On the 18th of October General the Earl Cornwallis with the whole army, made a movement towards Nundydroog, and in the evening of that day the troops were told off for an assault upon the two breaches, which had been pronounced practicable. The attacks commenced at eleven o’clock at night, the grenadiers assaulting the right breach and the light companies the left. The forlorn hope of the right attack consisted of twenty grenadiers, volunteers from the Thirty-sixth and Seventy-first, led by Lieutenant Hugh Mackenzie of the Seventy-first, afterwards for a long time paymaster of the regiment. The same number of light infantry, headed by Lieutenant Lewis Moore, of the Seventy-first, formed the left attack. The grenadier company of the regiment, in support, was commanded by Lieutenant James Duncan, the light company by Lieutenant Kenneth Mackenzie, the whole under Captain Robertson’s orders. Captain Robert Burne supported, with the Thirty-sixth grenadiers, the right attack, and Captain William Hartley, with the light company of that regiment, the left attack; Major-General Meadows, as usual, animating the whole with his presence. Both breaches were carried without much resistance from the enemy, and the gateway of the inner wall being soon secured, the fort fell into the possession of the British. Many of the enemy were killed, and several, in attempting to escape, were dashed to pieces over the precipices. It was an additional source of gratification that this important service had been achieved without the loss of a British soldier. The following general order was issued on this occasion:—
“Head-Quarters Camp, October 20th, 1791.
“Lord Cornwallis having been witness of the extraordinary obstacles, both of nature and art, which were opposed to the detachment of the army that attacked Nundydroog, he cannot too highly applaud the firmness and exertions which were manifested by all ranks in carrying on the operations of the siege, or the valour and discipline which were displayed by the flank companies of His Majesty’s Thirty-sixth and Seventy-first Regiments (other regiments of native infantry were here enumerated) that were employed in the assault last night, and which, by overcoming all difficulties, effected the reduction of that important fort, and he particularly desires that his warmest thanks may be presented to Captain Robertson of the Seventy-first Regiment, who commanded the flank companies that led the assaults.”
In a few days subsequently to the fall of Nundydroog the army retraced its route to Bangalore. On the 4th of December the troops were again put in movement, directing their march towards Savendroog, a fortress situated on the side of a mountain surrounded by almost inaccessible rocks. The fort being reconnoitred, a detachment, under Lieut.-Colonel James Stuart of the Seventy-second Regiment, was selected and ordered to reduce the place. On the 17th the British were enabled to open upon the fort a battery of six 18-pounders and three 12-pounders with considerable effect. The flank companies of the Seventy-first and Seventy-sixth Regiments joined the detachment under Lieut.-Colonel Stuart on the 20th of December, and on the following day the flank companies of the Fifty-second, Seventy-first, Seventy-second, and Seventy-sixth were selected for the attack upon Savendroog, in which a practicable breach had been effected, and formed under Lieut.-Colonel Colebrook Nesbitt, of the Fifty-second Regiment. The storming party, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Nesbitt, was directed to four different attacks: Captain James Gage, with the grenadiers of the Fifty-second and flank companies of the Seventy-sixth Regiments, to gain the eastern hill to the left; Captain the Hon. John Lindsay and Captain James Robertson, with the flank companies of the Seventy-first, to separate and attack the works or parties they might discover in the chasm or hollow between the hills; the Fifty-second and Seventy-second Regiments were to follow the flank companies. Parties were detached under Lieut.-Colonel Baird and Major Petrie round the mountain to draw the attention of the enemy from the main object, and to endeavour to prevent his escape. At eleven o’clock in the morning of the 21st of December, on a signal of two guns being fired from the batteries, the flank companies, in the order described, followed by the Fifty-second and Seventy-second Regiments, advanced to the assaults, the band of the Fifty-second playing “Britons, strike home,” while the grenadiers and light infantry mounted the breach. Immediate success followed the attempt, the fort being carried without the loss of a man. The troops were thanked in general orders for their gallant conduct, as follows:—
“Lord Cornwallis thinks himself fortunate, almost beyond example, in having acquired by assault a fortress of so much strength and reputation, and of such inestimable value to the public interest as Savendroog, without having to regret the loss of a single soldier.... Although the resistance was so contemptible, he is not the less sensible that the behaviour of the grenadiers and light infantry of the Fifty-second, Seventy-first, Seventy-second, and Seventy-sixth Regiments, who led the assaults, and who must have made the decisive impression upon the minds of the enemy, reflects the most distinguished honour upon their discipline and valour.”
