of 
 
 Letter fro all 
 
 o the honourable -.rectors 
 
 tl -t -India - 
 
 Co 
 
 e org e B' irrha 1 1
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 AT LOS ANGELES
 
 L E T T E R 
 
 FROM 
 
 MAJOR BURGHALL 
 
 TO THE HONOURABLE THE 
 
 DIRECTORS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 EAST-INDIA-COMPANY,
 
 1 
 
 LETTER 
 
 FROM 
 
 MAJOR B U R G H A L L 
 
 TO THE 
 
 HONOURABLE THE DIRECTORS OF THEJ 
 EAST- INDIA -COMPANY. 
 
 GENTLEMEN, 
 
 THE refolution of the igth of July 1780, made by 
 the then Court of Directors, not to reftore me to 
 
 >. the Company's fervice, has produced the fevereft effects 
 
 ' on my mind and fituation. The terms of it reach both. 
 
 N iny honor and fortune. The former is touched by it ; 
 
 ^ becaufc I am forced to believe, it muft have proceeded 
 from previous reprefentations, indirectly importing 
 charges againft me for mifconduct as an officer, The 
 latter is endangered by the refolution ; becaufe, if it 
 ftiould remain unrevoked, I am for ever banifhed from 
 
 tan honorable fervice, on which the fubfiftence of my* 
 felf and family wholly depends. With fo much at 
 flake, therefore, it would be both unnatural and un* , 
 manly, if I did not make every effort to refill the double 
 turn with which I am threatened. At firfl indeed the 
 B refelution
 
 ( 2 ) 
 
 refolution againft me fo wounded and agitated my 
 that it's powers of aftion were fufpended. Birt after 
 fome interval of reflection I refolved to adopt the mod 
 vigorous and effectual meafures, as well for the vindi- 
 cation of my character, as for the recovery of my em- 
 ployment in the Company's fervice. Leaft, however, 
 the (harpnels of my feelings fliould mifguide my judg- 
 ment, and betray me into any error or impropriety in 
 the mode of proceeding for the attainment of juftice, 
 I no lon,er trufted to my own iingle and unaffifled 
 opinion, but fought for the aid of legal advice and di- 
 reftion. My firft ftep with this view was, to lay all the 
 relative papers and fals of my cafe before my folicitor; 
 and afterwards through him, thefe, with a ftatement 
 of the principal occurrences in the firm of a cafe, were 
 fubmitted for the confide ation of counfeh The refult 
 h, that 1 am encouraged" by the counfel thus inftrucled, 
 once more, Gentlemen, to offer myfelf for your con- 
 fideration a ; nd : juftice. Notwithftanding too fo un- 
 fdvorable a decision in the firil inftance, I truft you 
 will give me the fame candid and impartial hearing as 
 if it was intirely a new cafe. Severely as thh firft judg- 
 ment operates, whilfl it is un epealed, I have never 
 imputed to any member of your body the leaft wilful 
 injuftice. No, Gentlemen, fo far from being guilty of 
 fiich a cfifrefpecl, I have given each full credit for 
 honor and 1 integrity of intention; and" I have attributed 
 fiich decifion, partly to my own want of flcill in re- 
 
 prefentihj
 
 ( 3 ) 
 
 presenting my injuries, and panly to the influence o 
 criminating papers hitherto unanfwered. Belides what 
 I now propofe to fubmit to y,:u will in a great mea'ure 
 render my cafe a new one. When I firft folicited your 
 attenti n, I appeared as a c mplainant, and applied for 
 a redrefs of grievances. But the extracts of Fort St. 
 George confutations, which.have beendigefted for your 
 vsfe, and which we:e firft communicated to me in June 
 1780, changes, or as I fhould rather fay, extends try 
 original ground j and I now coir.e before you, not 
 merely to fuilain my complaints of hardships, but prin- 
 cipally as a defendant and to clear my character from 
 criminating infinuations. Theie feems, however, an 
 Lnfeparable connection between the two fituations -thus 
 defcrihed ; for, unlefs I greatly mifcor.ceive the prefent 
 circumflances of my own cafe, I ihall fail or fucceed i$. 
 thi former, in proportion as I acquit myfelf in the 
 latter, 
 
 The refolution not to relbre 'm involves- two con- 
 cluuons, both of which I equally controvert. It implies, 
 that I am out x>f the Company's fervice. It more than 
 implies that I am unworthy of being re-admit;ed. 
 Therefore I will op-. n my objections to the refolution, 
 by confid-ring it in each o f thefe points of view. 
 
 In refpect to my being out of the fervice I have ever 
 
 denied i: ; and if I am fo, it cannot be by reafon of a^.y 
 
 act done avowe '.ly and directly ior that purpofe ; for 
 
 none fuch can be pointed out. On the past of the 
 
 B 2 Company,
 
 ( 4 ) 
 
 Compar.y, no o:\ler has b:en pafled abroad or here, ex* 
 preffing a removal of me. On my part there is not any 
 expre s refignatton. I know indeed, that a conftruftive 
 refignation is objected to me ; one faid to be warrantably 
 inferred f om my actions and conduct. But before I can 
 be jnftly diverted of fo valuable a conne&bn, as that of 
 an officer with the Eaft India Company, by argument 
 and conduction, it furely is neceflary to ftate and prove 
 fome clear and ftrong grounds for fuch a proceeding. 
 It is no flight th'ng to infer the renunciation cf an ho- 
 rorable and beneficial employment; more efpecially 
 when it has been enjoyed for 17 years, and the fub- 
 fiftence of the party concerned, and of a large family, 
 alrnoft wholly depends on continuing the pofleffion. 
 The grounds and reafons for fo harfli and fevere an im- 
 plication ought to be decidedly clear and unambiguous. 
 Whether any fuch grounds exift in my cafe, will be 
 feen by a review of the feveral circumftances, which 
 have been or may be urged to warrant declaring me out 
 pf the fervice. 
 
 The 0r/gvWpretext of the Board at Madrafs for treat- 
 ing me as out of the fervice was, that my letter to them 
 of the 24th ofAuguft 17/8 contained a requejl of permijfi. n 
 to refgn, and that by their yiJding to my requeft the 
 refignation became complete. But if the terms of the 
 letter thus rel'ed upon are reforted to, it will immediately 
 appear, that I had not expreffed any thing like a wifh 
 pr requeft of leave to refign. What it did exprefs was, 
 
 that
 
 ( 5 ) 
 
 that I bad afked leave from General Munro to return to V 
 Madrafs ; and that in confequence of fevere difappoint- 
 ments and hsavy expences, I intended returning with 
 iny family to Europe. It was therefore mifreprefen- 
 ting my letter to call it a requeft of leave to refign. It 
 contained no rcqucjl to the Board of any kind. Kefig- 
 ltati*n was not me ntioncd in it. Nor did the occafion of x 
 the letter in the leaft juilify a fuppofition, that I vvifhed 
 to refign. The difippointments I alluded to were v 
 known by the whole army and fettlement to be of fuch 
 a nature, that it could not be doubted, but that my 
 return to England, if it took place, would be with a 
 view, not to relinquifh the Company's fervice, but to 
 afiert my rights and pretenfions to employment in it, ac- 
 cording to my rank and commiffion as Major and Di- 
 resftor of Engineers, by an appeal to the Court of Di 
 rectors ; which latter purpofe was equally different A 
 from and inconfiftent with the former. Foralmoft two ^ 
 years together I had been continually feeking to be put 
 upon duty in compliance with the ftrong recommen- 
 dation from the Court of Directors, which accompanied 
 my commiffion; nor did I entertain a thought 
 leaving India, till I had loft all hopes of employment 
 there without coming to England for the redrefs of my 
 grievances ; as appears by the fads ftated in my primed 
 cafe. 
 
 Afterwards the Board at Madrafs found it convenient 
 to re'tracl imputing to me apojttive and fA/r</}requeft of 
 
 leave
 
 V leave to reHgn ; and then I was told, that my letter 
 amount d to and could be confidered by them in no other 
 light than as a f'efire to r'fign. This was the language of 
 the letter from their fecretary, when, in confequencc 
 of a vacancy in my line by the death of Major Stevens 
 at Pondicherry, I was induced to waive my intention of 
 returning to England, and folicited to fucceed him as 
 
 *. s fcireftor of engineers. But why fliould the Board at 
 Madrafs interpret a letter to import a defire of refigning, 
 when no fuch defire was exprefled in it ? The letter 
 did not avow any diilike to an active employment ac- 
 cording to my rank and ftation in the Company's fer- 
 vice; nor did my intention of going to England import 
 a defire of renouncing fervice ; for as I have already 
 obferved, it originated from the want of employment 
 conformable to my rank ; and the only purpofe, for 
 which I meant to go to Europe, was to enforce my 
 being employed by the interpofition of thofe from 
 whom I had received my commilfion. Thus the defign. 
 of my letter was apparently as foreign to a deare or a 
 requeft to refign, as the words of it were. Indeed Ge- 
 neral Munro himfelf was from the firfl entirely of this 
 opinion, and teftified it by a letter to the Board at 
 Madrais ; for though he had feen my letter to them, 
 and had given me leave to go jo Madrafs and prefent it, 
 yet when the Select-committee afterwards fent to him for 
 a perfon to fupeiintend the works there, he wrote in 
 anivver, that I had left Pondicherry before the letter 
 
 arrived,
 
 { 7 ) 
 
 arrived, and therefore that he hoped my Icing tbtre would 
 iefuffident. Why would not the Board at Madrafs give: 
 the fame candid conftruclion to my letter, as General 
 Munro, to whom I fhewed it before it was fent ? I ^ 
 fear, that their not doing fo proceeded rather from a 
 defire on their part to keep me out of the fervice, than 
 any opinion that I wifhed to relinquifh it. , 
 
 At a ftibfequent period the Board at Madrafs reforted 
 to new ground to juftify their confidering me as out of 
 the fervice. They no longer infilled, either on my 
 having ajked leave to refign, or on my defire to refign. 
 But they founded the fnppofed' refignation on my 
 leav'ng Pond'cbtrry, and on my ajking leave to retire vjitb 
 my family to England. Thefe two fads I prefume were /\ 
 referred to, with a view to prove againft me a dere itfictt 
 of the fervice. Both of them require my obfervation ; 
 particularly the former, becaufe here I perceive my 
 honor as a foldier attacked. 
 
