Among the various schemes of aggrandizement entertained by the republican government of France, was the wild and extravagant idea of being able to gain possession of the British territory in the East Indies. To strike an effectual blow at the naval, commercial, and colonial greatness of the British nation, was an object of primary consideration with the French directory, and to excite the jealousy of the native princes of India, and induce them to take up arms against the English, was one of the means used to accomplish this object. In the ruler of the fruitful province of Mysore, the celebrated Tippoo Sultan, the French found a chieftain eager to seize on the first opportunity for being revenged on the British, who had punished his former aggressions by depriving him of a considerable portion of territory, and inflicting a fine equal to three and a half millions sterling. This chief entered zealously into the design to drive the English out of India, and endeavoured to induce other princes to join in the enterprise. After the discovery of the designs of the enemy, hostilities were delayed some time, and the Twelfth regiment marched for Tanjore, the capital of a well-cultivated province in the Carnatic, where it arrived on the 1st of March, 1798.

The regiment was reviewed at Tanjore, by Major-General Floyd, who expressed in orders to Colonel Aston, the officers, and soldiers, 'the satisfaction he received on inspecting the eight companies of the Twelfth regiment of infantry at the station;' and added—'In the masterly hands of their commanding officer, there is every reason to expect that His Majesty's Twelfth regiment of infantry will, whenever called upon, be ready and disposed to renew in the east the glories of Minden and Gibraltar.'

Preparatory to the grand enterprise of driving the English out of India, General Bonaparte was sent with a French army to Egypt; many French officers and men were introduced into the army of Tippoo Sultan, and other measures were adopted calculated to forward the design. Under these circumstances the Governor-General of India, Lord Mornington, deemed it necessary to assemble a body of troops on the coast of Coromandel, and to engage the Nizam of the Deccan to furnish an auxiliary force. The Twelfth regiment marched from the fortress of Tanjore, on the 22nd of July, to join the army assembling under the orders of Lieut.-General Harris.

1799

On the 1st of January, 1799, the regiment joined the camp of the army advancing towards Mysore, and negociations having failed, the troops penetrated the territory of Tippoo Sultan in the beginning of March. The Twelfth, seventy-fourth, and Scots brigade, formed the first brigade of infantry under Major-General Baird.

During the night of the 7th of March, the regiment was employed, under Major-General Baird, in an attempt to surprise the camp of a body of the enemy's cavalry, but the Mysoreans obtained information of the design and made a precipitate retreat.

On the following day, the light company of the Twelfth, commanded by Captain Woodhall, took possession of Neldroog without opposition.

The British advanced direct upon the capital of the Mysore country, Seringapatam,[19] and Tippoo endeavoured to harass the march by skirmishes, and impede the progress of the troops by burning villages and laying waste the country. The regiment having entered upon active warfare, the Commanding Officer issued the following order:—'As the Twelfth regiment, from having the honour to be the eldest King's regiment with the army, is more liable to be called on for immediate service than other corps, the Commanding Officer expects the Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Private Men, will be ready, night or day, to turn out at the shortest notice, and to parade under arms without noise or confusion. On all sudden alarms the light infantry is instantly to accoutre without waiting for orders, and to be in readiness to march whenever their services may be required.'

On the 27th of March, as the Lascars were pitching the tents of the army on a fine plain beyond the fort of Malleville, they were suddenly assailed by a heavy cannonade from an eminence in front; at the same time the advance-piquet, under Captain McPherson of the Twelfth regiment, was attacked by a force of very superior numbers, but repulsed its assailants with distinguished bravery. The army arriving on the plain, advanced in close column of regiments towards the eminence, upon which large bodies of Mysorean cavalry and infantry were formed, who withdrew their heavy guns, but annoyed the advancing columns with rockets.

As the British columns approached the height, they formed line, and ascended to the summit, which was abandoned by the enemy, but a short distance beyond the eminence appeared the army of Mysore in order of battle. As the Twelfth moved forward, a large body of Mysorean cavalry formed in the shape of a wedge, having an elephant with a howdah on his back in front, appeared advancing to charge the regiment, and the British line halted to receive the attack. Immediately afterwards two other very large bodies of the enemy were discovered in two topes, or woods, preparing to support the first charge. Lieut.-General Harris, seeing the danger which menaced the regiment, placed himself in its rear, frequently repeating the words, 'Steady, Twelfth!' 'Steady, old Twelfth!' and when the wedge approached within a hundred yards of the line, the Mysoreans discharged their carbines and pistols, but without doing execution. The Twelfth remained steady, with their muskets at the recover, until the enemy arrived within about thirty yards, when a well-directed volley, followed by a rapid file firing, carried destruction into the enemy's ranks; a rampart of killed and wounded men and horses lying along the front of the regiment. The rear of the wedge was embarrassed by the killed and wounded in front, and could not continue their charge. The elephant was severely wounded, his conductor killed, the chiefs on his back had fallen, and he turned round and directed all his fury upon the Mysoreans, overturning everything in his retrograde movement, and producing great havoc with a prodigious chain, which he swayed. A few Mysorean horsemen broke through the regiment, but they were instantly shot in its rear, and the British artillery arriving, and opening its fire, the enemy's cavalry fell back; at the same time the British line advanced, and decided the fate of the day at that part of the field; a distant cannonade, however, indicated that the battle was raging elsewhere.