HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
owever, they soon rallied, and, 
wing received large reinforce 
ments from the camp, they suc- 
_ ceeded i in finally repulsing the ene- 
y, and gained the hunour of the 
day. Preparatorily to an attack on 
the fort, Lord Cornwallis, on the 
7th of February, assaulted and car- 
ried the pettah, or town, in which 
he found a very great quantity of 
forage and provisions: a most for- 
tunate circumstance, as the deso- 
dated state of the surrounding 
country presented the alarming 
prospect of approaching famine. 
The rejoicing on this occasion was 
damped by the loss of Lieut. Col. 
Moorhouse, who fell in the assault: 
an officer of distinguished military 
talents, and universally beloved. 
From this important post Tippoo 
twice attempted to dislodge the 
English ; and, though assisted by a 
Sally from the fort, returned both 
imes to his camp unsuccessful: the 
‘tide of fortune having now turned 
strongly against him. From a piece 
of barbarous policy which he is said 
about this time to have committed, 
it would appear that he himself had 
become extremely apprehensive of 
personal danger. Contrarily to the 
eeenaicions of the peace of Manga- 
me, he had retained several pri- 
oners in his possession since the 
t war. He had constantly de- 
Talal the charge; and lest, being 
found, they should discover his 
perfidy, _he now ordered them all to 
e put 0 death, 
After the taking of the pettah, 
‘the English were incessantly em- 
loyed in erecting batteries against 
fort, which, “from the shelter 
enjoyed, they were able to 
with great safety and conve- 
ape On the 14th the batteries 
opened and played incessantly till 
‘the 21st, when a practicable breach 
[207 
was effected. Lord Cornwallis 
resolved to storm the place that 
very night; but, to prevent all 
possibility of Tippoo learning his 
intentions, he did not communi- 
cate the plan to the troops till the 
very moment when he ordered its 
execution. The assault began 
about eleven at night, and was 
crowned with most ample success. 
In two hours the British standard 
floated from the ramparts. The 
troops entered the breech in three 
divisions, each of which took a 
different direction; and, having 
carried every thing before them, 
met at the opposite gate, where 
they commenced a dreadful (we 
hope an unavoidable) carnage upon 
the panick-struck, unresisting, fly- 
ing garrison. The passage was 
choaked by their numbers and im- 
petuosity ; and they fell by hun- 
dreds under the. bayonets of the 
British. Had they not been thus 
disposed of, perhaps they might 
have rallied and retaken thg fort. 
The loss on our part was fifty 
killed and wounded: above 1000 
Mysoreans were killed. Among 
the latter was the brave killidar, or 
governor. Lord Cornwallis made 
an offer of his body to the Sultan. 
His answer was magnanimous : 
‘“* I consider,’ said he, ‘* the spot 
of ground which a soldier covers 
when he falls in the execution of 
his duty, as the most honourable 
that can be chosen for his grave.” 
There were found in Bangalore 
immense quantities of provisions, 
124 pieces of ordnance, and more 
gunpowder than could be used 
during the war. : 
Lord Cornwallis, having left the 
74th regiment and three battalions 
of sepoys under the command 
of Colonel Duff, to garrison his 
new conquest, now marched north- 
wards, 
