Major-General Sir John Littler had been selected to command the garrison
of about ten thousand men which had been left at Lahore, to protect the
chief sirdars from their own turbulent countrymen, while re-constructing
the government, with Sir Henry Lawrence as political Resident, and
everything appeared to be progressing in a satisfactory manner, when, in
1848, Moolraj, the Dewan of Mooltan, having apparently agreed to the
arrangement for appointing Sirdar Khan Singh his successor as governor
of that town, Mr. Vans Agnew, of the Civil Service, and Lieutenant
Anderson, of the Bombay Army, who had been sent to Mooltan to install
Khan Singh were treacherously attacked and murdered. This was followed
by a general outbreak at Lahore, and endeavours were made to expel the
British from the Punjab. In this capital Maharaj Singh, a Gooroo or
priest, raising the standard of rebellion, soon collected a numerous
body of the disbanded Sikhs, and thus prevented the British troops at
Lahore from marching against Mooltan, which was occupied by the enemy at
the commencement of hostilities.
It was at this juncture that Lieutenant Edwardes[123] accomplished that
for which he gained such just renown. By his gallantry and judicious
skill he not only raised forces, but exerted so strong an influence that
he succeeded in holding Moolraj in check until succours could be
afforded; and having united his troops with those of Colonel Cortlandt,
several successful encounters took place with the insurgents. On June
18th., Edwardes and Cortlandt with troops consisting chiefly of Sikhs
and Mohammedans, after an action of 9 hours defeated the army of Moolraj
at Kineyree, with great loss of men and baggage; six guns also were
taken. In July they again attacked Moolraj, who with an army of eleven
thousand men had taken up a strong position at the village of Suddoosam,
and after a fierce fight of six hours drove him to seek shelter within
the walls of Mooltan. Major-General Whish arrived from Lahore on the
18th. of August, 1848, with a force of which Her Majesty’s 10th. Foot
formed part, and on the next day was joined by a column from Ferozepore,
with which was the Queen’s 32nd. regiment. The village of Ramteerut was
taken possession of on the 7th. of September, and the working parties
having made good progress, it was resolved to attack the outworks on the
12th. of that month, when Shere Singh deserted with five thousand Sikhs
to the enemy. This defection made it necessary to raise the siege on the
15th. of that month, and a position was taken up some miles distant.
Meanwhile Lord Gough was marching into the Punjab, and the advance
force, under Brigadier-General Campbell, C.B., (afterwards Lord Clyde,)
was engaged at Ramnuggur on the 22nd. of November, 1848. Here the
gallant Brigadier-General Cureton, C.B., commanding the cavalry
division, (the flaxen haired boy of the Peninsula,) and
Lieutenant-Colonel William Havelock, K.H., were killed. The brilliant
charges of the 3rd. and 14th. Light Dragoons, and of the 5th. and 8th.
regiments of Light Cavalry, against the enemy’s horsemen, numbering
between three and four thousand men, was specially noticed in general
orders.
This engagement was followed by the action of Sadoolapoor, on Sunday,
the 3rd. of December, 1848, by the troops under Major-General Sir Joseph
Thackwell, K.C.B., in which the 3rd. Light Dragoons, and the 24th. and
61st. regiments shared. The enemy’s loss was severe, but the British
casualties were comparatively small, amounting to only seventy-three
killed and wounded.
A gallant and successful attack was made with little loss, on a strong
position of the enemy on the eastern side of the Grand Canal, by the
troops under Brigadier-General F. Markham, on the morning of the 7th. of
November.[124] This is known as the action of Sooroojkhund, in which the
10th. and 32nd. regiments shared, (the latter being commanded by Major
Inglis, afterwards the heroic defender of Lucknow,) when the enemy’s
strongly entrenched position was carried, and four of his guns captured
without firing a shot.
While these events were occurring Major-General Whish renewed the siege
of Mooltan; and having been joined on the 26th. of December by Brigadier
the Honourable H. Dundas, C.B., of the 60th. Rifles, with the Bombay
column, which, in addition to native corps, comprised the 60th. Royal
Rifles, an attack was made on the entrenchments on the 27th. of
December; and the enemy being driven from the suburbs, a position was
taken up by the British within four hundred yards of the walls. The
gallantry and discipline of the 60th. Rifles were specially noticed;
they had Major Gordon killed, and Major Dennis wounded. Three companies
of the 32nd. shared in the re-occupation of the suburbs on this
occasion.
