iiiiiiiiiiiili:iK

THE LIBRARY

THE UNIVERSITY

OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

■^'^;/,rf i^^;!

THE MILITARY MEMOIRS
OF LIEUT.. GENERAL
SIR JOSEPH THACKWELL

G.C.B., K.H. ; COLONEL i6TH LANCERS

THE MILITARY MEMOIRS
OF LIEUT.-GENERAL
SIR JOSEPH THACKWELL

G.C.B., K.H. ; COLONEL i6tH LANCERS

ARRANGED FROM DIARIES
AND CORRESPONDENCE

BY COLONEL H. C. WYLLY, C.B.

AUTHOR OF "the CAMPAIGN OF MAGENTA AND SOLFERINO "

LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.

1908

PRINTED BY

HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD.,

LONDON AND AYLESBURY.

r32 W^

PREFACE

It is probable that these Memoirs would never
have seen the light, but for the fact that in some
books, comparatively recently published, which
deal with the history of the campaigns of the
Sutlej and of the Indus, it appeared that on at
least one occasion blame was imputed to Sir
Joseph Thackwell, either owing to the writers
not being in possession of a complete knowledge
of all the attendant circumstances, or because
they were not aware of the terms of the actual
orders from Lord Gough by which the actions
of Sir Joseph Thackwell were guided or controlled.
General Thackwell was not only the most loyal
of subordinates, but he had ever carefully refrained,
even in his private correspondence and journals,
from anything approaching comment or criticism
of the actions or commands of his superiors. In
all the pages of his diaries — bridging the lapse of
years between Corunna and Gujerat — there is no
word of adverse, much less of hostile, criticism.
He had, too, a horror of anything like literary
or journalistic controversy in regard to military

vi PREFACE

operations ; he strongly disapproved of officers
writing for the Press — in a letter written before
his son Edward came to India he warns him, as
he values his own prospects and his father's good
opinion, "never to wTite in the newspapers." The
" Nan-ative of the Second Seikh War " was written,
as the author admits, without Sir Joseph's know-
ledge or countenance, and it is unquestionable
that its publication gave him no little annoyance.
Nearly half a century has, however, passed
away since the General's death, and it is thought
that in justice to his memory some attempt may
now well be made to show how circumstances
shaped the events in which he bore a leading
part, and to what extent such of his actions as
have been questioned were fettered by his loyal
observance of the orders of those who were
responsible for the carrying out of the general
scheme of operations.

Major-General W. de W. R. Thackwell, C.B.,
V.D., J.P., of Wynstone Place, Gloucestershire, the
eldest surviving son of Sir Joseph Thackwell, has
for some time past wished to publish his father's
memoirs, and has unreservedly placed at my
disposal for this purpose, not only all the late
Sir Joseph Thackwell's journals and the manu-
script record he compiled of the services of the
15th Hussars in Spain, but a mass of correspond-
ence — private letters and copies of public docu-
ments — connected with the events of a long and
particularly varied military career.

PREFACE vii

I am greatly indebted to my brother, Major
Wylly, of the staff of the Royal United Service
Institution, for much help in the way of reference
to the literature of the wars wherein Sir Joseph
Thackwell was engaged, and to Mr. Wilham
Foster, of the India Office, for assistance in regard
to maps.

In the matter of the spelling of Indian place-
names, I have thought it less confusing to ignore
the different manner in which these are spelt by
the various writers quoted, and to spell each one
throughout in the way to which the ordinary
reader is best accustomed.

H. C. W.

March, 1908.

LIST OF WORKS CONSULTED

Life of Sir David Baird

Diary of Sir John Moore

Records of the 15th Hussars . . . .

Records of the 10th Hussars ....

Narrative of the Campaign iu the Peninsula
Life of Lord Seaton ......

Passages in the Early Life of Major-General Sir
G. Napier .......

History of the War in the Peninsula .
Campaign of the Army in Spain by Sir J. Moore.
Life of Lord Lynedoch .....

History of the German Legion ....

Memoirs of Viscount Combermere
Wellington's Oi)erations in the Peninsula .
How England saved Europe ....

Wellington's Men

Life of Lord Castlereagh

Annals of the Peninsula Campaigns.

Miscellaneous pamphlets.

Wellington's Despatches ....

Waterloo Letters .....

Journal of Lieutenant Woodberry.

Cavalry in the Waterloo Campaign

Memoirs of the 18th Hussars

The War in Afghanistan ....

The Afghan Campaign ....

The Campaign in Afghanistan

Tlie First Afghan War ....

Memorials of Afghanistan ....

The War in Afghanistan ....

Military Services in the Far East

History of India ......

The Indian Administration of Lord Ellenborough

Life of Hugh Viscount Gough . . . .

The Sikhs and the Sikh Wars ...

Hook.

Maurice.

Cannon.

Liddell.

Londonderry.

Moore Smith.

Napier.

Moore.

Delavoye.

Beamish.

Knollys.

Butler.

Fitchett.

Alison.

Gurwood.
Siborne.

Wood.

Malet.

Havelock.

Helsham Jones.

Hough.

Durand.

Stocqueler.

Kaye.

Mackinnon.

Keene.

Colchester.

Rait.

Gough and Innes.

LIST OF WORKS CONSULTED

Despatches of Hardinge and Gough.

Hardinge (Rulers of India) .

History of the 3rd Light Dragoons

Life of Lord Clyde

The Second Seikh War

Autobiography of Sir H. Smith

Records of the 16th Lancers

The 9th Queen's Royal Lancers

The Punjab Campaign, 1848-49

Dalhousie (Rulers of India) .

Barracks and Battle-fields .

Rambling Reminiscences of the Punjaub Cam

paign ....
Life of Sir Hope Grant
Battles of Chillianwallah and Gujerat
Records of the 14th Hussars
Tlie Punjab in Peace and War
Decisive Battles of India
Parliamentary Papers.
Life of Sir Henry Durand .
History of the Bengal Artillery
Life of Sir Charles Napier .
A Year on the Indian Frontier
The Calcutta Review, vol. xv.
History of the British Empire in India
Essays, Military and Political
History of the Sikhs .
Calcutta Review, vol. vi.
The Sikhs ....
Memoirs of Colonel Mountain

Hardinge.

Kauntze.

Shadwell.

Thackwell.

Moore Smith.

Cannon.

Reynard.

Lawrence-Archer

Hunter.

Caine.

Macphersou.

Knollys.

Sir Charles Gough.

Hamilton.

Thorburn.

Malleson.

Durand.

Stubbs.

Napier.

Edwardes.

Durand.

Trotter.

Lawrence.

Cunningham.

Edwardes.

Gordon.

Mountain.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

PAGE

Early life — Enters the Worcestershire Provisional Cavalry — Serves
in Ireland during the Rebellion— Joins the 15th King's Light
Dragoons — Placed on half-pay at the peace of Amiens-
Restored to the establishment of the 15th Hussars on outbreak
of War — Embarks for Portugal 1

CHAPTER n

The Hussar Brigade under General Slade disembarks at Corunna —
March to join Sir David Baird — Contradictory orders— Hussar
Brigade joins Sir John Moore — Action of Sahagun— Gallant
behaviour of the Fifteenth— Retreat of the army to Corunna—
Re-embarkation and return to England 11

CHAPTER HI

Four years' home service — Events in the Peninsula — The 16th
Hussars ordered to Portugal and laud at Lisbon — The march
to join Lord Wellington— The left advance — Passage of the
Esla — Action of Morales — Advance to Vittoria — The battle
and pursuit — Rearrangement of the cavalry brigades . . 24

CHAPTER IV

Disposition of Wellington's army— Employment of the cavalry —
The blockade of Pampeluna— The Fifteenth enter France-
Opening of tlie campaign of 1814 — Orthes — Toulouse — Abdica-
tion of Napoleon -Declaration of peace — The Fifteenth march
to Boulogne —Return homo ....... 46

xii CONTENTS

CHAPTER V

PAQE

Reduction of establishments— tlie Fifteenth proceed to Ireland —
Napoleon returns to France — Preparations for war — The
P^ifteenth sail from Cork to Ostend — March to Quatre-Bras —
The army falls back to Waterloo — The battle of the 18th June
—Captain Thackwell dangerously wounded at the close of the
action — Remarkable recovery — Rejoins the regiment — With
the Army of Occupation — Return to England . . .67

CHAPTER VI

Called out during riots — Injury to Major Thackwell — Brevet for
Waterloo — Succeeds to the command of the 15th Hussars —
Duke of Cumberland — Colonel Thackwell attends foreign
manoeuvres — Service in Ireland — Marriage — Busy with regi-
mental records — Return to England — Serious riots at
Nottingham — Measures taken by Colonel Thackwell — Recog-
nition by the authorities — Decision to retire on half-pay —
Exchanges with Lord Brudenell 84

CHAPTER Vn

Home life in Gloucestershire — Family — Work with the Yeomanry
— The Hanoverian Order — Decides to exchange to a regiment
embarking for India— Joins the 3rd Light Dragoons — Promoted
Colonel in the army— Sails for India — Arrival at Calcutta —
March to Cawnpore — Appointed to the rank of Major-General
in India — Companion of the Bath — Trouble in Afghanistan —
Appointed to command the cavalry of the Army of the
Indus — Proceeds to Ferozepore — The Bengal and Bombay
armies — March down the Indus — The crossing at Bukker . 107

CHAPTER VHI

The passage of the Bolan Pass — March to Quetta — Sir John Keane
assumes command of tlie advance — March to Kandahar — The
whole army united — Move on Kabul — Assault and capture of
Ghuzuee. .......... 123

CONTENTS xiii

CHAPTER IX

PAGE

Description of Ghuznee — Resumption of the advance on Kabul —
Occupation of the city — The order of the Durani Empire —
The Bengal Force returns to India^The march by way of the
Khyber — Arrival in Peshawar — General Avitabili — Losses
among transport animals — March to Ferozepore— Break up of
the Army of the Indus — General Thackwell resumes duty at
Cawnpore 141

CHAPTER X

General Thackwell's views on cavalry armament— Clothing of
Sepoys— Bad news from Afghanistan— Officiating command of
the Cawnpore Division— Ordered to join the Army of Observa-
tion with a view to commanding a cavalry division — Arrives at
Ferozepore— Orders cancelled— Offers to serve under Pollock
—Leaves Army Headquarters and returns to Cawnpore—
Formation of the Army of Reserve— Appointed to command
of the cavalry— Proceeds to Ferozepore— Arrival of troops
under Sale, Pollock, and Nott— Break up of the force— Unrest
in Gwalior— General Thackwell appointed to command the
cavalry in the event of war with that State — Proceeds
to Agra . . 1""

CHAPTER XI

Disposition of the army under Sir Hugh Gough— Advance to the
Chumbul — Battle of Maharajpore— March to Gwalior—
General Thackwell decides to go home on leave— Three
months in England— Returns to India and resumes duty at
Cawnpore 1'^

CHAPTER XII

The Sikhs— Trouble brewing in the Punjab— Preparations for war
— General Thackwell ordered to join headquarters to com-
mand the cavalry— Arrives on the Sutlej— The fords of the
river— Aliwal—Sobraon— The charge of the 3rd Dragoons . 192

xiv CONTENTS

CHAPTER XIII

PAGE

The army passes the Sutlej — Peace proposals — Advance on Lahore
— Great Durbar — Break up of the Force^The Cawnpore
command — Accompanies Lord Hardinge to Lucknow —
Transferred to Meerut — Reductions in the Native Army . 219

CHAPTER XIV

The outbreak at Multan— Preparations for war — Appointed to the
command of the Third Division — Composition of the Army
of the Punjab— Ramnuggar — Tliackwell to command the
cavalry — The detached force — The passage of the Chenab . 233

CHAPTER XV

The march down the right bank — Contradictory orders — Sadula-
pore — Inaction of Lord Gough— Lord Gough's despatch — The
fords of the Chenab — The real explanation of the mis-state-
ments in Lord Gough's despatch of the 5th December . . 254

CHAPTER XVI

The advance to Helah — Thackwell's Sadulapore despatch — Its
belated publication — The Sikhs entrenched on the Jhelum —
The work of the cavalry — An historic battlefield — Strength of
the rival forces — The enemy's line of battle — British advance
to Chillianwala 270

CHAPTER XVII

Distribution of the British Force — The commander of the Third
Division— The cavalry on the left — Campbell's advance — ^The
cavalry under Pope — Gilbert's attack — The Sikhs fall back on
Russool — The British withdrawal to Chillianwala . . . 288

CHAPTER XVIII

The newspapers on Chillianwala — Campbell's annoyance at their
strictures — Correspondence with Sir Joseph Thack well-
Letters from Brind, Tucker, and Robertson — Some comments
on Campbell's views 307

CONTENTS XV

CHAPTER XIX

PAGE

After Chillianwala— Awaiting the fall of Multau— The flank march
by the Sikhs — Approach of British reinforcements— Lord
Gough moves on Gujerat— Strength of his army — Disposition
of his troops — The Cavalry Division — The battle of Gujerat —
Able handling of the cavalry on the left— The cavalry pursuit
—Disarmament of the Sikh soldiers— Return to Meerut —
Honours, rewards, and congratulations— G.C.B. . . . 324

CHAPTER XX

Last days in India — Reform in military prisons — Return home —
Cordial reception — The camp at Chobham — Seeks service with
the force ordered to Turkey— Appointed Officiating Inspector-
General of Cavalry— Promoted Lieut. -General— Offered Lieut.-
Governorship of Chelsea Hospital— Irish property— Children
— Some talk of a baronetcy— Failing health — The end . . 347

APPENDIX A 359

APPENDIX B 368

APPENDIX C 376

APPENDIX D 390

INDEX 417

LIST OF MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

Lieut. -General Sib Joseph Thackwell (Photogravure) Frontispiece
Photo Debenbam, Gloucester.

TACING PAGE

Captain Thackwell leading the Last Charge of the 15th

Hussars at Waterloo ....... 72

Pboto Debenbam, Gloucester.

Plan showing Position and Movebients of 15th Hussars . 74

Plan showing Positions and Movements of Grant's Cavalry

Brigade 76

Plan op the Battle of Maharajpoor ..... 181

Map of Sobraon ......... 207

Map of Chenab River from Ramnugger to Wazirabad . 243

Sketch of the Action at Sadoolapore 268

Plan showing Position of Troops at Battle of Gujerat . 334

Sketch op the Battle of Goojerat 336

Sketch-Map of the States bordering on the Indus River

AND OF Afghanistan . . . . . , . At the end

XVI

Military Memoirs of Lieutenant-General
Sir Joseph Thackwell

CHAPTER I

Joseph Thack\vell, the subject of these memoirs,
was born on the 1st February 1781 at Rye Court,
almost under the shadow of the Malvern Hills, and
in that picturesque and historically interesting por-
tion of the county of Worcester which marches
with Gloucestershire, and which is known as Malvern
Chase. He was the fourth son of John Thackwell,
of Rye Court and Moreton Court, Lord of the
Manor of Birtsmoreton and Berrow, and was
descended from an old Worcestershire family.
His mother was Judith, daughter of J. Daffy, of
Maysington, a descendant of the Egyoke family.

There is little or no record of young Thackwell's
boyhood ; he appears, however, to have been
educated chiefly in Worcester, and when barely
seventeen and a half he was appointed to the
Worcestershire Regiment of Provisional Cavalry,
in which his commission as Cornet signed by I^ord
Coventry, Lord-I^ieutenant of the county, bears

2 EARLY SOLDIERING

date 18th August 1798. The Provisional Cavahy
was a short-hved force, which had been called into
existence just ten years previously when the alarm
of invasion was at its height, and appears to have
been in some degree a Home Defence Regular
Cavalry for service in the British Isles only —
being quite distinct from either the Yeomanry or
the Volunteer Cavalry. Fortescue states in his
" History of the British Army " that owners of
horses kept for riding or carriage were " required
to provide one trooper and horse for every ten of
such horses, while those that possessed fewer were
lumped together to provide their horsemen jointly.
This Provisional Cavalry was entitled to pay if
embodied, and was reckoned to comprise fifteen
thousand men." The AYorcestershire Regiment
had been embodied in 1797, and when Cornet
Thackwell joined them in Worcester the corps
was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Hon. John
Somers Cocks. Thackwell was posted on appoint-
ment to Captain Parker's troop— the regiment com-
prised but four troops— and his brother subaltern
was a Lieutenant Thomas Garden.

On the 4th November the regiment marched
from Worcester via Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth
to Chester, and about this time Captain Parker
appears to have resigned his commission, the
command of his troop devohdng upon Captain
Thomas Webb.

During April and May of the following year the
Worcestershire Regiment of Provisional Cavalry
had its headquarters in Liverpool, and was there
commanded by Major Bromley, the commanding

SERVICE IN IRELAND S

officer being absent at Westminster attending to
his parliamentary duties ; at this time ThackweU
was on detachment at Wigan, and later — on the
regiment moving to Shrewsbury — he seems to have
been detached in Liverpool and afterwards in
Preston. On the 12th September 1799 Thackwell
was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and trans-
ferred to JNIajor Henry Bromley's troop ; and on
the 7th of the following month the regiment
moved by march route to Liverpool, under orders
from Major-General O. Nicholls, and thence
embarked for service in Ireland, where, "in
greater measure than in other countries, the
French Revolution had stirred inert minds to
activity, and active minds to precipitation." The
embarking strength of tlie four troops would
appear to have been 187 men, since the pay-list
of that date contains a credit for £294 10^. 6d.
"embarkation money," at the rate of £l 11,^. 6d.
per man. The regiment disembarked at the Pigeon
House Dock, remained for a short time in Dublin,
and moved on the 14th November to Carlow.

At this period the British army contained an
enormous variety of regiments — "regular regiments
for general service, regular regiments for European
service, regular regiments for home service, invalid
companies and other corps for garrisons at home
and abroad, militia, provisional cavalry, yeomanry,
volunteers, associations of cavalry, and associa-
tions of infantry,"' coloured levies and foreign
troops ; and yet the military authorities of those
days seem to have found the time for the in-

' Fortescue.

4 JOINS THE FIFTEENTH

dulgence of a taste — one moreover which they
have bequeathed in full measure to their successors
in more modern times — for constantly and bewilder-
ingly changing the titles of regiments. Thus the
corps in which young Thackwell was now serving
had commenced its existence in 1796 as the
Worcestershire Regiment of Provisional Cavalry;
barely three years later it became the Worcester-
shire Regiment of Light Dragoons, and finally in
January 1800 its title was once again altered to
that of the Worcestershire Regiment of Fencible
Cavalry.

The regiment did not remain long in Ireland,
and I have been unable to discover that it was
ever actively engaged against the rebels; early in
1800 it again left Dubhn, marched from Liverpool
to Bewdley and thence to Worcester, where on
the 12th April the regiment was finally disbanded,
Joseph Thackwell being gazetted on the 23rd of
that month Cornet by purchase in the 15th Light
Dragoons, whose headquarters were then stationed
at Canterbury, and joining a troop quartered at
Ramsgate on or before the 15th May.

At this period the 15th King's Light Dragoons
bore a reputation second to none in the British —
or indeed in any cavalry. As Eliott's Light Horse
the regiment had taken part, just forty years before,
in its maiden battle, and the name " EmsdorfF"
commemorates their gallantry and their heavy losses
during that engagement in the Seven Years' War,
when going into action 450 strong they lost in
killed and wounded 4 officers, 125 men and
126 horses, and "five Battalions of French were

HIS BROTHER OFFICERS 5

defeated and taken by this regiment with their
Colours and nine pieces of cannon on the plains
of EmsdorfF July the sixteenth 1760."' But when
young Thackwell was appointed there were officers
still serving in the regiment who had taken part in
an even greater feat of arms ; Aylett was there who
had led the three squadrons of the Fifteenth atVillers
en Cauchies ; there too were Calcraft, who had
ridden with him, and Robert Wilson — this last in
after-years the British INIilitary Commissioner with
the Russian Army during Napoleon's disastrous
campaign of 1812. The regiment had even now
but just returned from active service in Holland
under H.R.H. the Duke of York, where their
behaviour had earned for them the right to bear
the word " Egmont-op-Zee " upon their guidons
and appointments.

Truly a good school for a young cavalryman
anxious so to train his mind and body that he
might rise to high rank in this particular branch
of the service !

When Thackwell joined the 15th Light Dragoons,
then commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel George
Anson, he was at first posted to Captain Sandford
Lambe's troop, but in the following June he was
transferred to that commanded by Major and Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Aylett, with whom he seems to
have remained until promoted lieutenant on the
13th June 1801, when he joined Captain James
Mansfield's troop at Hertford.

During the autumn of 1800 and the winter of

' Inscription on a helmet issued to Eliott's Light Horse after the
Seven Years' War, and now in the Officers' Mess, 15th Hussars.

6 REDUCTION OF THE ARMY

1800-1 the Fifteenth were at Dorchester, but in
the early part of April the regiment was ordered
to the neighbourhood of Taunton in consequence
of serious riots in Somersetshire, two troops being
sent to Launceston and Bodmin. Just now the
Fifteenth must have presented a very fine appear-
ance ; it was already 800 strong, but the ten troops
were now each augmented to 90 men and horses,
and in June the strength of the regiment was
again further increased until its establishment was
950 rank and file, with 1,012 horses. It seems
clear that already thus early Thackwell had shown
the zeal and ability which were ever afterwards to
distinguish him ; for in September 1801, it being
determined to attach two galloper guns to each
regiment of light cavalry, he was sent in charge
of a party to Brighton to go through a special
course with Horse Artillery. In the spring of
the following year, however, it seemed as though
the career of our young oflficer was likely to be
prematurely blighted ; the preliminaries of peace
had been already signed in London in the previous
October, and the treaty of Amiens — which was
really nothing more than a suspension of arms —
was signed on the 25th March 1802. The imme-
diate result of a peace was the reduction of the
army, and the 15th Dragoons, which at the moment
were only twelve men short of their establishment,
was one of the first corps to suffer. In May 325
men were discharged and 244 horses were trans-
ferred or cast, while in June two troops were
reduced, and the remaining eight were placed on
an establishment of 64 men and 54 horses, when

PLACED ON HALF-PAY 7

the two junior captains, lieutenants, and cornets
were placed on the half-pay list. Among these
officers thus cast adrift was Joseph Thackwell,
and on the 25th June he had severed — fortunately
only temporarily — his connection with the regi-
ment with which, in the future, he was to see
so much and so distinguished service.

Already in JMarch 1803 the hostile attitude of
the First Consul was the cause of an augmenta-
tion in the strength of the various regiments of the
British Army ; the Fifteenth was brought up to a
strength of 75 men and 65 horses per troop, and
was stationed at different points on the Kentish
coast, and by July the establishment was further
raised to a total of 85 men for each of the eight
troops.

Thackwell appears to have been re-posted to his
old regiment on the 20th April 1804, but seems
for a time to have been supernumerary to the
establishment, since it is not until August that
his name is to be found on the pay list as attached
to a troop. In this month, however, two addi-
tional troops, making a total of ten, were placed on
the establishment, and Thackwell was then posted
to that nominally commanded by Captain Leitch,
who had been adjutant of the Fifteenth when
Thackwell first joined. As Leitch, however, was
absent on the staff at this time as aide-de-camp
to the Duke of Cumberland, the troop — which was
at Blandford, the headquarters of the regiment
being at Winchester — was, for some time at least,
commanded by Lieutenant Thackwell.

In the beginning of March 1805 the establish-

8 PROMOTED CAPTAIN

merit of each troop was raised to 106 men and the
same number of horses ; and in July the regiment
proceeded to Weymouth, where a very large force
had been assembled, and where the Fifteenth ap-
pears to have been brigaded with the 3rd Hussars of
the King's German Legion. The regiment remained
at Weymouth — in Radipole Barracks — during the
succeeding year, and here at last Thackwell had
to hand over the troop he had so long commanded
as a subaltern to a Captain Augustus Heiliger, who
was brought in from the 2nd Light Dragoons of
the Legion. It was while quartered at Weymouth
that the Fifteenth were converted into hussars. On
the 9th April 1807 Captain Loftus was promoted
from the Fifteenth to a majority in the 38th Foot ;
but Thackwell's promotion to the vacant troop,
which should have followed, was not notified until
the 11th July, although the date of his promotion
to captain was afterwards antedated to the earlier
date. He was appointed to command I. Troop.
Meanwhile the regiment had begun to hope that
they were again to see service in the field, for
on the 21st May an order was received from the
Horse Guards to hold themselves in readiness
to embark for foreign service.

For some reason, however, the order was can-
celled, and it was not until the autumn of the year
following that the wishes of all ranks were to be
realised. In July 1807 the 15th Hussars had
moved to Woodbridge Barracks and Wickham
Market, and here the Hussar Brigade — 7th,
10th, and 15th Hussars — was got together under
command of Major-General Lord Paget. The

ORDERED ON SERVICE 9

spring and summer of 1808 were spent in Essex,
and then at last, early in October, an order was
received for eight troops, each of 85 men and
horses, to be held in readiness for foreign service.

The reason for this movement was the events
which had been transpiring in Portugal. On the
21st August the battle of Vimiera had been
fought, and on the 30th a treaty, known as the
Convention of Cintra, had been concluded at
Lisbon ; Sir Hew Dalrymple had been recalled
to England ; Sir Arthur Wellesley and, later,
Sir Harry Burrard had quitted the army in the
field ; and the forces in the Peninsula had been
left under the command of Sir John Moore, who
had landed on the very day of the battle which
closed that phase of the campaign. It was the
6th October before a despatch containing the first
determinate plan of campaign arrived at Lisbon,
where Sir John Moore then was.

" Thirty thousand infantry and five thousand
cavalry were to be employed in the north of
Spain. Of these, ten thousand were to be em-
barked at the English ports, the remainder to
be composed of regiments drafted from the
army then in Portugal. Sir John Moore was
to command, and was authorised to unite the
whole by a voyage round the coast or by a
march through the interior.'

Sir David Baird was directed to take under his
orders the force destined to be added to that
already under Sir John Moore in the Peninsula,

' Napier.

10 PROCEEDS TO CORUNNA

and of which the greater part was collecting at
Cork and Falmouth — the cavalry at Portsmouth.

On the 20th the regiment began its march for
the port of embarkation, remained a few days
at Guildford en route, and finally embarked at
Portsmouth on the 28th and 30th October. The
embarking strength was 27 officers, 36 sergeants,
682 rank and file, and 682 horses. Captain Thack-
well was the junior but one of his rank. The
7th and 10th Hussars, completing the brigade, had
already set sail some days previously, and with
them was the brigadier, General John Slade, who
had served in the 10th until he had attained the
rank of second lieutenant-colonel, and under whom
the 15th Hussars had already served when at
Weymouth.

The voyage across the Bay was stormy, and
twenty-two horses died ; but between the 12th
and 15th November the men and baggage of the
regiment were safely landed at the pier at Corunna
— the horses being towed ashore at the sterns of
the boats— and on the 21st the 15th Hussars
commenced their march up-country.

The strength of the Fifteenth marching out of
Corunna is given in the "states" as 527 rank
and file— total of Hussar Brigade, 1,538.

CHAPTER II

Sir David Baird, with the bulk of his division,

had arrived at Corunna on the 13th October, but

his disembarkation had been very greatly delayed

by the action of the Spanish authorities. He had

expected to find every arrangement made for the

reception and accommodation of his troops, but

he speedily learnt that not only was the arrival

of the British force entirely unexpected, but that

the Junta of Galicia, then sitting at Corunna,

did not consider itself authorised to receive the

EngUsh troops, or to permit their disembarkation

without the sanction of the Supreme Government,

and the projected landing was consequently delayed

to obtain this permission.

Sir John Moore had written to Sir David from

Lisbon on the 12th October, the day before the

ships conveying the reinforcements from England

had anchored at Corunna, stating that he had

decided to march the troops with him through

Spain and Portugal, in preference to embarking

them and joining Sir David at Corunna by sea ;

that he meant to move upon Almeida and Ciudad

Rodrigo by three different roads ; that his march

thence would be on Burgos ; and that " at some

12 MARCH OF THE CAVALRY

intermediate place, which shall afterwards be
settled, our junction must be made." Sir David
Baird was enjoined to place his troops in the most
convenient cantonments in and about Corunna,
and equip them for the field. On the 22nd Sir
John Moore wrote again announcing that most
of his regiments had started, but in the meantime
the courier sent to Madrid had returned to Corunna
conveying to Sir David permission to land in
the event only of its being found impracticable
to proceed by sea to Santander ; if disembarkation
did take place it must be in detachments of not
more than 300 men at one time, which were then
to be successively pushed on into Castile from the
port of disembarkation. It was only by objecting
in the strongest terms to this division of his force,
that Sir David was eventually enabled to canton
his troops in the towns and villages on the two
principal roads leading to Leon and Castile,
pending their proper equipment for field ser\dce.
As a matter of fact, however, the leading troops
of the force under Sir David Baird — the light
brigade with Brigadier-General Craufurd— was
actually on its march towards Astorga on the 28th
October, six days only after the permission to
land the troops had arrived at Corunna.

The cavalry — whose embarkation at Portsmouth
had been delayed owing to the dearth of horse-
transports — were fortunate in that they were able
to disembark at Corunna very shortly after arrival.
Marching by the great Madrid road, General
Slade's brigade moved through Betanzos, Monte
Guitirz, Lugo, Nogales, Villafranca and Bembibre,

CONTRADICTORY ORDERS 13

and closed up with the force under command
of Sir David Baird, whose advanced posts were
in front of Astorga. General Slade, writing in
his diary of this march, states that the Hussar
Brigade halted at Betanzos on the 20th, Guitirz
on the 21st, Lugo on the 22nd, and Nogales on
the 24th, but these dates do not, however, appear
to agree with those mentioned in the records of
the 10th and 15th Hussars. The marches were
made by night, and the cold was very great, while
between Travedelos and Rogalos the road was
nothing but a track through the mountains with
a precipice on one side.

Much uncertainty had existed with respect to
the movements of the force under Sir David Baird.
Late on the night of the 29th November Sir David
had received a letter from Sir John Moore
announcing the defeat and dispersion of the
Spanish army under Castanos, and stating that
it was in consequence his intention to retreat
upon Portugal, while Baird was directed to fall
back upon Corunna, whence he was to sail for
the Tagus. At this time Moore estimated that
the French had 110,000 men in Spain ; it was
certain that the Spaniards had no longer anything
like an army in the field ; while the British force,
even if united, was not of sufficient strength to
contend single-handed with the armies of Napoleon.
Baird then, in pursuance of his instructions, with-
drew his infantry to Villafranca, but decided to
retain for a few days at Astorga the cavalry
brigade which had but lately arrived at that
place. On the 5th December Sir John

14 JUNCTION OF THE FORCES

Moore wrote to Sir David Baird ordering him
to return with his whole force to Astorga, and
stating that it was his intention to do " all that
the wishes of his country and duty demanded "
to support the resistance which the people of
Madrid seemed ready to offer to the advance
of the French. In this letter Sir John Moore
asked that two regiments of cavalry should be
sent to him ; Sir David, however, decided to send
forward the whole of the Hussar Brigade which
reached Benevente on the 6th, and on the 8th
December arrived at Zamora on the Duero, up
the left bank of which river it advanced through
Toro to Tordesillas. On the 15th it threw out
outposts towards Rio Seco to cover Sir John
Moore's movement from Salamanca, joining hands
with Sir John Moore's cavalry, consisting of the
18th Hussars and the 3rd Hussars of the King's
German Legion under Brigadier-General Charles
Stewart. Moore's projected advance upon Valla-
dolid was now given up, and on the 16th the
army, marching by Toro, continued its movement
upon Mayorga for the purpose of effecting a
junction with Sir David Baird's corps and attacking
Soult.

At Mayorga on the 20th December the long
anticipated junction of the forces of Moore and
Baird was at last effected.

Mayorga was within three leagues of Sahagun,
where it was stated that between seven and eight
hundred of the enemy's cavalry were posted under
General Debelle. The Fifteenth had only marched
into Mayorga late that evening but were ordered

ACTION OF SAHAGUN 15

to co-operate with the 10th Hussars and four guns
in the endeavour to cut off the French detachment.
For this purpose the 10th Hussars with the guns,
under General Slade, were to move along the right
bank of the Cea direct upon Sahagun, and about
daybreak push into the town, whilst the Fifteenth
with Lord Paget advanced by the opposite bank of
the river. The 10th and 15th, with the guns and
a small party of the 7th Hussars, accordingly left
JVIayorga at midnight on the 20th December.
General Slade writes in his diary :

" A more dreadful night the troops could not
be exposed to, as it was particularly dark, a severe
frost, with sleet falling, and the snow drifted in
many places to the depth of four feet. Many
horses fell, and one man had his leg broken."

Between five and six in the morning of the
21st the advanced guard of the Fifteenth fell in
with a French patrol and took five prisoners, but
the rest escaping, owing to the extreme dark-
ness, the alarm was given. The regiment now
advanced with all possible expedition to cut off
the retreat of the enemy, and a little before day-
break approached Sahagun, where the French were
discovered formed up. Between the two forces
the ground was broken by a hollow way, and,
as the Fifteenth drew near, the enemy retired
towards a bridge on their left. Lord Paget moved
the regiment in columns of divisions and trotted
along parallel to the enemy's line of march, but
a good deal behind them. The French frequently
endeavoured to cross the head of his column, when

16 CONDUCT OF THE HUSSARS

he changed the direction to prevent his flank being
turned. At length the French halted and formed
line, when the Fifteenth, having passed the enemy's
left flank, also halted, wheeled into line and charged
with resistless impetuosity. The hostile cavalry
was absolutely borne down and unhorsed by the
superior activity and weight of our Hussars ; many
were killed and wounded, and the whole body
was overwhelmed and scattered ; two lieutenant-
colonels, eleven other officers and 154 men were
taken prisoners, twenty were killed and 125 horses
captured, while the casualties in the Fifteenth, con-
sidering the numbers opposed to the regiment —
double its own force — were few — only two rank and
file and four horses being killed, whilst the Colonel
and Adjutant, 18 rank and file, and 10 horses were
wounded.

Lord Paget expressed to all ranks of the Fifteenth
his grateful thanks for the gallant way in which
they had behaved ; Colonel Colquhoun Grant
and Lord Paget were each given a medal ; the
conduct of the Hussars received warm praise from
Sir John Moore in his despatch, dated Benevente,
28th December, to Lord Castlereagh ; and the
regiment was subsequently honoured with the
royal authority to bear the word " Sahagun " oh
its appointments in commemoration of this action.

On the 21st, Baird's division occupied the town
from which the French had been driven, and here,
too. Sir John Moore established his headquarters ;
the cavalry was pushed out towards the Carrion
and Saldanha.

The army was to have advanced at eight o'clock

THE RETREAT COMMENCES 17

on the night of the 23rd December to attack Soult
in his position on the Carrion River ; but, previous
to the hour named, Sir John Moore received in-
formation from the Marquis de la Romana that
Bonaparte, having become acquainted witli the
menace of the forward movement of the British,
had not only turned against them the troops
which were marching on Portugal, but was him-
self advancing from JNIadrid with an overwhelm-
ing force to cut off the English armies from
GaHcia. In consequence of this information, Sir
John Moore determined to abandon the proposed
movement against Soult and to lose no time in
regaining the neighbourhood of Astorga, whence
the retreat of the British force might in some
degree be assured.

" From the points occupied by the British army,
two principal roads lead on Astorga. That on the
north, crossing the Esla by a bridge at Mansilla
de los Mulos, and passing through Leon, is the
more direct hue of communication " (but this road
was occupied by the Spanish troops under la
Romana). " The southern Kne crosses the Esla by
the bridge at Castro Gonzalo, about a league in front
of Benevente, through which town it passes. It
was along this road that Sir John Moore and the
principal part of the army began to retreat ; whilst
Sir David Baird was directed with his division
to take an intermediate direction by cross roads,
leading to Valencia de Don Juan, a town situated
on the Esla, about equidistant from the bridges
before mentioned, at which place the river is pass-
able by a large ferry-boat, and, in a dry season, at
a ford in the neighbourhood."^

• Hook.

18 ADVANCE OF THE FRENCH

At this moment the Enghsh army was almost
hemmed in by the converging forces of the
French. In front, Soult had been strongly rein-
forced until he alone was now in superior strength
to the British, and there was danger lest he might
sMp round Moore's left and cut him off from
Corunna ; Junot, with the army liberated by the
terms of the Convention of Cintra, was moving up
from Burgos, and had reached Palencia ; Lefebvre
was marching from Salamanca ; while Bonaparte
himself, moving up like a whirlwind from Madrid,
across the deep snows and the wild hills of the
Guadarama, was already close upon Tordesillas.

Lord Paget sent forward strong patrols, and the
cavalry preserved a bold front while the infantry
withdrew. General Slade chronicles in his diary :

" On the 25th, at three in the morning, we
marched back to Sahagun ; but how different the
treatment to that we received on advancing ! No
more ringing of bells, no longer did the air resound
with ' Long live the English ! ' All the shops were
shut, and not anything to be got. I may truly say
it was the most unpleasant Christmas Day that
could be spent."

On the 26th the whole army was in full retreat
towards the coast. The cavalry reached Mayorga
on this date, and here the 10th Hussars had what
Napier describes as " a hardy action," adding :

" The English cavalry had been engaged more or
less for twelve successive days, with such fortune
and bravery that above five hundred prisoners
had already fallen into their hands, and their leader
being excellent, their confidence was unbounded."

DIFFICULTIES OF THE ROAD 19

On the 27th the Fifteenth reached Valderas, and
on the following day Benevente, and of these two
marches General Slade remarks that —

" we were thirteen hours on horseback — and a
most severe day it was. I should conceive that
not less than forty horses sunk from fatigue, and
had to be shot. . . . Marched to Benevente. It
rained the whole of this day, which after the frost
made the roads almost impassable. No ploughed
field, after the breaking up of a frost, could be in
a worse state. The exertions of the artillery, and
the difficulties they encountered, exceed every-
thing I could have conceived."

On the 29th the Reserve and Craufurd's Brigade
quitted Benevente ; but the cavalry remained in
that town, having guards at the fords of the Esla :
on this day General Lefebvre Desnouettes, with
five squadrons of Hussars of the Imperial Guard,
forded the river above the town and attacked the
picquets commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Otway,
of the 18th Hussars. The result was most credit-
able to the 10th, 18th, and 3rd German Hussars, led
by Brigadier-General Stewart ; but a few orderlies,
one of whom was killed, were the only men of the
Fifteenth who were engaged, the rest were with the
column, but moved up to the support of the cavalry.
The French did not, however, cross the Esla again,
and the Fifteenth continued its retirement on La
Baneza. The cavalry arrived at Astorga on the
31st ; and here, as recorded by General Slade —

" it was reported that the French were advancing
upon us. The Hussar Brigade assembled at our
alarm posts at 8 p.m., where we remained till mid-

20 HARDSHIP AND SUFFERING

night." (Thackwell says until two in the morning.)
" We then marched to Bembibre, arriving at
2 p.m. the following morning. The many delays
were owing, in the first instance, to the depth of
the snow, and also from the frequent interruptions
we met with from carriages being overturned,
artillery wagons burning, etc."

The mountains were covered with snow, and the
cold was intense, and some idea of the sufferings of
the troops may be gathered from the statement in
the records of the 10th Hussars, that " in the Tenth
alone, Captain Darley and seventeen private soldiers
died of fatigue, while sixty horses were destroyed to
prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy."

Part of the Fifteenth covered the retreat from
Bembibre on the 2nd January, and with all its
exertions could not keep in its front the many
stragglers, who had, therefore, to be left to their
fate. The French cavalry had entered the town
before our picquets had well left it, and they
pressed much upon the rear during this march,
the Fifteenth having three horses killed, and two
or three men and horses wounded. That night
the whole regiment bivouacked on the high road
near a large dwarf wood three or four miles in
front of Calcabello — two troops on some open
rising ground, and the remainder nearly a mile
further to the rear. Thackwell states that here
" several infantry stragglers, who had been miser-
ably gashed by the French cavalry, crawled to our
fires in the night, and were sent to the rear under
protection."

