" It having been always usual upon this occasion to salute the new Mayor with nine guns, nine guns were shotted upon the Royal Bastion and pointed at the enemy's quarters and works, and discharged in honour of the new Mayor, and it is hoped with good effect on the enemy." Thursday the 21st." By this sortie the enemy has been thrown into a general commotion, besides the good effects such sallys may have on our sepoys, by enduring them to danger ; the enemy's people are harassed and fatigued, and their works retarded." Saturday, the 23rd." The firing was kept up last night very briskly, as for some nights past, upon the enemy's parallel, as well as upon the other parts where we were informed they are at work. Their parallel seems to be but little advanced, but the French dispersed.
" As it is reasonable to think that public demonstrations of joy upon occasion of victory gained by Colonel Ford might have a good effect by raising the spirits of our people and producing the contrary on the enemy, it was therefore resolved to put the whole garrison under arms and to march them into the covered way, which it was supposed would alarm the enemy and bring them to their front post, and so expose them the more to our shot, and then to fire twenty-one guns into different parts of their quarters and works, and give three running fires from the covered way of the whole garrison, which was executed accordingly." Sunday, the 24th.--" Yesterday a soldier was tried by a general court martial for cocking his piece at his serjeant and threatening to kill him, and received sentence of death, which was executed this day. Severe examples being thought abso lutely necessary at this time to prevent disorders at the garrison, which might prove fatal." Tuesday, the md." The French cannonading during the day. Most of the shells were directed at the houses, and a great many at the Governor's quarters in the Fort House ; two fell in it and broke through the first terrace, and twelve or thirteen others fell in or upon the building of the Inner Fort." Sunday, the 7th January." The enemy threw many shells in the night, and at daybreak began to batter with their cannon ; their shells all this day continued, as before, to be directed chiefly at the houses, by which many are already in ruin. Their fire from Lally's Battery was from seven cannons and seven mortars, and from the Lorrain Battery from seven cannons and one howtz ; as yesterday, they also opened another battery this morning to the left of the Burying Ground, from whence they fired with two pieces on the left face df the North Lunette. The damage done to our works by the enemy's fire is not very great. The embrazures and platforms are more impaired by our own cannon than by their shot or shells, the greater part of which flew into or over the Town. A working party of ioo men are ordered to repair in the night with sand-bags the damaged embrazures on the old North-East, the Demy, the Royal and Pigot Bastion, and ioo sepoys to get up two twenty-four pounders in the place of two which have had their muzzles knocked off on the North-East Bastion. The enemy's works appeared to be much disordered by our fire. They ceased firing about six this evening, and our working party in the covered way can plainly hear them repairing their embrazures and platforms. We have had one European, one Coffree, and one sepoy killed this day, and two Europeans and three sepoys wounded." Monday, the 8th." The enemy ceased firing last night about sunset, and began to throw shells again between eleven and twelve, and continued so all night ; they also began to fire from some cannon about two o'clock in the morning, and at daylight they began to play with the same guns and mortars and in the same direction as yesterday, with the addition of two guns more from the Burying Ground, so that their battery at that place now consists of four guns. The damage done to the works this day is much more considerable than yesterday ; the enemy have lowered their embrazures, having probably observed that many of their shots flew over. A working party of ioo Europeans and two companys of sepoys are ordered to repair the damage done to the works." Friday, January i2th." Pursuant to the Resolution taken yesterday, a sortie was made this morning to the southward. Major Cholmondely Brereton, who commanded the sortie, reports that half an hour after four o'clock this morning he marched from the covered way with one company of Grenadiers and a detachment consisting of three officers, three serjeants and eighty three privates with four hundred sepoys. When his advance
party arrived near the Bar they were fired at by some sepoys the enemy had placed behind a trench, who then retired immedi ately. He then advanced through the topes into a lane which leads to the Governor's house, and there a trooper, who was ad vanced before the party, brought him word that the enemy were posted at the end of the lane, and had one gun pointed the way our party was marching up ; he thereupon gave orders for the advanced party of Grenadiers to move up briskly, which they did, and gave their fire at about thirty yards' distance from the enemy. The enemy then fired their gun, which was charged with grape, and then abandoned it, and we took possession ; the enemy being quite dispersed, our people were drawing off the gun when the Commandant of sepoys brought word that there was another gun pointed towards the bridge leading to the Island, and desired leave to draw it off, which they did. The number killed and wounded of the enemy's not known. We took prisoners one officer (the Chevalier de , a Lieutenant of Lally's Regiment) and four private men. Our loss will appear by the report hereunder." January i3th." Lieutenant Charles Todd, Commandant of Sepoys, reports that the sepoys' arms and ammunition are in very bad order, and in general their officers so ignorant of any thing relative to military affairs, and so totally unacquainted with discipline, that there is great difficulty in making them understand the most simple occasional orders." January I9th." It being judged from this intelligence that the enemy's design to make some attempt this night, the intended sally was countermanded, and all the garrison ordered to lay under arms at their several alarm posts." February 14th." Before the moon rose the enemy advanced a galrionade about thirty feet in front of the stockade under cover of the bank of the glacis, and formed a traverse with a direct communication behind it to the stockade. This work was discovered by the light of the moon about 9 o'clock, and a constant fire of musketry, round and grape, was kept upon that part the whole night, and at daybreak the old guards of the demi-place of arms and facine Battery sallyed out and entirely destroyed the work the enemy had done in the night without any other accident on our part than two men slightly wounded." February 16th." As soon as it grew dark three lights were hoisted at the flag-staff as a mark for the ships to come in ; by about eight o'clock at night the six ships anchored in the road, and to the great joy of the garrison, proved to be His Majesty's Ship Queenborough, Captain Kemperfelt, and the Company's frigate Revenge, with the Tilbury, Winchelsea, Prince of Wales, and Britannia, having on board six companys of Colonel Draper's Regiment. Mr. Pybus, one of the Council, went off with a letter from the Governor to Captain Kemperfelt to compliment him on his arrival, and to desire him to land as many of the soldiers as he can to-night ; and Colonel Draper wrote off to Major Monson to the same effect, it being apprehended that if Mr. Lally does intend to make any rush, he will do it this night before our succours can come to our assistance. All the garrison, the Company's servants and inhabitants, were therefore ordered under arms, and continued so the whole night at their several alarm posts, and about two companys were landed from the ships in the night. A constant fire was kept upon the enemy's trenches, which they sometimes returned, and threw a few shells in the beginning of the night, but none after 11 o'clock. About midnight three deserters came in separately from St. Thome, and report that the French entirely abandoned that place, and left several mortars and some stores behind, which were sent there to be embarked in boats and sent to Pondicherry. That their outposts have been ordered to join at the powder mill, and that the enemy intend to raise the siege and march off before daybreak." February 17th." About three in the morning the enemy set fire to several large piles of wood in the rear of their guard battery, and as soon as the day broke it appeared that the enemy had abandoned their trenches and batterys, and were retreating, and about nine o'clock in the morning they blew up the powder mill at Egmore.