 If the facl of my leaving Pondicherry was, as the 
 Governor and Select-committee of Fort St. George 
 have thought fit to reprefent it in their fccret correfpon- 
 dence with the Court of Directors, there might be 
 reafon for calling it a dereliction of fervice, and I fhould 
 make no attempt to juftify myfelf. But the Board of 
 Madrafs have done me a great injury by their manner 
 of Hating this faft j and in juftice to my own charac- 
 ter I muft fay, that, if they fliould flill perfevere in the 
 fameftatement, I (hall hold them guilty of a deliberately 
 
 fatt'c
 
 ( 8 ) 
 
 falfe reprefentation of me. But at prefent I will hope 
 othenvife, and that fuch of them as are now in Eng- 
 land will explain or apologize for their conduct in that 
 refpect as the effect of precipitancy. There are two 
 letters from the Governor and Select-Committee to 
 the Court of Directors, in which the fact of my 
 leaving Pondicherry is noticed ; and in both the man- 
 ner is mif-ftated. In the firft, dated the i yth of Oc- 
 tober, 1778, the Board fay, that I bad joined the army ^ 
 Icfore Pondi berry > but that lefore the operations of the 
 ficge commence^ I defired leave to return to Madrafs, and 
 en my arrival delivered to them my letter of refignation ; 
 adding, that J had founded my application to rrfign and go 
 home chlejly on family conjiderations. In the fecond, 
 dated the i3th of March, 1779, they are more decifive 
 in refpect to my leaving Pondicherry ; for they pofi- 
 tively aflert, what they had before only wifhed to in- 
 iinuate, that I had left it when on duty. But the real 
 facts of the cafe were widely different from this repre- 
 fentation. No perfon can read thefe letters without 
 fuppofing, that I was on a&ual duty at Pondicherry, 
 and that I relinquished this duty at the critical moment, 
 when it moft required my prefence. But in truth I was 
 not ftrictly fpeaking on duty at Pondicherry ; for I was 
 not there as a director of engineers or in any other 
 official character. I both went and ftaid there without 
 f^ any appointment. Before the war with France was 
 known in India, repeated refufals to employ me had 
 
 given
 
 ( 9 ) 
 
 given bccafion to my 'avowing an intention to cohie . 
 jtiome and reprefent my grievances j and in June, 
 1778, I had a&ually taken my paflage io the Latham 
 Indiaman with that view. But, on report of the war 
 with France, I renewed my applications for fervice ; 
 and in confequence of the molt folemn and favorable 
 aflurances from Sir Thomas Rumbold and General 
 Munro, I poftponed my intention of returning, till 
 the event of fome propofitions for putting me on duty A 
 was known. In this fufpence of my affairs the fiege of 
 Pondicherry was refolved upon ; and Major Stevens, 
 who was appointed to that fervice as director of en- 
 gineers, reprefenting to me his ill ftate of health and 
 the uncertainty of his being able to take the field, I was 
 induced by his requeft to go forward to Parmacoel for 
 the purpofe of making preparations for the fiege, in 
 order that the fervice might not be impeded by Major 
 Stevens's abfence, and alfo in hopes, either that I 
 fhould fucceed to his iituation as director of engineers, 
 if he fliould continue too ill to leave Madrafs, or that 
 the applications I then had depending for being em- 
 ployed in fome other way might terminate in my favor. 
 But I went on this fervice without either the form or the> ^ 
 emoluments of any appointment ; and therefore my fer- 
 vices were quite voluntary and gratuitous. After /\ 
 flaying a (hort time at Parmacb'el, I proceeded to Pon- 
 dicherry in confequence of a letter from General 
 Munro. But (till I was there without any official cha- 
 C racier.
 
 racier. I was" not put into the julic orders, nor in any 
 reipect recogmzed according to my rank and itation. 
 Not only a fnt was refufcd to r;,e ; but I was not even 
 i.iaile acquainted ivi<b the parole and coxnterfign. I alio 
 found the feveral propofitions for giving me an appoint- 
 ment, which were depending when I left Madrafs, were 
 totally difregarded ; and that the promifes, I had re- 
 ceived in that refpeft, were unattended to. That 1 was 
 hurt and difgufted with this treatment, is not to be 
 denied. However I patiently fubniitted to it* till the 
 arrival of Major Stevens ; being determined, that I would 
 adhere to my engagements to him : and though I was ftitt 
 without beingunder orders, I refclved to remain whiht 
 there was the leafl danger of impedi;ig the fervice. But 
 when he arrived, and officially exercifed thofe functions 
 which I had hitherto voluntarily offered to perform for 
 him in his abfence, and I faw from the failure of my late 
 application for an appointment, that all profpect of be^ 
 ing employed in any manner according to my rank and 
 lotion was at an end, I prepared the letter to Genera! 
 Mimro expreifive of my intention to return on account 
 of tlio clifappointrnents I had met with in not being 
 employed. I fhewed this letter to Major Stevens, on 
 tl'C M ".' .\"''uft 17; 8, when that gentleman, in 
 - of the Rev. Mr. Swartz, acquainted *ne, 
 = that night to be made on the bound- 
 enemy's out-pofts, and that he wife- 
 Ci' fgb of two redoubts called theTama- 
 
 rind
 
 iind and Waldorc redoubts, and to turn, them 
 the fort. On hearing this 1 undertook the lervice with- ^ 
 out a moment's hefitation; and what followed was, that 
 J drew the firft (hot from the enemy in Hning out tht 
 tt'ork.cf thofe redoubts with my own hands. I# thi$ 
 iitu*tidn I remaine4 for five .days together, during which - 
 time we fuilained a very heavy and inceflant fire, being 
 espofed to the whole ca-nnon of the north front of the 
 enemy's works ; till perplexed at our perfcverance iri 
 proceeding with our works without making them any 
 return of fire 7 and a^amed of fuch a fruittefs expencc 
 of ammunition, they ceafed firing altogether. But when v 
 this bufinefs was completed, I was no longer conferred 
 with by Major Stevens on the operatioas of the fiege, 
 and I faw myielf reduced into a fituation equally uftlcfs, 
 and infi^nificant. Therefore I thought it the proper A. 
 time to avow my refolution of returning to England on 
 account of the numerous difappointments I had met 
 with. Accordingly I difcourfed with General Munro on 
 the fubjcift, Jhewed him the letter I had written to the / 
 Select- eommittee of Fort St. George expreffive of my in^ ; 
 Mention, and with his confent left the camp to deliver it 
 at Madrafs ; aad fo far was he from considering the ftep 
 as a dereliction of the fervice or in any degree renfuriag 
 it, that he foon after, as is before noticed, impiiedly / 
 recommended my being appointed to the care of the 
 works at Madrafs. Indeed he knew, that my motive 
 for leaving the fiege was the not being officially employ* 
 C % tdj
 
 ed; and fo his letter to me of the ai& of October 
 1 778 imports, where he obferves, that neither he nor I 
 could forefee what afterwards happened to Major Ste- 
 vens j which amounts to an acknowledgment, that, if I 
 had forefeen the profpect of a vacancy for me, I fhould 
 not have had a thought of leaving the camp..- Thus it 
 appears, that the representation of the Select- committee 
 of the circumftances of .^my leaving Pondicherry is 
 throughout injurioufly erroneous. They ftate my being 
 at Pondicherry as if I bad joined the army in my official 
 elarafter as director of engineers. But in truth my 
 fervice there was purely voluntary and gratuitous. 
 They aflerr, that I left Pondicherry before the opera- 
 tions of the fiege commenced. But the fa<5l is, that, 
 though I had neither, the emoluments of a director of 
 engineers, nor was recognized in any character, yet I 
 performed material fervice for five days together under 
 a heavy fire from the enemy's works. They fay, that I 
 left Pondicherry when on duty. But the real fact is other- 
 wife; for I never was on duty there in the proper fenfe of 
 the word, and at the time I actually left the place I 
 was without duty or confidence in any fenfe.T They 
 add, that I had delivered to them a ktter of rejigna- 
 tion \ and that I fdunded my Application to refign chief- 
 ly on family conjiderations ; whereas my letter did not 
 contain one word about my refignation ; and it was 
 well known, that I propofed going home, not chiefly 
 as they rcpreftnt on family confidcrations, but chiefly 
 
 and
 
 C. -if") 
 
 and wholly in confequence of a feries of difappointmentf 
 from not being put upon fervice; and the very letter 
 they refer to exprefsly points at thofe difappointments as 
 the caufe of my determination to return to England.. 
 Thefe mifconftruftions and mifreprefentations of my 
 conduct by the Selet-committee being confidered, I 
 prefume to hope, that my leaving Pondicherry will 
 be no longer treated as a dereliction of duty or 
 fervice. 
 
 As to my a/king leave to retire <witb my family to Eng- 
 land, which is the fecond of the new grounds ftated by 
 the Select-committee for holding me out of the fervice, 
 the real fat is not ftridtly conformable to this allegation ; 
 for I did not ajk leave to retire to England, but fignified 
 my intention to do fo. I will fuppofe, however, that 
 the Board had referred to the real fact, namely the de- 
 claration of my intention to return to England. And 
 here the queftion will be, whether my Jimply notifying 
 fucb an intention^ under the circumftances of my cafe, 
 ought of itfelf to be deemed a renunciation of the Com- 
 pany's fenrice. But what reafon can be given for fo fe- 
 vere a conftruction ? I have already difproved all inten- 
 tion to refgn. I have alfo ihewn, that at the time of 
 fignifying the intention to return I neither declined not 
 obftrucled the fervice of the Company, but was both 
 unemployed and without any reafonable profpeft of 
 ^mployment i all offers of my fervice having been re- 
 
 jefted;
 
 jelled ; and that the obieft of my propofed return was 
 to enforce my pretenfions to being put upon duty ac- 
 cording to my commiflion. Such being the caufe and 
 objeft of declaring my intention to return, I conceive, 
 that, even though I had executed that intention by an 
 actual return before the intervention of the new provo- 
 cations and matter which afterwards occurred, I fhould 
 not have forfeited my commiflion in the Company's 
 fervice. Much lefs ought my declaring fuch an inten- 
 tion to operate in that way. If then declaring my in- 
 tention to return to England can be conftrued to amount 
 te a refignation, it muft be ; becaufe there is fome rule 
 of the Company's fervice by which in order to difcou- 
 rage fuch declarations in the way of penalty, it is ap- 
 pointed that they (hall operate as a refignation. But 
 I have not yet heard of fuch a rule and believe that 
 ijone fuch is exifting. 
 
