Thus ended the year 1845. The Sikhs, after having suffered two severe defeats, were preparing to renew the contest; they had made large additions to their army, and had again collected a formidable train of artillery.
1846
On the 16th of January, 1846, the first brigade, with a few guns and some Native cavalry, received sudden orders to march on the following morning in the direction of Loodiana, under the command of Major-General Sir Henry Smith; by a forced march on the 17th, the fort of Dhurrumkote was surprised, and the garrison, consisting of about three hundred men, laid down their arms, and were sent prisoners to head-quarters. On the 20th of the same month, this division was reinforced near the fort of Jugraon by the sixteenth lancers, the fifty-third foot, a detachment of recruits of the Queen’s regiments, and a troop of horse artillery.
The Major-General decided on attempting the relief of Loodiana, which was but slightly garrisoned, and was threatened by a large body of the enemy. Jugraon is distant from Loodiana about twenty-five miles, and the road (if road it can be called) is over a heavy and sandy soil. The troops were formed, and commenced their march about one o’clock on the morning of the 21st; about eleven A.M. the enemy was observed to be drawn up, parallel with the British line of march, in a strong position at Buddiwal, his front covered by a ridge of low sand-hills, bristling with forty pieces of artillery, which were so placed that it was necessary, in order to gain Loodiana, either to risk a battle to dislodge him from a strong position,—which, with troops fatigued by a long march, under a burning sun, and greatly inferior in numbers, would have been a hazardous proceeding,—or to march along the entire front of his position under a galling fire.
Major-General Sir Henry Smith, having a just confidence in the steadiness of his troops, chose the latter. The infantry, formed in open column of companies right in front (the grenadier company of the THIRTY-FIRST leading), and ready at any moment to form line, preceded by the artillery, and covered by the cavalry, marched at a distance of five hundred yards, along the front of this formidable line, receiving the fire of each battery as it bore upon them. The regiment formed line on the grenadier company.
On this occasion, and under the fire of forty guns, the THIRTY-FIRST received an order from Sir Henry Smith to change front to the rear on the centre, a movement which was rendered necessary by the manœuvres of the enemy, who had thrown forward his right in such a manner as to get into the rear of the British; this movement could not be attempted without the most perfect steadiness on the part of the men, and it was performed in such a manner as to call forth the praises of the Major-General. This was the first time this manœuvre was ever done under fire of the enemy; after which, the retirement of corps in line, covered by the sixteenth lancers, to relieve Loodiana (the object being to relieve that place), was beautifully executed.
The Sikh position being passed, and the enemy declining to follow, by three o’clock in the afternoon the troops arrived at Loodiana, thus effecting Sir Henry Smith’s object. In this affair the THIRTY-FIRST lost 21 men killed and wounded; and 19 men, who had, from the length and severity of the march, been unable to keep up with the column, were taken prisoners. The greatest part of the baggage belonging to the division was taken by the enemy.
On the 22nd and 23rd the troops were permitted to rest themselves after their late fatigues, and on the 24th the enemy retired to Aliwal, a village on the Sutlej. The British force moved to the ground lately occupied by them at Buddiwal, where it was reinforced by the second brigade of Sir Henry Smith’s division, consisting of Her Majesty’s fiftieth foot, and forty-eighth Native infantry, from head-quarters, with some cavalry and infantry from Loodiana.
On the 28th of January at daylight, Major-General Sir Henry Smith marched with his whole force to attack the enemy under Sirdar Runjoor Singh and the Rajah of Ladwa in their camps at Aliwal, but found him, on approaching it, drawn up in line of battle, with his left resting on the village. From information afterwards received, it appeared that the Sikhs were about to march upon Jugraon that very morning, for the purpose of getting between Sir Henry Smith’s force and the heavy guns coming up from Delhi under a very slender escort. The march having been previously conducted in column of brigades at deploying distance, each brigade deployed on its leading company, and thus formed one long line. The troops advanced on the enemy, distant about one mile and a half, and about ten A.M. the action was commenced by a heavy cannonade from the Sikh artillery, which was principally directed on the British centre. The village of Aliwal was filled with infantry, supported by cavalry in the rear, and further defended by two guns on its left, immediately opposite that part of the line occupied by the THIRTY-FIRST regiment. The village was carried, and the two guns were captured.
The line, being somewhat disordered in carrying the village, was quickly re-formed, and advanced in excellent order, carrying everything before it. The attack of the enemy by the left wing was equally successful. The line advanced, and made a steady and successful charge; the enemy, being everywhere beaten, gave way, and fled towards the river in the utmost confusion, leaving his camp and fifty-two pieces of artillery, as trophies in the hands of the victors. A standard was captured here by the THIRTY-FIRST regiment; also a gurry, or gong.[32]