Calcutta with money and reinforcements to cope with Hyder Ali, who had invaded the Carnatic, On 1st July 1781, he, with 10,000 men, European and native, defeated Hyder's army of more than 150,000 at Porto Novo. This was the first of the many defeats Sir Eyre inflicted on the great Indian potentate. In another encounter with Hyder, however, his troops, after much suffering, were obliged to fall back, and Mill blames him for "retaining the army, though inactive, so long in the field as to endanger their return by the impediments of the monsoon." He also "showed a discontented and quarrelsome spirit at this period." Lord Macartney, the Governor-General, declared he had to "court him like a mistress, and humour him like a child; but with all this, I have a most sincere regard for him, and honour him highly." In June 1782, he failed in the attack on Arnee, and was outwitted in negotiations with Tippoo Sultan. Later on in the year, unequal to the toils of office, he relinquished the command of the army, and sailed for Bengal on 28th September. Mill says: "It has been historically stated, and without contradiction, that nothing but an accident prevented the two Presidents [Lord Macartney and Warren Hastings] … from plunging their countrymen in India into something of the nature of a civil war. … Coote was despatched with powers to resume the military command, exempt from dependence upon the Madras Government." His death at Madras, of apoplexy, three days after landing, 26th April 1784 (aged 58), happily prevented the danger of a struggle. His body was conveyed to England and deposited in the parish church of Rockwood, in Hampshire, and the Directors of the Company erected a fine monument to his memory in Westminster Abbey. His property, amounting to some £200,000, was inherited by his brother, the Dean of Kilfenora. 37 168 196
Corbet, William, General, was born at Ballythomas, County of Cork, in August 1779. He entered Trinity College when but fifteen, and soon became a distinguished member of the Historical Society. He was one of the nineteen students expelled for revolutionary sympathies by Lord Clare, in February 1798. With his brother he retired to France, and entered the army. On 16th September 1798 a descent was made on Rutland Island, Donegal, by Tandy, Corbet, and a number of other Irish refugees, in a French vessel, the Anacreon. After learning the fate of Humbert's expedition, and circulating a few proclamations, they re-embarked and returned to France. Next year he was arrested at Hamburg by British agents, and sent back to Ireland. After two years' incarceration he escaped from Kilmainham, by the co-operation of some friends throwing a cord over the prison wall, and his drawing up a rope ladder on a stormy night. Dr. Madden gives a most interesting account of this exploit. He found many friends in Dublin, reached England, and passed over to France. Entering the army, he shared in Napoleon's campaigns, and by 1814 had risen to be a colonel. In 1828 the British ambassador endeavoured to prevent his being employed in the Franco-Greek expedition. He was, however, appointed to the command of the citadel of Navarino, and when he returned to France in 1837 was created Major-General for his distinguished services. He died at St. Denis, 12th August 1842, aged 63. Mr. Madden gives the following testimony as to his character: "His moral conduct was throughout his life perfectly correct; he entertained a high sense of honour and a deep respect for female character, but never married… He was of a retiring and unobtrusive disposition." A younger brother visited Ireland in 1875, on the occasion of the O'Connell Centenary.330
Corcoran, Michael, Brigadier-General, U.S.A. , was born at Carrowkeel, County of Sligo, 21st September 1827. He emigrated to the United States in 1849, obtained a clerkship in the Post Office, and first came into notice as Colonel of the 69th New York Militia. On the call for troops, April 1861, he took the field with his men, and distinguished himself at the battle of Bull Run, where he was wounded and taken prisoner. He was confined successively at Richmond, Charleston, Columbia, and other places, and was one of the officers selected for execution, had the Federal Government carried out its threat of hanging as pirates the captured crews of several Confederate privateers. Exchanged next year, and was made Brigadier-General, dating from 21st July 1861. He recruited an Irish legion, and served in North Carolina at the battles of the Nausemond River and Suffolk, and checked the advance of the Confederates upon Norfolk. He died of severe injuries received by a fall from his horse, near Fairfax Courthouse, Virginia, 22nd December 1863, aged 36. 37*
Cormac MacArt, King of Ireland, 213 to 253. He was grandson of Con the Hundred Fighter, and the son of Art, and Ectach, the beautiful daughter of a
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