 There is only one other ground, on which the Prefi- 
 dent and Select-committee have yet attempted to juftify 
 their considering me a* out of the iervice. It is, that I 
 made no objeftion to their treating my letter of the 24th 
 of Auguft 1778 as a refignation at the time, nor till the 
 expedition to Pondtcberry was concluded. This argument 
 againft me is ufed in the Board's letter to me of the 
 1 8th of January 1779. Here the Board attempt as 
 a laft refourcc to prove a refignation againfl me ly ac- 
 avlrfctnct inferred from my fubfequent conduct ; and 
 
 \vha:
 
 ( 15 ) 
 
 What they would thus conftrue into acquiescence is * 
 filence of fix weeks, during which time I abftained 
 from further applications to them. But I rnoft pofi- 
 tively deny all intention of acquiefcing in the Board's 
 conftruction ; and the reafons of the ihort filence thus 
 relied upon take away the fhadow of pretenfion for caU 
 ling it acquiefcence. The trvle caufe of my filence was, 
 that during this time I faw no new opening for an em- 
 ployment of me ; and as all my former applications to 
 an appointment had failed of fuccefs, and the laft of 
 them, I mean, that of being appointed field-engineer 
 in the army before Pondicherry, had been even treated 
 with afperity, for fometime I defpaifed of obtaining any 
 redrefs of my grievances at Madrafs, and therefore per- 
 fevered in the idea of leaving India according to the no- 
 tice in my letter, and with a view to profecute my . 
 complaints in England. But when the death of Major v 
 Stevens and other fubfequent events feemed to create a 
 new opening for me, I was again encouraged to hope 
 for employment ; more efpecially on hearing, that the 
 Seledl-committee on account of the Hate of the corps of 
 engineers had written to England for a new fnpply of 
 them. Accordingly I made repeated tenders of my 
 fervice ; and I repeatedly both denied all intention to 
 refign and complained of the injuftice of imputing fuch 
 aq intention to me ; and in this language I perfevered, 
 till I was peremptorily told that the Board would not de- 
 fift from confulering me as out of the fervice, and I was ^ 
 
 referred A
 
 referred to England for redrefs ; all which appears from' 
 the correfpondence in my printed cafe, and will be more 
 particularly explained, when I obferve on the circum- 
 fiances, which finally compelled my aftual return. If 
 therefore my Julfequent conduH is to be the ground for 
 deciding whether I meant to acquiefce in the Board'* 
 conftruing my firft letter a refignation, let the whole of 
 that conduct be taken into confideration, not merely a 
 fart of it ; and in that cafe it will appear, not only that 
 I never exprefled an acquiescence in fo injurious a con- 
 ftru&ion, but that I complained of and remonftrated 
 againft it as foon and as often as I faw the leaft profpefc 
 or opportunity of putting me upon fervice. 
 
 Thus, Gentlemen, I have followed the Governor and 
 Seleft-committee of Fort St. George through all the 
 reafons given by them for holding me out of the Com- 
 pany's fervice, and have fhewn, how they fucceffivcly 
 Ihifted from one ground to another. Firil they impute 
 to me an exprefs requejl of leave to rejtgn When the 
 words of my letter are found not to warrant this allega 
 tion, they thea refort to an implied requejt. But when 
 this fecond refource fails, they go the length of infi- 
 nuating againft me a dijhonourable relinquijbment of my 
 duty, and to eftablifh a belief of this withhold one ma- 
 terial part of the circumftances, which attended my 
 leaving Pondicherry and expreffing an intention to 
 return to Europe, and mifreprefent another part of 
 thefe circumftances. Their laft refource is imputing to 
 
 BM
 
 ( '7 ) 
 
 ttie an acquiefcence in their injurioufly holding me out 
 of the fervice ; merely becaufe I abftained from appli- 
 cations to them, and was filent, for the fliort period of 
 iix weeks partially felecled out of my conduct for many 
 months. 
 
 But one point flill remains to be cleared up ; and 
 that is my atlual return to England ; for it may be faid, 
 that, though the Board of Fort St. George might be 
 precipitate and premature in conftruing my intention to 
 return into a refignation, yet as I now have executed 
 that intention, I therefore fall within the Company's 
 letter to Madrafs of the 4th of March, 1778. By the 
 order here referred to it was refolved, that every civil 
 fervant or military officer, who fhould hereafter return 
 from India on account of his own private affairs, or on 
 any other account, except the reeovery of health, 
 where it fhouici be duly certified, that the meafure was 
 neceflary for the prefervation of life or to enable tie party 
 to difcharge the duty of bis Jlatlcn, ftiall be considered as 
 totally out of the fervice. But I conceive, that my cafe 
 is by no means within the reach of this order. I might 
 fay, that it would be hard to held me within it ; be- 
 caufe, my letter expreffing an intention to return to 
 England, was written and fhewn to Major Stevens in the 
 camp on the 2oth of Aug. 1778, being t-ico flays lefort no- 
 tification of the order at Madrafs, and was actually read to 
 Gen. Munro on the 24th, being only two days after. How- 
 ever, I am not driven to depend on a relaxation from the 
 order on this account -, for I conceive, that the order is in 
 D ne
 
 ( '8 ) 
 
 no refpect applicable to me. My intention to re- 
 turn to England, as I have before repeatedly Hated, 
 originated from my not being put upon duty and fer- 
 vice ; and my letter, which declared my intentions 
 of return, in referring to fevere difappointments and 
 heavy expences, fufficiently indicated fuch was the 
 caufe, and that my object in returning was to enforce 
 my being employed. This I conceive brings the inten- 
 tion of my return within that part of the exception of the 
 order, which exempts a return, where it is neceflary to 
 the difcbarge of the pa ty's duty in his ftation ; and there- 
 fore had I executed this intention before any thing fur- 
 ther intervened, it would have been an inequitable in- 
 terpretation of my conduct to have held it a refigna- 
 tion within the order. But it is not neceflary that I 
 fhould reft my objection to being affected by the order 
 here; for the real caufe of my return was attended with 
 a material addition of circumftances. Afrer having de- 
 clared my intention of returning, a vacancy in my line 
 occurred by the death of Major Scevens, who was kill- 
 ed at thefiegeof Pondicherry; and I infhntly renounced 
 niy firft intention of leaving India, and claimed my 
 prerenfions to the fucceflion, adding how much I was 
 hurt, that my letter fignifying my defign to return to 
 England (hould be deemed a refignation. This appli- 
 cation appears by my letter to the Selefl-committee of 
 Fort St. George, of the igth of October 1778. But 
 the anlwer of the Board was, that they confidered me 
 as having defired to refign the fervice, and I in vain re- 
 filled this confuiiclion by a fecond letter ftrongly re- 
 
 monftrating
 
 19 ) 
 
 monftrating againft it, the Board's fecretary returning 
 for anfwer, " that they looked upon me to all intents 
 ** and purpofes as out of the fervice." However, I ftill 
 perfevered in my application for being put upon duty, 
 the moment a new occafionprefented itfelf. For, by my 
 letter of the i4th of December 1778, I again urged 
 the Board to depart from the idea of confidering me as 
 out of the fervice, when I understood that an expedi- 
 tion againft the French Fort at Mahee was refolved 
 upon ; and, in order to enforce every argument for em- 
 ploying me, my letter alfo adverted to the ekfeaceltfs Jiate 
 of the works at Madrafs, and the Jlate of the corps of 
 engineers, which appeared to be fuch as would ren- 
 der my fervices abfolutely neceflary. My reafon for 
 referring to the Hate of the corps of engineers 
 was my having been informed, that the 8tle6t committee 
 had written, home for a fupply of officers in that line. 
 But this laft application was fuffered to remain unanfwer- 
 ed for three weeks ; and when I wrote again for an ex- 
 planation of the Board's intentions concerning me, I 
 was told by their letter of the i8th of January 1779, 
 that they had fully determined my cafe ; that my conduit 
 could be confidered in no other light than as a reiigna- 
 tion; and that, if I had any circumftances to reprefcnt, 
 they defired me to addrefs them to the Company. This 
 letter feemed to be a complete refufal of all further fer- 
 vices from me. As fuch I for a time confidered it. 
 However, that no pretence might be left for imputing to 
 
 me
 
 / 
 
 ( 2 ) 
 
 me a declination of fervice, ivhilft I remained at Ma- 
 drafs, 1 once more applied myfelf, for redrefs of the inju- 
 ry from the Board's deeming me out of the fervice, 
 through the interpofition of Sir Eyre Coote, who then 
 happened to be at Madrafs. But after various folicita- 
 tions through this channel, I found the Board had pro- 
 ceeded too far to rerraft; and that as Sir Eyre once ex- 
 prefled himfelf in converfation, I could hope for no re- 
 lief except from the Company at home, From thefe fads 
 fubfequent to my letterexprcffing an intention to leave In- 
 dia in confequenceof achangeof circumftances, it appears, 
 that I repeatedly renounced my firft intention of coming 
 home ; that I repeatedly made a tenderof my fervices ; that 
 I was always repulfed with a declaration of being out of the 
 fervice; and that I did not quit Madrafs till I was told, that 
 it was in vain to trouble the Board with applications for a 
 change of their refolutions refpeSing me, and that if I 
 thought myfelf aggrieved my only remedy was to return to 
 England for redrefs. But is it poflible that a return home 
 under fuch circumftances mould be a refignation within 
 the Company's order ? That order was aimed againft per- 
 fons aflua'ly on duty, and quitting that duty voluntarily 
 for their own convenience. But I was not upon any dmty^ 
 and my retur.i was compvljive ; for the Board at Madrafs 
 by declaring me out of the fervice, not only deprived me 
 both of the emoluments of an officer, but rendered it 
 impoffible for me to fucceed to any official character, and 
 fufpended the performance of all my functions 
 
 as
 
 ( 21 ) 
 
 as a fervant of the Company. This brings my cafe fully 
 within the words of the exception in the order againft re 
 turning home ; for in the fituation, into which I was thus 
 forced, I was abfolutely disqualified from difcharging 
 any duty as an officer, and the Seleft-committee having 
 peremptorily refufed to retract from this difqualification 
 of me, I had no refource to be relieved from it, other than 
 coming home, and appealing to the Company for re- 
 drefs. 
 
 I have now, Gentlemen, made every obfervation vvhvh 
 feems requisite to proving, that I am ftill in the Compa- 
 ny's fervice ; and consequently that the refolution of the 
 late Court of Directors, which declines reftoring me, 
 proceeds on a miftaken idea of my iituation. 
 
 But in a further letter, with which I propofe to trouble 
 you on the fubjeft of my cafe, I lhall endeavour to fliew, 
 that even though I really fliould be deemed out of the 
 Company's fervice, yet under the fpecial circumftances 
 of my cafe, I am worthy of being reftored ; and that 
 neither the constructive refignation objected to me, nor 
 any other matter recorded or alledged againft me, ought 
 to difappoint my anxious wifhes in that refpedt. 
 
 Gentlemen, with great refpect, 
 
 I have the honor to be, 
 Your nicft obedient, 
 
 And moft humble fervant, 
 Juondon, Dec, 5, 1781. 
 
