CALCUTTA: PAST AND PRESENT
his pouch of cartridges, setting fire to some of his comrades and disorganizing the advance for a time. When the march was resumed the leaders had lost their bearings, and the enemy's battery was missed: the column, however, marched steadily on through the fog, till they arrived opposite Suraj-ud-Dowlah's headquarters in Omichand's garden, but on the opposite side of the Ditch. Now for the first time an attempt was made to check their advance, and the Mogul horse bore down on them, but as they charged through the fog a deadly fire swept their ranks, they checked, swerved, and fled in disorder.
Clive's plan was to seize a causeway which crossed the Ditch into the town, a little to the south of Omichand's garden, on the line of the present road which passes the Gas Works, and, turning back from there, to fall on the nawab's camp. With this intention the march was continued rapidly, the guns in the middle of the column firing obliquely forward into the fog on either side, and the troops keeping up a discharge of musketry against the unseen foe. Thus dealing dismay and death around, the British reached the causeway without a check. But then occurred a fatal blunder. As the leading troops turned upon the causeway they
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