DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.643#0137
WESTERN HINDOO STAN. 117
" are thought only accidents of courfe *** Notwithftanding this
fage reflection of our hero, it is faid that the Kilidar, or gover-
nor* and twelve hundred men were taken prifonerst; thefe pro-
bably had retired till the bofoms of our foldiers had exhaufted
their heroic ardour. Fortunately for the fouthern army, it had
not made its junction with the general, and fo efcaped the dif-
grace of the maffacre, which probably the generous commanders,
had they arrived, might have diverted him from.
Thus ftrengthened, he began his toilfome afcent up the Ascent of the
CjHAUTS
HuJJein Gburry Ghaut, with all windings, not lefs than three
miles in extent, and ftrongly fortified at every turning. " Luck*
" ily it happened," fays Mr. Sheen, " that the commander knew
" nothing of this defile, otherwife it would have been madnefs
" for him to have attempted it; for if the enemy had made
11 any tolerable defence, it would have been impregnable : but
" it was defended only by the wild undifciplined troops of the
" native Polygars.
"However, the General's want of information was the caufe
" of our fuccefs ; for in the evening, part of the eleventh batta-
" lion? which I belong to, the light company of the Bombay Euro-
"pearls, and part of the fifteenth battalion of Sepoys, began the
" attack, and took the firft barrier with very little oppofition.
" When we came to the fecond, we were alarmed at the
" prodigious number and ftrong pofition of the enemy; but
" finding it no lefs dangerous to retreat than to advance, we
" charged home in all quarters, when the motley crew gave way
" and fled, leaving about five hundred killed and wounded.
* Lieut. Hubbard's Letter. f Annual Regifrer, 1783, p. 88.
Vol. I. Q 3 " Our
" are thought only accidents of courfe *** Notwithftanding this
fage reflection of our hero, it is faid that the Kilidar, or gover-
nor* and twelve hundred men were taken prifonerst; thefe pro-
bably had retired till the bofoms of our foldiers had exhaufted
their heroic ardour. Fortunately for the fouthern army, it had
not made its junction with the general, and fo efcaped the dif-
grace of the maffacre, which probably the generous commanders,
had they arrived, might have diverted him from.
Thus ftrengthened, he began his toilfome afcent up the Ascent of the
CjHAUTS
HuJJein Gburry Ghaut, with all windings, not lefs than three
miles in extent, and ftrongly fortified at every turning. " Luck*
" ily it happened," fays Mr. Sheen, " that the commander knew
" nothing of this defile, otherwife it would have been madnefs
" for him to have attempted it; for if the enemy had made
11 any tolerable defence, it would have been impregnable : but
" it was defended only by the wild undifciplined troops of the
" native Polygars.
"However, the General's want of information was the caufe
" of our fuccefs ; for in the evening, part of the eleventh batta-
" lion? which I belong to, the light company of the Bombay Euro-
"pearls, and part of the fifteenth battalion of Sepoys, began the
" attack, and took the firft barrier with very little oppofition.
" When we came to the fecond, we were alarmed at the
" prodigious number and ftrong pofition of the enemy; but
" finding it no lefs dangerous to retreat than to advance, we
" charged home in all quarters, when the motley crew gave way
" and fled, leaving about five hundred killed and wounded.
* Lieut. Hubbard's Letter. f Annual Regifrer, 1783, p. 88.
Vol. I. Q 3 " Our