THE HIBERNIAN MAGAZINE: O R, Compendium of Entertaining Knowledge, For MA Y, 1781. A full Account of the Life of John Donellan, Efq; who was lately hanged at Warwick, in England, for the Murder of his Brother-in-law, Sir Theadafius Boughton, Bart. (With an exact Likeness of Sir Theodofius.) APTAIN John Donellan was fon of ceived a commiffion, dated December 15, CARTA. Col. Do letal and was born 1957, of captain of foot in the company about the year 1737, or 1738: he received a military education at the royal academy at Woolwich, and entered very young into his Majesty's fervice, being appointed a cadet in the royal regiment of artillery, March 4, 1753. In the year 1757 he was at Madras, a fubaltern in the 39th regiment, commanded by Colonel Aldercorn, then in the Eift Indies; which regiment being ordered home, permiffion was given, in a letter from the Secretary at War, written by command of his Majefty, purporting, that any officers, under the rank of field officers, who fhould chufe to enter in the company's fervice, might do it without prejudice to their rank; and that fuch of them as returned to Europe should, on producing a certificate of their good behaviour while in India, be immediately put on the half pay lift. Of the leave given by this order, feveral of the officers availed themselves, and, amongst others, Capt. Donellan, who refolved to continue in the Indies: he likewife determined to remove from Madras to Bengal, where part of the regiment then remained, where the fcene of action at that jun&ure chiefly lay, and where most promifing expectations of wealth and honour appeated. He accordingly embarked for Bengal, with recommendations from lord Pigot, then governor of Madras, and general Lawrence; and, on his arrival there, reHib. Mag. May, 1781. fervice. He immediately began to execute the duties of his poft, and applied himself to raise men for the fervice of his matters, in which he was fuccessful enough to engage a number of volunteers out of the remains of that part of the 39th regiment which was then at Bengal, The returns of thofe were immediately tranfmitted to lord Clive, who made acknowledgments to the captain for his diligence and attention to the fervice, in the following letter, which, in juftice to the captain is herẹ inferted: Camp near Mungiur, Jan. 18, 1758. SIR, } "I have received your letter of the ift, inclosing a return of your company. I am very glad you have had fuch fuccefs in railing fo many men out of the remains of his Majefty's detachment fent to Bengal. "I need not tell you that, exclulive of Mr. Pigot and colonel Lawrence's re commendation, your own merit will entiOur diftance, which is now 300 miles tle you to all the fervices in my power. from Calcutta, is too great to expect any affittance from thence in time. I am, Sir, Your most obedient humble fervant, *Then governor of Madras, afterwards About About the end of the yeat 1758, an expedition was planned against Mazulipatam, the capital of Golgonda, and the command of the detachment deftined for that fervice, given to colonel Forde, late najor in the 39th regiment which had been ordered home. This gentleman, being a field officer, was not included in the permiflion given to the rest of his brethren by the Secretary at War's letter, and therefore fubjected himfelf to difmiffion from the King's fervice, by continuing in India: he was, however, amply recompenfed by the Company for the lofs he had fultained by being deprived of his commiffion in England. As this was the only campaign in which our adventurer had any opportunity of difplaying his military prowefs, as his conduct in the courfe of it occafioned his difmiflion from the army, and as he has taken care to point out his own exploits in a manner to render the truth of them fufpected, we fhall be pardoned if we relate the feveral circumftances which occurred during this expedition fomewhat at Inge, Col. Forde having defeated the French at Peddipore on the 9th of December 1758, determined to avail himself of the advantage he had obtained, and prefs the enemy before they had recovered from their confternation. After waiting for the Rajah Anunderewze, who did not arrive until the 16th of the fame month, he proceeded for wards; but in his march experienced every inconvenience which could be fultained, by the ignorance, the avarice, or the jealoufy of his Indian coadjutor. On the 6th of Feb. 1759, they arrived together at Elore, where they were detained until the first of March. On the 6th, they came within fight of Mazulipatam, at which place M. Conflans with all his troops was en camped, refolving to make a stand against the English in as fpirited a manner as his force would allow him. The fiege was immediately commenced; but the batteries were not completed until the 25th, eighteen days after the arrival of the army, during which time the fort had kept up a conftant fire. The probability of fuccefs was exceedingly remote, and at fome times there appeared hardly any hopes of the enterprife terminating profperously. With all thefe doubtful appearances, Col. Forde was not abafhed; he Beadily perfifted in carrying on his operations; and, by his unremitting perfeverance, conduct, and activity, at length, on the 7th of April, gained poffeffion of the town by the furrender of the marquis Conflans at diferction. In this campaign Capt. Donellan attended his regiment; and in an engagement, as he afterwards