BATTLE HONOURS FOR THE CONQUEST OF THE PUNJAB
Moodkee--Ferozeshah--Aliwal--Sobraon--Chillianwallah--Multan
--Goojerat--Punjab.
The British conquest of the Punjab embraces two distinct
phases--the one represented by the Sutlej Campaign of 1845-46,
the other better known as the Punjab War of 1849. The extension
of our dominions to the North-West, the gradual break-up and
absorption of the hitherto independent principalities in Southern
and Central India, had brought our frontiers conterminous with
those of the powerful Sikh monarchy of Runjeet Singh. That monarch
was a well-wisher--outwardly, at any rate--of his neighbours, and
during the Afghan War he proved his loyalty to us. On his death the
sovereignty of the Sikhs fell into the hands of a group bitterly
hostile to the English, and it was evident that there were members
of the Sikh Regency who believed that the overthrow of the British
was a matter of comparative ease. Into the merits of the quarrel it
is not my province to enter. Suffice it to say that on December 11
the Sikh army crossed the Sutlej, the boundary river between the
two kingdoms, and that the crossing constituted an act of war.
In those far-off days our frontier stations were Ferozepore and
Ludhiana, with Umballa in support. Ferozepore was the headquarters
of a division, commanded by a sterling soldier, who had done good
service in the Gwalior Campaign--Sir John Littler. It consisted of
the 62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment, two batteries of horse, and two
of field artillery, two regiments of native cavalry, and seven
battalions of native infantry.
At Ludhiana, some eighty miles to the east, lay another division,
under Brigadier Wheler, comprising the 50th (Royal West Kent), two
batteries of horse artillery, three regiments of native cavalry,
and five battalions of native infantry.
At Umballa, under Sir Walter Gilbert, a well-known soldier and
equally well-known sportsman, were the 9th (Norfolks), 31st (East
Surrey), and 80th (South Staffords), the 3rd Light Dragoons
(now 3rd Hussars), two regiments of native cavalry, with the
Governor-General's Bodyguard and five battalions of native
infantry. At Kussowlie was the 29th (Worcesters), and at Subathoo
the 1st Bengal Europeans (now the 1st Royal Munster Fusiliers),
both these battalions being at the disposal of Sir Walter Gilbert.
Thus, at the three frontier stations there was a total force of
some 22,000 men ready to face the Sikh advance. At Meerut, which
was the headquarters of the Bengal Artillery, there were three
horse and three field batteries, the 9th and 16th Lancers, the 10th
Foot (the Lincolns), and a considerable force of native infantry,
with one regiment of native cavalry.
The Sikh army was known to be superior in every way to any army
we had yet met in India, both in training and in material. There
were a considerable number of foreign officers in the employ of the
Sikhs, and the men had a high reputation, which they maintain to
this day, of being equal to the best material of which any army,
whether European or Asiatic, can boast. Of its numbers at that
time we had no accurate estimate. The Chief Political Officer,
Major Broadfoot, who fell gloriously at Ferozeshah, reported that
it consisted of upwards of 100,000 men, and that the Sikh plan of
campaign was to invade British India with two powerful armies of
50,000 each--with the one to overwhelm Littler at Ferozepore, with
the other to attack Wheler at Ludhiana. Fortunately for us, at the
moment when their services and their friendly co-operation were
most needed, both the Governor-General and the Commander-in-Chief
were on the spot. The Governor-General, Sir Henry Hardinge, was a
soldier of renown. He had served with Moore at Corunna, had rallied
the men at Albuera with the now historic saying, "Die hard, my
men--die hard!" and had lost an arm at Ligny, when attached to
Blücher's army, the day before Waterloo. The Commander-in-Chief
was a well-known fighter, and the forerunner of a family of
equally heroic men. Sir Hugh Gough was an old comrade of the
Governor-General's. He, too, had fought throughout the Peninsular
War, but he had won his spurs at the capture of the Cape of Good
Hope in 1805. At Barrosa under Graham, at Tarifa under Skerret, and
in many a hard tussle under Wellington, Gough and the 87th (Royal
Irish Fusiliers) had won imperishable renown. He had in more recent
days shown himself as good a leader of an army as he had been
commander of a regiment. In the China War of 1842 he had paved the
way for the victory at Maharajpore. With two such soldiers in the
field, the Khalsa army, despite its numbers, its organization, and
the bravery of its men, was likely to meet its match.
Hard though the campaign was--and for some days the fate of our
Indian Empire hung in the balance--no blame can be attached to
the military authorities for any shortcomings that were disclosed
during this campaign. On December 11 the Sikhs, crossing the
Sutlej, cut in between Ferozepore and Umballa. On the following day
the Commander-in-Chief moved out of Umballa to meet them. The din
of battle was music in the ears of the war-worn Governor-General,
and he blithely accompanied the army. On the 17th the Ludhiana
division joined that of Umballa, and on the 18th the Sikhs and
British met at Moodkee. Our troops had covered 150 miles in seven
days, and, as Sir Charles Gough puts it in terse and soldier-like
language, "wearied with long and incessant marching, the troops
were enjoying a well-earned rest, when reports came in from the
cavalry patrols that a large force of Sikhs was advancing upon
them." Orders were at once given to fall in, and in a very few
moments the force was formed in order of battle. The cavalry, with
the horse artillery, immediately advanced, under Sir Hugh Gough's
personal direction, and formed line in front of the Sikh position,
the guns occupying the centre, with the cavalry on either flank.
