599
The enfilading fire from the Bombay army, on the north fide of the river, hadbeen fo ftrong, that the defendants had been entirely driven from the ramparts on theright of the breach, and had been prevented from raifing any traverfes. Our peoplewho went in that direction did not meet with the fmalleft oppofition; and the flankcompanies of the 12th regiment, having found a paflage acrofs the inner ditch, pafiedthrough the town to attack the rear of the enemy, who were ftill oppofing theEuropeans on the left. The Sultan had now been driven back to the eaftward ofthe palace, and is faid to have had his horfe fhot under him. He might certainlyhave gone out at a gate leading to the north branch of the river, and nothing couldhave prevented him from crofling that, and joining his cavalry, which, under the corn-mand of his fon Futty Hyder, and of Purnea, were hovering round the Bombay army.Fortunately he decided upon going into the inner fort, by a narrow fally-port; and,,as he was attempting to do fo, he was met by the crowd flying from the flankcompanies of the 12th regiment; while the troops coming up behind, cut off allmeans of retreat. Both parties feem to have fired into the gateway, and fome of theEuropeans mull: have pafled through with the bayonet; as a wound, evidentlyinflicted by that weapon, was difcovercd in the arm of the Sultan. His objeCt in going,into this gateway, is difputed. The Hindus univerfally think, that, finding the placetaken, he was going to the palace to put all his family to death, and then to feekfor his own deftruction in the midft of his enemies. But, although fuch is confidered bythe Hindus as the proper conduCl for a Prince in his fituation, we have no reafon to thinkthat a Muflulman would condu£t himfelf in this manner; nor was Tippoo everaccufed of want of affe&ion for his family. I think it more probable, that he wasignorant of the Britifh troops having got into the inner fort, and was retiring thither inhopes of being fiill able to repel the attack.
No individual claimed the honour of having (lain the Sultan, nor did any of eitherparty know that he had fallen in the gateway. The aflailants were, indeed, at that timetoo much enraged to think of any thing but the deftruftion of their enemy. Each divifionpiilhed on towards the eaftern end of the towm ; and, as they advanced, the carnage in-creafed. The garrifon threw' themfelves from the works, attempting to efcape into theifland, and from thence to their cavalry. The greater part, however, were either killedby the fall, or broke their limbs in a mod (hocking manner. Meer Saduc, the favouriteof the Sultan, fell in attempting to get through the gates. He is fuppofed to havebeen killed by the hands of i ippoo’s foldiery, and his corpfe lay for fome timeexpofed to the infults of the populace, none of whom pafled without (pitting on it,or loading it with a flipper; for to him they attributed mod of their fuft'erings in the 'tyrannical reign of the Sultan.
The two divifions of the (forming army now' met at an open place furrounding avery fine mofque, into which the remains of the garrifon withdrew', and with theirdettrudion the fighting nearly ceafed. The number of burials amounted to fomewhatabove feven thoufand ; feveral of thefe were towns-people of both (exes, and all ages;but this w’as accidental, for our foldiers killed none intentionally but fighting men.Ihofe ".ho are difpofed to declaim on the horrors of a town taken by afiault, mayalways find room to dwell on the women, infants, and aged perfons killed, and on thelittle protection given by places, however iacred ; for fuch terrible things muft alwayshappen, when an enraged foldiery with fire-arms are purfuing an enemy through-a populous place.
W hen our two parties had met, and no longer faw before their eyes the enemy, bywhom they, or their countrymen, had been often mod barbaroufly ufed, they loon
cooled,