, Ambore, and Bangalore; and to meet the British, Tippoo moved off from Pondicherry (where he had been intriguing with the French), and was ready to oppose them by the usual routes; but Lord Cornwallis, marching in the direction of Ambore, turned suddenly to the north, and gained the foot of the Mooglee pass on the 17th February, and by the 21st the whole army had ascended, and were encamped in Mysore before Tippoo could oppose them; the ghat presented but few difficulties; the heavy guns, with the aid of men and elephants, gave little trouble.
On the 24th marched for Bangalore, in three columns: the artillery on the right, infantry in the centre, and cavalry on the left; to keep the enemy’s cavalry at a distance, the European regiments were equipped with the iron 12–pounders from the park, and on several occasions their services were found very useful on the march to Bangalore, before which the army took up their position on the 5th March. On the next day the cavalry went out on a reconnaisance, in which they were worsted by Tippoo’s troops, and but for the opportune arrival of Major Gowdie and Major Montague, with assistance, and contrary to orders, our loss would have been severe. On the 7th the pettah was attacked and carried, and Tippoo’s endeavour to retake it repulsed; the fort was now attacked; on the 12th, a 10–gun, a 2–gun, a mortar battery, and a 9–gun battery in the ditch of the pettah were commenced, and opened on the 15th; on the 16th a breach appeared, but two guns, an 18–pounder and a 24–pounder, were disabled. On the night of the 17th a 4–gun battery was erected against the gateway. “So just was the aim of our artillery,” Major Dirom says, “that on the 18th, notwithstanding the strength of the wall, the breach was considered practicable by several qualified to judge from the experience of several years’ service; another parallel, however, was laid out and completed within 200 yards, and its batteries armed.