The infantry formed up in second line and moved forward. On the
extreme right was Wheler's brigade, the next stood Bolton's, and
then in succession a brigade of native regiments belonging to
Gilbert's division, which had not yet been joined by the British
battalions from Kussowlie; whilst to the left stretched Sir John
McCaskill's division, which comprised the 9th (Norfolks) and
the 80th (South Staffords), with three native battalions; and
so commenced the opening scene in the drama which culminated at
Goojerat two years later.
MOODKEE, DECEMBER 18, 1845.
This battle honour was conferred on the regiments present under
Lord Gough at the stubbornly contested fight at Moodkee. It is now
borne by the following regiments:
3rd Hussars.
Norfolk.
East Surrey.
Royal West Kent.
South Staffords.
Gov.-General's Bodyguard.
3rd Skinner's Horse.
6th K.E.O. Cavalry.
5th Light Infantry.
7th Rajputs.
Moving forward with his cavalry and horse artillery, Sir Hugh Gough
opened a heavy fire on the Sikh line, in order to give time for
his infantry to deploy and his field batteries to come up into
line. Then the cavalry opened out and threatened both flanks of the
enemy. The infantry pushed resolutely forward. They were received
with equal resolution on the part of our gallant foes. Night put
an end to the conflict, but the success was ours. Seventeen guns
remained in our hands. Our losses had been most severe, numbering
872 of all ranks killed and wounded.
CASUALTIES AT THE BATTLE OF MOODKEE.
+-------------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+-------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|General and Divnl. Staff | 5 | 11 | - | - |
|3rd Hussars | 2 | 3 | 58 | 32 |
|Royal Artillery | 2 | 4 | 18 | 23 |
|9th Norfolk | - | 1 | 2 | 49 |
|31st E. Surrey | 2 | 6 | 24 | 125 |
|50th W. Kent | 1 | 5 | 11 | 92 |
|80th S. Staffs | - | 1 | 4 | 19 |
|Gov.-General's Bodyguard | 1 | 2 | 6 | 17 |
|3rd Skinner's H. | - | - | 2 | 4 |
|6th K.E.O. Cav. | - | - | 4 | 8 |
|5th Light Inf. | 1 | 1 | 26 | 61 |
|7th Rajputs | - | 1 | 6 | 8 |
+-------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
The casualties in the native regiments which have disappeared from
the Army List are not given.
FEROZESHAH, DECEMBER 21, 1845.
This battle honour is inscribed on the colours of the
3rd Hussars.
Norfolk.
Worcesters.
East Surrey.
Royal West Kent.
Wiltshire.
South Staffords.
Royal Munster Fusiliers.
Governor-General's Bodyguard.
3rd (Skinner's Horse).
6th K.E.O. Cavalry.
1st P.W.O. Sappers and Miners.
4th Rajputs.
5th Rajputs.
7th Rajputs.
On the 20th, the day after Moodkee, the two battalions of
British troops--the 29th (Worcesters) and 1st Europeans (Munster
Fusiliers)--joined the army, and Gough at once advanced again to
meet the Sikhs, and at the same time Sir John Littler moved out
of Ferozepore to effect a junction with headquarters, leaving two
native battalions to hold the cantonment. The force now at Sir Hugh
Gough's disposal was as follows:
First Division: Sir Harry Smith.
First Brigade--Brigadier Hicks: 31st (East Surrey), 24th and 47th
Bengal Infantry.
Second Brigade--Brigadier Ryan: 50th (Royal West Kent), 42nd and
48th Bengal Infantry.
Second Division: Major-General Sir Walter Gilbert.
Third Brigade--Brigadier Taylor (29th Foot): 29th (Worcesters),
80th (South Staffords), and 41st Bengal Infantry.
Fourth Brigade--Brigadier McClaren: 1st Europeans (1st Royal
Munsters), 16th and 45th Bengal Infantry.
Third Division--Brigadier-General Wallace: 9th (Norfolks), 2nd
and 73rd Bengal Infantry.
Fourth Division--Major-General Sir John Littler.
Seventh Brigade--Brigadier Reid: 62nd (Wiltshires), 12th and 14th
Bengal Infantry.
Eighth Brigade--Brigadier-General the Hon. T. Ashburnham: 33rd,
44th, and 54th Bengal Infantry.
At 3 a.m. the force, under the Commander-in-Chief, struck its
camp, and four hours later Littler also left his cantonments.
It was the intention of the Commander-in-Chief to attack the
enemy without waiting for the junction of Littler's force, but
the Governor-General vetoed the plan, so that it was nearly dusk
before the Sikh entrenchments were attacked. The Sikhs fought even
more stubbornly than at Moodkee. Littler's attack on the left
was checked, the 62nd (Wiltshires) losing 20 officers and 281
non-commissioned officers and men in twenty minutes. The fault
was not theirs; they were not properly supported by the Bengal
regiments. As one eyewitness put it: "Jack Sepoy fights well
enough on occasions, but this was not one of his fighting-days."
The 12th and 14th Bengal Infantry, however, did show much courage
and determination. It was the purely native brigade, under
Ashburnham, which hung back, and this was attributed to the fact
that it contained no British battalion to stiffen the sepoy corps.