 GEORGE BURGHALL.
 
 At a COURT of DIERCTOHS, held ori 
 Friday the 21 ft of Dec. 1781, 
 
 TH E Committee of Correfpondence in 
 port, dated this day, fubmitting it as their 
 Opinion, " That Major George Burghall, from 
 the fcarcity of able and experienced Officers 
 in the engineering line at Madras; the Inge- 
 nuity he has lately difcovered in forming a Plan 
 for Counter-Mines, and the Hardships and 
 Difficulties he has already fuftained in the 
 Company's Service, be employed as an Engi- 
 neer on the Coaft of Choromandel." 
 
 And Extracts from the Fort St. George Let- 
 ters and Confutations refpetting Major Burghall 
 being read, 
 
 It was moved, " That this Court doth agree 
 " in Opinion with the faid Committee." 
 
 And the Queftion on the faid Motion, being 
 put by the Ballet, 
 
 It patted in the Negative. 
 Examined Peter MicbelL 
 
 Addrtfied to Major George Burghall,
 
 SECOND 
 
 LETTER 
 
 MAJOR BURGHALL 
 
 TO THE HONOURABLE THE 
 
 COURT of DIRECTORS 
 
 EAST-INDIA COMPANY.
 
 SECOND 
 
 LETTER 
 From MAJOR BURGHALL 
 
 TO THE HONOURABLE THE 
 
 COURT of DIRECTORS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 EAST-INDIA COMPANY. 
 
 London, June igtk, 1782.' 
 GENTLEMEN, 
 
 AN my Letter to you of the 5th of laft December, 
 I fubmitted to your confideration a variety of fadla 
 and arguments, the object of which was to evince, 
 that I was ftill an officer in the Eaft-India Company's 
 fervice, and that it was a grievous injury from Sir 
 Thomas Rumbold, Mr. Whitehill and the other mem- 
 bers of the Fort St. George Prefidency, to impute to 
 me a refignation. But I did not leave my cafe here; 
 for in the conclufion of that letter, I promifed a 
 farther one, with a view to explain why it would be 
 an unmerited harfhnefs to take advantage of my con- 
 duft whilft I was at Madras, even though in ftridb 
 conftruftion it could have amounted to a resignation 
 A 2 f
 
 C 4 ) 
 
 of the fervice. Accordingly, I now proceed to make 
 good this promife. Indeed, I had hitherto flattered 
 myfelf, that fuch a purfuance of the fubjett of my 
 cafe 'Would bt rendered unnecejfary by an immediate re- 
 drefs of my grievances. Certainly too, there were ap- 
 pearandes which juftified me in this expectation. The 
 letter, of which the prefent one is a continuance, 
 fo far attracted your notice and attention, that you 
 were pleafed to refer it to a committee of your body ; 
 and this Committee was fo impreffed with the idea it 
 gave of the injuries and fufferings I have experienced, 
 that they came to a refolution in my favour, by which 
 it was recommended, that I mould be employed as an 
 Engineer on the coaft of Coromandel.* But, unhap- 
 hapily for me, when it was propofed to the whole 
 body of Directors to confirm the Report containing 
 this refolution, and the queftion was ballotted for, 
 there appeared a majority againft it ; and thus fituated, 
 
 I am 
 
 * At a Court of Direrors, held on Friday, the zifl of Decem- 
 ber, 1781. The Committee of Correfpondence, in a Report, dated 
 this day, fubmitting it as their opinion, " That Major George 
 " Burghall, from the ftarcity of able and experienced cffictrs in tbe 
 " engineering line at Madras, tbe ingenuity be bat lately difc'.-vered in 
 " forming a plan for counter- mir.et, and tbe barajhtpi and difficultiet 
 " be bat already fuftained in tbe Company* i fir-v'ue, be employed as an 
 " engineer on the coaft of Coromandel." And extracts from 
 the Fort St. George Letters and Confutations refpefting Major 
 Burghall b ing read : 
 
 It was moved, That this Court doth agree in opinion with the 
 " faid Committee." 
 
 And the queftion on the faid motion being put by the ballot, it paf- 
 fed in the negative, 
 
 [Examined, P. MICH EH.. 
 
 Note. Tbe above Report Joes by no means csnviy ajujl idea of Major 
 furgball't plan of Afril % 1781.
 
 ( 5 ) 
 
 I am compelled to requeft your farther patience, whillt 
 I fhortly ftate thofe other reafons on my behalf, which 
 are requifite to complete the defign avowed in my let- 
 ter heforementioned. 
 
 When I undertook to confider my cafe on the fuppo- 
 fition that my conduct at Madras might amount to 
 a refignation, my purpofe was, frft, to call your 
 minds to a confideration of the peculiar circumflances 
 of hardfliip under which I acted whilfl I was under 
 the direction of the Fort St. George Prefidency; and 
 thence to infer an apology for any error, precipitancy, 
 or indifcretion, which may be attributed to me. Se- 
 condly, to relieve my character from any unfavourable V 
 impreffions which may have been created agaioft me 
 by the altercations which enfued between the Fort 
 St. George Prefidency and me, from my being ap- 
 pointed to the charge of the works at Trichinopoly, 
 which is the only other topic from which my enemies 
 can offer the leaft femblance of objection to my y. 
 conduct. I mall therefore make thefe two heads of 
 confideration the fubject of the prefent letter. 
 
 I. 
 
 In refpect to the hardfhips by which I was ag- 
 grieved whilft at Madras, I may truly fay, that du 
 ring the whole period of my being under their con- 
 troul, I was diflinguifhed by every neglect, and every 
 mortification, which an oppreffive exertion of power 
 could inflict to difappoint me of the fruits of my com- 
 miffion, and to provoke me into fuch a conduct as 
 
 might
 
 might be deemed a relinquifhment of the Company's 
 fervice ; and fo uniform were the three fucceffive ad- 
 jniniftrations of Mr. Stratton, Mr. Whitehill and Sir 
 Thomas Rumbold, in this refpecl, that I can fcarce 
 difcriminate between them. 
 
 When I arrived at Madras with my new commiffion, 
 as Major and Director of Engineers, which was in 
 September, 1776, the revolution, in confequence of 
 which Lord Pigot was difpoflefled of his government 
 and confined as a ftate-prifoner, had been recently ac- 
 complifhed ; and, to my great furprife, I found Mr. 
 Stratton acting as Governor in his room. That this 
 revolution was a novelty, which ilruck me with hor- 
 ror, is what I do not wiih to conceal. I did not pre- 
 tend to enter into the merits of the points, which had 
 previoufly been the fubjeft of difpute between the 
 contending parties ; nor do I now prefume to form 
 any judgement upon them. To me it was fufficient 
 to be convinced, that the imprifonment of Lord Pigot, 
 and an aflumption of his powers, were at all events mea- 
 fures equally contrary to law and hazardous to the in- 
 terefts of the Company ; and, when I heard all the 
 circumftances of this famous tranfa&ion related, I 
 could not bat think unfavourably of thofe, who were 
 the chief aftors in it. Imprifoning a Governor is at 
 any rate a violent meafure, and fuch as can only be 
 excufed by the moft urgent public necelfity. But in 
 the cafe of Lord Pigot, it was no fmall aggravation, 
 that if the interefts and faf-ny of the fettlement had 
 been the line of condaft to the party in oppofition to 
 
 Lord
 
 ( 7 ) 
 
 Lord Pigot, they muft, as I conceived, have preferred 
 a temporary acquiefcence in his claims over them* 
 however unreafonable, and waiting for relief from the 
 Company, to the illegal and very dangerous expert 
 jneut of complete revolution, more efpecially whea 
 it was to be effected againft a Governor of a character 
 fo popular and fo highly refpeclable as that of Lord 
 Pigot. Thefe my fentiments of that affair were 
 foon known to the new government of Fort St. George, 
 for though, for the fake of public peace, and in order 
 to preferve the fettlement from the horrors of a civil 
 war, I was, with other officers of rank, willing to ac- 
 quiefce in the aftumed authority of the new govern- 
 ment till there mould be an opportunity of reftoring 
 the legal one without hazarding the affairs of the 
 Company, yet I could not prevail upon myfelf wholly 
 to conceal, that I was no friend to the violent mea- 
 fures which had been adopted againft the legal Go- 
 vernor. My fentiments of the affair therefore foon 
 became apparent to the party which had difplaced and 
 imprifoned Lord Pigot ; and from the moment I was 
 known to think unfavourably of the change, it feems 
 to have been a determined point, that I mould feel 
 their refentment on every occafion and in every form 
 the oppreffive hand of power could take advantage of 
 without danger to itfelf; and, on this fyftem of perfe- 
 cution, I was continually harraffed for the period of 
 near three years, being the whole time of my Hay on 
 the coaft of Coromandel. 
 
 lam
 
 ( 8 ) 
 
 I am very unwilling, Gentlemen, to tire you with 
 a new ftatement of all the flights, all the negle&s, 
 all the difappointments, and all the injuries, which 
 the Board of Fort St. George heaped upon me, 
 more efpecially as moft of them have been already re- 
 prefented to you, and are to be found either in the 
 printed Cafe, with which I troubled the Court of Di- 
 redlors foon after my arrival from Madras, or in the 
 papers in the Appendix to that Cafe. Yet it appears 
 to me fo material to remind you here of the moft ftri- 
 king inftances of the ill treatment I experienced, that 
 I cannot, in juftice to myfelf, altogether decline the 
 repetition ; but previoufly to which I will beg leave, 
 in few words, to mention the nature of my military 
 fituation before I was fent out on the Madras efta- 
 blifhment. 
 
 I was originally an officer in the King's artillery, ha- 
 ving been brought up a cadet at Woolwich ; and for 
 fome years ferved his Majefty in that regiment both at 
 home and abroad. In confideration of this circumftance, 
 when I left the King's fervice for that of the Company, 
 the firft appointment I received from the latter was 
 that of captain-lieutenant in their artillery. J was 
 next appointed director of engineers in Bengal, and 
 afterwards chief engineer and commandant of artillery 
 at Bencoolen, under which latter appointment I was 
 intitled to a feat in the Council of Fort Marlborough, 
 with emoluments to the extent of about 750!. a year. 
 Having declined, however, this laft appointment, with 
 |hepermiffionof thehonourableDirelors,Ivvas at length, 
 
 in
 
 ( 9 ) 
 
 in February, 1776, appointed a director of engineers J 
 on the Madras eitablifhment, with rank as major next 
 to Major Stevens the fenior direclor of engineers under 
 .the Fort St. George Prefidency. In order, alfo, to fe- 
 cure to me the full and immediate benefit of this ap - 
 pointment, the general letter from the Company, in ** 
 which it was notified to the Fort St. George Prefidency, 
 reprefented, that I had experienced great bardjhips qnd 
 Jrffisin. the Company's fervice ; adding, that when a 
 vacancy happened by death, or other removal of thp 
 officers above me, that I was to fucceed as full major, 
 .with the pay and emoluments annexed to fuch ftation. A 
 
 With this commiffion on the Madras eitablimment, 
 and with fo ilrong and pointed a recommendation of 
 me by the Company's letter,.! had flattered myfelf 
 that I mould be favourably received at Madras, and 
 that there was no danger of my being kept out of the 
 employment belonging to my ftation and rank. But 
 my arrival fo foon after the unhappy affair of Lord 
 Pigot's imprifonment, and my known difapprobation 
 of themeafures againft that moft able and difiinguL'hed 
 fervant of the Company, excited fuch a diflike of me 
 in the minds of the members of the new government, 
 that I foon found the recommendation of the Company 
 at home to be of no avail, when it clafhed with the 
 views and inclinations of their .fervants abroad. 
 
