Colonel Bailey’s Dungeon, a fortress
with measurements of 30.5m x 12.2m built of brick and mortar lies to the north
of Ranganatha Swamy temple and close to Lal Mahal Palace. The word Dungeon is
morbid and imagination conjures up of prisoners suffering in the dark dungeons.
There are shoulder height stone slabs fixed on the East, North and West walls
at equidistant lengths with holes in the underground of the prison. The
captives would be chained at the wrists and tied to the slab with waist deep
cold water. The underground dungeon has six open arches at the front and 3
horizontal chambers inside.
Colonel Bailey was kept as Prisoner of
War by Tippu Sultan. He had been captured in the second Anglo-Mysore War, also
called the Battle of Pollilur that was fought in September 1780 AD. Colonel
Bailey died in 1782 AD. This dungeon was used to imprison Captain Baird,
Colonel Brithwite, Captain Rulay, Frazer, Samson and Lindsay by Tippu Sultan.
During the military blockade at
Srirangapatnam a cannon rolled back piercing the ceiling and fell into the
dungeon which can still be seen here. Outside the dungeon are stone steps
indicating that it was not easy for the prisoners to escape around and have to
pass by the difficult stone steps. Above the roof, are the compounds which have
small holes, with 3 bisections - left, middle and right. The soldiers used to
watch the prisoners through these small holes and fire the guns using long
guns, standing behind the compound walls.
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