Next morning the enemy showed a disposition

ARRIVAL AT CORUNNA 21

to advance ; but losing a few men killed, wounded,
and taken, they desisted. At this time the strength
of the Fifteenth was under 300 men and horses,
and many of the latter were utterly exhausted,
lame from want of shoes, and could scarcely be
urged to a faster pace than a trot. In the evening
the British retired fighting through the town ; the
French dragoons closed twice with the skirmishers
of the Fifteenth, and had several men killed, but
did not succeed in taking a single prisoner from
the regiment. From Villafranca the route lay over
the Monte del Cebrero, traversing a country so
broken and intersected as to prevent cavalry acting,
or indeed of moving at all except by the road. The
regiment, therefore, continued its retirement during
the night, and on the morning of the 4th left a
squadron of 80 rank and file, mounted on the freshest
horses, at Nogales to act with the infantry rear guard.
On the 6th ^loore halted at Lugo and offered
battle, but the offer not being accepted the march
was resumed at night — the Fifteenth remaining
on picquet until 5 a.m., keeping the fires burning
to delude the enemy into the belief that the
British Army was still in position, and then retiring
in torrents of rain to Betanzos. On the 11th the
army reached Corunna, and on the 15th the enemy
in considerable force drove in the outposts and
took possession of the wooded heights overlooking
the British position ; of the picquet of Hussars,
100 strong, several horses were wounded on this
occasion. A patrol under Thackwell, who was in
command of the cavalry picquets, was sent by
Sir John Moore to ascertain if the French were

22 RETURN TO ENGLAND

extending to their left. It proceeded about five
miles to our right front without meeting the
enemy, and part of the picquet remained out till
the morrow, but was not engaged in the battle/

Of the horses of the 15th Hussars, thirty only
were permitted to embark, some were given up
to the Commissariat Department, and the remainder
were slaughtered on the beach, the regiment em-
barking on the afternoon and night of the 16th
January. Towards the end of January, the Fifteenth
were disembarked at Portsmouth, Plymouth, and
Falmouth, landing with only 29 horses out of the
682 which they had taken with them when proceeding
on active service little more than three months
previously.

" The distance from Sahagun, the point at which
Moore's retreat began, to Corunna, where he ex-
pected the British transports to be waiting for him,
w^as, in a direct line, about 160 miles ; the actual
march of the troops was probably about 220 miles. . . .
During this retreat of eighteen days it will be
seen that Moore's forces actually halted four days,
and it seems difficult to understand how a British
Army, unshaken by defeat, and splendidly led,
should practically have fallen into ruin in a period
of time so short. But the march from Sahagun
to Corunna was, for suffering and horror, like a
tiny section of the JNIoscow retreat. The track
lay through the savage Asturian hills. It was
winter time — tempests raged almost incessantly.
Every stream was swollen, every ravine was choked
with snow."^

^ The only cavalry taking; any part in the action appear to have
been forty men of the 15th Hussars, under Lieutenant Knight, forming
the escort of Sir John Moore.

? Fitcbett.

PRAISE OF THE CAVALRY 23

Of the march from Astorga to Villafranca, Lord
Londonderry says :

" The condition of the army was at this time a
most melancholy one ; the rain came down in
torrents ; men and horses were floundering at every
step ; . . . the shoes of the cavalry horses dropped
off, and the horses themselves soon became useless.
It was a sad spectacle to behold these fine creatures
urged and goaded on till their strength utterly failed
them, and then shot to death by their riders, in
order to prevent them falling into the hands of the
enemy."

Writing of the march of the 1st January, he says :

" At this time the enemy's cavalry, though they
seldom sought an opportunity of coming to blows
with us, pressed closely and incessantly upon our
rear ; we rode frequently many miles in sight of
each other ; and from time to time our rearmost
dragoons would exchange pistol shots with their
leading files."

But throughout the retreat, as in the advance,
the work of the mounted portion of the force was
singularly brilliant, and few will be found to disagree
with the historian who says that —

" the part taken by the cavalry under Paget in
this retreat was very gallant. They faced with
cheerful courage and tireless hardihood the vastly
superior French cavalry, which pressed on the
British rear, and never failed to overthrow theiii
jn the actual shock of the charge.'

' Fitchett.

CHAPTER III

During the next four years the 15th Hussars
remained in England, and Captain Thackwell was
thus debarred from taking any part in the events
of that momentous period of the war in Spain
and Portugal. Instead, there was the usual round
of home soldiering — change of quarters, reviews
on Hounslow Heath and Wimbledon Common ;
the Fifteenth being on at least one occasion
brigaded under their old commander. Lord Paget,
with the regiments — the 10th and the 18th Hussars
— in company with which they were again, ere
long, to see service in Spain.

Twice the monotony of home service was broken
by employment of an unusual character. In April
1810 the regiment was ordered to I^ondon from
Hounslow and Hampton Court to aid in suppress-
ing the riotous assemblages of the populace, which
took place when the House of Commons ordered
one of its members, Sir Francis Burdett, to be
taken into custody and lodged in the Tower for
a breach of privilege. Burdett had made himself
unpopular with the Government by vigorously
supporting freedom of speech and Catholic eman-
cipation, as well as by protesting against the

RETURN TO THE FIELD 25

suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, against the
existing prison discipUne, and against the enormous
taxation. He was apprehended at his rooms, and
conducted to the Tower by the Fifteenth and a
detachment of the Life Guards.

Again, on the 15th November 1811 the regiment
was hurried up from Colchester, where it was
then quartered, to Nottingham in consequence of
the disturbed state of the manufacturing districts.
Ned Lud was a l^eicestershire imbecile who had
acquired some local notoriety by destroying
machinery, and his name was given to the
riots in which the popular discontent expressed
itself in the INlidlands about this time. General
distress being caused by the progress of the
industrial revolution, the anger of the Luddites
was directed against the new machinery, much
of which was destroyed, and the whole of the
regiment was employed for several months at
the end of 1811 and the beginning of 1812 in
keeping order in Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, and
Lancashire.

It was while quartered in November 1812 at
Manchester and the neighbouring cities and towns
that the Fifteenth received orders to hold six
troops, each of 90 men and horses, in readiness
for foreign service. On the 15th of the following
month the regiment marched for Portsmouth via
Chichester and Arundel, was inspected by General
Hammond on the 13th January and embarked,
under command of Colonel Colquhoun Grant, on
the 15th and 16th, landing at Lisbon between the
3rd and 7th February.

26 STATE OF THE ARMY

The four years which had elapsed since Thack-
well had quitted the Peninsula had been —

" years of struggle — of advance and retreat, of
triumph and of disaster ; shining threads of victory
interwoven with black threads of calamity and
hardship. If those years had seen the glories of
Talavera and of Salamanca, of Busaco and of
Badajos, they had also seen the black days of the
retreat to Torres Vedras, and the later retreat
after the failure at Burgos."^

But the Fifteenth reached Lisbon in time to take
part in a campaign as glorious and as successful
as any which had preceded it, and as epoch-making
as any which were to follow under the same leader-
ship. Wellington had utilised the months which
followed the retreat from Burgos in reorganising—

" the allied army with greater strength than before.
Large reinforcements, especially of cavalry, had
come out from England, the efficiency of the
Portuguese was restored in a surprising manner,
and discipline had been vindicated in both services
with a rough but salutary hand. . . . Nor had the
English general failed to amend the condition of
those Spanish troops which the Cortes had placed
at his disposal. By a strict and jealous watch over
the application of the subsidy, he kept them clothed
and fed during the winter, and now had several
powerful bodies fit to act in conjunction with his
own forces."^

At the opening, then, of the campaign of 1813
Wellington was able to command the services of
something like 90,000 fighting men, 40,000 of

• Fitchett. * Napier,

WELLINGTON'S PLANS 27

whom were British and all of whom were in a
high state of efficiency.

" The relative strength for battle was no longer in
favour of the French ; their force had been reduced
by losses in the secondary warfare, and by drafts
since Wellington's retreat, from 260,000 to 230,000.
Of the last number 30,000 were in hospital, and
only 190,000 men, including the reserve at Bayonne,
were present with the Eagles; 68,000, including
sick, were in Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia ; the
remainder, with the exception of the 10,000 left
at Madrid, were distributed on the northern line
of communication from the Tormes to Bayonne."^

These troops were strung out across Spain from
Clausel's army in the Asturias on the north-west
to the force under Suchet on the east in Valencia,
and the success of the French in the struggle which
was impending depended upon King Joseph being
able to concentrate his scattered armies rapidly
upon any one point. Wellington had decided —

" to operate with his left, ascending the right of
the Duero to the Esla, crossing that river to unite
with the Galicians, while the rest of the army
advancing fi'om the Agueda should force the
passage of the Tormes. By this combination,
which he hoped to effect so suddenly that the
King should not have time to concentrate in
opposition, the front of the allies would be changed
to their right, the Duero and Carrion turned and
the enemy thrown in confusion over the Pisuerga.
Then moving forward in mass the English general
could fight or turn any position taken up by the
King ; gaining at each step more force by the
junction of the Spanish irregulars until he reached

' Napier,

28 THE HUSSAR BRIGADE

the insurgents at Biscay ; gaining also new com-
munications with the fleet and consequently new
depots at every port opened."^

To prevent the concentration of the French armies
by which alone King Joseph might have offered an
effectual resistance to the design of the British, Wel-
lington held Suchet to the eastern coast by despatch-
ing an expedition to Tarragona, while Clausel in the
Asturias was rendered immovable by the partisan
warfare which was set going in his neighbourhood.
The Fifteenth was intended to form a Hussar
Brigade with the 10th and 18th Hussars, and
was the first regiment of the brigade to land in
Portugal, the Eighteenth arriving at the beginning,
and the Tenth not until the middle of February,
and it was only on 4th April that the brigade^
started to join Lord Wellington, the Fifteenth
leading. The following extracts from Captain
Thackwell's diary describe the main incidents of
the march and of the ensuing compaign :

" Mh April. — The three right troops of the
regiment marched at 11 o'clock from Belem to
Saccavem, distant three leagues."

" 5th. — Marched at 8 o'clock, and passed a small
river in front of Saccavem on a bridge of boats . . .
passed through the right of the Lines of Torres
Vedras, within half a league of Alhandra ; the road
is closed in with a work containing five or six guns,
and the line continues over a very steep and broken
ridge ; several batteries and a deep ditch connect it
with the Tagus ; and two or three batteries from
the islands therein flank the road from Alhandra."

' Napier.

* Commanded by Colonel Colquhoun Grant.

JOINS THE MAIN ARMY 29

Azambuja was reached on 6th April, and here
and in the vicinity the brigade was closed up and
remained for several days, not leaving till the
20th, when the Fifteenth moved on and reached
Santarem. JMarching by Thomar, Espinal — where
" the country," remarks Captain Thackwell, " is
getting very rugged and mountainous and the
roads very bad," — and Celorico, Freixados was
reached on the 11th May, and here a halt was
made for the whole brigade once more to close up.

" 18th 3fay. — The three regiments of Hussars
were inspected at 10 o'clock this day, six miles
in front of Freixados on the Almeida road, by
the Commander of the Forces, who was pleased
to express his entire approbation of the fine ap-
pearance of the brigade, but particularly of that of
the 15th Hussars, which was considerably stronger
than either of the others, each squadron having
80 files in it ; my squadron had 81 including half-
squadron officers. The brigade merely marched
past by half-squadrons, ranked off, trotted past
by divisions and advanced in parade order."

(On the 26th April, the " state " of the Anglo-
Portuguese Army shows the strength of the Hussar
brigade as follows : 10th Hussars, 505 ; 15th
Hussars, 521 ; 18th Hussars, 504.)

To Tiieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham,
who had only the month previous rejoined the
army in the field from sick-leave in England, had
been entrusted the direction of the force which
was to turn the French right by the Tras-os-
Montes — a region which King Joseph and his
military advisers had judged impassable for the
movements of an army.

30 THE PASSAGE OF THE DUERO

" It was shaggy with forests, horrent with snowy
peaks, scarred deep with leaping mountain torrents.
Three great rivers had to be crossed ; hill-crests,
white with winter snows or buffeted with angry
winds, had to be surmounted, and many a
mountain pass, that never before had echoed to the
tramp of disciplined battalions, had to be threaded."^

General Graham had under his command some
40,000 men, comprising Ponsonby's, Grant's, Bock's,
Anson's and D'Urban's cavalry brigades, the First,
Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Divisions,
Pack's and Bradford's brigades of Portuguese in-
fantry, and a Spanish Division under Colonel
Longa.

" 19th May. — Marched this day to Corriscada."
" 21,^^. — Marched to St. Amaro, and thence to the
river Duero — two small leagues, the country very
hilly and bold, the road tolerable. The two left
squadrons passed the river and encamped on the
right bank, the right squadron encamped on the
left bank in a beautiful olive grove and had
abundance of green forage. The difficulty of
getting the pontoon train over the river and up
a tremendous hill on the other side prevented our
crossing to-day."

" 22nd. — The right squadron passed the Duero
at Barca de Focinho at daybreak this morning and
marched to Torre de Moncorvo — ^a league and a
quarter. This is a very pretty town, pleasantly
situated among the mountains. The 18th and
10th Hussars also crossed to-day and marched to
the same place. The river Duero is beautiful
beyond description, and about 130 yards across at
the ferry, the current in places very rapid. On the

1 Fitchett.

GRAHAM'S DISPOSITIONS 31

hills on the right bank are three small field-works
thrown up by General Silviera, to prevent the
French crossing the river in 1811."

("By the 24 th jNIay, after trying marches over
nearly impassable mountain tracts, Graham's wing
was occupying a line on a front of forty miles
extending from Braganza on the left to Miranda
de Duero on the right. The force was formed in
three columns. On the left, the cavalry brigades
of Anson and Ponsonby, the First Division, and
Pack's brigade held Braganza. In the centre,
Bock, D'Urban, the Fifth Division, and Bradford
were at Onteiro, the Third Division at Vimioso on
the right, the Fifth and Seventh Divisions, with the
18-pounder battery, occupied Molhadas and Miranda
de Duero, which the Hussar Brigade and Fourth
Division, who formed a link between the two
wings, were rapidly approaching.")^

" 2Qth 31ay. — Marched to Sindim, a very pretty
town situated on a commanding eminence. Saw
from a hill in the neighbourhood a long way into
Spain, also Forcatello, a large town near the
junction of the Tormes with the Duero, also
Miranda de Duero three leagues up the right bank
of the Duero."

" 27th. — JNIarched and encamped with the right
of the brigade on Castes, and the left on Brandi-
lanes in an oak grove in rear of a rivulet ;
passed Villa Garcia and Constantin. The Fourth
Division of infantry were encamped on the left of
the road, midway between these villages and several
brigades of artillery. On this day we found the
outposts of the army ; plenty of green forage, no
enemy near. The infantry passed our encampment
in two columns at half-past 10 o'clock in the direc-
tion of the River Esla, also some of the artillery."

1 Butler.

32 THE FORD OF ALMENDA

" 29^. — Marched at 4 a.m. and crossed the River
Ahste at the ford of Mugo ; the 10th Hussars
formed the right column and passed the wooden
bridge on the Ahste — the left column passed
through the village of Mugo, turned to the right
through Carvajales and encamped within two miles
and a half of the ford of Almenda on the Esla,
the whole brigade on a woody ridge with a marshy
rivulet in front — not easy to surprise. The in-
fantry and artillery encamped three miles in rear
near Carvajales. . . . At 2 p.m. rode with Colonel
Grant witli a party of 10th Hussars to reconnoitre
the ford of Almenda, and found a French picquet
of about 60 cavah-y composed of Lancers, Heavy
Cavalry, and Chasseurs. Colonel Grant and his
Brigade-Major endeavoured to discover the ford
on the left, whilst I moved along the bank to the
right and discovered the ford on the right, and
proved the practicability of it by nearly passing
over — the river broad ; the current very rapid ; the
water at the deepest part near four feet, and the
banks rising in hills. Obliged to return by a party
of the enemy moving rapidly towards me. Joined
by Colonel Grant, Brigade- INI aj or Jones, and
Colonel Ross (20th Foot), pointed the ford out to
them and crossed the river with the two first.
The enemy moved towards us, and we retired.
This passage might be easily defended with heavy
guns — but if the enemy have only light, two
18-pounders will cover the passage of the ford and
secure the formation on the heights. I was the
first man of the British Army that crossed the
Esla at the ford of Almenda."

"3l6-^.— The intention of Lord Wellington to
pass the army to the left bank of the Esla this day
was evident from the Hussar Brigade having re-
ceived orders to be in readiness to march at 1 a.m.
Accordingly it marched at that hour, left in front ;

THE PASSAGE OF THE ESLA 33

my squadron (although the right one) formed the
advanced guard, a brigade of nine-pounders accom-
panying the brigade. At dayhght the head of the
column reached the ford of Almenda, and no
enemy was visible. I received my instructions
from Colonel Grant to trot up the hill, and to attack
any description of force that might be opposed
to me, and he would take care to support me with
the brigade. The squadron entered the river
attended by some companies of the 51st Regiment,
and a corporal of the 18th Hussars acted as guide
for the ford. The ford was much sw^ollen and the
river was very broad and rapid ; from the imperfect
light a ledge of rocks in the ford could not be
discovered, and many of the horses fell and threw
their riders into the water, who were saved with
difficulty, owing to the infantry holding the
horses by the stirrups and preventing them re-
covering themselves. The whole brigade, how-
ever, got safely over, with the exception of a horse
drowned, but between 20 and 30 of the Fifty-first
and Chasseurs Britanniques were drowned. The
remainder of the army crossed by a pontoon bridge
thrown over a mile higher up. The right squadron,
on crossing the river, advanced up the hill at a
moderate trot, the right division forming the ad-
vance under Lieutenant Finch ; the fourth division
formed the reserve under Captain Wodehouse.
On reaching the top of the hill I discovered the
enemy's picquet, consisting of about 60 men,
formed in the village. I immediately formed my
two right divisions in line with intervals, whilst
the two left formed the support. The enemy
commenced firing ; I instantly ascended the hill
to the right to reconnoitre, and the enemy com-
menced retiring. I immediately advanced to the
attack, but the orders given not being obeyed,
the divisions in passing the village got into confu-

34 ADVANCE OF THE FIFTEENTH

sion, which from the enemy's rapid retreat and
my rapid pursuit could not be remedied. I
continued the pursuit nearly three miles, taking care
to reconnoitre the country as I advanced, and at
last came up with them and succeeded in making
prisoners of about 50 men — nearly 20 of whom
contrived to make their escape in the woods after
they had been passed. Many were very badly
wounded, and some were badly wounded who
made their escape. I had never more than ten
men in action, and sometimes not above four or
five. The enemy during their retreat were rein-
forced by thirty men more, some of whom added
to the number of prisoners. I stopped the pursuit
within about a league and a half of Zamora, on dis-
covering myself not supported and seeing in my
front nearly 200 cayalry formed on a hill to cover
the defeated body. The enemy commenced
skirmishing, and I gradually retired to a position
behind a rivulet covered by my skirmishers. This
I maintained until the enemy displayed two
squadrons on the hill in front. I then commenced
my retreat through the wood, and took up a
position in the rear of it, where the brigade soon
made its appearance. . . . The prisoners were all
of the 16th Dragoons."

" 2nd June. — A most infernal night. Joined
the regiment off picquet on the Toro road at
half-past four on its march to Toro ; near that
town heard the French had just retired ; the
Tenth and Eighteenth advanced at a trot, and the
enemy's rear was found formed midway between
Toro and Morales, and consisted of part of the 21st
Dragoons, supported at Morales by the remainder
of the 21st and 16th Dragoons. The British
artillery fired nine rounds upon their rear with
little effect ; they were charged by the 10th
Hussars and a squadron of the Eighteenth at Morales

THE ACTION OF MORALES 35

and pursued half a league beyond under cover
of six pieces of artillery, formed in a most com-
manding position, and the 5th and 12th Dragoons.
The enemy's artillery did some execution among
the Tenth, particularly when upon the causeway
that leads across a morass. They however passed
and drove the enemy over the first hill. During
this time the Eighteenth and Fifteenth formed the
reserve, and were extremely steady under a fire of
round shot and shell. One of the latter dropped in
the centre of my squadron without doing the slight-
est damage. The Tenth were ordered to retire,
and the position being reconnoitred was considered
as too strong to be attacked. The loss of the
enemy in this affair was upwards of 200 men ;
that of the Tenth and Eighteenth was one officer
killed and 27 men killed, wounded, and missing.
Returned to Morales for the night."

In this action Colonel Grant was wounded,
and Lieutenant Woodberry, 18th Hussars, relates
that a Frenchwoman, whose husband, a French
officer, was killed in the charge, was captured among
the prisoners, disguised as a man in civilian clothes.

" 5th June. — Marched to Penaflor ; the 14th
Dragoons and 1st Germans bivouacked near
Penaflor, as did the Fifth and Seventh Divisions
of infantry."

" 6^/z. — Marched to within tM^o leagues of
Duenas, and bivouacked opposite St. Cecilia, where
a flag of truce arrived concerning the prisoners
taken by the 10th Hussars ; the officer reported
that the French headquarters were at Duenas.
The whole of the Allied Army is so well concen-
trated that it could form in battle order in less
than two hours."

" 1th. — Marched to Villa Bona ; the army

86 PASSAGE OF THE PISUERGA

marched in five columns, our brigade with the
centre one, the Fifteenth forming the advance
guard. . . . Crossed the River Carrion at Palencia
without opposition, the French having retired at
6 o'clock ; we arrived at 9.30 a.m. . . . Joseph
Bonaparte left Palencia yesterday."

"8/A. — Marched to Tamora, left the Third
Division at Mozon ; the Fifth and the First were
in front of Amusco, being the left column, the
Sixth and Seventh were a league in rear of Tamora,
and the Fourth and Light Divisions were with
us. The right column marched on the Burgos
road and consisted of the Second Division and
Portuguese."

" 9//^. — The left column marched to Santillana,
and five Divisions were at Pena and Tamora. . . .
Crossed the canal of Castile, which we first saw
at Palencia. . . . Lord Wellington's Headquarters
were this day at Amusco, yesterday at Amusco
also, on the 7th at Palencia, on the 6th at Castro
Monte, on the 5th at La Mota, on the 4th at Toro."

" 10th. — Crossed the River Pisuerga, of consider-
able breadth, fordable below the bridge. . . . The
brigade formed the outposts with infantry columns
in the rear. Headquarters this day at Molga de
Juso."

" 12th. — The brigade assembled between Ovillo
and Castillio, and formed the advance of the
centre columns ; heard that the enemy were in
force. Passed through Isar and ascended the
opposite heights ; the heavy brigade marched
through Hormillos, and upwards of twenty
squadrons of the enemy's cavalry were assembled
on the hills. Dispositions were made for attack
by the Hussar Brigade, Colonel Ponsonby's
brigade and General D'Urban's Portuguese
brigade, and the Fifteenth were ordered to attack
the right. We advanced for that purpose, but

THE PASSAGE OF THE EBRO 37

the enemy retired and formed a junction with a
large body of infantry on our right, and the whole
filed over the River Urbel by the bridge of
Tardajas under the fire of our guns, which did
little execution. Had two divisions of infantry
been up, the left wing of the enemy's army
would have been destroyed. The 3rd Dragoons
and 14th Light Dragoons attempted a charge, but
without success. The French loss was about a
hundred men killed, wounded, and prisoners. Bad
generalship displayed by the French, which our
want of infantry prevented us profiting by. The
enemy showed upwards of 30,000 men on this
occasion. The brigade retired to Isar for the
night. Men on their horses from 3.30 a.m. to
4 p.m."

" 15t]i June. — The troops that passed the Ebro
to-day were the Hussars, 1st Germans and 14th
Light Dragoons, 12th and 16th Light Dragoons,
General D'Urban's Portuguese brigade, and the
3rd, 4th, and 5th Heavy Dragoons with twelve
pieces of cannon. The Fourth and Light Divisions
encamped on the other side of the river. The
country becoming very mountainous and the road
rugged. The descent to the river is very steep and
the road bad — upwards of a mile in length through
a tremendous ravine ; the river is about twenty
yards broad and fordable in several places, but the
bed is rocky and the current very rapid ; the
bridge has five arches. The village of Arenas is in
a valley half a mile across bounded by immense
cliffs and mountains, the river's course being
generally through a ravine bordered by stupendous
rocks 600 or 700 feet high. After passing the
river, the road runs up the left bank for three
miles, and forms one of the strongest passes in
nature. The scenery is romantic beyond descrip-
tion."

38 THE FRENCH IN POSITION

" \%tli. — Marched to Villa Alta and encamped for
the night, three-quarters of a league in front of it.
Longa's corps of guerillas had stopped at Villa
Alta, because the French were in their front. A
patrol of the 12th Light Dragoons had fallen in
with the enemy the evening before, and on this
day about 8,000 men took up a position at Osma
— half a league in front of Berberana, on the
Miranda road. They were skirmished with by
the 12th and 16th Dragoons, and soon after
attacked by the light battalions of the First and
Fifth Divisions in front, whilst part of the Light
Division turned their left. These movements
obliged them to retire, with the loss of upwards
of 300 men prisoners, besides many killed and
wounded. Some of the latter reported that 1,100
men were entirely dispersed in the woods."

" 19/^. — Marched through Osma, and half a
league from it turned to the left and followed a
cross road direct to Vittoria, and encamped in
advance of Subijana de Morillos, the road for
nearly the last two leagues through a rocky valley.
The French had about 10,000 men in this position,
which was attacked and carried by the Fourth
Division without material loss, probably owing to
the Light Division driving an enemy's division
before it at some distance to our right. The
Fourth Division in front and General D'Urban's
cavalry formed the advance posts."

" 'lOth. — The prospect of a halt to collect the
columns, as General Sir R. Hill's army marched
considerably to the right yesterday morning. The
French reported to be in position near Vittoria, to
the amount of between 60,000 and 80,000 men."

The French left rested on the heights which
came to an end at Puebla de Arlanzan, their line
extending across wooded and broken country in

THE EVE OF VITTORIA 39

front of the village of Arinez, while the right of their
centre was posted on a steep height covered with
artillery — which commanded the valley of the
Zadorra. The right was stationed near Vittoria,
intended to defend the passages of the river near
that city, and to cover the right centre of the army,
while there was a reserve in rear of their left, at
the village of Gomecho. The attack on the
French position was to take place as follows : the
right column of the Allied Army, consisting of
General Hill's corps with a brigade of the Spanish
Division under Morillo, was to attack the enemy's
left, and gain possession of the heights above
Puebla, and afterwards of the village of Subijana,
when the Fourth Division was to cross the Zadorra
at Nanclares, the Light Division at Tres Puentes,
and the Third and Seventh by a bridge higher up.
These four divisions, forming the centre of the
army, were to attack the heights on which the
enemy's centre leaned, while the left, commanded
by Sir Thomas Graham, and consisting of the First
and Fifth Divisions, two Portuguese brigades and
Longa's Spaniards — supported later on in the day
by the army of Galicia under Giron — was to move
across from the Bilbao road for the purpose of
forcing the passages of the Zadorra, at the villages
of Gamara Mayor and Abechuco, where the
British had three divisions of infantry with a strong
body of cavalry.

Wellington's orders for the movement of the
Army on the 21st June direct that —

" The Light Division will move at daybreak, and

40 OPENING OF THE ACTION

proceed by the road along the River Bayas, through
the pass leading to Subijana, and thence by Monte-
vite and the camp of the Fourth Division to the
village of Nanclares.

" One squadron of the 15th Hussars will act
w^ith the A.G. of this division. The remainder of
the 15th Hussars and Major Gardiner's troop of
Horse Artillery will follow the rear of the Light
Division. The Fourth Division will follow in
rear of the 15th Hussars.

" The 18th and 10th Hussars will follow the
Fourth Division."

''Monday, 21st June 1813. — Marched at half-
past eight o'clock in the direction of Vittoria. A
short distance from Nanclares halted to give time
to the right and left columns to advance, on
account of discovering the French army in position
on the left bank of the Zadorra. . . . The enemy's
army consisted, according to reports, of 6,000
cavalry, 70,000 infantry, with a numerous artillery
advantageously posted on the salient angles of the
position. At 9 a.m. Sir Rowland Hill's column
commenced its attack on the enemy's left, and the
sharpshooters began to gain ground. The centre
column advanced by the right bank of the Zadorra
to Tres Puentes — a village nearly opposite the
enemy's right ; this movement gave them some
uneasiness, and they advanced a battery of Horse
Artillery to oppose it, but did not prevent the
division forming on the other side of the river, and
a battery placed above the village soon silenced
that of the enemy and occasioned him some con-
siderable loss. At this moment Sir Thomas
Picton's division made its appearance on the
enemy's right, and commenced a cannonade and a
brisk attack along the right bank of the Zadorra
and crossed it above Tres Puentes. Till this time

THE ENEMY FALLS BACK 41

the enemy had defended himself most obstinately
on his left and centre, but the Light Division,
having in the most gallant style carried the hill
that covered his centre, made him retreat from
these points. He however took up a strong posi-
tion on a ridge in rear of the village of Berostiguela,
which he filled with infantry. This howev^er was
carried by the Light Division at the same time
that his left was obliged to give way to the steady
advance of Sir Rowland Hill's troops ; his position
on the ridge still remained, but this after some
opposition was taken by the Fourth and Light
Divisions, and many of the guns were captured.
In this attack the Portuguese infantry behaved
with the utmost gallantry and suffered severely.
"At this time the cavalry (Mdth the exception
of a squadron of the Eighteenth led by Captain
Turing, who, without orders, charged a column of
infantry which killed him and several men) had not
been engaged, but suffered some loss from the
enemy's artillery. At 6 p.m. the right and centre of
the army were on the height above Vittoria, and the
left of the enemy's army was retreating under
the heights before mentioned — the centre in great
confusion through Vittoria, and the right, which
had made a most gallant resistance at the village
of Gamarra against Sir Thomas Graham's column
of the First and Fifth Divisions, partly by
Arazua, and partly by Gomez. Lord Wellington
now ordered the Fifteenth to pass the flats, leaving
Vittoria to the right, and endeavour to cut off the
enemy's retreat from Aranjuez. On descending,
we found this operation very difficult, from the
intersected nature of the ground, the dykes about
which were filled with French horses. This, how-
ever, was surmounted, and the regiment moved to
the attack of a regiment of heavy cavalry, which
advanced to cover a retreating column of infantry,

42 ROUT OF THE FRENCH

and many of both were sabred and the column
broken. The cavalry retired under the protection
of a regiment of Hussars and one of Dragoons, partly
ralhed and moved to the attack, which was met with
the cool determination of the Fifteenth, and the
enemy were beat back with loss. At this moment
six squadrons of the enemy's cavalry. Hussars and
Dragoons, made their appearance in our rear ; these
were charged by the squadron of reserve under
Captain Cochrane, which did not prevent their
endeavours to cut us off ; but the Fifteenth, having
in part changed its front, advanced to the charge
and the enemy were driven back to the village of
Gomez. During these operations the enemy's
infantry succeeded in effecting its retreat, and not
being supported it was judged prudent to dis- |j
continue the pursuit. Had either of the regiments
of Hussars been in second line, 2,000 men would
have been the fruit of our attack ; as it turned
out a general, a colonel, several officers, and about
130 men were made prisoners, besides sixty or
seventy more, who were picked up by the people
in our rear, and in addition to killed and desperately I
wounded left on the field. An infantry standard
was also taken by us, and the enemy's loss
altogether was 12,000 men, 151 pieces of cannon,
most of his baggage and cattle, his military chest,

etc.

" We encamped for the night in a wood half
a league in front of Gomez."

At Vittoria Captain Thackwell received a severe
contusion on the right shoulder from the hilt of a
sword, from a thrust.

On the night of the battle the brigade bivouacked
a short league in front of Vittoria, moving off next
day with the main column towards Pampeluna.

PURSUIT OF CLAUSEL 43

The French left a considerable garrison in this
town and retired towards the pass of Roncevalles,
followed by the light troops. The left column
under Sir Thomas Graham advanced by the pass of
Adrian upon Tolosa, whither General Foy had re-
tired with about 12,000 men ; General Hill's corps
was left to blockade Pampeluna ; while the Third,
Fourth, Seventh, and Light Divisions, with the
Hussar Brigade, and Ponsonby's brigade of Heavy
Cavalry, marched by Tafalla and passed the River
Arragon by the bridge of Cappanoda in the hope
of intercepting General Clausel's corps of upwards
of 12,000 men. This general had advanced on
the 22nd June to the neighbourhood of Vittoria ;
but finding the French to be totally defeated, he
fell back upon Logrono, followed by the Fifth and
Sixth Divisions, the Household Cavalry, and
D'Urban's Cavalry Brigade, and thence by forced
marches upon Tudela, which he reached on the
27th. Pressed by Mina's and Sanchez's cavalry,
he recrossed the Ebro and marched on Zaragoza,
eventually evading further pursuit by retiring
through the pass of Jaca.

On the 30th June — all hope of intercepting
Clausel being at an end — the Hussar Brigade re-
crossed the Arragon River and was stationed for
three weeks at Olite. While here a change was
effected in the composition of the cavalry brigades :
the 10th and 15th Hussars forming one brigade,
under Major-General Lord Edward Somerset ; the
18th Hussars were brigaded with the 1st Hussars
of the King's German Legion ; and Colonel
Grant was transferred to the command of the

44 THE DEEDS OF THE ARMY

brigade consisting of the 13th and 14th Light
Draofoons.

" In this campaign of six weeks, WeUington
marched with 100,000 men 600 miles, passed six
great rivers, gained one decisive battle, invested
two fortresses, and drove 120,000 veteran troops
from Spain. "^

^ Napier.

CHAPTER IV

"Ten days after the battle of Vittoria, Marshal
Soult, under a decree issued from Dresden, suc-
ceeded the King as lieutenant to Napoleon. . . .
Travelling with surprising expedition he was
enabled on the 12th July to assume the command
of the three beaten armies, now reorganised in one
under the title of the Army of Spain. ... At this
period General Paris was still at Jaca, but Clausel
had entered France, and Soult, reinforced from the
interior, had nine divisions of infantry, a reserve,
and two divisions of cavalry, besides light horsemen
attached to the infantry. Including garrisons, and
twelve Italian and Spanish battalions not included
in the organisation, he had 114,000 men, and,
as the armies of Aragon and Catalonia had about
66,000, 180,000 men and 26,000 horses were still
menacing Spain." ^

The army of Spain was posted as follows : Clausel
was on the left at St. Jean Pied de Port ; in the
centre was d'Erlon about Ainhoa, while Reille was
on the right at Puerto de Vera. The Reserve was
behind the Bidassoa about Irun, and the cavalry
-divisions were respectively on the Nive and the
Adour.

Wellington's dispositions were as under : the

' Napier
45

46 WELLINGTON'S FORCES

right was formed by Hill's corps, of which, on the
outer flank, Byng's brigade with a Spanish division
held the southern issues of the passes of Roncevalles
and Ibaneta ; the rest of the Second Division held
the pass of Maya and the Fourth Division formed
the support to the above ; while Picton, eighteen
miles south of Maya, was the general reserve to
Hill's corps. Twelve miles west of the pass of
Maya was the Seventh Division at Echallar ; the
Light Division held the village of Vera, the Sixth
Division at Estevan forming a central reserve. The
First Division, with the troops of Giron and Longa,
held the Hue of the Bidassoa from Vera seawards ;
the Fifth Division, with the Portuguese, besieged
San Sebastian on the left, while Pampeluna on the
right was blockaded by the Spaniards. As the two
fortresses were fifty miles apart no little work was
thrown upon the cavalry in keeping open the com-
munications.

Wellington's "theatre of operations was a
trapezoid, with sides from forty to fifty miles in
length, and having Bayonne, St. Jean Pied de Port,
San Sebastian and Pampeluna, all fortresses in
possession of the French, at the angles. The
interior, broken and tormented by savage moun-
tains, narrow craggy passes, deep water-courses,
precipices and forests, appeared a wilderness, which
no military combinations could embrace, and sus-
ceptible only of irregular and partisan operations." ^

The allied forces formed practically three
distinct armies — the one blockading Pampeluna,
the other besieging San Sebastian, while the third

^ Napier.

SOULT ATTACKS 47

army, or centre of the allies, " was indeed an
army of succour and connection ; but of necessity
very much scattered and with lateral communica-
tions so few, difficult, and indirect as to prevent any
unity of movement." ^

On the 24th July Soult collected the right and
left wings of his army, with one division of the centre
and two divisions of cavalry, at St. Jean Pied de
Port, leaving General Villate with the reserve on
the great road to I run in front of Sir Thomas
Graham's corps, and on the 25th attacked Byng's
post at Roncevalles with between 30,000 and 40,000
men. The Fourth Division moved to the support
of General Byng, and these troops maintained them-
selves during the day ; but their position being
turned in the afternoon, they fell back during the
night to Zubiri. On the same day the enemy with
two divisions had attacked the Second Division at
Maya, which, in consequence of the retrograde
movement from Roncevalles, retired to Irunta and
on the 28th to Lizasso. Lord Wellington was not
informed of these attacks till late at night on the
25th, and at first intended to concentrate his army
on the 27th towards Zubiri ; but Picton and Cole,
not thinking they could hold their ground until
that time, retreated to the position of Huerta and
arrived there early on that date. In consequence
of this event, the Hussar Brigade under Lord
Edward Somerset marched at daybreak on the
morning of the 27th and arrived on the right of
the position at Huerta about five o'clock in the
afternoon. Through the valleys of the Argu and

' Napier.

48 RONCEVALLES

Lanz lead the direct roads from Roncevalles and
the pass of Maya to Pampeluna, and between them
and in front of Villa Alba is a broken mountain of
considerable height and extent. Upon it was posted
the Fourth Division, Byng's British and Campbell's
Portuguese Brigades — their left at a chapel behind
Sorauren in the valley of Lanz, and the right on
a height which defended the high road from
Roncevalles. Morillo's division of Spaniards and
the troops which could be spared from the block-
ading corps before Pampeluna were in reserve. At
an angle with the mountain above mentioned is a
low ridge which joins the Argu on its left bank
and there forms a strong rocky pass, but it is not
difficult of access, as it extends to the hills beyond
Olaz, and in front of this ridge was a small rivulet
having steep banks. On this position were placed
the Third Division and the Hussars, supported by
Ponsonby's brigade of cavalry, this being the only
ground on which the latter arm could act with
advantage. The enemy formed on che mountain
between the Lanz and Argu Rivers, and one division
and a large body of cavalry on that in front of
the Third Division. They attacked the hill com-
manding the Zubiri road, but were repulsed by a
battalion of Portuguese and a Spanish regiment.
The thunder was tremendous and rain fell in
torrents towards night.

