The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-04-06

Tie blind impocy of this measure in a military
view, may be seen At in the fact, that all the
successes of the British in their wars have been
lowing TO the examples of discipline, and the G.
mutation constantly kept up between the differ
ent denominations of troops. The European re.
giments always determined TO excel the native
troops the native troops, composed of half Hin.
t'rs and half Mahomedams, each emulated the
| other, and both sought to surpass the Europe
ans. This single sprin, of. action, which indica.
ted so much sagacity in the con,river. or such
singular good fortune in their coincidence, Corn.
wallis attempted to destroy, with other p:e,p
than to trise tle patronage of Hsn6ustan into the
hands of the crown. This was one Of the .cau.
SEES OF disai.ccton to which we referred in the
i former part of this sketch.
] II was the excess of nfatuation to touch IA
brio which had been so competent to the policy.
| and which had acquired under Give and Coole
SO much renown. The organization was so che an
to the company, that it is still more extraordinary
they should disturb it for instead of the usual
ranks, the native troops were so brigaded as that
only ane regiment in every brigade of six. was
ccmm2nded by E,s ior, who for his majors paw
executed all the functions and duties OF major
colonel, and 6rigaSier general The other five
regiments of each brigade, we're each command
ca ny the senior captain, and promotion went on
shrough the line by seniority. y.
! While Corvallis was in Mysorc, he tam.
Pered with the troops i'll the field, where dsci.
pune ceing more rigorous, resistance was not
likely to be SO formidable or open. No resistance
was made in the field, but the corp. spread over
the provinces dependant upon Bengal, were
soon apprEcd Of what was meditated; thew OBJ
tanned the circular letters of CORVALLIS, and
they had them printed witt, equal secrecy, and
placed them in the hands Of every officer in the
company's service. They determined to make
common cause in the defence. Of their rights,
and TO resist their meditated subiec,ion to the
royal service. The effect of this attempt to a.
4 RIGHT nrnd. I
tney discovered that they had been, even in their
previous state, parsimonously and nuriously
| dealt by; that it required ten to fourteen wears
residence to arrive at a lieutenancy; twenty
years to become 8 captain, and twenty five TO
I thirty to gain the command of battalio on which,
with the rank OF captain, was the ultimate bound
| OF their ambitions They discovered that the rank
OF colonel might be obtained in Europe, with lit
tie more than hive or SIX years service, and that
| captain who had obtained commission in the
royal service, and spent only six months in In
dia, might command captain of twenty wears
standing in India. They found too that earl
Cornwais had in his Mysore conc,uests constant
~ denied or concealed the service of the compa-
nys troops, while he extolid or exaggerated those
OF the royal troops; upon them the command of
conquered toriresses were bestowed, to the eI.
clusion ofthe most distinguished merit, of meri,
witheut winch, IN fact. Corn wallis could not have
advanced nifty miles within the frontier of N.Y.
sore, and 10 which he owed his salvation from
the subtle stratagems of Tippoo.
Ona instance particularly strikes the writer's
memory-major Gowdis, of the Madras cstab-
lishment, had charge of the advance. when
CORVALLIS proceeded towards B.nralore 81
.IiPPoo had prepared to. draw the British
INTO difficult pass, as he had enlrapped general
| Medows the preceding year, at Sattimungulum
Sowdie, gallant Scots officer, in the company's
service, as soon as he had entered defiie, dis.
covered his situation, and that he pust either
n he
! sacrifice of the whole army. He determined
upon The former, and contrived, while he was
array ING hIs force to guard against flank attack
TO dispatch two successive messengers to Corn.
Wallis IN his rear, apprisng him Of the position
IN winch M he discovered the enemy. and suggest
ing a different mode OF movement, promising
with his corps to keep the enemy at bay
Cornwalls judiciousIy pursued Gowdie's plan.
and detached body of Sepoys through The
woods to attack the ensmy on the flank and
! rear. Gowdie, instead of haltng, made a rapid
march for position with which he was ac
quainted, by which the enemy was deceived in
TO an opinion that Gowdie had not discovered
his position and was at his mercy but as soon
as CORVALLIS had advanced to the point at
which Tippoo determined to attack Tippoo
was piac between three fires, CORVALLIS in
front, the Bengal Sepoys under Walsh in his
rear and left flank, and Gowdie, who had wheel
ed round on his right flank and changed his
/ X.
acton was desperate, and Cowdie with his
corps, had to sustain the brunt of the battle, as
the enemy could retreat, only through the de-
MES which Gowdie had occupied with an infilade
battery and cross fire, under cover of which he
fought, and to which he decoyed Tippeo
Sowdc, this gallant man, distinguished alike
by has vasor aud his domestic virtues, was pass
ed over To Gowdie, his duty and his honor
repaid each other, but man with an amiable
wife and Is children, all daughters, could net
be indifferent to the emoluments and as well "a
honoIs OF command which could hardly have
Deen so we'll bestowed en- royal Captain of the
name OF Monson, whose great merit was his
lordly connexions and being royal officer This
single case we have cited out of hundreds, with
whom the writer of this article had intimate
knowledge.
Ihe design OF this sketch, being TO exhibit by
FACTS, the causes OF the discontents among the
royal and co'npany's troops in asia it will be
seen, that they have nothing to do with the in
terests or concerns ofthe natives ofthe country
that like the struggle for taxation on tea with
America, the whole of the quarrel is about the
| F0ydl patronage, whether il shall remain in the
company, or be transferred to the crown
The English newspapers are excussbly igno-
rant OF the affairs of India they are not so ex
cusable in their ncorrigible ignorance of eeogra
ply. One ofthem in \ late paper undertakes to
correct another, and falls himself into a most
gorgeous error. Ssringapatsn, is not on the
NJ aiabar coast, nor within 10U,miles oft il is
situated on the river CdUvefy, on the summit of
'he table land OF mysore about 220 miles due |
west OF Madras, to which Presidency the troops
that garrison the territory of Mysore. at and |
soath OF Seringapatam, belong. Mapuiipatam,