Prev | Current Page 146 | Next

Henty, G. A. (George Alfred), 1832-1902

"Or, The Beginnings of an Empire"

Saunders had written to
Calcutta, begging that a hundred men might be sent thence. These were
now, with the eighty men at Madras, and the two hundred at Arcot, all
the force that could be at his disposal, for at Fort Saint David there
was not a single available man.
With all the efforts that Clive, aided by the authorities, could make,
it was not until the middle of February that he had completed his
arrangements. On the 9th, the hundred men arrived from Bengal, and,
without the loss of a day, Clive started from Madras to form a
junction with the garrison from Arcot, who, leaving only a small force
to hold the fort, had moved down to meet him.

Chapter 9: The Battle Of Kavaripak.

The troops from Arcot had already moved some distance on their way to
Madras, and Clive, therefore, with the new levies, joined them on the
day after his leaving Madras. The French and Riza Sahib let slip the
opportunity of attacking these bodies, before they united. They were
well aware of their movements, and had resolved upon tactics,
calculated in the first place to puzzle the English commander, to wear
out his troops, and to enable them finally to surprise and take him
entirely at a disadvantage.


Pages:
134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158