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NOVEMBER, 1899.]
THE LOSS, OF CALCUTTA IN 1758.
297
They had now possessd the Houses in all Quarters of the Town in Multitudes, and by their Superioty obliged most of our Men to quit their houses they Occupied. The first place they broke in upon our Lines was through Mr. Nixons House and the breast work close to Mr. Puthams, the Sergeant of that place having retreated and left some of the Gentlemen Volunteers to free their way through the Enemy from Capt Minching House, where 2 of them were left a Sacrifice to their mercy. They poured into the Square in Swarms, planted their Colours at the Corner of ye Tank, and took im inediate Possession of all yè Houses in that Square. We had only 2 Guns from ye flank of ye N. Et Bastion that could bear on that part of ye town. Their footing was now too firm, by being in Possession of so many Houses within our Lines, that it was impossible to think of Dispossessing them from so many strong Houses, which semed as Forteresses against our small Numbers. They brought up their cannon soon after to play upon yo passages to and from our Batteries.
This Situation of ye Enemy within our Lines made it necessary to Order Capt Burchanon to retire with his Canon from ye Battery B to D, as his Communication with the Fort might have been cut off by ye Enemys advancing in his reir, through the Lane that Leads to my house and betwixt Captn Claytons Battery at H; where on my arrival, I was supprized by finding the Gans of ye Battery Spiked and Orders given them to retire with only the 2 field pieces into the fort. I requested their patience, as I found 110 Necessity for so precipate a retreat, till I had speke to je Govenour. He told me the post [was) repre. sented to him as no longer tenable by the Enemy's getting Possessior of all yo Houses around them, and numbers of their Men killed and Wounded : [and] That if ye Guns were already Spiked, it would be in vain to think of keeping it Longer. I return'd towards ye Battery and found Captn Clayton half way to ye fort with only the field Pieces. I prevailed on him to return wth his Men, that if possible we might withdraw the Gans of ye Battery, especially an 18 Pounder Carried their about noon to play on the [? houses which the] Enemy possess'd, and [might) prevent the Shame of leaving them to convince the Enemy of yo Panio that musi havo seiz'd us to be Obliged to make such a retreat. I desired one half to defend yo Batteries, whilo the other Lay'd down their Arms to draw off the Cannon; but not a man would be prevailed on to touch & Rope. I then left them to march off in the most regalar manner they conld. The Adandoning this battery was of yo utmost Consequence to us, as it necessarily occasioned the withdrawing the other two and Confining our defences to ye walls of yo Fort. It therefore ought not to have been done till after every mature deliberation,
The other two Batteries C and D were soon after ordered to be withdrawn, and all their Troops were ordered to return to y, Fort Gate by 6 in the Evening. By retiring into yo Fort we must expect that before next morning the Enemy would take Possession of all ye houses close to our walls, and from each of them greatly command our Bastions and Ramparts. This determined us, as yo only thing farther to be done to rotard their Progress, to dispose of ye Troops returned from ye Batteries in ye Houses of Mr. Cruttendon, Eyre, the Company and y Church; which was accordingly done before 8 at night.
The detachment in y. Companys house, on ye Enemy's Appronch and their getting possession of Capto Renny's house, Thought their Situation too dangerous to be maintain'd on ye Approach of Day, and that their Communication was liable to be cut off from ye fort by yo Lane that leads to yo Water side by ye new Godowns. [They] therefore applied to ye Govenour and obtained leave to retire into ye fort. The withdrawing this fort gave gene.al discontent and discouragement, as ye Enemys getting possession of it would not only expose the Southerly Bastions and Godowns to a very warm fire, but likewise the Gaut, were the boats lay, to be so flanked that it could be almost impossible to keep any there. And as many people at this time (by yo Vigorous attack of ye Enemy, and withdrawing our Batteries so very suddenly, and leaving the Companys House to be taken Possession of by them in ye night, attended with many other Circumstances of Confusion and Disorder which then could not be remedied) begun to think that a retreat on board our Ships would be the only moans,
