  Artillery, one of the brigades of the army—An Infantry Officer, Brigade-Major—Succeeded by an Artillery Officer—Dress—School orders—School—Inoculation—Companies numbered by seniority—Method of exploding mortar-shells on reaching the ground—Fire in the arsenal—Death of Colonel Pearse—Lieut.-Colonel G. Deare, Commandant—War in the Carnatic—Second Battalion of Artillery sent—Sattimungulum—Bangalore—Retreat from Seringapatam—Nundydroog—Savendroog—Attack on fortified camp at Seringapatam—Return to Bengal. Although so recent, the formation with which the last chapter closed was soon modified. In April, 1787, the artillery was constituted one of the brigades of the army,—a change made probably with the view of placing Colonel Pearse on an equality with other officers of his rank, though junior to him in standing. But a curious circumstance is connected with this formation, in the nomination of an infantry officer, “Lieutenant Peter Cullen, brigade-major to Colonel MacLeod, to act as brigade-major to the artillery, with the rank of captain, conformably to the orders of the Court of Directors, until a vacancy Several changes took place at this period in the army, at which we need only glance. The colonels were detached from their brigades, and placed in a situation similar to that of general officers of divisions and brigades in the present day; tent allowance was given to officers in all situations; fuzils and spontoons were superseded with infantry officers by swords; the dress of the army was altered, as was that of the artillery, and it is amusing to find that what is ordered in 1844 should be little more than reverting to the orders of 1786; for what is the order directing white covers to be worn on caps, but the principle of “White hats may be worn on the line of march, or black hats with white linen folded round them?” though, in truth, there may be little doubt whether the round hat so prepared was not a far preferable head-dress to the present shako. As another instance of the interest which Colonel Pearse took in the welfare of his corps may be quoted the following order; it shews, too, how just were his views on questions of duty and discipline: “The rules of duty, as laid down, may seem extremely rigorous to those who do not properly consider the consequence; Colonel Pearse hopes that there are not any; but lest there should be, Vaccination had not at this time been introduced, but, to lessen the danger from small-pox, inoculation on a large scale appears to have been first tried on Europeans in India this year. In February, 1787, 1 officer, 20 artillery, 26 infantry, and 53 children In September, a general order having been issued directing the companies of artillery to be numbered in the different battalions, Colonel Pearse searched into the records of the corps as far back as 1770, at which time only 5 companies existed, and ascertained the exact seniority of each company; he laid a plan before Lord Cornwallis, which was approved of and published. Hitherto, the companies had stood on the returns agreeably to the seniority of their captains, or the order for field duty; this led to constant changes, for on the promotion, for instance, of a captain to a majority, his company would be given to the captain just promoted, and In March, 1789, Lord Cornwallis attended at Dum-Dum, to witness the results of some experiments carried on by Lieutenant Hill, with a view to insure the ignition of the powder in a shell on the moment of its touching the ground; the success seems to have been complete, for “Lord Cornwallis has been pleased to desire Colonel Pearse to communicate to Lieutenant Hill, that his lordship has received the utmost satisfaction from the experiments this day carried on before him, and from the successful endeavours of Lieutenant Hill to fire the powder within shells the instant they touch the ground. Colonel Pearse adds his own hearty congratulations Lieutenant Hill’s plan, from an incidental notice in the third number of the East-India Military Repository, seems to have been the same as that of an Englishman named W. Wilton, which was tried at Woolwich in 1784. The wood of a common fusee is partly cut away to about half its thickness on both sides, and the space filled up by two small wedges of brass; a washer of leather being placed under them, a hole is drilled through them and the fusee, a brass or copper wire is inserted, and riveted firmly on both sides. The wire, when heated, becomes as brittle as glass, and the shock of the shell touching the ground breaks it off; the little wedges fall into the shell, and the fire finds two lateral vents into the powder. “A fusee similar to Mr. Wilton’s (East-India Military Repository), with the leaden pins (four small ones to give additional security to the brass wedges), was produced by the conductor of the Expense Magazine, amongst several At the beginning of this month a fire broke out in the Arsenal, at night, consuming the workshops, and all they contained, “except a number of carriages of different kinds, which, by the unparalleled efforts of the officers and soldiers, were preserved from the flames.” Colonel Pearse was present, and his presence stimulated their exertions to the utmost, but