D'Auteuil, after sending word to Law of his intentions, marched from
Utatua, where he was lying, by a road to the west which would enable
him to move round Samieaveram to Paichandah. Clive captured one of the
messengers, and set off with his force to intercept him. D'Auteuil,
however, received information by his spies of Clive's movement, and
not wishing to fight a battle in the open, with a superior force, fell
back to Utatua, while Clive returned to Samieaveram.
Law, too, had received news of Clive's movement. Here was a chance of
retrieving the misfortunes of the campaign. Paichandah being still in
his hands, he could sally out with his whole force and that of Chunda
Sahib, seize Samieaveram in Clive's absence, and extend his hand to
D'Auteuil, or fall upon Clive's rear. Instead of this, he repeated the
mistake he had made before Trichinopoli; and, instead of marching out
with his whole force, he sent only eighty Europeans, of whom forty
were deserters from the English army, and seven hundred Sepoys.
The English returned from their march against D'Auteuil. The greater
portion of the troops were housed in two temples, a quarter of a mile
apart, known as the Large and Small Pagoda.
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