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October
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Octr. 4. I have however written officially to Col: Petrie soliciting most earnestly that he may apply and obtain permission for me to be allowed to remain here until the Siege of Cochin is over, and he has accordingly written and forwarded my application to the Commanding officer of the Province of Malabar. — My dearest Jane having expressed a wish to accompany me to Bombay when I go there; I have most readily acquiesced in her desire, which is most reasonable and very natural after being thus so long separated. — We have both received the most kind and pressing invitation from our much esteemed and sincere good friends Major and Mrs. Oakes to live with them as long as we may remain at Bombay, and we have accordingly accepted of their kind and hospitable Invitation.
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Octr. 16. This is my beloved Jane's Birth–day, which due honor was paid to at Dinner. — She this day completes her 23d. Year. —
Octr. 17. About half past 9,O'Clock at Night the Enemy commenced a very heavy Cannonade from the Fort on our Working and Covering Parties near Camp, and also on our Post at Muttoncherry, and almost during the whole of the Night continued it. —
Octr. 18. Our Mortar Battery at the Post on Vypeen Point having been constructed and finished in the course of this day, opened from Two Mortars at 9,O'Clock this night upon the Town and Fortress of Cochin, and which was very smartly answered by the Enemy both from his Mortars and Guns mounted on the Bastion facing Vypeen. — The noise of the Cannonading, and beautiful sight of the Shells in the air, was grand and awful to a degree to us who were Spectators of it all night, during which it continued with very little intermission. — We all kept upon the Alert at our Post at Muttoncherry expecting the Enemy would make a Sortie upon us in the course of this Night, it being very dark and favourable for such an attempt. — I kept one half of the Detachment constantly under arms all Night, and myself and the subaltern officers constantly visiting the Sentries every half Hour in regular rotation. — Our Shells from Vypeen appeared to be extremely well directed, all of them falling and bursting in the Town of Cochin, where they must have done very considerable damage. —
Octr. 19. In order to distract, and, in some degree, to divert the attention of the Enemy from our Grand Breaching Battery, which was busily constructing by strong working Parties at this very moment on our side of the Water, I commenced also at Day–break a fire on the Fort with my little Six Pounders from behind the Epaulement thrown up for its security pointing the Gun every time myself; and I had the satisfaction to see that every shot I fired reached and fell into the Town of Cochin, not being quite Five Hundred Yards distant from it. — The Enemy was very much provoked by this minor attack of ours, and so much enraged were they that they opened and kept up a most tremendous fire upon my Post for Two Hours from every Gun they could bear upon us from the Fort. — Their Guns were very well directed, and their Shot lodged every time close to our little Entrenchment, throwing up heaps of Earth and Dust about our Ears; but most fortunately not with the loss of a single man killed or wounded on our side. — The Enemy's Shot however during these two Hours did great damage to all the Houses in Muttoncherry that were near our little Entrenchment; and on my perceiving this to be the case I discontinued the fire from our Six Pounder, which I did the more readily as the proposed Diversion of the Enemy's Fire was – for a time at least – fully answered. — some few minutes before I left off firing the Six Pounder, Capt. Grant with a fresh Detachment arrived at the Post to relieve me; and just as he came up to speak to me was struck slightly on the shoulder by a Splinter from a Wooden House close to the entrenchment, where one of the last shots fired by the Enemy had lodged and done some damage. — I ceased firing the Six Pounder at 7,O'Clock, and was then relieved by Captain Grant, to whom I delivered over charge of the Post. — I staid [sic] to Breakfast with Capt. Grant, and then marched my Detachment back to Camp, where I made my Report to Colonel Petrie as soon as I arrived, and who expressed himself very much pleased with my Proceedings. — Colonel Petrie having intimated that he had some orders of importance to send over immediately to Major Wiseman Commanding at the Post on Vypeen Point, I volunteered to be the Bearer of them; and the Colonel having communicated to me verbally his Instructions for Major Wiseman, I rode back as fast as I could to Muttoncherry, from whence I passed