there is reason to believe that his own end was hastened by the exposure to this night, under the influence of mercury, as we find was the case from his own correspondence. Early in April he gave over the command of the garrison to the next senior officer, and proceeded down the river for a change of air, in the hope of restoring himself to health, but without the desired effect, and on the 15th June he ended his life; a garrison order by the Governor-General thus announces it:— “On the corpse being brought into garrison the colours are to be lowered half-staff, and to remain so until the corpse is interred. “The brigade of artillery is to furnish the funeral party, which is to consist of such part of the late Colonel Pearses own battalion as is in the garrison, completed to the strength of a battalion, and commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Deare; the remainder of the brigade, with the 4th battalion European infantry, are to attend the interment with their side-arms, in such disposition as the senior officer present may direct.” He was buried in the great burial-ground of Calcutta, and a handsome pillar of the Corinthian order raised to his memory at Dum-Dum. The inscription given below is cut on a tablet let into the base of the pillar:— TO THE MEMORY OF For twenty years he commanded the regiment, and under his eye it grew from infancy to maturity, and passed through many trials, yet always winning for itself thanks and praises; to his exertions in The command of the artillery brigade now devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel G. Deare (who joined the corps as a 2nd lieutenant when Pearse commanded it); he was at this time at Cawnpoor, commanding a battalion, and the duties of the brigade were carried on till he could join by “the brigade-major, Captain Grace, referring for advice to Lieutenant-Colonel C. R. Deare, commissary of stores, and brother to the commandant.” There being a paucity of artillery officers, such officers as chose to volunteer from the line and were approved of by the commandant of artillery were appointed. The following, this year, joined the corps from the infantry:—Lieutenants Drummond, Jones, H. Green, Clements Brown, Winbolt, Matthews, and Hopper; others joined in a similar manner previously, but their names have not been ascertained, though from a correspondence three years afterwards, we find Lieutenants Macalister and R. Browne were among them. The war having recommenced with Tippoo in the Carnatic, assistance was called for from the Bengal Government, and in January, 1790, the whole of the second battalion of artillery was directed to be in readiness to embark for Madras on the shortest notice; and to economize the store of gunpowder, its issue was prohibited, save for service and artillery practice; country powder was ordered to be purchased by agents, and supplied for all other purposes. The men of the 2nd battalion, unequal to the fatigues of field service, were removed to the 1st and 3rd battalions, and their places supplied by Lieutenant-Colonel Deare was at this time commissary of stores in Fort William, but giving over charge of the arsenal to Lieutenant Humphries, secretary to the Military Board, he took command of his battalion. Lieutenant-Colonel C. R. Deare, commandant; Lieutenant Johnson, adjutant; Lieutenant Balfour, quartermaster; and Conductor Johnson.
Lieutenant-Colonel Deare, his staff the 1st, 5th, and a quarter of the 2nd company, under Lieutenant Nash; the 2nd, 6th, 7th, 13th, and 16th companies of lascars, with one-half the magazine and quartermaster’s establishment, embarked on board the “Houghton,” while Major Woodburn, with the 3rd, 4th, and a quarter of the 2nd company, under Lieutenant-Fireworker Feade; the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 15th companies of lascars, with the remainder of the magazine and quartermaster’s establishment, embarked on the “Chesterfield;” a party, however, of 150 lascars from 2nd and 5th companies, with Lieutenants Horsburgh and Wittit, proceeded in the “Lucnow.” The “Lucnow” was delayed in the river till 6th March, and did not leave the pilot till the 10th; their passage was so slow, that on the 3rd April it became necessary to reduce the allowance of water to each man; however, on the 19th April she reached Madras; the detachment of the 2nd company was landed and marched to the Mount, where it joined the part under Lieutenants Nash and Feade; Lieutenant Horsford marched for Trichinopoly, to join his company, and Lieutenant Wittit, with the lascars, set out for Wallajabad, where he arrived on the 2nd May, and gave them over to Captain Smith, commanding the Bengal artillery, with the force at that station, under Colonel Kelly. The King’s ships being all withdrawn, an armament, consisting of four Company’s ships and two At this time a circumstance occurred which caused the relative precedence of the different arms of the service in the King’s and Company’s service to be set at rest by general orders. Lieutenant Wittit, being for picket duty with a party of artillerymen, was proceeding to take the right of the party from H. M.’s 74th regiment, when the adjutant on duty directed him to parade on the left; to this