Early in the morning of the 28th the Sixth
Division occupied the mountain on the right of
the River Lanz, and extended in rear of the left
of the Fourth Division. The Fifteenth was to-day
posted in the first line between two brigades of the

MOUNTAIN FIGHTING 49

Third Division ; the Tenth and Eighteenth, with a
brigade of Horse Artillery, were on the extreme
right ; the heavy cavalry supported the Hussars.
Next morning early the enemy's right advanced
in great force from Sorauren along the Lanz valley,
but was assailed with a most destructive fire in
front, flanks, and rear from the left of the Fourth
and from part of the Sixth Division — which latter
had most opportunely arrived — and was repulsed
with enormous loss. To extricate it a serious
attack was made on the left of the Fourth Division,
and the battle became general along the line, but
the enemy's repeated attacks were repulsed with
heavy casualties. All the regiments of the Fourth
Division charged with the bayonet^ — some of them
even four times. The enemy having upwards of
2,000 cavalry and a numerous infantry in front
of the Third Division, made demonstrations to
attack its position, but these ended in partial
skirmishing by their light troops and in detaching
a body of cavalry over the rivulet to feel our
right : these were driven back by the Hussars
stationed there. On the 29th the regiment covered
the right of the position ; the Seventh Division
was on the left of the Sixth, and two of the
enemy's divisions had followed Hill's corps to
Ostiz. The brigade of Household Cavalry arrived
and took post on the right. Finding an impene-
trable barrier to the relief of Pampeluna in the
position of the British right and centre, the French
hoped by driving back Sir Rowland Hill's corps
on the left to turn it, and thus gain their object.
For this purpose, on the night of the 28th, Soult

50 WELLINGTON ATTACKS

drew from his left more than half the infantry
and on the following day a brigade of cavalry,
reinforced his right with one division, and during
the night of the 29th occupied in force the crest
of the mountain on the right of the Lanz, opposite
the Sixth and Seventh Divisions, withdrawing all
his troops from the left. There was only some
skirmishing on this day.

On the 30th Lord Wellington became the
assailant whilst the enemy attacked Sir Rowland
Hill. The Seventh Division carried the crest of
the mountain in its front, and the Sixth then got
possession of the village of Sorauren. The Third
Division advanced at 8 o'clock in the morning,
turned the left of the enemy's centre by the
Roncevalles road, whilst the Fourth attacked the
hill in front, the crest of which was gained by
12 o'clock, and the enemy fell rapidly back towards
the frontier. Their guns were sent to St. Jean
Pied de Port after the battle of the 28th, and
their cavalry was employed in carrying their
wounded men to the rear.

General Hill repulsed the enemy with great loss
on the same day ; on the morrow he defeated
their rearguard of two divisions in the pass of
Donna Maria, and on the 1st August the army was
in the same position it had occupied on the 25th
of the preceding month.

The infantry won immortal honour in these
battles, but, fought among mountains and defiles
where the cavalry could not act, this arm had little
opportunity of sharing in the glory of their comrades
or of reaping advantage from the enemy's retreat.

BLOCKADE OF PAMPELUNA 51

The Fifteenth remained for a short time in the
villages of Elcano and Sagasetta, then marched
to Artagona and then to Lurraga, General Sir
Stapleton Cotton' and the Cavalry Headquarters
being at Tafalla.

On the 18th October the right squadron under
Captain Thackwell marched to Salinas de Pamplona
to assist in the blockade, apprehensions being
entertained that the garrison would attempt its
escape in the direction of Jaca. A squadron of
the 10th Hussars was placed under his command,
and at a village in the rear of the blockading troops
they remained on this duty till the town sur-
rendered on the 31st, and the garrison, amounting,
sick including, to about 4,000 men, marched out
at 2 o'clock on the following day and laid down
its arms. To support the attack on the enemy's
fortified position on the Nivelle on the 10th
November, the Fifteenth advanced through the
mountains on the 4th to the banks of the Bidassoa ;
but the broken and hilly nature of the country,
and the difficulty of procuring forage, rendered
it expedient that it should remain at St. Estevan
on the Bidassoa, whence it soon returned to the
vicinity of Pampeluna. Marching again on the
15th December by Tolosa and the bridge of Irun,
it entered France, and was quartered at Campo
and the villages on the right bank of the Nive—
and continued on outpost duty in front of Urcuray
during the month, watching the valleys of Macaye
and Mondionde and the road to St. Jean Pied de
Port. The right of the army stationed in this quarter

' Afterwards Field-Marshal Lord Combermere.

52 CAMPAIGN RE-OPENS

consisted of two divisions of infantry, the Spanish
division under Morillo, and two brigades of cavalry ;
these were several times threatened with attack by
the enemy, but nothing of importance occurred.

In consequence of the bad roads and wet weather
the regiment experienced much difficulty in pro-
curing forage and had frequent skirmishes with
the enemy's picquets and detachments in obtaining
it. But as the foraging parties of the troops
investing Bayonne were also permitted to enter
the valleys of Macaye and Mondionde for the
same purpose, the forage was soon exhausted, and
shortly after the middle of January the horses
were grazed, when practicable, and fed, until the
opening of the fresh campaign, with chopped furze
pounded with a mallet. Notwithstanding, however,
the want of the usual rations of hay and the
very small allowance of corn which was issued,
the horses kept their condition remarkably well,
a result attributable to the unremitting attention
of the officers and the exertions of all ranks.

The "state" of the Allied Army for the 16th
January 1814 shows the Hussar Brigade as having a
strength of 1,438, the Fifteenth having 466 effectives,
while the 7th Hussars, which had joined the brigade
from England during the winter, were 513 strong.

" Early in February a sudden frost fell on the
moist plains around Bayonne and turned the leagues
of liquid mud into stone. And the frost, which made
the earth rigid, set loose all the streams of war." ^

The campaign opened on the 14th of that

' Fitchett.

THE EVE OF ORTHES 53

month, the right of the army driving in the
enemy's position on the Joyeuse River and the
St. Jean Pied de Port road, and afterwards defeat-
ing General Harispe and Paris at Garris. The
right squadron of the Fifteenth under Captain
Thackwell moved out on the 14th, and had one
man and two horses wounded in assisting to drive
back the enemy's picquets ; the movement of
this squadron was intended to favour the observa-
tions of the general commanding the cavalry as
well as to preserve the communications between
the right and left columns. The squadron was
then pushed out by St. Martin and Oregue in
front of the Third Division, and established a
picquet on the 17th, without interference by
the enemy, beyond the heights of Came on the
right bank of the Bidouze River — watching the
roads to La Bastide, Leren, and Peyrehorade.
The remainder of the regiment joining the
advanced squadron, they watched the enemy's
posts on the Gave d'Oleron. The right of the
army having crossed the Gave, the Third Division
occupied a position on its banks opposite the tete-
de-pont at Sauveterre, where the enemy had a
corps of 5,000 to 6,000 men, and on the 24th this
division, with the Hussar Brigade, made a feint of
passing the Gave d'Oleron at a ford near
Sauveterre to favour the passage of the Second,
Light, and Portuguese Divisions at Villenave and
of the Sixth near Montford. The ford near the
bridge was deep and impracticable, and altliough
a few cavalry and infantry passed the river it was
found expedient to withdraw them owing to the

54 PASSAGE OF THE GAVE D'OLERON

impossibility of affording support, and owing also
to the superiority of the enemy. In withdrawing,
the infantry sustained some loss ; the Hussars did
not suffer, although much exposed to the enemy's
shells. During this demonstration, which was
never intended to develop into a real attack, the
enemy blew up the bridge covered by their tete-
de-pont, and the columns on the right passed the
Gave, and moved by the road leading from
Sauveterre towards Orthes.

On the 25th the Hussars passed the Gave d'Oleron

by a good ford below the bridge of Sauveterre,

and occupied for the night the villages in front

with outposts towards the bridge of Berenc . . .

the Third Division were in and in rear of the

town. Whilst these operations were taking place,

the left of the army, consisting of the Fourth and

Seventh Divisions, and Colonel Vivian's brigade

of Hussars (18th Hussars and 1st Hussars King's

German Legion) which had been in observation

on the lower Bidouze, passed the Gave de Pau

near Peyrehorade on the morning of the 26th,

and advanced along the road leading to Orthes,

the enemy having retired from that position in

consequence of the movements on their left. As

the column approached, the Hussar Brigade, with

the Fifteenth in front, passed the Gave de Pau

by a ford below Berenc, followed by the Third

Division. The enemy's cavalry picquets were

driven back, but the passage was effected a few

moments too late to cut them off on the

Peyrehorade road ; the only result therefore was

some skirmishing, in which one man and horse

BATTLE OF ORTHES 55

of the Fifteenth were killed and three rank and
file and two horses wounded.

The French army had taken up a strong position ;
their left in the town of Orthes and on the heights
above it ; their centre on a continuance of the
same heights, and their right on a salient occupy-
ing the village of St. Boes. The Fifth and Light
Divisions crossed the Gave de Pau at Berenc
at daylight on the 27th, and about ten o'clock
the Fourth Division, supported by the Seventh,
and by Colonel Vivian's brigade of Hussars,
attacked the enemy's right, and soon after the
Third and Sixth Divisions with the Hussar Brigade
attacked his left centre, the Light Division, part of
which was in reserve, maintaining communication
between the columns on its flanks. These attacks
at length dislodged the enemy from the heights
and gained the victory. The Second Division
forced the passage of the river above Orthes, and
with a brigade of cavalry was directed on the
great road between that place and St. Sever. The
enemy had defended his several positions obstinately,
and retired in good order, but threatened on his
left, and, the British beginning to close on the last
position held by his centre, he commenced a
precipitate retreat on the river called the Luy de
Beam, and this soon became a flight, the fugitives
spreading all over the face of the country. In
these operations the Fifteenth was close in sup-
port of the infantry of the centre, and experienced
some loss from the enemy's fire, but the ground
was too broken to allow of its charging. The
7th Hussars were more fortunate, being at the

56 PURSUIT OF THE FRENCH

head of the brigade during the enemy's retreat,
and the leading squadron charged the rear of the
French on the road to Sault de Novailles. On
reaching the hill beyond this village the French
right wing was discovered retreating in the
greatest confusion over the meadows towards the
river ; the 7th were ordered along the road leading
to Sault de Novailles, and turning to the left soon
came up with the flying enemy. The Fifteenth
continued to advance at a trot along the main road
in the hope of closing on the confused mass in
front, but within less than a mile of Sault de
Novailles the brigade of cavalry attached to the
Second Division debouched upon the road in its
front. The enemy's left and centre passed the
river in the greatest confusion, and it was thought
that had the pursuit continued many prisoners
might have been captured ; it was, however,
ordered to be given up, and some guns on the
heights on the left of the town, covered by the
river in front and part of the rallied French
infantry, rendered any attack inexpedient, even had
not the closing day prevented it.

The Fifteenth had one man and two horses
killed, six men and five horses wounded.

On the 1st March the regiment formed the
advanced guard of the centre column of the army
from the bivouac on the river to near Caceres,
crossing the Adour by a ford just below the broken
bridge of St. Sever. Within a league of Grenade,
the right squadron under Captain Thackwell, being
in advance, began to skirmish with the enemy's
rear guard, which defended for a short time the

ACTION OF GRENADE 57

passage of a broken bridge over a deep rivulet.
On approaching the town the right half-squadron
pressed the enemy rapidly through it upon their sup-
port by a continued attack, charged and drove 250
to 300 men of the 13th Chasseurs a Cheval along the
road, for more than three-quarters of a mile, upon
two companies of infantry posted in the enclosures
of a farmhouse near the road. The fire from these
at less than a hundred yards distance checked the
pursuit, the more as the left half-squadron had
been ordered to halt at the entrance of the market-
place of Grenade nearly a mile in rear. The troop
in advance did not consist of more than 45 men,
OMing to men being left with prisoners and patrols
which had not rejoined, and it therefore became
necessary gradually to withdraw from the heavy
mass in front. This gave the French cavalry
encouragement — they rallied, and, flanked by their
infantry, commenced to charge ; but the Fifteenth
rear division, fronting, and galloping to the attack,
drove them back for more than a hundred yards.
The enemy repeated their charge and were again
repulsed ; but freed from the fire of assailants who
could not be reached, the advanced guard made no
further retrograde movement, and their opponents
then retreated upon Caceres. Several prisoners
who had been captured, contrived, however, to
escape, and the enemy were able to recover a
number of their wounded.

On the arrival of the head of the division, about
half an hour afterwards, the squadron continued
its movement to within a short distance of Caceres,
when the enemy's rear guard of infantry with three

58 RECOMMENDED FOR A BREVET

guns posted on a thickly wooded eminence in
front stopped its further advance/ These were
soon, however, driven from their positions by a few
rounds from the artillery of the division and the
advance guard of the infantry, and outposts were
then established for the night. In this affair the
right troop had one horse killed and six men and
six horses wounded, and Captain Thackwell had
the good fortune to have his conduct approved by
Lieutenant-General Sir Stapleton Cotton, and to
be recommended by him for the brevet of Major,
and the following cavalry divisional orders were
issued in approbation of the conduct of the right
squadron of the Fifteenth.

" Lieutenant-General Sir Stapleton Cotton re-
quests that Major-General Lord Edward Somerset
will express to the officers and men of the 15th
Hussars his gratification at witnessing the gallant
and soldierlike conduct of that part of the regi-
ment which was engaged with the enemy yes-
terday.

''j^ Signed) J. Elley, Colonel, A.A.G."

" Major-General Lord Edward Somerset has
much pleasure in making known the cavalry orders
to the corps composing his brigade, and joins the
Lieutenant-General in expressing his perfect appro-
bation of the conduct of the brigade on the 27th

' One man of the advanced squadron, Robert Walton, had a narrow
escape from a shell which carried away the cloak from his back (the
men having cloaked owing to the heavy rain) and burst without doing
any further damage. The advance guard was here most fortunate, for
many round shot and shell were fired at it, but only one horse — a
French one taken a few hours before — was wounded.

AFFAIR AT ST. GERMIER 59

ult. The Major-General has also to return his
thanks to the 10th and 15th Hussars for their
gallant attacks on the enemy's cavalry on the two
following days, and feels convinced that, with
troops thus disciplined, the most complete success
may be expected to attend their future operations
against the enemy.

''(Signed) C. Jones, M.B."

The French having been repulsed at Aire on the
2nd March by the Second Division with consider-
able loss, and by the Sixth Division at Caceres,
the outposts were established near Plaisance, but
soon fell back in front of St. Germier, in con-
sequence of the enemy concentrating at Conchez
and threatening the right at Aire. Lord Welling-
ton's advance had been delayed owing to the heavy
rain, the rapid current of the Adour preventing
the laying down of pontoons, and owing to the
necessity of repairing the bridges — all of which had
been broken down by the enemy.

Some changes now took place in the regiment.
On the 10th March Lieutenant-Colonel Dalrymple
arrived from England and displaced Major Griffiths,
who had commanded the Fifteenth since Colonel
Grant had left it for a brigade. Five other
officers also joined, and the establishment of the
regiment being increased by two troops, ten
sergeants, two trumpeters, and 148 rank and file
joined headquarters on the 15th with 160 horses.

The French having retired upon Lembege on the
15th, it was determined to drive back their picquets
in front of St. Germier, and on the afternoon of the
following day the centre squadron of the Fifteenth

60 ACTION OF TARBES

was formed in column of divisions — the road not
admitting of a greater front — and advanced sup-
ported by the right squadron under Captain Thack-
well. On approaching the enemy the leading
division charged with the utmost vigour, driving
his advanced squadron back in confusion upon the
remainder of the 13th Chasseurs a Cheval, composed
of some 300 men. The attack was none the less
continued by the centre squadron of the Fifteenth,
and the enemy, giving ground, retreated as
rapidly as his close formation would permit, and
was pursued for about two miles. He at length
gained the village of La Cassade, on the road
to Plaisance, where, being secured by hedges and
walls, it was deemed best to discontinue the
pursuit. The right squadron was here ordered to
the front to find the outposts for the night, and
the enemy continued his retreat, a picquet
watching the approach to the former place, and,
recrossing the river on the outposts advancing
at daybreak next morning.

Major Griffiths now took over command of the
right squadron. Captain Thackwell being transferred
to the charge of the left.

The regiment continued in the advance, and on
the 20th the army moved in two columns from
Vic-en-Bigorre and Rabastens upon Tarbes, where
Marshal Soult was in position with his right upon
the heights near the windmill of Oleac, and his
centre and left retired, but with a strong corps
occupying the town of Tarbes. The right column
of the Allies advanced by the road leading from
Vic-en-Bigorre, drove the enemy from Tarbes, and

ADVANCE ON TOULOUSE 61

was then disposed for the attack of his left, whilst
the Sixth Division, passing the village of Dours,
attacked his right, and the Uight Division, supported
by the Hussars, drove the French troops from the
heights above Orleix. The enemy opposed these
attacks but feebly, and retired over the narrow
river towards Tournay. The Hussars were pushed
rapidly on in pursuit of his right, but the enemy
avoided the only ground where cavalry could act,
and unfortunately gave no opportunity for the
axLaci^.

The French Army continued its retreat upon
Toulouse, followed by the British, and on the 25th
March the Fifteenth was on outpost in front of
St. Lys on the La Touche River. On the day
following it had a squadron on duty at Tourne-
feuille, which had to resist an attack of the enemy's
infantry in a situation where cavalry could not
reach them ; and on the 27th, Captain Thackwell's
squadron, after gaining possession of St. Simon,
found it to be untenable against infantry and
therefore withdrew.

The heavy rain and the melting of the snow in
the Pyrenees rendered it impracticable to lay a
bridge over the Garonne before the 4th April,
although a demonstration to pass the river was
made between Toulouse and Muret on the 28th
March ; but the attempt was abandoned on account
of the roads towards the Ariege being impractic-
able for cavalry and artillery. By the 1st April
the enemy had withdrawn most of his troops into
Toulouse, and his advanced posts were not more
than a mile from the bridge, on the left bank

62 TAKING UP POSITIONS

of the river. The army under Wellington was
stationed as follows : the Fourth Division and
Vivian's Hussars were at St. Martin on the left ;
the Sixth Division and 10th Hussars at and in
front of Tournefeuille ; the Third Division was in
reserve at Plaisance ; the Light Division and 15th
Hussars at and in front of St. Simon ; and the
Second Division was at Portel and Muret, with
four brigades of cavalry. On the morning of the
4th the Hussars marched to La Chapelle, and
passed the Garonne by a pontoon bridge of seven-
teen boats, without opposition, being followed in
the course of the day by the Third, Fourth, and
Sixth Infantry Divisions, two brigades of cavalry,
and four of artillery. These troops took up a
position in front with the right on the Garonne
and the left on the Ers River; Captain Thackwells
squadron found the outposts at Gagnac.

The enemy's picquets in front of Feneuillet were
driven in on the 8th, and on the same day the
pontoon bridge was removed to the Chateau de
Gagnac, Freyre's corps of Spaniards crossing to the
right bank of the Garonne, followed on the next
day by the T^ight Division.

Toulouse is encompassed on three sides by the
Garonne and canal of Languedoc, and, in addition
to its ancient walls, tetes-de-pont covered all the
bridges over the river leading to the town, and
these were in numerous places defended by
artillery and by musketry from the old ramparts.
On the heights between the town and the Ers
River the enemy had constructed five redoubts
connected in parts by lines of entrenchments

OPENING OF THE ACTION 63

extending to ^Montaudran. All the bridges over
the Ers — the banks of which were steep and
impracticable — were broken down except that at
Croix d'Orade. Soon after 5 o'clock on the
morning of the 10th, the British columns were put
in motion to attack this formidable position
occupied by the enemy in considerable force. The
Second Division was to act on the left of the
Garonne, and the pontoon bridge was laid over
the river nearer to Toulouse, to afford a readier
communication with the Third Division^ntended
to press on the tete-de-pont and fortified houses
covering the canal bridge nearest the Garonne,
supported by the Light Division and Bock's
brigade of cavalry. The Spaniards were to attack
the north-west part of the position supported by
the Heavy Cavalry ; the Fourth and Sixth
Divisions, with the Hussars of Somerset's brigade,
were to turn and attack the right ; while Vivian's
brigade of Hussars was to watch the movements of
the enemy's cavalry on both banks of the Ers
beyond the left.

At 8 o'clock in the morning, the Spaniards
began to skirmish with the French, and, although
annoyed by a galling fire from five or six field
pieces on rising ground, began to form in two lines
in front of the enemy's left, and about ten o'clock
attacked with vigour ; but, the right being turned,
were soon obliged to retire with great loss, and
were rallied with difficulty under cover of the
cavalry and the Light Division, which moved up
on their right in support. The Fourth and Sixth
Divisions had crossed the Ers at the bridge of

64 BATTLE OF TOULOUSE

Croix d'Orade, and about eleven o'clock, formed in
three lines, the Fourth Division leading, carried
the village of INIontblanc, and moved up the Ers
until they outflanked the enemy's right, then
re-formed and advanced to theattack of the heights.
The Hussars, left in front, quickly followed the
movements of this column and did not suffer
much, although the road led them within less than
300 yards of the enemy's guns, which from the
redoubts were beating time to the din of small
arms. A column of the enemy's cavalry, which
had begun to descend the heights to attack the
right of the Sixth Division and the brigade of
nine-pounders, was repulsed by this timely move-
ment, which brought the brigade in rear of the
Sixth Division ; these had most gallantly taken the
first redoubt wdth guns, and lodged themselves on
the heights. The Hussars crossed, exposed to a
heavy fire from the enemy's 2nd and 3rd redoubts,
and six guns on an eminence near the canal, in
the hope of falling on his infantry in retreat to-
wards the canal and town ; but as it was seen that
no advantage could be reaped from this movement,
they fell back under cover of the heights.

The artillery of the left column had remained
behind ; it was now brought up, the Spaniards
were re-formed, and the Sixth Division moved
to the attack of the 2nd and 3rd redoubts defend-
ing the enemy's centre, carried both and took
a great number of prisoners. But before these
could be disarmed and the redoubt nearest the
town properly occupied, a heavy column made
a desperate attack, retook it and endangered the

RETREAT OF THE FRENCH 65

brigade ; the check was, however, only momentary,
for all opposition gave way before the supporting
body of troops, and the French were driven back
to the town with great loss. The position of the
Sixth Division commanded the two redoubts on the
enemy's left, and these, on being cannonaded and
threatened by this division along the heights and
by the Spaniards in front, were evacuated by 5
o'clock in the afternoon. The whole range of the
heights was now in our possession, but the enemy
kept up a useless fire until late in the evening from
guns on the canal covering his right, and from a
six-gun battery on rising ground before the town.

During these operations the Second Division
forced the enemy from the entrenched suburbs
within the old town wall, while the Third Division
drove them into the tete-de-pont on the canal
bridge ; but in attempting to carry this work, the
division was repulsed with loss by a superior force,
aided by the garrison of a fortified convent near
to it.

On the night of the 11th the enemy evacuated
Toulouse and retired towards Castelnaudary and
Carcassone by the only road left them between
the canal and the Ariege River, but Generals
Harispe, Baurot, St. Hilaire, and 1,600 men were
made prisoners, and guns and stores of all descrip-
tions were taken. At 9 o'clock on the following
morning the Hussars followed the enemy's move-
ments to Baziege, near which place the Hussars
of the King's German Legion had the last affair
with the enemy, for on the morrow intelligence
was received that Bonaparte had abdicated in

66 END OF THE CAMPAIGN

favour of Louis XVI II., and hostilities ceased.
The brigade, however, marched on the 17th from
the vicinity of St. Sulpice to Puylaurens, in conse-
quence of Soult not acknowledging the decree of
the Provisional Government ; but a few days
afterwards —

" the Duke of Dalmatia, who had now re-
ceived official information from the chief of the
Emperor's staff, notified his adhesion to the new
state of affairs in France — and with this honourable
distinction, that he had faithfully sustained the
cause of his great monarch until the very last
moment." ^

The Fifteenth went into cantonments in the
villages in the neighbourhood of Toulouse, the
headquarters of the Hussar Brigade being at
Villandrique. On the 1st June the regiment
commenced its march for Boulogne, where the
British cavalry was to embark for England, and,
moving by way of Cahors, Limoges, Orleans,
Mantes, Gisors, Abbeville, and Montreuil, arrived
in the vicinity of that place on the 11th July,
having marched about 650 miles. The greater
part of the regiment landed at Dover on the 17th,
the remainder the next day, and the whole as-
sembled at Hounslow, where it was quartered.

' Napier.

CHAPTER V

When the Fifteenth reached England from France,
the strength of the twelve troops of which the
regiment was composed amounted to 910 men,
exclusive of officers, with 746 horses, but on the
9th August four troops were struck oiFthe establish-
ment, 350 men were discharged, and 288 horses
were cast, the establishment being now fixed at
eight troops, each of 69 men and 56 horses. On
the 11th August the regiment marched to Liverpool
and there embarked for Ireland on the 8th
September. A few days were spent in Dublin,
after which headquarters and three troops were
quartered at Clonmel, the remainder of the Fifteenth
being at out-stations.

But with the New Year the peace of garrison
life in Ireland was dispelled. Napoleon had left
Elba on the 26th February, and landed three days
later in France, but it was not until the 6th March
that the news even of his departure reached Vienna
and the Congress which was there in session. The
Congress, which was " perishing of mere strife
among its own members, strife bred of unsatisfied
greed and fast-kindling jealousies,"^ became at once
united at the news and acted with decision.

' Fitdiett.
67

68 FIFTEENTH SAIL FOR BELGIUM

" The powers, therefore, acted as though Napoleon
were once more the master of France. They
signed a declaration on 13th March declaring him
beyond the pale of civil and social relations. . . .
On 25th March the League of Chaumont was
formally renewed, the four great Powers binding
themselves to contribute 150,000 men each, and
not to lay down their arms without joint consent,
and only when Napoleon should be unable to give
further trouble." ^

In England preparations were at once put for-
ward for the speedy assembly in the Netherlands
of a mixed force of 106,000 British, Hanoverians,
Belgians, and Nassauers, under the command of
the Duke of Wellington.

Under date of the 19th April Captain Thack-
well's diary contains the following entry : " The
day cloudy, with some rain. The order to prepare
six troops for foreign service received this day."
On the 4th May the regiment marched for Cork
— where a number of small brigs had been taken
up for the passage of the Fifteenth to Ostend
— and sailed on the 13th. Ostend was reached
on the morning of the 19th, and here the vessel
in which Captain Thackwell sailed was run
ashore on the sands near the town, and at 1 p.m.
disembarkation commenced by lowering the horses
into the water and swimming them ashore. No
time was wasted on landing, for at 3.30 the same
afternoon the regiment marched up the left bank
of the canal fourteen miles to Bruges, and thence
by Eckloo to Sleydinge within six miles of Ghent,
where Louis XVIII. had established his court.

' Fitchett.

JNIOVE TO QUATRE BRAS 69

Moving on the 26th, the Fifteenth passed through
Ghent and occupied several small villages about
St. Gooritz, St. Marie Anderhove, and Mickelbecke
Elste ; they now found themselves brigaded with
the 7th Hussars and the 2nd Hussars of the
German Legion, under their old commander,
Major-General Sir C. Grant, and took part on
the 29th in a grand inspection, by Lord Welling-
ton and Marshal Prince Bliicher, of the whole of
the British Cavalry — 46 squadrons with 36 Horse
Artillery guns, and a rocket brigade — commanded by
Lord Uxbridge — near the village of Schendelbecke.
From Captain Thackwell's diary the weather at
the end of May and beginning of June seems
to have been very unsettled, rain falling nearly
every day. Friday 16th June was, however, fine
and warm, when an order was received to march
with the greatest expedition. Starting at 7.30 a.m.
the Fifteenth moved by Grammont, Braine le
Comte, and Nivelles — a distance of 15^ leagues
— and finally bivouacked at about midnight near
Quatre Bras — too late to take part in the action
fought there that day, and hearing there of the
defeat of the Prussians at Ligny. The following
entry occurs in Captain Thackwell's diary dated
the 17th June :

" A very fine morning, everything quiet. Saw
the ground on which the action was fought the
preceding day. The right rested on a wood of
considerable length, and this was occupied by the
Brunswickers and Belgians. Nothing particular to
mark the position. Many Cuirassiers lay dead.
Sent by the Earl of Uxbridge to our picquet on

70 RETREAT TO WATERLOO

the right, and to post' another watching the forest
of Hautain le Val. In consequence of the retreat
of the Prussians, the infantry fell back about
10 a.m. to a position in front of Waterloo on the
Brussels road. At nearly 3 p.m. the cavalry,
which had remained in position, retired through
Genappe in three columns. The column on the
main road was followed by a large body of cavalry
and some guns, and these were occasionally charged
by the Life Guards and 7th Hussars ; the last
regiment suffered severely. The right column,
consisting of the 13th Light Dragoons,^ 15th
Hussars, 2nd Light Dragoons of the German
Legion, and the Duke of Cumberland's Hanoverian
Hussars, was not pursued. I commanded the rear
guard. On the Nivelles road near Lillois some
French squadrons of light troops cut in and made
some baggage wagons with wounded and cattle
prisoners ; these were checked by Captain Wode-
house's squadron, half a squadron of the 13th and
some of the Germans, and a few prisoners were
made. At three this afternoon the rain fell in
torrents, which continued at intervals. The fields
were perfect swamps. The Thirteenth and Fif-
teenth bivouacked in a field of rye on the right of
the village of Mont St. Jean ; fortunately there
were some infantry huts standing, which afforded
a little shelter from the torrents of rain which
fell during the night. No rations or supplies of
any description."

At 4 o'clock on the morning of the 18th the
Fifteenth marched to their position in the front
line at the angle in the rear of Hougoumont, with
three troops detached on the right of the Nivelles

^ The 1.3th Light Dragoons was attached to Grant's brigade in place
of the 2nd Hussars of the German Legion, which had not yet joined.

MORXIXG OF THE BATTLE 71

road, in front of the right flank of the army, which
at this point was partly refused.

During the earher part of the action the
Fifteenth suffered some loss from the cannonade
in front, as well as from a heavy battery on the
high ground overlooking the Nivelles road, and
occupied the same position until 2 o'clock, when
the brigade received orders to charge ten squadrons
of Lancers posted on the heights on the enemy's
left of the Nivelles road, covered by a deep ra^dne.
For this purpose the Fifteenth, followed by the
Thirteenth, moved off to their right, exposed to a
sharp fire of round shot until they became sheltered
by the inequalities of the ground. While making
dispositions to cross the ravine, a tremendous
shouting from the Lancers drew attention to a
large body of Cuirassiers and other cavalry which
seemed to carry all before them on the open
ground between Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte.
Grant's brigade at once made for them — this
movement bringing the Thirteenth in the front line,
the Fifteenth following in support. The French
cavalry was driven back 200 or 300 yards, but
its numbers being much superior to those of the
English brigade, the latter's flanks were enveloped
and it was obhged to fall back and rally behind
the infantry.

From this period until the enemy was finally
driven from the field, the regiment made various
charges — sometimes attacking hostile infantry,
again engaged with the Lancers, or driving back
the Cuirassiers. Major Griffiths had been killed,
Lieutenant-Colonel Dalrymple had had his left

72 THACKWELL WOUNDED

leg taken off by a round shot,^ and the command
of the Fifteenth devolved upon Captain Thackwell,
who had already had two horses shot under him.
It was about 7.30 p.m. that, in leading a charge
upon a square of the Guard, Thackwell was shot
through the bridle hand ; he instantly placed the
reins between his teeth, but a few seconds after-
wards he was again shot in the left arm, shattering
the bone between the elbow and the shoulder,
and fell to the ground.

In the battle the Fifteenth had 3 officers and
25 men killed, or died of wounds, and 7 officers
and 45 men wounded.

It may perhaps not be out of place to include
here a copy of a letter written many years
after the battle, in reply to a printed communica-
tion from Lieutenant Siborne, then engaged in
constructing his well-known model of the field
and battle of Waterloo, asking for information
on certain specified points in connection with
the position and formation of the 15th Hussars, at
the period of the battle represented on the model.

"Gloucester, 20th Dec. 1834.

" I must plead a severe indisposition in excuse
for having so long delayed replying to your
communication of the 18th November relative
to the position of the 15th Hussars in the attack
of the right of the British by the Imperial Guard,
about 7 o'clock in the evening at the Battle of
Waterloo, and regret that from the lapse of time,

' The same round shot then passed through the body of Sir
Colquhoun Grant's charger.

LETTER TO SIBORNE 73

and the circumstance of my having been severely
wounded about that hour, I am unable to transmit
that full account of movements and positions,
which might have been rendered at an earlier
date. However, as you have the advantage of
Lieutenant-Colonel Wodehouse's statement of the
occurrences of that day, and may procure one from
Lieutenant-Colonel Hancox, who commanded the
regiment at the close of the battle, and who resides
near Nottingham, I trust the barrenness of my
information may be supplied from those channels
of authentic source and that the King's Hussars
may be placed in the situation that belongs to
them.

" Before I reply to your queries I had better
here state that the squadrons of the regiment
were not more than 52 to 55 files each, including
officers, and that one squadron and one division
of another were detached from the regiment on
the morning of the 18th of June and did not
rejoin it, except for a short period, during the
day. This detached body was posted in observa-
tion in front of the valley leading to Braine le
Leud, and as its operations were confined to
skirmishing, its loss was trifling.

"1st. With respect to the query ' What was
the particular formation of the 15th Hussars at
the moment (about 7 p.m.) when the Imperial
Guard, advancing to attack the right of the
British forces, reached the crest of our position ? '
I beg to trace the formation of the 15th Hussars
at A in the plan. On its flanks were British
infantry in square, but I am not certain what
regiments, as part of Lord Hill's corps from the
second line, were tlien in the first line, and I am
not sure whether the site of the traced position
is not a little too much in advance. The 13th
Light Dragoons were either to the right or the

74 ACCOUNT OF THE ACTION

right rear of the Fifteenth ; but as the troops were
at this time closely concentrated in this part of
the position, it was a difficult matter to distinguish
particular corps.

" 2nd Query. ' What was the formation of
that part of the enemy's forces immediately in
front of the 15th Hussars ? ' At B I beg to trace,
according to the best of my recollection, a body
of about 1,000 infantry in square, supported by
a large body of Cuirassiers and other cavalry.
This square was charged by the three troops
and a half of the 15th Hussars, as it was halted
in fine order, about the time of the advance of the
Imperial Guard, or a little before ; but as I was
then severely wounded, I did not observe in what
manner these troops w^ere supported on their
flanks, or how their retreat was conducted, but
very large masses of cavalry were in their rear.
With regard to the crops gi'owing on the fields on
the 18th June, I beg to state, as well as I am able
to remember, that there was no fallow land in the
vicinity of the Waterloo and Nivelles road, on
the right, in the direction of Braine le Lend, nor
on the left, as far as the crest of the position and
Hougoumont. The crops were for the most part
wheat, rye, and oats, or clover or grass hay, and
particularly the latter in the hollows and ravines
on the left of the track leading from the Nivelles
road towards Braine le Lend ; however, towards
the enemy the crops were so much trodden down
that the surface looked more like broken stubble
than a golden harvest.

" In the early part of the day the position of the
15th Hussars was in the plan at C, that of the right
squadron at C2, and that of a picquet at C3 ; but
after the battle had begun until about half-past 2
p.m. it was at D, and for nearly an hour afterwards
it was at E, whence it moved with the 13th Light

MOVEMENTS OF THE FIFTEENTH 75

Dragoons to about F, for the purpose of attacking
ten squadrons of Lancers posted in line in rear
of a deep ravine at G. It then joined the rigiit
squadron of the regiment ; but owing to the
impetuous attack of the French cavalry on the
right centre of the British position, the intended
attack on the I^ancers was given up, and the
regiment, leaving the right squadron where it
was originally posted, retraced its steps to the
vicinity of the position A, and was immediately
engaged in the attack, by charge or skirmishing,
of Cuirassiers and other cavalry ; and this
lasted until the enemy's cavalry found it could
make no lasting impression on this part of the
position.

" The enemy's cavalry and infantry moved in
column, both in advance and retreat, the former
being at about quarter distance, and I understand
when the British line advanced that three troops
of the 15th Hussars charged a body of infantry as
well as some Lancers.

" The position of the regiment being in rear of
Hougoumont, the masses of infantry which would
have closed on its post were intercepted by the
troops defending that place and none of the
enemy's infantry to the best of my recollection
passed its enclosures, and the first 1 saw of that
force in the immediate front of the Fifteenth was
the column charged by my squadron ; but I
witnessed the advance of many heavy masses of
infantry which attacked Hougoumont, although
soon after the firing began the distant movements
of the enemy's columns were from this point of the
position but indistinctly seen owing to the smoke,
which hung lazily on a surface saturated with rain.
The left of the enemy's infantry extended to the
Nivelles road nearly in line with G in the plan,
whence a heavy fire of artillery was kept up, for

76 THE FIFTH CAVALRY BRIGADE

the chief part of the engagement, upon the angle of
the British position.

" Begging you will believe I shall be happy to
give any further explanation, I have the honour to
be, etc. etc. etc.

" Jos. Thackwell,

" Late Lieutenant- Colonel Com. 15th Hussars.''

On the 9th of the July following the date of
this communication Lieutenant-Colonel Thackwell
submitted to Lieutenant Siborne, for Major-
General Sir Colquhoun Grant, this account of the
proceedings of the 5th Cavalry Brigade at Water-
loo :

" Having been requested by Lieutenant- General
Sir Colquhoun Grant (owing to his inability in
consequence of a severe family affliction) to reply
to your printed letter of 28th October 1834,
soliciting information with respect to the proceed-
ings of the 5th Brigade of Cavalry in the Battle of
Waterloo, I beg leave to state, in connection with
a former communication relative to the movements
of the 15th Hussars, that, with reference to the
query, ' What was the formation of the 5th Cavalry
Brigade, etc. etc. ? ' :

" The brigade about this time was formed in line
of squadrons at or about A A, Al, A2, in the plan,>
according to report and the best of my belief and
recollection ; but there might have been a square
of our infantry between the Fifteenth and the
Thirteenth, and their position might have been 50
or 80 yards more to the left. I must, however,
here remark that the relative situation of the three
regiments was not the same throughout the day,
the Thirteenth being for a great part of the conflict

<
C

c/:

;z
c

MOVEMENTS OF THE BRIGADE 77

on the left of the Fifteenth. The squadrons at this
time did not probably amount to 30 files each. I
should also perhaps explain here that the 13th Light
Dragoons had joined the brigade that morning in
consequence of the 2nd Hussars of the Legion not
having returned from the frontier ; that the 1 5th
Hussars had a squadron in a ravine at Al, and a
picquet at A2, from the beginning to the end of the
battle, which detachments suffered some loss by
cannon fire and skirmishing ; and that the 7th
Hussars were very weak, having suffered most
severely on the debouch of the French cavalry from
Genappe the preceding afternoon.

" With regard to the second query, ' What was
the formation of that part of the enemy's forces
immediately in front of the brigade ? ' The enemy's
troops, cavalry and infantry, were in column, the
former at perhaps half or quarter distance. It
is a difficult matter at this distant period to trace
the enemy's formation more particularly, but a
large force of his cavalry was in this part of the
field.

'' In reference to the general proceedings of the
brigade, I beg to state that it was under the
crest of the position, in rear of the angle at
Hougoumont, until about 3 p.m., when the 15th
Hussars and 13th Light Dragoons were moved
to the Ravine D between the Nivelles road and
Braine-le-Leud, for the purpose of attacking 10
squadrons of Lancers in two lines, forming the
left of the French Army at E. Whilst dispositions
were making for the attack the Lancers began
cheering, and on looking towards the position we
had quitted, the cause of the cheering was dis-
covered to be an impetuous attack by tlie French
cavalry upon our infantry and guns, the limbers
of which were going rapidly towards the Nivelles
road. The French cavalry passing between the

78 CHARGES BY THE HUSSARS

squares of the infantry were charged and driven
back by the cavalry of the 3rd Brigade (Dorn-
berg's) and tlie 3rd Hussars of the Legion.

" This attack was several times repeated ; and
Sir Colquhoun Grant, judging that the attack of
the Lancers was only a secondary object, most
judiciously took upon himself the responsibility of
taking the two regiments back to the ground they
had left, the Thirteenth leading, which regiment
formed line to the front, and at or about the spot
marked B charged a body of Cuirassiers, who were
driven back for more than 300 yards to the low
ground beyond C. The Fifteenth also formed
to the front, to the left of the Thirteenth, and
charged a mass of Cuirassiers, which were likewise
driven back for a like distance upon heavy masses
of cavalry, who, beginning offensive operations in
front and on the flank, compelled the Thirteenth first
and afterwards the Fifteenth to retreat to their own
line, where the steadiness of the two regiments
had the effect of checking any further serious
attack upon this point for some time ; but the
skirmishers of the Fifteenth were employed against
the Cuirassiers and other Cavalry in front, who
were kept at some distance.

