ack
the nearest and weakest points as soon as Captain Wilson should
commence his upon the main point, the northern face.

On the afternoon of the 29th, about half-past three, a small party of
the garrison came out of the gate on the northern face, and appeared
disposed to attack Captain Wilson's two nine-pounders, and a third
gun, which had all three been advanced on to within a short distance
of the gate. During this time Captain Barlow was throwing shells into
both forts from his position to the west of Munmutpore. The subahdar-
major had command of the advanced party in charge of Captain Wilson's
three guns. He charged and drove back into the fort the small party
which threatened his guns, and Captain Wilson hastily assembled all
his and Captain Boileau's force, and followed to support the
subahdar-major. Finding his officers and men all excited and anxious
to push on into the fort, Captain Wilson unfortunately yielded to the
impulse, and entered the outer gate with one of his two nine-
pounders, in the hope of taking the place by a _coup-de-main_.

The garrison all retired into the citadel as he entered, and kept up
a distressing fire upon the assailants as they went along the narrow
passage between the bamboo fence and the ditch in search of a way
into the citadel. Several rounds were fired from the gun, in the hope
of making a breach in the wall, but the balls penetrated and lodged
midway in the wall, without bringing down any part of it; and
musketry was altogether useless against a thick parapet with
loopholes, so slender on the outside and so wide within. The huts,
which might have sheltered officers and men, were set fire to by
accident, and tended to increase the confusion. The entrance to the
citadel was over a narrow mud causeway, which the garrison had not
had time to remove; but it was hidden from the assailants by a
projection which they could not attain, and the men began to fall
fast before the fire from the loopholes of the parapet.

On hearing the firing on Captain Wilson's side, the officers
commanding the troops on the other three sides, commenced their
attack on the nearest and seemingly weakest points, as before
directed. Captain Barlow lost some men in an unsuccessful attempt to
enter the fort of Munmutpore on the west side; but the auxiliary
force of Nawab Allee effected an entrance on the east side of that
fort. They were, however, arrested by the second ditch within, in the
same manner as