 The firft injury I received from the Madras Prefi- 
 dency occurred during Mr. Stratton's adminiftration. 
 It originally affected the honour and rights of the 
 whole corps of engineers, but finally v/as jpaade .to 
 JJ operate
 
 operate principally againft me. - By order, dated 24 De- 
 cember, 1776, which was only two or three months 
 after my arrival on the coaft, Mr. Stratton and the 
 Council of Fort St. George appointed Major Cooke of 
 the infantry, commandant at Madras, in preference 
 to Lieutenant-colonel Rofs the chief engineer and di- 
 rector of the works at Madras, and myfelf, though both 
 of us were fenior in rank. This was a direct invafion 
 of the rights of the corps of engineers, as afcertained 
 by an order from the Court of Directors, dated 25th of 
 March 1774, which declared that engineers mould 
 take rank and poft with the reft of the army, and had 
 been confirmed in general orders at Madras on the 25th 
 of February, 1775, after having been referred to Ben- 
 gal; and it gave fo much offence, that Lieutenant- 
 colonel Rofs, though not underftood to be in the leaft 
 indifpofed to the new government, remonftrated againft 
 the meafure by letter to the board. It was not poffible 
 wholly to juftify fuch a fuperceflion and degradation of 
 the fuperior officers in the corps of engineers. There- 
 fore the Board apologized for the ftep, by ifluing a de- 
 claration, that they did not mean in any refpedl to af- 
 fect any right of the corps of engineers ; but they 
 did not retreat from the appointment they had given 
 to Major Cooke. On the contrary, they aggravated the 
 original injury and affront, by fabricating as a ground 
 of excufe, that the fervice of Colonel Rofs would be 
 wanted Jbortly e!/ewhere, and that my fervice was 
 wanted at Trichinopoly, to which they accordingly or- 
 dered me. The fubterfuge contained in this after- 
 
 th ought
 
 ( II ) 
 
 thought was apparent, for they never did appoint Co- 
 lonel Rofs to any other fervice, but fuffered him to re- ' 
 main dire&or of the works at Madras till the latter 
 end of 1777, when he returned to England; nor could 
 they at that time in decency have named him to another 
 fervice, without appointing me, who was next in rank, 
 to fucceed him in the important fituation of director of 
 the extenfive fortifications carrying on at Madras, in- 
 ftead of fending me on the confefTedly infignificant and 
 nominal fervice of direftor at Trichinopoly, where no '* 
 works of any kind were in hand. Thus the profefled 
 intention of appointing Colonel Rofs to another fer- 
 vice was not executed ; but he was kept at Madras, 
 left there fhould be a neceffity of my fucceeding him 
 there ; confequently the infult firft offered to the whole 
 corps of engineers was not only perfevered in, but in- 
 genioufly converted into the means of particularly dif- 
 appointing and injuring me. 
 
 The next difappointment I experienced from the 
 Board at Madras came from Mr. Whitehill's adminif- 
 tration, having occurred the latter end of 1777. 
 Lieutenant-colonel Rofs, the chief engineer and di- 
 rector of the fortifications at Madras, was then on the 
 point of departing for England. At the fame time 
 Major Stevens, who was the only officer of the corps of 
 engineers above me in rank, and had the charge of the 
 works at Tanjour, was alfo extremely anxious to go to 
 England on account of his ill ftate of health : Con- 
 fequently there was a profpeft of a vacancy in the two 
 moft important appointments in my line, as one of the 
 B z corps
 
 ( I* ) 
 
 corps of engineers. But, though both appointments 
 became aclually vacant, fuch was the addrefs of my 
 enemies at the Madras preiidency, that I was defeated 
 of the fucceflion to each. From the former the 
 Board of Fort St. George excluded me, by fending 
 for Major Stevens from Tanjour, and by prevailing 
 upon him, by very urgent irttreaties, to relinquijb his 
 Jefign of leaving India, and to ft ay till the return of 
 Colonel Rofs, or at leajl for eighteen months. Of the 
 latter the Madras Board difappointed me by a meafure 
 ftill more extraordinary ; for though they appointed 
 Major Stevens to the charge of the works at Madras, 
 yet they continued to him the allowances of direftor at 
 Tanjour, and committed the aftual care of them to 
 Captain Dugood. This double difappointment ex- 
 tremely mortified me, when I f.rft heard of the fkilful 
 arrangement of which it was a confequence. But I had 
 not a perfect idea of the extent of the injury to me 
 till long after, when it was explained to me by Major 
 Stevens, who, on my affecHngly reprefenting to him 
 my fituation and treatment in the corps of engineers, 
 honourably and confcientioufly confefTed, that he had 
 long entertained thoughts of returning to England for 
 liis health, and Jkcidd certainly have gone if be had not 
 been prejfed to ftc>y in manner before Jlated. 
 
 Another injury which was done me whilft Mr. 
 "Whitehill was president of Fort St. George, arofe from 
 preferring a junior officer to a fhare of the revenue of 
 the Company's lands inflead of me. This happened 
 on the departure cf Colonel Rofs for England ; for by 
 
 that
 
 ( '3 ) 
 
 that event there was a vacant fliare ; but notwith- 
 ftanding my applications, it was given to Major Mar- 
 cell. 
 
 Such were the injuries and hardfhips I fuffered pre- 
 vious to the adminiftration of Sir Thomas Rumbold. 
 
 But when he arrived to take the government of Fort 
 St. George, I confoled myfelf for paft neglefts and fu- 
 perceffions by the hope that the influence of the friends 
 to the revolution of government on Lord Pigot's im- 
 prifonment would no longer operate with effeft againft 
 me. As to Mr. Whitehill's conduct as prefident, 
 though he brought with him a vote of the Company, 
 condemning the revolution in very unreferved terms, 
 yet his actions made it apparent that he was no friend 
 to thofe who had avowed their diflike of the meafures 
 he was fent to counteract. I hoped for a different and 
 better line of condudl from Sir Thomas Rumbold, and 
 that he would at leaft fteer an equal courfe between 
 the parties, into which the affair of Lord Pigot had 
 unhappily divided the Settlement. But fo far at leaft 
 as refpefted myfelf, my hopes were foon diffipated by 
 the accumulation of new hardfhips and injuries. 
 
 The firft difappointment I was mortified with, after 
 the commencement of Sir Thomas Rumbold's adminif- 
 tration, was the refufing to me the appointment of 
 director of engineers with a detachment fent on an ex- 
 pedition to Poonah, after a declaration that I was to be 
 the perfon. The fad was thus: In March, 1778, 
 the Prefidency of Bombay follicited a body of troops 
 from Madras, to affift in the then projected expedition 
 
 to
 
 ( 14 ) 
 
 td Poonah. On this occafion I applied to the Board 
 of Fort St. George, through Sir Heftor Munro, to be 
 fent with the detachment for Bombay, and he in- 
 formed me, that my offer was accepted, and that I 
 was to have a brevet commiffion as lieutenant-colonel 
 for this particular fervice, I being at that time in rank, 
 with the army on the Madras eftablifhment, third ma- 
 jor in order of fucceflion. But I was afterwards told 
 by Sir He&or, that I could not go ; becaufe Major 
 Henry Mar cell, who 'was of the infantry, and ordered for 
 that fervice alfo, 'was a junior major to me. 
 
 This difappointment of me, in refpeft to the Poonah 
 expedition, was foon followed with a breach of promife 
 in refpedl to the charge of the works at Tanjour. In 
 May, 1778, I waited upon Sir Thomas Rumbold and 
 Sir Heftor Munro at their own defire. They both af- 
 fured me, that I fhould be immediately appointed to 
 the charge of the works at Tanjour, which is known to 
 be the fecond ftation in point of importance, for an 
 engineer under the Madras Prefidency ; and, Sir Heftor 
 afkinghow foon I could be ready to fet off, I mentioned 
 the next day, upon which he declared, that my ap- 
 pointment mould be made out the firft day of there being 
 a Board. But notwithftanding all this, the appoint, 
 ment of me to Tanjour did not atlaft take place; and, 
 as an apology for this treatment, Sir He&or informed 
 me, that if a field-officer, junior in rank to me, mould 
 be appointed to command the Englifti troops in garri- 
 fon at Tanjour, whilft I was carrying on the works 
 there, it luould be the caufe of an interference on ac- 
 count
 
 ( 15 ) 
 
 fount of priority of rank. Nothing could be more dif- 
 heartening than fuch a reafon for departing from the 
 promife of this appointment. On the one hand, if it 
 was the real motive for the refufal, excluiive of the 
 implied difrefpect to the whole corps of engineers, it 
 furnilhed an eternal objection to my being appointed 
 director of the works at any fortification cf importance. 
 On the other, if it was a mere device to conceal the 
 real motive, then it proved that there was no ferious 
 intention of employing me, but that I was ftill to be 
 deluded by a feries of pretences, in order to exclude 
 me from all fervice in my character of Director of En- 
 gineers. 
 