By a shell from one of the mortars on the 30th. the principal magazine,
containing 400,000 lbs. of powder, in the citadel was blown up,
destroying the grand musjid and several houses, and costing the lives of
about eight hundred of the garrison. Nowise dismayed by this misfortune,
Moolraj refused to surrender, and continued the defence, saying he had
powder enough left to last him for twelvemonths; but breaches were
effected during the nights of the 30th. and 31st., one near the Delhi
gate, and the other near the Bohur gate. A sortie was made by the
garrison on the last day of the year, but this was repulsed by Major
Edwardes and Lieutenant Lake, the enemy being driven back with severe
loss. The place was eventually stormed in the afternoon of the 2nd. of
January, 1849.
Colour-Sergeant John Bennett, of the 1st. Bombay Fusiliers, performed a
most gallant act. He planted the Union Jack in the crest of the breach,
standing beside it until the troops had passed. Both colour and staff
were riddled with balls. The suburbs between the Delhi gate and the left
breach were occupied by pickets from the first brigade, under Major
Dennin of the 60th. Rifles, a company of that regiment, under Captain
Douglas, being stationed in the houses opposite the breach is, the
Khoonee Boorj, to cover the advance of the storming party, and two
companies, under Captains Young and Sibthorp, to perform the same office
for the Bengal column.
Two practicable breaches having been made, orders were issued to storm
the citadel (into which Moolraj had retired) on the 22nd.; and when the
British troops were about to commence, the Sikh chief, with the whole of
the garrison, surrendered.[125] Moolraj was subsequently tried for the
murder of Mr. Agnew and Lieutenant Anderson, but the capital sentence
was changed into imprisonment for life. This siege cost the British a
loss of nearly one thousand two hundred killed and wounded. After this
brilliant success, Major-General Whish proceeded with a considerable
portion of his troops, to join the army immediately under the command of
Lord Gough.
The 10th., 32nd., and 60th. regiments took part in these operations.
These three regiments, after the fall of the place, proceeded to join
the army under Lord Gough, and by forced marches succeeded in being in
time to share in the final struggle at Goojerat. The Native regiments
present were—the Royal Bombay Fusiliers, 5th. Bengal Cavalry, 1st. and
2nd. Scinde Horse; 3rd., 7th., 9th., and 19th. Bombay Infantry; and
Bengal and Bombay Sappers and Miners.
BATTLE OF CHILIANWALA.
13TH. JANUARY, 1849.
Lord Gough having received information on the 10th. of January of the
fall of the fortress of Attock, which had been defended for a lengthened
period, by Major Herbert, and of the advance of Chuttur Singh, in order
to unite his forces with those under his son, Shere Singh, resolved to
attempt the overthrow of the Sikh army in his front; and, accordingly,
at daylight on the morning of the 12th., moved on the Dingee from Loah
Tibba, and thence on the following morning towards the village of
Chilianwala, the army making a considerable detour to the right, partly
to distract the enemy’s attention, but chiefly with the view of keeping
as clear of the jungle as possible. The village was reached about noon,
when a strong picket of the enemy’s cavalry and infantry was discovered
on a mound close to it. This was at once dispersed, and from the
elevation was obtained a very extended view of the country and of the
enemy drawn out in order of battle.[126] The ground in front although
not a dense was still a difficult jungle; and as the day was so far
advanced, Lord Gough decided to take up a position in rear of the
village.
While ground was being selected for the encampment the enemy advanced
some horse artillery, and opened a fire on the skirmishers in front of
the village. Orders were given for this fire to be silenced by a few
rounds from the heavy guns, which was instantly returned by that of
nearly the whole of the enemy’s field artillery, thus exposing the
position of his guns, which had hitherto been concealed by the jungle.
As it was evident that the Sikhs intended to fight, and would probably
advance their guns so as to reach the encampment during the night, the
British were at once drawn up in order of battle. After about an hour’s
fire that of the enemy appeared to be, if not actually silenced, at
least sufficiently disabled to justify an advance upon his position and
guns.
The left division, under Brigadier-General Colin Campbell (afterwards
Lord Clyde), was then ordered to advance. This had to move over a
greater extent of ground, in front of which the foe appeared not to have
many guns. Shortly afterwards Sir Walter Gilbert was directed to
advance, Brigadier Pope being instructed to connect the flank and
support the movement. Brigadier Penny’s brigade was held in reserve,
while the Irregular Cavalry, under Brigadier Hearsey, with the 20th.
Native Infantry, was ordered to protect the provisions and baggage.
Brigadier Pennycuick’s brigade having failed in maintaining the position
it had carried, Brigadier Penny’s reserve was ordered to support; but
Brigadier-General Colin Campbell, (to use Lord Gough’s own words,) “with
that steady coolness and military decision for which he is so
remarkable, having pushed on his left brigade and formed line to his
right, carried everything before him, and soon overthrew that portion of
the enemy which had obtained a temporary advantage over his right
brigade.”
