The march was continued for five or six miles, our position becoming
more and more serious, and at last Colonel Baillie took the fatal
resolution of halting till morning, instead of taking advantage of the
darkness to press forward. At daybreak, fifty guns opened on us. Our
ten field pieces returned the fire, until our ammunition was
exhausted. No orders were issued by the colonel, who had completely
lost his head; so that our men were mowed down by hundreds, until at
last the enemy poured down and slaughtered them relentlessly.
"We did not see the end of the conflict. When the colonel gave the
orders to halt, my father said to me:
"'This foolish officer will sacrifice all our lives. Does he think
that three thousand men can withstand one hundred thousand, with a
great number of guns? We will go while we can. We can do no good
here.'
"We mounted our horses and rode off. In the darkness, we came suddenly
upon a body of Tippoo's horsemen, but dashed straight at them and cut
our way through, but with the loss of half our force, and did not draw
rein until we reached Madras.
"The roar of battle had been heard at Conjeveram, and the fury and
indignation in the camp, at the desertion of Colonel Baillie's
detachment, was so great that the general at last gave orders to march
to their assistance.
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