Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 2

THE CELTIC MAGAZmE.
invasi(ii), uudur coniin.and of General, artcrwaixls 8ir llci'tor l\runro of
Xovar. The detachiiicnt, consisting of about 3000 men, louimanded )iy
Colonel Baillie, Ind been stationed at ( Jinlniu Circav, and at the urgent
re(]uest of the Kiljob, was ordered to ynn I\Iunro. Colonel Baillie's pro-
gress had been, from the 25th of Auga.st to the 3d of September, impeded
by the rise of the river Arblir, which however he crossed on the 3d, in
the afternoon, without opposition, and resinned liis march to Conjeveram,
"where he was to join j\Iunro.
Upon the 4th, the following letter was sent to Colonel Baillie, proba-
bly by the Nabob's Secretary. It has some hieroglyphic attached : —
Sir,
The great attention which you have on all occasions shown to the interests of
his Highness the N^ibob, together with the regard which I have at all times expressed
towards you, now imluco nie to write yju a letter of congratulation on your having passed
the Eivcr which impeded your progress, and on your being on the road to join General
Sir Hector Munro, whose victorious arm will, with the blessing of God, chastise the un-
provoked insolence of Hydcr Ali Cawn. The sense which both the Nabob and I have of
your services are not unknown to Governor Whiteside and General Munro. It is a plea-
sure to call one's self the friend of a gallant officer. AVliat can I say more ?
Given at Chepauk, 4th September 1780.
Lieutenant-Colonel Baillie.
Colonel Baillie, by the Gth, having got as far as the village of Peram-
pauken, where he encamped, was attacked by Tippoo, at the head of
10,000 horse and 5000 infantry, with 14 pieces of cannon. The cngage-
iiieut lasted six hours, when the enemy had to retire with great loss. In
August 1781, v.'hen the army under Sir Eyre Coote encamped at this
place, great heaps of bones still remained. Col. Baillie had 300 native troops
killed, his ammunition was almost exhausted, and on the morning of the
7th he wrote a note to Munro, stating that he had but the shirt on his
back, that on review he found a like deficiency in ammunition and pro-
vision, in short, he added — "I must plainly tell you, Sir, that you must
come to me for I see it impossible for my party to get to Conjeveram."
Munro received this letter and instantly despatched Colonel Eletcher to
Baillie's assistance, but it was at the tinu^ strongly felt that Munro did
not act with sufficient promptness afterwards. Lord IMacleod left India
and resigned command of the 73d, it is said, " from having differed with
Munro on the subject of his movements, particularly those preceding
Colonel Baillie's disaster."
AVe row proceed to quote from a faded iSIS. Avliich is entitled — " An
account of the overthrow of Lieut.-(Jolonel Baillie's detachment by Ilyder
All's army on the 10th Sept. 1780. K.B. — The account was taken on
the field of battle on the 28th August 1781, from black officers and seve-
ral others who M'ere in the action, and the correctness of it was afterwards
confirmed in conversations on the subject by several of the surviving
officers on their releasement from captivity." It is in the hand-writing,
to the best of our belief, of General Macleod of the respected family of
Geanies in Eoss : —
"On the evening of the 7th September, Lieut.-Colonel Eletche^^
with the Grenadiers of the army, was detached to join Lieut.-
Colonel Baillie, with some ammunition for his field-pieces, in dciolics and
on camels. As it was probable that tliis party should be obliged to take