ecting batteries
against the fort and town; which being opened on the sixth day of
January, they maintained a continual discharge of shot and shells for
twenty days, advancing their trenches all the time under cover of this
fire, until they reached the breast of the glacis. There they erected a
battery of four pieces of cannon, and opened it on the last day of the
month; but for five days successively they were obliged to close their
embrasures by the superior fire of the fort, and at length to abandon
it entirely: nevertheless, they still maintained a severe fire from the
first grand battery, which was placed at the distance of four hundred
and fifty yards from the defences. This artillery was so well served,
as to disable twenty-six pieces of cannon, three mortars, and effect
an inconsiderable breach. Perhaps they might have had more success, had
they battered in breach from the beginning; but M. Lally, in order
to intimidate the inhabitants, had cruelly bombarded the town, and
demolished the houses: he was, however, happily disappointed in his
expectation by the wise and resolute precautions of governor Pigot; by
the vigilance, conduct, and bravery of the colonels Laurence and Draper,
seconded by the valour and activity of major Brereton, and the spirit
of the inferior officers. The artillery of the garrison was so well
managed, that from the fifth day of February, the fire of the enemy
gradually decreased from twenty-three to six pieces of cannon:
nevertheless, they advanced their sap along the sea-side, so as to
embrace entirely the north-east angle of the covered way, from whence
their musketry drove the besieged. They likewise endeavoured to open a
passage into the ditch by a mine; but sprung it so injudiciously, that
they could make no advantage of it, as it lay exposed to the fire of
several cannon. While these preparations were carried on before the
town, major Caillaud and captain Preston, with a body of sepoys, some of
the country horse, and a few Europeans drawn from the English garrisons
of Trichinopoly and Chingalaput, hovered at the distance of a few miles,
blocking up the roads in such a manner that the enemy were obliged, four
several times, to send large detachments against them, in order to open
the communication: thus the progress of the siege was in a great
measure retarded. On the sixteenth day of February, in the evening,
the Queenborough ship of war, commanded by captain Kempenfeldt, and
the comp