" More to the left, however, the enemy's cavalry
made some demonstrations in advance and attacks.
Between 6 and 7 o'clock a column of nearly
1,000 infantry advanced to within 150 yards, or
less, of the first line, to near the spot F on the
plan, supported by a large body of Cuirassiers
and other cavalry about C. This square was
charged by tlie two squadrons of the 15th Hussars
and its further advance was checked. Shortly
after some Light Cavalry and I^ancers, who in-
commoded the front of the adjoining squares of
infantry, were charged and driven back by the
same corps. The 7th Hussars and the 13th Light

LOSSES IN OFFICERS 79

Dragoons were also most actively engaged, and
on the general advance the regiments of the
brigade made several attacks on the cavalry as
well as infantry, in one of which Colonel Kerrison,
of the first-named regiment, had a horse killed
under him, and JMajor Griffiths, of the 15th Hussars,
was killed in charging the latter ; and these attacks
contributed greatly to the loss and confusion of the
enemy. Sir Colquhoun Grant had five horses
killed and wounded under him. He was in Hussar
uniform, and rode, at about 7 o'clock, a very fine,
large, chestnut horse, which was wounded.

" The prompt, judicious, and fortunate movement
of the brigade from the designed attack of the
Lancers, to that of the Cuirassiers before men-
tioned, restored confidence to this part of the line,
which seemed to be in danger, and may justly
be considered an event of the utmost im-
portance.

" I should imagine it was previous to the return
of the brigade that the cavalry attack witnessed by
Major Mercer occurred. However, I saw no cavalry
in the ravine leading to Braine-le-Leud from the
time we quitted the angle of the position to that
of our return, except the Thirteenth and Fifteenth
passing along it, although there might be cavalry
at the spot stated by Major Mercer. It might
have taken place afterwards, for I know, by report
at the time, that a body of Cuirassiers passed
between the squares of infantry to our left, and
being unable or unwilling to return, retreated towards
the Nivelles road, and passed the small post of
the 15th Hussars ; but those who escaped were
said to be not more than thirty, some having been
knocked down by the fire of the Fifty-first, the direc-
tion of which prevented their being charged by the
above detachment. But a difficulty occurs here,
as at this time a considerable part of Lord Hill's

80 ALL NIGHT ON THE FIELD

corps had joined the first line, and probably
Major Mercer with it. I think I heard this body
was charged, but never knew when, or by what
corps. It is certain that no attack by cavalry
had been made on the position near Hougoumont
until after the two regiments had quitted that
part of the field to move against the Lancers,
and it is therefore probable some mistake may
have occurred as to time, and that the circum-
stances mentioned may have originated in the
same affair.

" I trust I need not apologise for this long state-
ment, confiding in the hope that you have received
Sir Colquhoun Grant's note intimating that he had
desired me to transmit it after having perused
and confirmed all the events of moment therein
mentioned."

Thackwell was left all night where he fell, but
the following extracts from his diary show the
events of the next few days :

" Monday, June Idth. — A very fine day ; found
by Assistant Surgeon Jeyes, and conveyed to the
hospital. Arm very stiff and painful ; at half-past
8 o'clock had it amputated close to the shoulder ;
the pain great, but I bore it with fortitude, and
was greatly complimented on my heroism. The ball
had shattered the bone from the shoulder to within
an inch of where it was divided. Put to bed in
billet No. 1,143, Section 1st, Place du Grand
Sablon."

" Tuesday, 20th. — The day fine ; a little better —
wrote a letter to England."

" Thursday, 22nd. — A fine day ; shaved myself."

" Tuesday, 27th. — A fine day ; took a few turns
in the square."

RECOVERS AND REJOINS M

" Wednesday, 28fh. — Walked in the Park for
near two hours, rather fatigued myself. Called
on the Colonel, who appeared in good spirits,
chatted with him for more than half an hour."

'' Saturday, July 29th. — Rode to Waterloo, and
ordered the monument on the officers of the
rifte«iftfl» who fell in the battle."

On Thursday, 10th August — little more than
seven weeks after his severe wound — Thackwell
was on his way to rejoin the regiment, and march-
ing by Hal, Braine le Comte, Mons, Le Cateau,
Cambrai, Bapaume, Amiens — where he witnessed
the public entry of the Duke de Berri, and where
he found General Dornberg and the 3rd Cavalry
Brigade — Breteuil and Gisors to Lions la Foret,
where he rejoined the headquarters of the 15th
Hussars.

(It is very noticeable all through Captain
Thackwell's diaries how invariably when marching
he studies the country passed over, from a military
and especially from a cavalry point of view.)

In September Thackwell had a few days' leave
in Paris, and shortly after his return, on the
3rd October, the regimental headquarters were
moved to Gisors. From here he went to Dangu,
where General Grant had his headquarters in a
chateau belonging to General la Grange, and here
he had a curious day's fox-hunting, of which sport
he remarks : " The hounds bad — the woods are so
large and the foxes so numerous that the practice
is to shoot them whilst hunting. Killed one —
chased a hare — bad sport."

82 THE OCCUPATION

On the 10th October the regiment marched by
way of Rouen to Trouville, and remained here
until the 13th December, when the Fifteenth
marched to join a new brigade at Dieppe, moving
by Ourville and St. Valery. Early in the New
Year the regiment moved again, marching on the
11th January 1816 to Trevent, on the 21st to
Avesnes le Comte, early in February to Bailleul,
only half a league from the Belgian frontier, and
on the 29th March to Bourbourg, the last station
of the regiment during the Occupation.

A reduction in the strength of the British con-
tingent in France having been decided on, the
Fifteenth was amongst the first regiments ordered
to England. On Sunday, the 5th May, the regi-
ment marched to Hondschoute and handed over
151 horses to the 7th, 80 to the 18th Hussars, and
18 to the 11th Light Dragoons. The non-com-
missioned officers were allowed to retain their
horses, of which only 76 were now remaining in
the regiment. Here the Fifteenth appears to
have been inspected by Sir Stapleton Cotton, now
Lord Combermere, who, on Lord Uxbridge being
wounded at Waterloo, had been summoned to
France to command the British cavalry of the
Army of Occupation.

On the 6th and 7th the regiment proceeded
to Calais for embarkation, the dismounted men
and a few horses sailing on the latter date. The
remainder of the regiment was to have sailed on
the 9th, but the wind was contrary, and the
embarkation was not effected until the following
day, and it was not until the 14th that the fleet

RETURN HOME 83

of packets, with the loth Hussars and 13th
Light Dragoons, sailed for England, arriving at
Dover at 8 o'clock the same night.

Next day the.Fifteenth disembarked and marched
to Canterbury, where the whole regiment was
assemblecij'^nd where the medals granted for the
Waterloo campaign were issued to officers and
men. The following honours were also granted :
the word " Waterloo " was added to the distinctions
borne by the regiment ; Colonel Dalrymple was
honoured with the dignity of Companion of the
Bath ; Captain Thackwell was promoted JMajor
vice Griffiths, killed in action ; and Captain Hancox,
who had brought the regiment out of action at
Waterloo, was given the brevet rank of Major.
All ranks had the further privilege of reckoning
two years' service for the battle.

On the 28th May the regiment marched to
Hounslow, where on the 1st June, having been
newly mounted, it was inspected by the Duke of
York, and on the 3rd marched for Nottingham,
Birmingham, and Wolverhampton.

CHAPTER VI

Major Thackwell's squadron was stationed now
at Birmingham, and here on the 28th October
a riot took place towards evening. The troops
were called out and cleared the streets, but many
stones were thrown by the mob and one of these
struck Major Thackwell on the head, rendering
him insensible for several hours. Several of the
rioters were lodged in the gaol, and by midnight
all was quiet. The mob collected again in the
course of the next morning, but the Riot Act
was read, and by 2 p.m. the mob was entirely dis-
persed, and at night the streets were empty. Two
more troops of the Fifteenth were brought into
Birmingham, but their services were not required.
At this time there was a very great deal of unrest
all over the country, and both in this year and
in the following the military were constantly
called out in aid of the civil power.

In June 1817 Major Thackwell was promoted
to the brevet rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the
Gazette of the 21st, wherein it was stated " the
undermentioned officers to have a step of pro-
motion whose former recommendations were over-
looked for special services in the field." And

DEATH OF COLONEL DALRYMPLE 85

now for some twenty long years Thaekwell was
to be condemned to a life, not of inaction,
but of peace-soldiering. The army was reduced,
the regimefc^l'^was split up and occupied country
quarters, and did not come together again until
October 1821. But for Lieutenant-Colonel Thaek-
well the years were not wasted, and were devoted,
in a manner somewhat unusual for those days,
to the unceasing study of his profession. His
correspondence shows how constantly he was in
communication with leading cav^alry soldiers upon
questions of drill and manoeuvre, and how greatly
his views upon such matters were sought after
and appreciated. Colonel Dalrymple^ appears
from this time forward until his death to have
been but little with the regiment, all matters
connected with its command falling in a large
measure into the hands of Lieutenant-Colonel
Thaekwell. His diaries for these years are full
of mentions of regimental field days lasting eight
and nine hours, of exercises in reconnaissance and
outpost duty, and in constant inspection of troops
and squadroiLS at out-stations. While, however,
he did not spare those under him, he spared
himself still less ; he was constantly in the saddle,
and the long rides he took almost daily all over
the country— forty to sixty miles a day —
helped to keep him physically fit for the more
active work of his profession which was still before
him. On the 6th June 1820 Colonel Dalrymple
died of abscess of the brain, and I^ieutenant-

' Colonel Dalrymple was the second sou of General Sir Hew
Dalrymple of Cintra fame.

86 THE DUKE OF CUMBERLAND

Colonel Thackwell succeeded him in the command
of the King's Hussars.

Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, had
been Colonel of the Fifteenth since 1801 and had
always taken a very active interest in its affairs.
All questions concerning it — not only in regard
to appointments, exchanges, and promotions, but
details of uniform and mounting — had always
been referred to His Royal Highness, and in
Colonel Thackwell's correspondence are many
letters from the Duke of Cumberland or from
his staff, showing how very close was the super-
vision the Duke always exercised over the regiment
of which he was the Honorary Colonel. In
January 1823 there is some question of reverting
to a former pattern of bit, which has not the
Duke's approval — "besides," he remarks, "the
very look of them, as they resemble coach horse
bits and therefore certainly very httle becoming
for a Hussar.'' On the question of remounts
the Colonel cautions the Commanding Officer to
"beware of purchasing cocktails ; they are frightful,
and what I have most studiously avoided buying."
Writing in May 1823 His Royal Highness says,
" I long very much to see once again the regiment
which I hear from all sides is in very high order."
He is very particular in regard to officers desirous
of exchanging into the regiment, and when applica-
tions reach him he puts very searching inquiries to
Colonel Thackwell on the subject. He is loth
to consider any exchange with an infantry officer,
remarking very properly on one occasion that
" my object is to bring young men into the

SIR COLQUHOUN GRANT 87

regiment who will rise progressively, and by being
therefore thoroughly grounded in the system of
the corps v>n\\, I hope, become good cavalry officers ;
you will therefore inform the officers in question
that I cannot consent to the exchange."

On the 25th December 1827 the Duke of
Cumberland, who had been Colonel of the Fifteenth
for some six-and-twenty years, severed his connec-
tion with that regiment on being appointed to the
Colonelcy of the Blues. There can be no doubt
that His Royal Highness was very sincerely
attached to the regiment he had so long com-
manded, and in several letters written at that
time to Lieutenant-Colonel Thackwell he ex-
pressed the sorrow he felt at parting.

" The 25th," he wrote, " was for me a most
painful day, as having had the honour and
happiness of being Colonel of that distinguished
regiment for twenty-seven years, I felt a sort of
father's affisction for the Corps." He writes to
Colonel Thackwell of "an acquaintance of six-
and-twenty years which has existed between
yourself and me, and 1 believe you are the only
officer or man I may say remaining in the regiment
since I had first the honour of commanding it.
I beg," repeats the Duke, " that you will assure
the whole corps of officers of my sincere regard
and faithful attachment. As to yourself, I need
not say how much I regret that our military
connection which has now subsisted twenty-six
years, will cease naturally on the 25th December."

The Duke of Cumberland was succeeded in
command of the Fifteenth by Major-General
Sir Colquhoun Grant.

88 FOREIGN MANOEUVRES

In August 1825 Colonel Thackwell and two
officers of the regiment, Lieutenant Temple and
Cornet Rose, went over to Berlin and attended
some great manoeuvres which were held in
the vicinity. They left Hamburg on the 27th,
travelling by post wagon, and the roads being very
bad, only arrived at Berlin on the 29th in the
evening, putting up at the Hotel Stadt Rom.
Two days after their arrival the manoeuvres began,
and Colonel Thackwell was out early and late.
He describes very fully in his diary all he witnessed,
and gives the Prussian cavalry every credit for
steadiness in manoeuvre, and for the thorough
training of the horses, but finds their movements
slow, everything being done at a steady trot, while
even in the charge the gallop was only used for a
very short distance. The infantry impressed him
with their steadiness, but Colonel Thackwell adds
a remark, which our military attaches have often
uttered of late years in regard to German
manoeuvres— viz. that there was " unnecessary
exposure to cannon and musketry fire in close
order." The Dukes of Cumberland and Cambridge
were both present at this time in Berlin, and
Colonel Thackwell met and was presented to
several of the men who had helped to raise Prussia
after the disasters of Jena and Auerstadt — General
Hake, von Knesebeck, Muffling and Gneisenau
and others.

The officers of the Fifteenth left Berlin for
Russia on the 25th September, and arrived at a
town about thirty miles from Warsaw, on the
Polish frontier, where the manoeuvres of the

SERVICE IN IRELAND 89

Russian army were to take place. Thackwell
thought the men fine and the horses good, and the
latter generally in excellent condition, while the
Polish horses were much better bred than the
Russian. Altogether some 1,300 cavalry and
7,000 infantry were seen here. On the 3rd October
the three officers left for Berlin on their return
to England ; they returned thence by Leipsic,
where they visited the battlefield, and by Frank-
fort to Calais, whence they crossed to Dover,
arriving in England on the 9th November.

During the remainder of the present tour of
service of the regiment in England, Colonel Thack-
well was very frequently employed in the inspection
of corps of yeomanry cavalry all over the country.

In July 1824 the Fifteenth embarked at Bristol
for Ireland — no less than twelve vessels were then
required to transport even a comparatively weak
regiment of cavalry — and was quartered at Cork.
Here General Sir John Lambert was in command,
the Commander-in-Chief in Ireland being Lord
Combermere. It was here that Colonel Thackwell
seems to have met the young lady whom he after-
wards married — Miss Maria Audriah Roche, the
eldest daughter of the late Francis Roche of
Rochemont, County Cork, of the Fermoy family,
and niece of Colonel Roche of Trabolgan House,
Co. Cork. In April of the year following the
Fifteenth moved to Dublin, where Thackwell met
Sir Hugh Gough, under whom he was to see
so much service in the future, and who was then
commanding the 22nd Regiment.

On the 9th July Colonel Thackwell was married

90 MARRIAGE

to Miss Roche at Trabolgan House by the Bishop
of Cloyne, her uncle and guardian, Colonel Roche,
giving her away — and on the 3rd September the
newly married couple took up their abode in the
Commanding Officers' quarters in Portobello
Barracks, Dublin.

Almost throughout the whole of the remainder
of Colonel Thackwell's command of the King's
Hussars, the regiment was greatly split up, finding
many detachments, and it was but seldom that the
Fifteenth could be drilled or manoeuvred together
as a whole. None the less, the inspections by
the commanding officer were frequent and close,
and Colonel Thackwell was constantly travelling
long distances by coach, chaise, or on horseback,
to visit his troops and squadrons at out-stations.
As a result of his unremitting supervision the
regiment seems on every occasion to have been
well reported on by the many distinguished officers
by whom from time to time it was inspected —
the Duke of Cumberland, Lord Hill, Lord Com-
bermere. Sir Hussey Vivian, Sir Colquhoun Grant,
and others— and it is very noticeable, from Colonel
Thackwell's correspondence and diaries, how often
commanding officers of other cavalry regiments
made a point of being present whenever any
special parade or inspection of the 15th Hussars
was ordered. It is not only, however, in the
maintenance of the high character of the regiment
for drill and manoeuvre that the hand of the
commanding officer may be noticed. With the
approval of Major-General Sir Colquhoun Grant,
then Colonel of the regiment. Colonel Thackwell

RECORDS OF THE FIFTEENTH 91

drew out and published a new set of Standing
Orders, those formerly iji use having been lost some
years previously. He also appears to have con-
ceived the idea of writing the history of the
regiment, and some closely written bundles of
manuscript in his handwriting, which are still
extant, seem to leave no doubt, from the similarity
of innumerable paragraphs, that for the greater
part of the " Historical Record of the Fifteenth
Hussars," written and published by Richard Cannon
of the Adjutant-General's Office in 1841, that
writer was very greatly indebted to the material
Colonel Thackwell had collected, and much of
which he had put into shape. It should be
remembered that while Colonel Thackwell was in
command of the King's Hussars, many of the
actors in some of the most prominent achievements
of the regiment were still ahve, and were, some
of them, in constant touch with their old corps.
Sir William Aylett and Sir WilHam Keir— or
Keir Grant as he latterly called himself— are
mentioned in Colonel Thackwell's diaries as dining
with the regiment on " the thirty-fifth anniversary
of the glorious action of Villers en Couch^," where
these two Paladins had won the cross of Maria
Teresa ; and there is, among the Colonel's corre-
spondence, a letter from Major Pocklington, who
brought the two squadrons of the Fifteenth out
of action on the same glorious occasion, which is
evidently written in compliance with Colonel
Thackwell's request for some account of the
service of the regiment in Flanders, and wherein
Pockington tells, in modest terms, of those stormy

&2 SURVIVORS OF OLD DAYS

but never-to-be-forgotten days. But besides these
old officers of the 15th Light Dragoons, there were
men still living who had served in the regiment
at EmsdorfFin 1760, and in the days when it was
still known to fame as Ehott's Light Horse.
Journeying througli the Midlands in June 1827
Colonel Thackwell records in his diary that at
Winslow, near Aylesbury —

" I saw poor old Wilham Ovitts, aged eighty-six,
a veteran soldier who was in the King's Hussars,
and behaved nobly at the battle of EmsdorfF. He
seems decrepit, but has all his faculties, and would
rejoice much in fighting his battles over again with
tlie garrulity of old age. The Duke of Cumberland
allows him £7 per annum, no pension having been
granted him — but he seems poor, although well
clothed. He lodges with one INIr. Jennings, a
saddler."

There is a letter to Colonel Thackwell, dated
Horse Guards, 19th February 1831, from Mr.
Richard Cannon, wherein he writes :

" Being anxious to afford you every possible
assistance in rendering the records of the 15th
King's Hussars as creditable and as complete as
they can be made, I have ventured to send you
by this post the volume of Gazettes for the year
1762, to which you state you wish to refer for
particulars of the Continental Wars at that
period."

There is a copy also of a letter addressed by
Colonel Thackwell, on the 11th August 1831, to
Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Wilson — another

STATIONS OF THE REGIMENT 93

of the Knights of the Maria Teresa Order — wherein
he writes :

" That being in daily expectation of receiving an
order from the Adjutant- General to transmit the
revised history of the King's Hussars, he feels
obliged to beg Sir Robert Wilson will have the
goodness at his convenience to return him the
narrative of the campaigns of 1799. At the same
time Lieutenant- Colonel Thackwell ventures to
hope Sir Robert Wilson will have the kindness
to correct any error he may discover in the detail
of circumstances, and add anything which may
have been omitted, as he cannot but be extremely
desirous that the account of the transactions of the
regiment at these periods should have the autho-
rity of so distinguished a participator in them."

It seems greatly to be regretted that Colonel
Thackwell was, for some reason or other, never
able himself to complete the work he had under-
taken, for there can be no doubt that he would
have evolved an infinitely more interesting
and a more vivid narrative than the dry-as-dust
productions which, in the shape of " Records "
of many regiments in the army, emanated some
years later, wholesale, from the Horse Guards.

There seems no object in following the regi-
ment from quarter to quarter — from Dublin to
Ballinrobe, from Ballinrobe to Newbridge, back
again to Dublin, thence to Kingston-on-Thames,
and afterwards to Canterbury, and Hampton
Court, and Brighton. At the last-named place
Colonel Thackwell was greatly distressed at
finding it necessary to destroy an old charger

94 RIOTS AT NOTTINGHAM

which had been given to him in 1807 as a four-
year-old. He took the horse to Corunna in 1808
and rode him through GaHcia, and at Corunna
a round shot grazed his shoulder, but without
doing him any injury.

" He was my favourite charger," writes his
sorrowing master, " in embarking at Portsmouth
in 1812 ; I rode him at the passage of the Esla,
and in the battle of Vittoria, where he upset
several horses which came in contact with him.
I rode him also at the Pyrenees, at Orthes,
Grenade, Toulouse, and in many skirmishes. At
the latter battle a cannon ball passed under his
belly. At AVaterloo I rode him until he was
wounded by a musket ball on the knee, from
which he did not recover for a long time."

In April 1830 the Fifteenth moved to
Nottingham and Sheffield, remaining in those
districts for the greater part of two years ; and it
was while stationed in the vicinity of Nottingham
that serious riots broke out, and Colonel Thackwell
had again an opportunity of proving his abihty to
deal \\ith a difficult situation.

On the 31st October 1831 the Duke of
Newcastle ^\Tote as follows to Colonel Thack-
well :

" Since my return home I have had so many
things to think of that I have omitted a very
necessary part of my duty, namely, writing to
inform you of my return, and to try to put myself
in communication with you. . . . Pray let me
hear from you on every occasion, either of what
has occurred or respecting any measure of precau-
tion that you may think necessary. You may

TROOP SENT TO DERBY 95

rely upon my ready and cordial co-operation on all
occasions.

" I should do more harm than good by appear-
ing at Nottingham ; I must therefore content
myself with acting from home. I shall at all
times be happy to see you here, or to meet you at
any place where my presence ^\'ill not raise a mob.

" I should be very glad to receive from you an
impartial account of all that occurred on Sunday,
Monday, and Tuesday at Xottingham and neigh-
bourhood.

" Vour communications, if requred, shall be
strictly confidential."

" I remain, Sir,

" Your very obd. Ser.

'* Newcastle."

In reply, the following statement of all that
took place during the riots in Xottingham and
neighbourhood on the 9th, 10th, and 11th October
1831 was sent by Lieutenant-Colonel Thackwell
to the Duke of Newcastle at Clumber :

"On Sunday the 9th about 12 o'clock a re-
quisition was received from the County ^Magistrates
and Mayor of Derby requesting that a troop
might be attached to that place in aid of the Civil
Power. The requisition was for a squadron,
(which of course I could not think of), the ground
being that the to^\ii was in the hands of a mob
who were breaking windows and destroying the
property of people who were obnoxious. Major
Buckley, two subalterns, and 41 men and horses
were instantly sent, communication having been
previously held ^vith the town magistrate, who
did not apprehend any tumult, and thought the
party might be spared."

96 VIOLENCE OF THE MOB

" On the evening of the same day a great
number of people assembled in the market-place
at Nottingham, and proceeded to break the
windows of obnoxious individuals. The Mayor,
in endeavouring to quell this disturbance, was
wounded on the head by a stone, throM^i down
and trampled on by the mob, his leg being much
bruised ; and, the number of the rioters increasing,
the Military was called out, and succeeded in
dispersing the crowds in various parts of the town
and in the market-place. Small knots of the
lowest rabble, however, still continued to glide
through dark alleys and passages, and frequently
succeeded in breaking windows before they could
be interrupted. Mr. Wilkins, the Reformer,
addressed the multitude late at night, entreating
them to disperse, and about 2 o'clock two of the
rioters were apprehended by the Civil Power.
Soon after this, the streets being now nearly
empty, the troops were withdrawn to the barracks,
an officer's picquet of 20 men being left in the
town. On Monday morning early the picquet
was withdrawn ; but after the meeting held at
11 o'clock to petition the King not to dismiss his
ministers, a considerable excitement became appar-
ent, although a communication from the Town
Clerk led to the belief that everything would
pass off peacefully. I had armed the recruiting
parties stationed in the town with carbines, and
had made disposable a few dismounted men who
could be spared from the defence of the barracks ;
the whole of the troops were in readiness to
turn out during the meeting, and a troop of
Yeomanry was assembled near Wollaton. At
half-past two everything was peaceable ; the town
clerk at this time sent a note to say most of the
people had gone home, and the troops need no
longer be in readiness ; but between 3 and 4 a

YEOMANRY CALLED OUT 97

picquet was sent into the town, at the request
of the JNIayor, of the same strength as before,
and soon after the whole disposable mounted
force followed — the magistrates requesting that
the mounted men might be brought into the
town. The Riot Act was read in many places,
and mobs which were parading the streets with
flags and doing much injury to private property
were frequently dispersed ; it was, however, totally
impossible to prevent their reassembling, as the
whole force under my command consisted of only
about 75 men and horses— many of the former
recruits. Seeing that this force was inadequate
to protect the town and county, I made application
by express to the General commanding the
District for a reinforcement, and having met with
two county magistrates requested they would
call out the Yeomanry.

" Soon after six o'clock intelligence was brought
that a large mob was proceeding towards Colwick,
but the magistrates of the town did not think
themselves justified in allowing any part of the
mihtary to leave the town, nor, considering the
weakness of my force, and the alarming appearance
of the multitude which filled the street, did 1
consider myself at Hberty to weaken my party
by sending detachments away at this time. About
half-past 7 o'clock, attacks were made almost
simultaneously on the House of Correction and
Nottingham Castle. I was out in the lower part
of the town with a considerable part of my force at
the time, and fortunately came upon the great
concourse of people at the House of Correction,
where part of them were forcing in the prison doors.
These were driven into the surrounding streets and
alleys, but as it was necessary to secure this place
against further attacks, I sent for the whole of the
disposable dismounted party from the barracks,

98 INCENDIARISM

and they were ultimately distributed for the
protection of this place, the town and the county
gaol, and the gasworks. In consequence of these
occurrences at the House of Correction, the troops
with me did not return to the market-place for
some time, and when they did the castle was in
flames. A party of mounted and dismounted men,
with two county magistrates and myself, after-
wards proceeded to the castle and dispersed the
immense crowd in front ; but it was judged quite
useless to clear the castle yard, as there was but
little chance of discovering the authors of the
mischief among the great concourse of spectators.
Colonel Wildman afterwards took a body of
special constables and a party of Hussars to the
castle, but I am not aware that any prisoners
were made. The troops patrolled the side of the
town next to the river until the mob had dis-
persed, but I believe it was owing to the extreme
wetness of the night that more mischief was not
attempted. It is worthy of remark, that whenever
the military came in contact with the populace, the
latter in being dispersed did not offer the slightest
resistance by throwing stones or otherwise.

" This evening a great number of special con-
stables were sworn in for the town, and the Mayor
and magistrates exerted themselves to preserve the
peace of the town, and afford assistance as far as
their means would permit. Detachments were
sent to Sharp Mill, the racecourse, and other places,
but the aspect of things was too alarming to allow
the chance of these small parties being over-
powered, and they were recalled. An officer's
picquet was left in the town, and the troops were
recalled to the barracks at 2 o'clock in the
morning.

"Early on Tuesday morning, a great crowd
being assembled at the castle, Mr. Norton, a

THE MILITARY ARE STONED 99

magistrate, requested an officer's party to assist the
special constables in clearing the castle yard. An
officer and 18 men were sent on this duty, but
no magistrate being present when they first arrived,
it was some little time before the mob were
dispossessed of it. The magistrate shortly after
left, and stones were for the first time soon after
thrown at the military from the outside of the
castle. About 10 o'clock I received a requisition
from the town magistrates to take the troops
into the town, and also to reinforce those at the
castle. Proceeding with a party of twenty men, I
met a very large mob on the Derby road opposite
the park, and these men being in the act of pulling
down some iron rails, I rode among them and
dispersed them, but not so effisctually as I should
have done had there been any magistrate present.
The troops marched into the town, but the
chief part were afterwards sent to the barracks.
Before 1 p.m. all were again ordered into the town,
and various detachments were employed the whole
afternoon in dispersing the mob in the market-
place and other quarters. Early in the afternoon
I received a requisition from a county magistrate
for some men to assist a troop of yeomanry in
attacking the mob which had gone to Beeston — that
which had reunited after being dispersed in the
morning ; and as I could now calculate on the
Yeomanry being assembled, I considered myself
enabled to detach. I therefore obtained the consent
of the town and county magistrates to proceed
with one of the latter and 30 men for that purpose.
Near Lenton, however, I met Major Rolleston,
who stated that the mob, after having burnt Mr.
Lowe's Mill at Beeston, had been rash enough
to break into Wollaton Park, and had been there
met and dispersed by a troop of Yeomanry, and 15
prisoners taken. We met the crowd near Lenton

100 THE YEOMANRY FIRE

directing its course towards Nottingham, and
the magistrate read the Riot Act ; but as they did
not remain together, the mihtary were not then
required to act. On returning towards the town
I found one of the Holme Pierpoint troops of
Yeomanry near the ' Admiral Warren,' who,
having had some stones thrown at them by the
mob from behind a wall and hedges, were firing
their pistols to intimidate them. The mob also
threw stones at the party of the Fifteenth which
came up, but they were quickly chased away and a
prisoner taken in the act of throwing was lodged
in the county gaol. Soon after this the five troops
of Yeomanry were placed under my command, and
I was then enabled to dispose of them and the
regulars, so as to protect both the town and the
country. The prisoners taken in WoUaton Park
had been lodged in the barracks, and towards
evening I sent an officer's detachment of the
Hussars to escort them to the county gaol. On the
way the party was frequently pelted with stones,
and in turning into Bridesmith Gate several stones
were thrown which struck some of the escort.
A pistol shot was then fired which wounded
two people, and this at once stopped the hostile
proceedings of the mob, and from that moment
they melted away, nor did they ever again make
head in any part of the town. I beg to state
that on Tuesday the shot was fired by a soldier
(not an officer), and the man wounded was not
a special constable as reported, but a person who
could be proved, were it necessary, to have thrown
stones at the time. In the evening of this day
I had recommended to the town and county
magistrates to call out the out-pensioners to act as
special constables ; and this recommendation being
attended to, an efficient civil force was now
embodied.

RIOTS QUELLED 101

" It was for a long time a matter of conjecture
to what place the mob had retired. However, it was
found at length that a strong party of it had
retired to the meadows below the town to consult,
and strong officers' patrols were at various times
sent outside the town. The last appearance of
an assemblage of people was at about 12 o'clock at
night near the river, and those were dispersed
by an officer's party with a town magistrate at
its head. A picquet of an officer and 20 men
was left in the town, and the out-picquets
stationed near it and the inlying picquet at the
barracks patrolled the country in various direc-
tions. The same precautions of strong picquets
were taken by the troops, and various patrols were
made from them into the country, during the
nights of the 12th and 13th, after which the
services of the troops of the Yeomanry were
dispensed with. The picquet of an officer and
20 men of the Fifteenth was continued in
the town until the 20th inst., and a strong inlying
picquet was mounted at the barracks, from which
the country had been patrolled by an officer's
or smaller patrols in all directions, during the
chief part of the night. The Wollaton and
another troop of Yeomanry in part remained
on duty for the nights of the 14th and 15th to
patrol the villages of Bullwell, Busford, Wollaton
and neighbourhood ; but with the exception of an
outrage or two in the direction of Plumtree on the
12th, everything has remained quiet in the town
and neighbourhood up to the present period."

General Sir Henry Bouverie, commanding the
district, left everything to Colonel Thackwell, as
the General was unable himself to leave Man-
chester, and the riots, which at one time had
presented a very ugly appearance, were completely

102 CONGRATULATORY ORDERS

crushed by the measures adopted. In writing to
Colonel Thackwell on the 14th October, Major-
General Bouverie says, " You appear to have
managed everything in the most satisfactory
manner," and again :

" I have not failed to call the attention of the
Commander-in-Chief to the very judicious manner
in which the duties which have devolved upon
you and Major Buckley and the regiment under
your command have been performed."

On the 19th October the General ^\Tote to
Colonel Thackwell as follows :

" Dear Sir,

" I have great pleasure in obeying the com-
mand of Lord Hill to signify to you the satisfaction
which the conduct of the 15th Hussars under your
command at Nottingham and under INIajor Buck-
ley's at Derby have afforded him under such very
trying and arduous services.

" I beg that you will make known his Lord-
ship's approbation to your regiment in whatever
way you may deem most desirable."

The letter from the Horse Guards speaks of
Lord Hill's *' sense of the steadiness, forbearance
and superior discipline of the distinguished regi-
ment." The civil authorities, too, were not behind-
hand in placing on record their appreciation of the
services of the military : the magistrates of the
County of Nottingham, assembled at Quarter
Sessions, passed on the 17th October a resolution
that —

THANKS OF THE TOWN 103

" the most cordial and grateful thanks of this
meeting are especially due and are hereby tendered
to Colonel Thackwell for the admirable and judi-
cious arrangements and disposition of the different
military corps after the whole were placed under
his sole command, by which the late most formidable
tumults were effectually suppressed and the public
peace preserved without the loss of a single life
and almost without bloodshed."

The inhabitants of Nottingham raised a sub-
scription, and at a meeting held on the 21st
unanimously resolved that —

" a silver soup-tureen be presented to Colonel
Thackwell and the officers of the regiment (with
an appropriate inscription) for their prompt and
efficient exertions in restoring tranquillity amongst
us, where destruction to life as well as property
must have been the inevitable consequence of a
less determined spirit.

" That part of the subscription be employed in
purchasing books with a view to establishing a
permanent library for the use of the men, under the
sanction of Colonel Thackwell."

Matters, however, were by no means quiet, and
throughout that winter there were constant rumours
that the more desperate characters of the mob were
arming ; that men were being sent into Nottingham
from Manchester and Birmingham ; that the troops
would be attacked on their way to church ; that
rioters who had been arrested and were under trial
would be rescued and their judges assaulted. A
troop of Horse Artillery and 150 men of the
Royal Irish Regiment were brought into Notting-

104 EXCHANGE TO HALF PAY

ham and placed under the orders of Colonel Thack-
well, who was in constant correspondence with
Sir Henry Bouverie at JVIanchester and with the
Duke of Newcastle at the Home Office. It was
a troublous year : Lord John Russell had but
recently introduced his first Reform Bill, and the
opposition with which this measure was met had
everywhere aroused the passions of the populace ;
upon tumult followed disease, and there was a very
serious outbreak of cholera in Sunderland in the
spring of 1831.

Already for some time past it would seem that
Colonel Thackwell had had an idea of leaving the
regiment and going upon half pay, and there is
some mention of such an intention in his diary as
early as March 1829. The idea took shape, and in
November 1831 he arranged an exchange to half
pay with Lord Brudenell, formerly of the 8th
Hussars — an exchange which was finally announced
in the Gazette of the 16th March 1832, though
Colonel Thackwell did not finally sever his connec-
tion with the 15th Hussars until the 30th May
of that year. The news of his exchange seems to
have aroused among his brother officers a general
chorus of regret : one of them writes :

" I am sure I need not express to you the very deep
and sincere regret I feel at your intention of leaving
the regiment, of which you seem to be so essential
a part that one can hardly imagine its existing
without you. ... I firmly believe that no officer
ever retired from the command of a regiment with
such a reputation as you have, or so justly re-
gretted."

GENERAL REGRETS 105

Another says :

'• Not only to myself is your retiring cause of the
sincerest sorrow, but to every officer in the
corps. There is not one in the Fifteenth (for
however short time he may have served under you)
that does not deplore the loss of so distinguished
and impartial a commandant.

" The officers, my dear Colonel, cannot let you
depart from among them ^vithout presenting some
token, some testimonial of the admiration and
esteem they entertain for you as a soldier and a
man, and through me they beg to communicate to
you their having ordered a piece of plate, your
acceptance of which will be a heartfelt gratification
to them. In their name and for myself, my dear
Colonel, allow me to wish to yourself and family
health and happiness wherever you may go, what-
ever realms to see.

" With thanks for your many acts of kindness to
me, and assurance of a sincere regard and attach-
ment to you, beheve me, in grief at the step you
have felt called upon to take,

" Yours most truly,

" Frederick Buckley,

" 3Iajor, 15th Ki?igs Hussars."

In reply Colonel Thackwell wrote :

" Believe me I can scarcely find words to
express to you how much I am obliged for the
kind sentiments conveyed in your letter, and it is a
matter of the deepest sorrow that anticipations of
the uncertainty of the future have induced me to
remove from the command of the regiment where
I have spent so many happy days. If the King's
Hussars have been so fortunate as to obtain the
approbation of the Commander of the Forces dur-

106 THE PARTING OF THE WAYS

ing the time I have had the honour to command
the regiment, it has been owing to the zealous,
cordial, and unremitted attention to their duty of
the officers it has been my good fortune to be
associated with."

On the exchange being finally carried out,
Thackwell congratulates Lord Brudenell "most
sincerely on succeeding to the command of one of
the best regiments in His Majesty's service."

That Colonel Thackwell felt very deeply leaving
the regiment in which he had served so long, and
with which he had taken part in so many stirring
scenes, there can be no question. It is significant
that his diary, in which it w^as his custom to
enter with minute exactness every event and action
of his daily life, contains no mention whatever of
the severance of his long and honourable connection
with the Fifteenth.

Those who have stood, like him, at the " parting
of the ways " will understand and respect the
silence in which he passes out of a happy regi-
mental life.

CHAPTER VII

Colonel Thackwell would seem to have settled
down, at least for a time, to the ordinary life
of a country gentleman. He had inherited a small
property called Normansland, near Dymock, in
Gloucestershire, and shortly after leaving the
15th Hussars he purchased an adjoining small
property called Woodend Farm, and later on
another at Ragland in Monmouthshire. He
found plenty of occupation in the improvement
of these properties, and in shooting and fishing,
of which all his life he had been passionately fond ;
and his diaries at this period contain many
references to the long journeys he made, and to
the great distances he was accustomed to walk and
ride when engaged in these pursuits.

His family, too, was increasing, and the following
are the names of the children who survived infancy,
the eldest being born in 1827 and the youngest in
1842 : Edward Joseph, Elizabeth Cranbourne, Anne
Maria Esther, William de Wilton Roche, Osbert
d'Abitot, Maria Roche, Francis John Roche.

If, however. Colonel Thackwell had ever any idea
of finally severing his connection with the service,
he seems to have speedily renounced it, for we

107

108 RETURN TO FULL PAY

find him a constant attendant at Lord Hill's levies,
and there are not a few references in his diaries
to a wish for re- employment ; he was frequently-
engaged in the inspection of the Worcester,
Gloucester, and Monmouthshire Yeomanry Cavalry ;
he rarely missed an attendance at dinner at Apsley
House on the recurring anniversaries of the Battle
of Waterloo ; and just after leaving the Fifteenth
he was gratified by being gazetted to the Third
Class of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, or K. H.,
dated the 17th January 1834. Already towards the
end of 1836 there is frequent mention in his diary
of the opening and prosecution of negotiations
for a restoration to full pay, while the idea of
service in India appears to have begun to exercise
a novel and increasing fascination upon him ; on
the 10th February 1837 we find that he " offered
£4,000 for an exchange, taking no responsibility,
and provided the regiment goes out in June."
Succeeding entries reveal the fact that he was in
treaty for an exchange with Lieutenant-Colonel
Charles Stisted, commanding the 3rd Light
Dragoons, that regiment being then under orders
to proceed shortly to India ; and on Friday ,
19th May, Colonel Thackwell records : " Saw my
appointment to the 3rd Light Dragoons, and to
a colonelcy in the army in the Gazette.'' The
very next day he proceeded to Canterbury, where
the Third was then stationed, and made the
acquaintance of his future brother officers ; but he
does not appear to have actually taken over
command of the regiment until the 24th June, just
prior to embarkation.

