At the same time that this occurred on the left, a similar movement was made from our right to turn the enemy’s left flank, and to check their cavalry, who were endeavouring to circle round our right. The 1st[[97]] and 3rd troops 1st brigade, under Captains Dashwood and Swinley, and Captain Trower’s battery, were pushed forward to support the 3rd dragoons and a brigade of native cavalry, who were now ordered to charge the enemy’s left flank. The 2nd troop 1st brigade, under Captain Todd, and Captain Horsford’s battery, still remained in the centre, covering the advance of the infantry brigades. After the brilliant and successful charges of our cavalry on both flanks, the troops and batteries detached to the right and left were ordered to close in to the centre, in order to support the attack of the infantry. It was nearly dusk. The early evening of a winter day had set in whilst the action still raged furiously. The jungle at every pace grew denser, and it was with difficulty that the guns could force their way through the brushwood. Captain Swinley’s troop, in covering the advance of an European regiment, suffered much from a close discharge of grape and musketry, and one gun, having lost all its horses, was temporarily disabled. The 1st troop 1st brigade sustained great loss from the close fire of the enemy’s artillery and infantry. Captain Dashwood, who commanded the troop, was, at this period of the action, with his staff-serjeant and several of his men, struck down by grape. Lieutenant Pollock, of the 3rd troop 1st brigade, also received a mortal wound; and Captain Trower was shot at the head of his battery by a Sikh soldier concealed in a bush. At this time darkness was rapidly covering the field, and the artillery, being within a few paces of the enemy’s line, were suffering much from their galling fire. But at length the Sikh line gave way before the advance of the British infantry, who, supported by a part of the artillery, pursued for a considerable distance the retreating enemy; but, as the Commander-in-Chief observed in his despatch, “night saved them from worse disaster.”
The action commenced at half-past three in the afternoon, and, as the day was one of the shortest of the year, the rapid closing in of night prevented the British force from taking full advantage of its success. The Sikhs saved a portion of their ordnance, some of their guns being apparently withdrawn early in the action. It is supposed that they had in all from thirty to forty guns engaged, of which seventeen fell into our hands.
The artillery suffered more in this action from grape and musketry than from the round shot of the enemy, which did comparatively little mischief. Only one or two waggons were blown up, and in fact scarcely any loss was sustained until the troops and field-batteries were pushed up through the jungle close to the enemy’s fire. It was then that Captains Dashwood and Trower, and Lieutenant R. H. Pollock (son of Major-General Sir George Pollock, G.C.B.), received their death-wounds. The first was struck down by grape, receiving two wounds, one on the arm and the other on the foot, the latter of which proved mortal. Lieutenant Pollock had his knee smashed by a musket-ball, and being for a long time exposed to the cold night air, lying in a waggon, though the limb was amputated immediately upon his arrival in camp, sunk on the 19th. Captain Trower, as we have said, was shot by a Sikh concealed in the jungle; the ball passed through his body, and he died during the night. There were several Sikhs—Akalis and others—lying concealed behind the bushes, who waited until our troops came close upon them, to pick out our officers. The total loss of artillery was (killed) 2 European officers, 4 serjeants, 13 rank and file, 5 syces and grass-cutters, 3 drivers, and 45 horses;—and (wounded) 4 European officers, 1 native officer, 2 serjeants, 22 rank and file, 11 lascars, 2 drivers, 7 syces, and 25 horses. The officers killed and wounded were, Captain Jasper Trower, killed; Lieutenant R. Pollock, killed; Captain F. Dashwood, severely wounded; 1st Lieutenant C. V. Cox, slightly wounded; 1st Lieutenant C. A. Wheelwright, wounded; 1st Lieutenant C. Bowie, slightly wounded. Captain Dashwood died soon afterwards.
The morning of the 19th[[98]] was devoted to the mournful duty of bringing in the wounded and burying the dead. The artillery sent out limbers and cattle to bring in the captured ordnance. Whilst thus employed, our working parties were disturbed and obliged to retire towards camp, by some bodies of the enemy’s horse, who had returned to the field probably with the same intention. As large bodies of the enemy’s horse were still hovering about, the Commander-in-Chief drew up his troops again, prepared, if necessary, to renew the action; but nothing, at this time, worthy of note in our memoir, occurred.
On the night of the 20th, two 18–pounder guns and two 8–inch howitzers arrived in camp from Umballah, under Brigadier Denniss and Captain Warner, commissary of ordnance. Short as the time was, ammunition was prepared for the howitzers, which were thus enabled to accompany the force on the following morning. The 18–pounders were, however, left behind in camp at Moodkee.