 Thefe two fucceeding difappointments, with a 
 continuation of the in j ury, from fuffering an officer of 
 junior rank to have a mare of the revenue in exclufion 
 of me, notwithftanding new applications from me to 
 be relieved in this refpect, operated fo forcibly on my 
 mind as to induce a perfuafion, that the influence, 
 which was fecretly exerted againft me by the friends of 
 the recent revolution, mufl be [invincible. After 
 therefore reflecting on my hopelefs fituation, I formed 
 the refolution of returning to Europe, in order to re- 
 prefent to the Court of Directors, how unattended- 
 to my commiffion and their particular inductions 
 concerning me had been ; and through their inter- 
 pofition, to obtain a redrefs of the confequential in- 
 juries. On this idea I, in June 1778, actually con- 
 tracted for a paffage to England in the Latham India- 
 man by way of China. But before the failing of this 
 
 fhip,
 
 ( 16 ) 
 
 Jhip, a confident report of war with France having 
 prevailed at Madras, I again made offers of my fervice 
 to the governor Sir Thomas Rumbold, and the com- 
 mander in chief Sir Heftor Munro, accompanied with 
 a renewal of my claim to a fliareof the revenue. My 
 offers appeared to meet with a favorable reception from 
 both ; and, particularly, Sir Thomas Rumbold affured 
 me, that every thing mould be done to my fatisfaftion. 
 This encouragement flattered me into a hope, that 
 there would be a change of conduft towards me on the 
 part of the Fort St. George Prefidency, and that I no 
 longer fhould be excluded from fervice and employ- 
 ment ; and in confidence of fuch a change, I cheer- 
 fullyjelinquifhed my paffage on-board the Latham. 
 
 But I had fcarce departed from my refolution of 
 returning to Europe, before new caufes of difcontent 
 were adminiftered to me. No flep was taken, either 
 for admitting me to a fhare of the revenue, for the time 
 to come, according to my rank, nor any fit mode of re- 
 compence propofed for the exclufion of me from that 
 advantage, for the time paft, in favour of an officer my 
 junior in rank, and therefore in breach of the rule of the 
 fervice. A propofal, which I made to Governor 
 Rumbold and the feleft Committee through SirHe&or 
 Munro, for being appointed field-engineer on the 
 Madras eftablifhment, during the war, or till the 
 company's pleafure fhould be known, was rejected with 
 much afperity. Though, from my zeal for my coun- 
 try and the company, joined with a defire of mewing 
 attention to Major Stevens, as a brother-officer, I fup- 
 
 plied
 
 plied his place at the commencement of the fiege of 
 Pondicherry, and till it was convenient to him to come 
 and aft for himfelf ; and though I confented to do this 
 without pay or emolument of any fort ; yet the Board 
 of Fort St. George was ftill fo unmoved by my fitua- 
 tion, that they fuffered Major Stevens to leave Ma- 
 dras, when there was not one engineer left to fucceed 
 him in fuperintending the works there, without hold* 
 ing out to me either that charge or any other fervice 
 whatever. 
 
 Thefe new injuries convinced me that it would be 
 Vain arid fruitlefs to wait longer for any arrangement 
 in my favour. Seeing alfo, by Major Stevens's arri- 
 val at Pondicherry, that I was not only without any 
 official iituation or any confidence repofed in me, but 
 perfectly ufelefs, and treated with every flight whicfi 
 could tend to make me contemptible to the reft of the 
 army, my patience became exhaufted, and I renewed 
 my intention of returning to England for redrefs of 
 my grievances, and wrote the letter expreffive of it to 
 the Fort St. George prefidency, which was afterwards 
 conftrued, and is ftill urged againft me, as a refigna- 
 tiori. 
 
 Scarce had I made known to the Fort St. George 
 prefidency my intention of returning to England, be- 
 fore I difcovered a new inftance of their ill treatment 
 of me. When Major Stevens left Madras to go to 
 the fiege of Pondicherry, the Board forefaw the pro- 
 bability of my return to the prefidency ; for they knew 
 that I was at Pondicherry as' a' volunteer merely to 
 C fupply
 
 ( 18 ) 
 
 fupply the place of Major Stevens till he Could attend 
 himfelf, and were apprized, almoft immediately after 
 Major Stevens's arrival at cainp, (which was on the 
 17th of Auguft, 1778,) that I had declared my inten- 
 tion of leaving it. They were alfo aware that Major 
 Stevens's abfence from Madras would leave that place 
 without one engineer to fuperintend the important 
 works which were then carrying on at that defencelefs 
 place ; and therefore that, a* well in this refpeft, as 
 alfo in refpeft of my being without any appointment, 
 my pretenfion to the charge of the works at Madras 
 would become almoft invincible, becaufe indifpenfa- 
 ble. In fuch a fituation it required uncommon artifice 
 and management to difappoint me. But my enemies 
 proved themfelves fully adequate to the tafk. Whilft 
 I was preparing to leave the camp, the feleft Com- 
 mittee of Fort St. George meditated the means of ex- 
 cluding me from all hope of fucceffion to the charge of 
 the works at Madras : with which view they even at- 
 tempted to fill the vacancy there before my arrival. 
 On this plan, they on the 24th of Auguft 1778, 
 (which was only a week after Major Stevens's arrival 
 at camp,) difpatched a letter to Sir Heftor Munro ; 
 in which, after reprefenting how highly necefiary it 
 was to have fome perfon to attend to the fortifications 
 at Madras, and that they had not one engineer left to fit- 
 perintend the works, they defired Sir Hector Munro to 
 direct Major Stevens to fend an officer of that corps to 
 Madras. At the fame time care was taken, in fome 
 other way, to make it known, that not I, but Captain 
 
 Manic,
 
 X 19 ) 
 
 Maule my junior in rank, was the perfon they 
 wilhed to have fent ; and fo early was this intention 
 communicated to Captain Maule, -that he left the 
 camp without waiting for his appointment, and ar- 
 rived at Madras within twelve hours after me. How- 
 ever the plan did not immediately fucceed ; for Sir 
 Heftor Munro did not receive the letter from the feleft 
 Committee till I had actually left the camp ; and 
 therefore, inftead of complying with the requeft made 
 to him, he wrote for anfwer to Madras, that he 
 hoped my being there would be fufficient. But this fud- 
 den requisition of an officer to fuperintend the works 
 at Madras being a fecret to me at the time, I perfe- 
 vered in the meafure of delivering to the Board of 
 Fort St. George the letter containing my refolution to 
 return to England. Confequently they were furnimed 
 with a pretence for declining Sir Heflor Munro's re- 
 commendation of me ; and accordingly, under the co- 
 lour of my letter, and on the ground that, having in 
 purfuance of it granted me leave to go home, they 
 could not appoint me, they renewed their application 
 to Sir Hector for another perfon ; which was imme- 
 diately followed with his and Major Stevens's nomi- 
 nation of Captain Maule. There were alfo fome far- 
 ther circumftances, which aggravated the deceptious 
 treatment of me in this affair. Originally, Captain 
 Maule arrived at Madras without any llatement of ill 
 health, from the commander in chief, to explain the 
 caufe of it j and I am perfuaded that he was fent to 
 Anticipate me. But when Sir Heclor faw, from the 
 C 2 Board's
 
 ( 20 ) 
 
 Board's letter declining .to name me, what their views 
 were, Captain Maule's health was reprefented as the 
 reafon of his leaving the camp. Afterwards, however, 
 both the reafon of the Board's fending for any engi- 
 neer to Madras, and the caufe of Captain Maule's go- 
 ing there, were made apparent ; for as foon as the 
 Board had proceeded the length of declaring my letter 
 to them a resignation, it was difcovered that no engi- 
 neer was neceflary to fuperintend the works at Madras, 
 and that Captain Maule was well enough to bear field 
 :he fadt being that Captain Maule returned to 
 duty in the camp before Pondicherry within a few 
 hours after the Board had notified to me, by their letter 
 of the 5th of September, that they confidered my let- 
 ter of the 24th of Auguft as a requeft to refign the 
 fervke. If this farther ill treatment of me is confi- 
 dered, it will appear to inclqde many ftriking paflages. 
 Till I was on the point of returning to Madras, the 
 Board faw no neceffity of having an engineer to fuper- 
 intend the works there. But when that is reduced to 
 a certainty, the importance of having one is imme- 
 diately difcovered, and a fudden requifition is made to 
 Sir Hetor M \inro, fo fecreted from me, and otherwife 
 fo managed, as to raife up Captain Maule for my ex- 
 cluiipn. Again ; when from the priority of my ar- 
 rival at Madras, Sir Hedlor is found to recommend me 
 to the charge of the works at Madras, then my own 
 letter, into which I had been provoked by want of em- 
 ployment and their ill treatment, is ufedasa colour for 
 denying it to me. Next, to complete my exclufion
 
 from the works at Madras, Captain Maule is ftated to 
 have left camp on account of his ill health, and to 
 have been on that account fent to Madras ; and under 
 this idea he obtains charge of the works there. But 
 the moment my exclufion is perfected, the Board re- 
 verts to the idea of thinking an engineer at Madras un- 
 neceflary, and Captain Maule fo recovers his health as 
 to return to camp. Is it poflible to account for this 
 changeable and accommodating fort of conduct of the 
 Board at Madras upon any other idea, than that they 
 did not wiih to have Mr. Btnfield, the contra&or for the 
 works at Madras, fuperintended by any engineer (b 
 long as it could be avoided; and that at all events 
 they determined, that I mould not be the perfon to 
 exercife the controul arifmg from fuch a fuperinten- 
 dence ? Is it not apparent, that throughout this bu- 
 fmefs I was cruelly overreached ? Is it not demonftra- 
 ble, from Sir Hector Munro's letter recommending me 
 to the charge of the works at Madras, that he did not 
 confider my leaving the camp at Pondicherry, or the 
 letter, which he knew I was to deliver on my arrival at 
 Madras and had feen, as any juft orreafonable ground 
 for not naming me to the charge of the works at Ma- 
 dras ? and could they entertain a doubt, but that I 
 fhould have been eager to have receded from my inten- 
 tion of going to England, and to have accepted fo im- 
 portant a fituation, if the matter had been explained 
 to me, and they had made me a tender of it } 
 
 What followed this exclufion of me from being Di- 
 of the works at Madras, and this unjuft con* 
 
 itruftioi)
 
 ( 22 ) 
 
 ftrution of my letter of the 24th of Augufl into a re- 
 fignation of the fervice, is fo much enlarged upon in 
 my former printed letter to you, Gentlemen, that I 
 will here do little more than bring to your remem- 
 brance, that before I adually left Madras on my re- 
 turn to England, I repeatedly made a tender of my 
 fervices as often as any vacancy prefented itfelf. The 
 moment I heard of Major Steven s's being killed at 
 Pondicherry, I waved my intention of going to Eng- 
 land and offered to ferve in his room ; and, when I 
 .was told by the Board that it could not be, and that I 
 was out of the fervice, I repeatedly complained of their 
 fo conftruing my letter of the 24th of Anguft, and 
 ftrongly denied all intention to refign. I again tendered 
 myfelf to the feleft Committee, the moment I knew 
 of their defign to lay fiege to Fort Mahe. But they 
 ftill rejected me on the ground of being out of the fer- 
 vice ; and though I made feveral farther attempts to 
 remove the difficulty from this conftruflion, all was to 
 no purpofe ; fo that at laft I was driven into the meafure 
 of returning to England, by the molt perfect evidence, 
 that any longer ftay at Madras muft terminate in the 
 ruin of myfelf and family. 
 
