ing the fortrefs of Sevendroog; and having, upon a confideration of its numerous garrison, and the fhelter which bodies of horfe could receive, under its protection, in the rugged and woody tract of country with which it is encircled for feveral miles, become daily more convinced that all the means which it was in my power to adopt, would be ineffectual to fecure fupplies from the Northward to the armies that are destined to inveft the enemy's capital, unle's that fort could be reduced, I finally refolved fome time ago to make the attempt.

It being neceffary, in order to enable me to make my previous arrangements, to afcertain what part of the extenfive rock it would be most advifeable to at tack, I took a pofition with the army about half way between Bangalore and Sevendroog, and fent the Chief Engineer and other (kuful Officers, under the efcort of a few battalions, to reconnoitre the place in the most minute and deliberate manner. After I had received their report, I detached Lieutenant Colonel Stuart, on the 11th inftant, with his Majesty's 52d 2nd 72d regiments and four native battalions, eight eighteen pounders, four zweive pounders, and two fimall mortars, with directions to attack the place on the North-Eaft fide, the appearance of which, from the plans and ketches that had been Jaid before me, feemed to me to be the Leatt difcouraging, and I fubfequently aded the flank companies of the 71ft and 76th regiments to Lieutenant Colonel Stuart's corps.

I then etablished pofts, compofed of detachments of our own infantry and the horfe of our allies, at confiderable dittance on our right and left, for the purpofe of preventing the enemy's parties from going around to disturb the communications behind us during the fiege; and I afterwards moved on, with the main body of the ar my, to the nearest ground to the Northward of the fort on which it was poftible to encamp, and which was not lefs than eight miles diftant from it, in order to be ready to act according to circumitances, either in fupport of the attacking corps, or of any of the other detachments, in cafe the enemy fhould venture to form a defign against them.

I fhall neither trouble you with a defcription of this formidable fortrefs, the lower walls of which embraces, at a confiderable height on the afcent, an immense mountain, or rather rock, but which actually confits of two distant forts, feparated from each other by a deep chafin acrofs the top of the mountain, and to the Weltern fort there is no accefs, except by

one narrow path, that leads to it from the Northern fide; nor fhall I enter into a detail of the particulars of the fiege, which, though attended with almoft incredible labour, in cutting roads and communica tions, and in dragging the guns up the precipices, on which it was neceffary to conftruct the batteries, was pushed on with the utmost vigour and expedition; but fhall content myself with mentioning, that having had reafon, on the 20th initant, to expect, from the fhattered appearance of the two walls of the Eastern fort, that the breaches in them would foon be practicable, and it being utterly im poflible that troops could find their way amongst the rocks and precipices to afcend the face of the hill in the night, I directed that all the batteries should continue to fire inceffantly during the remainder of that day, and from day-break the following morning, and that Lieutenant Colonel Stuart fhould immediately make a difpofition for adulting the place in the forenoon.

The fire of the artillery had every effect that I could have wifhed: and Lieutenant Colonel Stuart having made a molt judicious difpofition for the affault, the troops mounted the breach of the lower wall, from lodgements that had been made near to it, upon a fignal which was given, at ten o'clock; and the good order and determined countenance of the European grenadiers and light infantry, who led the affault, ftruck the enemy with fuch aftonishment, and fo thoroughly ftupified them with terror, that although they were pofted in great numbers in fituations from which they might have done much execution before they could have been diflodged, it foon appeared that they were totally incapable of making the least resistance, and by that means the troops, without encountering any other dificulty but that of the ruggednefs of the paths and the exceffive teepnefs of the afcent, not only gained the fummit of the Eastern hill, but there of the right divifion alfo pursued the fugitives to the gates of the Weltern hill, to which the fire of our artillery had not been directed, and there mixed and entered with them. The Pettah, and a chain of fmall detached forts, at a short distance from the fouthern fide of the hill, being commanded by the upper works, were immediately abandoned upon the appearance of our troops on the summit of the mountain.

The garrifon, at the beginning of the fiege, confifted of about 2000 men, from which there had been confiderable defertions before the day of the allault.