in a Tony to Vypeen Point, and delivered my orders to the Major, whom I found at the Battery, very busily and warmly employed in keeping up a constant fire upon Cochin Fort. — I staid [sic] for about an Hour with Major Wiseman at the Battery to observe the effect of our shot on the Enemy's Works, which I saw was dreadful indeed: the whole of the North face of the Fort was almost demolished, all the Defences knocked off, and most of the Guns Silenced. The Enemy however still kept up a very smart fire from all the Guns they could possibly bring top bear upon our Breaching Battery; but fortunately their shot did no execution. — From the present appearances of the demolished state of the enemy's Works on the North side of the Fort, there must very soon be a sufficient practicable Breach made in it for an AssauLt. — I left the Battery about 2,O'Clock and arrived in Camp about 4,O'Clock in the afternoon. — I found Colonel Petrie in the Trenches, where I made him my Report. — About half an hour before my arrival in the Trenches, the Enemy had beat the chamade and hung out the White Flag on the South West Bastion of Cochin Fort to beg a Truce and a Cessation of Hostilities for the purpose of proposing terms of Capitulation. — An Officer with a Flag of Truce from Govr. Van Spall arrived in our Trenches about Five O'Clock with certain Proposals for Colonel Petrie's acceptance – but which he deemed inadmissible and accordingly rejected; granting however Two Hours more to the Governor for consideration of the Terms now proposed to him by Colonel Petrie – "to surrender as Prisoners of War" — The Dutch Officer was accordingly sent back immediately to the Fort with this message. — Several messages passed and repassed between the Dutch Governor and Colonel Petrie in negotiating the Terms of the Capitulation to be granted to the Garrison; but those proposed by Colonel Petrie were finally, (at a very late hour of the Night,) after much discussion and studied delay on the part of the Dutch, submitted to and signed by Governor Van Spall. — These Terms were that the Troops composing the Dutch Garrison should be considered "Prisoners of War", march out of Cochin Fort with the Honor of War at 12,O'Clock the following Day and Ground their Arms on the Glacis –: a Detachment of the British Troops taking Possession of the Fort at the same time. — Having staid [sic] with Colonel Petrie in the Trenches until a very late Hour at Night, I lost the opportunity of writing this Evening, as I usually do, by the regular Tappal to my dearest Jane;– but knowing how happy it will make her to hear that the Siege of Cochin is now at an end, I wrote her before I went to Bed giving her the good news, and directed Mr. Wrede the Post Master to send off an Express with my Letter for Calicut at Daybreak the next morning – and which will get there before the regular Tappal I missed thus writing to her by. —
Octr. 20. At length they all marched out, and being drawn up on the Glacis, they there Grounded their Arms. — They were then marched back into the Fort through the Muttoncherry Gate as Prisoners of War. — As soon as they were got back into the Fort those that were noisy and troublesome were disarmed of their Swords and Creesses and confined under strong Guards until they should get sober. The Dutch Garrison consisted of only 200 Europeans and 300 Malay and regular Sepoys; – but there were about five or six Hundred Irregular besides; so that the strength of the whole Garrison in Fighting men exceeded one Thousand. — This however was an easy made Conquest on our part, having only lost during the whole Siege by the Enemy Shot one European Artilleryman and one Native Follower. The Ordnance, and Military and Naval Stores found in Cochin Fort, are very considerable, and of great value; – so that I hope we the Captors, will share handsomely in Prize–money. Capt. Whitelocke having obtained leave to return to Camp in the Evening, the Command of the 77th. Detachment on Duty in the fort now devolved to me, and it was at the same time reinforced to 7 Subalterns and 200 men on account of the number of small Guards that were necessary to Post to preserve order within the Town. — Major Wiseman acted as Field Officer of the Day, and Colonel Petrie took up his Quarters in the Fort at Night.
Octr. 21. Finding that I am to remain here on Duty till the Evening, I have asked all the Officers of my Detachment to dine with me, and also Lt. George Gordon the Depy. Commissary of Stores. — My own three Chums and Mess–mates Lieuts. Shaw, Mc.Kenzie, and Jarvis, came likewise from Camp to dine with me in the Fort at a large House belonging to Mr. Wrede where I had taken up my Quarters. — At 6,O'Clock in the Evening I was relieved by Capt. Grant, and then marched back my Detachment to Camp.
