Historical Record of the Seventy-first Regiment, Highland Light Infantry: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1777, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1852Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Seventy-first Regiment, Highland Light Infantry: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1777, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1852
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Foot, 71st (Highland Light Infantry)
This force was put in movement on the 29th of March, and proceeded
towards Trichinopoly, which it did not reach until the 29th of
April, and found there the following corps, under the command
of Colonel Brydges:--two King’s regiments, the thirty-sixth and
seventy-second; the second and fifth native cavalry; the first,
fifth, sixth, seventh, sixteenth, twentieth, and twenty-third
coast sepoys. At the same time Colonel Deare, with three companies
of Bengal artillery, joined, the whole being under the orders of
Major-General Musgrave, to which rank he had been promoted on the
28th of April 1790.
The army was immediately divided into brigades and wings;
Lieut.-Colonel James Stuart, of the Seventy-second Highlanders,
was appointed to command the left wing, and Colonel Brydges, of
the East India Company’s service, the right; the SEVENTY-FIRST and
seventy-second regiments, and first East India Company’s European
battalion, formed the second European brigade, under Lieut.-Colonel
Clarke, of the Company’s service.
The whole of the cavalry and the advance were commanded by
Lieut.-Colonel, afterwards General Sir John Floyd, of the
nineteenth light dragoons, since disbanded.
On the 24th of May, Major-General (afterwards Sir William) Medows
assumed the command, and reviewed the army, which on the 26th of
that month was put in movement towards the Coimbatore country.
The army reached Caroor, a fortified place, on the 15th of
June, which the enemy abandoned on the approach of the British,
who remained in this position, strengthening Caroor, and
collecting grain, until the 2d of July, when they moved for
Arrivacourchy, arriving there on the 5th, and continuing their
route by Tooramboddy, arrived on the 10th of July at Daraporam.
At this latter place was found a large supply of grain and other
necessaries, which had been left by the enemy.
During the march to Coimbatore, where the British arrived on the
22d of July, Tippoo’s irregular horse were very active in hovering
around, for the purpose of picking up stragglers and baggage.
The army halted at Coimbatore, and detachments were sent off to
reduce Dindigul, Errode, and _Palghautcherry_. The flank companies
of the SEVENTY-FIRST regiment, commanded by Captains Phineas
M^cIntosh and James Robertson, were employed upon the latter
service. In August the whole of the cavalry and the advance had
been pushed forward to the Boovany, near to the Gudzelhetty Pass.
Tippoo Saib, profiting by the divided state of the British force,
descended with his whole army, and after a very severe conflict
obliged Lieut.-Colonel Floyd to fall back. The troops from
Coimbatore had marched to his support, and on the junction being
effected, Tippoo retired. The British returned to Coimbatore on the
23d of September.
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