An hour before daybreak on the 21st, the army broke ground. The main body of the artillery moved in rear of the centre column under General Gilbert. Two troops of horse-artillery were, however, detached, one with the column under Brigadier Wallace, and the other was attached to Major-General Sir H. Smith’s division. The distance from Moodkee to Ferozeshuhur, where, according to intelligence received in camp, the main body of the enemy were posted,[[99]] is not above twelve miles; but the army moved slowly, led by the infantry columns, and a very considerable detour was made to the left, in order that a junction with the Ferozepore division, under Sir John Littler, might be made, at a sufficient distance from the intrenched position of the enemy. Although the communication with Ferozepore had been lately interrupted, as the Sikhs had interposed between that station and the headquarters force, instructions had been sent to the major-general to move out of his camp at Ferozepore on the morning of the 21st, so as to form the desired junction. The Governor-General’s despatches had been duly received; and Sir John Littler, with 5,900 men and 21 guns, marched early on the 21st to Misrèe-wallah, a village a short distance from the Sikh position. This movement was skilfully accomplished by the general, who left the whole of his camp standing, and threw out the usual mounted picquets in front, thus deceiving that portion of the Sikh force under Tej Singh which had been employed in watching him. The sirdar, ignorant of Littler’s march, remained in front of the empty camp during the whole of the day, and did not learn the general’s movement until the next morning. The junction of the two forces was effected about half-past one P.M.; and “dispositions were made for an united attack upon the enemy’s intrenched camp.” About 4 o’clock the British troops moved forward under their veteran commanders; Sir Hugh Gough leading the right wing, and Sir Henry Hardinge, who, after the battle of Moodkee, had chivalrously volunteered his services as second in command, placing himself at the head of the left.
The nature of the ground was somewhat similar to that at Moodkee, covered with thick jungle, and, as on that day, the sun was rapidly sinking when the action commenced. It was the shortest day of the year, and but a few hours of daylight remained. The line of attack was formed, Sir John Littler on the left, Brigadier Wallace in the centre, and General Gilbert on the right. Sir Harry Smith’s division, the reserve, was in the second line. The cavalry was in reserve and on both flanks.
The artillery was thus posted—Lieutenant-Colonel Huthwaite, of the 3rd brigade, was with Sir John Littler. He had under his command the 5th troop 1st brigade, under Captain E. F. Day—3rd troop 3rd brigade, under Major G. Campbell—4th company 6th battalion (bullock-battery attached) and three guns of No. 6 horse field-battery—the other three guns having been left with a detachment to protect the city of Ferozepore. Captain D’Arcy Todd’s troop—the 2nd of the 1st brigade, was on the left of Brigadier Wallace’s division; and Captain G. H. Swinley’s, the 3rd troop of the 1st brigade, was on the extreme right of the line, beyond her Majesty’s 29th foot. The 4th troop 3rd brigade, under Captain Garbett, and the 1st troop 1st brigade, now under Captain C. E. Mills, with Lieutenant Moir’s two guns, were on the left of Gilbert’s division. Major Brind’s troop was with Sir Harry Smith’s in the second line; but just as the action commenced was moved up to the first line, and took post to the right of Captain Garbett’s troop. These three troops, the 1st and 4th of the 3rd brigade, and the 1st of the 1st, were under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Geddes. To the left of these were two horse field-batteries under Captain Horsford and Lieutenant Atlay, and the heavy howitzers and rockets under Brigadier Denniss and Captain Warner.
The action commenced on the left, Colonel Huthwaite pushing forward with his two troops of horse-artillery and his light field-batteries, to the attack of the enemy’s position. The heavy guns and rockets and 9–pounder batteries next came into action, and almost immediately afterwards the horse-artillery in the centre and on the right. The action now became general with the artillery on both sides. The roar of the ordnance was tremendous. The British had 65 pieces in action—but, with the exception of two heavy howitzers, all light guns. The enemy had upwards of 100 guns in battery, and most of them of large calibre; whilst even those of smaller dimensions, being of much heavier metal than our own field-pieces, were fired with increased charges and carried greater distances.
The ground in front of our line was, in the first positions taken up, covered with jungle as at Moodkee, but afterwards, as we neared the enemy, became clear and open. After a few rounds, the horse-artillery in the centre of the line were advanced to a closer distance, and the troops moved through the jungle at a rapid pace, the shot from the enemy’s guns tearing up the ground on all sides, but as yet causing little loss.