After the Battle

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In the morning of 24 November, Raza Sahib tried to mount a final assault on the fort but was foiled in his attempt when his armoured elephants stampeded due to the British musketry.

They tried to enter the fort through the breach several times but always repulsed with loss. The siege was raised the next day and Raza Sahib's forces fled from the scene, abandoning guns, ammunition and stores.

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With success at Arcot, Conjeeveram and Trichinopoly, the British secured the Carnatic and Mohammed Ali succeeded to the throne of the Nawab in accordance with a treaty with the new French governor Godeheu. Alwardi Khan ascended to the throne of the Nawab of Bengal after his army attacked and captured the capital of Bengal, Murshidabad. Alivardi's attitude to the Europeans in Bengal is said to be strict. During his wars with the Marathas , he allowed the strengthening of fortifications by the Europeans and the construction of the Maratha Ditch in Calcutta by the British.

On the other hand, he collected large amounts of money from them for the upkeep of his war. He was well-informed of the situation in southern India, where the British and the French had started a proxy war using the local princes and rulers. Alwardi did not wish such a situation to transpire in his province and thus exercised caution in his dealings with the Europeans. However, there was continual friction; the British always complained that they were prevented from the full enjoyment of the farman of issued by Farrukhsiyar.

In April , Alwardi Khan died and was succeeded by his twenty-three-year-old grandson, Siraj-ud-daulah. His personality was said to be a combination of a ferocious temper and a feeble understanding. He was particularly suspicious of the large profits made by the European companies in India. When the British and the French started improving their fortifications in anticipation of another war between them, he immediately ordered them to stop such activities as they had been done without permission.

The garrison consisted of only soldiers, 50 European volunteers, 60 European militia, Armenian and Portuguese militia, 35 European artillery-men and 40 volunteers from ships and was pitted against the Nawab's force of nearly 50, infantry and cavalry. The city was occupied on 16 June by Siraj's force and the fort surrendered after a brief siege on 20 June. The prisoners who were captured at the siege of Calcutta were transferred by Siraj to the care of the officers of his guard, who confined them to the common dungeon of Fort William known as The Black Hole.

This dungeon, 18 by 14 feet 5. On 21 June, the doors of the dungeon were opened and only 23 of the walked out, the rest died of asphyxiation, heat exhaustion and delirium. Meanwhile, the Nawab's army and navy were busy plundering the city of Calcutta and the other British factories in the surrounding areas.

When news of the fall of Calcutta broke in Madras on 16 August , the Council immediately sent out an expeditionary force under Colonel Clive and Admiral Watson. A letter from the Council of Fort St. George, states that "the object of the expedition was not merely to re-establish the British settlements in Bengal, but also to obtain ample recognition of the Company's privileges and reparation for its losses" without the risk of war. It also states that any signs of dissatisfaction and ambition among the Nawab's subjects must be supported.

The fleet entered the Hooghly River in December and met with the fugitives of Calcutta and the surrounding areas, including the principal Members of the Council, at the village of Falta on 15 December. The Members of Council formed a Select Committee of direction. On 29 December, the force dislodged the enemy from the fort of Budge Budge.

Clive and Watson then moved against Calcutta on 2 January and the garrison of men surrendered after offering a scanty resistance. The fortifications of Fort William were strengthened and a defensive position was prepared in the north-east of the city. Siraj set up his headquarters in Omichund 's garden.

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A small body of their army attacked the northern suburbs of the town but were beaten back by a detachment under Lieutenant Lebeaume placed there, returning with fifty prisoners. Clive decided to launch a surprise attack on the Nawab's camp on the morning of 4 February. At midnight, a force of sailors, a battalion of Europeans, artillery-men, sepoys and 6 six-pounders approached the Nawab's camp.

They continued forward for some distance till they were opposite Omichund's garden, when they heard the galloping of cavalry on their right. The fog hampered visibility beyond walking distance. Hence, the line moved slowly, infantry and artillery firing on either side randomly. Clive had intended to use a narrow raised causeway, south of the garden, to attack the Nawab's quarters in the garden.

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The Nawab's troops had barricaded the passage. The British troops were assailed on all sides by cavalry and musket-fire. The Nawab troops then made for a bridge a mile further on, crossed the Maratha Ditch and reached Calcutta. The total casualties of Clive's force were 57 killed and wounded. The Nawab's army lost 22 officers of distinction, common men, 4 elephants, horses, some camels and a great number of bullocks. The attack scared the Nawab into concluding the Treaty of Alinagar with the Company on 5 February, agreeing to restore the Company's factories, allow the fortification of Calcutta and restoring former privileges.

The Nawab withdrew his army back to his capital, Murshidabad. Clive needed to know whose side the Nawab would intervene on if he attacked Chandernagar. The Nawab sent evasive replies and Clive construed this to be assent to the attack. The French had set up defences on the roads leading to the fort and had sunk several ships in the river channel to prevent passage of the men of war. The garrison consisted of Europeans and sepoys. The French expected assistance from the Nawab's forces from Hooghly, but the governor of Hooghly, Nandkumar had been bribed to remain inactive and prevent the Nawab's reinforcement of Chandernagar.

The fort was well-defended, but when Admiral Watson's squadron forced the blockade in the channel on 23 March, a fierce cannonade ensued with aid from two batteries on the shore. The naval squadron suffered greatly due to musket-fire from the fort. After plundering Chandernagar, Clive decided to ignore his orders to return to Madras and remain in Bengal.

