FORDE, FRANCIS (d. 1770), British soldier, first appears on the army list in 1746 as captain in the 39th Foot, the first regiment of the king's service to serve in India. Forde became major in 1755, but resigned his commission at the invitation of Clive, to become second in command of the E.I. company's troops in Bengal. Soon after Plassey Forde was sent against the French of Masulipatam. He defeated them at Condore, and was only checked by the guns of Masulipatam itself. After 5o days, Forde, seeing the last avenues of escape closing behind him, or dered an assault at midnight on Jan. 25, 1759. The assault was a brilliant success, in spite of the loss of one-third of the com pany's troops. The company, however, refused to confirm Forde's commission of lieutenant-colonel. On Nov. 25, 1759, he won a brilliant battle against the Dutch at Chinsurah (or Biderra), and in 1760 received his commission. In 1769 with Vansittart and Scrafton, Colonel Forde was sent out with full powers to investi gate every detail of Indian administration. Their ship was never heard of after leaving the Cape of Good Hope on Dec. 27, 1769.
Monographs on Condore, Masulipatam and Chinsurah will be found in G. B. Malleson, Decisive Battles of India, 1746-1849 (1885; new ed., 1888) .