24 



Narrative of the last out break. 



[No. 31. 



On the retreat, the Garrison rushed out in considerable num- 

 bers — Major Sheppard formed his own corps into line with 

 great celerity, and must have felt the moment a very critical 

 one, as the enemy had seized one of our field pieces. — Cap- 

 tain N, M. Smyth (of what corps I do not now recollect) 

 consulting with Major Sheppard for an instant, called out for 

 volunteers to follow him, and a party of the 3d regiment 

 N. I. with some others immediately charged the enemy and 

 recovered the gun. — The courage and presence of mind dis- 

 played in this striking minor affair, served in some degree to 

 turn the current of feeling from the appalling scene around 

 us, and showed indeed that unless behind walls, the enemy 

 had no great confidence in their spears against our Infantry. 



This severe failure may be numbered amongst many in- 

 stances in which, eminent talents and qualities of the noblest 

 stamp, are insufficient to ensure to the possessor of them the 

 success to which he is well entitled. Major Macaulay, it was 

 no doubt thought by many, ought to have scoured the dis- 

 trict with one-half of the force under his command. — 

 In truth his means w f ere quite inadequate to his object, the 

 guns were quite useless as battering pieces, and a further de- 

 lay in the attack was not to be thought of. The government 

 was now awakened to the whole severity of the service, a great 

 native force was ordered from different stations of the Carna- 

 tic, an European corps, H. M. 7 7th, was called round from the 

 Malabar Coast, a corps of cavalry was put in motion, and a 

 powerful train of artillery dispatched from Trichinopoly, the 

 command of the service being transferred to an Officer of 

 higher rank. This was Colonel Peter Agnew, a person of 

 great military experience, and well known as the Adjutant 

 General of the Army for many years. 



It was the best part of two months, before this new forma- 

 tion of the force could assemble at the scene of action, and 

 in the interval, little more was in the power of Macaulay, than 

 to restrict as much as practicable the range of the enemy, for 

 which purpose he kept his station on a small ridge, a mile or 