Or that occafion, although I had fent two battalions early in the morning from the camp of the inain army to endeavour to intercept the runaways on the oppofite fide of the mountain, by far the greatest number efcaped over different parts of the extenfive circuit of the walls, leaving only between two and three hundred killed and wounded, amongst the former of which was the Second Killedar, and the First Killedar and a few of the principal officers prifoners.

On our fide we were fortunate to a degree, which, perhaps, can hardly be paralleled in hiftory; only feventeen men, officers included, were killed or wounded in carrying on the approaches, and in the conftruction of our batteries, one of which was within 250 yards of the wall; and I had the fingular gratification to acquire a fortress of ineftiniable value to the public intereft, and which has hitherto been confidered over all India as impregnable, without having to regret the lofs of a fingle foldier in the affault.

Being perfuaded that the garrifons of the neighbouring forts would be impreffed with great terror by the fall of Sevendroog, I lost no time to avail myfelf of their confternation. Captain Welf, of the Bengal Infantry, who was pofted with three native battalions and a large body of the Nizam's horfe, at a confiderable distance on the left of the position of the army, was accordingly ordered to march with two battalions, before daylight, on the morning of the 22d, to the fort of Ramghire, fituated about thirty miles from Bangalore, on the great road leading from that place, by Anapatam, to Seringapatam; and LieutenantColonel Stuart was directed, after learing one native battalion in Sevendroog, to march, with the remainder of the corps under his command, on the morning of the 23d, to inveft the ftrong hill fort of Outradroog, which lays about twelve miles to the north-wett of Sevendroog.

Although Captain Welth was furnithed with no means whatever to reduce the fortrefs of Ramghire by force, he, by his addrefs and judicious management, not only fucceeded in alarming the Killedar of that place and his gairifon, and inducing them to capitulate on the forenoon of the 23d, but also obtained, in like manner, poffeflion of the adjoining fort of Sevenghire, on the morning of the 24th.

At Outradroog we were equally fuccefsful, and with circumitances much more brilliant.

The afternoon of the 23d was employ ed by Lieutenant Colonel Stuart, and by

the Engineers who had accompanied his detachment, in reconnoitring the place; and he refolved to attack the Pettah on the following morning.

A detachment was accordingly formed for that purpose, under the command of Captain Scott, of the Bengal infantry, and on its march towards the Fort, about nine o'clock in the forenoon, it was met by a Bramin, who faid that he came out, with affurances from the garrifon, that, notwithstanding the refolution of the Killedar to the contrary, they were determined to furrender.

The great strength of the place rendered the overture highly acceptable; and Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart immediately fent back the Bramin with offers of advantageous terms, both to the garrifon and the inhabitants, provided they would admit the troops without refiftance; and he gave them two hours, from ten o'clock, to confider and to come to their final decifion.

The guns of the Fort having, however, continued to fire frequently during that interval, and Lieutenant-Colonc Stuart having likewife feen other reasons to induce him to believe that the offer of furrender had been only a feint, in order to gain time on the part of the garrifon, the affaulting party was held in readinefs; and no perfon having conc out of the Fort at the expiration of the two hours, Captain Scott was ordered to advance, under cover of the fire of fome fix-pounders, to escalade the Pettahl, with an additional inftruction to make an attempt upon the Fort, in cafe evidenz marks of confufion or irresolution should appear amongst the enemy.

The troops, upon afcending the ladders, found that the Pettah had been abandoned; but, having difcovered clear figns of confternation amongit the enemy upon the walls of the Fort, they preceeded with their ladders to affault ther with an ardour and confidence that the recent fuccefs at Sevendroog could alone have infpired, and met with a feeblenets of refittance which could only be accounted for by the ftrong impreffion of terror which the fall of that place had made upon the minds of their adverfaries. Six different high walls of mafonry, upon the afcent of an hill of an uncommon fteepnets, were fuccellively and rapidly carried, and nothing could have more frongly marked the panic of the enemy and our attonithing good fortune, than that, although their tre during the affault was confiderable, two foldiers only belonging to the 72d regiment were