Littler's check took place before the Commander-in-Chief had
delivered his attack. The Sikhs, triumphant in having driven back
one British column, fought with more than usual determination. The
main assault took place by echelon from the right, Sir Hugh Gough
leading that column in person, whilst the Governor-General cheered
on the centre, he having placed his services at the disposal of the
Commander-in-Chief.
Night fell on a scene of great confusion. On the extreme right
Gilbert's division had carried the Sikh entrenchments, on the left
Littler had been repulsed, and in the centre Sir Harry Smith's
division had borne away to the left, and was cut off from the main
army. Men and officers were worn out with fatigue and chilled
with the bitter cold of a Punjab night. It was impossible to
light fires without drawing down the fire of the enemy, who were
much elated at the result of the engagement, and who throughout
the night kept up an incessant artillery fire on our bivouac.
One heavy gun in particular caused especial annoyance, and Sir
Henry Hardinge called upon the 80th to silence it. The men nobly
responded to the call. In perfect silence they advanced to the
edge of the Sikh entrenchments, and then, headed by their Colonel,
Bunbury, and supported by the "Dirty Shirts" (Royal Munsters),
they dashed over the parapet with a cheer, bayoneting the gunners,
spiking the gun, and driving off all the Sikhs in the vicinity.
This little episode showed the Sikhs that the fight was not yet
won. The Commander-in-Chief determined to renew it on the morrow,
and the Governor-General, who felt that the fate of India hung in
the balance, was equally firm in his resolve to support the Chief.
"Better that our bones should bleach honourably on the field of
battle than retire," was the response to a suggestion to fall back.
When dawn broke on the 22nd it was found that Sir Harry Smith,
who had clung to the village of Ferozeshah during the night, had
effected a junction with the division under Littler, and that
both divisions were now in front of the extreme right of the
Sikh position. They were too distant to join in the final attack
on the entrenchments, which was delivered in the early dawn,
the Commander-in-Chief leading the division on the right, the
Governor-General that on the left. The attack was preceded by a
heavy artillery fire, and under its cover the infantry, forgetting
fatigue, cold, and hunger, swept forward with unhesitating
devotion, and carried the entrenchments at the point of the
bayonet. Our losses in this battle were terribly severe--not merely
in numbers. Whole regiments were decimated, but amongst the dead
were men who had helped to build up our Indian Empire, and whose
names are imperishably engraved on the military history of our
country. The total casualties amounted to 2,415 killed and wounded,
including 115 British officers.
No means existed of ascertaining the enemy's losses, but that they
were most severe was undoubted. They abandoned their entrenched
position, and recrossed the frontier, leaving seventy-three guns
in our hands. But the campaign was not over. Reinforcements were
called up from Meerut, Delhi, and Cawnpore, and on January 6 Sir
John Grey arrived at headquarters with the 9th and 16th Lancers,
the 10th Foot (Lincolns), two regiments of native cavalry and three
of native infantry, whilst the 53rd (Shropshire Light Infantry) was
within a few days' march.
CASUALTIES AT THE BATTLE OF FEROZESHAH.
+-------------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+-------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|3rd Hussars | 2 | 7 | 53 | 86 |
|Royal Artillery | 2 | 4 | 39 | 84 |
|9th Norfolk | 3 | 7 | 67 | 197 |
|29th Worcesters | 3 | 3 | 52 | 192 |
|31st E. Surrey | 2 | 6 | 59 | 96 |
|50th Roy. West Kent | 2 | 6 | 24 | 89 |
|62nd Wiltshire | 7 | 11 | 97 | 184 |
|80th S. Stafford | 4 | 4 | 39 | 73 |
|Royal Munster Fusiliers | 4 | 4 | 51 | 164 |
|Staff | 6 | 12 | - | - |
|Gov.-General's Bodyguard | - | - | - | 2 |
|3rd Skinner's Horse | - | - | 9 | 8 |
|6th K.E.O. Cav. | - | - | 4 | 9 |
|4th Rajputs (Natives) | 1 | 3 | 7 | 37 |
|5th Rajputs (British) | 1 | 2 | - | - |
|Do. (Natives) | 2 | - | 12 | 40 |
|7th Rajputs (Natives) | - | - | 9 | 26 |
+-------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
The Sikhs, too, were by no means disheartened, and towards the
middle of January a strong force crossed the Sutlej and threatened
our line of communication at Ludhiana. Sir Harry Smith was detached
to attack them, which he did at Aliwal, having fought a successful
little action on January 20 at Buddiwal.
ALIWAL, JANUARY 28, 1868.
The following regiments have been awarded this battle honour:
16th Lancers.
East Surrey.
West Kent.
Shropshire Light Infantry.
Gov.-General's Bodyguard.
3rd Skinner's Horse.
7th Rajputs.
13th Shekhawati Regiment.
1st Gurkhas.
2nd Gurkhas.
Sir Harry Smith, the hero of Aliwal, was an officer who had seen
considerable service in the Rifle Brigade, having been present at
practically every engagement during the Peninsular War, either
as Adjutant of the Rifle Brigade or on the staff of the Light
Division. He at this time wore only the Waterloo medal, for a
grateful country had not as yet recognized the services of the
Peninsular veterans. His division constituted a very efficient
fighting force. There were four batteries of horse and one of field
artillery. His cavalry was in two brigades--
First Cavalry Brigade--Brigadier MacDowell: 16th Lancers, 3rd
Light Cavalry, and 4th Irregulars.
