The Mahrattas and the Nizam had been tardy in their operations. Both were unwilling to come within Tippoo’s reach, until they could be certain of his being fully occupied with the English forces. On the 25th August, the Mahrattas commenced operations, and, on 18th September, laid siege to Dharwar. The attack was so badly conducted, that the place did not capitulate till 4th April following, when the Mahratta force, under Pareshram Bhow and Hari Punt, moved on toward Seringapatam. The Nizam moved in concert with the Mahrattas, but delayed greatly, after crossing the Kistna, before attacking Kopaul, the siege of which was begun on the 28th October. The fortress capitulated on the 18th April following.
According to a muster roll taken at Clive’s Choultry on 24th December, the 19th Light Dragoons had fifty men in hospital, out of a total of 270 non-commissioned officers and troopers present. Fourteen deaths occurred in the preceding six months. During the same period, 50 horses had died, and 14 had been rendered unfit for further service, out of a total effective strength of 386.
CHAPTER V
CORNWALLIS’ CAMPAIGNS
1791–1792
Cornwallis takes command of the Army—Advance on Bangalore—Order of March—Floyd’s reconnoissance—Imprudent advance—Floyd badly wounded—Casualties—Capture of Bangalore—Advance on Seringapatam—Battle of Arikera—Army in great straits—Forced to retreat—Junction of Mahratta contingent—19th sent to Madras—Rejoin Cornwallis—Advance on Seringapatam—Night attack—Floyd detached to meet Abercromby—Seringapatam invested—Peace made—Tippoo’s hostages—19th return to Shevtamodoo.
Cornwallis assumed command of the army, at Vellout, on the 29th January 1791. By taking the field in person, he ensured the fullest co-operation of the civil and military administration, while it was hoped that his presence at the head of the troops, would induce the Nizam and the Mahrattas to prosecute the war with more vigour than they had yet shown. Instead of attacking Mysore from the south, as had been done in the preceding year, Cornwallis proposed to operate on a more direct line. The considerations that had led to the rejection of this line in 1790, were, that Seringapatam could not be approached without first taking Bangalore, a place only second to Seringapatam in strength. The siege of Bangalore would have to be carried on at a distance of ninety miles from the nearest depôt, Amboor; and the country between Seringapatam and Bangalore was unfertile, and not likely to furnish much in the way of supplies.
The army left Vellout on the 5th February. Tippoo, who had remained in the neighbourhood of Pondicherry, on hearing of the movement, hastily regained Mysore by the Changama and Palicode Passes. Cornwallis, after making a feint towards Amboor, which completely deceived the Sultan, turned northwards, and carried the army through the Mooglee Pass without opposition. Without firing a shot, the whole army was concentrated on the Mysore plateau by the 18th February. Here the army was joined by sixty-seven elephants from Bengal, the first occasion of these animals being employed in any considerable number by a British force. Hitherto, the movements of our armies had been greatly hampered by the difficulties of moving heavy siege guns; but on this occasion, by yoking the bullocks four instead of two abreast, and by the use of elephants to lift and push the guns in bad ground, the heavy guns were able to move with nearly as much ease as any other part of the army.
Among other beneficial changes made by Lord Cornwallis, was an improvement in the order of march of the army. Before this war, our armies in India had marched with few cavalry and very small trains of artillery. They moved in a single column two or three files deep, with the stores, baggage and camp followers on one flank, covered by a strong party. This order was fatiguing to the troops, made rapid movement impossible, caused great delay in assuming any formation on coming in contact with the enemy, and exposed the camp followers and baggage to great losses from the enemy’s cavalry. Colonel Fullarton, in his brief campaign of 1783, remedied this, to some extent, by making the army move on a broad front of three brigades, the artillery and baggage following in rear covered on each flank by other brigades. The troops marched with intervals to permit of speedily forming line in any direction.
At the commencement of the campaign of 1790 the old order was reverted to. The battering train, which marched in rear of the column, often fell so far behind, that it did not reach the camping ground till the following day. It was then placed in the centre of the column. This only had the effect of delaying all in rear of the guns, and separating the army into two portions. It was then tried to improve matters, by placing the heavy guns in front of the column. This answered better when the guns were few, but with a large battering train gave bad results. The plan adopted by Cornwallis, was to make the infantry and cavalry move in parallel columns, some distance apart. Between them, moved two columns one composed of artillery and stores, while the other was composed of the baggage and camp followers, controlled by a baggage master. The army thus moved in a huge oblong, with the fighting men on the flanks. The front was covered by the advance guard, consisting of a cavalry regiment and the infantry picquets coming on duty. In the same way, the rear was covered by a regiment of cavalry and the infantry picquets last on duty, forming the rear guard. The same order was observed in encamping. The infantry and cavalry camped in two lines, facing outwards, with the artillery, engineer corps, stores, baggage and camp followers in the space between. The order thus established by Cornwallis during this campaign, may be said to have held good in India up till the present day.