ladders were planted, and a few men had even reached the rampart before the alarm extended through the garrison; but the resistance offered to the assailants, though late, was powerful. The Killadar, Bahander Khan, a distinguished soldier, in whom the pressure of seventy years had not quenched the fire of military ardour, nor seriously diminished his personal ability to obey its suggestions, was in a moment at the head of his men, and fought with the utmost bravery. But his courage was unavailing; he fell, and the assailants, charging with the bayonet, soon established themselves on the top of the walls; then spreading to the right and left, columns descended into the body of the place, and in an hour they were masters of Bangalore. Tippoo had received the intelligence, and was marching with his whole force to save the place, when crowds of fugitives announced to him the disastrous event, and he remained sunk in silence and stupor for the whole of the night.
The loss on the part of the garrison was severe; more than a thousand of the bodies of their fallen enemies were committed to the grave by the victors. Among the slain was the brave Killadar, who, having in vain endeavoured to collect a party to make one more stand, fell sword in hand, without a single supporter near him. It was thought that Tippoo might desire to retrieve from the hands of strangers and enemies the remains of one who had served him so faithfully, and an intimation that they would not be withheld was conveyed to him; but either the merits of Bahander Khan were obliterated by his ill-fortune, or Tippoo really entertained the feeling which his answer is said to have expressed – that the Killadar could be buried nowhere with greater propriety than in the neighbourhood of the place in defence of which he had fallen. By the English authorities all the respect that could be shown to the dead was manifested; and the body of the veteran soldier was attended to its final resting-place by the most distinguished members of the Mussulmaun part of the British army.
