After three desperate onsets, the
besiegers retired behind the ditch.
26. "The struggle lasted about an hour. Four hundred of the assailants
fell. The garrison lost only five or six men. The besieged passed an
anxious night, looking for a renewal of the attack. But when day broke
the enemy were no more to be seen. They had retired, leaving the
English several guns and a large quantity of ammunition.
27. "Clive immediately began offensive operations. Re-enforced by
seven hundred English troops and sepoys from Madras, and effecting a
junction with the auxiliary Mahratta force, he soon overran all the
Northern Carnatic. He gained a complete victory over Rajah Sahib's
army of five thousand natives and three hundred Frenchmen. At this
time Major Lawrence arrived from England and assumed the command. An
expedition marched to the assistance of Mohammed Ali at Trichinopoly.
The besiegers were defeated, and Chunda Sahib was put to death by the
Mahrattas, into whose hands he fell.
28. "The English were now masters of the Carnatic, and the French
influence was broken. Steadily the English power was extended over the
Deccan and all Southern India. Dupleix struggled against his fate in
vain, no French armament came to his assistance. His company condemned
his policy and furnished him with no aid. But still he persisted,
bribed, intrigued, promised, lavished his private fortune, and
everywhere tried to raise new enemies to the government at Madras, but
all to no purpose.
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