MILITARY HISTORY
OF THE
MADRAS ENGINEERS
AND PIONEERS.
CHAPTER I.
State of the Carpatie in the last century.—Capture of Madras by the French.—Siege of Fort St. David raised. Ir. G. Jones' report on fort.—Sioge of Pondicherry.— Capture of Ariancopany.—Siage of Pondicherry raised.—Peace between England and France.—Captain Dolavaux retires from the service.—Dericottalı captureil.-Terms of evacuation of Fort St. Georgo by the French. Benjamin Robins.—His assistants.—Thomas Heath.—Philip Glass.—Death of Robins.—Surrender of Covelong.–Colonel Scott appointed Engineer-General. Two companies formed.—Death of Colonel Scott. Capture of Calcutta by Suraja Dowlah.—Clive seads to Madras for an engineer.—Brolier goes to Calcutta.—Call, Chief Engineer at Madras.—The Council asks Call's ad rice regarding defence of Madras.
It was not till 1770 that the Corps of Madras Engineers was organised on a strictly military basis; but more than a quarter of a century previous to that time, various engineers were employed on the fortifications at Madras and Fort St. David, as well as on other duties of a purely military engineering character.
In 1718 the first regular establishment of engineers was formed. The head of this establishment was named Chief Engineer.
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