Second Cavalry Brigade--Brigadier Stedman: Governor-General's
Bodyguard, 1st and 5th Light Cavalry.
--the two brigades being under a distinguished officer,
Brigadier-General Cureton, who was to fall two years later at the
head of the cavalry brigade at Ramnuggur.
First Infantry Brigade--Brigadier Hicks: 31st (East Surrey), 24th
and 36th Bengal Infantry.
Second Infantry Brigade--Brigadier Wheler: 50th (West Kent), 48th
Bengal Infantry, and the 2nd Gurkhas.
Third Infantry Brigade--Brigadier Wilson: 53rd (Shropshire Light
Infantry), 30th Bengal Infantry, and the Shekhawati Battalion
(now the 13th Bengal Infantry).
Fourth Infantry Brigade--Brigadier Godby: 47th Bengal Infantry
and the 1st Gurkhas.
The total strength was 3,000 cavalry and 7,100 infantry, with
twenty-eight field-guns and two 8-inch howitzers. Covering his
front with his cavalry and horse artillery, Sir Harry Smith, who
was a consummate drill, advanced in true light division order
against the Sikhs, who held a position with their rear resting on
the River Sutlej, close by the village of Aliwal. On the extreme
right was Stedman's cavalry brigade, then in succession Godby's
and Hick's infantry, with three batteries and the howitzers in
the centre; then came Wheler's and Wilson's brigades, with two
batteries between them, and on the left the 16th Lancers, with the
3rd Bengal Light Cavalry.
CASUALTIES AT THE BATTLE OF ALIWAL.
+-------------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+-------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|16th Lancers | 2 | 6 | 56 | 77 |
|31st E. Surrey | - | 1 | 1 | 14 |
|50th West Kent | 1 | 10 | 9 | 59 |
|53rd Shropshire L.I. | - | - | 3 | 8 |
|Gov.-General's Bodyguard | - | - | - | - |
|3rd Skinner's Horse | 1 | - | - | 2 |
|7th Rajputs | - | - | 1 | 9 |
|13th Shekhawati | - | - | 2 | 13 |
|1st Gurkhas | - | - | 6 | 16 |
|2nd Gurkhas | - | 1 | 9 | 3 |
+-------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
The village of Aliwal was carried at the point of the bayonet by
the brigades of Godby and Hicks, whilst those of Wheler and Wilson
attacked the Sikh entrenchment. Cureton, a born cavalry leader,
was watching his opportunity, and as the infantry swarmed over the
entrenchments, the 16th swept down on the Sikh infantry through an
opening on the extreme right. The Sikhs hurriedly threw themselves
into squares. The Red Lancers charged ere they had time to complete
their formation, and, reforming on the far side, charged again in
splendid style. The infantry brigade gave effective support to
Cureton's cavalry, never allowing the Sikhs a moment to rally, but
pressing them back step by step to the river, into which at last
they were driven in utter rout, with the loss of sixty-seven guns
and all their camp equipage. Our total losses in this engagement
were 580 men killed and wounded, but the results were far-reaching,
for the whole of the Cis-Sutlej provinces of the Sikh Raj made
their submission to the British, and passed away for ever from the
domination of the Khalsa.
SOBRAON, FEBRUARY 10, 1846.
This, the final defeat of the Sikhs on the banks of the Sutlej, is
commemorated on the colours and appointments of the
3rd Hussars.
9th Lancers.
16th Lancers.
Norfolks.
Lincoln.
Worcesters.
East Surrey.
Royal West Kent.
Shropshire Light Infantry.
Wiltshires.
South Staffords.
Royal Munster Fusiliers.
Gov.-General's Bodyguard.
2nd (Gardner's Horse).
6th K.E.O. Cavalry.
4th Rajputs.
5th Light Infantry.
6th Jat Light Infantry.
1st P.W.O. Sappers and Miners.
7th Rajputs.
8th Rajputs.
1st Gurkhas.
2nd Gurkhas.
9th Gurkhas.
The undoubted success gained by Sir Harry Smith at Aliwal infused
fresh spirit into our troops, and now every preparation was made
for the final bout with the Sikhs. On February 7 the siege-train
arrived in the Commander-in-Chief's camp, and on the following day
Sir Harry Smith rejoined headquarters. The Sikhs had not been idle.
They had thrown up most formidable entrenchments at Sobraon, on
the banks of the Sutlej, covering the ford on the direct road to
Lahore. To attack this was no easy task, for the Commander-in-Chief
had to provide against a counter-attack on the part of our gallant
foes, who in point of numbers, as in mobility, were far our
superiors. To avoid this contingency, Sir John Littler, with his
division, watched the fords in front of Ferozepore; Sir John Grey,
with three battalions of sepoys and a regiment of native cavalry,
watched those midway between that place and Sobraon; whilst
Brigadier-General Wheler fronted the Sutlej near Ludhiana.
