The Siege of Pondicherry By The British, 1760 Newspaper

 

The Siege of Pondicherry By The British, 1760 Newspaper

This rare Edinburgh-based 1760 newspaper gives an account of the siege of Pondicherry by the British. Extracts from the newspaper “Major Monson, in conjunction with Admiral Cornish, was besieging Karrical (Karaikal), the only surviving settlement the enemy (French) had on the east coast of Coromandel, except Pondicherry, and it is the key to the district of Trichenopoly (Tiruchirapalli).

General Lally (French) used to boast, that he would take Fort St David for breakfast, Madras for dinner, and Bengal for supper. How well he has kept his promise, we need not explain. The Malabar Coast having been less the scene of war because less consequence than the Coromandel side. There still remains, belonging to the French, the little settlements about Mount Dilla, and that of Matri, near Tellicherry…”

The report mentions the French were in a pitiable condition short of money and morale. After a series of military successes, Eyre Coote moved to blockade Pondicherry with reinforcements from Britain. Major George Monson was promoted colonel and took over command. He mounted an assault on the redoubts in the boundary hedge which formed the outer defence of the city. This was successful though Monson was wounded and had to relinquish command to Coote who completed the capture of Pondicherry.

There are some more interesting news on India. The Moghul Emperor secretly solicited the Pathans to present themselves before the capital of Delhi. Which resented the Vizier. The report on the assassination of the Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan III who was succeeded by Aurangzeb’s grandson. Some more news on the siege of Pondicherry and the distress of the French. The East India Company establishing a settlement in Sindh near the River Indus.

Did you know – the French ordered its Inhabitants to donate a part of their belongings even the buckle of their shoelaces to improve the state’s financial position. 

Past posts – 1964 M. Suriyamoorthy Charcoal Art Abstract (#17)., View of The Sea From Mahalaxmi Bombay, 1880 Photo., Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Trivandrum – Old Postcard., Old Newspapers 1866, The Illustrated London News.