1799

11 February
Departure of the Grand Army from Vellore.

14 February
Departure of Major Lachlan Macquarie from Bombay on board the cruiser Viper to take up his duties on the General Staff of Lieutenant-General James Stuart's Bombay Army.

19 February
Arrival of Major Macquarie in Cannanore.

20 February
Junction of the Madras Army with the Hyderabad Army and the British Subsidiary Force near Amboor to form the Grand Army.

21 February
Departure of the Bombay Army from Cannanore.

25 February
Bombay Army reaches the top of the Poodicherrum Ghaut and establishes camp and a 'park of artillery'.

1 March
Arrival of the main contingent of the Bombay Army at Seedapore (Siddapura) in Coorg (Kodagu).

4 March
Lt. Col. Montresor establishes camp at Sedaseer (Siddeswara) on the frontier of Mysore (overlooking Periapatam). Arrival of the Grand Army near Rayacota in Baramahal.

5 March
Arrival of Tipu Sultan (with a force of 12,000 men) at Periapatam.

6 March
Battle of Sedaseer - Tipu defeated with heavy losses. Mysorean casualties total approximately two thousand killed, wounded and missing; British losses were one hundred and forty three (143) killed, wounded and missing.

7 March
Arrival of the Grand Army at Kilamangalam - nine miles from Hosur - after the seizure of two small fortified hills at Uddanahalli and Ratnagiri.

10 March
Departure of the Grand Army from Kilamangalam.

11 March
Departure of Tipu from his encampment near Periapatam to Seringapatam.

14 March
Arrival of the Grand Army near Bangalore.

16 March
Grand Army moves westward from Bangalore towards Talgautporam, then, abruptly, turns south towards Cancanhilly (Kaunkanhully).

21 March
Arrival of Grand Army at Cancanhilly after slow marching progress averaging approximately five and half miles per day.

24 March
Arrival of Grand Army at the Madoor (Madur) river and encampment established on the eastern bank.

25 March
Grand Army crosses the Madoor river.

26 March
Grand Army encamps five miles east of Malavelli (Mallavelly).

27 March
Battle of Mallavelli - Tipu defeated. Mysorean casualties total approximately one thousand dead and wounded; British losses total approximately seventy (70) killed, wounded and missing.

29-30 March
Grand Army begins crossing the Cauvery (Kaveri) river at Sosily (Sosillay).

31 March
Grand Army halts to regroup.

1-4 April
Grand Army marches westward along the Cauvery towards Seringapatam.

5 April
Grand Army takes up position facing the western side of the fort of Seringapatam. In the evening Colonel Shawe attacks Tipu's forces near the aqueduct that runs parallel to the watercourse known as the Little Cauvery and the southern arm of the Cauvery River. At the same time, Colonel Wellesley attempts to clear a grove of trees, known as the Sultanpettah Tope, on the right of the British camp. Both British forces encounter stiff resistance. Shawe seizes a ruined village but could not proceed any further; Wellesley's force becomes disorientated in the dark and loses a number of men in the confusion of battle - forced to retreat.

Departure of General Floyd with four regiments of cavalry and the Left Wing of Infantry towards Periapatam to combine with the Bombay Army and to provide a safe escort on the march towards Serinapapatam.

6 April
Colonel Shawe and Colonel Wellesley return to the scene of their failures the previous night and secured the ground - the ruined village becomes a new British advanced position known as 'Shawe's Post.'

10 April
Junction of Bombay Army with General Floyd's support force at Periapatam.

11 April
Bombay Army encamps at Campoolpooram.

12 April
Bombay Army encamps at Cattymalwarry.

13 April
Bombay Army encamps at Billoolly.

14 April
Arrival of the combined Bombay/Grand Army force at Seringapatam - takes up position at the rear of the Grand Army.

15-16 April
Bombay Army crosses the Cauvery and encamps on the northern bank of the river - near the ruins of the Eadgah Redoubt (adjacent to the village Agrar) which had significantly impeded General Medows' force in the siege of Seringapatam in February 1792.

17 April
Attack launched at sunset (under the command of Colonel Hart and Lieut. Col. Montresor) against the village of Agrar. The force consists of troops from the 74th, 75th King's regiments, and several Battalions of Native Infantry from the Bombay and Grand armies. Seizure of the village and establishment of an artillery battery positioned to enfilade the north-west angle of the fort. Re-named 'Hart's Post.' The battery accommodates six (6) 18 pounder cannons and two (2) 8 inch howitzers.