The cavalry was now under the command of Sir Joseph Thackwell, an
officer of the highest distinction, who had served throughout the
Peninsular War, lost an arm at Waterloo, and finally added to his
reputation in Kabul and at Maharajpore. He, with the 16th Lancers
and three regiments of native cavalry, was to threaten the Sikh
left above Sobraon. Next to him came the division led by Sir Harry
Smith, consisting of the 31st (East Surrey), the 50th (West Kent),
and four sepoy battalions. Our centre was composed of Sir Walter
Gilbert's division, which contained the 29th (Worcesters), 1st
Bengal Europeans (1st Munsters), and four sepoy battalions. On our
left was a division commanded by another Peninsular and Waterloo
veteran--Sir Robert Dick. This, which was to lead the attack,
comprised the 10th (Lincolns), 53rd (Shropshire Light Infantry),
80th (South Stafford), with three battalions of sepoys; and in
Dick's second line were the 9th (Norfolks), 62nd (Wiltshire), with
one sepoy battalion. The artillery, which numbered sixty guns, was
distributed throughout the whole front.
The troops got under arms at 2 a.m., it being the intention of
the Commander-in-Chief to attack at dawn; but such a dense fog
hung over the river that the actual advance was delayed until nine
o'clock, when the three horse batteries attached to Sir Robert
Dick's division galloped to the front, and opened a very heavy fire
on the Sikh entrenchments. Under cover of this, Stacey's brigade,
which included the Lincolns and Shropshires, moved steadily
forward. When within 300 yards of the entrenchments, they were
threatened by a body of cavalry, and also came under the enfilading
fire of a battery, which inflicted heavy loss on the 53rd. Then,
cheering on his men, Dick carried the first line of trenches with
a charge, the brave old General meeting his death-wound in the
_mêlée_. On the extreme right Sir Harry Smith's attack had been
no less successful, but in the centre Gilbert's advance had been
checked, owing to the nature of the breastworks in the front,
which were from 8 to 10 feet in height, the men having to mount
on each other's shoulders before they could force their way in.
On Dick's left the 3rd Hussars had also found an entrance to the
entrenchments, and were charging down on the enemy, driving them
in confusion towards the one bridge which was their one and only
chance of safety.
CASUALTIES AT THE BATTLE OF SOBRAON.
+-------------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+-------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|Genl. and Divl. Staff | 4 | 8 | - | - |
|3rd Hussars | - | 4 | 5 | 22 |
|9th Lancers | - | - | 1 | 1 |
|16th Lancers | - | - | - | - |
|Royal Artillery | 1 | 1 | 6 | 46 |
|9th Norfolks | - | 1 | 5 | 28 |
|Lincoln | 1 | 2 | 30 | 100 |
|29th Worcesters | - | 12 | 32 | 129 |
|31st E. Surrey | - | 7 | 35 | 112 |
|50th West Kent | 1 | 11 | 41 | 186 |
|53rd Shropshire L.I. | 1 | 8 | 7 | 105 |
|62nd Wiltshire | 1 | 1 | 3 | 43 |
|80th S. Staffs | - | 4 | 13 | 74 |
|Royal Munster Fusiliers | 3 | 9 | 33 | 152 |
|Gov.-General's Bodyguard | - | 4 | 6 | 38 |
|2nd Gardner's Horse | - | - | 1 | 5 |
|6th K.E.O. Cavalry | - | - | - | - |
|4th Rajputs (British) | 1 | 1 | - | - |
|Do. (Natives) | 1 | 4 | 4 | 55 |
|5th Light Inf. (British) | - | 2 | - | - |
|Do. (Natives) | - | 3 | 8 | 53 |
|6th Jat L.I. (British) | - | 2 | - | - |
|Do. (Natives) | - | 4 | 7 | 90 |
|7th Rajputs (British) | - | 4 | - | - |
|Do. (Natives) | 1 | 4 | 8 | 64 |
|8th Rajputs (British) | - | 1 | - | - |
|Do. (Natives) | - | 1 | 4 | 59 |
|1st Gurkhas (British) | - | 1 | - | - |
|Do. (Natives) | - | 2 | 6 | 74 |
|2nd Gurkhas (British) | 1 | - | - | - |
|Do. (Natives) | - | 4 | 13 | 126 |
|9th Gurkhas (British) | - | 3 | - | - |
|Do. (Natives) | - | 1 | 3 | 30 |
+-------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
By noon the day was ours, but our loss had been enormous. It is
true that the Sikh army was in full retreat, and that sixty-seven
guns, chiefly of large calibre, were in our hands, but our
casualties amounted to close on 2,400 killed and wounded. The
little graveyard at Ferozepore bears testimony to the severity of
the fighting in the Sutlej Campaign. In no war in which Great
Britain has been engaged have the Staff suffered so severely,
and in none has the proportion of General Officers been so high,
Generals Sir Robert Sale, Sir Robert Dick, and Sir John McCaskill,
with Brigadier-Generals Taylor, Bolton, and Wallace, being killed,
and no less than eight Brigadiers wounded, in the short campaign.
The casualties amongst the British regiments were appalling. The
Governor-General had spared neither himself nor his Staff, every
single member of which was either killed or wounded.
PUNJAUB.
All regiments employed in the operations in the Punjab against the
Sikhs in the year 1848-49 were awarded this distinction. Some bear
it in addition to one of the three battle honours "Chillianwalla,"
"Mooltan," and "Goojerat," granted for this campaign. Others, which
were not present at any of these general actions, but which were
actually under fire, bear only the word "Punjaub." The following
regiments carry this word on their colours and appointments:
3rd Hussars.
9th Lancers.
14th Hussars.
Lincolns.
South Wales Borderers.
Gloucester.
Worcester.
Cornwall Light Infantry.
Shropshire Light Infantry.
King's Royal Rifles.