 Here, Gentlemen, I conclude my detail of the in, 
 juries which I received from the Fort St. George Prefi- 
 dency ; and I hope that my manner of ftating them will 
 enable you to judge, not only of the extent of my 
 grievances, but alfo of the fort of influence under 
 which this perfecution of me was carried on, during 
 
 the
 
 the three fucceffive adminiftrations of Mr. Stratton, 
 Mr. Whitehill and Sir Thomas Rumbold. 
 
 The refult is, that I was firft induced to write the 
 letter of the 24th of Auguft, which expreffed my in- 
 tention of returning to England, by continual exclu- 
 fions from every fervice which the courfe of events 
 prefented in my favour ; and that afterwards, when 
 on new events 1 was anxious to relinquifh my firft de- 
 fign, I was forced into the meafure of actually return- 
 ing, by being peremptorily and repeatedly told, that I 
 was no longer in the Company's fervice. Thus too, 
 upon the whole, I continued near three years under the 
 Madras Prefidency, without being able to obtain any 
 appointment in conformity to my rank and commifiion, 
 except in the fingle inftance of my being named to the 
 injlgnificant and nominal Jiation of Trichinopoly, 
 which was given me for the fake of difappointing me 
 of the real and important charge of the works at Ma . 
 dras and Tanjore. 
 
 Under thefe circumftances of provocation and 111 
 treatment, Ifubmit to you, Gentlemen, that though 
 either the letter I wrote to the Fort St. George Prefi- 
 dency to notify my intention to leave the coaft, or my 
 fubfequent actual return to England, mould be capa- 
 ble of being drained into a refigaation of the Compa- 
 ny's fervice ; a conilruftion, to which, for the rea- 
 fons in my former printed letter, I can on no account 
 accede ; yet I truft that there is enough to influence 
 you to decline infilling on fuch a rigorous interpreta- 
 tion;
 
 tiofl ; and, if 1 really am out of the ferwice, to re -inflate 
 me by a vote ofreftoration. 
 
 I have; only one other faft to Hate in refpeft to the 
 refignation objeded to me. It is, that notwithfland- 
 ing the decided terms, in which Sir Thomas Rumbold, 
 Mr. Whitehill, and the other members of the Fort St. 
 George Prefidency, infifted on that conftruftion of my 
 conduct againft me, notwithftanding their long and 
 obftinate adherence to the fame conftru&iori, and their 
 repeated refufal of my tenders of fervice on that ac- 
 count; and notwithftanding alfo the confcionfnefs, 
 that in their correfpondence with the Company at 
 home, they not only had treated me as out of the fer- 
 vice, but had grofsly mifreprefented the circumftances 
 under which I left Pondicherry, and thereby had injti- 
 rioujly converted it into a defertion of duty of the moft 
 exceptionable kind ; yet, when they found me on the 
 point of going on-board a fhip for Europe, attempts 
 were made on their part to difTuade me from that mea- 
 
 ^ fare. My paffage had been paid for ; my family was 
 
 embarked on-board the Gatton India-fhip, then in 
 Madras xoad; and this fhip, .having received her dif- 
 patches on-board, was under fignals for my coming off, 
 At this late moment, the adjutant-general, Colonel 
 Burrowes, came to acquaint me that the Governor and 
 
 y^ General defired to fee me immediately. I went to 
 them fucceflively without hefitation, relying on Mr. 
 Tafwell, the matter-attendant, for the flay of the fhip 
 on my behalf. My firft conference was with Sir Tho- 
 mas Rumbold j but it gave me no fatisfaftion, for the 
 
 inducements
 
 inducements he fuggefted for my not quitting India 
 coniifted merely of general promifes, and an affurance 
 of the Board's fending home the Court of Directors the 
 Jlrongeft letters on my behalf, I next waited upon Sir 
 Hector Munro. The General affured me, if I would 
 ftay, of the ilrongeft letters to the Court of Directors, 
 and to all his friends, in my behalf. For this I made 
 the due acknowledgements; but I concluded with ob- 
 ferving, that my ill treatment had been carried to an. 
 extremity, and that the language of Sir Thomas Rum- 
 bold, and the other members of the felect Committee, 
 had been fo peremptory againft me, and my funds 
 were fo deeply affected by paft injuries, that it was 
 now too late for me to retract on the flngle ground 
 of general affurances. At both of thefe feparate con -. 
 ferences, with Sir Thomas Rumbold and Sir Hector 
 Munro, Col. Burrowes was prefent. How inconlift- 
 ent is this conduct, of Sir Thomas Rumbold and Sir 
 Hector Munro, with the report of my character and 
 conduct by Sir Thomas Rumbold and the felect Com- 
 mittee of Fort St. George to the Court of Directors ! 
 If their report is to be credited, I had deferted my duty 
 and refigned the Company's fervice in the critical mo- 
 ment of action, and was remitted home as undefirvinr 
 of any farther connection with the company. But ac- 
 cording to thefe propofals from the Governor and Ge- 
 neral for my ftay in India, I was a perfon worthy of be- 
 ing reprefented to the Company in the Jirongeji and 
 jnojl favorable terms, and one of fo much confequence 
 as to be folicited not to remove myfelf out of the reach 
 D of
 
 of farther fervice, As too, this offer hy Sir Thomas 
 Rumbold and Sir Hedor Munro to reprefent me in 
 ftrong and favorable terms to the Company, and this 
 effort by them to prevent my leaving India, were fub- 
 fequent to every topic of objection raifed againft me 
 by Sir Thontas Rambold and the felecb Committee, 
 was it not an implied conceffion, fo far as Sir Thomas 
 and the General are concerned, that the previous unfa- 
 vorable reprefentations of me lucre improper and riot jit to Be 
 ttdbered to ? 
 
 II. 
 
 I now come to the differences with the Fort St. George 
 frefidency, in confequence of my being appointed Di- 
 reclor of the works of Trichinopoly, which I take to be 
 the only ground of objection to my conduct, exclufive 
 of the fuppofed refignation urged againft me. 
 
 This matter has never yet been formally obje&ed a- 
 gainff me; nor did it form any part of the grounds on 
 which die Prefidency of Fort St. George profeffed ei- 
 ther to deny my applications for employment,, or to 
 confider me as having refig'ned the fervice. But, 
 r>y from the careful manner in which all the extracts 
 of Fort St. George confutations, relative to my ap- 
 pointment to the Trichinopoly ftation, have been fe- 
 le&ed and brought together, 1 conclude that my ene- 
 mies have called the attention of the Company to it f 
 * with a view to excite prejudices againft me. It there- 
 fore behoves me to fay fome thing on this head. 
 
 I have
 
 I have already had occafion to ftate, that my appoint- 
 ment to Trichinopoly was part of a fcheme devifed by 
 Mr. Stratton's adminftration to difappoint me of the 
 Madras and Tanjour ftations. The fadt was, that no 
 fortifications were carrying on at Trichinopoly; 
 and, as there was no duty for me as a director of en- 
 gineers, to be employed in at that place, fo there 
 was no ferious deiire of my going to it. However, 
 left I mould be miftaken in this refpeft, I enquired of 
 Mr. Stratton perfonally, and alfo of fuch of the other 
 members of his adminiftration as were then at Madras, 
 if there was any thing to be done at Trichinopoly; to 
 which their anfwer was in the negative, and that if I 
 pleafed I might ftay at Madras. I was alfo confirmed in 
 the idea of there being no fervice for me to perform at 
 Trichinopoiy, as well by the Nabob of Arcot's fecond 
 fon Aumeer ul Omrah, who was his governor of the 
 place, as by the Nabob himfelf. After thefe explana- 
 tions, I thought myfelf fnfficiently warranted to be ab- 
 fent from Trichinopoly ; and as I confidered the ap- 
 pointment of me to that ftation, both as calculated to 
 injure me by keeping rne out of fervice really impor-. 
 tant, and as coming from an illegal government, and 
 was therefore anxious to evince my diflike of the ap 
 pointment, and to avoid giving efFeft to it ; I without 
 hefitation continued at Madras. But in the latter end 
 of June 1777, which was near fix months after my be- 
 ing named for Trichinopoly, Brigadier-general Stuart 
 thought fit to report my abfence from that place to the 
 Board, and he complained of it for being without his 
 D 2 leave,
 
 ( 28 ) 
 
 y leave as commander in chief. This was followed by 
 my calling upon the General, and the interview v/as 
 attended with fome difagreeable circumftances; he on 
 the one hand, being jealous of my not fully acknow- 
 ledging him as the legal commander in chief, and there- 
 fore claiming apology ; and I on the other, from an opi- 
 nion unfavorable as well to his conduft in the prece- 
 ding revolution as to that meafure itfelf, not being 
 difpofed to make any conceffions to him which could 
 
 * be avoided, and therefore declining it. In fhort, the 
 difference on this conference became fo ferious, and the 
 General was fo offended with fome warm expreffions 
 which I retorted upon him in the prefence of Mr. 
 Stratton, and which he might have wifhed had not been 
 heard by any but himfelf, that he ordered me under an 
 
 y arreft, and afterwards ftated the whole matter, except 
 the words I had offended him by, in a letter, by way 
 of complaint to the Prefidency. But before the arreft, 
 and alfo before his letter againft me to the Board, I had 
 addrefied and prefented one to them againft him; and 
 in it he was charged with advifing or confenting to the 
 order appointing Major Cooke commandant at Madras 
 over Lieutenant-Col. Rofs and myfelf, his feniors in 
 rank, which conduct, tending to a fubverfion of the 
 rights of the corps of Engineers, as exprefsly afcertain* 
 ed by an order from England, and confirmed in general 
 orders at Madras, I reprefented to be contrary to mili- 
 tary difcipline, and likely to involve the Company's 
 military affairs in confufion. On confidering thefemu- 
 $ual charges, the council declined proceeding on my 
 
 charge
 
 ( 29 ) 
 
