farther, and that, as he would the next day be able to join
Munro, it mattered not on which side of the river he encamped.

"That night the river rose, and for ten days we were unable to cross.
On the 4th of September we got over; but by that time Tippoo, with
five thousand picked infantry, six thousand horse, six heavy guns, and
a large body of irregulars, detached by Hyder to watch us, barred the
way.

"Colonel Baillie, finding that there was no possibility of reaching
Conjeveram without fighting, took up a position at a village, and on
the 6th was attacked by Tippoo. The action lasted three hours, and
although the enemy were four times more numerous than we were, the
English beat off the attacks. We were not engaged, for against
Tippoo's large cavalry force our few horsemen could do nothing, and
were therefore forced to remain in the rear of the British line. But
though Colonel Baillie had beaten off the attacks made on him, he felt
that he was not strong enough to fight his way to Conjeveram, which
was but fourteen miles distant; and he therefore wrote to Sir Hector
Munro, to come to his assistance.

"For three days Sir Hector did nothing, but on the evening of the 8th
he sent off a force, composed of the flank companies of the regiments
with him. These managed to make their way past the forces both of
Hyder and Tippoo, and reached us without having to fire a shot.

"Their arrival brought our force up to over three thousand seven
hundred men. Had Munro made a feigned attack upon Hyder, and so
prevented him from moving to reinforce Tippoo, we could have got
through without much difficulty. But he did nothing; and Hyder, seeing
the utter incapacity of the man opposed to him, moved off with his
whole army and guns to join his son.

"Our force set out as soon as it was dark, on the evening of the 9th;
but the moment we started, we were harassed by the enemy's irregulars.
The march was continued for five or six miles, our position becoming
more and more serious, and at last Colonel Baillie took the fatal
resolution of halting till morning, instead of taking advantage of the
darkness to press forward. At daybreak, fifty guns opened on us. Our
ten field pieces returned the fire, until our ammunition was
exhausted. No orders were issued by the colonel, who had completely
lost his head; so that our men were mowed down by hundreds, until at
last the enemy poured down and slaughtered them relentlessly.

"We did not see