n the history of the British people, there is nothing finer or
more terrible than Baillie's resistance to the overwhelming
army which surrounded him. Cannonaded on his left, his front
and his right, scorch'd with the fire of musketry and rockets,
and harassed by incessant charges of horsemen, he struggled
on�' declared the author (1902) of a history of Fort St.
George, Madras. The troops with Baillie's detachment were
as follows
| - Royal Artillery |
4 officers |
77 men |
| - Madras European
Infantry (102nd Foot) |
9 officers |
104 men |
| - Fletcher's
reinforcement, flank companies of 1/71st, and grenadiers
of Madras European Infantry |
301 of all
ranks |
|
| - Native Infantry |
46 European
officers |
3312 men |
| |
|
Total: 3853
men |
Of the 86 European officers, 36 were killed or died of wounds,
34 were taken wounded, and only 16 taken unhurt. The whole of the
sepoy forces were either killed, captured or dispersed, and only
about 200 Europeans, most of them wounded, were taken alive by the
enemy.
Baillie himself is reported to have said to Haidar after the battle,
'Your son will inform you that you owe the victory to our disaster
rather than to our defeat.' Baillie and his gallant detachment had
certainly fought heroically to the last, and Munro had made some
progress towards Baillie in the early morning of the fateful day.
However, Munro seems to have been indecisive, changing direction
twice before meeting sepoys bearing news of Baillie's defeat. Munro
withdrew to Conjeeveram, the city to which he had clung so firmly
for the sake of the stores, but of these, there was now only one
day's supply remaining. By 3.00am the next morning, therefore, Munro
had cast into the temple tank all the heavy guns, and any other
supplies which would encumber his withdrawal. He retreated to Chingleput,
losing on the way a further 500 men to Haidar's attacks, but meeting
Col. Cosby, and the troops from Trichinopoly, who had marched north-east
to meet him after failing to recover Chittapet from Haidar. By 15th
September, Munro had reached the safety of Marmalong, some 4 miles
South of Madras. The disastrous campaign was over.
Although blame has been heaped on Munro, once feted as the victor
of Buxar (1767), the Madras Council cannot escape censure. It was
they who were ultimately accountable for the lack of transport and
supplies which so bedevilled troop movements; for corruption and
bickering amongst themselves, and for the lack of preparedness and
widely scattered forces at the beginning of the campaign. Not without
reason has it been described as 'one of the greatest calamities
that has ever befallen British arms.' Nor was it surprising that
Tipu chose this theme for a great mural painting on the walls of
his
Darya Daulat Palace at Seringapatam.
The cycle consists of an upper and a lower section, on either side
of one of the main doorways into the elaborately decorated interior.
The left-hand section shows Tipu's army advancing, with his French
mercenaries and Maratha troops. In the right section,
Haidar
and Tipu lead the advance as a cavalry charge on the British
Cavalry.
The British square, with Baillie
seated centrally in his palanquin, appears above, and to the right
of the square, the French, with their commander Lally, and more
of Tipu's men, attack the rear of the square. Today, the mural is
preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India as part of the national
heritage.
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