The Sikhs crossed the Sutlej on the 11th and 12th. On the latter day Sir Hugh Gough marched from Umballah to Rajpoora, with the head-quarters of the Sirhind division, a distance of 18 miles; and on the 13th, Sir John Littler moved his troops into camp, to protect the cantonments of Ferozepore; one regiment being detached with three guns, from No. 6 battery, under Lieutenant Tulloch, to defend the city. On the same day, he brigaded his force; Lieutenant-Colonel Huthwaite, of the 3rd brigade, being temporarily appointed a brigadier of artillery; Lieutenant Abercrombie, adjutant of the 3rd brigade, being his brigade-major.
On the 13th, the Governor-General and the Commander-in-Chief being then only a few miles distant from each other, and in constant communication, the Army of the Sutlej was formed into brigades and divisions. Lieutenant-Colonel Brooke was appointed brigadier to command the artillery; consisting of all the troops and companies before mentioned, as stationed at Ferozepore, Loodianah, and Umballah, as well as the two guns under Lieutenant Moir, from the escort of the Governor-General. Brevet-Captain Murray Mackenzie, adjutant of the 1st brigade, was appointed major of brigade to the artillery, and Brevet-Captain Warner, adjutant of the 4th battalion, commissary of ordnance.
On the 13th, the troops at Loodianah received orders from Sir H. Hardinge to march to Busseean, a distance of twenty-eight miles; and at the same time, the two horse-artillery guns from Muttra, and the 5th cavalry, which formed part of the Governor-General’s escort, were sent thither to join them. The object of this movement was to cover Busseean, full as it was of supplies for the British army, which, but for the interposition of the Loodianah force, would in all probability have been destroyed by the enemy. By this movement also, the force under the Commander-in-Chief, marching up from Umballah, was augmented by 4,000 men and 12 guns.
On the 15th the troops halted, and on the following day moved on to Wudnee, of which place a Sikh garrison was in possession. On their refusal to furnish supplies to the force, the two troops of artillery were brought into position before the town—a movement which had the desired effect. Here the Umballah force, with the main body of the artillery, under Brigadier Brooke, joined the troops from Loodianah.
On the 17th the army made a short march of ten miles to Chirruck, where the troops suffered much from scarcity of water.
On the 18th the whole force moved to Moodkee. During the march a message was received from Major Broadfoot, who was reconnoitring in front, to the effect that the Sikhs were in possession of the fort and village of Moodkee, and that a portion of their cavalry were in advance of that place. The horse-artillery and cavalry were immediately ordered to form line to the front; the enemy’s pickets, however, had abandoned their advanced position, and Moodkee opened its gates at the sight of a few guns.
It was half-past two o’clock before the army was encamped. The horses had been picketed, and men and officers were about to seek some refreshment after the fatigues of the march, when Major Broadfoot brought intelligence that the enemy was within three miles of our lines. The Governor-General himself rode down the front of the artillery camp, and the guns were quickly in motion.
The camp of the British army was, at this time, formed on a tract of cultivated ground immediately to the west of Moodkee. In front, for about a mile, extended ploughed fields, beyond which there stretched a dense jungle of low brushwood and stunted trees. Through this the Sikh columns were now advancing. The horse-artillery, with cavalry on the flanks, moved rapidly across the ploughed fields. The dust caused by the march of the Sikh columns rose densely against the blue sky above the brush-jungle; but when the enemy perceived that the British line was in motion, they halted in the jungle to make their arrangements for the battle. The horse-artillery proceeded in line across the fields, but halted before entering the jungle. The light field-batteries, which had been directed to follow, with the infantry columns, came up soon after the action commenced; and in a short time 30 horse-artillery and 12 field-battery guns were in full play.
Our fire soon told upon the enemy, who were hidden in a thick jungle, and their position only indicated by the smoke from their guns. Soon, apparently, some of the Sikh pieces were either silenced or withdrawn, for their fire gradually slackened. Brigadier Brooke, in his official despatch, reports, that “the line of artillery kept up a heavy fire on the enemy, nearly silencing their guns;” and the Commander-in-Chief corroborates this statement, saying, that the enemy “opened a very severe cannonade upon our advancing troops, which was vigorously replied to by the battery of horse-artillery under Brigadier Brooke, which was soon joined by the two light field-batteries. The rapid and well-directed fire of our artillery appeared soon to paralyze that of the enemy.”
Rather more than half an hour after the commencement of the action, the Commander-in-Chief directed Colonel Geddes to take two troops of horse-artillery, and to proceed with the 4th light cavalry and 9th irregulars to the left, to oppose a demonstration of the Sikhs from their right flank. The 1st and 4th troops of the 3rd brigade (under Major Brind and Captain Garbett), being on the left of the line, were those which accompanied Colonel Geddes. The two troops with the cavalry moved rapidly into the jungle towards the left front, and came into action against some Sikh cavalry and infantry, who had apparently been creeping round with the intention of turning our left flank. Colonel Geddes, who was the senior officer on the left, perceiving this body of the enemy retiring before the fire of our guns, directed the 9th irregular cavalry to charge. This was accordingly done. As the cavalry moved forward, the guns ceased firing, and again advanced through the jungle, which at every step grew denser and denser, and much impeded the movements of the horse-artillery.