till the middle of January, 1781, was Coote able to take the field and hurry off with a few thousand troops to the relief of Flint. The mere news of the veteran's coming frightened the besiegers away from Wandiwash. After relieving another stronghold and capturing a third, he struck off southwards for Cuddalore. But the promised supplies from Admiral Hughes's squadron were long in reaching him; and his bold rush in June at the well-stored Pagoda of Chilambaram met with a sudden and murderous repulse.
While Coote was resting his troops at Porto Novo, his wary antagonist marched swiftly back from Tanjore in hopes of barring Coote's return to Cuddalore. On the 1st July the English veteran launched his 8000 men against Haidar's 80,000 with a skill and courage worthy of his old renown. After six hours' of fighting and patient manœuvring among the sand-hills near Porto Novo, with help from one small schooner off shore, Coote struck his crowning blow; and the enemy fled, leaving thousands of dead and wounded on a field which cost the victors only 300 men. It would be hard to overrate the timeliness of a victory which saved from imminent and utter ruin the fortunes of our countrymen in Southern India[1].
The two armies clashed again in August near the scene of Baillie's disaster; but the victory of Pollilúr proved far less decisive than that of Porto Novo. On the 27th September, however, Coote surprised and
- ↑ Stubbs.