EMBARKS FOR INDIA 109

Of the children, the four eldest were left in
England, Osbert only, who was then the youngest,
accompanying his parents. Miss Emma Webb,
a niece of Colonel Thackwell's, also embarked with
them for India. The 3rd Light Dragoons sailed
in four East-Indiamen : the Mountstuart Elphin-
stone, the London, the Thomas Grenville, and the
Lord Moira, the headquarters embarking on
the first-named, and the httle fleet dropped down
the river on the 18th July. Travellers to India
often complain in these days of the accommodation
afforded them, but Colonel Thackwell remarks
that he had to purchase the whole of the cabin
furniture necessary for the voyage, the passage
money giving him nothing but the bare walls of
the cabins he had engaged.

Just before leaving England Colonel Thackwell
attended the dinner at the Duke of Wellington's
commemorating the twenty-second anniversary
of the Battle of Waterloo, and notes that " in con-
sequence of the dangerous illness of our beloved
sovereign the party broke up early, and the usual
toasts were not given " ; and three days later he
records the death of King William IV., and the
accession to the throne of " Princess Alexandrina
Victoria, the only child of his late Royal Highness
Edward, Duke of Kent."

The Mountstuart Elphinstone does not appear
from Colonel Thackwell's diary to have touched
anywhere until she reached Calcutta, where she
arrived— in company with the London — on the
13th November, when the regiment received the
unpleasing inteUigence that they were to proceed

110 CALCUTTA TO CAWNPORE

thence on foot the whole way to Cawnpore, instead
of — as was the more usual procedure — being
conveyed a great part of the distance in boats.
The Thomas Grenville and the Moira arrived
nearly five weeks after the first party, and the
troops on board having been disembarked on the
21st and 23rd December, the whole regiment was
assembled in camp, where, on the afternoon of
New Year's Day, it was inspected by Major-
General Sir Willoughby Cotton, K.C.B., command-
ing the Presidency Division.

On the 4th January the 3rd Light Dragoons
commenced their march for Cawnpore ; Benares
was reached on the 17th February, Allahabad on
the 27th, and Cawnpore on the 10th March, where
the Third took over 608 horses formerly belonging
to the 11th Light Dragoons — which corps had left
Cawnpore for England in December — also 199
non-commissioned officers and men who had
volunteered from that regiment to the 3rd Light
Dragoons.

At this time Cawnpore was one of the largest
garrisons in Upper India, where the main strength
was kept on the lines of the Ganges and Jumna ;
the troops held Cawnpore, Meerut, and Kurnaul
in considerable force, while smaller garrisons
occupied Allahabad, Agra, and Delhi, the latter
place being the most advanced magazine of the
army.

On the 19th May a General Order announced
Colonel Thackwell's appointment to the rank of
Major-General in India, dated the 10th January
1837, and on the 20th July Lord Hill wrote to

EVENTS IN AFGHANISTAN 111

inform him that he had been gazetted a Companion
of the Order of the Bath. In October he assumed
the command of the station and garrison of Cawn-
pore on the departm-e of Major-General Oglander.
The following extract from a letter received at
this time from Major Charles Slade, 3rd Light
Dragoons, then on the staff of Sir Henry Fane,
shows that General Thackwell had already become
as popular in his new regiment as he had ever
been in his former one :

"Though now a Major-General, I shall always
consider you our Colonel. I do not like the new
title ; it appears that you are separated from us,
which I should be sorry to think."

For some time past affairs in Afghanistan had
been arousing great anxiety both in England and
in India. There had been something like a break-
up of the Empire of Afghanistan : Shah Shuja had
gone into exile ; Dost Muhamed had made himself
master of Kabul and Kandahar ; while Herat,
which had continued under the Durani dominion,
had in 1837 been besieged by the Persians, who
were believed to be acting in the interests of
Russia. The danger was deemed pressing, for
the capture of Herat would introduce the Russians
to a vulnerable portion of Afghanistan. The
Persians and the Russians entered into negotiations
with Dost Muhamed at Kandahar, who in his turn
attempted to obtain support from Lord Auckland,
the Governor-General. Lord Auckland, however,
showed himself cold and unfriendly to the Dost,

112 THE ARMY OF THE INDUS

who then turned to the Russian Envoy. Lord
Auckland now determined upon the deposition
of Dost Muhamed and the restoration of Shah
Shuja, and wrote that " we owe it to our safety to
assist the lawful sovereign of Afghanistan to the
recovery of his throne." It was apparently at
first merely contemplated that Shah Shuja was to
attack the Dost, assisted by the forces of the
Punjab — Peshawar and Kashmir being ceded to
Ranjit Singh in return for his help. The scheme,
however, was enlarged so as to admit the pres-
ence of a few British corps to give stability to
the movement. But here the military authorities
were necessarily taken into council, and the Com-
mander-in-Chief, Sir Henry Fane, without ex-
pressing political opinions, at once declared that
if British troops were to be sent, they must be in
sufficient numbers to take care of themselves ;
and the Governor-General, unwilling to recede
from his plans, and still under the fear of Russian
aggression, was led to make more extensive com-
binations. A column was ordered from Bombay
to move upon Scinde, while a Bengal force,
collected at Ferozepore, was to march down the
left bank of the Sutlej, and thence through the
territory of Bahawalpore to meet the southern
force. Sir Willoughby Cotton, whom we hav^e
already seen at Calcutta, was appointed to the
command of the Bengal portion of the force, and
passed through Cawnpore in September, en route to
join his troops ; and on the 24th November Major-
General Thackwell was gratified by the receipt
of the following letter from Sir Henry Fane :

THE COMMAND OF THE CAVALRY 113

"LuTULLA, IGth JVovember, 1838.

"My dear Thackwell,

" I have at length persuaded the Govern-
ment that the Cavahy of the Army of the Indus
should have a chief ; and I have therefore named
you, and an order goes to you to-day to join as
soon as you can.

" My opinion is that you would do wisely to
come up with your traps, and not think about
horses ; for as a part of the army does not proceed
farther than Ferozepore, or even lower down the
river, you will not find difficulty in mounting
yourself

" Captain VVillin has overtaken me already, so
your task will not be very difficult ; and I don't
think that the troops can be off from Ferozepore
before the end of the first week in December.

" I am, yours truly,

" H. Faxe.

" I think that you may bring up an aide-de-camp,
if desirable."

Major-General Thackwell lost no time over his
preparations, and on the night of the 15th he
started by palki-dak for Ferozepore, accompanied
by Cornet Edmund Roche — a brother of JNlrs.
Thackwell's, who had been posted to the 3rd
Light Dragoons shortly before they left England,
and whom General Thackwell had appointed to
be his aide-de-camp. Meerut was reached on the
4th December, and here the travellers put up for
the night with Brigadier-General McCaskill. They
were at Umballa on the 6th, Ludhiana on the
following day, and finally arrived at Ferozepore —
547 miles from Cawnpore — early on the afternoon
of the 9th. " Found the whole army present,"

114 JOINS THE FIELD FORCE

writes the Commander-elect of the Cavalry, " and
took up my quarters at Colonel Beresford's tent.
Called on Sir Henry Fane, Generals Torrens and
Churchill, and also Sir Willoughby Cotton." On
the next day he " called on Colonel Skinner, who
is a fine old fellow" — the individual meant being
evidently Colonel James Skinner, C.B., the Father
of the Indian Cavalry, who had served under de
Boigne, and Perron, and Scindhia, and Lord Lake,
who had chased Holkar from Delhi to Fatehgurh,
and Amir Khan, the Pathan adventurer, from
Bhurtpore to the Himalayas. At the date when
General Thackwell met Skinner, the latter was
commanding a body of horse in the Army of the
Indus, and must have been a man of sixty years

of age.

General Thackwell had pushed on so fast to
join the army that he had greatly outmarched his
baggage, which had not come up, but none the
less he left Ferozepore on the 12th December,
in company with Roche, and hurried on 37 miles
to overtake at Baggeeke the cavalry brigade,
under Colonel Arnold of the 16th Lancers, forming
part of the Cavalry Division which Major-General
Thackwell had been selected to command.

" To perform this march," says he, " I had Beres-
ford's horses for 7 miles, his gig with two horses as
relays for about 12 miles, two of his ponies for
12 miles more, and two horses from Major
Cureton" (the Assistant Adjutant-General of the
Cavalry Division) " for the last march, a horse I
purchased from Sir Henry Fane, and a pony of
Dr. Wood's."

COMPOSITION OF THE FORCE 115

The Bengal force, as originally warned for field
service, had consisted of a brigade of artillery, a
brigade of cavalry, and five brigades of infantry,
the latter told off into two divisions under Sir
Willoughby Cotton and Major-General Duncan.
The cavalry brigade consisted of the 16th Lancers
and the 2nd and 3rd Light Cavalry, while there
were also with the army two lisalas of irregular
horse. The force which had at the same time been
collected at Bombay was composed of a cavalry
and an infantry brigade, the former consisting of
part of the 4th Light Dragoons and the 1st Light
Cavalry with the Poona Local Horse. At the
same time another body of troops was raised for
service across the Indus —

" the force that was to be led by Shah Shuja into
Afghanistan ; that was to be known distinctively
as his force, but to be raised in the Company's
territories, to be commanded by the Company's
officers, and to be paid by the Company's coin." ^

For this purpose there were raised two batteries of
artillery, two regiments of cavalry, and five regiments
of infantry, the total strength of these being some
6,000 men; the Bengal Army numbered 14,000, and
the Bombay force 5,000. Durand points out that —

" the British Army, consisting altogether of
25,000 men, was thus in two bodies, separated from
each other by the whole length of the course of the
Sutlej and Indus, that is, by a distance of 780
miles ; the main body at Ferozepore movable, but
that on the sea-board of Scinde, paralysed for a
time by the want of camels or other beasts of
burden, immovable."

' Kaye.

116 REDUCTION OF THE ARMY

When the plan of campaign had been formed
the principal object was the relief of Herat, and
for this reason an advance south-west from
Ferozepore — by Shikarpore on Kandahar — was the
line selected. While, however, the Army of the
Indus was yet completing its concentration at
Ferozepore, news was received that the Persians
had retired from before Herat, and it was then
decided that the force to take the field should be
reduced in strength, while at the same time the
line of advance originally chosen was still held to,
although the main reason for its selection had dis-
appeared. Instead of two divisions, the Bengal
Army was now to consist of one division of three
brigades under Sir Willoughby Cotton, while
General Duncan, with two brigades, was to stand
fast at Ferozepore and Ludhiana. By this measure
the strength of the Bengal force was reduced to
9,500 men ; while in addition to the danger of the
long line of communications to which the Army
of the Indus was committed by the route selected
for the advance into Afghanistan, there was the
further danger of the distance by which it was to
be separated from any reserve, and finally the
hostility of the Ameers of Scinde, who strongly
objected to the military occupation of their country,
and who had, moreover, from their position the
power to cut off or withhold all supplies.

" Scinde was at that time under a confederation,
much like Afghanistan, only that all the Ameers
were of one clan ; the northern part of the pro-
vince was under Rustam Khan, of Khyrpoor, the
southern, or lower part, being ruled by some of

SIR JOHN KEANE COMMANDS 117

his kinsfolk, of whom Nur Muhamed of Haidara-
bad was chief. By direction of the Government,
Burnes, who now held the substantive post of
agent with the Khan of Khelat (the leading chief
of Baluchistan), negotiated with the Khyrpoor
Ameer, while the dealings with the Ameers at
Haidarabad were in the hands of Colonel Pottinger,
the accredited Resident in Scinde."^

On the reduction of the force. Sir Henry Fane
decided to relinquish the command of the ex-
pedition into the hands of Sir John Keane, who
was then at Kurrachee at the head of the Bombay
Division ; but as Sir Henry was to proceed by
boat down the Indus, en route for the port of
embarkation for England, his advice and assistance
were still, as Commander-in-Chief, at the service
of Sir Willoughby Cotton, to whom now fell the
command of the Bengal contingent of the Army
of the Indus.

The position at this moment of Sir John Keane,
the new Commander of the army, was by no
means pleasant ; he was unable to move from the
sea-coast without transport and supplies, for both
of which he was mainly dependent upon the
goodwill of the Ameers of Scinde, whose attitude,
if not actively hostile, was anything but friendly,
and whose strength interposed between him and
the major portion of the army he was to command,
and which was nearly 800 miles distant from him.

When General Thackwell joined his command
at Baggeeke the army had already commenced
its march, the 9,500 fighting men of whom it was

' Keene.

118 TROOPS AND FOLLOWERS

composed being accompanied by the enormous
number of 38,000 followers, while their suppHes
were carried by 30,000 camels. The baggage of
the army w^as indeed enormous ; no stringent
orders on the subject appear to have been issued
either by Sir Henry Fane or by his successor,
and the former had contented himself with merely
cautioning all concerned against the provision of
large tents or establishments. This caution does
not, however, appear to have been regarded : Sir
Henry Havelock, who was serving with the force
as A.D.C. to Sir Willoughby Cotton, admits to
having himself had eighteen servants, while it is
said that one officer had so many as forty. ^

The Engineer officers, with the Sappers and
Miners, preceded the leading column by two
marches, improving the road as they moved
on ; then followed the cavalry brigade with a troop
of Horse Artillery, accompanied by Sir Willoughby
Cotton and the Headquarters, and one after the
other on successive days marched the 1st, 2nd, and
4th Infantry Brigades, the siege train, and the park
— a risala of irregular horse being attached to each
of the three last columns. The distance from
Ferozepore to Bahawalpore is 230 miles, and
it was divided into 18 marches ; the hne of march
never deviated more than twenty miles from, and
was generally quite close to, the Sutlej, down whose
stream the sick, the hospital stores, and com-
missariat supplies were conveyed in boats.

The following extracts from General Thackwell's

1 The 16th Lancers took a pack of hounds with them on this
campaign.

THE MARCH BEGINS 119

diary give some idea of the country traversed, and
of the difficulties of supply by which the column
in general, and the mounted portion of it in par-
ticular, were beginning already to be assailed.

" ISth December. — Marched to Bahuk, the road a
track, but passable for all descriptions of force : the
same flat country, but little vegetation and quanti-
ties of low jungle, showing that we are entering the
desert."

" 14>th. — But forty maunds of grain had been
collected instead of nine hundred."

" 15tk. — All through the desert, the same kind of
road and soil — no vegetation except the prickly
thorn and tufts of long grass scantily diffused, with
a little dwarf shrub and a few patches of cultivation
surrounding a few of the small villages. The
horses had to-day half-rations of grain and jozva.
Roche overtook me last evening by dinner-time
with two of my camels, and the remainder came
up to-night."

"24^. — Our march all last week was through
or on the borders of the Great Desert."

" 26th. — Marched to Khyrpoor ; road as before,
but the desert more marked with deep sand in
very high sand hills, with patches of cultivation
around several villages. But a thin scattering
of jungle and some small groups of trees."

" 27th. — At sunrise and until 8 a.m. cloudy and
very cold with a few drops of rain ; the natives
say it has not rained for three years on our line of
march from Ferozepore. Partly through a broad
plain between the Sutlej and the edge of the
desert close on our left. The view to the left as
far as the eye can reach is over a wide waste
of desert with only a few shrubs and thorns
growing on it."

"29///. — Marched to Bahawalpore and on to

120 CESSION OF BUKKER

our encampment, SW., and distant from it two
miles."

" 30/^. — Sir Henry Fane held a durbar in his
tent to receive the Rajah or Nawab of this place."

" 1st January. — Marched to Khyrpoor. Des-
patches received that the fort of Bukker "
(commanding the spot where the army was to
cross to the right bank of the Indus) "has
submitted. The despatches state that Sir John
Keane with the Bombay division has landed in the
bay of Kurrachee distant from Haidarabad about
120 miles, passing through Tatta, and that the
Chief of Scinde intends to give him battle. Oppo-
site Haidarabad, for about 40 miles, there is no
road on the right bank of the Indus ; then for
about 40 miles thence none to within about 40
miles of Shikarpore."

" 5th, Chaniklian. — Two days ago we fancied
we saw, or really did see, the snow-clad moun-
tains of Afghanistan opposite Multan. To-day
the lower range of brown hills of that country
show themselves, distant about 30 miles."

On the 14th January the force entered Scinde
and left the vicinity of the desert, the country
becoming richer and more cultivated ; already,
however, desertions were taking place among the
followers, and on the 18th January General
Thackwell records that " the 3rd Light Cavalry
lost 35 camels with their drivers " ; and it became
apparent that the army might before long suffer
from a scarcity of carriage and supplies. Shah
Shuja had ere this gone on in advance of the
British force, and having crossed the Indus, by
ferry, seven miles above Roree, had moved on
to Shikarpore, which had been fixed upon as

ACTION OF THE AMEERS 121

the place of rendezvous. On the 25th January
the Headquarters of the Bengal force arrived
at Roree, and on the 29th the fort on the
island of Bukker was taken over by a British
garrison, and the crossing-place for the army
was secured.

The news, however, from Lower Scinde was
disquieting : Sir John Keane had advanced on the
23rd January from Tatta up the right bank of the
Indus, and on the 25th reached Jurrukh, two
marches from Haidarabad, where he learnt that
the Ameers were moving forward a large army for
the defence of the capital, and that another force
lay between Haidarabad and the troops under
Sir John Keane himself. A collision seemed un-
avoidable, and Sir John asked Sir Henry Fane,
who had not yet left Roree, to permit a portion of
the Bengal force to move down the Indus to
co-operate in any movement on Haidarabad, and so
facilitate the junction of the Bengal and Bombay
armies. Fane had, however, already anticipated this
request, and orders for the march of some 5,000
men southwards had been given very shortly after
arrival at Roree — the Cavalry Brigade, the Horse
Artillery, and the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades
being detailed to march under Sir Willoughby
Cotton. About the same time the Shah's con-
tingent occupied Larkhana, almost due south of
Shikarpore, and the force under Cotton, moving
on the 30th January, had reached Khandeeree,
seven miles from Roree, when a despatch was
received from Sir John Keane, stating that the
Ameers had agreed to all the terms proposed by

122 PASSAGE OF THE INDUS

Government, and countermanding the movement
southward.

On the 9th General Thackwell's diary records

that —

"news arrived that Sir John Keane was en-
camped opposite Haidarabad on the right bank of
the Indus on the 5th, and that the Wellesley, with
the 40th Regiment, had knocked the fort of Kurra-
chee about the ears of the Beloochees for having
presumed to fire a shot at her."

This last was the " Scinde Reserve Force," under
Brigadier Valiant, comprising the 40th Foot and
the 22nd and 26th Bombay Native Infantry.

Sir Willoughby Cotton now retraced his steps
to Roree, which was reached on the 1 5th, and, the
bridge over the Indus having by now been com-
pleted, the cavalry crossed on the 17th, and by the
following day the whole of the Bengal force was
on the right bank of the river ready, under its
new commander, for the trying work which lay
before it.

CHAPTER VIII

The Bengal column marched to, and was con-
centrated in, Shikarpore by the 20th February 1839,
and here, too, was found the Shah's contingent
under the command of Major-General Simpson.
Shikarpore was the first town of any importance
between Roree and Dadur — ten marches distant
and situated at the entrance of the Bolan Pass ;
Quetta was eight marches on from Dadur, and
Kandahar was another fourteen from Quetta.

Macnaghten, the political officer with the force,
had been informed that the Bolan Pass was
occupied by the enemy, and it was resolved to
push on as soon as possible to secure its possession ;
this determination, the wisdom of which is incon-
testable, greatly increased the difficulties of supply,
already sufficiently heavy. In the early days of
the assembly of the force, Sir Henry Fane, the
Commander-in-Chief, had warned the Commissariat
Department that "failure on the part of the
political officers would not be held a valid excuse
in the event of a deficiency of supplies for the
army being felt in the course of miUtary opera-
tions." Supplies, however, of all kinds, and

' Keene.
123

124 DIFFICULTIES OF SUPPLY

especially of forage, were scarce, and came in but
slowly ; between the river and Shikarpore, the
camels, it is said, had dropped down dead by
scores ; and the Bengal Commissariat had now
been directed to supply the Bombay column also
with food and transport. The Chief Commissariat
Officer was most anxious to remain at Shikarpore
for at least three weeks, so as to collect the greatest
possible quantity of supplies for the troops ; and
as he calculated that he should require at least 40
to 50 days' supply to take the troops up to
Kandahar, and as the force had moved from
Ferozepore with but 30 days' supply and the
equivalent transport, it was clear that not only
was there far more food and forage to be carried
than before, but a greatly increased number of
animals would be necessary for its carriage.

At the time when Cotton reached Shikarpore,
the Bombay column was some fifteen marches in
rear. It was still accompanied by Keane, who for
some reason did not push on and join the major
portion of his command ; and Cotton's decision to
move forward and secure the passage of the Bolan
Pass appears to have been made without reference
to Keane, who followed slowly in rear by way of
Larkhana and Gundava, and did not himself over-
take the Bengal portion of his command until early
in April.

Orders for the commencement of the march to
Dadur were issued by General Cotton on the 21st,
and on the 23rd the Headquarters left Shikarpore
with the cavalry brigade, and a wing of native
infantry. Almost at once it was discovered that

TRIALS OF THE MARCH 125

there would be great difficulty about water and
forage for the cavalry and the transport animals.
On the 26th General Thackwell notes in his
diary :

" There is no grass, and the food for the camels
is bad. There are fifty cuicha wells of about 2 J ft.
diameter at the bottom, only forty-seven of which
had water, and none had more than 1 ft. 10 in.
in depth, giving about 50 cubic feet of water on
our arrival. I have had the wells deepened, but
the supply, though improving, is still inadequate."

The heat in the daytime was increasing, and the
marches were now generally made at night. The
Beloochee robbers were busy, and on the 3rd
March, near Bagh, camels were driven off, the post
was plundered, while grass and camel fodder were
again running short. Sir Willoughby Cotton
writes to the Commander of the Cavalry Division :

"At any time when you cannot get grass or
kurbee for the horses, I authorise you to purchase
a field or fields of the standing corn and serve it
out to the corps."

But there was little cultivation, and green crops
issued as forage were not suitable for horses in hard
work.

The road, too, was very bad, with steep ascents
and descents, and with deep and narrow nullahs
constantly crossing the line of march.

The cavalry reached Dadur on the 10th March,
and a detachment of all arms was sent on to secure
the pass ; the leading column moved on on the
1 6th, and by the 23rd had emerged from the

126 FAILURE OF THE FORAGE

defiles of the Bolan into the camp of Sir-i-Ab.
The difficulties of the ascent of the pass had been
very great ; the road a mere track strewn with
flinty stones ; the wind, howling through the pass,
was so violent, that men could hardly keep their
saddles ; the tribesmen swooped down upon the
stragglers ; there was no lack of water, but the
streams were tainted with the dead bodies of
camels ; supplies, too, were running short, for every-
thing had to be brought up with, or in the rear of
the army, not one single days supplies being
obtainable between Shikarpoi^e and Kandahar from
the country traversed !

" How the army is to subsist," writes General
Thackwell in his diary, under the date of the
23rd March, " Heaven only knows. All the horse-
corn carried by the Commissariat Department will
be expended by to-morrow, and we have about
twenty days' supply of atta. It has completely
ruined this fine cavalry, and will reduce us to a
state of starvation."

The followers had been on half-rations since
leaving Dadur, the cavalry horses had latterly
been getting only six pounds of corn daily and no
grass, and the guns of the Horse Artillery were
only dragged through the last few miles of the
Bolan Pass by harnessing eight horses to each
gun, and calling on the assistance of the infantry ;
even then they were five hours marching nine and
a half miles.

*' '2Uh. — Marched to Quetta — distance from Shi-
karpore, 226^ miles."

HALT AT QUETTA 127

" 27th. — Only four maimds of grain in store after
this day's issue of one seer " (2lb.) " for each cavalry
horse, and only ten days' consumption of atta and
wheat. In consequence the troops are to be put
upon half-rations of flour and the followers upon a
quarter seer. We expect, however, to receive from
Dadur 600 camel-loads of grain, and from Sukker
about the 7th or 8th prox. 1,700 camel-loads ; but
if the same destruction of camels takes place
amongst them as since the 1st inst. — namely, the
death of one-third — we cannot expect more than
700 will arrive, which, however, it is hoped, will
produce 8,500 maunds."

On arrival at Quetta General Cotton had sent
back Major Craigie, his D.A. General, to represent
to Sir John Keane the state of the advanced
portion of his force as regards rations for the troops
and forage for the horses. He was instructed to
point out that Quetta and the neighbourhood
could furnish but the scantiest supplies, and that
many days must elapse before the arrival of a large
convoy from the rear. The Bengal force had just
sufficient stores to take it to Kandahar ; and while
asking instructions of Sir John Keane regarding
the course to be pursued, Craigie was to point out
that by delaying at Quetta, supplies, which it
would be difficult to make good, would be
consumed, while time would be given to the
adherents of Dost Muhamed to devastate the
country and occupy positions between Quetta and
Kandahar.

Major Craigie reached Dadur on the 27th March
and here found Sir John Keane, and on the 3rd
April he was back at Quetta conveying to General

128 KEANE JOINS THE ADVANCE

Cotton peremptory orders to halt until joined by
the Commander of the Force.

Keane had reached Gundava on the 21st March,
and had intended to march thence on Quetta by
Khelat ; but after delaying ten days in a recon-
naissance of the road, he decided to follow in the
tracks of the leading column, thereby giving
up the advantage of a line of advance which,
though perhaps more difficult, would have
been but little if anything longer, and which
would have had the advantage of being one
on which the forage and local supplies had not
been consumed. By retaining Cotton at Quetta
until his own arrival —

" for eleven days he kept a body of fighting
men on half-rations, and a mass of camp fol-
lowers on quarter-rations, uselessly consuming
their scanty supply, which, even with such
severe husbandry, was barely enough to enable
them to reach Kandahar ; and when about
to enter a hostile country, having the character
of furnishing formidable horsemen, he gave the
finishing blow to the greater part of his own
cavalry by thus confining them to a spot which
was soon bald of forage." ^

To return, however, to General Thackwell's diary.

" Saturday 6tk April. — His Majesty Shah Shuja
and Sir John Keane arrived here to-day. The
former has 3,000 infantry, 800 cavalry, and a troop
of horse artillery ; the latter has a wing of the 1st
Bombay Cavalry only. Some Beloochees from
a mud fort fired upon a party of the 16th Lancers,
who dismounted a few men, attacked them, seized

' Durand.

PASSAGE OF THE KHOJAK 129

four matchlocks through the loopholes and killed
five men, wounding and bringing away the sixth
a prisoner, wlio was hanged. Seven men made
their escape when they saw the Lancers rushing to
the attack."

The column moved out on the following day,
marching by the north-westerly route towards
Kandahar.

" 9th April. — Marched into the valley of Pisheen.
Our short rations of one seer, and sometimes not
any corn, are fast destroying the cavalry. Fifty
horses of the three regiments were cast and shot at
Quetta, and seventeen horses have died to-day
of sheer weakness."

"11^^. — Seventy horses died yesterday from
want of food or mere exhaustion — ^10 of the
Lancers, 58 of the 2nd Native Cavalry, and 2 of
the 3rd. The Sappers and Miners marched to the
Kojeh Amran Pass this morning ; about thirty
of the Kandahar Horse were there, who fired two
shots and then retired."

On the 14th the passage of the Khojak com-
menced.

"The Camel Battery began to drag their
guns up at about half-past 7 a.m., and their
last carriage was not down before 9 at night.
From 40 to 50 men were put to each, and they
had to drag the guns up or ease down the ascent
and descent for at least a mile. Severe work for
all. The chief part of the baggage remained on
the mountain or in the entrance of the pass all
night, and some things were plundered by the
robbers, who were so audacious as to exchange
shots. I was most fortunate with my baggage, as

130 A BAD DAY'S MARCH

we got it over the mountain and in camp by
4 p.m."

(General Thackwell mentions here a second
aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Crispin of the 2nd Light
Cavalry, but there is no record of when this officer
took up his appointment.)

« 15//;. — No corn could be got for the cavalry,
and but few could get water."

« 19///. — It is reported that 2,500 of the enemy's
cavalry are encamped 14 miles in our front ; we
have therefore increased our picquets, as, if the
account be true, we shall probably be attacked
to-night."

" 20tli. — All the troop horses have been without
corn since the 15th."

" 21*/. — No water to be got the chief part of
yesterday, and very little to-day."

" 2'2nd. — Marched to Mehel Mandah, but owing,
as was imagined, to there not being sufficient
water for the whole body of troops, the cavalry
continued its march through the pass of the
Ghautee Hills, and diverged from the Upper
Kandahar road to the left, and encamped on
the Lower Kandahar road on the right bank of the
Doree River — where there was plenty of good
water and wheat and barley. Total, 23 miles.
This long march in a meridian sun has caused
the death of several followers, and of near 60
horses. The folly of it was very great. The
brigade had been ordered to halt at Kilia Futtoola,
but Brigadier Arnold went to Sir John Keane and
prevailed on him to suffer the cavalry to march,
and when he got to Mehel Mandah he thought
that there would not be water enough, and again
prevailed on Sir John Keane to let him move
on, and I could not find the latter soon enough

ARRIVAL AT KANDAHAR 131

to prevent it. In consequence we didn't get into
camp until half-past 11, and not under canvas
until near the evening, during which time the
sun was at times absolutely roasting us."

" 2Uh. — The Shah left our ground this morning
and marched towards Kandahar, on hearing the
people had deserted the chiefs and were ready
to receive him ; and in the afternoon some of his
troops were admitted into the town."

" '27th. — Marched at 3 p.m. to a camp within
a mile and a half of Kandahar. The Cavalry
Divisional Staff Camp is pitched on a verdant turf
within little better than half a mile of the eastern
angle of the town wall. This piece of turf delights
the eye much more than anything I have seen
since I entered the Ganges River."

The Bengal column on reaching Kandahar had
marched 1,005 miles from Ferozepore. The
cavalry and horse artillery were put on half-
rations on the 24th March, so that they had been
on a reduced scale, with scanty forage, for 32 days.
But from the 30th March they had had no grain
whatever, so that for the 26 days prior to their
arrival in Kandahar the horses had been fed
entirely on green forage, supplemented by very
poor grass. It is evident that from the casualties
among the horses, and the weakness of the sur-
vivors, the efficiency of General Thackwell's fine
command had by this time been seriously im-
paired.

" Mh May. — I inspected the 4th Local Horse
and part of the risala of the 1st or Skinner's
Horse. Many are in wretched condition owing
to the severe work they have had ; many, however,

132 JUNCTION OF THE FORCE

are fit for good service. The Bombay column
marched into camp this morning ; it consisted
of two troops of European artillery, one company
of foot ditto, about 280 of the 4th Light Dragoons,
190 of the 1st Light Cavalry, the 2nd and 17th
Queen's Regiments, a wing of the 19th Native
Infantry, and about 300 Local Horse."

" 8//?. — Shah Shuja-ul-Mulk was formally en-
throned to-day, on which occasion most of the
regular army was paraded at daylight to the north
of the town on the fine sloping plain in review
order. Four salutes of 21 guns each were fired
from different stations, until His INIajesty took his
seat upon the throne, when 101 guns were fired,
and the troops marched past in slow time and filed
to their encampments."

" 9M. — Brigadier Sale called at my tent. I
regret I have not the command he is nominated to,
viz. 100 European Light Infantry, the 16th Native
Regiment made up to 1,000 men by the Shah's
infantry, 120 of the 2nd and 3rd Bengal Cavalry,
300 of the Shah's horse, 2 nine-pounders, one
24-pounder howitzer, two 5-inch mortars w^ith a
proper number of European artillery with Sappers
and Miners — upwards of 1,600 men. They march
on the 11th, towards Girishk on the Helmand River,
to drive the Sirdars into Persia, unless they come
in on the terms offered. There is a report brought
by a hurkara that Timur Shah, the son of the Shah
Shuja, has defeated and dangerously wounded the
son of Dost Muhamed at this end of the Khyber
Pass. '

Already the weather was getting very hot, and
on the 16th May General Thackwell records :

" I and Edmund Roche dined with Sir John
Keane, but he was too unwell to be at the table,

CAMP RUMOURS 133

suffering greatly from the heat, which in the
hospital tent of the 19th Bombay Infantry has
been as high as 114°."

" 18M. — I rode to look at the Bengal Cavalry
in their lines, and they seem to be picking up. . . .
Various rumours afloat — one, that the Sirdars had
left Girishk and with 100 men had gone to
JNIeshed ; another, that they still occupy a fort
25 miles beyond the Helmand River. A rumour
that Dost Muhamed had advanced 60 miles on
this side of Kabul with 100,000 men to give us
battle ; another, that his bodyguard intend to come
over to the Shah as soon as he came near ; another,
that he was prepared for a start into the Hindoo
Koosh as soon as we drew near ; another, that
Ranjit Singh had not fulflUed his engagement
to the Governor-General of sending 5,000 men
with the Political Agent Wade, in support of
Timur Shah's advance to the Khyber Pass ; and
another, that Ranjit Singh intended to join Dost
Muhamed in an attack upon us. It is said for
certain that the Governor-General has refused to
ratify the treaty entered into with the Ameers of
Scinde and that Brigadier Douglas, Commandant
of Bukker, had written for reinforcements."

Towards the end of the month General Thack-
well was engaged in the inspection of the regiments
of the Cavalry Division, and found the horses much
improved in condition, and the remounts very
promising.

" lull June.— The advance of the army upon
Kabul, which was to have begun to-morrow, is
postponed to await the arrival of a large convoy
of camels (4,000) with grain."

''22nd. — The convoy of 4,000 camels came in
to-day without any loss."

134 MARCH TO KABUL

" 27^/l — The army began its march for Kabul at
4 p.m. . . . Cavalry Division and the 4th Local
Horse, 18 guns, Sappers and Miners, and 1st
Brigade of Infantry of Bengal."

But as the men who had come in with the
hired camels of the convoy refused to proceed
further, 20,000 maunds of supphes had to be left
at Kandahar in charge of the garrison which re-
mained there. The troops and followers were
consequently again obliged to march on half-
rations, but it was hoped that matters would
improve on nearing Kabul, where, the season
being later than at Kandahar, the crops would
yet be uncut.

Kelat-i-Ghilzai was reached unopposed on the
4th July, but there had of late been constant
reports of intended attacks by the enemy. " We
were to have met 10,000 Ghilzais in position
here," writes General Thackwell on this date,
"but not a hundred have shown themselves,
and they immediately retired.

" 18/// July. — Marched at 4.30 a.m. to Mooshakee.
. . . The Ghilzai Chief with his 500 horse is not
far from us, and the low range of hills on our left
may give him a field to amuse our baggage to-
morrow. Dost Muhamed's son said to be in
position at Ghuznee. . . . For the last three
marches we have been among the Hazarahs (a
tribe), who are civil, and hail the crowning of the
Shah apparently with joy. Their features are
much broader than the Ghilzais, and give one a
strong idea of the Chinese countenance."

" \Qth. — The enemy had a picquet of about 40
men on the hills to-day, but they retired before

NEARING GHUZNEE 135

our advanced guard. At Ghuznee or before we
are led to expect a fight, as it is supposed Dost
INIuhamed with the chief part of his army has
arrived there. For some time the advanced guard
has consisted of a regiment of native cavah-y, four
companies of native infantry, the Sappers and
Miners, and two field guns. The Shah's column,
with the 4th Brigade of Infantry, has closed up
to-day, and ^Villshire's column will be within a
march ; this looks like business."

" 2Qth. — From a hill two miles on the left of the
cavalry camp I had a most delightful view of the
plain between it and the high range. I had also
a good view of Ghuznee, and a picquet of about
60 of the enemy's cavalry midway between it and
our camp. A nephew of Dost Muhamed, with
some followers, joined the Shah to-day. ... A
report that our camp is to be attacked to-night
by Dost Muhamed's sons, and the troops will lie
on their arms."

" 21*^. — The army lay down in position, but there
was no attack or any alarm, although a stupid
bugler of the Bombay Infantry sounded the
'assembly.' A report came in last night that
the chiefs had evacuated Ghuznee, and a man
came in this morning to say he saw them go away
at six yesterday evening. Marched at 4.30 a.m.
to a position three-quarters of a mile to the SSW.
of Ghuznee, and at 4 p.m. to a position SE. and
NE. of the town opposite to it and on the Kabul
road and about one mile from the former.

" The army marched in four columns ; the in-
fantry, left in front, under and along the hills, the
artillery on the main road, the cavalry in two
columns of troops right in front at deploying dis-
tance, and the Shah's force in the rear, as well as
Wiltshire's Bombay Infantry. The advance was
beautiful, until within two short miles of Ghuznee,

136 ACTION OUTSIDE GHUZNEE

when a message from Sir John Keane, to the
purport that 2,500 cavahy had passed through the
mountains on our left to attack the baggage,
caused the Bombay brigade of cavalry to be
sent to the rear to meet any attack which
might be made. This caused an opening in the
line which the difficult nature of the ground,
over which the right column passed, took some
time to fill up. Strong patrols had been sent out
to examine the numerous villages to the right and
right front. Roche brought word from the several
villages he reconnoitred that the chiefs were still
at Ghuznee ; but before he could be sent to com-
municate with Sir John Keane, hostilities had begun
by a firing of matchlocks from the numerous
villages and gardens, and shortly after the first
cannon shot was fired from the town. The enemy
were soon driven in within or around the town,
and the two troops of Horse Artillery took up a
position at about 450 yards from the walls, and
opened a heavy fire which was soon followed by
the camel battery. These knocked down some
of the parapets and the upper part of the town at
the southern angle and silenced most of the guns,
which were but few ; but, as it was found that
the walls and profile of the town were too high
to admit of a practicable breach, the artillery were
vvdthdrawn from their exposed situation after about
half or three-quarters of an hour's fire, and the
infantry followed, except a party with a squadron
of the 2nd Light Cavalry, that went to the right
of the town with the Chief Engineer to reconnoitre
its weak points.

" Some casualties have occurred. Two officers
wounded, and a man or two, and some horses have
been killed, and several of both have been wounded.
The Commander of the Forces was nearly killed
by a cannon ball, and I had several narrow escapes

EVE OF THE ASSAULT 137

— one round shot at about oOO yards passed close
over my head and dropped about twenty yards
behind me. Roche and Crispin were also a good
deal exposed. I had halted the cavalry within
about 1,100 yards of the town, reinforcing the
advanced guard with another troop, in order to
repel any sortie by the enemy's cavalry, which was
at one time expected. These withdrew when the
artillery did, and on my return I found the
cavalry in a sad jumble, intermixed with hundreds
of camels loaded with baggage, Colonel Persse
having withdrawn the Lancers and the 3rd Light
Cavalry to the rear, leaving only the 2nd Light
Cavalry in position, and the Bombay Brigade,
which had by this time returned, was in a still
more encumbered spot. A shot from the citadel,
while I was having breakfast, carrying off the leg of
a horse of the 2nd Cavalry, soon made the camel
people glad to go to the rear. ... At 4 p.m.
we marched to the position before mentioned out
of cannon shot. This afternoon's work has invested
the town, but it would have been much better if
the wild work of the morning had been avoided.
A fatiguing day's work for men and horses —
some poor fellows, I daresay, had nothing all day
to eat."

