from troops who had everything at stake, and who had long vaunted
of being irresistible. Their ample and extended line, from their
great superiority of numbers, far out-flanked ours; but this was
counteracted by the flank movements of our cavalry. The attack
of the infantry now commenced; and the roll of fire from this
powerful arm soon convinced the Sikh army that they had met with
a foe they little expected; and their whole force was driven from
position after position with great slaughter, and the loss of
seventeen pieces of artillery, some of them of heavy calibre; our
infantry using that never-failing weapon, the bayonet, whenever
the enemy stood. Night only saved them from worse disaster, for
this stout conflict was maintained during an hour and a half of
dim starlight, amidst a cloud of dust from the sandy plain, which
yet more obscured every object.
“I regret to say, this gallant and successful attack was
attended with considerable loss. The force bivouacked upon the
field for some hours, and only returned to its encampment after
ascertaining that it had no enemy before it, and that night
prevented the possibility of a regular advance in pursuit. * * *
“I have every reason to be proud of, and gratified with, the
exertions of the whole of the officers and troops of this army on
this arduous occasion.”
It appears from the list of killed and wounded, that the first or
Major-General Sir Henry Smith’s division bore the brunt of the
action at Moodkee, as the casualties in that division out-numbered
those of the other two infantry divisions united, as will be seen
by the following published list:--
FIRST DIVISION OF INFANTRY.
Officers. Native Officers. Serjeants. Rank & File.
Killed 4 1 4 69
Wounded 18 2 20 299
-- -- -- ---
Total 22 3 24 368
SECOND DIVISION OF INFANTRY.
Killed .. 1 .. 17
Wounded 4 5 10 81
-- -- -- --
Total 4 6 10 98
THIRD DIVISION OF INFANTRY.
Killed 1 .. 1 6
Wounded 1 .. 4 73
-- -- -- --
Total 2 .. 5 79
The army of the Sikhs amounted, it is said, to upwards of 32,000
men of all arms. The British force did not amount to more than
one-third of that number.
Thus terminated the battle of _Moodkee_, the first action in which
the Sikhs measured their strength with British troops in the field.
The following extracts are taken from an account of the battle of
Moodkee:--
“Between the 11th and 18th the army had marched over a distance
of 160 miles, along roads of heavy sand; the incessant toil
scarcely leaving them leisure to cook their food. Hardly an hour
of repose was allowed them when they were summoned to renewed
exertion. On the 18th the army took up their encamping ground
in front of Moodkee. Our troops had scarcely time to prepare
their food, when intelligence was brought that the enemy, 30,000
strong, was close at hand. It was about three o’clock P.M.; the
men were tired with incessant work, suffering from scarcity
of water, and exhausted for want of nourishment and rest. The
instant the order was given, however, they turned out with the
utmost alacrity, as if fresh from their lines.”
After describing the preliminary movements of the cavalry and
artillery, the narrator proceeds:--
“The afternoon was by this time far spent, and the evening
at hand. The infantry, under Generals Smith, Gilbert, and
McCaskill, pushed on in echellon right for the enemy’s line,
now nearly invisible from the wood and approaching darkness. We
were out-flanked and fearfully out-numbered. The struggle was
tremendous. The Sikhs fought with the fury of desperate men.
Nothing could resist the dauntless courage of our troops, and
fearful was the storm of musketry poured forth by them as they
rushed. The bayonet,--the never-failing resource of British
soldiers,--completed the confusion and havoc the musketry had
begun. Every position was forced; the enemy driven from the
ground they had so well selected, and for a time so obstinately
maintained; and night found eighteen pieces of artillery in our
possession. Darkness only saved them from extreme disaster;
and so fierce and unrelenting had been the fray, that it was
maintained through an hour of dim starlight, while the dust of
the sandy plain added to the obscurity of the advancing night.
Pursuit was impossible, and the troops bivouacked on the field.”
The following officers were present with the regiment at the battle
of Moodkee on the 18th of December:--
Colonel S. Bolton, C.B. (_Commanding the first brigade_).
Lt.-Col. John Byrne (_commanding the regiment_).
Major James Spence.
” G. Baldwin.
Capt. W. G. Willes.
” T. Bulkeley.
” G. D. Young.