This last brigade mistook for the signal to move in double time the
action of their brave leaders, Brigadier Pennycuick and
Lieutenant-Colonel Brookes, who waved their swords over their heads as
they cheered on their gallant troops. This unfortunate mistake caused
the Europeans to outstrip the native corps, which were unable to keep
pace, and arriving, completely blown, at a belt of very thick jungle,
got into some confusion, and Lieutenant-Colonel Brookes, heading the
24th., was killed between the Sikh guns. At this moment a numerous body
of infantry, which supported their guns, opened so destructive a fire
that the brigade was compelled to retire, but not before having lost
their gallant leader, Brigadier Pennycuick,[127] and the three other
field officers of the 24th., together with nearly half the
regiment;[128] the native corps also suffered severely.
In the height of the conflict, from causes never satisfactorily
explained, the cavalry of Brigadier Pope’s brigade, suddenly retreated,
bursting through their own artillery in their course. They were pursued
by the Sikh horse, who charged the artillery, unable to fire without
killing their own cavalry, as friends and foes in the _mêlée_ were
intermixed. Seventy-five of the gunners were cut down, and six guns
captured by the enemy. But the reserve artillery came up, the cavalry
rallied, and the infantry standing firm, the Sikh horsemen were repulsed
with loss, and two of the guns captured retaken.
Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, on the extreme left and rear,
charged the enemy’s cavalry wherever they shewed themselves, and the
right attack of infantry, under Major-General Sir Walter Gilbert, was
most successful, whilst the left brigade, under Brigadier Mountain, was
highly distinguished. Brigadier Godby ably supported the advance with
the right brigade.[129]
Lord Gough remained with Brigadier-General Campbell’s division, which
had been reinforced by Brigadier Mountain’s brigade, until nearly eight
o’clock, in order to effect the bringing in of the captured
ordnance,[130] and of the wounded.
At the close of this battle, which Havelock states:—“was the most
sanguinary, and the nearest approximation to a defeat of any of the
great conflicts of the British power in India,”—Lord Gough, for want of
water, fell back for about a mile, and took up a new position clear of
the jungle.
The loss of the Sikhs, principally among their old and tried soldiers,
was computed at three thousand killed, and four thousand wounded. With
the exception of Sobraon, it was remarked by Lord Gough that he never
remembered seeing so many of an enemy’s slain upon the same space. The
British casualties were likewise heavy.[131]
In this battle the “undaunted bravery” of Her Majesty’s 29th. regiment,
under Lieutenant-Colonel Congreve, was specially noticed, and the
conduct of the 61st. was equally distinguished. The regiments engaged at
Chillianwala were the 3rd. and 14th. Light Dragoons, 9th. Lancers,
24th., 29th., and 61st. Foot; Bengal Fusiliers, and 2nd. and 11th.
Bengal Native Infantry.
BATTLE OF GOOJERAT.
21ST FEBRUARY, 1849.
After the battle of Chilianwala, the enemy occupied their position for
nearly a month, with the British encamped on their left flank, but on
February 12th. they quitted their entrenchments, and took up a position
between Goojerat and the Chenab, with about 61,500 men and fifty-nine
guns, under Shere Singh. It appears to have been their intention to
cross this river, and, after plundering the Rechna Doab, to have marched
to Lahore; but this was prevented by Major-General Whish, who had
detached a brigade to guard the fords above and below Wuzeerabad, in
which direction Lord Gough had moved.
At half-past seven o’clock in the morning of the 21st. of February, the
army advanced with the precision of a parade movement. The Sikhs opened
their fire at a very long distance, which exposed to the artillery both
the position and range of their guns. For the first time the English
commander was superior in artillery to the enemy, having ninety-seven
guns, some of heavy calibre, but only 24,000 infantry. The infantry was
halted just out of fire, and the whole of the artillery were advanced,
covered by skirmishers.
The Sikh guns were served with their accustomed rapidity, and the enemy
well and resolutely maintained his position, but the terrific force of
the British fire obliged him, after an obstinate resistance, to fall
back. The infantry were then deployed, and a general advance was
directed, the movement being covered, as before, by artillery.
Burra Kalra, the left village of those of that name, wherein the enemy
had concealed a large body of infantry, and which was apparently the key
of their position, lay immediately in the line of Major-General Sir
Walter Gilbert’s advance, and was carried in the most brilliant style by
a spirited attack of the third brigade, under Brigadier Penny,
consisting of the 2nd. Europeans, and 31st. and 70th. regiments of
Native Infantry, which drove the enemy from their cover with great
slaughter. A very spirited and successful movement was also made about
the same time against a heavy body of troops in and about the second or
Chotah Kalra, by part of Brigadier Hervey’s brigade, most gallantly led
by Lieutenant-Colonel Franks, of the 10th. Foot.