reprefented to the Company, on the 14th of December, at Chumbole, it was his misfortune to receive a ball in his leg, which fhattered the bone, and obliged him to retire to a Dutch factory on the coast, forty miles from the scene of action. The furgeons judged the symptoms fo unfavourable, that they urged the neceffity of immediate amputation, as there appeared to be a danger of mortifi. cation, but this he refufed to fubmit to; and foon after, being fomewhat recovered, hearing that the troops were preparing to march to the place which was the objec of the expedition, he, without hefitation, joined them, though his wounds were ftill open, and he was incapable of walking without the afliftance of crutches. The invefting Mazulipatam took place foon after Capt. Donellan joined the army. What his fhare in this fuccefs was, may be learnt from the following narrative, if it deferves any credit, which is taken from a relation of his own. It may, however, be premised, that it neither agrees with the mot authentic accounts hitherto printed, nor with the evidence of those who were engaged in the enterprize. On the evening of that day, (the 7th of April, 1759) the troops had orders to hold themfelves in readiness for an affault at ten o'clock at night; when, after an obftinate refillance, they made a breach in St. John's baftion, mounted sword in hand, and turned it cannon on the enemy, who were entrenched chin deep between it and the town. After diflodging the enemy from this hold, the Company's troops foon poffeffed themfelves of the next baftion; but here their progrefs was checked by the enemy's recovering from their confter. nation and attempting to form. At this initant Capt. Donellan feeing Col. Forde on the oppofite fide of the ditch, without the fort, ran down the breach, and throwing over one end of his fath, while he held the other, affifted the colonel in pafsing the ditch, and as they climbed up the baftion reprefented to him the impoffi bility of carrying the other works, or maintaining their ground, with the small force which they had; at the fame time offering to go attended only by his ferjeant, (who having deferted from the French fervice, knew every quarter of the town) and endeavour to find the governor, Monticur Conflans, not doubting, if he could make him prifoner, he would immediately furrender the place. "Capt. Donellan was the more anxiour for the fuccefs, and adventurous in the execution of this arduous expedition, as knowing its great importance to the hoour of the English nation, and the inte itica the the is 1781. A full Account of the Life of John Donellan, Efq; refts of the English Eaft India Company, Mazulipatam being the capital of Golconda, and in the hands of the French, who were at that very time contriving, by the affiftance of the Dutch, to drive the Englith, if poffible, out of the country. This project was defeated, in a great measure, by the capture of Mazulipatam; a cap. ture fuftained with the greatest impatience by governor Conflans, when he came to know the manner in which it was effected. But it becomes not Capt. Donellan to infift on the merit of his fervices, any further than is neceffary to fhew how difproportionably they have been rewarded. "To this fep the colonel objected, as being rafh and impracticable; but, on Capt. Donellar's urging that now was the decifive moment, and that no alternative remained, he acquiefced; and the captain, accompanied only by his ferjeant, made his way, under cover of the night, to the gate of the arsenal, which was guarded by a file of mufqueteers with their bayonets fxed; a twelve-pounder was alfo pointed towards the Atreet, which a foldier with a lighted match food prepared to difcharge on the first approach of an enemy; at the Lame time fome officers were paffing to and from the general's apartments, in great hurry and confufion; among which Capt. Donellan approaching without Hefitation, he was fuffered to pafs, and for tunately reached the governor's apartment. The inftant he entered, he closed with the governor, and announced his errand; informed him that the English had now got fuch a reinforcemnt as muft render all refiftance vain; that they were now pouring in on all quarters; that in a little time it would be impoffible to reftrain the rage and impetuofity of the troops; and nothing but an immediate furrender could prevent all the dreadful confequences of a form. Moved by these reafons, and the arguments of two priests who were prefent, Monfieur Conflans acknowledged bimfelf his prifoner, and, at his delire, dispatched three written orders to the troops in different quarters of the town, to lay down their arms. He then ordered a major who had just entered to accompany Capt. Donellan to Col. Forde, as a hotage, and thus the reduction of the place was atchieved with little lofs to the befiegers, and without that carnage, to Horrible to humanity, too often the unavoidable confequence of a town's being taken by affault." We shall make no other comment on this romantic ftory, than barely to obferve, that had it been true, the merit of the fervice would probably have procured the Captain a pardon for the offences he was 227 afterwards guilty of as agent. But that it "The parade of the fort was under the "On the return of the officer, M. Conflans fent orders round for the troops to quit their arms, and repair to his quarters at the arfenal, which is a spacious inclofure. As foon as all was quiet, the English troops affembled on the parade, under the bastion of the gateway, and ros Europeans, with two guns, and two companies of Seapoys, were detached to remain on guard over the prifoners until the morning; then whatever troops were at the ravelin and the battery at the inlet, and had not efcaped, came into the fort, to become prifoners with the reft of the garrifon." Such is the account of Mr. Orme. An- other ther gentleman, whose history was published in 1761, agrees with him. See Cambridge's Account of the War in India, 4to, page 211. 