On the evening of the 11th April 1759 a Scots officer in the service of the East India company sat in the camp at Wandewash writing a letter to a fellow officer; Captain Charles Tod. A battle was expected next day.

Clive's campaign in Bengal, culminating in the battle of Plassey, tends to obscure the much more serious fighting in southern India against the French. The noted Irish adventurer, General Thomas Lally laid siege to Madras in mid-December 1758 but just as it was on the point of falling, a relief force arrived by sea on the 17th February. Thoroughly out of sorts Lally retired to Conjeveram and the British went on to the offensive.

In March Stringer Lawrence took an army of 1,100 Europeans, 2,700 sepoys and ten guns up to Conjeveram, but found the French too strongly posted. Lawrence and his regular second in command, Colonel Draper, both retired sick, while on the other side Lally took himself off to Pondicherry. This left the two armies under the command of a Major Brereton and the Marquis de Soupire respectively.

The Marquis was of an indolent disposition but Brereton on the other hand, with his superiors conveniently out of the way was determined to make his mark.

Captain Robert Bannatyne, the writer of the letter was born at Dores in Inverness- shire on the 5th April 1734. His father was a presbyterian minister and after his death in 1752, guardianship of Robert and his younger siblings was assumed by another minister, named Alexander McBean. As his own son, Forbes McBean, was an officer in the Royal Artillery and later commanded a battery at Minden [1] it is not surprising that Iwo of the Bannatyne boys; Robert and William, followed military careers. [2]

Robert entered the service of the East India Company, beginning a family tradition which lasted until the death of Captain John Urquhart in 1848, and sailed for Madras as a Cadet on the 'Denham' on the 24th November 1753 with Ranfurlie Knox, who was later to command the Bengal Army's famous 'Lal Paltan' or Red Battalion. [3]

By the 1st January 1756 he was listed as an Ensign of English infantry, by brevet since 18th June 1754 and actually commissioned on the 17th June 1755. [4]

Subsequent dispatches from the Madras Council record that he was serving as Commissary at Karunguli in October 1756 when French intrigues forced the abandonment of that factory, and his promotion to Lieutenant on 15th November 1757.

Further advancement to Captain quickly followed and when the General Lally laid siege to Madras late in December 1758, Bannatyne served as Town Major, particularly distinguishing himself in a sortie on 21st December. He was already by this time well on his way to making his fortune and with ordinary luck might rise high in the Company's service.

Camp at Wandewash
April 11th 1759

My Dear Friend [5]

At length Affairs to all Appearance are near that Crisis so long desired by our Friends, for the french Army reinforced from Pondicherry and Arcot is now Encamped within seven Miles of us and our Resolution thereupon is to send away our Baggage presently six Miles towards Utremaloor to March to night and Attack the Enemy to Morrow Morning in there Camp. Preston [6] is desired to join us but we are not certain of the Detachment under his Command as I hear his Orders are not quite posative and you must imagine how reluctantly he will quit Carmagnoly /Which he expects to be Master of every day/ if he is not certain that we are to have an Immediate Action. [7]

Never I believe were Men in higher Spirits than the Company's Troops. I would not by this be thought to mean that they are Suprior to his Majesty's but only that as I am oftener amongst them I have more Oportunity of hearing seeing and in short am more capable of Siding of than of the King's with whom we Don't mix so often yet I dare say they are good Lads too. Now I speak of the Regiment Colonel Draper's Name is often mentioned to Day you may be sure with much Respect and I cannot help saying with regret for his loss to the Service [8] yet we have a Brave Man to Head us [9] and what can English Soldiers wish for more [10] Refend(?) manoeuvres are certainly very clever but where there is but a handful of Men on each side true courage must secure Success and it would be a sin to Doubt that our Honest hardy Country men are braver than the French. Indeed I shall never doubt it till I find it otherwise

Our General Friends desire to be remembered affectionately and I myself would methinks say something very kind to you and other friends but Don't care to enter upon the tender Strain you wont I am certain on that Account think the light of my True friend ship for you nor I so mean an Opinion of my other India intimates as to imagine they will be offended at my leaving them legacies. My father had no great Estate and dying whilst his Children were young you May guess Whether five of us did not find use for small Inheritance I shared my own and am Now able to Return it to my Brothers with Interest thanks to my kind Benefactor and yours.

I assure you my Friend I have no inward hint that I am destined to fall tomorrow but should it so please the Disposer of all things I die resigned and Composed and have no small Satisfaction in Reflecting that I have the Esteem of a few such worthy Lads as yourself and have never yet been at variance with any Man of Worth. You'll demand of my Executors my Watch in case of my Death Which I desire you'll wear for my sake but should that be lost in to Morrow's Fray you will purchase one or a Ring with 100 Pagodas Which I hereby desire my Executors to pay for out of My Estate I am with the warmest Wishes for your Welfare and that of our common Friends my dear Tod your affectionate and faithfull friend

Robert Bannatyne