 charge againft General Stuart ; but ordered a court* 
 martial againft me on the following articles delivered 
 by General Stuart ; namely, Firft, for being abfent 
 from my duty and ftation without leave. Secondly, 
 for accufing the commander in chief of having infringed 
 the military law. And thirdly, forrefufing the arreft 
 under which he had ordered me to be put. But when 
 the affair had reached this extremity, and the difputa- 
 ble authority of thofe, who on the late revolution had 
 aflumedthe government, was on the point of being ex- 
 ercifedto my deftru&ion, Sir Edward Hughes, Sir Ed 
 ward Vernon, and the honorable Capt, Waldegrave 
 all generoufly interpofed themfelves in my favour 
 effect a reconcilement and to flop all farther proceed- 
 ings. I thought myfelf greatly honoured by the me* 
 diation of three officers of fuch rank and quality, and 
 of chara&ers fo highly refpecled ; more efpecially as it 
 was wholly unfolitited, and flowed from their own ge- 
 nuine feelings for my fituation, and from their difcern- 
 ing the ill tendency of the harfh meafures adopted a 
 gainft me by the council, and the danger of thereby 
 bringing forward the difcuflion of points relative to tb* 
 legality of the exifting government. Notwithftanding 
 too my own opinion, that the powers of government at 
 the Presidency were then illegally exercifed, yet Idreadf 
 ed the idea of involving the fettlement in civil commo- 
 tions ; and therefore I was happy to fee the profpeft 
 of clofmg my difference with the acling council and 
 General Stuart, under the mediation of perfons incapa- 
 b^e of advifing me to acquiefce in any fubmiffion or 
 
 meafuro
 
 ( 3 ) 
 
 meafure derogatory from the character of a gentleman 
 and a foldier. With thefe ideas on the fubjeft, I fur- 
 rendered myfelf without fcruple or referve, to the di- 
 y re&ion of the very refpeftable mediators before men- 
 tioned ; and by their influence, a compromife was at 
 length agreed upon. The terms were, that I fhould 
 fubfcribe an apology to the council and General Stuart, 
 exprefling concern at having given occafion for the 
 court-martial, and imputing my conduct to my own 
 mifapprehenfions ; and that, in confideration of this 
 conceffion, all farther proceedings againft me mould be 
 flopped j and, on receiving my letter of apology, the 
 council came to a refolution in which they declared it 
 fatisfaftory, and countermanded the order for the 
 court-martial upon me. Here my chief conteft with 
 Mr. Stratton and his council, and General Stuart ter- 
 minated. What pafled afterwards in refpeft to my 
 appointment to the Trichinopoly flation, amounts to 
 little more than this. About three weeks after the 
 V corapromife, I folicited the Board to be permitted to do 
 duty in the garrifon at Madras, inftead of going to Tri- 
 diinopoly. But Mr. Stratton and his council refufed 
 to grant my requeft, and made anew order for my go- 
 ing to the latter place. I accordingly did make a fhort 
 vifit there, and returned to Madras with confent of 
 Lieutenant-Col. Flint, the commanding officer at Tri- 
 chinopoly. But within a few days after my return, 
 Sir Thomas Rumbold arrived at Madras to take the 
 government ; and on receiving an order from the new 
 government to repair to Trighinopoly, I wrote a letter 
 
 to
 
 C 31 5 
 
 to the governor and council on my conduct during the 
 late time of ufurpation. The purpofe of it was to ex- 
 plain, that I confidered myfelf as greatly injured and 
 opprefied by Mr. Stratton and his council; and that 
 though to avoid a diflurbance of the peace of the fet- 
 tlement, I had for a time externally acquiesced in their 
 appointment of me to Trichinopoly, yet I never, in 
 truth, confidered myfelf as appointed to that ftation by 
 a competent authority ; obferving at the fame time, 
 that if the new and legal government mould think fit 
 to appoint me there, it would require no other answer 
 than my obedience, and that as I was very anxious to 
 free myfelf from any imputation, or even fufpicion 
 of diiobedience or difrefpefl to my lawful fuperiors, I 
 entreated them to fufpend their decifion on my conduct 
 till I could be prepared with a memorial and reprefen- 
 tation of it. To this letter, which was fent to the 
 new adminiftration within a week after Sir Thomas 
 Rumbold's arrival, I received noanfwer-j and as I did 
 not hear any thing more from them about my appoint 
 ment to Trichinopoly, and in all my fubfequent cor- 
 refpondence it was notfo much as once noticed, I con- 
 fidered them as fileivtly and implied!)' conceding to my 
 wiihes, that the appointment was irregular, or at leaft 
 not fit to beinjiftedupan. 
 
 This review of the tranfactions relative to the ap- 
 pointment of me to the Trichinopoly flation, I hope 
 will entirely remove all the prejudices which may have 
 been excited by a mere perufal of the Fort St. George 
 Confutations on this head. Exprefled in a fliorter 
 
 compafs
 
 ( 32 ) 
 
 toiapafs, the material parts of the tranfaftion amount 
 to this. Afting under an illegal government, and 
 appointed by them to a ftation where no bufinefs in 
 toy line as an engineer was going on, in order to ex- 
 clude me from the important ftations of Madras and 
 Tanjore, I availed myfelf of the leave given by the 
 aiing governor and council to remain abfent from the 
 Hation, without reforting to the afting commander in 
 V chief, whofe power I confidered as illegal, and to 
 whofe influence I in part imputed the injury from 
 fuch an appointment. When this commander ia 
 chief complained of my abfence, becaufe it had not re- 
 ceived his fanclion, not for the fake of any fervice to 
 the Company, but in order to extort from me a for- 
 mal and unneceffary recognition of his authority, and 
 treated me with a contemptuous haughtinefs, my paf- 
 fions were inflamed, and I privately ufed fome warm 
 expreflions towards him. When too he threatened 
 me with a court-martial, and I faw my life and ho- 
 nour in danger of fuffering from the exertion of power 
 which I confidered as illegal, I endeavoured to refill 
 the attack, by charging my adverfary with being, as 
 I really believed him to be, the chief advifer and 
 promoter of a breach of the Company's orders and 
 military difcipline, to the dilhonour and fuperfefiion of 
 the corps of engineers, and of myfelf as an officer of 
 that corps and the third in it in point of rank. 
 When alfo my charge was thrown afide, and the fub- 
 lequent one of my adverfary was received, and a court- 
 martial was ordered againft me, I had the diftinguifhed 
 
 honour
 
 ( 33 ) 
 
 honour of being preferred from farther perfecution, 
 by the voluntary interpofition of three officers in the 
 king's fervice of high rank and quality ; and as well 
 in deference to their mediation, as for the fake of 
 avoiding to involve the fettlement in a civil commo- 
 tion about the powers of illegal government, I con- 
 fented to compromife the affair by an apology to thofe 
 whofe only objedl was to obtain a recognition of the 
 difputed authority. After this compromife, I cau^ 
 tioufly declined all farther controverfy with the acting 
 commander in chief; and though I was Hill averfe 
 to the ftation to which I was injurioufly appointed by 
 an illegal government, and therefore endeavoured to 
 avoid it, yet I fo far acquiefced as not avowedly to op- 
 pofe their pleafure, and thereby was preferved from 
 any new poiitive breach with them. But when Sir 
 Thomas Rumbold arrived, and a legal government 
 was again fully eftablifhed, and I was called upon to 
 go to the ftation which had been forced upon me, I 
 avowed my opinion, that I confidered the appoint- 
 ment as an injury done to me by an illegal govern- 
 ment, and that my previous acquiefcence was a ne- 
 ceflary facrifice to the peace of the fettlement. At the 
 fame time, to prevent all poflibility of mifconflruc- 
 tion, and to exculpate myfelf from every fufpicion of 
 difrefpecl to a legal government, I reprefented myfelf 
 as ready to anfwer the commands of the new adminif- 
 tration by the moil prrfed and immediate obedience. 
 Finally, this explanation of myfelf was fo fatisfactory 
 to thofe to whom it was addreffed, that in all my 
 K fubfequent
 
 ( 34 ) 
 
 fubfequent communications with them, my appoint- 
 ment to Trichinopoly was never the fubjed of the 
 leaft difcuffion, nor was it ever ftated as an obje&ion 
 to any of the applications I afterwards made for being 
 put upon duty and fervice. Such is the real nature of 
 my tranfadlions with the Fort St. George presidency 
 in relation to the appointment of me to the Trichino- 
 poly ftation ; and as it only proves that I was injured 
 fcy an illegal adminiftration, and that being involved 
 in controverfy with them I temporized, rather than 
 endanger the Company's affairs, I cannot help flatter- 
 ing myfelf that the farther difcuffion of this part of my 
 cafe will become unnecefTary. But mould any thing 
 be wanting to remove the objections to me on this 
 head, I am furnifhed with materials which will ena- 
 ble me to enter more minutely into the affair, and in 
 that cafe I have every reafon to believe, that Sir Ed- 
 ward Vernon and Captain Waldegrave, who are both 
 now in England, will readily bear teftimony of fuch of 
 the relative fads as fell within their knowledge, when 
 they obligingly and generoufly joined Sir Edward. 
 Hughes as mediators in my favour. 
 
 Gentlemen, 
 
 I have at length exhaufkd all the facls and obferva- 
 tions, which atprefent appear to merequifite for your, 
 information and guidance in the final decifion upon 
 iny cafe. In the printed letter, to which this is a fup- 
 
 plement,
 
 ( 35 ) 
 
 plement, I exhibited the grounds, upon which I al- 
 lege, that it is a cruel injury to confider me as having 
 refigned the Company's fervice. In the prefent letter, 
 I have enumerated the various provocations, under 
 which I ated whilft under the Fort St. George prefi- 
 dency ; and have thence fhewn how harm it would be to 
 take advantage of my conduft, even though in ftrict . 
 nefs it bad amounted to a refignation. On both and 
 each of thefe foundations I addrefs myfelf to you as 
 reprefentatives of the Eaft-India Company, with a 
 rm reliance on your juftice, humanity and genero- 
 ftty; and in confidence, that by your conduft, you 
 will finally refcue the character of an injured officer of 
 the Company, from the mifreprefentations under which 
 it has fo long fuffered from your fervants abroad, and 
 alfo make fuch a compenfation to him as mall bear a 
 full proportion to the injuries which have been heaped 
 upon him ; and at the fame time accord with the dig- 
 nity of the great Company, in whofe military fervice I 
 ftill claim to be, andfhall ever be ambitious to remain. 
 What is the proper mode of effecting this generous 
 purpofe is more fit to be left to your feelings and 
 judgement than to be particularifed by me. I will 
 therefore only add, that though the exhaufted flate 
 of my fortune, from the injuries I have received, ren- 
 ders me, for the fake of a dear and numerous family, 
 anxious to receive fome part of the compenfation in a 
 pecuniary form, yet I would wifti to have the principal 
 part through the medium of fome military duty and 
 
 ftation^ 
 
 354624
 
 ( 36 ) 
 
 Hation, fuitable to the pretenfions of one of my rank,, 
 {landing and character, in the Company's fervice. 
 
 Gentlemen, with great refpeft, 
 I have the honour to be 
 
 Your moft obedient 
 And moft devoted fervant, 
 
 GEORGE BURGHALL,
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
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