dightly

flightly wounded by it. The garrifon confifted of about fix hundred men, near a hundred of whom were killed or wounded in the heat of the affault; a number of the remainder perished in attempting to escape over the precipices on the oppofite fide of the Fort, and the 1ft and 2d Killedars, with a few of the other principal men, fell into our hands unhurt. At the time that I came to the refolution to attack Sevendroog and the other Forts on the road to Seringapatam, I communicated my intention to the Nizam's fon and Minifter, and to Purferam Bhow, recommending to the former to advance but flowly with his Highness's troops under their command, both for the convenience of fubfiftence, and on account of the impoffibility of their approaching near to this army in the woody country in which I was obliged to encamp but requesting that Purferam Bhow would lofe no time in moving to the fituation that I had formerly pointed out to him as neceffary for the purpose of cooperating usefully with us, and particularly at that period, for preventing the com munications on the rear of our right flank from being disturbed by the enemy's horfe.

Purferam Bhow has been lately much indifpofed, which has, to our great inconvenience, retarded the execution of the movement which I preffed him to make; but he is now a little recovered; and though I have not heard from him lately, I have reafon to hope that he is at prefent advancing to take a position between Sera and Shevagunga, according to my request.

General Abercromby has, in compliance with the inftructions that I tranf nitted to him fome time ago, afcended the Pondicherrum Ghaut with the troops under his command; and as I fhall be able, in two or three days, to fend to Bangalore for the remainder of the heavy artillery and ftores that will be wanted for the fiege, every thing will be prepared, as far as depends upon me, to enable the whole Confederate Force to advance towards Sering apatam early in the next month. My apprehenfions for the fafety of Coimbatore proved, unluckily by the event, to have been too well founded; for Major Cuppage, having failed in an st◄ tempt to raise the fiege, Lieutenant Chalmers was obliged to furrender the place, by capitulation, to Kummer ul Dien Khan, after a gallant defence of twenty-eight days.

I have not yet feen a copy of the capitulation, which I conclude Lieutenant

Chalmers has been prevented from fending to me; but I have understood, from fhort letter that he contrived to convey to Major Cuppage, that the terms were, that the garrifon fhould retain their baggage and private property, and be allowed to proceed to Madras, on condition of their engaging not to serve against Tippoo dur ing the war.

It appears, however, that not even the prefent unfavourable afpect of his affairs is fufficient to induce Tippoo to put a reftraint upon the natural perfidy of his difpofition; for he has violated the capitulation, and has brought up Lieutenant Chalmers and all the garrison to Seringapatam, where they are now in confine

ment.

I have been informed, that Kummer ul Dien destroyed the wretched works of Coimbatore, and, according to my expectations, immediately reafcended `the Ghauts with his whole detachment, by which means our troops to the Southward will find no difficulty in regaining poffeffion of that country.

Tippoo has lately made another fruits lefs attempt to open a feparate Negocia= tion with the Nizam, but he has made no overture, fince the date of my last letter, to treat for a general peace.

You will be informed by this oppor tunity of the diftreffes which the inhabitants of the Northern Circars are likely to fuffer from an uncommon drought in that quarter; and you will have heard, by the firft fhip of the feafon, of the ferious apprehenfions that were for fome time entertained of a great fcarcity in Bengal.

Every exertion will be made by the Governments of Bengal and Fort St. George to afford affittance to the Circars, and my mind has been relieved from much anxiety by my late advices from Bengal, which fay, that although the price of grain will be high in that country, there is now no danger of lofs of inhabitants, or of confiderable failure of revenue.

I think it proper to acquaint you, that I have granted leave to Major-Gene ral Mulgrave, upon his folicitation, on ac◄ count of his private affans, to return to Europe by one of the ships of this featon. I have the honour to be, With great reipect, Honourable Sirs,

Your moit obedient, and moft humble Servant, CORNWALLIS.

(Signed) Camp near Sevendroog, December 26, 1791.