he objected, but on being told it was Colonel Kelly’s positive order, he reluctantly obeyed, and reported the circumstance to his commanding officer, Captain Smith, and Captain Speediman, commanding the artillery at the station. In forwarding the statement, Captain Smith mentioned a case having occurred in Bengal, between Captain Montague and Colonel MacLeod, of H.M.’s 73rd regiment, and requested that it might be referred to Earl Cornwallis, the commander-in-chief, which was done, and his lordship decided that The relative precedence of the troops of the three presidencies was also decided at the same time: the Bengal troops are always to be on the right; the Madras and Bombay to take the right of each other in their own presidency, but to draw lots for the post when they meet on neutral ground. The main body of the army was now assembled, to the number of 15,000 fighting men, at Trichinopoly; to each European battalion were attached two 12–pounders, and to each native battalion two 6–pounder guns, while a park of four iron and four brass 18–pounders, and four howitzers, for field service, accompanied, together with a large train of battering guns. General Meadows arrived and reviewed the army on the 24th May, and on the 26th it commenced its march, the plan of the campaign being to enter Mysore by the Guzelhutty Pass, securing a communication by occupying, as a line of posts and On the 15th June, the army reached Carrore, which they found evacuated, and, to lighten their march, deposited the iron and two of the brass 18–pounders, two of the howitzers, and about 1,200 sick in the fort. Daropooram was taken; Coimbatore evacuated by the end of July; Erroad was taken early in August, but want of carriage was even thus early felt; officers were all directed to double up in their tents, and the battering guns, stores, and convalescents were left in Coimbatore. In the attack on Erroad the Bengal Artillery was employed under Colonel Deare. Dindigul and Palacatcherry were taken, and Sattimungulum surrendered to a detachment under Colonel Lloyd, with which was Captain Sampson’s company of artillery; in the two former, the artillery of the coast were employed, and at Dindigul Colonel Moorhouse, an officer much respected, met his death. It has been said that a detachment of the 2nd company 2nd battalion marched with Colonel Cockerell’s division from Bengal; they joined the division at Balasore on the 24th March, and a
With the former were four 6–pounders and eight tumbrils, with spare carriages, and with the latter were ten 6–pounders and two 12–pounders. The division reached Conjeveram on the 1st August. The 2nd company 2nd battalion, now completed by the other half joining, was attached, to the 1st brigade; the 5th company 1st battalion to the 2nd brigade, and a Madras company to the 3rd or reserve, Major Woodburn commanding the artillery. Thus far the campaign had been successful; a line of communication had been established, and The advanced division, under Colonel Lloyd, with which were the 1st, 3rd, and 5th companies of the 2nd battalion artillery was at Sattimungulum, the main body, under General Meadows, at Coimbatore, 60 miles in rear, and the rear division under Colonel Stewart at Palacatcherry, 30 miles in rear of the main body, while Colonel Kelly’s with the centre army was at Baramahl. Such were the positions of the British army, when, on the 11th September, Tippoo with his whole force descended by the Guzelhutty Pass. His movements had been unknown; want of intelligence, partly caused by the numbers of cavalry who enveloped Tippoo’s movements, and partly from want of arrangements, was a prevailing misfortune in these campaigns, and the first intelligence of this movement was received by Colonel Lloyd on the 12th from some battalions sent out to collect grain. On the 13th, a cavalry party sent out to reconnoitre, fell in with the advance of Tippoo’s army, and falling back on their supports, kept The day had been disastrous, many killed and wounded, and three guns disabled, but Colonel Floyd reported that the “rest of the guns fired with excellent aim, but sparingly, for the stock of ammunition was not great. H. M.’s regiments and the artillery did themselves justice with their accustomed valour.” A council of war followed at night, and, as might be expected (for when did a council of war ever recommend an energetic plan?), a retreat to Coimbatore, sacrificing baggage and followers, was The intention of abandoning the followers got abroad, and they all fled, so that no artificers could be found to repair the damaged carriages; however, the experience of the officers, with the aid of the Europeans, supplied the deficiency, and by 1 A.M. of the 14th they were in a serviceable state; by 4 A.M. the army was in retreat, but from the loss of bullocks one 18, two 12, and three 6–pounders were left behind. Crossing the “Bavani” in basket-boats, the retreat commenced unmolested, but “about 10 o’clock (and here we again quote Lieutenant Hardwicke’s letter) we could discern the enemy’s line of march, and at 1 o’clock they opened their guns upon us, moving parallel with our line and taking advantage of every situation which gave them a view of the line. About 3 o’clock