” G. F. White (_Acting Paymaster_).
” J. Garvock.
” D. F. Longworth.
” E. Lugard.
Lieut. T. H. Plasket.
” W. F. Atty.
” J. L. R. Pollard.
” H. W. Hart.
” Robert Law.
” J. P. Robertson.
” Graham Elmslie.
” Poole Gabbett.
” S. J. Timbrell.
” John Brenchley.
” A. Pilkington.
” E. A. Noel.
Ensign James Paul.
” H. P. Hutton.
” C. H. G. Tritton.
Adjt. William Bernard.
Q. M. Samuel Benison.
A. Surg. G. W. Macready.
” David Stewart.
Lieut. A. S. Bolton (_H. M. 21st Fusiliers, doing duty_).
Surg. R. B. Gahan (_H. M. 9th Foot, in medical charge_).
It being expected that the Sikhs, notwithstanding their defeat on
the previous evening, would make a second attack, the troops were
ordered under arms early on the following morning, the 19th, and
remained so till evening, when, no enemy appearing, they returned
to their tents.
It having been subsequently ascertained, by scouts, that the enemy
was strongly entrenched in great numbers round the village of
Ferozeshah, the Commander-in-Chief determined to effect a junction
with the troops at Ferozepore, and with the combined force to drive
the Sikhs from their position. Accordingly at daylight on the 21st
of December the army was formed in separate columns of attack, and
marched in order of battle in the supposed direction of the enemy.
Having proceeded about five miles, it was ascertained that the
Sikhs had retired to their entrenched camp at _Ferozeshah_, about
twelve miles from Moodkee.
The troops then fell into columns of route, and after a very
fatiguing and circuitous march, rendered more so from no water
being procurable on the road, they arrived about three o’clock P.M.
in the neighbourhood of the enemy’s position, having, on the march,
effected the desired junction with the division under Major-General
Sir John Littler, consisting of five thousand men and twenty-one
guns, which had moved from Ferozepore on the morning of the 21st of
December: about a quarter of an hour was allowed for rest, and the
plan of battle was then immediately arranged. The first division
formed the reserve, and was drawn up in line, the THIRTY-FIRST
being about the centre: here they remained about twenty minutes,
during which time the round shot were passing through the ranks,
killing and wounding several men.
The order was now given to advance to the support of the troops,
who were hotly engaged and hard-pressed; the reserve moved
forward in excellent order, though darkness was coming on, and
very shortly became engaged and exposed to a heavy fire. The two
lines were shortly reduced to one, the shattered remains of the
reserve scarcely filling up the gaps formed in the first line by
the deadly fire of the enemy, who nobly fought, and fell every
man in his place; thus those _two_ lines, which had so shortly
before presented the regularity of a field-day, were now but _one_,
standing surrounded by their dead and dying comrades, and the brave
fellows of other European regiments could scarcely understand how
they came to be fighting in the ranks of the THIRTY-FIRST. After
a long and desperate contest, the Sikhs were driven from their
guns, but not without severe loss on the part of the THIRTY-FIRST
regiment, both in officers and men. Lieut. and Adjutant Bernard
was killed on the spot, and Major Baldwin and Lieut. Pollard were
mortally wounded; Lieut. Pilkington was struck by two shots, one
passing through each ankle; and the horse of Major Spence was
shot under him. On the death of Lieutenant and Adjutant Bernard,
Lieutenant Robertson was appointed Adjutant, which appointment
he held until the nomination of Lieutenant Bolton was received
from the Horse Guards, he having been applied for by his father,
Colonel Bolton, previously to the campaign. The camp of the Sikhs
being now on fire in several places, mines and magazines exploding
with terrific violence at short intervals, the enemy’s fire being
silenced,--and their guns standing undefended,--the order was given
to fall back a short distance and re-form, which was accordingly
done; the troops bivouacked during the night in front of the Sikh
camp, within reach of shot from their guns, which, having been left
unspiked, were quickly reopened upon the exhausted troops, whose
sufferings on that fearful night, from thirst and intense cold,
will never be forgotten by those who endured them.
Towards morning the troops were formed in one line facing the
enemy; the THIRTY-FIRST happened to be on the right of the whole.
