Historical record of the 71st Regiment Highland Light Infantry /

by Henry John Thoroton Hildyard

In February, 1788, in consequence of some disturbance or alarm in the Bombay presidency, the Seventy-first, about 800 strong, marched to Madras, and immediately embarked on board the Company’s ships for Bombay, where it arrived in April after a favourable passage. It remained here only six months, when, its services being dispensed with, it returned to Madras, and arrived there in December. Five companies under Lieut.-Colonel Elphinston occupied the barracks in Fort St. George, and the other five companies proceeded to Poonamallee. Major-General the Honble. William Gordon was appointed Colonel on the 9th April, 1789, in succession to Major-General John Lord McLeod deceased. In the course of the year the five companies at Poonamallee were moved to Tripassoor.

1790.

Early in 1790, hostilities having commenced by Tippoo Sultan attacking and capturing the lines of Travancore, the British Government in India determined to support the Rajah of that country. On the 18th of March an encampment was formed for that purpose in the neighbourhood of Conjeveram under the command of Colonel Musgrave. The force assembled there consisted of the Nineteenth British Dragoons, the Fifty-second and Seventy-first Highlanders, the Third and Fourth Regiments of native Cavalry, the first Battalion of Coast Artillery, and five of Coast Infantry. On the 29th of March this force moved to Trichinopoly, where Colonel Musgrave effected a junction on the 29th April, with the division assembled there under Colonel Brydges. This comprised the Thirty-sixth and Seventy-second Regiments, the Second and Fifth Native Cavalry, and seven battalions of Coast Sepoys.

On the 24th of May General Meadows arrived at Trichinopoly, and assumed the command: the army consisted of 15,000 men, forming two European and four native brigades. These were divided into wings. Lieut.-Colonel James Stuart, Seventy-second Highlanders, being appointed to command the left wing, and Colonel Brydges of the East India Company’s Service, the right; the Seventy-first and Seventy-second Highlanders, and First East India Company’s European battalion, formed the Second European brigade, under Lieut.-Colonel Clarke of the Company’s Service. The whole of the cavalry in the advance was commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Sir John Floyd of the Nineteenth Light Dragoons.

On the 24th May, Major-General (afterwards Sir William) Meadows reviewed the army, which on the 26th was moved towards the Coimbatore country by Anatore and Kidnaveran. On the 15th June the army reached the fortified post of Caroor, which the enemy abandoned without opposition. Here it remained strengthening the place and collecting grain till the 2nd July, when it moved to Arrivacourchy, where it arrived on the 5th, and, continuing its march by Tooramboddy, reached Daraporam on the 10th July, where a large supply of grain was found. The army arrived at Coimbatore on the 22nd July, being harassed on the march by Tippoo Saïb’s irregular horse. A halt was made here, and detachments sent to reduce Dindigul, Errode, and Palghautcherry, upon which service the flank companies of the Seventy-first were employed under Captains Phineas M^cIntosh and James Robertson. In August the whole of the cavalry and the advanced infantry had been pushed forward to the Boovany, near to the Gudzelhetty Pass. Tippoo Saïb, profiting by the divided state of the British force, descended with his whole army, and, after a very severe conflict, obliged Lieut.-Colonel Floyd to fall back. The troops from Coimbatore, however, had marched to his support, and, on the junction being effected, Tippoo Saïb retired. The British returned to Coimbatore on the 23rd September. Upon the march of the main body, the flank companies of the Seventy-first and Seventy-second were withdrawn from the siege of Palghautcherry, and ordered to take post in the fort of Coimbatore: and on the return of the army they rejoined their regiments.

