by his consummate military skill he overcame them all.

The plan he formed was, with the Carnatic army, of fifteen thousand men, to occupy the Coimbatore country, cut off Tippoo's supplies, and by that quarter penetrate into the Mysore through the Jujulhatty Pass, while Major-general Robert Abercrombie was with the Bombay army to reduce the territory west of the Gauts, and, if necessary, form a junction. In the mean time, the Carnatic was left to the care of Colonel Kelly, with a small army stationed between Madras and the passes leading to the Mysore.

Tippoo, alarmed at the judicious alteration which had taken place on the part of the British troops under General Medows, endeavoured to avert the storm by writing to that officer, congratulating him on his appointment to the government of Madras, and proposing to send some confidential person to explain, as he observed, several important circumstances, "so that the dust which had obscured the General's upright mind might be removed." The latter's answer was, "I received yours, and understand its contents. You are a great prince, and but for your cruelty to your prisoners, I should add an enlightened one. The English, equally incapable of offering an insult as of submitting to one, have always looked upon war as declared from the moment that you attacked their ally the king of Travancore. God does not always give the battle to the strong, nor the race to the swift, but generally success to those whose cause is just. On that we depend."

After

After repeated attacks on different points by Tippoo, and the capture of several important posts by the British army, General Medows judged it prudent on the commencement of the rainy season to desist from any farther operations. He accordingly took up his quarters at Vellant; but during the whole of this campaign, in which Tippoo experienced many reverses of fortune, the conduct of General Medows proved highly creditable to his talents as a commanding officer.

The following year the Earl Cornwallis, who had been appointed Governor-general, assumed the direction of the army at Vellant. He was much pleased at the appearance and discipline of it, and expressed himself in handsome terms to General Mcdows, who was second in command in India.

His Lordship being determined to carry the war into Tippoo's own territories, made arrangements accordingly. His first intention being to get possession of all the strong holds, he began with Bangalore, on the 5th of March 1791. The town soon surrendered, but the fort held out until the 21st, when it was stormed.

On the 3d of May the army moved forward to Seringapatam. Tippoo, who was then in his capital, immediately occupied the ground in front of the works with a numerous army. The road to the camp was through a narrow valley, full of swamps and ravines. Deterred by the difficulties accompanying his route, his Lordship formed the resolution of conducting his troops by means of a circuit round the

hills, with a hope of surprizing the Sultaun. After a laborious march from eleven o'clock at night till daybreak he got within three miles of the camp, without being perceived, but he was soon after discovered; on which Tippoo seized on a height, commanding a ravine that the British must pass, and pointed some cannon, which for a moment checked them. To dislodge the enemy, Colonel Maxwell with one column pushed forward and made himself master of the hill; the army followed, and a general action took place. Colonel Maxwell pressed the foe on the left flank, while Colonel Floyd with the cavalry did the same on the right, and the line under General Medows attacked in front. The Sultaun being obliged to give way, took refuge under his batteries, and his Lordship encamped on the field of battle.

Successful as the opening of the campaign had proved, Lord Cornwallis, instead of attacking Tippoo on his island, formed the resolution of joining General Robert Abercrombie's army, who was then at Periapatam waiting for orders. Provisions, it was said, were scarce, the bullocks for the cannon sickly, and reduced in number, while the army had suffered much hardship. Two days after, he marched back to Ranambaddy, and afterwards to Bangalore. While on the march he was joined by the Mahratta army, consisting of thirty-two thousand men; but as it was too late to attempt another attack on the Sultaun this season, Lord Cornwallis and his allies determined to do it the next. In the mean time, all the forts which

might oppose the passage of the British convoys from

the

the Carnatic to Bangalore were reduced. Arnong many others, that of Nundrydroog afforded great credit to the captors: it is seated on a lofty mountain, one thousand seven hundred feet high, accessible only on one side, where it is defended by walls and redoubts. Major Goldie, who was sent against it, after a fortnight's toil and hazard, at length breached the walls, but the commandant refused to surrender. Lord Cornwallis sent General Medows with a party to make the assault. On approaching, some person remarked that a mine was supposed to be near the breach. The General, with a spirit and presence of mind which few would have possessed in similar circumstances, replied, "that if a mine was really there, it was a mine of gold," and rushed without delay to the attack. The assailants were terribly annoyed by the garrison, not only by means of fire-arms, but also with defensive weapons; nevertheless General Medows carried the place.

Having thus taken the important fortresses of Savendroog and Dutradroog, Lord Cornwallis with the allies again moved towards Seringapatam. On his arrival in its neighbourhood, he determined on giving a general assault during the night. The army accordingly moved in three divisions, the right commanded by General Medows, the centre by the Commander in Chief, and the left by Colonel Maxwell. The centre division having first given the alarm, and entered the intrenchments, the enemy fled precipitately, but not until a skirmish ensued, during which his Lordship was wounded in the hand. General Medow's

I 3

dows with his division also passed the bound hedge without opposition, and advanced against the EadGah or mosque redoubt, which he carried after a gallant resistance from the enemy. He then proceeded, as agreed upon, to join his Lordship; but with a view of avoiding some swampy ground, he took a greater circuit than he intended, and crossing the track of the centre division without observing it, arrived at length, to his inexpressible surprize and vexation, at the Pagoda hill, where Lord Cornwallis joined him at daybreak. This circumstance, it is said, was a matter of so much concern to the brave General as nearly to cause his death, although in every sense it was a misfortune which too often occurs during night attacks. Many instances in point could be produced, if ne

ccssary.

After various efforts on the part of Tippoo, his Lordship succeeded in driving him within the walls, and he encamped with the British on the very spot the Sultaun had taken post in. The latter brought every gun he could to bear on the British army, which now commenced a regular siege; but on the 24th of February hostilities ceased, and on the 19th of March, 1792, a pacification took place. The commander in chief in his letter to the East India Company, dated the 4th of March, says, "No words can express the sense that I shall entertain through life of the ability, refined generosity, and friendship with which General Medows has invariably given his support and assistance."

After the termination of this war General Medows

returned