The Europeans are divided into two companies.

One of you will be attached to each.

The remaining officer commands both." During the day the lads had not a moment to themselves, and were occupied until late at night in superintending the packing of stores and tents; and the following morning, the 26th of August, 1751, the force marched from Madras.

It consisted of two hundred of the Company's English troops, three hundred Sepoys, and three small guns.
They were led, as has been said, by eight European officers, of whom only Clive and another had ever heard a shot fired in action, four of the eight being young men in the civil service, who had volunteered.
Charlie was glad to find that among the company to which he was appointed was the detachment which had come out with him on board ship; and the moment these heard that he was to accompany them, as their officer, Tim Kelly pressed forward and begged that he might be allowed to act as Charlie's servant, a request which the lad readily complied with.
The march the first day was eighteen miles, a distance which, in such a climate, was sufficient to try to the utmost the powers of the young recruits.

The tents were soon erected, each officer having two or three native servants, that number being indispensable in India.
Charlie and Peters had one tent between them, which was shared by two other officers, as the column had moved in the lightest order possible in India.
"Sure, Mr.Marryat," Tim Kelly said to him confidentially, "that black hathen of a cook is going to pison ye.