North Staffords.
Royal Munster Fusiliers.
Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
2nd Gardner's Horse.
5th Cavalry.
31st Lancers.
35th Scinde Horse.
36th Jacob's Horse.
Q.O. Corps of Guides.
1st P.W.O. Sap and Min.
2nd Sappers and Miners.
2nd Q.O. Light Infantry.
11th Rajputs.
51st Sikhs.
52nd Sikhs.
103rd Light Infantry.
104th Wellesley's Rifles.
109th Infantry.
119th Multan Regiment.
121st Pioneers.
The victory over the Sikhs at Sobraon had been complete. That
battle had been fought on February 10; on the 20th of the month
our troops entered Lahore, the capital of the Sikh kingdom. The
conditions of peace were galling enough to a high-spirited and
warlike race like the Sikhs, but they were indispensable for
our security in India. Their army was reduced to reasonable
dimensions, all the artillery was handed over to us, the whole of
the territories on the left bank of the Sutlej were annexed by
Great Britain, and a war indemnity of £1,500,000 was exacted. The
conduct of the administration was placed in the hands of a Council
of Regency, which was supposed to be favourable to our cause, and
a British Resident was appointed at the Court of Lahore, in which
city a strong British garrison was retained until all the terms had
been complied with.
It was soon evident that the Council of Regency was unable to
govern the country. Spasmodic outbursts of anti-British fanaticism
culminated in the murder of two English officers at Multan,
and in the early summer of 1848 it was clear that we must be
prepared to conquer and to administer the Punjab. Multan was in
the hands of men opposed, not only to the British, but also to
the nominal rulers of the kingdom (the Council of Regency), and a
British force, under General Whish, was despatched to retake the
fortress. This was composed of two troops of horse artillery and
a siege-train manned by four companies of English gunners. Five
companies of sappers, under Major Robert Napier, later known as
Field-Marshal Lord Napier of Magdala, the 10th (Lincoln) and 32nd
(Cornwall Light Infantry), with four sepoy battalions, made up the
regular forces. To these must be added some 15,000 native levies,
who had flocked to the call of a subaltern--Lieutenant Herbert
Edwardes--and some loyal Sikhs. A column was under orders from
Bombay to assist Whish. This comprised the King's Royal Rifles, the
1st Bombay European Regiment (now the 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers),
and four sepoy battalions. The task before Whish was more than his
force, without the aid of the Bombay troops, could encompass, and
the check to his operations had a disastrous effect throughout the
Punjab. All the malcontents threw in their lot against us, and
on December 16 Lord Gough crossed the Ravi River, and commenced
the final conquest of the Land of the Five Rivers. His army was
composed as under:
DISTRIBUTION OF THE ARMY OF THE PUNJAB, 1849.
_Commander-in-Chief: General Lord Gough, G.C.B._
Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, K.C.B.
First Cavalry Brigade--Brigadier M. White: 3rd Hussars, 5th and
8th Light Cavalry.
Second Cavalry Brigade--Brigadier Pope: 9th Lancers, 14th
Hussars, 1st and 6th Light Cavalry.
First Infantry Division: Major-General Whish, at Multan.
First Brigade--Brigadier Markham: 32nd Foot (Cornwall Regiment),
49th and 51st Bengal Infantry.
Second Brigade--Brigadier Hervey: 10th Foot (Lincolns), 8th and
72nd Bengal Infantry.
Second Infantry Division--Major-General Sir Walter Gilbert, K.C.B.
First Brigade--Brigadier Mountain: 29th Foot (Worcesters), 30th
and 56th Bengal Infantry.
Second Brigade--Brigadier Godby: 2nd Bengal Europeans (2nd
Munsters), 31st (now the 2nd Q.O. Light Infantry), and the 70th
Bengal Infantry (now the 11th Rajputs).
Third Division: Brigadier-General Colin Campbell, C.B.
First Brigade--Brigadier Pennycuick: 24th Foot (South Wales
Borderers), 25th and 45th Bengal Infantry.
Second Brigade--Brigadier Hoggan: 61st Foot (2nd Gloucesters),
15th, 36th, and 46th Bengal Infantry.
Third Brigade--Brigadier Penny: 15th, 20th, and 69th Regiments
Bengal Infantry.
Artillery Division--Brigadier-General Tennant: Six batteries of
horse artillery, three field and two heavy batteries.
Ever since the advance from Sobraon we had retained a strong force
at Lahore, as well as at Ferozepore, but no success had attended
our efforts to keep down the numbers of the Sikh army; in fact, at
that time the Sikhs were a race of warriors, every man carrying
arms, and every second man had undergone military training. Lahore,
it is true, was no longer the headquarters of their army, but Lord
Gough soon found that the Sikh forces drawn up on the far side
of the Chenab were no whit inferior to those he had met and with
difficulty overthrown on the banks of the Sutlej. On November 23
the opening action of the campaign took place at Ramnuggur,[23]
where the 14th Hussars showed themselves worthy of the high
reputation they had made in the Peninsula; and on the 30th of the
month Sir Joseph Thackwell, in command of the cavalry, fought the
successful action of Sadoolapore.[24]
CHILLIANWALLAH, JANUARY 13, 1849.
This battle honour, which commemorates one of the hardest fights
ever waged in India, is borne by the following regiments:
3rd Hussars.
9th Lancers.
14th Hussars.
South Wales Borderers.