Outredroog, Ram Gurry, and Sheria Gurry shortly afterwards surrendered to the British Army. The force subsequently moved towards Outredroog, a hill fort about thirty miles west of Bangalore, where a general hospital was established. On the 31st of January, 1792, the army,1792. under General the Earl Cornwallis, was reviewed by the Poonah and Hyderabad Chiefs, and on the following day commenced its march towards Seringapatam, passing by Hooleadroog, Tagilly, and Carrycode. The troops came in sight of Tippoo’s capital on the 3rd of February, and encamped at the French Rocks. The enemy’s horse showed itself on the 4th and 5th, but attempted nothing hostile.
The entrenched camp of Tippoo Saïb was reconnoitred on the 6th of February, and at dark the army was formed in three columns of attack. The right, under Major-General Meadows, consisting of the Thirty-sixth and Seventy-sixth King’s Regiments; the centre, under the Commander-in-Chief, General the Earl Cornwallis, consisting of the Fifty-second, Seventy-first, and Seventy-fourth King’s Regiments. The left, under Lieut.-Colonel Maxwell, of the Seventy-fourth, was composed of the Seventy-second Regiment. The native troops were divided among the three columns. By eight o’clock in the evening of the 6th of February, the three columns were in motion. The head of the centre column, led by the flank companies of the respective corps, after twice crossing the Sohany river, which covered the enemy’s right wing and front, came in contact with his first line, and immediately forced its way through it. The British flankers, mixing with the fugitives, crossed the north branch of the Cavery, at the foot of the glacis of the fort of Seringapatam. Captain the Honourable John Lindsay collected the grenadiers of the Seventy-first upon the glacis, and attempted to push into the body of the place, but was prevented by the bridge being raised a few moments before he reached it. He was soon after joined by some of the light company of the Fifty-second and grenadiers of the Seventy-sixth, with whom he forced his way down to the famous “Lal bagh,” or Ruby Garden, where he was attacked most furiously, but the enemy was repelled with the bayonet.
Captain Lindsay was afterwards joined by the Seventy-fourth grenadiers, and attempted to drive the enemy from the Pettah, but could not succeed, from the numbers which poured on him from all sides. This gallant officer then took post in a redoubt, where he maintained himself until morning, and then moved to the north bank of the river, where the firing appeared very heavy. He was there met by Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel the Honourable John Knox, of the Thirty-sixth Regiment, and by Lieut.-Colonel Baird, with the grenadiers of the Fifty-second and the light company of the Seventy-first, together with some of the troops that composed the left attack.
During these occurrences the battalion companies of the Fifty-second, Seventy-first, and Seventy-second Regiments forced their way across the river to the island, overpowering all that opposed them, when Captain Archdeacon, commanding a battalion of Bengal sepoys, being killed, that battalion was thrown into confusion, falling back upon the Seventy-first. Major Stair Park Dalrymple, wishing to prevent the sepoys intermingling with his men, ordered the regiment to move obliquely to the left, an operation that by chance brought him in contact with the Sultan’s redoubt, which was instantly attacked and carried. The charge of the redoubt was given to Captain Hugh Sibbald, of the Seventy-first, with his company, who on the following morning was killed, nobly defending it against repeated and desperate attacks from the enemy. He was replaced by Major Shelly, under whom the redoubt sustained two serious assaults. The Commander-in-Chief, General the Earl Cornwallis, in compliment to the memory of this officer, had the name of the redoubt changed to “Sibbald.”
In the evening of the 7th of February 3,000 of the enemy’s horse attacked the British troops on the island, but were repulsed by the Seventy-first Regiment and the First Coast Sepoys. In the course of these operations the regiment had Captain Sibbald and Lieutenant Daniel Bayne killed; Ensign Duncan Mackenzie was wounded; about 100 rank and file were killed and wounded.