The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-01-19 00:00:00, page 2

So early as th- siege of Pondicherry, Hyder Ally
m ditated an a tack upon the Carnatick, and openly
negotiated Mth the Sabin of the Decan, and the Ma
rattoes, an Alliance founded on general hohility to the
English. Since the commencement of the yer 1779,
an invasion of the Carnatck was positively determin
ed on, and became, the common taikin Hyder's durbar,
I however futpeH, that Hyoer would not have ventu
red on a war with the English, had he not been pro
mised ai powerful diversion from/he Mauritius, on the
coaf iof Malabar, and assured by the Poonah admi
ni stration, that they would not hearken to any terms
of peace with the English, when Hyder approached
the gauts, or passes, he halted and held many coun
cils, whether he (hould enter the Carnatick, or wait
another season: they all dissuaded him from war, ex
cept his son Tippoo Saheb, who urged the defencelefs
state of the country, and the difficult s, which the
government of Madras would find in assembling their
army. Hyder was rather inclined to p.'ftpone his in
tended invasion, until convinced by his fon's argomens
and assured by his vackeel at Madras, that tne go
vernment of that place were taking no measures toop
pofe him, nor thought of assembling the army, he de
termined to commence hostilities, and gave orders to
his cavalry to enter the Carnatick.
Mheer Saheb, the brother-in law of Hyder Ally,
with 8000 horse, and afterwards Tippoo, with 6000
regular infantry,.l2 guns and 18,000 cavalry, made
two attacks upon a detachment of the English troops,
marching from the northward to join their main body
near Madras, under the command of lieutenant colo
nel Baillie, an officer of great experience and reputa
tion ; each time the troops of Mysore were repulsed
with great loss, especially on the 6th of September,
when the aflion lasted for several hours ; and although
colonel Baillie was obliged to relinquish the baggage
of his detachment, yet be gained a compleat victory
over the best troops in his army.
The main body of the English had advanced to Con
jeveram, avowedly to fuccour Arcot, while Hyder
rafed the siege, and moved towards the English gene
ral, with an intention, as was given out, to offer him
battle, but rather I imagine, to prevent, if possible,
the junction of colonel Baillie's detachment. We
found the English army in poss under Conjeveram,
where they could not be attacked with a probability
of success, and as their general did not chufe to hazard
an aOion upon the plain, nothing passed but the usual
manoeuvres of forming the lines and retiring to their
refpe&ive camps. Hyder Ally had exaft and constant
intelligence of every thing that passed in the enemy's
army • ,he knew the hour that lieutenant-colonel Flet
cher was to march with a reinforcement to join colonel
Baillie-,the strength of his detachment, and that he
had no cannon, and accordingly determined to inter
cept him, which te inevitable would have done, had
not Fletcher, as I have since learned, fufpeding his
guides, changed his route, and by making a sweep to
rhe right, joined colonel Baillie without opposition.
As soon as this was known, lieutenant colonel Lalle,
and most of Hyder's principal officers advised him fire
nuoufly to retreat, and re cross the Palaar, left the
English general Should advance upon his rear, while he
might be attacked by Baillie's reinforced detacl ment in
front. I thought Hyder's position most dangerous,
and that he had fallen into the snare, which had been
prepared for him. Hyder was undetermined how to
a& when two of his spies came in from Conjeveram,
and assured him that the English army was in camp,
and making no preparations to move. This appeared
so extraordinary to us all, that Lalle told me, Hyder
was betrayed by his spies, and went once more to him,
to urge the neceffiry of carrying off his guns and in
fantry; but the near approach of colonel Baillie being
known, it was resolved o await his detachment in am
bufeade, and to place the artillery so as to infilade his
route, while a body of irregu ar cavalry was sent to
amuse the English army at Conjeveram At day light
we difeovered the enemy's detachment,marching in co
lumns nearly towards the centre of our position, which
was firft announced to colonel Baillie by 12 pieces of
cannon, which opened upon his right flank, and by
half pafl 6 o'clock 57 cannon were brought to bear
upon every part of the English line. About seven this
unequal action became general. Too great encomiums
cannot be bestowed on the English commander and his
troops, for in the whole course of this trying conflict,
they preserved a face and coolness n manoeuvre,
which would have done credit to any troops in the
world ; raked by the fire of an immente artillery, the
ly's campaign in the Carnatick, kept by a foreign
officer of rank, who, during that period, attended toe
Mysore army as envoy from his nation, and was an
An account of the action fought on the 10th of Septem
ber, between the army of Hyder Ally Cawn, and a
detachment from th p English army, commanded by
lieutenant colonel William Baillie, near Conjeveram,
with some ototr particulars, previous to that engage
ment
eye wi ^efs of mod o' the occurrences which he relates,
and could not poffibfy have any interest in being par
tial. 1
Certain circuroflaMc+sdn my own situation, unnecef
fa r y here to explain, afforded me an opportun ty of
procuring ' copy of such part of the journal as relate
to the condud df our gallant countrymen.
