From Conjeveram to Arcot is twenty-seven miles, and the troops, in spite of a delay caused by a tremendous storm of thunder and lightning, reached the town in two days.

The garrison, struck with panic at the sudden coming of a foe, when they deemed themselves in absolute security, at once abandoned the fort, which they might easily have maintained until Chunda Sahib was able to send a force to relieve it.

The city was incapable of defence after the fort had been abandoned, and Clive took possession of both, without firing a shot.
He at once set to work to store up provisions in the fort, in which he found eight guns and an abundance of ammunition, as he foresaw the likelihood of his having to stand a siege there; and then, leaving a garrison to defend it in his absence, marched on the 4th of September with the rest of his forces against the enemy, who had retired from the town to the mud fort of Timari, six miles south of Arcot.

After a few discharges with their cannon they retired hastily, and Clive marched back to Arcot.
Two days later, however, he found that they had been reinforced, and as their position threatened his line of communications, he again advanced towards them.

He found the enemy about two thousand strong, drawn up in a grove under cover of the guns of the fort.