This Post was extremely well chosen for that Country, and for the Method in which those People make War. It was a Grove, covered on every Side by Mud Banks, in the midst of a Plain. At Day-break, on the Twenty-third, the Suba's Army advanced within a very small Distance, and with a manifest Design to attack the _English_ Forces. He had about Fifteen thousand Horse, and between Twenty and Thirty thousand Foot, with upwards of Forty Pieces of heavy Cannon, which were managed by _Frenchmen_, upon whose Skill and Courage he greatly depended. The Van was commanded by _Roydoolub_, and the left Wing by _Meer Jaffeir_. About Six they began to cannonade pretty smartly on every Side, and this Distribution of their Cannon gave them two great Advantages; First, as they were much larger, and carried a heavier Weight of Metal, they did Execution where the _English_ Artillery was of no Use; and in the next Place, being thus separated to a considerable Distance from each other, it was impossible to make any Attempt to seize them, and therefore all the Colonel could do was to take the Benefit of his intrenched Posts, and leave his Troops as little exposed as possible. If the Suba, or any of his Officers, had understood well what they were about, they might certainly have prosecuted their Scheme, and have completely invested the _English_ Army, and then the Colonel must have waited the Approach of Night, in order to have forced a Passage through the Camp, which he in reality had designed. But the Enemy, on the contrary, upon the falling of a smart Shower about Noon, withdrew their Artillery within their Camp. Upon this, a Detachment marched with Two Field Pieces, and took Possession of a Tank, covered with high Banks, from whence the _Moors_ had fired with Success. They then would have brought out their Artillery again, but were prevented; and this encouraged the sending Detachments to possess two other Eminences, very near an Angle of their Camp, covered by a double Breastwork; and from thence, as well as from another Eminence, which still remained in their Possession, they kept up a pretty smart Fire with their Small Arms. They several times endeavoured to bring up Cannon to those Posts, but our Field Pieces were so happily posted, and so well served, that they could never effect it. At length the _English_ stormed that Angle and Eminence at the same Instant of time, though the former was defended by Forty _French_, and a very numerous Body of the Suba's Troops, who had likewise in that Post Two Pieces of Cannon, and the latter by a considerable Corps of Foot and Horse. Some Persons of Distinction being killed immediately before, or at the Beginning of the Attack, the Enemy being dispirited by that, quickly gave way, and both the Posts were forced with a very trifling Expence to us, though they suffered severely. On this the right Wing and Center fled, abandoning their Camp and Artillery. Their Loss in this Action fell little, if at all, short of Five hundred Men, and between Forty and Fifty Pieces of Cannon. Of the _English_ Forces, there were Twenty killed and Fifty wounded, the greatest Part of which were Seapoys. The Flight of the Enemy was so precipitate, that the Suba, mounted on a Camel, with the better Part of the Army, arrived at _Muxadavad_, which was Twenty Miles distant, by Twelve at Night. The Colonel, after pursuing them Five or Six Miles, halted his Troops, and disposed of them in the best Manner he could. Such was the Battle, such the decisive Victory of _Plaissy_!
Energy Brief
Memoirs of the Revolution in Bengal, Anno Dom. 1757 — Part 42
2026-11-15 13:19:56 · Cedar Herald Index
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