1844.] and final subjugation of the Southern Pohgars. 25 



two to the westward of the fort. Their night annoyances on 

 our position and skirmishes with our foraging parties in the day 

 were very frequent, and they seemed to have taken up the 

 notion, that the muskets of our sepoys were of little security 

 against their spears during tiie fall of rain. On one occasion 

 of this kind, they sallied out and attacked in a large body our 

 right piquet, and moved off a field piece, which was recover- 

 ed only by a sudden clearing up of the weather, discovering 

 the attack to other parties of the force near at hand. The 

 eastern range of country was fully at their mercy and they 

 took possession of Tutacoreen with great exultation. The at- 

 tachment of some of the western Poligars was somewhat 

 doubtful, but our situation restrained much intercourse on that 

 side f and on the north, they were kept in excellent check by 

 the meritorious conduct and entire devotion to our cause of the 

 Poligar of Yettiapoor, supported by a respectable portion 

 of a fine provincial corps belonging to Ramnad. The com- 

 mand of that station was held by Colonel Manuel Martinz, a 

 gentleman who in his own day filled a large space in the pub- 

 lic mind and general respect of this quarter. He was origi- 

 nally in the service of the Nabob. 



The expected corps all came up by the middle of May, and 

 Colonel Agnew assumed the command about that time. 

 From his arrival to the 24th there was the greatest activity in 

 making a breach, and it was so thoroughly effected by that 

 i day, that to all appearance it admitted of running up with 

 1 the utmost facility. The enemy however had thrown a very 

 wide abatis of new felled thorn trees all along the approaches 

 on every side, and this occasioned some short interruption. — ■ 

 Arrived at the top of the breach, it was by no means easy to 

 descend. Here the garrison had excavated the bastion or 

 ground all around so deeply, as not to be easily grappled with, 

 and it is said, had carried the excavation so cleverly under the 

 brink of the Breach, as to be able to strike with their spears 

 I in comparative safety, those who leant forward to fire on the 

 ', defenders below. These were a good deal checked^ it was 

 I * 



