It being expected that the Sikhs, notwithstanding their defeat on the previous evening, would make a second attack, the troops were ordered under arms early on the following morning, the 19th, and remained so till evening, when, no enemy appearing, they returned to their tents.
It having been subsequently ascertained, by scouts, that the enemy was strongly entrenched in great numbers round the village of Ferozeshah, the Commander-in-Chief determined to effect a junction with the troops at Ferozepore, and with the combined force to drive the Sikhs from their position. Accordingly at daylight on the 21st of December the army was formed in separate columns of attack, and marched in order of battle in the supposed direction of the enemy. Having proceeded about five miles, it was ascertained that the Sikhs had retired to their entrenched camp at Ferozeshah, about twelve miles from Moodkee.
The troops then fell into columns of route, and after a very fatiguing and circuitous march, rendered more so from no water being procurable on the road, they arrived about three o’clock P.M. in the neighbourhood of the enemy’s position, having, on the march, effected the desired junction with the division under Major-General Sir John Littler, consisting of five thousand men and twenty-one guns, which had moved from Ferozepore on the morning of the 21st of December: about a quarter of an hour was allowed for rest, and the plan of battle was then immediately arranged. The first division formed the reserve, and was drawn up in line, the THIRTY-FIRST being about the centre: here they remained about twenty minutes, during which time the round shot were passing through the ranks, killing and wounding several men.
The order was now given to advance to the support of the troops, who were hotly engaged and hard-pressed; the reserve moved forward in excellent order, though darkness was coming on, and very shortly became engaged and exposed to a heavy fire. The two lines were shortly reduced to one, the shattered remains of the reserve scarcely filling up the gaps formed in the first line by the deadly fire of the enemy, who nobly fought, and fell every man in his place; thus those two lines, which had so shortly before presented the regularity of a field-day, were now but one, standing surrounded by their dead and dying comrades, and the brave fellows of other European regiments could scarcely understand how they came to be fighting in the ranks of the THIRTY-FIRST. After a long and desperate contest, the Sikhs were driven from their guns, but not without severe loss on the part of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, both in officers and men. Lieut. and Adjutant Bernard was killed on the spot, and Major Baldwin and Lieut. Pollard were mortally wounded; Lieut. Pilkington was struck by two shots, one passing through each ankle; and the horse of Major Spence was shot under him. On the death of Lieutenant and Adjutant Bernard, Lieutenant Robertson was appointed Adjutant, which appointment he held until the nomination of Lieutenant Bolton was received from the Horse Guards, he having been applied for by his father, Colonel Bolton, previously to the campaign. The camp of the Sikhs being now on fire in several places, mines and magazines exploding with terrific violence at short intervals, the enemy’s fire being silenced,—and their guns standing undefended,—the order was given to fall back a short distance and re-form, which was accordingly done; the troops bivouacked during the night in front of the Sikh camp, within reach of shot from their guns, which, having been left unspiked, were quickly reopened upon the exhausted troops, whose sufferings on that fearful night, from thirst and intense cold, will never be forgotten by those who endured them.
Towards morning the troops were formed in one line facing the enemy; the THIRTY-FIRST happened to be on the right of the whole. At the break of day, the British artillery opened on the enemy, who returned their fire, and after a short cannonading the infantry advanced to the attack: the THIRTY-FIRST moved steadily towards a battery of seven guns on the enemy’s extreme left, which kept up a continued fire of grape; it was, however, carried by the bayonet without a single check, and almost without a shot being fired by the assailants, though the loss of the THIRTY-FIRST was severe. Having killed all the enemy’s artillery-men who remained at their guns, the regiment, led by its brave commander, Major Spence, passed through the battery, and advanced steadily in an excellent line for about 300 yards, when it halted. The Governor-General and the Commander-in-Chief passed down the ranks amidst the cheers of the men; the line saluted them, dropping the regimental colours; and private William Ash, a grenadier, stood in front of his company displaying a colour taken from the enemy in the battery before mentioned.
THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT
Madeley lith. 3 Wellington St Strand.
The defeat of the enemy now appearing to be complete, the soldiers were allowed to go in search of water, the want of which was severely felt. In the course of half an hour the alarm was suddenly given, that the Sikhs were coming down in force; the troops were quickly placed in position, though there could be no regularity as regarded brigades, and on the near approach of the enemy’s horse, the THIRTY-FIRST formed square, the Governor-General and his Staff placing themselves in the centre: a terrific fire was now opened upon the devoted troops (whose artillery ammunition was expended) from the guns of Tej-Singh’s army advancing to the support of the already defeated Sikhs, and the tide of victory appeared about to turn, when Sir Henry Hardinge, glancing at the small but undismayed band around him, exclaimed “Thirty-first, remember Albuhera.” Line was, however, soon after re-formed, no decided attack being made by the enemy, who nevertheless kept up a galling and destructive fire from his guns. The THIRTY-FIRST suffered very considerably without the power of retaliation, but patiently maintained their position; at one time, when threatened by cavalry, forming an oblong square of four deep, one side of the square being composed of the twenty-ninth foot under Brigadier Taylor of that corps, the twenty-ninth forming four deep to the front, and the THIRTY-FIRST four deep to the rear, and in this position they remained for some time, ready to receive cavalry. The THIRTY-FIRST maintained their position upwards of three hours, when they were once more enabled to go in search of water by the sudden and precipitate retreat of the enemy. The water in the wells was, however, found to be in such a putrid state, as to be nearly useless, from the bodies of the dead having been thrown into them; and the ground in the neighbourhood was extremely dangerous, having been extensively mined.