their infantry and horse crowded on the rear, an advantage the nature of the country or badness of the road gave them; they enfiladed us from behind hedges, buildings, &c., and at 5 o’clock they appeared in all quarters and The artillery lost in these actions—1 lieutenant-colonel, The whole army was now collected at Coimbatore, and on it moving forwards, Tippoo made an unsuccessful attempt on the place. On Colonel Kelly’s death, on the 24th September, the centre army fell under Colonel Maxwell’s command, and entered the Baramahl valley; but the operations of this division only once brought them into contact with the enemy, on the 12th of November, on which occasion the good position taken up, and the correct fire of a gun, prevented an attack by the overwhelming numbers opposed. A junction took place with the main army on the 10th November, and both armies followed Tippoo, to relieve Trichinopoly, and after some desultory operations, the campaign concluded. In November and December Lieutenants Jones and Nash, of the artillery, died, and Lieutenants T. Green, Exshaw, McLeod, Drummond, and Buchan came round from Bengal to join the battalion. By Lieutenant-Colonel Deare’s death, Captain Montague was promoted to a majority, but directed On the 12th December Lord Cornwallis arrived, and assumed command of the army; fresh energy was instilled into every department, and by the 5th February the march commenced. The park consisted of eleven 18–pounders, six 12–pounders, and eight mortars, with an ample supply of ammunition and stores. Lieutenant-Colonel Giels (Madras artillery) commanded artillery of right wing; Major Moorhouse, left wing; Major Woodburn, heavy park; Major Montague, of the advance. The plan of the campaign was to penetrate On the 24th marched for Bangalore, in three columns: the artillery on the right, infantry in the centre, and cavalry on the left; to keep the enemy’s cavalry at a distance, the European regiments were equipped with the iron 12–pounders from the park, and on several occasions their services were found very useful on the march to Bangalore, before which the army took up their position on the 5th March. On the next day the cavalry went out on a reconnaisance, in which they were worsted by Tippoo’s troops, and but for the opportune arrival of Major Gowdie and Major Montague, with assistance, and contrary to orders, our loss would “On the 19th, the 4–gun battery opened; this and the others kept up a constant cannonade on the breach and neighbouring towers, replied to sharply by musketry from covert way and outworks; to keep which down, additional batteries were erected in the advanced parallel, and were ready by daylight. “On the 20th the fire widened the breach, and On the 21st the enemy meditated an attack on the British camp, but, being met, retreated; they however advanced again in the evening. At 11 o’clock at night the storming party prepared to move forward, and for about an hour previous a heavy cannonade was kept up on the breach, and as this intimidated the defenders from remaining there, it was kept up with blank cartridges while the storming party advanced; the party gained the top of the breach without very much opposition, and wheeled off to the right and left, overcoming a considerable resistance at different points. The whole of the Bengal artillery (six companies) it is believed were employed in this service. The casualties, from 7th to 21st March, amounted to only 8 Europeans and 2 gun lascars killed; and the following extract from the general orders of the 22nd March records the satisfaction they gave. “The judicious arrangements made by Colonel The army remained in Bangalore till the 4th May, during which time every exertion was used to collect carriage,—every expedient that could be suggested was tried: private cattle were obtained by leaving behind camp equipage and every necessary; a reward was given to camp-followers of 1½ rupees for every 24–pounder, and 1 rupee for every 18–pounder shot they would carry to Seringapatam; every nerve was strained, that an attack might be made at once upon the capital; the train was put in order, but beyond bullocks for 52 field-pieces and a few howitzers, sufficient for only 15 battering-guns could be collected. Thus equipped, on the 4th the army marched, and after much difficulty, from the state of the carriage cattle, reached Arakerry, on the river Cavery, a few miles below Seringapatam, on the On the 20th the army had reached the ford at Caniambaddy, but in such a state, from deficiency of food, carriage, and material, and the state of the weather, that Lord Cornwallis found it would be impossible to move the battering-train from where In September, a detachment under Major Gowdie was sent against Nundydroog, a hill fort, which, if left in the enemy’s possession, would have given trouble to the army on their advance to Seringapatam, for which every thing was now nearly ready. With Major Gowdie’s detachment was a detachment of artillery under Major Montague, four iron On the road to Nundydroog the hill fortress of Raymanghur was taken. “The indefatigable exertion of Major Montague in getting four 6–pounders and two mortars on a rock which completely flanked the proposed