A military dictionary

by William Duane

Indian Fortification. The entrance into an Indian fortification is through a large and complicated pile of buildings, projecting in the form of a parallelogram from the main rampart; and if the city has two walls, it projects beyond them both: this building consists of several continued terraces, which are of the same height as the main rampart, and communicate with it; the inward walls of these terraces, form the sides of an intricate passage about 20 feet broad, which leads by various short turnings at right angles, through the whole pile to the principal gate, that stands in the main rampart. We have extracted this passage, from the History of the Carnatic, as affording a general outline of Indian fortification. In the same place may be seen, (page 320) the following description of a battery; which was built by the English in 1753, and contributed to the preservation of Tritchinopoly, when the French attempted to storm that place.

This battery was called Dalton’s battery, from an officer of that name, who, when intrusted with the command of the garrison, had converted that part of the gateway which projected beyond the outward wall, into a solid battery, with embrasures; having the part between the two walls, as it stood with its windings and terraces: an interval was likewise left between the backside of the battery and the terrace nearest to it, which lay parallel to each other; so that an enemy who had gained the battery, could not get to the terrace, without descending into the interjacent area, and then mounting the wall of the terrace with scaling ladders: the battery, however, communicated with the rampart of the outward wall of the city, but being, as that was, only eighteen feet high, it was commanded by the terraces behind it, as well as by the rampart of the inner wall, both of which, were thirty feet high; upon one of the inward cavaliers, south of the gateway, were planted two pieces of cannon, to plunge into the battery, and scour the interval between the two walls, as far as the terraces of the gateway; and two other pieces, mounted in the north-west angle of the inward rampart, commanded in like manner, both the battery and the interval to the north of the terraces.

Indian Guides. According to the ingenious author of the history of the Carnatic, these men are not to be depended upon. In page 217 he relates, that on the 1st of April, 1752, at night, a captain Dalton was ordered with 400 men to march, and, by taking a large circuit, to come in at the eastern extremity of the enemy’s camp, which he was to enter, beat up, and set fire to. The English troops, from their long inactivity, knew so little of the ground about Tritchinopoly, that they were obliged to trust to Indian guides; and these being ordered to conduct them out of the reach of the enemy’s advanced posts, fell into the other extreme, and led them several miles out of their way, and through such bad roads, that when the morning star appeared, they found themselves between Elimiscram and the French rock, two miles from Chunda Saheb’s camp, and in the centre of all their posts.

Indian princes and their troops. Their military character may be collected from the following curious account, which is given of a circumstance that occurred in the Tanjore country, when the English obtained a signal victory over the French and Mysoreans, in 1753. The presence of the nabob being thought necessary to facilitate a negociation that was then judged expedient to undertake, he prepared to march with the English army; but on the evening he intended to quit the city, his discontented troops assembled in the outer court of the palace, and clamoring, declared, that they would not suffer him to move, before he had paid their arrears; in vain were arguments used to convince this rabble, more insolent because they had never rendered any effectual service, that his going to Tanjore was the only measure from which they could hope for a chance of receiving their pay: they remained inflexible, and threatened violence; upon which captain Dalton, a British officer, sent a messenger to the camp, from whence the grenadier company immediately marched into the city, where they were joined by 100 of the garrison of Tritchinopoly, and all together forcing their way into the palace, they got the nabob into his palanquin, and escorted him to the camp, surrounded by 200 Europeans with fixed bayonets; the malcontents not daring to offer him any outrage as he was passing, nor on the other hand, was any injury offered to them: for notwithstanding such proceedings in more civilized nations rarely happen, and are justly esteemed mutiny and treason; yet in Hindustan they are common accidents, and arise from such causes as render difficult to ascertain whether the prince or his army be most in fault. The nabob had certainly no money to pay his troops; so far from it, that the English had now for two years furnished all the expences of their own troops in the field, but it is a maxim with every prince in India, let his wealth be ever so great, to keep his army in long arrears, for fear they should desert. This apprehension is perhaps not unjustly entertained of hirelings collected from every part of a despotic empire, and insensible of notions of attachment to the prince or cause they serve; but from hence the soldiery, accustomed to excuses when dictated by no necessity, give no credit to those which are made to them, when there is a real impossibility of satisfying their demands; and a practice common to most of the princes of Hindustan, concurs not a little to increase this mistrust in all who serve them; for on the one hand, the vain notions in which they have been educated, inspire them with such a love of outward shew, and the enervating climate in which they are born, renders them so incapable of resisting the impulses of fancy; and on the other hand, the frequent reverses of fortune in this empire, dictate so strongly the necessity of hoarding resources against the hour of calamity, that nothing is more common than to see a nabob purchasing a jewel or ornament of great price, at the very time that he is in the greatest distress for money to answer the necessities of the government. Hence, instead of being shocked at the clamors of their soldiery, they are accustomed to live in expectation of them, and it is a maxim in their conduct to hear them with patience, unless the crowd proceed to violence; but in order to prevent this, they take care to attach to their interest some principal officers, with such a number of the best troops, as may serve on emergency to check the tumult, which is rarely headed by a man of distinction. But when his affairs grow desperate by the success of a superior enemy, the prince atones severely for his evasions, by a total defection of his army, or by suffering such outrages as the Nabob Mahomed-Ally would in all probability have been exposed to, had he not been rescued in the manner we have described.

