edge; suffering
heavily, as it did so, from the fire of a strong body of the enemy,
concealed in a water course. The head of the centre column, under
General Knox, after cutting its way through the hedge, pushed on with
levelled bayonets, thrust its way through the enemy's infantry, and,
mingling with a mass of fugitives, crossed the main ford close under
the guns of the fort, and took possession of a village, half way
between the town and the fort.

Unfortunately, in the confusion but three companies had followed him.
The rest of the regiment and three companies of Sepoys crossed lower
down, and gained possession of a palace on the bank of the river. The
officer in command, however, not knowing that any others had crossed,
and receiving no orders, waited until day began to break. He then
recrossed the river and joined Lord Cornwallis, a portion of whose
column, having been reinforced by Maxwell's column, crossed the river
nearly opposite the town.

As they were crossing, a battery of the enemy's artillery opened a
heavy fire upon them; but Colonel Knox, with his three companies,
charged it in the rear, drove out the defenders, and silenced the
guns.

All this time Lord Cornwallis was with the reserve of the central
column, eagerly waiting the arrival of General Meadows' division.
This, in some unaccountable way, had missed the gap in the hedge by
which the centre column had entered, and, marching on, halted at last
at Carrygut Hill, where it was not discovered until daylight.

The Mysore army on its left was still unbroken, and had been joined by
large numbers of troops from the centre. On discovering the smallness
of the force under Lord Cornwallis, they attacked it in overwhelming
numbers, led by Tippoo himself. The British infantry advanced to meet
them with the bayonet, and drove them back with heavy loss. They
rallied, and returned to the attack again and again, but were as often
repulsed; continuing their attacks, however, until daylight, when Lord
Cornwallis, discovering at last the position of General Meadows,
joined him on Carrygut Hill.

When day broke, the commanders of the two armies were able to estimate
the results of the night's operations. On the English side, the only
positions gained were the works on Carrygut Hill, the redoubt at the
northwest corner of the hedge, another redoubt captured by the centre
column, and the positions occupied by the force under Colonels Stuart
and Knox, at the easte