I am fir,
Your obedient servant, A. B.
October io, 1781.
§ S rdo not fmdthat the public have yet bem in
,% formed-of the particulars of that unfortunate
action near Mad as, in wnich tee flower of the Eng
liih army was cutoff, I imagine the followmg a count
will not be unacceptable to many of your readers :
ft is literally translated from a journal of Hyder Al-
S I R,
-L ONDO N, October 16.
To the PRINTER,
When you arrive at New-York, a new feene of
more cruel treatment is presented to view. You are
towed on board the prison ship, where you undergo
a second search, and stripped of the little you have
left, they deprive you of the small, but necessary ar
ticle, a pocket knife. What would not the pilfering
THE firft night after being taken, they are lodged
' with the sheep and horned cattle, and not allowed
to fit or stand, but if any one is found in that position,
they receive a wound from the bayonet. The next
night they are drove down the hollop, where one
hundred men are flowed in a place too small for fifty,
unless one lays upon another, and there kept 16 hours
in 24, which too often proves fatal to many. You
are flripped of every thing of the leaf! value ; and
the wretches, under the feigned character of gentlemen,
will promise you payment, but when you are ordered
away they will take particular care not to be fen:
if you request to fee the captain, to enter a complaint,
“ he is busy, and cannot be spoke with; so bear a
hand and enter the boat "
From the Boston Independent Chronicle, January r.
Hyder Ally has sullied his victory by the treatment
of his prisoners. Colonel Baillie was Gripped and bro't
before him, wounded in three places. Intoxicated
with success, Hyder exulted over him in the imperious
tone of a conqueror, which Brillie retorted with the
true spirit of a soldier, and boldly appealed to Hyder's
own officers, if the victory was not his, but for an
accident which no human forefight could prevent.
His detachment being chiefly grenadiers, was the flow
er of the Madras army, a title which they have dearly
purchased, for I.fuppofe few of t em, from wounds
and hardship, will favive their captivity; officers and
men appear to fupoort their misfortunes with that
haughty, sullen fortitude, which is the cbara&erifiick
of their country.
The following will inform the public the barbarous
treatment the Americans receive when they have
the misfortune to fall into the hands of Brithh ty
rants.
The aaion had continued three hours with doubt
ful success, when about half past nine, victory began
to declare for the English. Foiled in every attack, the
flower of the Mysore cavalry, repulsed with great loss :
the infantry with peat difficulty kept in the field;
Hyder determined to etreat, and a rapid movement,
which colonel Baillie made from the right to the cen
tre, appeared to have decided the fate of the day..
