The little army under Colonel Pater traversed the country in almost every practicable direction, ascending hills, cutting roads through almost impenetrable jungle of bamboos, skirmishing with the warlike inhabitants, and forcing them to submit, in which service the Twelfth had several men killed and wounded: the climate, and extraordinary fatigue undergone by the troops, also occasioned the loss of many lives from disease. The Wynaad country having been forced to submit, and the hostile rajah taken prisoner, the companies of the Twelfth regiment employed in this service returned to Seringapatam.
The regiment quitted Seringapatam in the middle of October, 1801, and proceeded to Trichinopoly, a celebrated city and fortress, situate on a hill, or rock, three hundred and fifty feet high, on the south bank of the river Cavery, opposite the island of Seringam, famous for its magnificent Hindoo temples.
1802
At Trichinopoly the regiment was joined in January, 1802, by the remains of two companies, which had embarked on board of His Majesty's ships, at Madras, for Batavia. These companies had suffered severely from the climate of the island of Java; and of the five officers and one hundred and twenty-five men who embarked at Madras, only three officers and sixty-three soldiers returned; Lieutenants Gordon and Neville and sixty-two men died of fevers, and other diseases.
1803
1804
Three companies had been stationed under Major John Picton, at Vellore, in the Carnatic, the residence of the family of the late Tippoo Sultan, consisting of his brother, twelve sons, eight daughters, and an immense number of women; and these companies were afterwards employed against the insurgent sect called the Polygans, in which several non-commissioned officers and soldiers were killed and wounded; Lieutenant William Firth was also wounded, and Lieutenant Parker died of the jungle fever. After the performance of this service, the three companies joined the regiment at Trichinopoly, where the Twelfth were stationed during the years 1803 and 1804.
1805
1806
In August, 1805, the regiment marched to Seringapatam, where a very fatal fever broke out in 1806, when the Twelfth removed to an encampment at some distance from the fortress; but they lost many officers and soldiers in that and the following year.
1807