''Monday, 2'27Ld. — A quiet night. Having
arrived so late in camp, the Engineers could not
begin operations during the night, and therefore Sir
John Keane will not realise what he told me yester-
day — that he would be in possession of Ghuznee
to-day coiite que mute. . . . About 11 o'clock a
multitude of men, infantry and cavalry, were seen
to descend from the mountains four miles in rear
of the Shah's and our camp, and it was supposed
that a part of the Dost's army were the people. I
rode to Sir John Keane, who ordered out the whole
cavalry and six guns. On my arriving a little way

138 PKEPARATIONS

to the rear I however found the enemy not nearly
so strong as reported, and I therefore left the 2nd
Light Cavalry to check any advance from the town,
and sent word for the guns and Bombay Cavalry
to remain on their ground. I took in support of
the Shah's troops the 16th Lancers and 3rd Light
Cavalry, and finding the Shah's infantry and part
of his cavalry were attacking the enemy on their
left, who were retiring up the hill, 1 sent a squadron
of the 3rd and Christie's Cavalry to the right of
the hill and two squadrons of the 16th Lancers to
the left to cut off the enemy's retreat, and these
flanking parties were afterwards reinforced by a
second squadron of the 3rd and a third of the
Lancers, when it was seen that the enemy's cavalry
had all gone. The irregulars drove the enemy from
the top of the mountain after a good deal of
labour, but they retired to another pinnacle, and the
Shah's troops were too exhausted to follow them
up. Had they done so the Sixteenth would have
cut them to pieces, and had their right been
attacked instead of the left not a man would have
escaped ; as it was a good many had been killed
and taken, and such a lesson had been taught them
that they did not presume to follow the retreat."

" 2S7^d. — The dispositions for the assault of
Ghuznee were made last night, and at 3 a.m. the
troops on the south side of the town began a fire
of musketry on the parapet, which was soon followed
by a fire on the other fronts, and of the artillery in
position on the north side of the town, under cover
of which the gate, the only one not walled up, was
burst open by two successive petards and the troops
rushed in to the assault. There were four light
companies, under Colonel Dennie, of the four
European Regiments, the 2nd Queen's, the
European Regiment, and the remainder of the
13th Light Infantry were to follow supported by

CAPTURE OF GHUZNEE 139

the 17th Regiment (the whole under Brigadier
Sale). The attack succeeded at all points, and by
sunrise the town, the Citadel, and Dost Muhamed's
third son, Hyder Khan, were in our possession,
although hundreds of the enemy still occupied
houses and isolated points until the afternoon, when
all surrendered to save their lives. The attack was
well planned, parties of infantry being disposed on
the other faces of the town to distract by their fire
the attention of the garrison from the main attack.
But very few of the defenders escaped, owing to the
cavalry being judiciously stationed round the town
very early in the morning. They had about 600
killed and 1,700 taken prisoners, most of whose
Hves were spared. ... I entered the fort with Sir
John Keane and the Shah over the dead bodies of
the slain in the gateway, where all were obliged to
dismount, and found that the citadel or palace had
not been well defended. The zenana was there,
and the poor women in sad distress, but they were
protected. Many bodies had been sadly mutilated
by shot and shell, hundreds of horses were galloping
loose in the fort, fighting and desperately wounding
each other.

" It was reported the Khan had escaped to a fort
to the NE. and was surrounded by the 3rd Light
Cavalry. Two guns and the European Regiment
were therefore ordered to capture him, and I
offered to go in command when breakfasting with
Sir John Keane, and he was well pleased. How-
ever it turned out a false report, and I met the
young Dost being brought a prisoner from the
town. Went to Macnaghten's tent with Sir John
Keane and the Khan, and there I saw a large body
of cavalry to the south and got permission to
march against them ; but as I was doing this with
a few cavalry, I met one of tlieir chiefs, and they
proved to be the followers of Hadjee Khan, who

140 PRAISE FOR THE CAVALRY

had unaccountably remained in the rear — no doubt
to have phmdered us had we met with a reverse.
The bullets yesterday kept a respectful distance,
but to-day some matchlock balls were very
near."

In Sir John Keane's orders issued on the capture
of Ghuznee he writes in regard to the action of the
cavalry :

"In sieges and storming it does not fall to the
lot of cavalry to bear the same conspicuous part as
the two other arms of the profession. On this
occasion Sir J. Keane is happy to have an oppor-
tunity of thanking Major-General Thackwell and
the officers and men of the Cavalry Division under
his orders for having successfully executed the
directions given, to sweep the plain and to intercept
fugitives of the enemy attempting to escape from
the fort in any direction around it ; and had an
enemy appeared for the relief of the place during
the storming, H.E. is fully satisfied that the
different regiments of this fine arm would have
distinguished themselves, and that the opportunity
alone was wanting."

CHAPTER IX

^Iajor-Genehal Thackwell gives the follow-
ing description of the fort and town of Ghuznee :

" The town of Ghuznee stands on a hill
gradually rising towards the north-west until it
meets the precipitous hill on which the Citadel
stands. The height of this natural hill above the
country is about 20 feet on the eastern front,
which front is about 430 yards long, but irregular
in shape. The gate is within an angle, well covered
by recent works of masonry, but the doors are
very old and would not for an instant withstand
the petard, as it was not, as supposed, walled
up, nor was there any wall within it. The ram-
parts are about 25 to 30 feet high, but their profile
in places is not 12 feet, and the road round them
is continually obstructed by houses. There is a
ditch of 15 yards wide, with gradual scarped
counterscarp some 20 feet deep with probably
5 or 6 feet water, but a good roadway is left
at all the gates. There is moreover a new fausse
b?Yiie well loop-holed, constructed on a broad berm
so that the debris of the rampart could not fall
into the ditch. The south front is about 420
yards, the rise of the natural hill is about 30 feet,
and the height of the rampart is about 30 feet
above ; it has no angle, but demi-lunc projections
at short distances, the same as on the east front.

141

142 DESCRIPTION OF GHUZNEE

It has the same kind of fausse bi^aie and wet ditch
as before described, and a large round tower, lower
than the adjoining parapets, is at the SE. angle.
It has strong brickwork with loop-holed parapet
to protect it. There are two doors to the
entrance about 12 feet from each other, but no
wall across the inside. They would have easily
been blown open, but neither of the doors could
be seen from the outside. The river flows close
to the gateway, a nice troutlike-looking stream,
and on the right bank in front of the gate is
a semicircular work covered by a wet ditch with
a curtain about 40 yards long, and inside a raised
work of some 15 feet high, with a diameter of
some 15 feet. These works have a parapet, and
are well loop-holed.

" The western face is not quite a straight line ;
it is in length, to the hill and rock on which the
Citadel stands, about 330 yards, and thence to
the NW. angle is 235 yards more. The natural
hill rises from the commencement of this part
to nearly 100 feet to the base of the hill on
which stands the Citadel, and the height of the
latter is at least 120 feet more. The rampart of
the town is here much higher than before described,
and it is here covered and flanked in like manner
with wet ditch, fausse hirde, and small semicircular
flanks. There are two separate walls rising high
in air covering the Citadel on this side with fausse
braie and wet ditch for a short distance ; a natural
perpendicular rock rises at the angle, and the
ground rises from the counterscarp into a broken
ridgy hill running NNE. The north front is
from the NW. to the Kabul Gate 180, and thence
to the north-east angle 300 yards long — total
480 yards. The Kabul Gate has a very efficient
covering of masonry. Its natural ground is about 40
feet high, with a rampart. It has £i fausse braie, and

THE NATIVE TOWN 143

a deep ditch, in part wet and in part dry. A road
leads to the doors at the gate, which was \dsible
from the country. This is by far the weakest
front, although the Citadel has it under protection,
as the ground is more hilly and broken to its left
front than it is on either of the other sides,
although it is broken on the east as well as rising
and broken on the south.

*' The ramparts of the enceinte are in some
places about 10 feet broad, with a parapet six or
eight feet high ; in others the houses are built
close to them, and the flat roof is the rampart
and parapet. There are very large houses of this
sort on the right of the Kabul Gate, which quite
overtop the walls, and to the left there are also
houses connected with the rampart. In other
parts the natural rise of the hill forms a solid
rampart, and again in other places is so thin as
to be easily breached. On the north-west portion
of wall from the Gate a new work has been
raised about 50 yards within the old wall, and
overtopping it — the better to command the hill.
On this platform was a 12-pounder, and a
6-pounder was nearer the gates ; two 4-pounders
were at the SE. angle, and one other on the south
front ; below the Citadel was the large gun and
a 6-pounder, and there was also an iron 1 -pounder,
and these were all the guns I have seen. There
were also a good many gingalls.

" The town cuts a most wretched appearance ;
miserable streets of houses, and all filthy in the
extreme. The streets are nothing but narrow,
filthy lanes, and the stench and dirt are overpower-
ing. The Citadel is 135 yards from the NW. angle
of the walls on the west side, and on this raised
space is a small, handsome building with a good
deal of carved work about it. The continuation of
the outer wall at the back of the Citadel is 60

144 THE TOMB OF MAHMOOD

yards ; it then descends the steep obhquely for
about 50 yards, and joins the town wall. Above
this the Citadel is elevated at least 60 feet, and
is irregular in form, the eastern front being about
170 yards, the SE. nearly 40, the western still
more irregular, being about 200 yards, and the
NW. about 40. The gate is on the east side,
and ramps from the N. and S. lead to it. The
wall around is very high and loop-holed, the
entrance by two very thick folding doors — at least
6 inches — covered with very thick sheet-iron,
highly embossed, and covered with tin or some
fused white metal. There are many wells of water
in the town, and the Dost calculated it would
hold out until the winter began to set in, when
we should be obliged to retire upon Kandahar.
There were great stores of grain, bhoosa, and
lucerne laid in for the cattle, and a great quantity
of ammunition.

" I rode to Old Ghuznee and saw the tomb of
Mahmood, surrounded with houses and gardens.
It is a small mean building approached by passages
resembling cloisters ; the room containing the tomb
is small and without ornament, a canopy of silk
floats over the tomb, which is of fine white marble,
sculptured all round in Arabic or Persian, with in-
scriptions that none of the interpreters can make out.
The tomb is plain and nothing elaborate about it,
except fine sculpture resembling a coat of arms,
which does great credit to the remote age wherein
it was done. The mace of this great warrior-king
was not at the tomb ; it was, it is said, sent into
the camp a few days ago. The carving of the
doors of sandal- wood is elaborate and rich, showing
there were very good artists in India in that re-
mote age. They were brought by the \dctorious
Mahmood from the temple of Somnaut in Gujerat,
which he plundered of immense riches."

THE FORCE LEAVES GHUZNEE 145

On the 30th July the force marched from
Ghuznee for Kabul in two columns, leaving behind
a detachment of artillery, the 16th Native
Infantry, some of the 4th Local Horse, 200
of the Shah's mounted men, and such sick and
wounded as could not be removed without risk.
With the first column were the Headquarters,
the whole of the cavalry, and the Bengal portion
of the army, while with the second — which moved
on the 31st — were the Bombay troops under
Major-General Willshire.

On the 3rd August, at Shekhabad, General
Thackwell writes :

" I rode on the hills to the left, as we halted
to-day to enable the Shah's column to join us.
The view was a very pretty one over the Logur
valley. When I got to the left front of the hills
about two and a half miles from camp, I saw thick
columns of dust rising on the Kabul road, and
when I got back to the main picquet to give
advice of it, I found that the report from the front
was that Dost Muhamed's army had broken up,
that he had left his artillery behind, and had gone
to Bameean with 300 followers only, that 100 of
his troops had just gone into camp to the Shah,
whose column was marching in, and it therefore
seems that the dust noticed proceeds from others
of these miscreants, who have not the courage to
defend their king and country. . . . Thus I fear
the game is over, and the poor Dost is running for
Balkh, unless he gets checkmated by the party of
the 2nd Cavalry and 4th Poona Local Horse of
100 men with a corps of Afghans, which the Shah
is sending to try and intercept his retreat to
Bameean. This I don't think they will do, unless

146 APPROACHING KABUL

the Dost's usual good sense, as well as good
fortune, has left him. Major Cureton also
marched at 12 o'clock with 200 cavalry to Maydan
to take possession of the Dost's artillery, and to
move on Kabul if safe. The Dost's army was
afraid to come to blows with us. He committed
a great mistake in not having come to Kandahar
with 6,000 or 8,000 men to have joined the Sirdars;
had he done so, we should have had 15,000
men opposed to us there, which would have
occasioned us loss, and retarded our operations.
When he did not do this, he ought to have fought
a battle in front of Ghuznee before his troops had
been dispirited. If he had been defeated he would
have retired under the protection of that fortress
upon Kabul, and the attack on the place must have
been made with diminished means. He would
then have probably had more than 20,000 men
in the field."

''Sunday, ^th. — Our camp — that is, the Indus
Army and the Shah's — is along the Kabul road
for two miles or more ; the mountains on either
hand are thrown about in wild confusion, and
some with snow on their crests are 3,000 or 4,000
feet above our camp, which is not far short of
8,000 feet above sea-level. The appearance of
these mountains is sublime — rocky, serrated peak
upon peak, with an outline broken and tossed
about in every variety of shape. The river is
a fine rapid stream of transparent water, covering
the valley in heavy rains and at the melting
of the snows ; a witness of this is in the remains of
a dry arch with abutments on each side of the river,
indicating that the centre had been swept away
in ancient days. The road to and beyond the
river rocky, and in places bad, several small
streams having to be passed over rugged bottoms.
The Bengal cavalry camp is in the gorge of

ARRIVAL AT KABUL 147

the range of hills "on the right— the main pi cquet
to its right. The artillery and Bombay brigade in
the preceding gorge, and the infantry in rear. A
great number of the Dost's disbanded troops were
on the road waiting to make their salaam to the
Shah, and a multitude of the inhabitants were
waiting with presents of fruit to hail the return
of their legitimate sovereign, after an absence
of 32 years."

" 5th. — At Urghundee we passed the forsaken
artillery of the Dost in position— though appar-
ently an odd one. It consisted of between 20 and
30 pieces ; some good guns were there — a very long
12-pounder, a 24-lb. howitzer, and nearly a 50-lb.
gun were the heaviest, all the others seemed sixes
and fours ; but the carriages of all were wretched,
clumsy affairs that would not have stood much
marching. The guns were all in one position
at about 350 yards behind a small deep nullah
with perpendicular banks, where at two places only
could horses pass in single file, but to the left this
nullah could have been turned. An express
arrived to the king this morning saying the Dost
had halted a few marches off, to attend on his sick
son Akbar Khan, and in consequence a subaltern's
party of cavalry of the Indus was joined to a large
party of Afghans and sent in pursuit at 12 o'clock
to-day."

" Tuesday, 6th. — Marched at 3 a.m. by the
northern road to a camp within three miles of
Kabul and on its west. Views most beautiful and
changing at every step."

"7th. — The Shah was to have gone into the
town this morning at 6 a.m. We all paraded, but
by some mistake the king was not ready, and the
display was deferred until 3 o'clock, when he
shifted his quarters to the town, attended by the
Commander-in-Chief, the generals of division and

148 ENTRY OF THE SHAH

their staffs, six guns, and two squadrons of British
cavalry. He entered Kabul amid the acclamations
of the people, and took up his quarters in the
fortress of Bala Hissar, where there are two
palaces, amid royal salutes and every demonstration
of joy. News from Captain Outram that the Dost
was ahead of him, that he occupied some forts with
200 riflemen, and that he could do no good against
him with the troops he had, as his corps of 1,500
Afghans had dwindled to 700, and those could not
be depended on. (Query. — Why did not a
battalion of infantry march with this corps and
another with two guns follow on the practicable
road ?) "

" 30^/^ — It was fortunate that Ghuznee fell
on the morning of the 23rd July, or we should
have had to sustain a formidable night attack on
our camp that very night, for it has been dis-
covered by intercepted letters that the Dost's
eldest son was to have attacked us with his 2,500
or 3,000 cavalry in conjunction with the three
or four thousand fanatics whom we encountered on
the mountains on the 22nd, and assisted by at
least 4,000 horse and foot, then encamped as
friends with the Shah under the leading of Hadjee
Dost Muhamed. These would probably have
been assisted by a sortie from the town, and our
friend Hadjee Khan would not have been far away
to lend a helping hand. Our picquets and patrols
would, however, have given timely intimation
of the movement of these people, and we should
have been soon on the alarm post, and doubtless
have repelled all these hostile attacks, yet they
must have cost us a good deal of trouble and
loss."

" 3rd September.— The Shahzada Timur, with
Major Wade, some Sikh Lancers and Light
Dragoons, and some infantry arrived — the latter tall

ATTACKS ON OFFICERS 149

straight fellows, armed with English muskets and
bayonets, and clothed in white linen dresses and
trousers, with a red shawl wrapped round their
heads. The cavalry have a similar headdress, and
broA\ai clothing, but their horses are miserable. There
was a small party of the 20th and 21st Bengal
regiments, some infantry of the Shah's, some
irregulars got together by A^^ade, two of the
Bengal 24-pounder howitzers, and two 4-pounder
brass guns of the Shah's — in all, from twelve to
fifteen hundred men."

« 5th. — Sir John Keane said yesterday when he
saw the 16th Lancers that the first charge he ever
saw made was by Sir Colquhoun Grant at \"ittoria,
and he pointed out that it was at the left angle of
the town. He gave great eulogy to the 15th
Hussars, and I rejoiced because it was my squadron,
led by myself — no Sir Colquhoun Grant or Major
Griffiths being near — that charged and defeated
the heavy dragoon regiment that came to attack
us, drove them through a column of 800 infantry
which we passed through by sabring and caused to
lay down their arms^but 1 have told this story in
another place."

About this time there were many robberies by
the Afghans, and also attacks upon officers and
men who were at any distance from camp, isolated
or unarmed. Colonel Herring, commanding the
57th Native Infantry, was cut down and
killed, several soldiers were attacked and wounded,
and not a few followers were murdered, proving
that if the Afghans were prepared to acquiesce
in the re-establishment of their former sovereign,
they did not approve of the continued presence
in their country of the foreigners by whose
assistance he had been reinstated.

150 RETURN TO INDIA

On the 17th September there was a Durbar at the
Palace in the Bala Hissar at which several officers,
military and civil, were invested with the new Order
of the Durani Empire just instituted by the Shah ;
the Governor-General, Sir John Keane, Sir Willough-
by Cotton, Mr. Macnaghten, Sir Alexander Burnes,
and Major Wade received the 1st Class of the Order;
while several of the senior officers were invested with
the Star of the 2nd Class : Major- General Thack-
well received the decoration on the 10th October.

Preparations were now being made for the break-
ing up of the army of the Indus : on the 18th the
Bombay portion of the force left Kabul en route for
Quetta, and on the 2nd October orders were issued
that the whole of the Bengal infantry division, the
2nd Light Cavalry, a light field battery, and a detach-
ment of Sappers would remain in Afghanistan under
the command of Sir Willoughby Cotton, the rest of
the troops to return to India via the Khyber Pass.

That portion of the Bengal force returning to
India marched on the 14th and 16th October.
The Commander-in-Chief, Sir John Keane, moved
with the 1st column, the 16th Lancers, a com-
pany of the 21st Native Infantry, and a risala of the
4th Local Horse ; while Major-General Thackwell
marched in command of the 2nd column, composed
of the 3rd Light Cavalry, a troop of Horse
Artillery, and four detachments of native infantry,
numbering about 500 men : with him marched
as a prisoner Muhamed Hyder Khan, late Governor
of Kabul, and second son of Dost Muhamed.

The difficulties of the m.arch India-wards began
at once.

COLD IN THE PASSES 151

" \7th October. — A severe frost in the morning ;
marched to Koord Kabul, ten miles. The road
an ascent for the first three and a half miles, with
small rocks and loose stones, to the Koord Kabul
River, which runs down a pass and narrow defile,
Tor about four and a half miles between very high
mountains. This stream is crossed twenty-six
times and the road is rocky and indifferent. If
well defended it would be next to impossible to force
this defile, as the sides are very precipitous, and in one
place approach within forty yards. This is called
the Koord Kabul Pass, and the mountain to the
left is at least 5,000 feet high — nothing but a wall
without a blade of vegetation, and this may be
said of all the mountains around us.

" The cold in the pass was very severe, icicles
hanging from the shaggy mane of a Turkestan
pony, and from my stirrup irons, and, in fact, every-
thing that got wet was frozen ; one unfortunate
follower died of cold in the pass."

" 21^^. — A fine day, but the water frozen in the
rivulet — marched to Jugduluk, the road stony and
uneven to the Jugduluk River, and then a gradual
ascent along the stony bed through a close defile
of three miles. This pass offers the finest scenery
I have seen in this country. It is bounded by
perpendicular rocks on either side from 100 to
600 feet high, and in one place so narrow that
it barely took the breadth of the guns with about
two feet to spare. In its windings it offers
many fine views, and it is the closest pass for
this long distance I have ever seen. A fine view
of the Sufed Koh mountains with snow on their
summits about 20 miles off to the SE."

•' 23r^. — A Jemadar, a Havildar, and one Sepoy
were killed on the 22nd between Jugduluk and
Surkhad, and one Sepoy was wounded ; the robbers
also fired upon a party of the 13th Light Infantry."

152 PASSAGE OF THE KHYBER

Jellalabad was reached on 27th October, Dhaka
on the 2nd November, and Landikhana on the
following day. The second column under General
Thackwell arrived at Ali Musjid on the 5th : here
an attack from the tribesmen was expected, but the
General's diary records that —

"the night was passed in quietness, though the
Khyberees are reported to be in force to the
SW. of our camp. They had some days ago
made an attack on Captain Ferris' detachment
and were repulsed. They had also attacked some
Punjabee troops on a hill chokee in our front
near a round tower, for the recovery of ten or
twelve thousand rupees they had left there when
Colonel Wade ascended the pass. The Sikhs
repulsed all the attacks, but at night they be-
came panic-stricken, and retired from the fort,
leaving 170 of their sick and wounded, all of whom
were butchered."

" Qth. — Marched to Kuddam ; a close defile for
the chief part of the way, and where it in the
least opened, it was still commanded by high and
broken and rocky mountains. The column, how-
ever, and baggage marched in close order, and
all got in by 2 o'clock without any loss whatever,
although a great number of the Khyberees lined
the hills to the south ; they, however, meditated
an attack about 5 miles on the road from our
last camp ; but their ambuscade being dis-
covered, a few of the European regiment drove
them from the hill like chaff before the wind,
kilhng two, and suffering no loss themselves. A
large body of the Sikh troops lined the pass for
the last four miles."

Peshawar was reached on the 8th November,
and here the second column went into camp to

THE GOVERNOR OF PESHAWAR 153

the E. of the city, near the force which Sir John
Keane had accompanied.

" The Governor of Peshawar, General Avitabili,
gave a most sumptuous dinner to the officers of
the first cohimn yesterday, and to those of mine
to-day. About fifty officers sat down to an ex-
cellent dinner, camp fashion, dressed and served
in the best style. He must have a very good
French cook, for the dinner was in every respect
most excellent, and abundance of beer, sherry,
port, and champagne cheered our hungry appetites
and palates, which had not met with such things
for so long. His house, built under his own
superintendence, is more like a palace, and is
tastefully arranged and ornamented. The gate-
way leading to it is also a handsome building,
and there are several small temples tastefully
ornamented within the enclosure : all were bril-
liantly illuminated on the occasion of the dinner,
with glass oil-lamps as in England. Very good
fireworks were let off before dinner, and afterwards
there was an exhibition of nautch girls for some
hour or more."

" 10th. — I called on General Avitabili and saw
some of his sword and target players exhibit.
They were very expert and would be ugly
customers if their hearts be in the right place. They
are also expert in the use of the two-headed mace,
which is a stave of four or five feet in length with
a knob or ball at each end, which they hold in the
middle and whirl in all directions, first with one
hand and then the other in a most extraordinary
manner. . . . They say Avitabili has amassed
lakhs of rupees since he entered Ranjit's service
about 1821, and talks of shortly going to Italy to
enjoy the goods of his adventurous hie in his own
beloved chme."

154 DISTURBING NEWS

" 12th. — The Governor most kindly took me in
his carriage, drawn by four mules, to see the fort
and gardens. His style of travelling is princely :
a guard of ten or twelve horse soldiers, six or
seven outriders, and ten or twelve chuprassies on
foot, and his beautiful mules constantly at full
gallop. His two pages, interesting youths of
eight or ten, are also in constant attendance on his
person. We passed a gibbet having three bodies,
and a string about 80 yards in length tied to the
feet, which is attached to the post of the sentry
on the town wall. By the motion of the string
the sentinel would discover whether anybody was
attempting to steal the bodies, when the shot from
his fusee would probably send the intruder away."

" 13//^.— News has arrived from Mr. Macnaghten
stating that Russian troops had arrived at Khiva,
and that their agents have demanded Colonel
Stoddert of the Chief of Bukhara, in consequence
of which he had ordered the halt of the Bombay
Army until the decision of Lord Auckland is given.
An order is just arrived for the march back to Ali
Musjid of the European and native drafts, a
company of the Sappers and Miners, and two
companies of the 20th and of the 21st Native
Infantry to hold the fort until the arrival of the
37th and 48th Regiments of Native Infantry."

" lUh, — The party marched this morning, but
the ammunition was not ready to send after them.
Pretty work this ! The two guns and risala of
Local Horse march to Jamrood at 12 to-night with
some ammunition."

" 15tk. — The remainder of the ammunition to
complete the infantry to 200 rounds per man was
sent off to Jamrood at 2 o'clock to-day."

"16/A. — All is reported to be quiet at Ah Musjid,
and the party who marched from this under
Captain Prole is stated to be still at Jamrood.

TRANSPORT LOSSES 155

It is unlucky that the unhappy affair of the
12th should have occurred, as it has caused this
irksome delay. On the 10th Captain Farmer, with
two companies of the Sappers and Miners, two of
the Twenty-first and one of the Twentieth, with
a squadron of the 3rd Cavalry and two guns, and
camels in sufficient numbers to carry grain for a
month's consumption, marched for Ali Musjid. The
artillery and cavahy halted at Jamrood on the 11th,
and the infantry and convoy went on by the short
road to Ali Musjid ; they had some skirmishing
and safely lodged their grain in the fort on the
forenoon of the 12th. Farmer wanted to remain
all night, but the political agent, Mackeson, over-
ruled his wish by saying the Sikhs would not
remain. They consequently commenced the
march back between two and three in the after-
noon by the same route, and were attacked by the
Khyberees ; the Sikhs ran away, some of the
natives behaved well, others did not, and the
whole came out of the defile sauve qui peut in
the greatest confusion, losing killed, wounded
and missing, as well as 436 camels. A disgraceful
affair, wherever the fault lies."

" 19^/?. — The loss of camels, tattoos, and horses
during this campaign has been very great, and
the column under my command lost in the march
from Kabul to Jellalabad 1,600 camels by death
and 200 more on the march to this place, and
Captain Reddie states that between four and five
hundred were taken by the Khyberees ; but I
think all these statements of loss are exaggerated
by the surwans, who take every opportunity to
cheat in every way they can. No doubt the
camels were half starved at Kabul ; and as a proof
of their wretched plight, even in the middle of
September nearly forty died in one night, which had
come up from graze for the use of the Bombay

156 LAST DAYS IN PESHAWAR

troops— and these were selected as the best.
Another cause of the mortahty was the extreme
coldness of the weather for four or five months,
and the poisonous plants or shrubs they picked up
at some of the encampments. The other column
did not lose quite so many. If to these be added
the loss of at least a hundred of the second
column's private camels, we shall have a serious
total.^ . . . Everything quiet at Ali Musjid, but
some firing is said to have been heard in the
direction of Lieutenant-Colonel Wheeler's march."-

" '22nd. — Yesterday an action took place in the
pass with the detachments returning from Ali JNIus-
jid, accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Wheeler
and the 37th and 48th Regiments. Two Europeans
and a few Sepoys were killed, and from fifteen to
twenty of the lattei' were wounded. The Khyberees
are said to have had more than fifty killed and
wounded : eleven dead bodies were seen by Colonel
Wheeler together. The two European dead and
one Sepoy were left behind, several camels were
taken, and some officers lost all their baggage."

" 23r(/. — Called on General Avitabih and Sir
Willoughby Cotton to take leave. They say
Avitabili is a tiger in this government ; he has
been known to flay criminals alive and to break
the bones of poor wretches on the wheel previous
to hanging them in chains, and at our conference
to-day very gra^ely wondered we did not put
poison in sugar to send in traffic among the
Khyberees ! They say he has two wives, who
reside in the top part of the house — beautiful
Cashmerians.

" The Khyberees' rifle is a heavy affair, from 15
to 20 pounds in weight. It is longer than our

1 The actual loss in animals in the whole army was 32,483.

2 This officer was marching down from Jellalabad with the 37th
and 48th Native Infantry.

START FOR FEROZEPORE 157

musket, with a much smaller bore. It has a raised
breech, with a hole through to take aim, and at an
elevation is said to carry true to 450 yards. Two
prongs work on a hinge near the muzzle, upon
which it rests when the man kneels to take
aim.

On the 23rd November the whole force marched
out of Peshawar en route for Ferozepore, where the
army of the Indus was to be finally broken up.
The road traversed would seem to have been little
more than a track, cut up by ditches, nullahs, and
ravines. The Indus was crossed at Attock by a
bridge of boats, but on arriving at Jhelum it was
found that there had been a terrible mishap to the
16th Lancers, marching with the first column, in
fording the Jhelum River, The ford would appear
to have been almost V-shape — the apex pointing
down stream ; two squadrons of the Sixteenth
crossed in safety : —

" The last squadron got too far down and
became crowded, and some men got on a soft
bottom, and then into deep water. The con-
sequence was poor Captain Hilton, a corporal, and
nine fine young men were drowned ; several followers
were also drowned. Lieutenant-Colonel Cureton
had to swim, being dismounted, and several officers
and men had narrow escapes. Six horses also were
drowned."

Ferozepore was reached on the 1st January 1840,
when Lieutenant- General Sir John Keane issued
a General Order breaking up the Army of the
Indus, and left for Bombay, the corps then
marching off to their respective destinations.

158 FAREWELL ORDERS

The following order was published by Major-
General Thackwell on relinquishing his command :

''Camp near Ferozepork, 1st January 1840.

"In announcing the order for breaking up of
the remainder of the Cavalry Division of the Army
of the Indus, Major-General Thackwell, on taking
leave, begs Brigadier Persse, commanding the
Bengal Brigade, Lieutenant-Colonel Cureton, com-
manding the 16th Lancers, Lieutenant-Colonel
Smyth, commanding the 3rd Light Cavalry, and
Captain Alexander, commanding the 4th Local
Horse, will accept his thanks for the efficient
manner in which they have conducted their several
commands during the march from, to their return
to, Ferozepore, and he begs they will convey the
same to the officers, European and native, non-
commissioned officers, and privates of the regiments
under their respective orders for their good conduct
and steadiness on all occasions.

" He is happy to bear testimony to the discipline
and cheerful submission to privations of no ordinary
nature of these fine regiments ; and if it had been
their good fortune to have been opposed to an
enemy in the battlefield, the Major-General feels
assured that their gallant deeds in arms would have
secured for them imperishable renown.

" He begs also that Lieutenant-Colonel Cureton
and Captain Bere, Assistant Adjutants- General,
and Major Hay, Assistant Quartermaster-General,
will accept his thanks for the zealous manner in
which they performed their various duties, and he
requests to offisr the same to the Divisional Staff
Medical Officer, Dr. Chapman, and to his aide-de-
camp. Cornet Roche, for their ready assistance
on all occasions.

" He has also a pleasing duty to perform in
acknowledging the good conduct of the remainder

REACHES CAWNPORE 159

of the officers, non-commissioned officers, and
soldiers of the Second Column of the Army of the
Indus on the march from Kabul to this place, which
has been marked by steadiness and correct dis-
cipline."

On the 22nd January jMajor-General Thackwell
arrived at JMeerut, where he found Mrs. Thackwell
awaiting him ; and going on by easy stages via
Delhi and Agra, Cawnpore was reached on the
13th March, by which time General Thackwell had
travelled 3,028 miles since leaving that station
fourteen months previously.

^fci

CHAPTER X

On arrival at Cawnpore Major-General Thackwell
appears to have assumed charge of the station
under Sir Edmund WiUiams, commanding the
District. The troops in Cawnpore at this time
were the 3rd Light Dragoons, some batteries of
artillery, both horse and foot, the 31st Regiment,
the 3rd and 8th Light Cavalry, and the 7th, 49th,
and 66th Regiments of Native Infantry — a force of
considerably more than 6,000 men.

For some eighteen months now General Thack-
well followed the ordinary routine of garrison life
in India — inspections of regiments and the super-
vision of the cantonment — and continued as of old
to keep himself fit and well for any further active
service to which he might be called. " I follow," he
writes in his diary under date of the 4th October
1840, " the old Afghanistan practice of getting
up before daybreak and riding out for about two
hours, returning home before the sun becomes
powerful."

As the senior officer of cavalry holding a com-
mand in the Bengal Presidency, General Thack-
well's opinion was naturally often sought on matters
connected with his arm of the service ; the foUow-

160

FIRE-ACTION OF CAVALRY 161

ing extracts from a letter written in August 1840
to the Adjutant-General, reporting on the arms
and equipment of the Bengal Light Cavalry, seem
to show that, in regard to the views expressed in
the first of these extracts, General Thackwell was
far in advance of his age, while it may be remarked
that the suggestion made in the second has only
within the last few months been carried out in
its entirety in the British and native armies :

" With regard to the mode in which the Light
Cavalry are armed, it occurs to me that instead of
fifteen carbines per troop only and a pair of pistols
for each man, it would be more advantageous if the
regiments were equipped in this particular the same
as the Light Dragoons in Her Majesty's Service in
this country^every Sepoy (the Sergeants, Band,
Trumpeters, and Farriers excepted) being provided
with a good carbine and one pistol. ... In opera-
ting upon the open plains of India the necessity for
cavalry being thus armed is not so apparent, but when
their operations are carried on amongst the jungles,
mountain defiles, ravines, broken ground, and in
situations where the sword cannot be used, fifteen
carbines per troop would be found insufficient to
keep in check the matchlocks of the enemy, even
if all could be available; but distributed as they
might be for the protection of the baggage and
in various other ways, but few might be at hand
when they were required ; and it is manifest there
is but little chance of the Sepoys in general be-
coming good shots with the carbine where the
practice must be so limited, and where they are not
taught to consider it but as an offensive weapon
belonging to a few. At the same time that I urge
these considerations, I beg I may not be understood
as advocating the fire of cavalry mounted. The

162 NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN

sword is their proper weapon, and the other should
only be used when that arm cannot or ought not
to reach an enemy T

Further on, writing of the large amount of baggage
which the native soldiers were permitted to accumu-
late and carry with them on the march, especially
in the way of numerous articles of uniform. General
Thackwell writes : " Each of these articles would
last longer than the regulated period if a com-
pensation were given when the article was not required,
and the evil would be greatly diminished."

News from Afghanistan of a disquieting nature
was now beginning to filter through, and under
date of the 4th October he records that —

" Dost Muhamed by all accounts is now before
Bameean with 10,000 men, the garrison 2,000 with
only ten days' provisions. Commotions likely to
take place among the Afghans and Ghilzais. Major
Clibbon's Bombay detachment of 600 infantry, 250
of the Poona Horse, and 4 guns defeated near
Kahun by a handful of Beloochees. . . . Two
hundred men killed on each side, also four of our
officers ; all the cattle and guns taken, the latter
being spiked. A most mismanaged affair, and the
sacrifice will be poor Captain Brown and the un-
relieved garrison of Kahun. The chance of a
Nepaulese and Sikh war and an actual conflict with
China will afford us plenty to do this approaching
cold season and next summer."

(Major-General Thackwell's services with the
Army of the Indus had been recognised by his
nomination and appointment to be a Knight
Commander of the Order of the Bath in the

APPOINTED K.C.B. 163

Gazette dated the 20th December 1839, and on
the 21st of the following October he enters in his
diary : " Received by the mail to-day the Cross
and Ribbon of a Knight Commander of the Bath,
but the Star and Badge are not come.")

" 2M Novembe7\ — On the 5th inst. Kurrak Singh
died, and as Nihal Singh was moving with the
procession for the funeral obsequies through a gate
of the palace, the heavy tread of the elephants
caused a beam to fall from the roof which struck
him on his skull and caused his death in five hours
after. A son of Gulab Singh was killed and others
were wounded. If the suspicion that he poisoned his
father be well founded, this would seem a judgment
of Providence. To-day intelligence has been re-
ceived that Dost Muhamed has surrendered himself
to Shah Shuja after losing a battle in which
Dr. Lord, Lieutenants Bradford and Crispin were
killed and Fraser and Ponsonby wounded. . . .
The account of the action of the 2nd November,
in which poor Bradford and Crispin had their heads
cut off, states the right troop of the 2nd Cavalry
first wavered and that then the two squadrons went
about and left their officers to be cut to pieces.
They excuse themselves on account of not being able
to use their swords. Fraser lost his right arm, it
being nearly cut off, and has a wound in the back.
Ponsonby has his nose and face cut through and is
wounded in two places."

(These officers had of course all been well known
to Sir Joseph while under his command in Afghan-
istan, where Crispin had been his extra aide-de-
camp. )

On the 4th January 1841 Sir Edmund Williams
was nominated to the officiating command of the

164 RUMOURS FROM KABUL

Meerut Division, Major-General Sir Joseph Thack-
well succeeding him in the command of the
Cawnpore Division — a post which he held until
the middle of the following October.

" 13th Apiil. — The ex-Shah of Afghanistan,
Dost Muhamed, arrived here by water on Sunday
evening. He remained on the river yesterday,
and started at daybreak this morning for Calcutta.
He had seven or eight boats, and I saw him when
he passed the bridge of boats, as all were upon
the roofs of the boats, and I was within forty yards
of him — a stout man with a swarthy countenance
and bushy beard."

" 29//? November. — Some days ago a rumour
arrived that Kabul was in a state of insurrection ;
that the guns from the Bala Hissar were firing on
the town ; that Burnes had been murdered ; that
great fears were entertained for the safety of the
37th and 54th Regiments of Native Infantry, who
were left between the Khoord Kabul and Jugduluk
Passes ; and that Sale's brigade was marching to
Jellalabad surrounded by thousands. That Ali
Musjid was invested by the Khyberees, and that
the position occupied by Captain Ferris was about
to be attacked."

" 30/A. — Letters from Kabul of the 9th November
state that the Kohistanis have joined the Kassilbash-
is, and that the whole country has risen en masse ;
that part of the Forty-fourth and two Sepoy
regiments have occupied the Bala Hissar with
Shelton ; that the guns have caused great destruc-
tion in the town ; that an attack on the Bala
Hissar has been repulsed with great slaughter, and
also that a party of the Shah's cavalry has cut to
pieces some Afghan horse. That Sir Alexander
Burnes and his brother. Captains Swayne and
Robinson and Lieutenant Raban of the 44th

DISASTERS TO OUR TROOPS 165

Queen's, Captain INIaule of the Artillery, Lieutenant
and Adjutant Wheeler, Ensigns Gordon and
Robinson, 37th N.I. ; Broadfoot, European regi-
ment and Second in Command of the Shah's 4th
Light Inlantry ; Ensign E. W. Salusbury of the
same ; and, report says, Lieutenant Rattray, Mrs.
Trevor, and her six children have been murdered.
That the envoy and family with other strangers had
taken refuge in an entrenched camp. The people
had placed the son of Zemaun Shah on the throne,
and that several of Shah Shuja's family had joined
the insurgents."

" 2nd December, — Report says that Captain
Woodburn, of the Shah's 3rd Infantry, when on
the march from Ghuznee to Kabul with 150 men
was attacked by a lai'ge body of Ghilzais, and that
of the whole detachment only one man escaped
to tell the sad tale of the slaughter of the rest."

" 3r</. — A letter from Sir Robert Arbuthnot
tells me that he had heard from Clarke, who had
received advices from Kabul, that on the 11th an
action was fought with the insurgents in which
we were completely victorious, recovering the two
guns we had lost in the city, and that Sale had
defeated the rebels at Jellalabad, but that he
expected to be attacked again on the 20th. He
felt secure, having placed Jellalabad in a state of
defence."