66- In this manner they fought the enemy, gaining baftion after baftion, till they approached the gateway, and cut off their conmunication from the detached ravelin. "At this time, a French officer came to the colonel from the marquis de Confans, afking quarter for the garrifon. The colonel fent a captain with the French officer to the marquis with the following meffage; that he could not give quarter while refittance was made in any part; and that, unless the belieged would immediately ceafe firing, and furrender themfelves, he should be obliged for his own fafety to put the whole garrifon to the fword. "The marquis de Conflans dispatched his orders for the troops to quit their arms, and repair to the arfenal, and fent the fame meffage to the out pofls. The firing ceafed in about half an hour after the main body of our troops repaired to the efplanade." All farther remarks are unneceffary on thefe contradictory accounts-i ruth can be but on one fide, and which that is, the reader will judge for himfelf. Let us now Proceed to confider the remainder of Capt. Donellan's tranfactions in the EaftIndies. Previous to the attack which obliged the garrifon at Mazulipatam to give up the place, an agreement was entered into be tween the feveral officers of the army, concerning the divifion of any fpoil which Should be taken. Agents were likewife agreed to be appointed, to fecure and divide fuch things as fhould fall into the hands of the army. On the 7th of April, the day of the furrender, Capt. Doneilan, and three other perfons were nominated to this employment; and on the reduciion of the town, they took poffeffion of all the effects which their office warranted them in doing, and immediately began to Convert them into money. Fluthed with the fuccefs they had obtained, and elated with the idea of fortune and independence now feeming to await them, fome of the agents began to harbour expectations not very confiftent with the ideas of ftrict juftice. The Black Merchants by the capitulation, were to be allowed fuch effects as they could make out their elaim to; but thefe being indifcrimimately poffeffed by the victors, it became neceffary to apply to the agents for the delivery of them. Col. Forde gave orders that they fhould be restored immediately; ut Captain Donellan and his affociates, having got them into their hands were un willing to refign them without an equiva lent; and when they were obliged to comply with the pofitive injunctions of their commanding officer, they determined, if they could not obtain money from the claimants, to make the restoration of their effects as trouble fome as might be. At the fame time, hints were thrown out that prefents were the moft efficacious mode of application; and that thofe perfons would have a fuperior degree of attention beftowed on them, who fhould be most diftin. guifhed for their liberality and generofity. Accordingly fome merchants entered into a treaty for the re delivery of their property; and feveral of them agreed, and did actually pay fums of money on receipt of their goods. Thefe tranfactions were not conducted fo fecretly but they foon came to the knowledge of colonel Forde, who, refent. ing the difobedience of his orders, and feeling the difgrace the army had fuffered by fuch infamous and fhameful practices, directed the money to be refunded to the perfons from whom it had been extorted; and, not fatisfied with fo fmall a punishmeat, refolved to have the whole iniquitous business ftrictly enquired into by a court-martial, that the delinquents might be brought to condign punishment. It was in vain captain Donellan pleaded, that the offences which he and his brethren were charged with, were not such as were cognizable by a court martial; that they had acted in their civil capacities, of agents; and that neither their duty as military officers, nor their moral character as gentle. men, was concerned in the bufinels. In vin did he folicit to have the whole affair laid before the governor and council at Bengal, or before the mayor's court at Calcutta. To as little purpose, did be reprefent the impropriety and injuftice of bringing civil agents to a military courtmartial, or paint the inconveniences of a proceeding, and the probability of its injuring the fervice: the colonel, who appears to have acted with firmness, dignity, and fpirit, perfifting in his determination to bring the offenders to justice. Accordingly, on the 28th of April, the court-martial was held, and the refult of it was fuch as might be reasonably expected; Capt. Donellan and bis partners were found guilty and difmiffed the fervice. With this fentence captain Donellan's military character expired. Difgraced however as he was, he made one effort to retrieve his reputation, and on colonel Forde's return from Golconda to Bengal, offered his fervice as a volunteer, to go on |