Historical record of the 71st Regiment Highland Light Infantry: $b from its formation in 1777, under the title of the 73rd, or McLeod's Highlanders, up to the year 1876Hildyard, Henry John Thoroton
History
Historical record of the 71st Regiment Highland Light Infantry: $b from its formation in 1777, under the title of the 73rd, or McLeod's Highlanders, up to the year 1876
Hildyard, Henry John Thoroton
Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Foot, 71st (Highland Light Infantry)
The siege, however,
proceeded, the enemy continuing to harass the besiegers until the
21st March, when the breach being considered practicable, an attack
was ordered. The storming party consisted of the grenadiers of the
European regiments, followed by their light companies, and led by
Lieutenant James Duncan, Seventy-first Highlanders, and Lieutenant
John Evans, Fifty-second Regiment, with a forlorn hope of thirty
chosen men, the whole supported by the battalion companies of the
Thirty-sixth, Seventy-second, and Seventy-sixth Regiments, with some
battalions of Bengal sepoys. The attacking force was commanded by
Lieut.-Colonel Maxwell, Seventy-fourth Highlanders, the flankers
by Major Kelly; Major-General Meadows was present on the occasion.
The grenadier company, Seventy-first Highlanders, was commanded by
Captain the Honourable John Lindsay, who, upon entering the breach,
directed his men to throw away their priming and trust entirely to
their bayonets. The light company was commanded by Captain James
Robertson, son of the celebrated historian. With the aid of scaling
ladders, and after encountering very formidable obstacles, Bangalore
was carried. From the 6th March to the capture of Bangalore the
Seventy-first had 6 privates killed and 14 wounded. On the 28th
March, a strong garrison being left in Bangalore, the army moved
to Deonhully, the birthplace of Hyder Ali, where it arrived on the
30th, and on the 1st April at Chinnaballaporam, both of which places
were abandoned by the enemy. The army reached Connapelly on the 12th
April, and on the following day effected a junction with the Nizam’s
force, which had been sent to co-operate with the British, and which
amounted to about 15,000 cavalry. On the 18th April the army arrived
at Venkatagherry, where a large detachment of Europeans, under
Colonel Oldham, joined from the Carnatic, and on the 22nd April it
again encamped near Bangalore. During this march, the object of which
was chiefly to secure supplies, the enemy’s irregular horse were
now and then seen in small detached bodies. On the 4th May the army
marched towards Seringapatam, the capital of Tippoo Saïb’s territory,
and on the 13th reached Arakerry, on the Cavery, about eight miles
below Seringapatam. The enemy could be seen in front, with their
right resting on the river, and their left on a high hill named the
Carighaut. During the night of the 14th of May the troops marched
with a view to surprising the enemy, but owing to the badness of the
weather and roads, together with the jaded state of the gun bullocks,
little or no progress was made during the night, but on the following
day, after undergoing great fatigue, they were brought into action.
The enemy was then soon driven from his strong position, and forced
across the river to the island upon which the capital, Seringapatam,
is situated, where he was protected by his batteries. In this affair
four guns and several standards were taken. The Seventy-first lost
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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