" 7th. — News to-day that the troops at Kabul
were shut up in the Bala Hissar and cantonments
with only ten days' provisions. That Macnaghten
had written to Sale to move to his relief, whose
reply is that he has only twenty days' provisions,
and has no money or carriage, and that he cannot
move."

" ^rd January 1842. — -A report that the
Commander-in-Chief has had advice that a battle
took place at Kabul on the 7th December, and

166 NEWS FROM MACNAGHTEN

that it was a very bloody one, the Afghans having
fallen in heaps. Letter from Jellalabad mentions
that the cannonading was heard there on the 7th
in the line of Kabul from 9 o'clock a.m., until the
evening, a distance between the two places of
1021 miles."

" Sth. — I had a letter from Cureton in which he
says, ' Macnaghten writes from Kabul on the 8th
December to his brother-in-law at Simla saying
their resources were all exhausted and that they
must make the best terms they can.' A letter from
Jellalabad of the 22nd December says most
disastrous news from Kabul, but they have no
enemy near them and are not badly off for pro-
visions. The Khyber Pass was closed, but they
sent their dak by another but not very secure road.
The letters from Ludhiana and Ferozepore say that
poor Elphinstone is dead."

" 12th. — Reports for the last two days that on
the 18th December the troops at Kabul gained a
complete victory, that the insurgents dispersed in
all directions, and that the Chiefs flew to their
mountain valleys. A letter from Ferozepore,
received to-day by Sir Edmund Williams, says that
Macnaghten had written to request that all the
troops might be withdrawn from Afghanistan and
Dost Muhamed sent up to assume the government.
A very different story to that of yesterday, which
added that his son Akbar Khan had surrendered to
the Envoy ! "

When the news of the disaster at Kabul reached
India, the first impulse of Lord Auckland's Govern-
ment was to proclaim — on the 31st January— a
determination to expedite " powerful reinforce-
ments to the Afghan frontier, for the maintenance
of the honour and interests of the British Govern-

THE ARMY OF OBSERVATION 167

ment," and it was stated that " the ample mihtary
means at disposal will be strenuously applied to
these objects." To this end it would appear that
Sir Jasper Nicolls, the Commander-in-Chief, had
been required to prepare a very much larger force
for service in Afghanistan — particularly in cavalry
— than was eventually sent or than indeed the
military resources of the country could at that
moment well afford. In the expectation that it
might become necessary to send forward a whole
cavalry division, the services of Sir Joseph Thackwell
were once more called for, and on the 17th January
he received orders to proceed at once by dak to
Kurnaul and there join Army Headquarters. He
bought his camels and started off them and his
horses, while he himself set off on the morning of the
23rd for Kurnaul. On the road he passed his late
regiment, the 3rd Light Dragoons, also on their
way to the front to join the force under General
Pollock, and, not finding the Headquarters at
Kurnaul, Sir Joseph pushed on and got into Sir
Jasper Nicolls' camp, about 21 miles beyond
Umballa, at midday on the 29th.

On the 31st the Commander-in-Chief moved off
on his way to Ferozepore, being received en route
by the Rajah of Pattiala and his troops, who lined
the road for more than a mile and a half. General
Thackwell describes the Rajah as being " a man of
gigantic stature, 6 ft. 4 in. in height with form and
features in proportion, and having the reputation of
being greatly attached to the English. His health
is fast decUning, although he is not much more than
forty years of age." On the march " there was an

168 DISAPPOINTMENT

official report of the retreat of the two battalions
from Ali Musjid, with the loss of 400 men, owing to
the want of provisions. Brigadier Wild wounded."

On arrival at Ludhiana Sir Jasper Nicolls held
a durbar whereat a number of native officers were
presented, and Sir Joseph Thackwell^who did not
share the low opinion then far too often held and
expressed by officers in the British Service as to
the value of native irregular troops — writes : " I
had the pleasure of renewing my acquaintance
with the native officers of the 4th Irregular Horse
— a noble set of fellows ! "

Already, no doubt. Sir Joseph must have had
misgivings as to whether after all he was likely to
be employed, either in "the Avenging Army"
moving on Afghanistan, or in an army of obser-
vation M^iich there was some idea of forming on
the Sutlej to watch the movements of the Sikhs.
On the 11th February he brought matters to a
head in an interview he had with the Commander-
in-Chief —

" and besought him to give me active employ-
ment, either the command of the brigade in which
the 3rd Light Dragoons will be placed, or of the
cavalry, as I was willing to waive my rank and
serve under Major-General Pollock. He was
highly pleased with my offisr, and gave me hopes
of being employed."

On the 14th, however, he writes :

" The Commander-in-Chief told me to-day that
I might return to Cawnpore, as no cavalry to form
a division would be required, no army of observa-
tion to be formed, the Sikhs having given proofs

RETURN TO CAWNPORE 169

of good faith, and although I had vohinteered to
serve under Pollock in command of the cavalry, it
could not be granted."

'« IQth. — Sir Jasper and myself had a good deal of
conversation before dinner yesterday and at break-
fast this morning, respecting the assembly of troops
on the Sutlej ; he says that the Council have
decided what measures shall be adopted against
the Afghans by this time, and that he will be
made acquainted with them to-day or to-morrow.
He is glad I have not laid my dak, and I hope
there is some chance of my being employed."

On the 18th, however, all hope of active em-
ployment seeming to be at an end. Sir Joseph
took leave of the Commander-in-Chief, who pro-
ceeded on his way to Ferozepore, while General
Thackwell marched towards Simla for a tour in
the hills.

He had intended to have travelled thence over
the hills to Dehra, up to Landour, and via Meerut
to Cawnpore, but he found he had not the necessary
time, so marched down to Umballa, after spending
only a day or two in Simla, and finally rejoined
Lady Thackwell at Cawnpore on the 16th March
— just in time for the Proclamation Parade,
announcing that Lord Ellenborough had assumed
the reins of government.

This was an anxious and a sickly season. Pollock's
force was fighting its way up the Khyber, and
many were the fears that his force was insufficient
or that the troops might arrive too late to save the
garrison still holding out ; news came back but
fitfully, delays were exaggerated, and petty reverses
magnified. The rainy season, too, set in very late —

170 THE ARMY OF RESERVE

no regular rain falling much before the end of
August, and cholera of a malignant type broke
out at Cawnpore. In April Sir Edmund Williams
seems to have been transferred to the command of
the Meerut Division, and during the hot weather
at least Sir Joseph Thackwell reigned in his stead.
On the 20th June the diary contains the entry :

" Got the General Order for the formation of an
Army of Reserve under the Commander-in-Chief.
Generals of Division : myself (cavalry), Dennis and
Ballin (infantry). Brigadier Graham to command
the artillery ; Major Smith, Chief Engineer.
Brigadiers Orchard, Paul, Moore, and Young. To
have an Assistant Adjutant- General and Quarter-
master-General to the cavalry, and the same to
the infantry divisions."

" 28/A July. — Advices from Captain Somerset,
Military Secretary to the Governor-General, that
the order had gone up to the Commander-in-Chief
on the 25th for the assembly of the Army of
Reserve at Ferozepore on the 15th November.
Also that the Governor- General and all the suite
would leave Allahabad by water on the 20th
August for Gurmuktesur Ghat to there meet their
/ tents and land carriage, and march thence by

Meerut to Ferozepore."

Handing over the command of the district to
General Grey, who had arrived a few days
previously, Sir Joseph Thackwell left Cawnpore
on the 19th October to join his division in the
Army of Reserve, and marching leisurely reached
Ferozepore on the 14th November. Here, as
senior officer then present, he assumed command
of the Army of Reserve or of as much of it as was
already assembled.

THE ILLUSTRIOUS GARRISON 171

The Commander-in-Chief, Sir Jasper NicoUs,
arrived in camp on the 20th November, and Lord
EUenborough on the 9th December, and Sir
Joseph had a fine force of cavahy under his
command — the 16th Lancers, the 3rd and 7th
Light Cavalry, and the 4th and 6th Irregular
Horse, with four troops of horse artillery. The
camp was laid out within a mile and a half or two
miles of two bridges of boats which had been
thrown across the Sutlej, and on the 16th —

" the troops were drawn out in one line on the
right of the road leading to the two bridges of
boats to go through the form of saluting ' the
Illustrious Garrison of Jellalabad ' which marched
into camp this morning — sleek, plump, and healthy,
about 2,000 strong. Twenty-four pieces of horse
artillery on the right, eighteen squadrons of
cavalry next, then eighteen pieces of artillery,
9-pounders, and on the left twelve battalions of
infantry, including four Queen's Regiments. The
Jellalabad garrison consisted of the 13th Light
Infantry, 720 strong ; the 35th, upwards of 800,
the Sappers and Miners ; No. 6 Field Battery
(9-pounders and 24-pound howitzers), about 120 ;
the Mountain Train (2-pounders), about 100 ; a
squadron of the 5th Cavalry, about 100 ; and a
risala of Anderson's Horse, about 100 men."

On the following day Pollock's troops marched
in, and on the 23rd —

" the Governor-General and the Commander-
in-Chief went down to the bridge of boats, at a
quarter before 7 a.m., to see General Nott's
army and the gates of Somnaut. I accompanied
them. The troops looked healthy, in good order,

172 NOTTS ARMY

and the horses in pretty good condition. A small
advanced guard of cavalry and infantry preceded
the column. Tlien came the 3rd Bombay Cavalry,
the 1st Irregular Cavalry, and Christie's Horse —
about 1,000 men. The Bombay troop (European)
of Horse Artillery, then Anderson's troop of
Native. Then a field battery of Europeans, 18
guns ; afterwards the infantry — the 40th and 41st
Queen's, the 2nd, 16th, 38th, 42nd and 43rd, and
the Khelat-i-Ghilzai regiment of Native Infantry —
about 6,000. Total between 7,000 and 8,000.
Altogether the force cut a very fine appearance."

" 24>th. — About 7 o'clock on the evening of the
23rd, after all the troops and baggage had crossed
the river, the great rise of water in it carried away
the two bridges of boats ; some of these have been
carried twenty-five miles down its current, but
none have been sunk."

The whole army united under the Commander-
in-Chief numbered about 27,000 men, and was
composed of 78 guns, 45 squadrons of cavalry, and
28 battalions of infantry.

On the 3rd January the camp began to break
up ; the Governor- General left for Delhi, and the
different corps moved off to their various stations.

General Thackwell obtained leave to visit
Mussoorie, and, travelling by easy stages, did not
reach Cawnpore again until the 17th February.

During this year a new Commander-in-Chief —
and one, too, under whom Sir Joseph Thackwell
was to see much service — arrived in India, and on
the 24th August the notification of the appoint-
ment of Sir Hugh Gough was read to the troops
on parade in the different garrisons of the
Dependency.

A NEW COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 173

Sir Hugh Goiigh at once found that both in the
north and in the south there were signs that the
services of the Indian army might again ere long
be required. In September of this year Sher
Singh, the Maharaja of Lahore, was assassinated,
and the condition of the army of the Sikhs— brave,
well trained, and turbulent — gave at once real
cause for alarm.

"In the midst of this anxiety a source of
trouble, similar if not so formidable, arose in
the State of Gwalior. The army of that State
was less numerous than that of the Punjab
and not quite so highly trained, but the spirit
of political dictation was hardly less strong among
them."

In November 1817 the Marquis of Hastings
had concluded a treaty with Daulat Rao Sindia,
under which the latter agreed to abandon the
Peshwa, to join the British against the Pindaris,
and to surrender for a time two of his fortresses.
Ten years later — during the reign of Lord Amherst
— Daulat Rao was in declining health, and the
affairs of his kingdom were largely in the hands of
his favourite wife, Baiza Bai, and her brother
Hindu Rao — whose house on the Ridge at Delhi
was to become a famous post in the siege. Daulat
Rao Sindia himself was childless, and was for
some reason unwilling to follow the usual Indian
custom and adopt an heir, but wished that this
power should rest, after his decease, with Baiza Bai.
Before his death, however, in March 1827, he left
the decision as to succession absolutely in the
hands of the British Resident, and Baiza Bai was

' Keene.

174 TROUBLE IN GWALIOR

permitted to adopt a young and distant relation,
who was thereupon placed upon the throne, Baiza
Bai retaining the office of Regent. Dynastic
disputes, however, at once broke out in the State
of Gwalior, and six years after the death of
Daulat Rao his widow was compelled to give up
the Regency and retire to her private estates in the
Deccan, the boy whom she had adopted being
recognised by the Government. This youth, how-
ever, died some years later, also without issue, but
leaving an adopted son who was a minor. It was
therefore necessary to appoint a regent or council
of regency, and the Gwalior troops refusing to
recognise the nominee of the British Government,
the Resident, in view of the inimical attitude
of the troops of the State, judged it prudent to
remove himself in the winter of 1843 to Dholpore,
nearer the frontier. The Governor-General now
required of the Gwalior authorities the restoration
of the Regent and the reduction of the army,
whose strength was wholly out of proportion to the
requirements of a protected State, and in the
meantime Sir Hugh Gough, the Commander-in-
Chief, had prepared for all possible eventualities
and was ready to take the field with a force of
some 12,000 men.

On the 21st October he visited Cawnpore,
putting up with General Grey. " I called on him
at 11 a.m.," writes Sir Joseph in his diary of this
date, "and he was very civil. Told me I was
to command all the cavalry for Gwalior."

Later on he duly received his orders and left
Cawnpore on the 23rd November for Agra, where

THE ARMY OF EXERCISE 175

he arrived on the 26th and where Army Head-
quarters was estabhshed. Sir Joseph, however,
went into camp some 32 miles to the north of the
city, where he found ah-eady assembled a sub-
stantial portion of the division which he was
to command in the forthcoming campaign.

CHAPTER XI

The fort and town of Gwalior were situated about
65 miles almost due south of Agra, being in
the most northerly portion of the dominions of
Sindia.

The British districts of Agra and Etawah
bounded the Gwalior State on the north-east ; the
protected States of Dholpore and Rajputana were
co-terminous with it on the north-west. Along the
whole of these frontiers the boundary line was the
River Chumbul ; the north-eastern corner of Gwalior
extends almost to the point where the united waters
of the Chumbul and the Jumna are joined by a
smaller tributary known as the Sind, which separa-
ted Gwalior from the British districts and protected
States of Bundelcund." i

In the event of hostilities becoming necessary,
Sir Hugh Gough had decided to operate with an
army divided into two wings, the right wing to
be assembled under his immediate command at
Agra — the left, under Major-General Sir John
Grey, K.C.B., to concentrate at Jhansi and Koonch
in Bundelcund. The Cavalry Division, to be com-
manded by Sir Josepli Thackwell, comprised four
fine brigades containing 32 squadrons, but was

• Rait.
176

DISPOSITION OF THE FORCE 177

equally divided between the two forces— ap-
parently at General Thackwell's own suggestion,
for when Sir Hugh \asited Cawnpore in November
Sir Joseph records in his diary :

"Transacted business with the Chief and fixed
on the Assistant Adjutant-General of the Cavalry,
Pratt, and Quartermaster-General, Clayton, and he
said he had adopted the arrangements I had
suggested, and two brigades of cavalry were for
Bundelcund."

It is possible that this arrangement was proposed
in order to make up in some measure for
General Grey's weakness in infantry, he having only
one division, while two were with the right wing.
With Sir Hugh also was a battering train of 50
pieces, but of these only six 18-pounders and four
8-inch howitzers crossed the Chumbul and arrived

at Gwalior.

Sir Hugh Gough has been blamed for this
division of the force, the two wings of which were
placed on either side of the Gwahor army, which
consisted, moreover, of not less than 22,000 veteran
troops, trained under European officers and provided
with a powerful artillery. There seems no doubt
that the Commander-in-Chief, but newly arrived in
the country and knowing little or nothing of the
armies of native states, had underestimated the
fighting powers and resources of his enemy ; but he
considered that eitlier wing of his army was strong
enough to defeat the Gwalior force singly, while
the position in which he hoped to force the enemy
to accept battle would enable him not only to utterly

178 MARCH TOWARDS GWALIOR

crush them, but effectually to prevent the dispersion
of their force into predatory bodies of armed men.

The cavalry of the right wing of the so-called
" Army of Exercise " left its camping-ground on
the 16th December for Dholpore, where the
Chumbul was to be crossed. Marching by Muttra,
Bhurtpore was reached on the 7th, and of the
fortress Sir Joseph writes :

" Its celebrated walls are about six miles round,
the ramparts of mud, with a deep, dry ditch. . . .
The siege by Lord Combermere was on its ESE.
face ; the two breaches made by the mines are
still as they were when the assault took place,
except as to remains of mortality. It strikes me
the batteries were too distant, as they appear to
have produced no great effect, but the breaches
were very easy. The town wall opposite to the
one to the south ought to have been defended,
as it was in a salient round bastion connected
with the town by a narrow rampart only. On
the south and west sides there is much cultivation,
and a lake lies to the west, and at about six
miles distant a range of low hills. On this side
Lord Lake made his unsuccessful attack in 1805,
but for my own part I think it was scarcely to
be taken, except by mining, unless the battering
train had been very numerous indeed."

Agra was reached on the 9th, and here the
whole camp was formed.

" Found in camp," writes General Thackwell,
"about 15,000 men, of whom I had the command.
The cavalry formed the front of the square
together with three troops of Horse Artillery :
the infantry, with Nos. 10 and 17 Field Batteries,
formed the two flanks."

PASSAGE OF THE CHUMBUL 179

On the 11th the Governor-General arrived in
camp, and next day the 3rd Infantry Brigade, with
a field battery and two regiments of native cavalry,
were sent towards Dholpore with orders to halt
at the second march for further orders. On the
15th and 16th the rest of the cavalry division of
the right wing left camp, and was concentrated on
the 18th at Dholpore, where the rest of the force
soon closed up.

" 21st. — Marched at half-past 6 o'clock with
the 3rd Brigade of Cavalry and the three troops
of artillery to Keutri Ghat on the Chumbul River,
nearly eight miles — encamped within half a mile of
the river."

" 22??c?.— Marched at half-past 7 o'clock to the
Keutri ford, about 260 or perhaps 300 yards broad
and now but little more than three feet deep,
with a hard, firm, sandy bottom. The troops—
viz. three troops of artillery. No. 17 Field Battery,
the 3rd Brigade of Cavalry, and the 3rd Brigade
of Infantry — passed it without accident, and took
up a position behind the ravines of the Kohary
River, the right resting on Sehoree, and the left
towards Hingonah on the same river. Covered
the right and left with picquets during the night
on a wide, well-cultivated plain. After crossing
the ford, the ground for a mile and a half is broken
into ravines like the broken billows of a troubled
sea ; afterwards the country is quite level, and the
two roads branching off to Gwalior and Bombay
are excellent, though not metalled."

"23rflf.— The 4th Brigade of Cavalry and the
5th of Infantry, the Governor-General, and the
Commander-in-Chief marclied into camp to-day.
I waited on His Excellency, and saw Smith [Sir
Harry], Gough and Grant " [afterwards Sir Patrick].

180 ON THE KOHARY RIVER

" Rode in the evening with His Excellency along
the right front of the encampment, and he decided
on having a wing of the 14th Native Infantry at
the village of Sehoree."

" 2Mh. — Rode with the Commander-in-Chief
along the left front to the village of Chota
Hingonah, distant from Sehoree on the Bombay
road about five miles. The roads from Keutri
ford and Dholpore ferry join before entering the
former village and continue on to Gwalior. This
road and the one to Bombay are the only
practicable routes for carriages, and I believe for
horses, across the deep ravines in front of our line,
which extends about four miles. JNIy right flank
at Sehoree is now well covered, but the left is
still exposed. Only by the Gwalior road can the
heights beyond the Kohary River be ascended,
and they therefore form a very strong position.
We got upon them, and in our ascent met with
about thirty impudent JNIahratta soldiers belonging
to Colonel Jacob, and at one time we thought we
should have come to blows with them, but a
picquetof the 10th Cavalry coming up by accident
— as they had been ordered to be discontinued the
day before — caused them to change their tone
and they were very submissive. It certainly was
very fortunate these twenty men came up or I
verily believe a collision would have taken place,
as the Chief was very irate. . . . Reconnoitred
the line of river in front in the afternoon."

" 25th. — I visited the right picquets and rode to
the front beyond the ravines on the Sipree road — a
fine plain to the south and east for several miles
covered with cultivation."

" ^Ith. — I crossed the river at Jetowa and rode
beyond the ravines ; came home by the Bombay
road. Picquets all well posted except the rear one,
which is not far enough to the right rear."

IN TOUCH WITH THE ENEMY 181

<' 28//?. — Rode with the Commander-in-Chief
this morning across the ravines. A troop of the
4th Cavahy witli Lieutenant-Colonel Garden went
on the Gwahor road towards Chonda and there met
with the advance of the JVIahratta army — about
5,000 men. They fired about twelve guns at his
party, but no loss occurred — a dog only having been
slightly wounded. All commanders of divisions
and brigades waited on the Commander-in-Chief
at noon to receive instructions about the intended
attack to-morrow."

''29///. — The army crossed the Kohary Nuddi
and advanced through its defiles at 6 o'clock this
morning. The right column — consisting of the two
troops of the 2nd Brigade of Artillery, the 16th
Lancers, the Bodyguard, the 1st Light Cavalry,
and two lisalas of the 4th Irregular Horse (the
rear guard to which was one squadron of the 1st
Light Cavalry and a risala of the 4th Irregulars)
— covered the right flank ; the centre column
consisted of the 3rd Brigade of Infantry under
Major-General Vahant and crossed the Kohary at
Jetowa and marched by Kaladreh to the left of
INIungowleh ; and the left column by Chota
Hingonah along the main Gwahor road towards
Jowra. It consisted of the 4th and 5th Brigades
of Infantry, Nos. 10 and 17 Field Batteries, the 4th
Native Cavalry and 10th Light Cavalry with the
2nd troop of 3rd Brigade of Artillery. In all
about 8,500 men. My column marched along
the main Bombay road and turned to the left
a little short of Omedghur, leaving the village
of Sainte on the left, and arrived on the right
of Mungowleh as ordered. It had been delayed
a quarter of an hour owing to the horses of a
gun falling in the quagmire of the descent to the
ford of the Koliary, and on arrival near Mun-
gowleh received an order to proceed towards

182 COMMENCEMENT OF THE ACTION

^laharajpore and form on the right of the 3rd
Brigade of Infantry.

" The INlaharaja's army was posted in front of
Chonda with a strong body of infantry in advance
on the Chota Hingonah road, and another large
body of infantry with fourteen guns or more
occupied the village of Maharajpore about a mile
from the former, and each nearly a mile and a half
from Chonda — JMaharajpore being on their extreme
left on the road to Mungowleh. The Commander-
in-Chief sent for me as the troops were coming up,
at which time the enemy had opened their fire from
both advances, and No. 10 Field Battery and the 2nd
troop of artillery were answering them on the left.
Colonel Wright's brigade (the 5th) was advancing
to attack Maharajpore on its left.^ After receiving
the Commander-in-Chief's orders — who seemed
very cool under a sharp cannonade — to turn the
village of Maharajpore and attack any troops
retiring from it, I made my dispositions — two
squadrons of the 16th Lancers on the right and the
1st Light Cavalry forming the first line, and the
Bodyguard and two squadrons of the Lancers
forming a second Une ; the guns as they came up
were on the left of the first line, supported by the
remainder of the 4th Irregulars — not 50 men.
The cavalry made a rapid advance and gradually
brought its right shoulders forward, during which
time the infantry was warmly engaged in carrying
the village.

" On arriving on the road leading from Maharaj-
pore to Dampoora, the retreat of the enemy by the
road was cut off, and some baggage was taken,
and some men were cut down. Near this point
Major-General Churchill and Captain Somerset
were wounded, and Lieutenant-Colonel Saunders,
Under Military Secretary to the Governor-General,

' The enemy s left of Maharajpore would seem to be meant.

WORK OF THE CAVALRY 183

was killed by a musket ball. The cavalry advanced
beyond this point, but none of the enemy's infantry
were seen retreating; and as a four- or six-gun
battery in position among the ravines on the right
front of Dampoora opened at about 400 yards on
our right flank, and a considerable body of infantry
supported the fire of musketry kept up from the
ravines before mentioned, and it being also pre-
sumed that his flank was protected by a large
body of cavalry, I did not think it advisable to
continue my advance in the direction of Chonda,
but threw my right back and remained fronting
Dampoora. During this time the artillery had
come up and made good practice against the
batteries in the direction of Chonda and Grant's
troop against the one near Dampoora, but the
enemy had contrived to blow up two of their
ammunition wagons by round shot passing through
them. Brigadier Scott's two regiments had also
been warmly engaged, had taken six guns and had
cut down a number of cavalry who had advanced
to attack them. This brigade and its troop of
horse artillery came unaccountably to the right,
round the village of ^laharajpore, whereas it ought
to have remained on the left flank towards that
point, but as Sir Hugh Gough was there I
presume they acted by his orders. The 4th Irre-
gular Cavalry were ordered by His Excellency to
charge a two-gun battery, which they carried but
could not keep, owing to being unsupported when
warmly opposed. I had ordered the 1st Light
Cavalry to the left to support the two troops of
artillery and the attack of Major-General Littler's
brigade on Chonda on the left of the ravines, but
it does not appear they had an opportunity of
doing anything. Major-General Dennis with
Brigadier Stacy's brigade— the 4th — came to the
rear of the cavalry when Littler advanced, but

184 PROGRESS OF THE FIGHT

had orders to halt, otherwise the ravines in front
would soon have been cleared, the battery they
protected would have been carried, and the cavalry
would have passed the ford of the Ahsin and cut
up many of the enemy — as it was they left a great
deal of baggage behind. ISIajor-General Smith
was on their flank, and highly disapproved of
the position poor Churchill wanted to place the
3rd Brigade in. He would not allow the cavalry
to turn the ravines, or cross the ford to fall on the
enemy's rear, therefore as my superior officer I was
bound to obey. The position between Jowra,
Maharajpore, and Chonda was a fine triangular
plain on which cavalry could act in the finest
manner."

Elsewhere General Thackwell records :

" The cavalry could not arrive in time for the
advance of the infantry, and it was much hurried
to get into the second position ; it had then to
make a rapid movement to get round the 3rd
Brigade of Infantry, and advanced to its third
and fourth positions under a heavy fire of
artillery. The two troops of artillery attached
to the 3rd Brigade of Cavalry did not fire a
shot at the village of Maharajpore, and did not
open fire until it got near the ravines in front of
Dampoora."

Of the rest of the force the infantry with
Major- General Littler — the 5th Brigade under
Colonel Wright — was heavily engaged. Attacking
the village of Maharajpore in front while Valiant
assailed it, as already described, on the west,
they met with a very determined resistance, the

VICTORY OF MAHARAJPORE 185

Mahratta army fighting sword in hand, and rally-
ing repeatedly before the village was cleared.
Wright then passed on, covered by the artillery,
to attack the main position at Chonda, where
the enemy made a last very desperate stand,
and where the greater number of their guns were
captured.

" The battle was over by 12 o'clock ; but had the
4th Brigade of Infantry, instead of attacking
Chonda, been permitted to cross the river with the
cavalry, half the Mahratta army would have been
destroyed — or if even a battalion of Stacy's brigade
had passed over with the cavalry instead of remain-
ing halted for three-quarters of an hour, a great
part of their rear would have been cut off. Thus
ended the battle, in which the enemy's guns were
well served and they fought with great determina-
tion. . . . Encamped on the field of battle, and
poor Churchill, whose leg had been amputated, died
during the night.

" The Mahratta army was to the amount of about
12,000 men — cavalry probably 3,500 and about 60
guns. Their loss, 56 guns and about 2,000 men.
Our total loss was 780 officers and men, of which
number the cavalry had 11 men killed and 48
wounded, 78 horses killed and 48 wounded, 4 men
and 10 horses missing ; 1 officer killed and 5
wounded, of which 1 native officer killed and 4
wounded, of this number three had legs ampu-
tated. The 16th Lancers had 2 men and 22
horses killed, 1 sergeant, 5 privates, and 4 horses
wounded."

In his despatch on the action Sir Hugh Gough
mentions that the cavalry " manoeuvred most
judiciously on the right and would have got in

186 AFTER THE BATTLE

rear of the position and cut off the retreat of the
whole, had they not been prevented by an impass-
able ravine." He adds :

"To Major-General Sir Joseph Thaekwell, K.C.B.,
to Major-Generals Dennis and Littler, and to
Brigadier Gowan, commanding the divisions, my
best thanks are due for the manner in which
they conducted and led their respective divisions."

General Thaekwell mentions in his report Captain
Pratt, A.A.G., Captain Clayton, A.Q.M.G., Lieu-
tenant Pattinson, Brigade-Major, Lieutenant Cowell,
A.D.C., Captain Harris, Lord Ellenborough's
A.D.C., who acted as galloper to Sir Joseph, and
Lieutenant Renney of the Engineers, attached to
the cavalry division.

« SOtk. — Marched at 11 o'clock to an encampment
on the right bank of the Sankh River, eight miles,
being about three and a half miles to the southward

of Danoila."

" 31^^. — The Queen-Regent came to the durbar of
the Governor-General about half-past one, and had
a long conference of at least an hour and a half.
She was saluted with 21 guns on arriving and the
same on going away. The 16th Lancers formed
her guard of honour."

" 1st January 1844. — The Commander-in-Chief
assembled the generals of divisions, brigadiers, and
commanding officers of regiments at his Durbar
tent this morning and publicly declared he was
satisfied with the conduct of everybody, as all had
nobly done their duty. He was in high spirits and
most cordially shook hands. I afterwards called on

ARRIVAL AT GWALIOR 187

Lady Gough, Mrs. Smith, and INIrs. Curtis, and
found them not recovered from the shock they
received from being present on the field of
battle. Poor INIajor Crommeline of the 1st Cavalry
died to-day of the severe wound he received on the
29th ult."

" 3rd. — The army, or at least the first column,
marched this morning at half-past 6 o'clock to an
encampment in front and to the right of the
Gwalior Residency, about three miles from the old
town ; no enemy to be seen. Three squadrons of
the IGth Lancers formed the advanced guard,
followed by two troops of artillery, the fourth
squadron of Lancers, the 1st Light Cavalry, the
Bodyguard, the 4th Irregular Cavalry, the 3rd
Brigade of Infantry with No. 17 Light Field
Battery, the 5th Brigade of Infantry with No. 10
Field Battery, the Khelat-i-Ghilzai regiment and the
31st Native Infantry, the Governor-General and
the Commander-in-Chief, two companies of Sappers
and Miners ; the 4th Native Lancers and two guns
formed the rear guard."

Major-General Grey's force, fresh from its victory
at Punniar, joined the Commander-in-Chief on the
4th, and on the 22nd — the Gwalior army having
in the meantime been disarmed and steps taken for
the reduction of its numbers from 30,000 to 9,000 —
" the army assembled in review order at 9 a.m. for
the inspection of the Governor- General and the
httle Maharaja " — a boy about eight years of age —
when Sir Joseph led past his fine command of
four cavalry brigades and five troops of horse
artillery. On the 23rd the Governor-General
marched for Allahabad and the force broke up,
Major-General Littler remaining at Gwalior with

188 RETURN TO ENGLAND

three batteries of artillery, two regiments of native
cavalry, and six infantry battalions. Sir Joseph
Thackwell himself left the neighbourhood of Gwalior
on the 25th on his return to Cawnpore, where he
arrived on the 2nd February and resumed command
of the station.

On the 14th March the Calcutta Government
Gazette notified the transfer of Major-General Grey
to Meerut and the appointment of Major-General
Pollock to command the Cawnpore Division, which
necessitated the transfer of Major-General Thack-
well, who was senior in rank to Pollock ; and
consequently a few days later Sir Joseph received
a letter from Headquarters notifying his removal to
Meerut. He left Cawnpore on the 5th INI ay and
arrived at his new station on the 21st, assuming
and retaining command of the division until the
October following.

Sir Joseph Thackwell had for some time past
been anxious to go home to England. The Gwalior
campaign and the state of affairs beyond the
Sutlej had all combined to keep him in India ;
but he had now been over seven years away from
England, his elder children w^ere growing up, and
he had made up his mind to return home. Lady
Thackwell and he therefore left Meerut early in the
cold w^eather of 1844, and marching by easy stages
the whole way down to Bombay, they arrived there
early in February. The journey home was now
a much more expeditious business than formerly.
When Sir Joseph came out with the 3rd Light
Dragoons, the voyage had occupied four months ;
but now, embarking on the 2nd March, he landed

SHORT LEAVE 189

in Southampton on the 11th April — "a raw cold
day with some rain." How many returning
Anglo-Indians have been welcomed by the same
weather on landing once more in their native
country !

Sir Joseph had made up his mind to return
to India in August, so that his time was greatly
occupied — travelling about, visiting relations, and
seeing old friends, and the children too from whom
he had so long been separated.

" On the 30th anniversary of the Battle of
Waterloo dined with the Duke of Wellington,
who did me the honour to introduce me to Prince
Albert. Met a great number of my acquaintances,
who seemed glad to see me, and heard from Lord
Fitz-Roy Somerset of poor Valiant's death from
cholera at Calcutta. The Duke appeared in good
health and spirits, and his voice was firm and
strong. About seventy were at dinner."

He attended also a big dinner at the I-.ondon
Tavern, given by the East India Court of Directors,
sat for his portrait, and was painted also by Von
Orlich, the Prussian officer who had been in India
in 1842, in a group of the chiefs of the army
assembled at Ferozepore. The latter part of his
short stay at home was passed in Ireland, at the
home of Lady Thackwell's mother, and it was
there that he left his wife and children when on
the 5th August he returned to London to prepare
for embarkation. He had written late in July to
Sir Harry Smith, Adjutant-General of Queen's
troops in India, but the reply — dated 24th

190 NEWS FROM INDIA

September — probably only reached him on arrival
in Calcutta. Sir Harry writes :

" I think you may fairly calculate on being
appointed to Cawnpore, your old station, but no
official notice can be taken of you until the re-
port of your arrival be received. As to the Punjab,
affairs are just as they were when you left ; but
as a thundering army is so cantoned as to admit
of a speedy concentration on our north-west
frontier, and as you know the Sikhs are a con-
ceited set of rascals, we soldiers must hope for
the best. Peace is desired, but circumstances, as
at Gwalior, may arise when our interference creates
expediency, over which human foresight can have
no control ; but when you reach Cawnpore you
will be so appuye to the course of events, you
will be able to take advantage of them and guide
yourself accordingly — unless a path be chalked out
for you, which 1 regard as very probable.

" You did not say whether Lady Thackwell is
coming ; this however we suppose, and Lady S.
unites with me in affectionate regards to you both.
You know, I hope, old comrade, how ready I am
to be of any use in my power."

On the 18th a party of twelve brother officers of
the 3rd Light Dragoons entertained Sir Joseph at
dinner at the Clarendon Hotel — " a hearty welcome
and a pleasant evening,"— and he finally embarked at
Southampton on the Oriental He was not alone,
for Lady Thackwell's brother, Edmund Roche, his
former aide-de-camp, was also on board, with his
wife. The Oriental was bound for Calcutta, and
at Madras Sir Joseph was glad to meet again his
old friend and former commander. Sir Edmund

BACK IN CAWNPORE 191

Williams, then commanding the Presidency
Division. Calcutta was reached on the 4th
October, and on the 18th Sir Joseph set off by
dak for Cawnpore, where he arrived on the 30th
and assumed charge of the station under ^lajor-
General Sir Robert Dick, then in command of the
Cawnpore Division.

[

CHAPTER XII

There is perhaps no more stirring and romantic
story in the history of the nations, than that of the
evolution of a small religious sect into one of
the most magnificent military types that the
world has seen. It is barely four hundred years
ago that Nanak, the wandering devotee, com-
menced his teachings ; at the beginning of the
seventeenth century Har Govind caused his
followers to lay aside their rosaries and draw the
sword in defence of their faith ; and it was his
grandson, Govind Singh, the tenth, the greatest
and the last of the Gurus, who founded the Khalsa,
the Sikh Commonwealth, converted "a horde of
undisciplined peasants into enthusiastic soldiers
animated with religious fervour, and laid the
corner-stone of that nation, which Ranjit Singh,
a hundred years later, raised in the Punjab on the
ruins of the Mogul Empire."^ The story of the
Sikhs is full of fascination — their persecuted life,
the years of warfare, their ultimate triumph, the
days under Hari Singh —

"... who died before Jumrood,
When the dry and thirsty nullahs ran red with Moslem blood,
When thro' the Khyber passes the foe rode fast and far,
And loudly wailed to dark-eyed maids in grovelled Kandahar.""

' Gordon.
192

THE SOLDIERS OF THE KHALSA 193

Ranjit Singh had made the stoUd yeomen
of the Punjab into a standing army, voluntarily
enhsted, highly paid, and trained under the eyes of
French and Itahan officers — Avitabih, Allard,
Ventura, Court, and others — who had learnt their
trade under Napoleon and had drifted out to India
on his fall — "military waifs fi'om war-exhausted
Europe." The Punjab had become a powerful
State comprising all that country watered by the
five rivers, and stretching from JNIultan to Kashmir
and from the northern bank of the Sutlej to the
borders of Afghanistan. In 1809 — consule Minto
— a treaty had been negotiated by Charles Metcalfe
with Ranjit Singh, under which the Sikhs en-
gaged to restrict their pretensions and operations
to the right bank of the Sutlej, and throughout his
long reign the Lion of the Punjab loyally adhered
to his promises, and cultivated amicable relations
with the Government of India. On his death in
1839 "the Punjab provinces, so long kept together
by the pressure of his hand, broke, before long, into
a tangle of anarchy." '

In September 1843 Ranjit's successor, the
Maharajah Sher Singh, and his minister had been
murdered on the same day, and the condition of
the Sikh army became at once a source of alarm
both to the Punjab chiefs and to their neighbours,
since, as has been said, " the Khalsa, like the
Pretorians of Imperial Rome, sold the supreme
power, wliich rested entirely in their hands, to the
highest bidder," - and there was no knowing when
these troops might not be let loose across the

' Keeue. ^ Ilardiuge.

194 UNREST IN THE PUNJAB

frontier of British India. At the time of the
GwaHor campaign the unrest beyond the Sutlej
had given an additional anxiety to the Governor-
General and the Commander-in-Chief, then pre-
paring for operations on the Chumbul ; a prolonged
or indecisive campaign in this quarter might have
brought down the Sikhs to co-operate with the
Mahrattas, and Sir Hugh Gough had arranged for
the formation of a force under Sir Robert Dick,
to watch the line of the Sutlej, while he also
strengthened our outposts at Ferozepore and
Ludhiana. The Gwalior campaign terminated so
quickly that the Sikhs had no time to act, and war,
then so imminent, was postponed for two years.

In the meantime the infant Dhuleep Singh had
been placed upon the throne, with his mother — the
Jezebel of the Punjab — as Queen-Regent, but the
State was divided into three factions ; that of the
Rajput Chief of Jammu, whose nephew Hira Singh
was the minister ; that of the Sikh nobles ; and
finally that of the army punchayats or committees.
The nominal rulers of the Punjab had no feeling
of hostility towards the British, but the Queen-
Regent was disinclined for peace, the treasury was
empty, the rulers had little authority, and it was
only too apparent that matters were drifting
rapidly towards war. Sir Henry Hardinge, who
had in July 1844 succeeded Lord Ellenborough as
Governor-General, had early concerted measures of
precaution with Sir Hugh Gough ; and as a result
of these measures the British force at and above
Umballa was augmented by December 1844 to
32,500 men and 68 guns, while 13,000 more men

WAR IN PROSPECT 195

with 30 additional guns stood between Umballa
and Meerut, and the train of boats, already pro-
vided in anticipation of requirements by Lord
Ellenborough before quitting India, was brought
up from the Indus to Ferozepore.

