DISASTER OF COLONEL BAILLIE. 63 



arrived in India and held the actual command, strongly, and 

 apparently with reason, recommended that the point of 

 junction should be fixed in front of Madras, not in the 

 heart of a country entirely occupied by the enemy. But 

 Sir Hector Monro, the commander-in-chief, undertook to 

 unite the armies at Conjeveram, fifty miles distant from the 

 capital. Colonel Baillie, in order to reach that place, was 

 obliged to take an inland route, in which he was exposed to 

 the hazard of being attacked by the whole army of the 

 invader. He was detained ten days by the swelling of 

 the river Cortelaur, and after effecting his passage, was 

 attacked by a large detachment under Tippoo, which he re- 

 pulsed, but not without sustaining some loss. Hyder then, 

 under cover of a feigned movement against Sir Hector's 

 army, interposed his whole force between the two English 

 divisions. They were now only fourteen miles distant, 

 within hearing of each other's cannon, and could they have 

 acted in concert, would have easily defeated the irregular 

 host opposed to them. Baillie wrote, urging Sir Hector to 

 join him ; but the commander, conceiving that he would 

 thereby lose Conjeveram with its little supply of provisions 

 and stores, chose rather to send Colonel Fletcher with 1000 

 troops to support Colonel Baillie, — a most hazardous move- 

 ment across a country covered by the enemy's detachments. 

 Yet Fletcher, by great skill and activity, and by deceiving 

 his own deceitful guides, succeeded amid every danger in 

 joining the corps that he was ordered to support, which he 

 raised to upwards of 3700 men. Hyder burst into the most 

 furious invectives against his officers for not having pre- 

 vented this union ; and the French, conceiving it preparatory 

 to a combined attack by these two divisions, exhorted the 

 chief by speedy retreat to shun a general action. Hyder 

 had formed a juster estimate of those with whom he was to 

 contend. Colonel Baillie first attempted a night-march, by 

 which a great extent of ground might have been gained, 

 and where, in case of attack, superior discipline would 

 have given him the advantage ; but meeting with some ob- 

 stacles, he determined, contrary to Fletcher's advice, to 

 delay till morning. He departed at dawn, but soon found 

 himself opposed by the entire strength of the Mysore army. 

 The English troops were at first harassed only by flying 

 detachments ; but when they came into a narrow and ex- 