The army was again put in motion on the 29th September, proceeding towards the Boovany by Shawoor and Coopachittypollum, where the troops arrived a few hours after Tippoo Saïb had left it. Some elephants, bullocks, and camels, loaded with rockets, fell into the hands of the British. On the 4th of October the army arrived at Errode, the enemy keeping a respectful distance during the march, and on the 6th it was ascertained that he had arrived with his entire force at Darraporam, against which he opened his batteries on the 8th. The fort had no cannon mounted, and the garrison, consisting of 100 Europeans and 200 Sepoys, capitulated on honourable terms, which were strictly adhered to. The British army moved on the 5th October, and on the 15th encamped in the neighbourhood of Coimbatore, where Lieut.-Colonel Stuart joined from Palghautcherry, after having taken that place, and left it in a tolerable state of defence. On the 20th October, all the heavy baggage having been deposited in the fort of Coimbatore, the army marched towards Errode, by Avinochy and Perentore, where it arrived on the 2nd November. On the 8th the army proceeded in the direction of Bovancore, and thence to a ford about three miles below Errode, the whole crossing the Cavery on the 9th and 10th, while Tippoo Saïb moved his entire force against a division under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel Maxwell, Seventy-fourth Regiment, then in the Bharamahl country. On the 11th November the army moved by Saukerrydroog on the Tappoor Pass, and ascended on the 14th, encamping at Adomancettah in the Bharamahl country: it marched again on the 15th, and effected its junction with Lieut.-Colonel Maxwell at Darampoury on the 17th. The whole force was now divided into ten brigades. The Seventy-fourth Highlanders joined the Seventy-first and Seventy-second in the Second Brigade; and Lieut.-Colonel Maxwell assumed command of the left wing in place of Colonel Brydges, who was appointed to command at Trichinopoly.

It was now ascertained that the enemy, whose movements were always sudden, varied, and perplexing, was directing his course to the Carnatic by Namacul and Trichinopoly. The British, in consequence, pursued by Malusundrum, arriving on the 23rd at Vavoor, the 27th at Jaloor, the 6th December at Munsarapett, at Terany on the last day of the year, and the 12th January, 1791, at1791. Arnee. During this long and fatiguing march, the Anglo-Indian troops frequently encamped upon the ground from which the enemy had removed in the morning, but the efforts made to overtake him were unsuccessful. The heavy guns and the sick having been left in the fort of Arnee, the army proceeded to Velhout, where on the 29th January it was reviewed by General Charles the Earl Cornwallis, K.G., who had arrived from Bengal to assume command, and who expressed great satisfaction at the appearance of the troops. His Lordship was at this period Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in the East Indies. In the course of the foregoing campaign the Seventy-first lost few men in action, but many fell victims to climate and fatigue.