Gloucesters.
Worcesters.
Royal Munster Fusiliers.
2nd Q.O. Light Infantry.
11th Rajputs.
On January 10 Lord Gough received orders from the Governor-General
to attack the Sikhs. Up to this date it had been the intention of
the Commander-in-Chief to await the arrival of General Whish's
division from Multan, the fall of which was daily expected. On
January 13 Gough found the enemy in a strongly entrenched position
at Chillianwallah, and attacked them in his usual formation, with
his cavalry on the flanks, the advance being preceded by a heavy
artillery fire. The Sikhs far outnumbered our forces, and their
front, it is said, extended to a distance of no less than six
miles, so that a turning movement with the small numbers at his
disposal would have exposed Lord Gough to the piercing of his line
by a counter-attack. The ground was much broken and covered with
thick jungle, which rendered it exceedingly difficult for any
General to exercise efficient control over even one brigade. Some
confusion was the inevitable result, for it must be borne in mind
that the only means of communication then known was by mounted
orderlies, and I am afraid it must be admitted that this was not
one of the Bengal sepoys' fighting-days. The Sikhs had abandoned
their stereotyped plan, and had advanced from their entrenched
position, and literally forced the hand of the Commander-in-Chief.
They relied on the nature of the ground to hide their dispositions,
and in this they were to a certain extent successful. The result of
the day was by no means satisfactory. Our losses were abnormally
heavy, amounting to 2,338 officers and men killed and wounded. The
Sikhs, it is true, were driven from their position and fell back
during the night, but they retired unmolested and carried off all
their artillery.
The Commander-in-Chief was subjected to a great amount of harsh
criticism for his conduct of the operations--criticism based on
but a very partial knowledge of the real facts--and in deference
to public opinion, too often the offspring of the fertile brains
of armchair critics, Sir Charles Napier, the conqueror of Scinde,
was sent out to India to relieve the brave Gough. It is but fair
to state that the Commander-in-Chief had never lost the love or
confidence of the officers and men under him, and the stars fought
for the genial Irishman. Multan fell; Whish, with his own and the
Bombay division, joined headquarters, and before the new Chief
arrived Gough had inflicted a crushing defeat on the Sikhs at
Goojerat, and the Punjab had passed into our hands for ever.
CASUALTIES AT THE BATTLE OF CHILLIANWALLAH, JANUARY 13, 1849.
+-----------------------------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+-----------------------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|3rd Hussars | - | 2 | 24 | 14 |
|9th Lancers | - | - | 4 | 8 |
|14th Hussars | 1 | 1 | 3 | 14 |
|Bengal Artillery | 1 | 3 | 18 | 39 |
|24th S. Wales Borderers | 11 | 10 | 237 | 266 |
|2nd Q.O. L.I. | - | 1 | 3 | 14 |
|29th Worcester | - | 4 | 34 | 203 |
|61st Gloucester | - | 3 | 11 | 100 |
|2nd Bengal Europeans (Munster Fusiliers) | - | 2 | 6 | 59 |
|11th Rajputs | 2 | - | 3 | 20 |
+-----------------------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
NOTE.--I have not given the casualties in the native regiments
which no longer exist.
MOOLTAN, JANUARY, 1849.
This distinction was conferred on the troops engaged in the siege
of Multan, under General Whish, during the Second Punjab Campaign.
It is borne on the colours and appointments of the following
regiments:
Lincolns.
Cornwall Light Infantry.
King's Royal Rifles.
Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
5th Cavalry.
31st Lancers.
35th Scinde Horse.
36th Jacob's Horse.
Q.O. Corps of Guides.
1st P.W.O. Sappers and Miners.
3rd Sappers and Miners.
103rd Mahratta L.I.
104th Wellesley's Rifles.
109th Infantry.
119th Multan Regiment.
The siege of Multan was of necessity begun in the very height of
the hottest season of the year--the month of July. In order to
spare the men, the British troops dropped down the rivers by boat,
whilst the native troops marched. I have already, on p. 288, given
the composition of the force with which General Whish undertook
the siege. Herbert Edwardes, a subaltern of that distinguished
corps the 1st Bengal Fusiliers, was already on the spot with a
large force of irregulars, who, owing to his personal magnetism,
had flocked to our standard; but the Sikhs, aware of the approach
of the British force, busied themselves steadily in strengthening
the works at Multan. It was not until the commencement of September
that the whole of the siege-train was present, and then Whish
summoned the Sikhs to surrender. This was an empty form. It was
well known that the Sikhs had no intention of submitting to our
rule, and that ere our flag should be hoisted over the walls of
Multan many a gallant soldier would have met his death.
On September 7 the siege commenced, with, it must be confessed,
very inadequate means. The Pathan and Baluch levies, who had been
won over by Edwardes, fought gallantly enough in the field, but
they resolutely declined to undergo the fatigue of siege-work,
all of which fell on the British and sepoy battalions. The siege
dragged slowly on until December 12, when General Dundas arrived
with two strong brigades, consisting of the 2nd Battalion King's
Royal Rifles, the 1st Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers, three
regiments of native cavalry, and five of native infantry. Now the
siege was pushed on with vigour, and on January 21 all preparations
were made for an assault. The Sikhs, however, never waited for
this, and on January 22 Mulraj, the Sikh commander, surrendered at
discretion. Whish was now free to push on to the north, and afford
much-needed aid to the Commander-in-Chief.