Military INDICATIONS. (Indices, Fr.) Marshal Saxe very judiciously observes, that there are indications in war which every officer should attend to, and from which deductions and conclusions may be drawn with some degree of certainty. A previous knowlege of your enemy’s national character and customs, will contribute not a little towards the attainment of this object. Every country indeed has customs and usages which are peculiar to itself. Among various indications that we might adduce, let us suppose these leading ones by which the intentions of an enemy may be discovered by the garrison of a besieged town. If, for example, towards the close of day groupes or loose parties of armed men should be discovered upon the neighboring heights which overlook and command the town, you may remain assured, that some considerable attack is in agitation. Small detachments from the different corps are sent forward for this purpose, and the besieging army is thereby apprized of the business; as the heights are occupied in the evening by the parties in question, in order that they may be thoroughly acquainted with the leading avenues, &c.

When much firing is heard from an enemy’s camp, and another army lies encamped near, the latter may conclude, that an engagement will take place the following day; for it must be evident, that the soldiers are cleaning and trying their musquets.

Marshal Saxe further remarks, that a considerable movement in an enemy’s army may be discovered by any large quantity of dust, which is a sure indication of it. The reflection of the sun upon the firelocks of an army will likewise lead to some knowlege of its position. If the rays are collected and perpendicular, it is a certain indication, that the enemy is advancing towards you; if they disappear at times and cast a broken radiance, you may conclude, that he is retreating. If the troops move from right to left, their line of march is towards the left; if from left to right, the line of march is towards the right. Should considerable clouds of dust be seen to rise from an enemy’s camp, and it be ascertained, that he is in want of forage, it may fairly be inferred, that the train of waggoners and purveyors, &c. are moving, and that the whole will follow shortly.

If the enemy, observes the same writer, has his camp-ovens on the right or left, and you are covered by a small rivulet, you may make a flank disposition, and by that manœuvre, suddenly return and detach ten or twelve thousand men to demolish his ovens; and whilst you are protected by the main body of the army which is ordered to support the first detachment, you may seize upon all his flour, &c. There are innumerable stratagems of this sort which may be practised in war, and by means of which, a victory may be obtained without much bloodshed on your part, and at all events with considerable disadvantage to the enemy.

INDIES (East). According to the geographical description of the East Indies, they must be considered as being divided into two principal parts, viz. India within the river Ganges, and India beyond the river Ganges.

India, within the river Ganges. This division consists of a country, which is situated between the latitudes of 6 and 34 degrees north, and between 53 and 91 degrees of east longitude. A great part of this space is covered with the sea. India within the Ganges is bounded on the north by Usbec Tartary, and part of Thibet, by the Indian ocean on the south; by Great Thibet, India beyond the Ganges, and the bay of Bengal on the east, and by Persia and the Indian ocean on the west. The chief mountains are those of Caucasus, Naugracut, and Balahaut, which run almost the whole length of India from north to south.