On the 3d of August the force from Bengal, under the orders of Colonel Pearse, arrived and formed a junction with Sir Eyre Coote’s army at Pulicat, to which place the army had moved in order to facilitate that important object. The British force now amounted to twelve thousand men.
The first brigade, composed entirely of Europeans, was commanded by Colonel Craufurd, of the present Seventy-first regiment, and had its station generally in the centre of the line. Major General Sir Hector Munro commanded the right wing, and Colonel Pearse the left.
In August, Major James Mackenzie of the battalion died, universally regretted. His exertions in the early part of the campaign had brought on illness, which terminated his career.
On the 16th of August the preparations that had been carried on for the siege of Arcot, which had been taken by Hyder Ali in the previous year, and for the relief of Vellore being completed, the Anglo-Indian army was put in movement. On the 20th of August Tripassoor was retaken, by which capture a very large supply of grain fell into the hands of the British. The camp of Hyder’s main army was at Conjeveram, and every exertion was made by his detachments to interrupt the progress of the British troops.
The British, on the 27th of August, came in sight of the enemy, drawn up in order of battle upon the very ground where Lieut.-Colonel Baillie had met his defeat, a position which the religious notions of Hyder Ali induced him to consider fortunate. Thus encouraged or inspired, he seemed determined to hazard a second general action, and accordingly commenced the attack by a smart cannonade, when an obstinate contest ensued, which lasted the whole day, and which terminated in his defeat, and his being forced to retire from all his positions.
There was a circumstance peculiar to this field of battle which stamped it with aggravated horrors. It is ably and feelingly described by Captain Munro in his Narrative, from which the following is extracted.[12]
“Perhaps there come not within the wide range of human imagination scenes more affecting, or circumstances more touching, than many of our army had that day to witness and to bear. On the very spot where they stood lay strewed amongst their feet the relics of their dearest fellow soldiers and friends, who near twelve months before had been slain by the hands of those very inhuman monsters that now appeared a second time eager to complete the work of blood. One poor soldier, with the tear of affection glistening in his eye, picked up the decaying spatter-dash of his valued brother, with the name yet entire upon it, which the tinge of blood and effects of weather had kindly spared. Another discovered the club or plaited hair of his bosom friend, which he himself had helped to form, and knew by the tie and still remaining colour. A third mournfully recognised the feather which had decorated the cap of his inseparable companion. The scattered clothes and wings of the flank companies of the Seventy-third were everywhere perceptible, as also their helmets and skulls, both of which bore the marks of many furrowed cuts. These horrid spectacles, too melancholy to dwell upon, while they melted the hardest hearts, inflamed our soldiers with an enthusiasm and thirst of revenge such as render men invincible; but their ardour was necessarily checked by the involved situation of the army.”
Upon this horrid spot the army halted two days, and it then retired to Tripassoor, to secure provisions. At this period the health of Major-General Sir Hector Munro compelled him to leave the army.
On the 19th of September, Lieut.-General Sir Eyre Coote made a movement towards Vellore, the relief of which place Hyder Ali appeared determined to oppose, by occupying in order of battle the Pass of Sholingur, at the same time making very spirited attacks against the fortress of Vellore.
Upon the 27th of September, Colonel Craufurd, now second in command, received the orders of the Commander-in-Chief to move the British army to the front.[13] Hyder, confident of success, made a forward movement to meet his opponents, when a general action commenced. A detachment, commanded by Colonel Edmonstone, (of which the flank companies of the first battalion formed part,) succeeded in turning the left flank of the enemy, and fell upon his camp and rear. The day closed by the total defeat of Hyder’s troops, who were pursued by the cavalry until sunset.