Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/624

whole body of the French troops were 450 Europeans and Coffrees, and 1200 Sepoys; of which 150, with the commissary, were in the pagoda of Jumbakissna. The retreat was appointed at nine at night, on the 6th of February; of which previous intelligence was brought to Captain Smith; and almost the whole garrison of Tritchinopoly were on the bank of the Caveri, opposite to the pagoda of Seringham, ready to move as soon as the enemy. The notice were punctual; and the first division of the English troops entered the south gate of the pagoda as the last of the French were going out of the opposite: the rest of the English troops marched round the pagoda to the west. When all were united on the north side, they advanced to the bank of the Coleroon, and, when nearly opposite to Pitchandah, heard the sound, and thought they saw the motion of a line of men marching across them to pass the river. Capt. R Smith, who led the troops of the garrison, formed in order to receive or attack the strangers; but Captain Joseph coming up bid him not fire, because he had ordered the troops of the polygar Tondiman, which had for some time attended the garrison, to advance between the pagodas of Seringham and Jumbakissna, and what troops they now descried might as probably be them, as a part of the enemy; who they really were, being those moving from Jumbakissna to join their main body: they were soon after ascertained by a black servant of R.Smith's, who had straggled into their line, and talking, was answered in French. On which the English troops immediately proceeded, and began to enter the bed of the Coleroon, as the enemy were leaving the farther bank, who in their hurry flung away fifty barrels of gunpowder, which were recovered; and they destroyed a tumbril of gunammunition at Pitchandah. But their line never stopped until they got to Utatore. The Nabob's horse followed, hanging in their rear, and continually picked up a deserter or a prisoner, in all 30 Europeans, or something belonging to their equipages and stores; but the infantry, black and white, halted at Samiaveram until the horse returned, which was the next day; when a detachment of 1000 Sepoys, and 50 Europeans, with two guns and a cohorn, and part of the Nabob's horse, marched under the command