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Back The Generals Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Chapter 1 - Napoleon
  5. Chapter 2
  6. Chapter 3
  7. Chapter 4
  8. Chapter 5
  9. Chapter 6
  10. Chapter 7
  11. Chapter 8
  12. Chapter 9
  13. Chapter 10 - Arthur
  14. Chapter 11
  15. Chapter 12
  16. Chapter 13
  17. Chapter 14
  18. Chapter 15 - Napoleon
  19. Chapter 16
  20. Chapter 17
  21. Chapter 18
  22. Chapter 19
  23. Chapter 20
  24. Chapter 21 - The Bridge at Arcola
  25. Chapter 22
  26. Chapter 23 - Arthur
  27. Chapter 24
  28. Chapter 25
  29. Chapter 26
  30. Chapter 27 - Napoleon
  31. Chapter 28
  32. Chapter 29
  33. Chapter 30
  34. Chapter 31
  35. Chapter 32
  36. Chapter 33 - Arthur
  37. Chapter 34
  38. Chapter 35
  39. Chapter 36
  40. Chapter 37
  41. Chapter 38
  42. Chapter 39 - Napoleon
  43. Chapter 40
  44. Chapter 41
  45. Chapter 42
  46. Chapter 43
  47. Chapter 44
  48. Chapter 45
  49. Chapter 46 - Arthur
  50. Chapter 47
  51. Chapter 48 - Seringapatam, April 1799
  52. Chapter 49
  53. Chapter 50 - Napoleon
  54. Chapter 51
  55. Chapter 52
  56. Chapter 53
  57. Chapter 54
  58. Chapter 55 - Arthur
  59. Chapter 56
  60. Chapter 57
  61. Chapter 58
  62. Chapter 59
  63. Chapter 60
  64. Chapter 61
  65. Chapter 62 - Napoleon
  66. Chapter 63
  67. Chapter 64
  68. Chapter 65
  69. Chapter 66 - Arthur
  70. Chapter 67
  71. Chapter 68
  72. Chapter 69
  73. Author’s note

‘Really?’ Harris stared at him for a moment, and Arthur was sure that he would refuse.Then the general shrugged. ‘Very well, Wellesley, as you wish.The command is yours. But the 33rd needs a rest.You’ll have the Scottish Brigade for the job. Make sure you see it through.’

‘I will, sir.You have my word.’

‘Good. Now go and clean yourself up and get some sleep.’

‘Sir.’ Arthur saluted and turned painfully to stride out of the tent, only resorting to a limp when he was out of the general’s sight. As he rode Diomed back to the encampment of the Nizam’s column he decided that if the night’s disaster had taught him one thing, it was never to conduct any operations under cover of darkness, if it could be avoided. Never again would he lose control of his men in that way.The spectre of failure haunted him through the early hours. He tried to rest, but the vision of Fitzgerald’s face, as he died by the light of the surgeon’s lantern, returned to Arthur again and again, and robbed him of any sleep.

Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Throughout April the army pushed its siege lines forward, capturing the enemy positions on the western bank of the south Cauvery river. The tope was taken in daylight and most of the bodies of the 33rd’s grenadiers were recovered, but eight remained unaccounted for and Arthur feared that they must have been taken prisoner. Once the enemy outposts had been cleared from in front of Seringapatam’s walls General Harris gave orders for the construction of strongly fortified batteries for the heavy siege guns that Arthur had procured while the army assembled for the campaign. At a range of nine hundred yards the guns methodically knocked out the enemy cannon along the western wall of Seringapatam before turning to pound the corner bastions into rubble.Then on the second day of May the batteries were aimed at the point along the wall that General Harris had chosen to be breached. An intense bombardment followed over the next two days, until a wide section of the city’s wall had been smashed through and Harris was satisfied that an assault could be made over the rubble.