He moved his army to the north of the town of Hooghly. The Nawab was infuriated on learning of the attack on Chandernagar. His former hatred of the British returned, but he now felt the need to strengthen himself by alliances against the British. The Nawab was plagued by fear of attack from the north by the Afghans under Ahmad Shah Durrani and from the west by the Marathas.

Therefore, he could not deploy his entire force against the British for fear of being attacked from the flanks. A deep distrust set in between the British and the Nawab. As a result, Siraj started secret negotiations with Jean Law, chief of the French factory at Cossimbazar, and de Bussy. Popular discontent against the Nawab flourished in his own court. The Seths, the traders of Bengal, were in perpetual fear for their wealth under the reign of Siraj, contrary to the situation under Alivardi's reign.

They had engaged Yar Lutuf Khan to defend them in case they were threatened in any way. The committee passed a resolution in support of the alliance. A treaty was drawn between the British and Mir Jafar to raise him to the throne of the Nawab in return for support to the British in the field of battle and the bestowal of large sums of money upon them as compensation for the attack on Calcutta. On 2 May, Clive broke up his camp and sent half the troops to Calcutta and the other half to Chandernagar. Hearing of this, Clive suggested an expedient to the Committee. The Members of the Committee signed on both treaties, but Admiral Watson signed only the real one and his signature had to be counterfeited on the fictitious one.

Clive testified and defended himself thus before the House of Commons of Parliament on 10 May , during the Parliamentary inquiry into his conduct in India:. Finding this to be the man in whom the nabob entirely trusted, it soon became our object to consider him as a most material engine in the intended revolution.

We therefore made such an agreement as was necessary for the purpose, and entered into a treaty with him to satisfy his demands. When all things were prepared, and the evening of the event was appointed, Omichund informed Mr.

Watts, who was at the court of the nabob, that he insisted upon thirty lacks of rupees, and five per cent. Watts, and the two other English gentlemen then at the court, should be cut off before the morning. Watts, immediately on this information, dispatched an express to me at the council. I did not hesitate to find out a stratagem to save the lives of these people, and secure success to the intended event.

For this purpose we signed another treaty. The one was called the Red , the other the White treaty.

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This treaty was signed by every one, except admiral Watson; and I should have considered myself sufficiently authorised to put his name to it, by the conversation I had with him. As to the person who signed admiral Watson's name to the treaty, whether he did it in his presence or not, I cannot say; but this I know, that he thought he had sufficient authority for so doing.

This treaty was immediately sent to Omichund, who did not suspect the stratagem. The event took place, and success attended it; and the House, I am fully persuaded, will agree with me, that, when the very existence of the Company was at stake, and the lives of these people so precariously situated, and so certain of being destroyed, it was a matter of true policy and of justice to deceive so great a villain.

The combined force consisted of Europeans, artillery-men controlling eight field pieces and two howitzers, 91 topasses , sepoys mainly dusadhs [60] [61] and sailors.

The army set out for Murshidabad on 13 June. Clive sent out the Nawab's messengers with a letter declaring his intention to march his army to Murshidabad to refer their complaints with regard to the treaty of 9 February with the principal officers of the Nawab's government. The Indian troops marched on shore while the Europeans with the supplies and artillery were towed up the river in boats. I saw this recently as well and thought it might be of interest also? It is a good thing to see this aspect of battle dealt with. It makes the history more real and more immediate. Life is never a sanitized Hollywood movie.

The scene of the most serious fighting at Waterloo was significantly changed by the creation of the Lion mound. Subsequent farming techniques may have further changed the contours significantly removing buried remains as a consequence. Thanks for this good question, Ian. This map of the Waterloo battlefield is said to be the first official sketch of the field click on the image a couple of times to see the high-res version: And these paintings are said to be the earliest images of the battlefield: One of them depicts the naked bodies of fallen soldiers.

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Thanks — the watercolours are fascinating. I have some Mudford prints from I am sure the artist had been to the battle field although it is not clear when. One of them seems to show individual burial mounds around La Haye Sainte. I always wondered about the removal of the dead soldiers and their horses. I am not a soldier, but I salute all of these brave men of all regiments. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. What if Napoleon had escaped from St.

Helena and wound up in the United States in ? Kirkus Reviews calls Shannon's novel "evocative and immersive. How were Napoleonic battlefields cleaned up? July 8, at 8: July 8, at July 8, at 1: July 8, at 3: July 8, at 4: Bas de Groot says: July 9, at July 10, at August 4, at 6: August 4, at July 9, at 2: July 9, at 8: July 9, at 3: July 10, at 5: July 11, at 1: July 9, at 4: July 9, at 9: July 9, at 6: July 10, at 6: July 11, at July 12, at 4: July 12, at July 13, at 1: July 14, at 3: July 14, at 8: July 15, at 3: July 15, at 8: July 15, at July 19, at 3: July 19, at 1: July 23, at July 24, at 9: July 25, at 4: July 27, at 4: August 11, at 2: August 11, at 9: August 19, at September 5, at December 8, at 8: December 8, at February 11, at 4: February 11, at 8: April 6, at 3: April 6, at April 8, at April 8, at 9: April 18, at Your information is protected and never shared.

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