Orders were given to colonel Lalle to draw off his guns,
and to the cavalry to cover the retreat, when on that
instant, two explosions were perceived in the English
line, which laid open one entire face of their column,
destroyed their artillery, and threw the whole into ir
reparable cohfufion. Tipoo Saheb, with that celerity
which diflinguifhes every operation of this gallant
prine, saw the/moment of advantage, and without
waiting for orders, made a rapid charge with the Mo
gul and Carnatick horse, penetrated the broken square
and being followed by the French corps, with the in
fantry of the firft line, compleated the overthrow of
that gallant band. The Sepoys, amounting to up
wards of four battaliions, were mostly cut to pieces,
while colonel Baillie, altnough much wounded, rallied
his Europeans and once more formed them in square
under the fire of all our cannon. With this handfulof
men, he gained a small eminence on the plain, where,
without ammunition, and most of his men grievously
wounded, he refilled and repulsed thirteen separate at
tacks, but freih bodies of horse continually pouring in,
they were bore down by numbers without giving way,
and trod under foot by the elephants and hor e.
This victory cost the Mysore army very dear. The
Daughter of their be ft troops was immense, and nothing
but the accident of the tumbrils could have saved Hy
der from a total defeat, had the good genius of the
English brought up their troops from Conjeveram, du
rring the battle, the Mysore army muff have been in
evitably ruined; not one battalion of foot or ,a single
gun, would probably have escaped. Although vie
torious Hyder did not remain on the field of battle; the
report that general Munro was advancing made him
retreat precipitately and in confufion to the Round
Wells, leaving all the wounded and a great part of his
baggage behind ; but on his arrival there, hearing
that the English were retreating towards Cuirgleput,
after having spiked up their guns, he dispatched all his
cavalry in pursuit, who returned the next day loaded
with plunder and with many prisoners, most of them
desperately wounded.
Nothing could surpass the hardy desperate volour
displayed by this handful of Englishmen, and their fe
poys, in this general massacre ; officers and men seem
ed determined to fell their lives as dear as possible: and
although left without a single g n, their ammunition
expended, the officers with their swords, and the pri
vates with their bayonets, atchieved prodigies of va
lour, which the Mysore army speak of wit- a flonifh
ment. lam informed by some of Hyder's officers, that
many of the English, after they were cut down and
mrferably wounded, refnfed quarters, and raised them
selves from the ground to push with their bayonets to
t^e very last. If the English fuffer in their military
reputation, by the issue of this campaign, in return,
the heroism, of Baillie's detachment will ever hand
high in the annals of this country. Their disaster was
occ fioned by the quantity of loose ammunition, which
had been sent by colonel Fletcher's reinforcement,
blowing up and communicating to the tumbrils in the
line.
greater part of the a&ion within grape diflance,
attached on all sides by not4efs than 25 000 horse, and
thirty battalions 1 f Srapoys, besides Hyder's European
corps; the Engl sh flood firm, and repulsing every
charge with great Aughter; the horse driven back
upon the infantry, te ight of our line began to give
way, although compofeci of the belt troops in theMy
fore army. Colonel Baillie had only ten guns, bat
these were incomparably well worked, and kept up
an unre % itting fire during the whole of the engagement.
N. B. Should any number of Ladies or Gentlemen,
who have not hitherto attended, wish to go through the
whole course rs lectures, I will again repeat those they
have had no opportunity of hearing, to any number,
not less than three,in private.
No corruption I screen, no treahn I sing,
I'm a FRIEND to this country : but with for no king.
- PLAGIARY,
When mrrit appears tho' in rags I'll refpe& it.
And will plead virtue's caule, tho' the world (hould re
j &it;
No partv I serve, in no quarrel I join
Nor DAMN the opinion that diftru from mine:
And excuse a mittake, but not flatter a crime
0 To be Let, a
LARGE convenient TAVERN, situated on the erst
fide ot Third ffreet, near Arch-lLeet, known by
the name of the Bunch of Grapes ; with two parlours
(even chambers, a laige rco n, two garrets, two kitch
ens, with a hou e at the end of the lot, and (tables for
forty horfe#. Fur further particulars enquire of Mrs.
BINGHAM, in Pne street. near St Petal's Church.
lam high church nor I ^ church, no torv: a whig.
No fluttering you g coxcomb nor form 1 old prig :
I can Hugh at a jest, if not told out of time,
ing on agronomy and every other branch of natural phi.