18 April
Death of Captain Toriano (Artillery) and Lieutenant McReddie (Artillery) at the Bombay Army's advanced artillery post near the Cauvery River.

19 April
Night attack on the Bombay Army. General Floyd sent eastward towards the pass at Coveraporam with five regiments of the cavalry and the Left Wing of the army to hasten the supply convoys from Baramahal. Critical food shortages have been detected in the amount of provisions available to the British forces. A prolonged siege campaign will create a genuine risk that a forced retreat might be necessary - as had happened in 1791.

20 April
Tipu's troops driven from their posts at the Powder Mills (near the southern arm of the Cauvery). Heavy Mysorean casualties, with at least 250 killed and wounded.

22 April
2 am. Mir Ghulam Hussein and Mohammed Halim lead a vigorous night attack upon the advanced post of the Bombay Army. Heavy Mysorean casualties (600-700), including the death of at least eight (8) French troops. The Grand Army enfilading battery of six 18 pounder cannons located near the Powder Mills commence bombarment of the fortress walls.

23 April
Heavy downpour of rain signals the seriousness of the threat posed to military campaigning by an early monsoon season. Destruction by cannonfire of the Cavalier Flagstaff located between the Mysore Gate (southern side of the fort) and the Bangalore Gate (eastern side). The Cavalier Flagstaff provides the highest vantage point within the fort for the defenders to observe the British positions, while for the British gunners it provides an obvious target on the Seringapatam skyline.

26 April
6 pm. Grand Army troops seize control of the Mysorean trench works near the Powder Mills. Heavy Mysorean retaliatory bombardment of cannon, rocket and musketfire (from within the fort) until 9 pm.

27 April
Mysorean counterattack upon Grand Army positions seized the previous evening - heavy casualties on both sides. Also an early morning attack on the rear lines of the Bombay Army, troops forced to 'lay on their arms' until dawn.

28 April
Heavy bombardment by both British and Mysorean batteries from dawn to noon and from 4 pm to 8 pm.

29 April
Limited artillery fire throughout the day; Bombay Army troops positioned at the advanced posts subject to constant sniper fire from Mysorean troops located along the riverbank.

30 April
Continuous artillery fire maintained by the British upon the western curtain wall of the fort.

1 May
Additional British battery positions set up - increasing the scale and rate of artillery fire against the fort. Most Mysorean cannons on the western perimeter 'silenced' or eliminated.

2 May
Major bombardment launched against the fortress, involving twenty-nine (29) cannons and six (6) howitzers. A magazine of rockets explodes inside the fort during the course of the cannonade.

3 May
Major breach reported in the western wall of the fort. Preparations begun for an assault across the Cauvery River the following day. Food shortages continue to endanger the success of the British campaign and an attack is essential at this point in time to avoid the dual threat of famine in the ranks and the onset of the monsoon season. (If the water height of the river rises a successful attack across the Cauvery will be impossible).

4 May
1 pm. Assault on the breach of Seringapatam commenced. Attack led by Major-General David Baird (former prisoner of Tipu during the Second Anglo-Mysore War). Assault troops are divided into two (2) parties with instructions to cross the river and enter the breach together and turn, the one to the left and the other to the right, upon mounting the rampart. Total number (excluding staff officers): 2862 European troops; 2003 sepoy troops.

Death of Tipu in heavy fighting near an inner gateway located along the inside line of the northern perimeter wall (leading towards the Palace). Known as the 'Hoally Gateway' - the structure and associated inner walls were dismantled c.1803. Night of uncontrolled looting and destruction within the fortress and town.

5 May
4 pm. Burial of Tipu at the Gumbaz mausoleum - at the eastern extremity of the island of Seringapatam - with full military honours. His body was carried on a bier, accompanied by four (4) companies of European grenadiers, Tipu's son, Abdul Khaliq, (as chief mourner) leading Mysorean officials, as well as a large number of the remaining populace of Seringapatam. Severe thunderstorm at the time of Tipu's burial - two officers of the Bombay army reported as killed by lightning: Lieuts. Barclay and Grant.

13 May
Departure of the Bombay Army from Seringapatam for the Malabar Coast.

24 May
Arrival of Lieutenant-General Stuart and his staff (including Major Lachlan Macquarie) in Cannanore.

1 June
Departure of Lieutenant-General Stuart for Madras on board H.M ship Suffolk - Major Macquarie secures passage on the same vessel.

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