At the break of day, the British artillery opened on the enemy, who
returned their fire, and after a short cannonading the infantry
advanced to the attack: the THIRTY-FIRST moved steadily towards a
battery of seven guns on the enemy’s extreme left, which kept up a
continued fire of grape; it was, however, carried by the bayonet
without a single check, and almost without a shot being fired by
the assailants, though the loss of the THIRTY-FIRST was severe.
Having killed all the enemy’s artillery-men who remained at their
guns, the regiment, led by its brave commander, Major Spence,
passed through the battery, and advanced steadily in an excellent
line for about 300 yards, when it halted. The Governor-General and
the Commander-in-Chief passed down the ranks amidst the cheers of
the men; the line saluted them, dropping the regimental colours;
and private William Ash, a grenadier, stood in front of his company
displaying a colour taken from the enemy in the battery before
mentioned.
[Illustration: THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT
_From a sketch by Major G. F. White, 31^{st} Regiment_
BATTLE OF FEROZESHAH. (2^{ND} DAY) 22^{ND} DECEMBER, 1845.
_Madeley lith. 3 Wellington S^t Strand._
_For Cannon’s Military Records_]
The defeat of the enemy now appearing to be complete, the soldiers
were allowed to go in search of water, the want of which was
severely felt. In the course of half an hour the alarm was suddenly
given, that the Sikhs were coming down in force; the troops were
quickly placed in position, though there could be no regularity
as regarded brigades, and on the near approach of the enemy’s
horse, the THIRTY-FIRST formed square, the Governor-General and
his Staff placing themselves in the centre: a terrific fire was
now opened upon the devoted troops (whose artillery ammunition
was expended) from the guns of Tej-Singh’s army advancing to the
support of the already defeated Sikhs, and the tide of victory
appeared about to turn, when Sir Henry Hardinge, glancing at the
small but undismayed band around him, exclaimed “THIRTY-FIRST,
remember _Albuhera_.” Line was, however, soon after re-formed, no
decided attack being made by the enemy, who nevertheless kept up
a galling and destructive fire from his guns. The THIRTY-FIRST
suffered very considerably without the power of retaliation, but
patiently maintained their position; at one time, when threatened
by cavalry, forming an oblong square of four deep, one side of the
square being composed of the twenty-ninth foot under Brigadier
Taylor of that corps, the twenty-ninth forming four deep to the
front, and the THIRTY-FIRST four deep to the rear, and in this
position they remained for some time, ready to receive cavalry.
The THIRTY-FIRST maintained their position upwards of three hours,
when they were once more enabled to go in search of water by the
sudden and precipitate retreat of the enemy. The water in the wells
was, however, found to be in such a putrid state, as to be nearly
useless, from the bodies of the dead having been thrown into them;
and the ground in the neighbourhood was extremely dangerous, having
been extensively mined.
The loss of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment at the battle of
_Ferozeshah_, on the 21st and 22nd of December, amounted to two
officers killed and six wounded.
Serjeants. Rank and File.
Killed, 2 57
Wounded, 4 92
The following officers were killed or wounded on this occasion:--
Killed. Wounded.
Lieut. Pollard. Major Baldwin, mortally.
Lieut. & Adj. Bernard. Lieut. T. Plasket, severely.
” A. Pilkington, ”
Ensign Paul, slightly.
” Hutton, ”
Captain Garvock, Major of Brigade, had his horse shot under him in
the advance to charge the enemy’s batteries.
On the 21st of December, Lieutenant Bolton was appointed to carry
orders from the Governor-General to Major-General Sir Henry
Smith, and was transferred from the twenty-first Fusiliers to the
THIRTY-FIRST regiment, to which he was appointed adjutant shortly
afterwards.
Lieutenant Pollard, a promising officer, was wounded at Moodkee;
but being a high-spirited young man, he would not remain behind,
when his regiment went into action at Ferozeshah, although
suffering from his wound, and advised to remain in his tent by
the medical officers. He went into action on horseback; his wound
being in the foot, he was unable to walk. At the desire of Sir
Henry Smith he was employed as second adjutant to convey the orders
of his commanding officer, Major Spence, who was so hoarse from
a severe cold which he had caught at the battle of Moodkee, that
he could not make himself sufficiently heard by the men; in the
performance of this duty this gallant young officer nobly fell.
