Moreover, while on paper there were meant to be 30,000 Company men under arms guarding the Madras Presidency, it was quickly calculated that fewer than 8,000 could actually be gathered together in a month. The speed of Haidar’s movement reduced the numbers still further: many sepoys had families living in Arcot. When it fell to Haidar’s forces large numbers of sepoys deserted their regiments to attempt to protect their wives and children.
