the advance, led by Captain Myers, carried
by storm a redoubt in front of the village, and seized four pieces of
cannon. Major Smith, heading his grenadiers, then charged the village,
tore down all obstacles, and carried the place.

The day had begun to dawn when Colonel Monson approached the Valdore
redoubt. But at the last moment, making a mistake in their way, the
head of the column halted. At this moment the enemy perceived them,
and discharged a twenty-four pounder, loaded with small shot, into the
column. Eleven men were killed and twenty-six wounded by this terrible
discharge, among the latter Colonel Monson himself, his leg being
broken. The grenadiers now rushed furiously to the attack, swarmed
round the redoubt and, although several times repulsed, at last forced
their way through the embrasures and captured the position.

The defenders of the village of Oulgarry had halted outside the
Vellenore redoubt; but, upon hearing the firing to their right,
retreated hastily within it. Major Smith pressed them hotly with his
brigade, and followed so closely upon their heels that they did not
stop to defend the position, but retreated to the town. Major Smith
was soon joined by the Highlanders, under Major Scott, who had forced
a way through the hedge between the two captured redoubts.

Thus the whole line of the outer defence fell into the hands of the
English, with the exception of the Ariangopang redoubt on the left,
which was held by the India regiment. Major Gordon, who now took the
command, placed the Bombay detachment, of three hundred and fifty men,
in the captured redoubts; and encamped the whole of the force in the
fields to the right of Oulgarry.

Major Smith advised that at least a thousand men should be left, near
at hand, to succour the garrisons of the redoubts; which, being open
at the rear, were liable to an attack. Major Gordon foolishly refused
to follow his advice, and the same night the French attacked the
redoubts. The Bombay troops, however, defended themselves with extreme
bravery until assistance arrived.

Three days later the French evacuated and blew up the fort of
Ariangopang, which the English were preparing to attack, and the India
regiment retired into the town, leaving, however, the usual guard in
the Ariangopang redoubt.

Colonel Coote had scarcely arrived at Madras when he received a letter
from Colonel Monson, saying that he was likely to be incapacitated by
his wound for some m