point of attack, his firing with great effect, and throwing shells with much judgment,” are acknowledged by Major Gowdie, as contributing to the early capture of the place. From Raymanghur the division proceeded against Nundydroog, a hill fortress of great strength, situated on ground most difficult of approach, where, on the 29th, they were joined by two 24–pounder guns and four mortars, with a quantity of stores. With astonishing labour and exertion, Major Montague, on the night of the 2nd October, got two 24–pounders into the battery by means of ropes fastened round posts driven into the ground, and trees, and all the resources which an artillery officer must bring into play in such circumstances; and on the 4th, this and a mortar battery from the The breach being now practicable, on the 18th the army moved up, and on that evening the assault took place. An artillery officer, with a party of men and a small mortar, to be used as a petard for blowing open the gate of the inner wall, accompanied Lieutenant T. Hill, of the artillery, was wounded, during the siege, in the thigh by the bursting of a shell, and Lieutenant Cranch slightly in the shoulder. Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart’s division now proceeded against Savendroog, a hill fortress on a rocky mountain, half a mile high, and eight or ten miles in circumference; on the 10th December, the division was within three miles of it, the Commander-in-Chief covering the siege with the main army; the hill was surrounded by a deep belt of jungle, composed of bamboos and trees, interspersed with large masses of rock; a narrow path was the only road, and this was rendered difficult from barriers. A road for the guns was with great labour formed through this forest, and they were transported with much difficulty through; the enemy offered little or no interruption, confident in the strength of their post and the fearful ally, malaria, which haunted the jungle, and, which Tippoo affirmed, would destroy one-half of the army, while he would slaughter the other. On the 17th December, The wall being formed of solid slabs of stone fastened together by iron rivets, and the guns firing at an elevation, the effect of the 12–pounders did not at first answer the expectations formed. Two 2–gun batteries were pushed on to within 250 yards, and the 12–pounders were replaced by 18–pounders drawn from the main army, and their continued fire soon opened a breach in the upper wall. On the 20th, the breach was reconnoitred, and Major Montague not considering it sufficiently open, kept up an incessant and well-directed fire upon it all day, and before dark the breach was widened, and the outer wall shattered to its foundation. On the 21st the storm took place; the signal was to be given when the fogs, which daily rise from the low ground and ascend the hill, should wrap the fortress in their sombre mantle, hiding from the besieged the besiegers’ intentions. At about 11 o’clock A.M. the signal-guns were fired, and Other fortresses fell—Ramghurry, Sheriaghurry, and Outredroog, with little resistance; Lieutenant Shipton, Lieutenant-Fireworkers Charles Brown and Butler, were present at their taking; but now all attention was turned to the main object of the campaign, the siege of Seringapatam. During the operations above detailed, convoys of stores and ordnance had been arriving, and every care taken to put the matÉriel of the army on the best possible footing; every thing was collected in Bangalore, and the train under Colonel Duff arrived there on the 12th January, 1792, in high order; “the draught cattle were in such high order” (to quote from a letter of that period), “that they literally came in with the heavy guns on a gallop.”
The Bengal Artillery during the last few months had been weakened by the loss of officers: Captain Smith and Lieutenant Horsborough died in October, 1791, at Bangalore, and Captain Sampson early in January, 1792; but Captains Howell and Burnett supplied their vacancies. On the 1st February, the army marched from Bangalore, the troops on the right, the battering-train in the centre, and the baggage on the left; the cattle and the carriages were so good that the train moved without difficulty, and on the 5th February, the army came in sight of Seringapatam. Tippoo had drawn his army into a fortified camp on the north side of the Cavery; Lord Cornwallis, on the 6th, reached Seringapatam, and resolved to attack the enemy that night. The army marched at 7 o’clock in the evening, in three divisions, for this purpose, leaving their artillery in camp, protected by the cavalry, quarter, and rear-guards, The detachment with Major Montague was The fortress was now invested by the combined armies, and preparations made for the siege; in this Lieutenant Hind, of the Bengal Artillery, with 300 lascars assisted, collecting and preparing materials for gabions and fascines; but a treaty formed with Tippoo rendered these useless, and in May the army broke up. The artillery marched to the coast, where Colonel Duff left them, and sailed for England in the “Dutton,” Indiaman, with General Meadows: the rest embarked in the “Ardesir,” “Mary,” “Hero,” and “Juliana Maria,” and reached Bengal early in July.
