An account of the arrival of Troops from Bengal at the Port of Madras, and a description of the Battle in the vicinity of Sool Nuggur. Also, the relief of the Fort of Rai Vellore, by General Coote, with great difficulty; the Battle of Arnee; and the attack and overthrow of a body of English troops, by the Prince Tippoo, in the neighbourhood of Puna Nelloor, a dependency of the Souba of Tujavur (Tanjore;) with other events of the year 1196, Hijri.— A. D. 1781-2.

WHEN General Coote, after the battle of Mahmood Bundur, (Porto Novo,) returned to Madras, a Colo­nel, that is, an officer of high rank, arrived from Bengal, with five battalions of regular infantry, and two regiments of Europeans, with military stores, bullocks to draw the artillery, treasure, and sixty or seventy vessels, laden with grain. The General, at the arrival of these reinforcements, showed him­self well pleased, and in congratulation saluted them with his guns. In about two months, therefore, his army was restored to condition, and taking one of the sons of Muhammad Alí Khan, Suráj-ud-dowla, named Syfe ul Moolk, with him, he moved towards Turvaloor-i-Tahir Khaní, like a tiger looking out for his prey, with the intention of re-victualling the garrison of the fort of Rai Vellore. The Nawaub’s scouts informed him of the march of the General, while he was encamped at Dysoor and Walpundul, and he, therefore, marched with his troops and artillery, by the route of Gun­dapoor, otherwise called Kauveri Pauk, to that quarter. The General, however, before he met the Nawaub’s army, made night marches, from Trivalore to the vicinity of Sool Nuggur, a town on the road of the hilly country of Naglapoor; and about the same distance as Arkat to the north­ward, and there he encamped. No sooner had he done this, than he found his camp surrounded by the Nawaub’s horse, and a sharp skirmish ensued.

The next day, when the lion of the heavens at one leap or bound had scattered* the starry host, like a flock of sheep; and had risen from the plains of the east, with his jaws and claws stained with blood, the General left his ground, and advanced to an extensive plain. He had scarcely reached it, before the Nawaub’s cavalry with horses as swift as the wind, attacked him on all sides, and, giving up all consideration either of their lives, or those of others, surrounded the General’s troops in close combat— and to what extent did they not exert their valour! The Nawaub himself, with his artillery, took up a position on a high ground on the General’s route, and lighted up the fire of war in his front. On the right flank, the Prince determined to imitate in his attack the Battle* of the last day, and a total dispersion of the troops, followers, and baggage, of the rear guard,* ensued; and, at one charge, thousands of men and women passed under the edge of the sword, perished by the arrow, and musket ball; or were put to flight. The officers of the musketeers, and Ahshám, or irregular foot, with the breath of the musket, and rocket, lit up the fire of battle and slaughter, and many were uselessly burned, and many drowned in a river of their own blood. In fact, a great multitude of officers and men, on both sides, slept on the field of death. The army of the General in this action received a severe blow; a cannon ball from one of the Nawaub’s guns having broken the leg of Colonel Stuart, and thereby caused the commander a deep affliction; but, more than this, another shot also struck the horse of Syfe ul Moolk, by which he Syfe ul Moolk was thrown on the ground, and his brave* heart split in twain. In short, it went very near that the stone of defeat and dispersion would fall among the troops of the General, when gloomy night suddenly arrived, and cast a veil of darkness over the world, and closed the contest of the two fierce lions.

The General brought that night to an end with a hundred anxieties and sorrows, and, in the morning marched* in good order from that ground, and without halting or delay in any place, returned to the neighbourhood of Trivalore. Syfe ul Moolk, an effeminate young man, and inexperienced in war, and who was struck with terror by the concussion of the cannon ball, was seized with fever and ague, and was sent home safe to his father. The Poligars of Kalistri and Vinkut Giri, who had submitted, and were tributary to the Nawaub, and were in atten­dance on him, now, seeing the expedition likely to be attended with an unfavorable issue, and that the war between the two parties was not likely to come to an early conclusion, quitted the Nawaub, with their troops, and joined the General, taking no account of the Nizám, the lord of their possessions.* The Nawaub, after the General had arrived at Tri­valore, left his ground, and encamped near Kinchi, where there was plenty of water and forage. At this time, also, the Nawaub’s spies gave him an account of the arrival of the French fleet, bringing with them Monsieur Bussy, the commander of the French troops. Accounts likewise came of the English army, which had been collected from Trichinopoly and Tanjore, and had marched to Naug Puttun.*

It must not be concealed here, that, some time before, when the Nawaub with his army was on their march towards Tanjore, the Hollanders of Naug Puttun immediately deputed a person to wait on him, and he, having arranged and confirmed the relations of peace and friendship between them, they professed obedience, and became tributary to the Nawaub. The Nawaub, therefore, after the pre­liminary details of the treaty, entertained the agent with kindness; and, at a fair price, purchased from him warlike stores, that is to say, guns and muskets, with boxes on boxes of their equipments and other necessary articles, such as glass ware, &c. He also, attached a body of two thousand irregular foot to the Hollander, for his aid and protection.

When the General proceeded to Madras, and the Nawaub leaving his brave troops in the forts of Turkat Pilly, Shahgota, and the Ghaut of Muniar Koodi, followed the army of the General, and marched to this quarter,* the chief English officer at Trichi­nopoly and Tanjore, according to the orders given by the Governor of Madras, after proof of the insincerity of the Hollanders in furnishing warlike stores to the Nawaub, collected five or six thousand troops, and some large guns, and marched and besieged the said fort of Naug Puttun, and exerted himself to the utmost to effect its capture. But, though he professed a wish to prevent fighting, and advised the surrender of the fort, his advice was without avail, and the result was, that, giving up all care for his life, the commandant of the fort, with his own troops, and the foot soldiers sent by the Nawaub, defended himself with the greatest manliness and bravery. At that time General Monro, who, since the period of his turning aside the reins of perseverance from the neighbourhood of Ginjee,* after the defeat of the troops under Colonel Baillie, had not been employed by the East India Company in their service, but had remained at his own house, now, according to the advice and recommendation of the General, (Coote,) was put on board-ship with two hundred Europeans and proceeded to that quarter, (Negapatam); and, in the course of about ten days, after the destruction of thousands of men, on both sides, he took the fort, and with his prisoners again returned to Madras by sea,— Syud Sáhib, although he laboured with great ardour to assist and relieve the Hol­landers, was unsuccessful.