True Account of Baillie's Disaster at Pullalur in 1780, the Worst British Defeat in India - Part 1
"Intelligence arrived that Munro was advancing towards us out of the village in our front; this was most welcome news to an army that was almost overpowered with the fatigue they had undergone, — and, a few minutes afterwards, a number of guns dragged by bullocks, and infantry clothed in scarlet, were seen moving out of the village; but, to the surprise of all, they were preceded by a large body of cavalry that in a few seconds covered the whole plain, and plainly demonstrated that it was Hyder Ali's whole army that had thus been able to give Munro the slip. It is impossible to describe the feelings of Baillie's devoted army, when they found that, instead of reaping a complete victory, they were surrounded upon all sides, and all possibility of safety at an end if Munro did not soon arrive." (James Lindsay)
The Battle of Pollilur, also known as the Battle of Perambakam, was a significant event during the Second Anglo-Mysore War that occurred on September 10, 1780, at present-day Pullalur, near the city of Kanchipuram in the Tamil Nadu state of India.
The battle was fought between the Mysore Kingdom and the British East India Company under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel William Baillie. In this battle, Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan, aided by the French, defeated Baillie's forces.
Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore, was renowned for his fierce resistance against British expansion in India. His army was well-trained and well-equipped, supported by the French. There was also a regular rocket corps in the Mysore army. Known for their swiftness, agility, and expertise in navigating the terrain, Hyder's forces proved formidable against their adversaries.
The Second Anglo-Mysore war began when Hyder Ali invaded the Carnatic in July 1780, with a force "that covered the plains, like the waves of an angry sea, and with a train of artillery that had no end." His forces ravaged the territories within 50 miles of Madras. His cavalry even entered the outskirts of Madras, while Hyder personally commenced the siege of Arcot, the capital of Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah, the Nawab of Carnatic and a British ally.
A strong force of over 5000 troops assembled at Madras (present-day Chennai) to resist this invasion. Major General Sir Hector Munro, the Commander-in-chief of the Madras army, decided Conjevaram (present-day Kanchipuram), about 50 miles from Madras, as the place of concentration of the army and took the command himself. Colonel Baillie, who was stationed at Guntur, was directed to swiftly march to join Munro at Kanchipuram.
On August 26, General Munro, accompanied by Lord Macleod, Colonels Braithwaite, Fletcher, and other officers, began his march from St. Thomas Mount. Upon reaching Kanchipuram on August 29, Munro set up camp about two miles west of the city, storing his heavy guns and artillery in and around the Great Pagoda. A telescope was mounted atop the Pagoda to watch every motion of Hyder.
Munro planned to engage Hyder's forces as soon as Baillie's detachment joined him. In the meantime, he was able to procure a substantial amount of rice from the city which he stored in the Pagoda.
Hyder, well informed of the movements of the British by his spies, raised the siege of Arcot and encamped within 5 miles of Kanchipuram.
Baillie, leading a detachment of nearly 3,000 men, reached the river Kortalaiyar on August 25. However, instead of crossing immediately, he halted at the northern bank. Unfortunately, heavy rains fell during the night, making the river impassable. Baillie was able to cross the river on September 3 in order to resume his march towards Kanchipuram.
That evening, Baillie arrived at the village of Perambakam, 14 miles (23 kilometers) away from the main army at Kanchipuram. He established his camp in a highly advantageous position.
Upon learning of Baillie's arrival at Perambakam, Hyder made a move against Munro, prompting Munro to change his position and took up camp on the north side of Kanchipuram. Hyder positioned himself between Munro's army and the road Baillie would take to reach Kanchipuram. His goal was not to attack but to monitor Munro's movements and prevent him from joining forces with Baillie.
For three consecutive days, September 6th to 8th, the hostile armies remained in this position, During this time, Hyder only discharged a few rockets, which had no significant impact.
On the evening of September 6, Tipu wrote to his father that he needed reinforcements to defeat Baillie. Aware that Hyder's entire army was blocking his path, Baillie sent a message to Munro, explaining his inability to advance and would therefore wait for him at Perambakam.
Upon receiving Baillie's message, Munro found himself in a dilemma. He hesitated to march with his entire army from Kanchipuram, fearing that Hyder, who had encamped within 2 miles, would seize their ground and provisions. This would leave the army without shelter and vulnerable to starvation upon their return from Perambakam.
Therefore, Munro sent Lieutenant-Colonel Fletcher with a detachment of over 1000 men, nine camel loads of ammunition, doolies, two days' worth of rice, biscuits, and arrack to aid Baillie in reaching his camp.
Captains David Baird, Alex Read, Lieutenants John Lindsay and Philip Melvill were part of Fletcher's detachment. The detachment left Kanchipuram on September 8 at 9 pm, carrying orders from Munro for Baillie to proceed to Kanchipuram by the evening of September 9.
On the evening of September 8, Baillie moved to Thakkolam, a small fort of the Carnatic Nawab, located about 4 miles from Perambakam. There, he was only able to procure some natchinee grain, which he distributed to his sepoys. Later, he departed towards Perambakam at midnight, facing constant harassment from the Mysore army.
Colonel Fletcher, suspecting his guides, who were actually Hyder's spies, took a circuitous route over wet paddy fields, covering many miles to evade Hyder's forces.
"Hyder Ali had exact and constant intelligence of every thing that passed in the enemy's army: he knew the hour that Colonel Fletcher was to march, the strength of his detachment, and that he had no cannon, and accordingly determined to intercept him, which he inevitably would have done, had not Fletcher, suspecting his guides, changed his route." (A European envoy in Hyder's camp)
The Battle of Pollilur, also known as the Battle of Perambakam, was a significant event during the Second Anglo-Mysore War that occurred on September 10, 1780, at present-day Pullalur, near the city of Kanchipuram in the Tamil Nadu state of India.