The heavy artillery continued to advance, taking up successive forward
positions, driving the enemy from those he had retired to, whilst the
rapid advance and beautiful fire of the horse artillery and light field
batteries, which were strengthened by bringing to the front the two
reserved troops of horse artillery, under Lieutenant-Colonel Brind,
Brigadier Brook having the general superintendence of the whole of the
horse artillery, broke the enemy’s ranks at all points. The whole
infantry line then rapidly advanced, and drove their opponents before
it. The nullah was cleared, several villages stormed, the guns that were
in position carried, the camp captured, and the whole army of Shere
Singh routed in every direction; the right wing and Brigadier-General
Campbell’s division passing in pursuit to the eastward, and the Bombay
column to the westward of the town.
Thus hotly pursued, the retreat of the Sikhs soon became a perfect
flight, all arms dispersing over the country, rapidly followed by the
troops for a distance of twelve miles, their track strewed with their
wounded, their weapons, and military equipments, which they threw away
to conceal that they were soldiers.
On the left a most successful and gallant charge was made upon the
Afghan cavalry, and a large body of Goorchurras, by the Scinde horse,
and a party of the 9th. Lancers, when several standards were captured.
The 14th. Light Dragoons and the other cavalry regiments on the right,
regular and irregular, by their bold front and gallant conduct,
contributed much to the success of the day, while their conduct in
following the fugitives received high commendation.
Thus were defeated the forces brought by the Sikhs into the field,
amongst whom were the _élite_ of the old Khalsa army. Their numbers were
estimated at sixty thousand men of all arms, and fifty-nine pieces of
artillery; under the command of Sirdar Chuttur Singh, and Rajah Shere
Singh, with a body of one thousand five hundred Afghan horse, led by
Akram Khan, son of the Ameer, Dost Mahomed Khan. For the first time had
the Sikhs and Afghans combined together, but the complete victory of
Goojerat showed the futility of the compact.
Among the fifty-three guns captured were recovered those lost at
Ramnuggur and Chillianwala; and it was also a gratifying fact that the
casualties of the British were less than could be expected.
For twelve miles did the exulting horsemen pursue the flying foe, and
the shades of evening were falling when they returned weary to camp. The
following morning Major-General Gilbert resumed the pursuit towards the
Jhelum, with the view of cutting off the enemy from the only practicable
gun-road to that river. Another division of infantry, under
Brigadier-General Colin Campbell, advanced on the road to Bimber,
scouring the country in that direction to prevent their carrying off
their guns by that route; and a body of cavalry under Lieutenant-Colonel
Bradford, successfully pushed on several miles into the hills,
accompanied by Captain Nicholson, a most energetic political officer,
with the same object; while Lord Gough remained in possession of the
field for the purpose of supporting these operations, covering the fords
of the Chenab, and destroying the vast magazines of ammunition left
scattered in all directions. These combinations were entirely
successful, and by them the power of the Sikhs was completely broken.
The regiments which took part in this decisive victory were, the 3rd.,
9th., and 14th. Light Dragoons; the 10th., 24th., 29th., 32nd., 53rd.,
60th., and 61st. Foot; the 1st. and 2nd. Bengal European, 1st. Bombay
European; 1st., 5th., 6th., and 8th. Bengal Light Cavalry; 3rd., 9th.,
11th., and 14th. Irregular Cavalry; Scinde Horse; nine troops Horse
Artillery, four batteries Bombay Artillery; 2nd. and 11th. Bengal
Infantry, and 19th. Bombay Infantry.
Major-General Sir Walter Gilbert, K.C.B., crossing the Jhelum on the
3rd. of March, came up with a portion of the retreating army, under
Shere Singh and Chuttur Singh, at Hoormuck, where they surrendered on
the 11th. of March; the sirdars and the remainder of his troops,
amounting to sixteen thousand men, laid down their arms at Rawul Pindee
three days afterwards. Forty-one pieces of artillery were given up, and
the Sikhs remaining, after so many fields of slaughter, being given each
a rupee, dispersed to their homes. The Afghans were energetically
pursued through Attock and Peshawur, as far as the Khyber Pass, losing
half their number in the field, and many of the remainder in their
retreat. Dost Mahomed then sued for peace, which was granted to him.
The Duke of Wellington, then Commander-in-Chief, being dissatisfied with
the conduct of Lord Gough for incurring such heavy losses, superseded
him in his command by Sir Charles Napier, who, selected at a moment’s
notice, had proceeded to India, but found on his arrival that the
British arms had gained the ascendancy in that country, and the
consequence of Lord Gough’s crowning victory was the annexation of the
Punjab. A pension was granted to the Maharajah Dhuleep Singh; and the
celebrated diamond, the Koh-i-Noor, or Mountain of Light, taken from
Shah Sooja by Runjeet Singh, was presented to Her Majesty.