The army, being refreshed and equipped, commenced moving in a westerly direction on the 5th February, and passing by Perambaukum and Sholingar, arrived on the 11th in the vicinity of Vellore. On the 14th it marched by Chittipet and Chittoor towards the Muglee Pass, which it reached on the 17th. The following day the advance, followed by the park and stores, ascended the Ghauts, the whole army encamping on the 19th at Palamnaire, in the Mysore country, without having seen anything of the enemy. During the time the British army remained at Velhout Tippoo Saïb pushed southward and summoned Cuddalore, but upon hearing in what direction Earl Cornwallis had moved the Sultan hastened to the Shangana Pass, where he arrived too late to oppose the troops at the Muglee Pass. On the 24th the British marched to Colar, which was abandoned on their approach, and the army moved on to Ouscotta, which was carried by a battalion of sepoys. The enemy displayed a part of his force on the 4th March, and on the following day opened a cannonade upon the troops moving towards Bangalore, whilst his horse attempted to seize the stores and baggage, but without success. About sunset on the 5th March the army encamped within shot of the fort of Bangalore. The day following the suburbs of the town were attacked by the Thirty-sixth and Seventy-sixth Regiments, with some battalions of sepoys, and carried after a very resolute resistance on the part of the defenders. From this period to the 14th March nothing material occurred, but every preparation for the approaching siege was carried on with diligence and activity. On the 15th, the batteries being completed, opened fire upon Bangalore, and on the 17th the lines were cannonaded by the enemy, while at night the camp was much disturbed by his rockets. Forage became very scarce, and none could be procured beyond the advanced pickets. The siege, however, proceeded, the enemy continuing to harass the besiegers until the 21st March, when the breach being considered practicable, an attack was ordered. The storming party consisted of the grenadiers of the European regiments, followed by their light companies, and led by Lieutenant James Duncan, Seventy-first Highlanders, and Lieutenant John Evans, Fifty-second Regiment, with a forlorn hope of thirty chosen men, the whole supported by the battalion companies of the Thirty-sixth, Seventy-second, and Seventy-sixth Regiments, with some battalions of Bengal sepoys. The attacking force was commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Maxwell, Seventy-fourth Highlanders, the flankers by Major Kelly; Major-General Meadows was present on the occasion. The grenadier company, Seventy-first Highlanders, was commanded by Captain the Honourable John Lindsay, who, upon entering the breach, directed his men to throw away their priming and trust entirely to their bayonets. The light company was commanded by Captain James Robertson, son of the celebrated historian. With the aid of scaling ladders, and after encountering very formidable obstacles, Bangalore was carried. From the 6th March to the capture of Bangalore the Seventy-first had 6 privates killed and 14 wounded. On the 28th March, a strong garrison being left in Bangalore, the army moved to Deonhully, the birthplace of Hyder Ali, where it arrived on the 30th, and on the 1st April at Chinnaballaporam, both of which places were abandoned by the enemy. The army reached Connapelly on the 12th April, and on the following day effected a junction with the Nizam’s force, which had been sent to co-operate with the British, and which amounted to about 15,000 cavalry. On the 18th April the army arrived at Venkatagherry, where a large detachment of Europeans, under Colonel Oldham, joined from the Carnatic, and on the 22nd April it again encamped near Bangalore. During this march, the object of which was chiefly to secure supplies, the enemy’s irregular horse were now and then seen in small detached bodies. On the 4th May the army marched towards Seringapatam, the capital of Tippoo Saïb’s territory, and on the 13th reached Arakerry, on the Cavery, about eight miles below Seringapatam. The enemy could be seen in front, with their right resting on the river, and their left on a high hill named the Carighaut. During the night of the 14th of May the troops marched with a view to surprising the enemy, but owing to the badness of the weather and roads, together with the jaded state of the gun bullocks, little or no progress was made during the night, but on the following day, after undergoing great fatigue, they were brought into action. The enemy was then soon driven from his strong position, and forced across the river to the island upon which the capital, Seringapatam, is situated, where he was protected by his batteries. In this affair four guns and several standards were taken. The Seventy-first lost Lieutenant and Adjutant Roderick Mackenzie and 7 rank and file killed. Ensign John Stuart and 74 rank and file were wounded. The army rested upon the field of battle, and moving again on the 18th arrived at Canambaddy, on the Cavery, upon the 20th. It was now ascertained that the season was too far advanced for undertaking immediately the siege of Tippoo Saïb’s capital, and it was determined accordingly to withdraw. The battering train was destroyed, all the ammunition stores which could not be removed were buried, and on the 26th May the army marched in the direction of Bangalore. In the course of this retreat the British were joined by the Mahratta army, consisting of about 33,000 men, chiefly cavalry, and 30 pieces of cannon. Of the approach of this large force the British had been kept in total ignorance by the activity of Tippoo’s irregular troops. Captain Little, with two battalions of Bombay sepoys, joined with the Mahratta army, and supplies were now abundant.

On the 11th July the army arrived at Bangalore without any attempt on the part of the enemy to interrupt the march. By this time the Nizam’s cavalry had become unfit to keep the field, and were allowed to return to their own country. A large detachment of the Mahrattas proceeded into the Sera country, the remainder continuing with the British army. On the 15th July the sick and half of the tumbrils belonging to the field pieces were sent into the fort of Bangalore, and the army moved towards Oussoor, where it arrived on the 11th of the following month. The fort of Oussoor was abandoned by the enemy after he had blown up the angles.

On the 12th of August the army moved from Oussoor, and on the 23rd arrived at Bayeur. About this period Major Gowdie, of the Honourable East India Company’s Service, was detached with some troops for the reduction of the strong hill fort of Nundydroog, which it was found required regular approaches. The flank companies of the Thirty-sixth and Seventy-first Regiments, under the command of Captain Robertson of the latter corps, marched on the 17th of October to join the detachment under Major Gowdie, and, upon their arrival, were immediately placed in the last parallel.