was unavoidably compelled to sacrifice much of his baggage; but, to his honour, he brought off not only his guns, but all his wounded, and with them he reached Seroor by nine o'clock the next morning, the 3rd of January; the enemy, notwithstanding their vast superiority of force, never having dared to interrupt the march. Although this noble band had then suffered under a total privation of any other refreshment than a tardy supply of water for two whole days, they entered Seroor as became them, with drums beating and colours flying, and were received with all the honours they so richly merited.
In this brilliant affair "the medical officers also led on the Sepoys to charges with the bayonet, the nature of the contest not admitting of their attending to their professional duties; for in such a struggle the presence of a single European was of the utmost consequence, and seemed to inspire the native soldiers with the utmost confidence of success."[1] The loss sustained was, as might be expected, severe. Of twenty-six artillerymen twelve were killed and eight wounded. Of the native infantry there were fifty killed, and 105 wounded. Of the auxiliary horse, ninety-six killed, wounded, and missing. Among the officers killed were Lieutenant Chisholm, of the Madras artillery, and Assistant-Surgeon Wingate; Lieutenant Patterson, of the Bombay Native Infantry, was carried mortally wounded to Seroor, where he died. Two other officers, Captain Swainston and Lieutenant Connellan, were badly wounded. The loss of the enemy was estimated at from 600 to 700. Its extent may be attributed in a great degree to the situation in which most of their attacks were made – in avenues raked by the guns of the British party.
The action of Corregaum, like the defence of the Residency at Nagpore, was an affair of which Clive himself might have been proud; and the Governor-General, who forthwith nominated Staunton an honorary aide-de-
- ↑ General Smith's Division Orders.
