On the 17th, Tippoo cannonaded the British camp from a distance, but
without doing great damage. In the meantime, the fire of our siege
guns was steadily doing its work, in spite of the heavy fire kept up
on them. The stone facing of the bastion next to the gateway was soon
knocked away, but the earth banks behind, which were very thick and
constructed of a tough red clay, crumbled but slowly. Still, the
breach was day by day becoming more practicable, and Tippoo, alarmed
at the progress that had been made, moved his army down towards the
east side of the fort, and seemed to meditate an attack upon our
batteries. He placed some heavy guns behind a bank surrounding a large
tank, and opened some embrasures through which their fire would have
taken our trenches, which were now pushed up close to the fort, in
flank.
Lord Cornwallis at once directed a strong force to advance, as if with
the intention of attacking the new work, and Tippoo ordered his troops
to retire from it. It was evident, however, that he had determined to
give battle in order to save the fort, and the English general
therefore determined to storm the place that very night, the 21st of
March. The preparations were made secretly, lest the news should be
taken to Tippoo by one of the natives in the town, and it was not
until late in the evening that orders were issued to the troops which
were to take part in the assault.
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