Mss Eur Orme OV.20

Manuscripts stated in 134. 96 to be originals.

p. [i]. Table of Contents.

1, pp. 1-9 (37 x 23.5 cm.). Journal of the Proceedings of the Troops commanded by Lt.-Colonel Robert Clive on the Expedition to Bengal from December 16th 1756 to February 18th 1757, by Captain M askelyne. Duplicate of first part of No.4 below. Probably a copy, but see note under 18 February on page 30 of this volume below. Clive’s own Journal has been printed in Wilson's M adras A rmy, I., p.78, and is to be found in the Proceedings of the Select Committee of Madras, 14th February 1757, appended to a letter from Clive, dated 8 January 1757. Other Accounts and Journals and Letters referring to this Expedition will be found in the Proceedings for 24 Februar y, 28 April, &c. pp. 10-11 blank, p. 12 endorsement.

2, pp. 13-16 (31.2 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Fort St. George, 29 April 1757, from Jonathan Brooke of the Artillery to-. Original. Copied in IV. 2. Gives an account of Clive's expedition to Bengal from 16 December 1756 to 1 January 1757.

3, p. 17 (22 x 15 cm.). A return of Ordinance and Ordinance Stores in the garrison of Buggey Buggey, by Robert Barker. Possibly original. Copied in VII. 28. p. 18 blank.

4, pp. 19-33 (31.2x 19.5 cm.). Journal of the Proceedings of the Troops commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Clive on the Expedition to Bengal. Possibly original. Copied in IV. 1. This paper appears to be an extract from a letter sent to England from Madras by one J. C. (apparently John Carnac, see signature to his pencil letter to Orme, 48. 1 (6)). The first part, i.e ,from 16 December 1756 to 18 February 1757, is stated, under the latter date, to have been written by Maskelyne (Clive's brother-in-law), and is a duplicate of No.1 above. Towards the end is an extract from a letter, dated Chandernagore, 25 March 1757, from Captain Lin, describing the capture of that place. p. 34 blank.

5, pp. 35-39 (30.5 x 18.5 cm.). Journal of military Proceedings on the Expedition to Muxadavad, 1:2-27 June 1757. The writing somewhat resembles that of Maskelyne's Journal, No.1 above. Printed in Hill's Bengal in 1756-57, Vol. III, p.65. p. 40 blank.

6, pp. 41-43 (30.5 x 18 cm.). Journal of Military Proceedings on the Expedition to M uxadavad. Possibly an Original. It corresponds very closely with No.5 above. p. 44 endorsement.

7, pp. 45-47 (23 x 18 cm.). A Translation of the Treaty executed by Jaffeir Ally Khan Bahauder. Copy. The treaty between the Council of Fort William and Mir Jafar signed as preliminary to their placing him on the throne. The wording is somewhat different from that of the Treaty as given in VII. 3 (5) where the date is given in English, viz., 24 June 1757, i.e., the day after Plassey, and from that of the two treaties sent for the Nawab's signature by Clive in his letter of 19 May (see X. 1 (43) ). Aitchison (Treaties, Engagements and Sanads, India, Vol. I., p. 187) gives another version of the Treaty, which differs only in the wording, and adds a thirteenth article, of which he says in a note: (( This Article was not transmitted from India to the Company, but is to be found in the 12th page of the Appendix to the Dutch Memorial, and as there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of it, it is subjoined to the Treaty with the Nabob Meer Jaffier." But this thirteenth Article is given by Orme, see X. 1 (43), who in all probability obtained it from the papers possessed by the family of Lord Clive. This seems to be confirmed by the evidence of Mr. John Walsh before the Select Committee of the House of Commons, see Parly. Ed. of Reports from Committees of the House, Vol. III., p. 150 (b), (Record Office Parly. Dept.). Aitchison's copy of the Treaty is, so far as the twelve Articles go, the same as that given in Appendix No. 5 to the First Reporrt of the Select Committee. (N.B. The India Office Library copy of the Reports of the Select Committee, dated 1773, though it covers all the five Reports, appears to contain only three Reports. The five Reports as Originally published will be found in the Record Office Parly. Dept. copy.) p. 48 endorsement.

