a, the Lorraine regiment, forming a column twelve deep,
advanced against that of Coote, which received them in line. The
French came on at the double. When within a distance of fifty yards,
Coote's regiment poured a volley into the front and flanks of the
column. Although they suffered heavily from this fire, the French
bravely pressed on with levelled bayonets, and the head of the column,
by sheer weight, broke through the English line.

The flanks of the English, however, closed in on the sides of the
French column, and a desperate hand-to-hand fight ensued. In this, the
English had all the advantage, attacking the French fiercely on either
side, until the latter broke and ran back to the camp.

Colonel Coote, who was with his regiment, ordered it to form in
regular order again, before it advanced, and rode off to see what was
going on in the rest of the line. As he was passing on, a shot struck
an ammunition waggon in the intrenched tank held by the French. This
exploded, killing and wounding eighty men, among whom was the
commander of the post. The rest of its occupants, panic stricken by
the explosion, ran back to the next tank. Their panic communicated
itself to the Sepoys there, and all ran back together to the camp.

Colonel Coote at once sent orders to Major Brereton, who commanded
Draper's regiment, to take possession of the tank, before the enemy
recovered from the confusion which the explosion would be sure to
cause. The ground opposite that which Draper's regiment occupied was
held by Lally's regiment, and in order to prevent his men being
exposed to a flanking fire from these, Draper ordered them to file off
to the right. Bussy, who commanded at this wing, endeavoured to rally
the fugitives, and gathering fifty or sixty together, added two
companies of Lally's regiment to them, and posted them in the tank; he
then returned to the regiment.

As Major Brereton, moving up his men, reached the intrenchment, a
heavy fire was poured upon him. Major Brereton fell, mortally wounded,
and many of his men were killed. The rest, however, with a rush
carried the intrenchment, and firing down from the parapet on the guns
on Lally's left, drove the gunners from them. Two companies held the
intrenchment, and the rest formed in the plain on its left, to prevent
Lally's regiment attacking it on this side.

Bussy wheeled Lally's regiment, detached a portion of it to recover
the intrenchment, and with the rest marched ag