To all this, perhaps it may be objected that the Sikhs would assuredly not have awaited a concentration of our forces, and these preparations for attack. In reply, it must be borne in mind that the choice of battle rested with the British, unless the enemy vacated his post, when the advantages to be derived in the open plain would have been ours, and rendered a much easier victory a matter beyond a question with an army like our own, whose whole "materiel" were expressly qualified for action in the open plain, where superior discipline and rapidity of movement, with a fresh and well appointed army of sixteen thousand men, ought to have ensured success upon easier terms than when storming the same enemy in a strong position.
With an effective British force of 16,000 or 20,000 men in the open plain, I conceive it to be a matter of unimportance whether a native enemy be double or treble that amount; for when confusion once ensues amongst a half-disciplined multitude, it doubtless is greater in proportion to the number.
In the battle of Ferozeshuhur, the fate of the day was committed to the gallantry and bull-dog qualities of the British soldiers, and the issue proved that they had not been over-rated; but as these were resources which would always have remained in reserve, and ready for action when called upon, a question may be raised as to the policy of employing this reserve before the advantages of strategy had been employed.
The result of this action would hardly answer to establish a precedent for the repetition of similar measures under similar circumstances; for three or four such battles would have used all the European material, and British regiments cannot be hastily recruited or replaced in India.
RETURN OF KILLED AND WOUNDED AT FEROZESHUHUR, DEC. 21ST AND 22ND.
| KILLED. | WOUNDED. | |||||
| Officers. | Native & non- commissioned. | Trumpeters, Drummers, Privates. | Officers. | Native & non- commissioned. | Privates. | |
| Personal staff | 2 | |||||
| General staff | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Artillery Division. | ||||||
| (Col. Brooke, com.) | ||||||
| Staff | 2 | |||||
| Horse | 2 | 1 | 26 | 1 | 7 | 54 |
| Foot | 2 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 18 | |
| Cavalry Division. | ||||||
| (Col. White.) | ||||||
| Staff | 3 | |||||
| 1st Brig. H.M. 3rd Lt. Drag. | 3 | 2 | 55 | 6 | 6 | 80 |
| " 8th Native Cavalry | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | ||
| " 9th Irregulars | 2 | 8 | 11 | |||
| 2nd ditto, Body-guard | 2 | |||||
| " 5th Native Cavalry | 1 | 2 | ||||
| " 8th Irregular Horse | 1 | 4 | ||||
| 3rd do. 4th Native Cavalry | 9 | 2 | 6 | |||
| " 3rd Irregulars | 3 | 13 | ||||
| 1st Infantry Division. | ||||||
| (Sir Harry Smith.) | ||||||
| Staff | 3 | |||||
| 1st Brigade, H.M. 31st Rgt. | 2 | 2 | 57 | 5 | 4 | 92 |
| " 24th N. I. | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 24 |
| " 47th ditto | 9 | 2 | 24 | |||
| 2nd ditto H.M. 50th Rgt. | 27 | 6 | 5 | 86 | ||
| " 42nd Native Infantry | 1 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 35 |
| " 48th ditto | 2 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 46 | |
| 2nd Infantry Division. | ||||||
| (Gen. Gilbert.) | ||||||
| Staff | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 1st Brigade, H.M. 29th Rgt. | 2 | 1 | 67 | 2 | 6 | 110 |
| " 45th N.I. | 2 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 30 | |
| 2nd do 1st European Regt.. | 2 | 2 | 43 | 6 | 12 | 139 |
| " 2nd Native Infantry | 1 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 43 |
| " 16th ditto | 1 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 51 |
| 3rd Infantry Division. | ||||||
| (Brigadier Wallace) | ||||||
| Staff | 1 | |||||
| 1st Brigade, H.M.'s 9th Rgt. | 3 | 1 | 66 | 6 | 5 | 192 |
| " 26th Native Infantry | 2 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 42 | |
| " 73rd ditto | 1 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 31 | |
| H.M.'s 80th Regiment | 4 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 53 | |
| 4th Infantry Division. | ||||||
| (Sir J. Littler.) | ||||||
| Staff | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 1st Brigade, H.M. 62nd Rgt. | 7 | 6 | 76 | 10 | 5 | 156 |
| " 12th Native Infantry | 1 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 61 | |
| " 14th ditto | 3 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 59 | |
| 2nd ditto, 33rd ditto | 2 | 6 | 8 | 32 | ||
| " 44th ditto | 9 | 2 | 14 | |||
| " 54th ditto | 2 | 6 | ||||
| Grand total | 73 | 44 | 613 | 78 | 120 | 1523 |
Return of Ordnance captured at Ferozeshuhur.