The detachment being repulsed, retired towards the sea, in order to preserve a communication with the ships, and thus to disembark the cannon and stores. Here they slept all night upon their arms, and on the following day, the 13th of August, were joined by the army. In the afternoon the 1100 Seamen were landed under Captain Lloyd.
It was now determined to carry on approaches in regular form. Upon the 17th a battery of four guns was opened, but being injudiciously placed it produced no effect. The Artillery Officers having volunteered to construct another, it began on the following morning with such success, that a desperate attempt was made by the enemy to destroy it. This at first succeeded, but our men soon rallying from a temporary panic, the French were beat back and their Commanding Officer taken prisoner. Major Lawrence, however, and some officers scorning to participate in the early terror which seized the troops, became captives.
Upon the 20th some gunpowder taking fire within the Fort, the principal Battery blew up, by which explosion upwards of 100 of the enemy perished. They then, by putting matches to the different mines, demolished all the fortifications, and the remains retreated to Pondicherry.
The ruins were soon occupied by our troops, who were employed, until the 25th in rendering this post tenable. They afterwards crossed the river of Arian-Coupan, and got possession of a strong situation within a mile of the place, without a shew of contest. This being to the north west of the town, a communication was from thence maintained with the ships to the northward of it, and all the implements necessary for the siege were now landed.
Early in the morning of the 1st of September the Advanced Guard of 100 men, consisting principally of Marines, was attacked by very superior forces, which were headed by Mons. Portalis, the principal Engineer of the enemy; who was mortally wounded, besides four other Officers, and the whole were repulsed with a loss of upwards of 120 soldiers.
Upon this occasion a woman fought in the Marine Ranks of the name of Hannah Snell, a native of Worcester, who, after many chequered destinies, inlisted at Portsmouth in Colonel Frazer's regiment, from whence she was embarked with a detachment on board the Swallow sloop, one of Admiral Boscawen's squadron. In this affair she behaved with distinguished courage, having fired 37 rounds, and received a ball in the groin, which, two days afterwards, she herself extracted, and likewise dressed the wound. Eleven others in both legs, but of inferior consequence also, rendered her removal to the Hospital, at Cuddalore, absolutely necessary, where she continued three months.
When recovered she was ordered on board the Eltham frigate, in which she continued till that ship returned home and was paid off. After receiving her discharge from the Marine Service, in company with many of her companions, she set out for London. The time arrived when they were to bid each other a long adieu; this moment she chose to discover her sex, in order to attest the truth of her adventures. One of her friends tendered his hand, which was declined. She afterwards wore the Marine Dress, and having presented a petition to his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, he, with a princely spirit, attended to her prayer, and placed her on the King's list for a pension of thirty pounds a year for life. This she enjoyed until a few years ago, when, after a long residence at Walsall, in Staffordshire, her days were closed.
It was not until the 25th of September that the batteries were completed, when they began to play. Owing to a general ignorance of the plan of Pondicherry, our first attack was directed against its strongest quarter, and after different approaches, it was discovered that a deep and intervening morass prevented their being carried within a distance near enough to produce effect. Notwithstanding a combined cannonade on the part of the squadron, against the town, it was found that the enemy's fire rather gained an ascendency. Sickness becoming prevalent, from the fatigues endured by the troops, often up to the middle in water; the rainy season being daily expected, which would inundate the country and cut off their retreat to Fort St. David's, and the army rapidly diminishing in its numbers, afforded strong grounds for immediately abandoning the siege. A Council of War, held on the 30th of September, determined upon this measure, after which period the only objects to be accomplished were reimbarking the men and stores, and setting fire to the batteries, all which were effected upon the 5th of October, and the whole were in motion upon the morning of the 6th.
They had happily chosen the critical moment for retreat, as the rains which fell upon the same evening, had nearly rendered the rivers impassible; however they reached Fort St. David's upon the evening of the 7th, after having demolished the Fort of Arian-Coupan on their way.