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May
Wednesday 1st. May. — No Casualties this Day in the Bombay Army. —
Thursday 2d. May — No Casualties this Day in the Bombay Army. —
Friday 3d. May — The Breach is now very large and extensive – and is supposed to be already sufficiently practicable for being stormed. —The Assault, however, is postponed till tomorrow – in order that the Breach may still be rendered more complete and accessible. — The Six European Flank Companies of the 75th. – 77th. – and Bombay European Regiment – completed to their full establishment – under the command of Lieut. Colonel Dunlop –; and Six Grenadier Companies of the Six Battalions of Bombay Sepoys – also completed to their full establishment – under the command of Lieut. Colonel Mignan; – having been ordered by Lieut. General Harris, from the Bombay Army to be held in readiness to form part of the Troops intended for the Assault – were sent across the River this Evening at 6 o'clock to the Grand Camp, where they are to join the other Troops intended for the Assault, and which are to move down from Camp into the Trenches at Day-break tomorrow morning: – there to remain until ordered to storm the Breach. — The proposed Plan of attack – I understand – is as follows: —The Six European Flank Companies of the Bombay Army – under Lieut. Colonel Dunlop – to lead – and form the Left attack after mounting the Breach; the Six Flank Companies of the 12th. – Scotch Brigade – and Meuron Regiment – under Colonel Sherbroke – to follow and form the Right attack after mounting the Breach: —These two Flank Corps are to be followed and supported by the 12th. – 33d. – 73d. – 74th. – Scotch Brigade and Meuron Regiments, – Ten Bengal Native Flank Companies – Eight Madras Native Flank Companies – and the Six Bombay Native Flank Companies bringing up the Rear; —The whole of the Troops ordered for the Assault to be commanded by Major General Baird; —The Hon'ble Colonel Wellesley being Second in Command on this occasion: – And the Assault is expected to be made between Twelve o'clock and Two in the afternoon tomorrow. — Casualties of this Day – in both Armies – as Pr. Returns of Do. —
Saturday 4th. May!!! — At Ten o'clock this morning, a large Body of the Enemy – of both Horse and Foot – made their appearance in the Rear of our (the Bombay) Camp, and soon afterwards commenced a distant Cannonade upon our Camp from behind some Rocks about half a mile in the Rear of our Line, throwing a number of Rockets at the same time into our Park and Mooda-Khauna. —But tho many of their Rockets and Shot fell amongst our Tents we had not one man hurt for the Six Hours that they continued this useless warfare. —Our Line lay all this time upon their Arms every moment expecting a closer attack from the Enemy in the Rear – their force being at least 5 or 6000 Horse and Foot – and ours not above 1500 men at this moment in our Lines; But notwithstanding this great superiority in point of numbers – they kept at a very respectable distance – and did not think proper to gratify us with a close attack; and we had too much at stake – at this very critical and most interesting moment – in our Front to quit our own Lines to attack them in the Rear. —Their Infantry at one time came up within 3 or 400 Yards of our Picquets in the Rear – and fired upon them, which made us suppose that they meant then to advance to storm our Camp; – but as soon as ever they saw one Battalion of Sepoys marching to the Rear to support our Picquets they instantly drew off – and retired to their former Post behind the Rocks – where they remained till they saw the British Colours hoisted in Seringapatam. At Noon a Battery of 4 Field Twelves – and 6 Six Pounders, that was constructed in the course of last Night – on the North side of the River – immediately in front and on the Left of our last constructed Enfilading Battery on this Side – Opened on the Fort – and directed it's [sic] fire upon all parts of the Town indiscriminately – in order to direct and distract the attention of the Enemy within – previous to our making the Assault. — At Half past One o'clock in the afternoon of this Day, the Storming Party consisting of the Corps already named – and in the same order – advanced to the Assault from the Head of the Trenches on the South side of the River, to the very edge of which our Trenches were carried in front of the Right Hand Breaching Battery for the more effectual covering of the Troops previous to their advancing out of them to the Assault; and the River not being above 200 Yards broad at this place, between the Head of the Trench and the Breach, our Troops were not long exposed to the enemy's fire in crossing it – which they did rapidly – but in perfect good order: – then crossing the Outer ditch which was full of water up to their waists, they mounted the Breach in a very few minutes, putting to the Bayonet the few of the Enemy who had the courage to stand to defend it. —After our Troops had gained the summit of the Breach, and