Octr. 22. My beloved Jane is quite rejoiced to hear of the fall of Cochin. — I had last Night the happiness of receiving her dear acceptable Letters of congratulation on this event – and expressing her hopes of now seeing me soon. — I have written to her by this Day's Tappal, that I shall certainly set forth from Cochin for Calicut on the 27th. Instant, but cannot sooner, as it will take me all the intermediate time to settle my accounts as Paymaster with the Regiment before I leave it to go to Bombay. — I recommended to my dearest Jane to prepare for our Voyage thither.
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Octr. 27. I settled and closed all my accounts with the Regiment for last month by 2,O'Clock this afternoon. — I then sent off my Servants and Baggage into Cochin to be there put on board. At 3,O'Clock I left Camp along with my Travelling Companions and went into the Fort, where we all dined with our greatly esteemed and respected Commanding Officer Colonel Petrie, and with whom we spent a most jovial pleasant day. — After Dinner the Colonel was so good as to accompany us to governor Van Spall's, where we were introduced to himself, his Lady, and Daughters. — We staid [sic] about an hour with them, it being at the Governor's Garden House (about a mile from the Fort) that we visited them, another returned to Col: Petrie's House in the Fort, took a slight Supper with him, and Embarked on board of our Pattamar about 9,O'Clock at Night. The last Person I took leave of in Cochin was my dear and worthy good friend Doctor Colin Anderson who has again kindly undertaken to act for me as Paymaster during my absence from the Regiment. —
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Octr. 30. I proceeded directly to the House a little way out of Town where I left my beloved Jane and where I found her anxiously waiting my arrival and with open arms extended to receive me. — Our meeting was truly happy, and our mutual joy and felicity is easier conceived than described after such a separation. — This joy was however a good deal damped on my perceiving that my darling Jane did not look near so well in health as when I last parted with her on the 19th. of August; and on enquiring into the cause I find she has had for some time past a most severe bad cold, which she tells me she believes she caught very soon after my departure in consequence of getting wet feet walking in the Garden which she was in the habit of doing for about an hour every day; and it would appear that she did not mind it then or take any thing for it for a long time after thus getting wet in her feet. — But I trust in God it is of no consequence, and that she will very shortly be again as well as ever. — She has however a very troublesome Cough still remaining upon her which gives me a very great uneasiness – and which must be taken great care of. — My dearest Jane was delighted to see her Brother George again, who was equally so to see her. — We detained our Travelling Companions Lieuts. Shaw, Grant, and Campbell to Dine with us. — They left us very soon after Dinner and went up to their own Houses in Cantonments. — As soon as they had gone away I went to wait on Colonel Mc.Pherson at present Commanding the Troops in Malabar in the absence of Colonel Bowles now at the Presidency. In consequence of bad health Colonel Balfour of the 77th. Regt. had been obliged to leave Bombay and take a Voyage to sea for the recovery of it. — Upon his departure the command of the Forces serving under the Presidency of Bombay devolved to Colonel Bowles who was in consequence thereof called up to Bombay.
Octr. 31. My dear Mrs. M. George Jarvis and myself dined today with our friend Major Gore, at whose House we had a very pleasant Party. — During the forenoon we had sent out our Servants and Baggage to our House at Staffa Lodge in Cantonments; — and in the Evening – after drinking Tea at Major Gore's we ourselves removed thither, accompanied by George Jarvis, and Slept there this Night. — My dearest Jane went out in her Palanquin, and her Brother and myself rode along with her on Horse–back – it being a most beautiful moon–light Night. — We found every thing right at Staffa Lodge, and we both felt extreme joy at finding ourselves there once more so comfortably settled. —
Source Chamade – drumbeat of surrender. Epaulement – a side work made of gabions, fascines, or bags filled with earth; also earth heaped up to provide cover from the flanking fire of an enemy. Further terminology available at Glossaries: Military Terms
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