One of these officers,[1] speaking of this action says:—
“Too great encomiums cannot be bestowed on the English commander and his troops, for in the whole of this trying conflict they preserved a coolness of manœuvre which would have done honour to any troops in the world. Raked by the fire of an immense artillery, the greater part of the action within grape shot range, attacked on all sides by not less than 25,000 horse and 30 battalions of Sepoys, besides Hyder’s European troops, the English column stood firm, and repulsed every charge with great slaughter. The horse driven back on the foot, the right of our line began to give way, though composed of the best troops in the Mysore army.”
In this action, known by the name of the battle of Perambaucum, Lieut.-Colonel Fletcher and 29 European officers, with 155 rank and file were killed; Lieut.-Colonel Baillie with 34 officers, and almost all the European privates, were wounded; 16 officers and privates remained unhurt, who, with the rest, were made prisoners. The whole of the sepoys were either killed, taken, or dispersed.
From the report of an eye-witness, it is stated that the grenadiers of this regiment under Captain Baird fought with such determination and heroism, that many of them were seen loading their muskets after their legs had been shot away; almost all disdained to accept of quarter.
The flank companies were almost annihilated. Lieut. Geddes Mackenzie and William Gunn, Volunteer Forbes, 3 sergeants, and 82 rank and file were killed. Captain Baird received seven wounds, and Lieutenant the Hon. John Lindsay nine. Lieutenants Philip Melville and Hugh Cuthbert, 4 sergeants, 4 drummers, and 92 rank and file were also wounded. All these, with 23 who escaped without wounds, were thrown into a dungeon by Hyder Ali, where they were treated with such barbarity that only 30 of the soldiers survived, and of these few were afterwards fit for service.
Mrs. Grant, in her “Superstitions of the Highlanders,” referring to this in allusion to the inflexible integrity of the Highlanders under the most trying circumstances, says of the prisoners:—
“They were treated with the most cruel indignity, and fed upon sparing proportions of unwholesome rice, which operated as a slow poison, assisted by the burning heat of the sun by day, and the unwholesome dews of night, to which they were purposely exposed to shake their constancy. Daily some of their companions dropped before their eyes, and daily they were offered liberty and riches in exchange for this lingering torture, on condition of relinquishing their religion and taking the turban. These Highlanders were entirely illiterate, scarce one of them could have told the name of any particular sect of Christians, and all the idea they had of the Mahommedan religion was that it was adverse to their own, and to what they had been taught by their fathers.”
Of the two entire companies but two men rejoined the battalion, and these were found in the jungle desperately wounded. In consequence of this, two new flank companies were formed from the battalion by Lord McLeod.
After Colonel Baillie’s defeat, Sir Hector Munro retired with the army to Chingleput, being much pressed by the enemy during his march. The sick and wounded being left there, the army went into quarters on Choultry Plain for the rainy season, which had now set in.
During the retreat the troops suffered severely from fatigue and want of provisions. Captain Gilchrist, of the grenadiers, whose ill health had prevented his being with his company, died, and Lieutenant Alexander Mackenzie, with a great many privates, was wounded in skirmishes with the enemy.