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| A View From The Royal Artillery Encampment, Conjeveram, from 'Picturesque Scenery in the Kingdom of Mysore' published by Edward Orme in 1805 after James Hunter |
The battle was fought between the Mysore Kingdom and the British East India Company under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel William Baillie. In this battle, Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan, aided by the French, defeated Baillie's forces.
Background
Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore, was renowned for his fierce resistance against British expansion in India. His army was well-trained and well-equipped, supported by the French. There was also a regular rocket corps in the Mysore army. Known for their swiftness, agility, and expertise in navigating the terrain, Hyder's forces proved formidable against their adversaries.
The Second Anglo-Mysore war began when Hyder Ali invaded the Carnatic in July 1780, with a force "that covered the plains, like the waves of an angry sea, and with a train of artillery that had no end." His forces ravaged the territories within 50 miles of Madras. His cavalry even entered the outskirts of Madras, while Hyder personally commenced the siege of Arcot, the capital of Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah, the Nawab of Carnatic and a British ally.
A strong force of over 5000 troops assembled at Madras (present-day Chennai) to resist this invasion. Major General Sir Hector Munro, the Commander-in-chief of the Madras army, decided Conjevaram (present-day Kanchipuram), about 50 miles from Madras, as the place of concentration of the army and took the command himself. Colonel Baillie, who was stationed at Guntur, was directed to swiftly march to join Munro at Kanchipuram.
On August 26, General Munro, accompanied by Lord Macleod, Colonels Braithwaite, Fletcher, and other officers, began his march from St. Thomas Mount. Upon reaching Kanchipuram on August 29, Munro set up camp about two miles west of the city, storing his heavy guns and artillery in and around the Great Pagoda. A telescope was mounted atop the Pagoda to watch every motion of Hyder.
Munro planned to engage Hyder's forces as soon as Baillie's detachment joined him. In the meantime, he was able to procure a substantial amount of rice from the city which he stored in the Pagoda.
Hyder, well informed of the movements of the British by his spies, raised the siege of Arcot and encamped within 5 miles of Kanchipuram.
Baillie, leading a detachment of nearly 3,000 men, reached the river Kortalaiyar on August 25. However, instead of crossing immediately, he halted at the northern bank. Unfortunately, heavy rains fell during the night, making the river impassable. Baillie was able to cross the river on September 3 in order to resume his march towards Kanchipuram.
September 5
No sooner had Hyder heard Baillie's movements, he dispatched his eldest son, Prince Tipu Sultan, the "tiger of Mysore" along with the division of Asdar Ali Beg, and 5,000 cavalry to intercept and destroy Baillie.That evening, Baillie arrived at the village of Perambakam, 14 miles (23 kilometers) away from the main army at Kanchipuram. He established his camp in a highly advantageous position.
September 6
On September 6 morning, the first engagement between Tipu and Baillie took place. After an action lasting from 11 am to 2 pm, Tipu's troops were driven back. Despite the victory, Baillie's situation remained precarious. Over 100 Europeans and sepoys were killed, and his ammunition and provisions were nearly exhausted.Upon learning of Baillie's arrival at Perambakam, Hyder made a move against Munro, prompting Munro to change his position and took up camp on the north side of Kanchipuram. Hyder positioned himself between Munro's army and the road Baillie would take to reach Kanchipuram. His goal was not to attack but to monitor Munro's movements and prevent him from joining forces with Baillie.
For three consecutive days, September 6th to 8th, the hostile armies remained in this position, During this time, Hyder only discharged a few rockets, which had no significant impact.
On the evening of September 6, Tipu wrote to his father that he needed reinforcements to defeat Baillie. Aware that Hyder's entire army was blocking his path, Baillie sent a message to Munro, explaining his inability to advance and would therefore wait for him at Perambakam.
September 8
Hyder sent a division under Muhammad Ali to assist Tipu.Upon receiving Baillie's message, Munro found himself in a dilemma. He hesitated to march with his entire army from Kanchipuram, fearing that Hyder, who had encamped within 2 miles, would seize their ground and provisions. This would leave the army without shelter and vulnerable to starvation upon their return from Perambakam.
Therefore, Munro sent Lieutenant-Colonel Fletcher with a detachment of over 1000 men, nine camel loads of ammunition, doolies, two days' worth of rice, biscuits, and arrack to aid Baillie in reaching his camp.
Captains David Baird, Alex Read, Lieutenants John Lindsay and Philip Melvill were part of Fletcher's detachment. The detachment left Kanchipuram on September 8 at 9 pm, carrying orders from Munro for Baillie to proceed to Kanchipuram by the evening of September 9.
On the evening of September 8, Baillie moved to Thakkolam, a small fort of the Carnatic Nawab, located about 4 miles from Perambakam. There, he was only able to procure some natchinee grain, which he distributed to his sepoys. Later, he departed towards Perambakam at midnight, facing constant harassment from the Mysore army.
Colonel Fletcher, suspecting his guides, who were actually Hyder's spies, took a circuitous route over wet paddy fields, covering many miles to evade Hyder's forces.
"Hyder Ali had exact and constant intelligence of every thing that passed in the enemy's army: he knew the hour that Colonel Fletcher was to march, the strength of his detachment, and that he had no cannon, and accordingly determined to intercept him, which he inevitably would have done, had not Fletcher, suspecting his guides, changed his route." (A European envoy in Hyder's camp)
(to be continued)
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