“The field after the retreat of the enemy was literally covered
with dead,--they had abandoned large stores of grain, military
stores, camp-equipage, and ammunition. The loss of the British
army was very heavy; being opposed to a highly disciplined and
organized army more than treble their number, with a field of
artillery of battering calibre, admirably served, which kept
up an incessant and destructive fire on the British troops:
justifying the remark of an officer, who had been in all
Napoleon’s great battles, that he never saw such devastation
committed by artillery at any battle in Europe. What other army
in the world would, under such circumstances, have, within thirty
hours, stormed an entrenched camp, fought a general action, and
sustained two considerable combats with the enemy? Within four
days it dislodged from their positions 60,000 Sikh soldiers
supported by 150 pieces of artillery, 108 of which the enemy
acknowledged to have lost, and 91 of which fell into our hands.”
Another account of the action states:--
“The right wing was commanded by the Commander-in-Chief in
person; the left by the Governor-General. As our troops deployed
into line, and prepared for an advance, a tremendous fire from
upwards of one hundred pieces of artillery, 40 of them of
battering size, was opened by the enemy. The right wing, under
Sir Hugh Gough, threw themselves with matchless gallantry on the
guns, and wrested them from the enemy, when the storm of shot
from the Sikh infantry behind became so fearful, that a portion
only of the intrenchments could be carried, when darkness put an
end to the conflict.
“Night had now closed in; the carnage had proved tremendous; our
men thinned in numbers, harassed with forced marches, exhausted
with fatigue, with little food and scarcely any water, and
nothing whatever to cover them from the chill and heavy dew as
the evening advanced, bivouacked amidst the dying and the dead,
close under the intrenchments, and within reach of the shot of
the enemy. All night long their artillery played upon us, and
as the waning moon showed them our position, the cannon-shot
ploughed up the ground right through, and amidst the wearied
soldiers.
“Morning at length approached, and our troops were once more
arrayed for the fight. With daylight came retribution and triumph
to our arms. Our infantry was formed in line, supported on both
flanks by the horse artillery. A masked battery now began to play
on us with fearful effect; the heavy shot of the Sikhs dismounted
our guns; nine of our tumbrils were blown up. A general charge
was now determined on; amidst a terrific storm of shot and shell,
the troops rushed on undismayed; the carnage was fearful: battery
after battery was carried at the bayonet’s point; the camp was
pierced with loaded mines, which exploded with fearful slaughter
as we advanced. The village of _Ferozeshah_ was stormed, and the
enemy driven out of it at every point. When changing its front
to the left, our force continued to sweep the camp, carrying
everything before them.
“Undisturbed and unbroken by the fearful service in which they
had been engaged, the troops drew up, when the camp was won,
and halted to cheer their generals on the field they had just
conquered, with the regularity of a parade. Seventy-three
guns had now been taken; 20 more quickly fell into our hands.
We had lost 37 European and 17 Native officers, with 630
non-commissioned officers and rank and file,--nearly 700 in all
killed. Our casualties in killed and wounded amounted to 2415.”
The Commander-in-Chief in his despatch to the Governor-General,
after the battle of _Ferozeshah_, bears the following testimony
of his approbation of the gallant conduct of the army under his
command on that glorious occasion. At the conclusion of the
despatch General Sir Hugh Gough stated:--
“On the conclusion of such a narrative as I have given, it is
surely superfluous in me to say, that I am, and shall be, to the
last moment of my existence, proud of the army which I had the
honor to command on the 21st and 22nd instant. To its gallant
exertions I owe the satisfaction of seeing such a victory
achieved, and the glory of having my own name associated with it.”
On receipt in London of the despatch of the Governor-General of
India, announcing the victories of _Moodkee_ and _Ferozeshah_,
the thanks of both Houses of Parliament were voted unanimously
to the Governor-General, the Right Honorable Lieutenant-General
Sir Henry Hardinge,--to General Sir Hugh Gough, Bart., the
Commander-in-Chief,--and to the several officers under their
command,--for the eminent services rendered by them in the recent
arduous and successful operations;--also to the non-commissioned
officers and soldiers, European and Native, for the perseverance
and fortitude maintained by them at _Moodkee_ on the 18th of
December, 1845, and for the daring valour with which they forced
the enemy’s intrenchments at _Ferozeshah_ on the 21st and 22nd of
December, captured most of his guns, and finally compelled the
Sikh army, of greatly superior numbers, to retire within their own
frontiers.