CASUALTIES AT THE SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF MULTAN, JANUARY 22, 1849.
+-------------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+-------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|10th Lincoln | 1 | 4 | 13 | 113 |
|32nd Cornwall L.I. | 2 | 11 | 17 | 104 |
|60th K.R.R. | 1 | 2 | 10 | 28 |
|Artillery | 1 | 6 | 21 | 94 |
|Bengal Engrs. | - | 9 | 30 | 96 |
|Roy. Dublin F. | 1 | 6 | 16 | 86 |
|Indian Navy | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
|5th Cavalry | - | - | 2 | 6 |
|31st Lancers | - | - | - | - |
|35th Scinde H. | - | - | - | - |
|36th Jacob's H. | - | - | - | - |
|Q.O. Corps of Guides | - | - | - | - |
|103rd Mahratta L.I. | - | 2 | 1 | 20 |
|104th Wellesley's Rifles | - | 2 | 29 | 72 |
|109th Infantry | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
|119th Multan | - | 2 | 6 | 42 |
+-------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
NOTE.--The four regiments of Bengal infantry which took part
in the siege of Multan have ceased to exist. Their casualties,
therefore, are not given.
GOOJERAT, FEBRUARY 21, 1849.
This distinction is borne on the colours and appointments of the
3rd Hussars.
9th Lancers.
14th Hussars.
Lincolns.
South Wales Borderers.
Gloucesters.
Worcesters.
Cornwall Light Infantry.
Shropshire Light Infantry.
King's Royal Rifles.
Royal Munster Fusiliers.
Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
35th Scinde Horse.
36th Jacob's Horse.
Q.O. Corps of Guides.
1st P.W.O. Sappers and Miners.
3rd Sappers and Miners.
2nd Q.O. Light Infantry.
11th Rajputs.
103rd Light Infantry.
119th Multan Regiment.
[Illustration: THE COLOURS OF THE ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS.
(Formerly the Bombay Europeans.)
To face page 292.]
On February 21 General Whish, with the First Division strengthened
by the Bombay troops, joined the Commander-in-Chief, so that, in
addition to the force enumerated on p. 288, Lord Gough had with
him for the final attack on the Sikh position two additional
battalions of British soldiers (the 2nd Battalions of the King's
Royal Rifles and Royal Dublin Fusiliers), two regiments of native
cavalry, and two of native infantry. His artillery was brought up
to the respectable total of ninety-six field-guns, which included
three heavy batteries. The Sikhs occupied a strong position, their
flanks resting on two villages, which they had fortified, and their
whole front was covered by a series of entrenchments. Whish, with
the Bombay troops, as I have said, joined the Commander-in-Chief
on February 21 at dawn; on the morrow Lord Gough launched his
attack. As the British army approached the broad sandy nullah
which ran along the front of the Sikh line, the guns opened on us,
disclosing their whole front. To this fire the ninety-six pieces
at once replied, and for two hours a storm of shell was poured on
the entrenchments; then, shortly before noon, Gough moved forward
the whole line. The Sikhs fought, as is their wont, with consummate
gallantry, and the Afghan Horse on our right made a gallant effort
to retrieve the fortunes of the day. They were met in an equally
gallant manner by the Scinde Horse, supported by the 9th Lancers,
and on this flank being uncovered the horse artillery galloped up
and enfiladed the Sikh entrenchments. "By half-past twelve," writes
Sir Charles Gough, who, as a subaltern, took part in the campaign,
"the whole Sikh army was in full flight. By one o'clock Goojerat
itself, the Sikh camp, their baggage, and most of the guns, were
in possession of the victors." Sir Walter Gilbert, at the head of
12,000 men, pressed the retreating Sikhs hard, never slackening his
pursuit until he had driven their Afghan allies through the Khyber
Pass and received the unconditional surrender of their leaders.
At Goojerat the victory was complete, and the Sikhs, recognizing
the inevitable, acknowledged British rule. Heavy was the price we
paid for the conquest of the Punjab, but the blood shed on the
banks of the Sutlej was not shed in vain, for England has no more
faithful subjects, no braver soldiers in her armies, than the Sikhs
who stood so bravely before us in the campaigns of 1846-1849.
CASUALTIES AT THE BATTLE OF GOOJERAT.
+------------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|3rd Hussars | - | - | - | 1 |
|9th Lancers | - | - | - | - |
|14th Hussars | 1 | 2 | - | 4 |
|10th Lincolns | - | 1 | 7 | 53 |
|24th S. Wales Borderers | - | - | - | - |
|29th Worcesters | - | - | 2 | 6 |
|32nd Cornwall L.I. | - | 1 | 1 | 4 |
|53rd Shropshire L.I. | - | - | - | - |
|King's Royal R. | - | - | - | 1 |
|61st Gloucesters | - | - | - | 9 |
|Roy. Munster F. | 1 | 5 | 9 | 135 |
|Roy. Dublin F. | - | - | - | - |
|35th Scinde H. | - | 1 | 2 | 11 |
|36th Jacob's H. | - | - | - | - |
|Q.O. Corps of Guides | - | - | - | - |
|2nd Q.O. Light Infantry | - | 5 | 11 | 127 |
|11th Rajputs | - | 6 | 10 | 38 |
|103rd Light Inf. | - | - | - | - |
|119th Multan | - | - | - | - |
+------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+