driven the Enemy from it, they pursued them closely along the Ramparts – to the right and Left – until they killed or dispersed the whole of them – or drove them into the Town, out of which they fled in vast crowds through the different Gateways as fast as they could run. — The final result of this glorious and memorable Day, was, that our Troops were in Complete Possession of Tippoo Sultaun's Fortress and Capital in less than an hour from the commencement of the assault; – the Sultaun himself, and a great many of his principal officers, killed in the Storm; – his sons and all his Family our Prisoners; and all his immense Riches and Treasures in our Possession: – For, he had neither sent his Family – or Treasure out of the Fort, – being, as it is said, fully confident that he would be able to defend it against all our efforts; – And this latter assertion is strongly supported by the Sultauns remaining in the Fort to defend it in Person – and there falling Victim to his temerity. —It is not known how – or by whom the Sultaun was killed; – nor was it ascertained for several hours after we were in Possession of his Palace and Capital that he was killed at all, most People supposing that he had made good his Retreat out of the Fort at the opposite side that our Troops entered it at the commencement of the Assault. —These doubts however were fully cleared up by Ten o'clock at night, when his Body was found among a Heap of Slain of his own People that lay together in one of the Passages or Sally-Ports, in the Rear of his Palace, that leads across the Ditch to the outer Ramparts of the North face of the Fort; —And as the Enemy made their principal stand – and greatest opposition, against our Troops, in that Quarter, it is generally supposed that the Sultaun was repairing thither in person – to encourage his Troops, when he was shot. —His own particular Post was also on the North side of the Fort, which makes it still more probable that he was going there on hearing that our Troops were in Possession of the Breach, and not attempting to make his escape – as many People suppose: —However this may be – it is now past doubt that Tippoo Sultaun was killed – that his Body was found amongst a Heap of Slain – and that on the Body's [sic] being carried to the Palace, it was there acknowledged to be his – by his own sons and all the Servants of his Household. — The loss of the enemy in killed and wounded in the Storm is very great – but cannot possibly be exactly ascertained – as they lay in such immense Heaps on the Ramparts – and in the ditch -as well as in different Parts of the Town – that no regular account of them could be taken. — Our own loss on this grand occasion – tho' comparatively very small in proportion to the magnitude of the object attained – is still very considerable; having had several very valuable officers – and great many gallant soldiers, killed and wounded in the Assault – as will be seen by the Returns of Casualties hereunto annexed. —But our loss upon the whole is really trifling, compared to what it might be expected to be had the Enemy behaved as they might to have done on such an occasion – which they certainly did not – but to do them common justice – it must be confessed that they did not appear to be at all prepared for us – at that hour of the Day – not supposing that we should have chosen such a time for storming the Breach – and under this impression they were off their Guard, most evidently, as every account from their own surviving Sirdars clearly confirms. — One of the few instances of determined Bravery shewn by Tippoo's Troops, in the very commencement of the Assault, deserves to be recorded, and is as follows: —As Lieut. Colonel Dunlop was leading in the Bombay European Flank Companies up the Breach, he was met and opposed in the middle of it by one of Tippoo's Sirdars – who made a desperate cut with his sword at the Colonel – but which he was fortunately able to parry, – and instantly making a cut with his sword at the Sirdar across the Breast – laid it open, and wounded him mortally, the Sirdar, however, had still strength enough left to make a second cut at Colonel Dunlop, across his Right Wrist – cutting it almost quite through; – Tippoo's Sirdar immediately on this reeled backward – and fell on the Breach – where he was instantly dispatched by the Soldiers as they passed him. —Colonel Dunlop after being thus severely wounded, still went on at the Head of his men until he gained possession of the Top of the Breach; but by that time he was so much weakened by the loss of Blood, that issued from his Wound, that he fell to the Ground – and was obliged to be carried off by some of his men to the Rear. —It is with great pleasure however, that I have to add, that his wound is not mortal – but that he is in a fair way of being well – and of even recovering, in time, the use of his Right Hand again. — L. Macquarie
Camp before Seringapatam
Source
May 30.
May 31.
Memo!
Source
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