Io ophy, at the Lodge Rooru in Lodge-alley every
Monday, We'rel'day and Saturday, at 1% at noon and
B at night. Tickets to be had of him for the whole
course of kaures, for one Guinea, and for a single
1-ame Half a Dollar ; allo at the Bar of the C< ffee
hotfe. Should a stranger ask, who are you that thus
presume to inftrutt mankind in the sublime faiences of
human knowledge. I anfwer —
By Virtue of sundry Writs of Venditioni
Exponas, to me dirided.
Will be Exposed at Public Sale,
° n TUESDAY, the izd instant, at Ten o’Clock in
the Forenoon, at the Nothern Liberty Au&ion Store,
A LARGE and Elegant Assortment of
Z l European Goods, confiftug of Hosiery, Linens,
Calicoes, printed Handkerchiefs, Scotch Thread, Cali
mant 0. s, C^mblets, Bearskins, Knap% Coatings, broad
Cloths, Forest ditto, Shaloons, Rattinets, Strip'd Lind
b)s, &c. &:. &c. and a Variety of Hard and Cutle
ry-Wares, and Coffin Furniture. The Whole to be
fold for Cash only, by
Ai fun et all are ordered down, the hatches bolted,
and during the night but one allowed to come on deck
at a time, and obliged to force himself through a small
place left open for that purpose. In tie morning you
will find from three to fix corps, and frequently fifteen
or twenty daily carried to the hospital ship, few of
whom ever return. The dead are carried a shore and
thrown under a bank, covered with a few fhovles of
grav I, exposed to nigh tides and rains, and soon left
naked • these are faffs, you murdering dastardly Bri
tons, deny it if you can : juflice cries aloud for retali
ation ! Humanity demands it ! the blood of your mur
dered brethren cries to heaven for vengeance! Let us
like men retaliate in the flr^eff manner, and save the
lives of hundreds! View your prison ships in this har
bour, without guards, well supplied with necessaries of
life, officers paroled to luxuriate on some pleasant
island, or walking your streets, compare this with the
treatment our prisoners at New York receive, and I
would ask you if justice and humanity are fallen asleep?
If reta iation takes place, your cartels will return
with healthy, hearty seamen, instead of meager walk
ing ghofls; men fit for actual Service, and who with
pleasure will rifque tieir lives in your service, trusting
in your justice. The vir uous Americans have flemed
every torrent of faffering and cruelty, and not relin
quished the glorious aaufe of freedom, notwithfland
ing the frequent alluring offers of our enemy (when
starved and naked) of every necessary supply ; but if
unfelt for and neglected by their brethren, such un
heard of virtue may nor last always.
I have been eye witness to all the foregoing treat
ment, and have received both the cutlass and bayonet:
it is too much for human nature to bear.
D. p.
Boflon, Jan. 1, 1782.
dMMb^^^m^^^^
Mt, Macpherfon is now lectur-
barbarous blood thirfly Britons do, when depriving
you of so trifling an article ? after this search, you
will be driven from the quarter deck, and not return
unless sent for, from thence down the hatch-way, where
you are astonished at the fight of about 900 unhappy
men, one third of whom are not able to move, but |y.
ing gasping, and not a necessary of life to alleviate
their distresses ; only two thirds of George's allowance
bread rotten and filled with vermin, and fait beef but
a trifle better; you have the liberty of puichafing
some necessaries of the guards, at double the price you
would purchase elsewhere.
At fun rife you have the liberty of coming on deck
and walking in the waste and forecafile, but if you at
tempt to go on the quarter-deck or gang way, you
feel the weight of the cutlass, or point of the bayonet.
You are often deprived the benefit of cooking your
provisions; no sooner are your fires kindled and kettles
on, than orders are given to extinguish the fires.
J have seen the prisoners mustered on deck to com
pare the numbers with the returns given the ftewart:
if any are deficient in a mess (which is frequently the
case, by reason of sickness, are not able to appear on
deck) they who make the returns immediately receive
two or three dozen lathes. Such inhumanity, till this
war, unknown!
WILLIAM WILL, Sheriff.