The Generals

‘Crocodiles?’ Fitzroy stared at him. ‘You’re joking.’

Arthur smiled. ‘Not afraid of a few reptiles are you, Fitzroy? I thought you would have grown used to them what with your father being a politician.’

Fitzroy raised his eyes.‘Very fu

‘Most wise.’ Arthur turned back to examine the defences. ‘Of course, time is against us. We have a little over six weeks before the monsoon season. When that comes, the south Cauvery will be unfordable until November. If we don’t take the city before the middle of May, then we’ll have to retreat all the way back to Vellore empty handed.’

Fitzroy glanced at his superior. ‘In which event, I doubt the Governor General will be in the best of moods.’

‘You can’t imagine.’

The site chosen by General Harris for the army’s camp was three miles from the ford.The wide expanse of the Cauvery protected them from the north. The Nizam’s army was positioned to the south of the main force and Arthur’s men were given the task of constructing a defence line to guard the camp from any attacks from the south and west. Meanwhile, Tipoo had not been idle. Having seen the direction from which Harris would attack he moved quickly to fortify the mainland side of the south Cauvery with a series of trenches and earthworks on which he mounted some of his artillery. Between the two armies the ground was open except for a nullah, an earth aqueduct that snaked across the landscape, rising several feet above the surrounding rice fields.To the right of the British position it looped around a tope in one direction before winding back round the village of Sultanpettah.

As light faded the day after the army had encamped, General Harris summoned Arthur to his headquarters and both men leaned over a map of the territory around the enemy’s capital. Harris pointed to the tope. ‘The enemy have been firing rockets into our lines from these trees all afternoon. I want them cleared out of there. If you can take and hold this area then we can get some guns forward to enfilade their defences this side of the south Cauvery.’

Arthur looked at the map. ‘What do we know about the nullah, sir? Is it fordable?’

‘I imagine you’ll discover that soon enough,’ Harris replied tersely.

Arthur straightened up. ‘Would it not be a good idea to send out a small party to reco

Harris frowned. ‘Colonel, we do not have the luxury of time to do that. Now you have your orders, so carry them out.’ He paused and then added shrewdly, ‘Unless you would like me to give the job to Baird.’

‘I’ll go, sir.’ Arthur replied stiffly.

‘Good. Then you’d best prepare your regiment right away. I want that tope in our hands by first light.’

‘Where’s this bloody tope then?’ Major Shee muttered as he strained his eyes to try to make out the details of the ground ahead of them. The night was dark and ahead the nullah rose up as a black mass. It was impossible to pick out any trees. He turned back to the other officers. ‘Sir?’

Arthur had been trying to identify some landmarks to fix his position from what he recalled of the general’s map, but the night had defeated him. At first they had been guided towards the tope by the continuing rocket fire, but then the enemy had ceased their attack and Arthur had done his best to keep his men moving in that direction, advancing ahead of the main body of the regiment with the two flank companies. He had decided to leave Major Shee in command of the rest of the battalion, where hopefully his difficult nature and predisposition to drink would not endanger the men. Arthur was aware of the nervousness of the soldiers around him, particularly young Lieutenant Fitzgerald of the grenadier company.

He cleared his throat and spoke calmly. ‘The tope should be just the other side of the nullah.There’s only one way to be sure, of course. That’s why we’re here. It’s time to go forward, gentlemen. Mr Fitzgerald.’

‘Sir?’

‘Pass the word back down the line and tell the men to move as quietly as possible. Then come forward with me. I’ll need a ru

‘Yes, sir.’

Arthur turned to Shee. ‘Major?’

‘Yes, Colonel?’

Arthur could have sworn that he smelt traces of spirits on Shee’s breath.

‘Return to the other companies and bring the regiment up in support. If we do engage the enemy on the far side of the nullah, we’ll need you on the scene quickly.’

‘Yes, sir.You can rely on me.’

‘Of course, Major. I would expect nothing less.’

Shee saluted then turned and half walked, half stumbled across the broken ground back towards the rest of the 33rd. Arthur put the chances of the man’s losing his way at about evens and was grateful that he had thought to appoint Fitzroy as the major’s second in command for the night’s operation.

Arthur waited for Fitzgerald to return and then he called out softly, ‘Flank companies . . . advance.’

They moved forward as quietly as they could but Arthur winced as his finely tuned ears caught the sound of boots scuffing the ground and the faint chink of loose equipment. The land began to slope upwards as they reached the nullah and Arthur’s senses strained to pick up every detail of sight and sound. Somewhere on the far side of the aqueduct the enemy were waiting and he suddenly felt terribly vulnerable. Then the realisation hit him.

There was a faint loom along the horizon behind the regiment and they would be silhouetted against lighter sky the moment they reached the top of the nullah.They would be easy targets. He drew his pistol and held it close to his chest as he scrambled up through the grass.Then, as the ground levelled off, he stopped and glanced round. The water in the aqueduct was ink black and stretched out on either side.

‘Fitzgerald. Bring the men up. Light company to the left. Grenadiers to the right.’

‘Yes, sir.’

As Fitzgerald whispered the order down the bank Arthur eased himself forward, slipping his boot into the water. The footing was soft and sloped steeply and in moments he was up to his waist. He held the pistol high and waded forward, hoping that the crocodiles confined themselves to the river. He moved slowly towards the far bank, fifteen yards ahead, and then climbed carefully out. Arthur looked round, listening, but all was still and quiet amongst the low trees of the tope below the nullah. He felt a wave of relief that they seemed to have found the right place, and stood erect, forcing himself to set the appropriate example to his officers and men.

‘Fitzgerald, bring the flank companies over.’

The men moved forward into the water, muskets held overhead as they waded across. Above the faint splashes Arthur could clearly hear some muttering, before a sergeant growled, ‘Keep yer bloody mouths shut.’

The dark shapes were clambering up on to the bank on either side of Arthur when there was a blazing pool of light from a short distance away down below amongst the trees, and a loud roaring hiss.

‘Rocket!’ someone just had time to yell before the missile arced out of a gap in the trees, towards the bank of the nullah, and buried itself in the ground so close to Arthur that he blinked as a shower of loose soil spattered his face. At once more rockets were fired, brilliantly illuminating the tope so that Arthur had brief glimpses of the tangled mangrove that lay ahead of him. Muskets joined in, flaring in the darkness as they went off.

‘The bastards are everywhere!’ Fitzgerald shouted and ducked as a rocket fizzed overhead.

‘Stand up!’ Arthur took his arm and forced Fitzgerald to his feet. ‘You’re an officer, Fitzgerald.You must set the standard.’