During these campaigns the following officers lost their lives, either in action or from disease:—Lieutenant-Colonel C. R. Deare, killed; Captains Smith and Sampson; Lieutenants Macpherson and Buchan, killed. Lieutenants Horsborough, Nash, and Jones, and several others, were forced to seek health in a sea-voyage. In August, 1793, five companies of artillery, the 2nd and 4th of 1st battalion, the 1st of 2nd battalion, and the 4th and 5th of 3rd battalion, under command of Major Bruce, sailed for the coast, forming part of an expedition against Pondicherry. The troops do not appear to have been employed, and the artillery returned in October. The allowances of officers of similar rank and in similar commands, at this time and fifty years later, form a contrast much in favour of the liberality of the old scale.
But it must be allowed that the juniors of the army are in much better circumstances than they were then. The whole of the officers employed were to receive full batta at Madras, and the difference of full and double full batta to be audited to them in Bengal. A detachment of 105 Europeans and 230 lascars, under Captain Frazer, The regiment was inspected by the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Robert Abercrombie, in February, and From the General Orders of 9th June of this year, we learn that, “at the recommendation of the commandant of artillery and chief engineer, the Rev. W. Paul Limerick, chaplain, was appointed teacher of mathematics to the corps of artillery and engineers, with the allowance of 500 rupees per mensem, formerly received by W. Burroughs in a similar situation.” A detail under Captain Carnegie accompanied the force commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Erskine, which proceeded to Chittagong in February and returned in June; and a detachment of 36 matrosses proceeded in June, under Captain Howell to Bencoolen, and were lost on the passage. Another detachment of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th companies, 2nd battalion, proceeded to the coast, under Lieutenant-Colonel Hussey, returning, however, in October. The only portion of the regiment which was engaged in active service this year, 1794, was the 3rd battalion, three companies of which were The following are the companies and officers employed:—
On the 26th October, the line (consisting of one European regiment, ten native, two weak regiments of native cavalry, and the artillery above mentioned and 28 pieces of ordnance) was under arms before daylight. The Commander-in-Chief and staff rode forwards to reconnoitre the enemy, whom they found some miles in advance, near Bittowrah. The line came up, the artillery in the intervals, and the Rohillas pressing forwards, the reserve was brought up into line; they moved so fast, that the artillery attached to the reserve were unable to keep up, One serjeant, 2 gunners, and 20 matrosses, and The officers of the army considered that Rampoor ought to have been plundered, and probably made their opinion known, for in this case, as in the similar one of 1774, as a sort of compensation for plunder, the Nawab presented to the Governor-General for distribution among the troops engaged 11 lacs of rupees, and one lac for the families of the officers who fell. The division was made on a scale drawn up by the junior auditor-general, giving each person engaged a sum equal to 328 days’ batta of his rank; the amount of the shares is annexed.
The lac of rupees devoted to the families of deceased officers was divided—40,000 to Colonel Burrington’s; 20,000 to Captain Bolton’s widow; and 10,000 to Captain Mawbey’s children; the In September, 1795, a complete company of European artillery (5th company 1st battalion), with two companies (29th and 30th) of lascars, attached under command of Captain Barton, embarked for Madras, and a second (5th company 2nd battalion), under Captain Clark, soon followed. The following officers joined the force under General Stewart in the expedition against the Dutch possessions in Ceylon:— Fifth company 1st battalion, Captain Barton, Lieutenants Humphries and Winbolt, Lieutenant-Fireworkers Clarke and Graham. Fifth company 2nd battalion, Captain Clark. The first service they were engaged in was the siege of Trincomalee, in January, 1796, in which the artillery suffered both from climate and fatigue, and from a daring, and for a time successful attack the enemy made on the batteries, spiking the guns, and killing some of the artillerymen. The fort capitulated after a siege of three weeks. Jaffna next surrendered, and the troops then proceeded to Negumbo, where they landed in February, 1796, and meeting no resistance, General The Indian Government granted medals to the native troops employed in this service, probably more as a reward for embarking on service beyond seas, than for the arduousness of its nature. A sketch of the medal is given on the opposite page. CEYLON MEDALS. The year 1796 is a memorable one in the annals of the Indian army, its constitution having been entirely remodelled, and many advantages granted it at that time, placing it on a footing of respectability which it had not held before; but the subject will be reverted to in a future chapter. The artillery was converted into a regiment of three battalions, of five companies each, with thirty companies of lascars attached. The command of the regiment was vested in the senior colonel, and a brigade-major was allowed as his staff officer. The chief alteration from the organization of 1786 consists in the addition of three colonels and fifteen captain-lieutenants, and the reduction of fifteen
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