The thanks of the Court of East India Directors were voted to the
army of the Sutlej at the same time.
The Court of East India Directors confirmed the grant of a medal to
all the officers and soldiers engaged in the battles of _Moodkee_
and _Ferozeshah_, denoting that they served in this important
campaign.
On the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of December, the army bivouacked on
the field of battle, having been, since the morning of the 20th,
without tents, or any regular supply of food; and owing to the
extreme heat by day, and intense cold by night, both officers and
men had suffered much. On the 24th the troops changed their ground
about four miles to Sultan Khan Walla, and three days afterwards
the regimental baggage arrived.
At Sultan Khan Walla they remained seven days; the whole army was
then moved to the banks of the Sutlej, not far from the fort of
Hurreekee, where large camps were formed. For nearly a week after
these terrible encounters, the Sikhs remained on the British side
of the Sutlej, the army being unable to follow up its victory,
as the troops, which were on their march to join, had not yet
arrived; the heavy artillery, which was on the march from Cawnpore,
was still very distant, and until the whole of the army was
concentrated, it would be impossible to attack the enemy, who had
again collected a formidable force of 70,000 men, with 110 pieces
of ordnance, which were encamped on the opposite side of the river,
and ready to oppose the British.
In the meantime the wounded officers and soldiers had been removed
to the hospital at Ferozepore.
Lieut.-Colonel Byrne being prevented from resuming the command of
the regiment by the severe wound he received at Moodkee, Major
Spence continued to exercise the command during the arduous
conflict of the 21st and 22nd of December at Ferozeshah, where he
showed an example of bravery to his distinguished regiment. He was
ably supported by every Officer and Man under his command. All
nobly performed their duty on this well-contested field.
Colonel Bolton, being mortally wounded at Moodkee, died on the
4th January, 1846;[30] and the Commander-in-Chief promoted Major
Spence, the senior major, to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the
regiment.
Major Baldwin also died of the wounds received at Ferozeshah.[31]
Captains Bulkeley and Young were promoted to the vacant majorities,
a promotion which they justly merited for their gallant conduct at
Moodkee, where both these officers were severely wounded.
Captain Willes, a meritorious and deserving officer, also died of
the wounds received at Moodkee. The THIRTY-FIRST regiment, now
greatly reduced in numbers from the heavy loss, both of officers
and men, sustained in the late arduous conflicts, still preserved
its spirit and energy, and was ready at a moment’s notice to be
led on to future victories.
On the 30th of December, the Governor-General published a General
Order, congratulating the Army on the recent victories, from which
the following are extracts:
“The Governor-General again cordially congratulates His
Excellency Sir Hugh Gough, G.C.B., on the great and important
victories obtained by the army under his command.
“The Governor-General, in the name of the government and of the
people of India, gratefully acknowledges the noble services
rendered to the public by His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief,
by all the General and other Officers, and by the
Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers of the brave Indian army.
“The Governor-General’s thanks are due to all the infantry
regiments of Her Majesty, and to the first European Light
Infantry of the East India Company’s Service, all of which
regiments distinguished themselves by the most devoted courage
in braving the destructive fire of the enemy’s batteries, and
valiantly capturing their guns.”
* * * * *
Thus ended the year 1845. The Sikhs, after having suffered two
severe defeats, were preparing to renew the contest; they had made
large additions to their army, and had again collected a formidable
train of artillery.
[Sidenote: 1846]
On the 16th of January, 1846, the first brigade, with a few guns
and some Native cavalry, received sudden orders to march on the
following morning in the direction of Loodiana, under the command
of Major-General Sir Henry Smith; by a forced march on the
17th, the fort of _Dhurrumkote_ was surprised, and the garrison,
consisting of about three hundred men, laid down their arms, and
were sent prisoners to head-quarters. On the 20th of the same
month, this division was reinforced near the fort of Jugraon by the
sixteenth lancers, the fifty-third foot, a detachment of recruits
of the Queen’s regiments, and a troop of horse artillery.