8, p. 49 (18.5 x 19 cm.). General return of Sepoys killed and Wounded, June 23, 1757. Signed" John Fraser," and apparently original. Copied in India IV. 11. Printed in Hill's Bengal in 1756-57, Vol. 11., p. 425. Casualty return for the native troops at Plassey. p. 50 endorsement.

9, pp. 51-53 (29.5 x 19 cm.). Account of the escape of M essrrs. Watts, Collet and Sykes from Muxadavad before the battle of Plassey, a very clearr though shorr account -- I believe by Mr. Sykes. Probably original. Copied in XI. 10. Printed in Hill's Bengal in 1756-57, Vol. II., p. 408. This appears to be the account enclosed in Mr. Sykes' letter to Orme of 25 March 1767. (See 19. 15 above.) p. 54 endorsement.

10, pp. 55-57 (32.7 x 20.5 cm.). Letter, dated -- 1763, from a Real Proprietor (Mr. John Walsh) to the Proprietors of East India Stock. MS. copy sent to Orme. Recopied in XI. 15. Published by Mr. Watts in reply to some libellous statements by William Belchier. Printed in Hill's Bengal in 1756-57, Vol. III., p. 403. The story that Clive fell asleep during the battle of Plassey seems to be based upon an account of Plassey read by Coote before the Select Committee of 1772. In the Genuine Minutes of the Select Committee, published by T. Evans in 1772, there is given (pp. 39-40) what purports to be a verbatim extract from Coote's Journal,in which occur the following words: "Major Kilpatrick ... sent Mr. Mariot to awake Colonel Clive, who instantly returned to the field and sent some sharp messages to Major Kilpatrick for offering to act, when he was asleep, without his orders." These words do not occur in Orme's copy of Coote's Journal, see VII. 3. p. 58 endorsement.

11, pp: 59-61 (23 x.18 cm.). Memorandums concerning the march of the Troops and the Battle of Plassey in June 1767, with references to the vouchers from whence extracted by myself R. O.,from June 11 to June 20, 1757. Original. Copied in XI. 17. p. 62 endorsement.

12, pp. 63-86 (24 x 19 cm.). Extracts from Letters written by Clive, the Nabob and others, and from the consultation of Forrt William concerning the transactions leading to the rupture with Seerajah Doulet and the battle of Plassey, made by myself with reference to the vouchers from April 24, 1757 to June 21, 1757. Original. Copied in IX. 13. This and the preceding paper are good illustrations of the method pursued by Orme in arranging his materials.

13, pp. 87-101 (22.5 x 18 cm.). Quaeries to Mr. Collet, concerning the escape of Watts, himself and Sykes from Muxadavad before the battle of Plassey, made by me R. Orme, and MR. Collet's answer; the Quaeries comprehend from June 5th to the 14th 1757. Original. Copied in XV. 9. These cover the period between the 5th and 14th June 1757. p. 102 endorsement.

14, pp. 103-108 (36 x 24 cm.). Letter, dated Moorshedabad, August 13th 1757, from Mr. Watts to his father, Mr. William Watts (senior). Marked Duplicate and signed in Watts' own hand. Copied in VII. 20 (9). Gives an account of affairs in Bengal from 6 February 1757 to the battle of Plassey. Mr. Watts published, anonymously, in 1760, a little book entitled, Memoirs of the Revolution in Bengal, Anno Dom. 1757, which was made use of by Jean Law in his Memoire. The paragraph on p.116 beginning, "Such was the end of Suraja Dowlat," &c., is translated almost verbatim in the British Museum copy of this Memoir, but omitted in the Orme copy of the Memoir, 272. 1.