At this time the army of the Khalsa was re-
turned at about 87,000 men, with nearly 500 guns ;
the Sikh troops were politically insubordinate,
"but their military discipline was high and their
spirit that of a dominant class." ^

The hot weather of 1845 — the summer which
Sir Joseph Thackwell spent in England— passed
quietly, but the Governor- General had been warned
by the Jummu Raja, Gulab Singh, that there would
be war after the fast of the Dasahra — the day on
which Rama set forth on his great campaign.

On the 22nd November there is an entry
in Sir Joseph's diary — " a rumour came from
Ferozepore that the Sikhs were preparing to cross
the Sutlej in force " ; and on the following day —
" Dr. Graham writes to Nuttall from Ferozepore
that the Sikhs are assembling 60,000 men opposite
the ghauts to cross the Sutlej, that they have
20,000 men at Kussoor and 20,000 more within
20 miles of that place." By this time Sir Joseph
had probably had a hint that it might be as well
to be ready, for on the 26th we find that he " went
camel-hunting," and on the 16th December there
is an entry — "got a letter last night from
Colonel Gough informing me that I had a chance
of being posted to the command of the cavalry."

In the meantime rumour had as usual been busy.

' Keene.

196 ORDERED TO THE FRONT

" Got letters," he writes, " from Colonels Scott
and Cureton, and Major Balders ; the two first
certain that we must have war, and the last that
the Governor-General will not cross the Sutlej if
he can possibly help it. The Governor-General
left for Patiala, as said by the latter, on the 6th,
and the Commander-in-Chief was to follow in a
day or two."

Intelligence came that the army had made a
forward movement from Umballa towards Sirhind,
and that the troops were closing up from and upon
Meerut ; and finally on the 17th we read : " Re-
ceived the order to join the Headquarters as
soon as possible."

On the 20th December he wrote to Lady
Thackwell from Cawnpore :

" Plots have ripened since I last wrote, and
the denouement you will possibly get by the next
mail, if they should not break forth by this. The
reports on the morning of the 18th were that
the Sikh army had crossed the Sutlej and meant to
attack Ferozepore, into the miserable fort of which
place all the ladies had taken refuge. Sir Henry
Hardinge had been unwilling to believe that the
Sikhs were in earnest, and has in consequence
delayed to form and brigade the army until the
enemy were over the river, and he has incurred
every chance of defeat in detail, and will probably
not be able to bring 10,000 men into the field
against very likely six times that number. On the
17th I was dining with Dick, when at nearly
11 at night we both got an order to join
Headquarters as expeditiously as possible, and I
laid my dak that night for 10 o'clock this morning

OPENING OF THE CAMPAIGN 197

and shall hope to reach Umballa by the morning
of the 25th — 400 miles — and must no doubt
afterwards ride to reach Headquarters, if I am
able to do so without an escort. Sir Henry
has issued a manifesto declaring all the Sikh States
on this side of the Sutlej to have lapsed to the
Company, and we have a report that the Ferozepore
troops have dri\'en the Sikhs over the Sutlej ; but
this wants better authority."

General Thackwell set out by dak on the 20th,
and while on his journey, on the 29th at Busseean,
he—

"heard to-day positively that the Sikh army
had been defeated on the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of
December with great loss, and had recrossed the
Sutlej, leaving behind them 130 guns. Our troops
are said to have suffered severely in men and
horses."

{This was of course the battle of Ferozeshah.)
Writing home on the 30th December from
Wudnee, where he had overtaken a column under
Colonel Campbell of the 9th Lancers marching
to join the army, Sir Joseph says :

" I arrived at this place this morning, about fifty
miles from Ferozepore, which place I hope to
reach in two marches, or to reach Headquarters if
it be towards the Hurriki Ghat on the Sutlej.
With all our haste from Cawnpore, Roche and I
have been most unlucky, for a fight took place on
the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of December, and the
Sikh army has recrossed the Sutlej with great loss,
leaving behind them 130 pieces of artillery or
more. As 1 told you in my letter from Cawnpore,

198 ARRIVAL AT FEROZEPORE

the Sikh army of more than 60,000 men would
have to be fought by ours not numbering more
than ten or twelve thousand, and our loss in con-
sequence has been severe. It is said the Sikhs
have made overtures for peace, but nothing will
now satisfy the Governor- General but the sur-
render of Lahore and the disbanding of the Sikh
army, I imagine ; and therefore we shall have
another fight on more equal terms, as nearly
10,000 men are now closing up, and I shall have
a fine body of cavalry. We have had no
despatches from Headquarters until this morning,
as everything was stopped by the Sikh garrison in
the fort here, which surrendered at discretion two
hours ago."

*' 1st Januai^y 1846. — Marched at half-past 9,
and in two miles' distance came upon the ground
on which the battle with the enemy's advance
guard took place on the 18th December, in which
they were driven back, and 15 of their guns
taken — mostly field-guns. In about two miles
more came to the village of Lohana, where there
had been some fighting — and in three miles more
came to the village of Ferozeshah, where the main
battle with the Sikhs took place on the 21st and
22nd. The Sikh army was formed in an oblong
round the village, and consisted, it is said, of about
60,000 men, and they had more than 120 pieces
of cannon, nearly the whole of which was of large
calibre — 12 and 18-pounders with a few 24-
pounders. Continued my march on to Sultankhan-
wala from Moodkee — 12^ miles — and on to the
Headquarters camp near Malawala, 13 miles from
Ferozepore up the left bank of the Sutlej, and
about 10 miles from the last-named stage — total
this day, 22^ miles. Waited upon Sir Hugh Gough,
the Commander-in-Chief, who seemed delighted to
see me and said the 3rd Light Dragoons had

THE CAVALRY DIVISION 199

behaved nobly, that he had never seen such gallant
fellows."

He ^vi'ote home on arrival at Headquarters
Camp, 13 miles from Ferozepore up the Sutlej :

^^2nd January 1846. — I reached this place
yesterday, and surprised everybody with the
rapidity of my journey from Cawnpore through
latterly a disaffected country. Sir Hugh Gough
received me in the most gracious manner,
and was much pleased at my joining so soon.
He told me the noble bravery of the Third
surpassed everything he had witnessed, in charging
heavy batteries and cavalry, and everybody says
they gained the battle by their noble daring ; but
their loss has been severe. We have large rein-
forcements coming up. I hope everything will go
on well if there is any more fighting ; but most
people think the Sikhs have had enough of it, and
will not attempt to come over the river again, and
I fear we have not the means of attacking Lahore
this season."

On the 6th January the 9th Lancers, 3rd Light
Cavalry, and 4th Irregular Cavalry, with three
troops of horse artillery, marched into camp,
when the mounted force under command of Sir
Joseph Thackwell was thus composed :

\st Brigade. 2nd Brigade.

Brigadier T. Scott, C.B. Brigadier A. M. Camp-
3rd Light Dragoons. bell, C.B.K.H.

4th Light Cavalry. 9th Lancers.

5th Light Cavalry. 11th Light Cavalry.

9th Irregular Cavalry. 2nd Irregular Cavalry.

8th Irregular Cavalry.

200 THE FORDS OF THE SUTLEJ

Srd Brigade. M Brigade.

Brigadier C. R. Cureton, Brigadier D. Harriott.'
C.B. 1st Light Cavalry.

16th Lancers. 8th Light Cavalry.

Gov. -Gen. 's Bodyguard. Srd Irregular Cavalry.
Srd Light Cavalry.
4th Irregular Cavalry.

There were also eleven troops of Horse Artillery.

Lieutenant Edmund Roche (Srd Light Dragoons)
had again joined the staff of the commander of
the Cavalry Division as aide-de-camp, but had
almost at once been appointed to officiate as
D.A.Q.M.-General vice Captain C. F. Havelock,
(9th Foot), wounded at Ferozeshah, Lieutenant
Roche's place as A.D.C. being taken by Lieutenant
T. J. Francis (9th Lancers). The D.A.A.-General,
Cavalry Division, was Captain J. Tritton (Srd Light
Dragoons), who had already had a horse killed
under him at Ferozeshah.

To the north-east of Ferozepore the Sutlej makes
a turn to the west, and in this bend there were
five places where the river might be crossed: (1)
at Ferozepore itself, where the main road passing
the stream leads on to Kussoor and Lahore ; (2) a
ford at Nuggar ; (S) another at Tilleewala ; (4)
opposite Sobraon, where the Sikhs had thrown
across a bridge of boats covered by a tete-de-pont ;
and (5) a ford at Hurriki in the angle where the

• This arrangement of the brigades appears under date of the
1st January in General Thackwell's diary, but Brigadier Harriott
had been wounded at Ferozeshah, and the 4th Brigade seems to have
ceased to exist as a unit, though its components still formed part of
the array.

PRELIMINARIES 201

Sutlej, ha\ang again turned southward, is joined
by the waters of the Beas.

On the 12th January the whole force shifted its
ground to the right in order more closely to ob-
serve the movements of the Sikh force posted on
the right bank in the vicinity of Sobraon. The
Headquarters camp shifted to Bootewala, the
headquarters of the Cavalry Di\'ision with Brigadier
Scott's brigade moving to Malawala in rear ; Sir
Harry Smith's Division, with Cureton's cavalry
brigade, was placed on the extreme right opposite
Hurriki ; Major-General Gilbert was in the centre
with Sir Robert Dick's division and Campbell's
cavalry on his immediate left — the whole opposite
the bridge of boats at Sobraon ; Sir John Grey,
posted at Attaree, watched the Nuggar ford ; and
Sir John Littler 's troops occupied the cantonment
and entrenchment at Ferozepore.

" Wednesday, 14M. — The Sikhs came over in
force, having established a kind of tete-de-pont
for the protection of their bridge, defended by

I their heavy guns on the other side of the river.

; The Commander-in-Chief had two divisions of
infantry and some cavalry out ; they fired a good
deal at us with light guns, but all their shots fell

. short, and we only replied with two 8-inch howitzers,
but intended to reply with a 24-pounder, which

I however burst, but without injury to any save one
man. But little if any loss was sustained on either
side, and soon after 4 p.m. the Sikhs withdrew
their guns to the other side of the river."

On the 15th January Sir Joseph wrote to Lady
Thackwell :

202 THE SIKHS ADVANCE

" The Sikh army is on the other side of the
Sutlej, and we are watching the fords on it and
their bridge, which is about four miles in our front.
They defend it with such heavy batteries on the
other side of the river, that it is rather more difficult
for us to get to them than for their army to attack
us. If they should do so they will suffer for it,
but I do not think they will venture on such a
step. We are glad to gain time for our heavy
cannon, reinforcements, and commissariat supplies
and carriages to come up, and 1 believe we shall
get troops from Bombay and JNIadras to supply the
stations where they have been withdrawn, and of
course fresh regiments will be sent out from
England to supply their places. Our Court of
Directors' eyes will be now opened to a just
estimate of the formidable power of the Sikhs, and
to the necessity of at least 10,000 Europeans in
addition to our present numbers, for the safety of
this Empire depends on the dispersion of the Sikh
army, whether it can be done this season or the
next. If our means are adequate we have a hot
summer campaign before us, but perhaps not hotter
than that Edmund and myself weathered in
Afghanistan."

In the meantime it had been reported that a
force of Sikhs of all arms had crossed the upper
waters of the Sutlej at Phillour, with the intention
not only of threatening I^udhiana — then held by
three battalions of native infantry under Brigadier
Godby — but of striking at the British line of com-
munications near Busseean. Sir Harry Smith's
division, with Cureton's cavalry brigade, was
detached from the main army on the 18th to sub-
due a small fort held by Sikh mercenaries at
Dhurmkote, which was halfway between Ferozepore

LETTER FROM CURETON 203

and Ludhiana, and he was now directed to march
on the latter place — a movement which led to the
victorious action of Aliwal on the 28th, where the
cavalry/ and in particular the Sixteenth Lancers,
greatly distinguished themselves.

On the 31st January Cureton wrote to Sir
Joseph :

" I wrote an ' official ' to Tucker to let you know
that we had an action on the 20th, and I then fully
intended to have written a private letter to you,
but every moment of my time has been occupied
with public duty. Pattinson, who knew my
anxiety, promised he would write you all particu-
lars, and I hope he has done so. It will, I know,
be most gratifying to you to know that the
cavalry behaved extremely well, the 16th Lancers
and 3rd Light Cavalry suffered severely, but
fully effected their object ; but the despatch which
has, I hear, been furnished to Headquarters will, I
have no doubt, give full particulars. I do not
think the Sikhs will be much inclined to face the
British in the open again — whenever they do the
result will be the same. Smyth of the Sixteenth is
shot through the thigh, but doing well ; Fyler has
a similar wound but more serious ; Orme is
wounded in two or three places and considered in
danger ; Bere, Pattle, and Morris were all wounded
in the face, but not seriously. The 50th Foot
have suffered a good deal, and had eight officers
killed and wounded ; the loss, however, on the whole
is not heavy, considering the force engaged. The
river at this place is shallow, and easily crossed by
the villages, but the fords appear very intricate,
and I have no doubt great numbers of the enemy

' Cureton had under him at Aliwal the 1st and the 5th Light
Cavalry and the 8th Irregular Cavalry, besides his own — the 3rd
Brigade.

204 WAITING TO ATTACK

were drowned in crossing, as they had to rush
headlong in without reference to a ford. We have
taken a beautiful park of artillery from them,
mostly heavy metal, but you will probably have
seen the return of captured ordnance before you
get this. I suppose the guns will be sent to
Ludhiana ; I fancy old Ranjit's guns will soon
be exhausted if we take fifty or sixty in every
battle. Poor Swettenham's loss is much felt in
the regiment ; he was a universal favourite. I do
not think you had ever seen Williams, another officer
who fell ; the latter came out with me in July."

The immediate result of this successful action
was the evacuation by the Sikhs of all the forts
they had hitherto held on the left bank of the
Sutlej, with the exception of the entrenchment at
Sobraon ; and Sir Hugh Gough now only waited to
attack the enemy in this position until the troops
under Sir Harry Smith should have rejoined the
main army, and the siege train and ammunition
should have arrived from Delhi.

" 23rc?. — A good deal of firing at the outposts
to-day — the enemy showing a good many sowars
— and my red jacket seemed very attractive to
them, as I could not show myself without having
lots of bullets whizzing near me. Had some talk
with Prince Waldemar of Prussia."

" 24^/?.— The 5th Cavalry marched to Dhurmkote,
and Brigadier Scott was directed to bring his head-
quarters to this camp. The Sikh sowars made a
forward rush upon the picquets at Sobraon, and it
was imagined from the reports of the orderlies that
it was an advance by the Sikh army— however, it
turned out to be only a few sowars, who were driven
back by the picquets of the 2nd Irregular Cavalry."

NEWS OF ALIWAL 205

" 27M. — The Sikhs occupied the watch tower at
Sobraon last night, and the cavahy picquets of
course fell back. There has been a good deal of
skirmishing to-day, but no results of consequence.
Yesterday a sowar of the 9th Irregulars was killed
and another was wounded. Waited on the Com-
mander-in-Chief and got his orders for the attack
to-morrow morning, but it was countermanded at
10 o'clock p.m."

" 2Sth. — Soon after 10 a.m. I heard a heavy
cannonade near Ludhiana, supposed to be a fight
between Sir Harry Smith and Ranjur Singh,
and soon after 3 the picquet at Aleewala was
driven in by the Sikh cavalry and infantry, on
hearing which I sent a squadron of the 3rd Light
Dragoons to its support and soon after marched
vnth the remainder of the Third, followed by a
troop of Horse Artillery and two battalions of
infantry ; but at Asyah heard that Captain Beecher
had recovered the post, killing some sixteen or
twenty of the enemy, being supported by the
squadron of the Third. I halted all my troops
where the order found them.

" Examined all the ground to the river, and saw
about a thousand Sikh sowars, and perhaps many
more and infantry were concealed in the jungle.
When most of these had retired within their lines,
I sent the troops to camp except the squadron of
the 3rd Light Dragoons at Aleewala— three-
quarters of a mile in front of which were still about
400 sowars with some camel swivels, but when
these retired the squadron was ordered back to
camp."

" 29^/i. — At 7 a.m. I walked to the Sobraon
picquets, and when I returned found the line
turned out to fire a salute of 21 guns, with three
cheers by the men, for Sir Harry Smith's victory
yesterday near Ludhiana. The substance of which

206 THE EVE OF SOBRAON

was that Runjur Singh and the Sikh army had
advanced to attack him, when, after an action of
one hour and twenty-five minutes, the Sikh army
was totally defeated with the loss of all their
artillery (50 guns) and baggage, and had been
driven across the Sutlej. Soon on horseback, and
went down the line with the Governor- General
and the Commander-in-Chief."

^'30tk. — Visited the front picquets soon after
7 a.m., and from the clouds of dust, noise of
carriage wheels, and swivel detonations, and the
opinions of the outposts came to the conclusion
that the main body of the Sikh army was retiring,
but I am not certain that this conjecture is correct.
The Commander-in-Chief imagined we should be
attacked to-day, but I never thought so."

" 31st. — The Sikhs quiet all day. The sowars
of the Sobraon picquet and the Sikh sowars in
friendly conversation at the posts of the vedettes."

"6th February. — Major-General Smith's force
came into camp on the right, where the 3rd Brigade
of Cavalry, with the exception of the 4th Irregulars,
is posted. The 4th and 5th Light Cavalry
joined, and Lieutenant-Colonel Lane's troop of
Horse Artillery joined Scott's brigade, and the
2nd Brigade of Cavalry with Major Campbell's
troop of artillery are posted to the left front of
Scott's brigade. The 8th and 9th Irregulars are
near Kameelwala as before, and the 11th Light
Cavalry have not yet joined this brigade. The
Commander-in-Chief and many of the Head-
quarter camp went out to meet the Aliwal
Division."

On the afternoon of the 9th February all
Generals of Division, Brigadiers, and Heads of
Departments were summoned to the tent of the
Commander-in-Chief to hear the proposed arrange-

ORDERS FOR THE BATTLE 207

ments for the next day's battle. Sir Hugh Gough
explained that the strongly fortified position of
the Sikhs was to be attacked at daylight, and gave
the following detailed orders : the main attack was
to be made on the left, by the Third Division
under Sir Robert Dick, supported by the fire of
thirteen hea\y guns ; this division was to be drawn
up in two fines with a reserve, and, having three
brigades, it was stronger than the First and Second
Divisions, which contained only two brigades each,
while the 7th Brigade, which was to head the
attack, was to be strengthened by the attachment
of the 53rd Foot from General Grey's division.
In rear of Dick's division was the 1st Cavalry
Brigade (with which was the Cavalry Divisional
Headquarters) with three regiments of native
infantry — one of these also detached from Grey.
The Second Division under Major-General Gilbert
was to be in the centre, " deployed for support or
attack," with a battery of heavy guns on either
flank. Sir Harry Smith with the First Division —
much weakened by its losses at Aliwal — was to
attack on the right, supported by the 2nd Brigade
of Cavalry. The 3rd Cavalry Brigade under
Brigadier Cureton was directed to move towards the
ford at Hurriki, and, by feigned attempts to cross,
to divert the enemy's attention, and occupy the
Sikh cavalry posted opposite Hurriki on the right
bank. Major-General Sir John Grey, with the
8th Light Cavalry and three regiments of native
infantry, watched the Nuggar ford opposite At-
taree.

Sir Joseph ThackwelFs diary gives the following

208 OPENING OF THE ACTION

account of the action of the cavalry under his
immediate command :

" Thursdajj, 19th February.— A lovely day at
half-past 4. The troops turned out and got into
position at daylight, the heavy guns began to
vomit fire and continued to do so until after 10 a.m.,
when the infantry, light guns, and cavalry moved
to attack the strong position of the Sikh army at
Sobraon ; and in less than an hour after this the
entire camp was in our possession and the remains
of the Sikh army were all on the right bank of the
river, leaving in their entrenched camp all their
guns and nearly 10,000 men killed, wounded, and
drowned. The cavalry were under a heavy fire
in supporting the infantry, and I led two squadrons
of the 3rd Light Dragoons, the 4th and 5th Light
Cavalry into the enemy's camp in single file, and
several charges on the enemy were led by me.
Many of the Sikhs are very brave and defended
themselves manfully. At the time that Scott's
brigade took ground to the right to support the
Second Division I was in front and about to move
part of the cavalry to support the Third Division,
which had carried the entrenchments on our left ;
I therefore left the 9th Irregular Cavalry— the 8th
being already on the left — for that object. On
passing at a trot beyond the watch-tower I met the
Governor-General, who said, ' When you get into
the entrenchment don't spare them.' The Sirmoor
battahon on the left of the Second Division was
retiring, but when they saw the Third ride to the
trenches they rallied and passed between the horses
into the entrenchments. When the Third got
about 120 yards from the Sikh right, I rode forward
and discovered a place where we could get into the
entrenchments in single file — about sixty yards
from the Sikh right and 150 from the flanking

ATTACK BY THE CAVALRY 209

battery — and as I brought the Third up, the enemy
began gradually to give way on their right. 1 was
the first cavalryman who entered over the ditch
and up the parapet in rear of the right regiment ;
and as soon as the first squadron was formed, I led
the charge over very broken ground to near the
ford. It was obliged to give way before the mass
of retreating Sikhs, but it rallied, and when the
second squadron was formed, another charge was
made, but the same reasons obliged the squadrons
to give way. At this time the 4th and 5th Cavalry,
and, I believe, the other two squadrons of the 3rd
Light Dragoons —under Brigadier Scott, who had
entered the entrenchments further to the Sikh right
— came up and several charges took place, and the
ford was fiUed with the Sikhs, many of whom were
drowned or slaughtered by our artillery and
musketry fire. Owing to these cavalry attacks the
First and Second Divisions were enabled to enter
the lines with but little loss. The first squadron
of the Third suffered from our own artillery fire
until Smith discovered we were not Sikhs. The
9th and 8th Irregulars were left in support, the
latter regiment being in support of the left from
the beginning of the action. The two left
squadrons of the Third were to support the
regiment ordered into the entrenchments."

In a private letter home describing the battle
Sir Joseph writes :

" It is due to the Sikhs to say that they fought
bravely, for though defeated and broken, they
never ran, but fought with their tulwars to tlie last,
and I witnessed several acts of great bravery in
some of their Sirdars and men. It was a most
beautiful sight to see the advance of the Third
Division of Inlantry, or rather of two of its brigades

210 REPULSE OF THE INFANTRY

(six regiments), after the heavy guns had been
at work for two hours, supported by the fire of
18 field guns and the 1st Brigade of Cavalry.
Everybody moved as at a field day, though numbers
were falling from the enemy's round shot, grape,
camel swivels, and musketry ; no dust obscured
the view over the plain, and the wounded men were
seen dotting it in great numbers as they went to
the rear. The left brigade carried the entrench-
ments first, then the second brigade, and these made
but slow progress, when the Second Division was
ordered to attack, but was repulsed. At this time
the regiment on our right, clearing the ramparts,
was brought to a stand by the determined bravery
of the Sikhs, when I led two squadrons of the
3rd Light Dragoons down to the ditch of the
rampart and along the glacis under a heavy fire
of grape from 3 guns in a flanking battery at 150
yards — most of the shot going over us — to within
about 60 yards of the Sikh right, which began
to give way and enabled the battalion near us
in the entrenchments to make progress. I then
found a bund in the ditch, over which I led the
first squadron in single file and over the parapet into
the entrenchment and camp. When the squadron
was formed, it made a gallant charge nearly to
the ford, but was obliged to give way by the
pressure of the mass of the retreating Sikhs, and
to ascend the high bank it had before with some
difficulty descended. Luckily for me my horse
was not hit, or I should not have lived to have
told the tale. By this time the second squadron
had come up, and, both advancing, made a
successful charge down to the ford, the whole
breadth of which — and I may say the river half
a mile over — was filled with the discomfited enemy.
The heavy masses of the retreating Sikh left
obliged the two squadrons to retire, but our

WORDS OF AN EYE-WITNESS 211

diversion enabled the First Division to carry the
left entrenchments, and the light cavalry having
at length come up, charged the retreating masses,
and tlie last of the Sikh army was driven into the
river and cannonaded by our light guns."

In the records of the 3rd Light Dragoons we
read that —

" in the heat of the infantry attack on the enemy's
right, and at a moment when a partial check
had taken place at this point, Major-General Sir
Joseph Thackwell, commanding the Cavalry
Division, advanced the 3rd Light Dragoons to
the foot of the defences in support of tlie infantry.
The ' King's Own ' were here halted under a heavy
fire of round shot and grape, whilst an opening
was being made by our Sappers, through which
the Dragoons passed in single file, and on the
enemy's side of these works the squadrons were
re-formed. The infantry bugles now sounded the
' cease firing,' and the 3rd Light Dragoons, led by
their veteran commanders Sir Joseph Thackwell
and Lieutenant-Colonel Michael White, dashed
headlong into the thickest of the enemy's masses,
and were for a time in the very centre of upwards
of 30,000 resolute warriors who were determined
to die rather than yield."

In the account of the battle by the son of the
Governor-General, the second Viscount Hardinge
writes :

" At this crisis " — the temporary check on both
flanks of the infantry divisions assaulting the
entrenchments — " tlie cavalry were ordered up
under Sir Joseph Thackwell, who rode with his

212 SIR HUGH'S DESPATCH

squadrons in single file through an opening in
the entrenchment. It seemed as if they were
doomed to destruction. Many fell in the ranks
when within the camp. But the 3rd Light
Dragoons, showing the same invincible bravery as
on the night of the 21st of December, quickly
re-formed and charged the serried ranks of the
Sikh infantry."

In Sir Hugh Cough's despatch he says :

" The Sikhs, even when at particular points
their entrenchments were mastered with the
bayonet, strove to regain them by the fiercest
conflict — sword in hand. Nor was it until the
cavalry of the left, under Major-General Sir
Joseph Thackwell, had moved forward and ridden
through the openings in the entrenchments made
by our Sappers, in single file, and re-formed as
they passed them ; and the 3rd Dragoons, whom
no obstacle usually held formidable by horse
appears to check, had on this day, as at
Ferozeshah, galloped over and cut down the
obstinate defenders of batteries and field works,
and until the full weight of three divisions of
infantry, with every field artillery gun which could
be sent to their aid, had been cast into the scale,
that victory finally declared for the British. Major-
General Sir Joseph Thackwell has established a
claim on this day to the rare commendation
of having achieved much with a cavalry force,
where the duty to be done consisted of an attack
on field works, usually supposed to be the particular
province of infantry and artillery. His vigilance
and activity throughout our operations, and the
superior manner in which our outpost duties have
been carried on under his superintendence, demand
my warmest acknowledgments."

LETTERS HOME 213

Writing home on the 26th March, by which

date Sir Hugh Gough's despatcli on the battle

of Sobraon had been pubhshed, Sir Joseph

says :

" On the 15th inst. Sir John Grey left Lahore
for his command at JNleerut. He is disappointed
at the Governor-General not having mentioned
his name as commanding the troops which first
crossed the Sutlej, and I feel nearly as much, as
he has not particularised me, who did more than
Smith or Gilbert, for it was my attack which
enabled those two divisions to get into the Sikh
entrenchments from which Gilbert's division, as
well as Smith's, had been driven back twice with
great loss ; and lest there should be a garbled
account in the papers as emanating from the
Commander-in-Chief, 1 will transcribe what he has
announced to the Governor-General, and published
to the army respecting myself. But it seems he
was not aware that I was the person, under a
heavy fire within 60 yards of the Sikh right, and
a flanking battery at 150 yards firing grape shot,
who found a dam across the ditch which enabled
me first, and two squadrons of the 3rd Light
Dragoons in single file afterwards, to enter the
camp and make several successful charges. When
I led the cavalry down to the trenches, the left
battalion of Gilbert's was retiring, and the right
regiment of ours within the trenches was brought
to a standstill ; but as I rode along the outside
of the ditch the Sikh right began to give way,
and that battalion was enabled to make progress,
and the Sirmoor battalion of Gilbert's was able
to enter the camp under our protection. It was
a miracle we were not properly riddled, but from
the constant fire the trails of the guns had so
sunk in the sand that the gunners could not depress

214 PRAISE FROM SIR HARRY

the muzzles sufficiently, and therefore most of the
grape went over our heads." (Then follows an
extract from Sir Hugh's despatch.) "The
Commander-in-Chief in taking leave of the 3rd
Light Dragoons paid me some high eulogiums.
There were no Sappers whatever employed to
make a way, but the Sikhs had left dams at
intervals across the ditch for their own convenience."

And finally, here is an extract from a letter
written some few years later to Sir Joseph by
Sir Harry Smith, then commanding at the Cape :

" I think I see you at this moment, with your
one arm, riding into the trenches at Sobraon " ; and
again, " shoving in your un winged shoulder into
the gap at Sobraon — the most gallant ' go ' of
you and the 3rd Dragoons I ever witnessed."

There can be no doubt that Major-General
Sir Joseph Thackwell greatly felt — not so much
for himself personally, but as commander of the
Cavalry Division which under him had done so
much to secure and complete the victory of
Sobraon — the total omission of all thanks to him-
self in Lord Hardinge's General Order of the
14th February. Each one of the three general
officers commanding infantry divisions were
specially named therein, and their services, and those
of their commands, particularly eulogised ; but
there was no special recognition of the importance
of the action of the cavalry, or of the unusual
circumstances of its most opportune employment
under the personal leadership of its commander.
Sir Joseph addressed Lord Gough on the

SIR JOSEPH'S APPEAL 215

19th INIarch, asking that the omission might be
made good. On this letter being forwarded to
the Governor-General, Lord Hardinge replied as
follows in a memorandum dated 23rd April, from
which it is very evident that His Excellency
had missed the whole point of Sir Joseph
Thackwell's appeal — which was not for a recogni-
tion of his own personal acts, greatly as they
had contributed to the successful issue of the
battle, but that the Cavalry Division, through its
commander, should receive, equally with the
Major- Generals commanding divisions of the other
arms, the recognition and approbation of the first
authority in India.

" I have received Major-General Sir Joseph
Thackwell's letter of the 18th March, addressed
to the Adjutant-General of the Army, which I
only saw a few days ago, representing that in the
Governor-General's order of the 14th February no
mention is made of the charges of Cavalry in the
Sikh entrenchment camp, except the praise be-
stowed on Her Majesty's 3rd Light Dragoons.

" The Governor-General does not see the Divi-
sional reports made by the General Officers to the
Commander-in-Chief.

" On referring to the Commander-in-Chiefs des-
patch, it is stated that the Cavalry of the left,
under Major-General Sir J. Thackwell, moved
forward and rode through the openings in the
entrenchments and that the 3rd Light Dragoons
had on that day, as at Ferozeshah, galloped over
and cut down the obstinate defenders of Batteries
and Field Works.

" I saw the bodies of the soldiers of the 3rd
Light Dragoons who had been killed within the

216 LORD HARDINGE'S VIEWS

Enemy's camp. I saw no other cavalry soldier
killed ; and in reference to the lists of the killed and
wounded it appears that no other cavalry soldier
under the immediate command of the Major-
General was killed.

" Her Majesty's 3rd Light Dragoons lost 5 men
killed, 4 officers wounded and 22 men wounded.

"In the whole of the other regiments on our
left, not a single officer or man was killed, 15 men
were wounded.

" In the Commander-in-Chief's despatch the only
regiment of cavalry named was the 3rd Light
Dragoons.

" I think His Excellency was quite right. I
only mentioned the 3rd Light Dragoons, as His
Excellency had done.

" It nowhere appears in the Commander-in-
Chiefs despatch that the two squadrons of that
noble regiment, the 3rd Light Dragoons, were led
to the charge by the Major-General Commanding
the whole of the Cavalry of the Army.

" I have no doubt of the fact, since I have
perused the Major-General's letter, but how was
I to be aware of it ?

" I knew the Commanding Officer of that Regi-
ment was in the Field and commanding his own
Regiment, and I naturally inferred that he and
not the Majoi^-General did lead the two squadrons,
and I conceived, when a Regiment is named by
the Commander-in-Chief as having distinguished
itself, that the merit is due to the Commanding
Officer, when no other Officer is named by the
Commander-in-Chief.

" Unless any disorder should arise, or reluctance
be shown, requiring a General Officer's interference,
surely it is fair to give to the Commanding
Officer the credit of having commanded his own
regiment.

REQUEST REFUSED 217

" I praised the only Regiment of Cavalry named
by the Commander-in-Chief; and according to the
custom of the Service, I mentioned the Lieutenant-
Colonel in command of the Regiment, and not the
Major-General. In the previous General Order by
the Governor-General of the 2nd February, after
the battle of Ahwal, I specially thanked the Ca\'alry
who, from the nature of the ground, took a larger
share in that battle, and I stated that the ' Native
Cavalry had on every occasion proved its superior
powers, whether in the General Actions which have
been fought, or in the various skirmishes at the
Outposts, such as that in which Captain Beecher
was gallantly engaged with a small party of the
Irregular Cavalry at Aleewala, on the morning of
the 27th January.'

" As regards the Cavalry generally, I am not
aware of any omission which requires me to issue,
towards the end of April, a supplementary order
to inform the Army why I had praised the 3rd
Light Dragoons and neglected to praise the Regi-
ments or individuals of that arm.

" My own opinion is, that the practice of loading
the General Orders with praises of every Depart-
ment and everybody is an erroneous system. The
thanks of the high authorities empowered by the
Sovereign and the East India Company to convey
these thanks to the Army, by pubhshing them for
general information, must lose their value if they
are given with profusion, or without discrimination.

" It is still more undesirable that Military Men
should constitute themselves to be Judges of the
degree in which they may be entitled to be praised.

" An officer possessing a reputation so well
earned as Major-General Sir J. Thackwell's would
be the last person to encourage an inconvenient
system ; and as he must know the estimation in
which he is so deservedly held, I am confident on

218 THE CRISIS OF THE BATTLE

reflection he will come to the conclusion that no
supplementary order is required from me, and at
any rate that it is not my intention to issue one."

It is open to question, however, whether history
has ever done sufficient justice to Sir Joseph
Thackwell's timely intervention in the fight. Our
artillery, having expended all their ammunition, had
ceased firing ; our infantry had already twice been
repulsed on either flank ; when the quick eye and
ready hand of the cavalry commander enabled
him at the right moment to throw a new weapon
into the scale and restore the balance of the hard-
fought battle.

CHAPTER XIII

At 3 o'clock on the morning after the battle, Sir
Joseph Thackwell, with the 1st and part of the 2nd
Cavalry Brigade, moved down to Attaree, where a
bridge of boats was to be thrown over the Sutlej,
preparatory to the army crossing the river, and on
the 12th Sir Joseph wrote home :

"We cross the Sutlej either to-night or to-
morrow morning, and in three or four days' time we
hope to be at Lahore. The natives say that every-
thing is over, as many of the Khalsa troops have
gone to their homes. My poor old friend Sir Robert
Dick got his death-wound in storming the right
batteries, and died in the evening."

It was not, however, until the morning of the
13th that the cavalry division was able to cross over
to the right bank and move on to Kussoor, where a
position was taken up on the Lahore side of the
town.

" We arrived here," writes Sir Joseph to Lady
Thackwell on the 26th from Lahore, " without any
opposition, on the 20th inst. The Sikh army had
suffered so much in the battle of the 19th that they
became quite dispirited, and it was pretty clear that

219

220 TERMS OF PEACE

no more fighting would take place. They said
if they could not defend themselves in their
entrenched camp, it would be in vain to try again
when nearly all their guns had been taken, and they
had lost many of their Sirdars and considerably
more than 10,000 of their men in the last encounter.
Gulab Singh had sent vahxels to sue for peace before
that event, but said he was not strong enough to
contend with the Khalsa army and that no treaty
could be effected as long as their supremacy lasted.
That was decided on the 10 th in the battlefield,
and it was clear the disbanding of the Sikh army
would be the consequence. On the 13th two
brigades of cavalry, Headquarters, and the First
Division of Infantry reached Kussoor, the fort there
having previously surrendered ; and on the morrow,
or rather the day after, Gulab Singh came into
camp and the terms of peace offered by the
Governor- General were gladly accepted by him,
who had expected nothing less than the appropri-
ation of the Punjab to ourselves. On the 17th he
again came to Kussoor, and the army marched to
Lulhanee on the 18th, at which place Dhuleep
Singh, the Maharaja, came to the Governor-
General's durbar and remained in his camp until the
20th — until we had taken up our position before
Lahore ; and at 4 p.m. a troop of artillery and four
regiments of cavalry escorted him to his palace in
the fort. . . . We expect, if nothing unforeseen
should occur, to break up about the 10th March, and
I shall hope to be at Umballa before the end of the
month and at Cawnpore by the 10th April, which is,
I believe, to be my divisional command. If there
should be a brevet, taking Grey in, I shall probably
obtain a permanent command — if the brevet does
not include him. Smith will most likely get Dick's,
and I may be sent to another Presidency if I am to
be employed. But if there is to be no brevet this

AT LAHORE 221

year and a Major- General is sent out to replace
Dick, I shall procure leave of absence and start
for Bombay in November or the beginning of
December next."

The remains of the Sikh army were still, how-
ever, in the field and a source of some anxiety, for
on the 28th February there is an entry in Sir
Joseph's diary :

" Major Lawrence was alarmed last night by the
approach of the Sikh army with their two-and-
twenty guns to within four coss of Lahore, and in
consequence the picquets were placed on the alert,
and a squadron per regiment was ordered to saddle
in addition to the inlying picquets."

But it was not long before the Sikh battalions
were marched one by one into Lahore and there
disbanded, no men enlisted since the time of
Kurruk Singh being permitted to enter the new
army, which moreover had to serve at the same
rate of pay as in the days of Ranjit Singh, instead
of the double rates which had lately been demanded
from and paid by the Lahore Government.

On the 4th March Sir Charles Napier, who had
been moving up with a force from Scinde to
co-operate with the army under the Commander-in-
Chief, arrived in camp ; on the next day there was
a grand review of the army ; and on the 9th a
great durbar was held in the state tent of the
Governor-General, for the ratification and pro-
mulgation of the treaty which had been signed on
the previous day. On the 10th there was another
review, when Sir Joseph Thackwell was in command

222 DURBAR IN THE PALACE

of nearly 3,500 horsemen, and at which he records
that " Raja Lai Singh was in a complete suit of
plate armour." After the review was over he
attended the Governor-General at 3 p.m., and
with the Commander-in-chief, Prince Waldemar
of Prussia, Sir Charles Napier, and many others
went to the durbar of the Maharaja held in the
palace in the citadel.

"... The Koh-i-nor diamond was shown — said to
be the largest known in the world ; many longing
eyes rested upon it and I fear coveted the bauble.
The Sikh soldiers looked well, both horse and foot,
and perhaps about 1,500 might have been drawn up.
They presented arms very well and their bands
played ' God save the Queen ' in good style. The
artillery fired the salute very regularly."

Writing home under date of the 13th General
Thackwell says :

" We have had lots of durbars and dinners and
the usual complimentary toasts and speeches, but,
thank God, they are now over and the Governor-
General left yesterday for Umritsar with the troops
going to remain in the Doab. . . . As you might
have expected, I am appointed to the Cawnpore
Division in the place of poor Dick, and have
pocketed twelve months' batta to the tune of
£4,752 — not quite as good as the Koh-i-nor which
we saw at the durbar, but I fancy as good as the
sacking of Govindghur would have been, as I
suspect there is but little treasure there."

On the 22nd the camp broke up, the greater
part of the army returning to garrisons further
south, while Major- General Sir John Littler

THE FORCE BREAKS UP 223

remained until the end of the year in Lahore with
a force amounting to some 9,000 men. By a special
clause of the treaty these troops were to remain in
Lahore " for the protection of the Maharaja and
his Government," while the reduction of the Sikh
army— now restricted to 12,000 cavalry and twenty-
five battalions of infantry — was being carried out.
British brigades, organised as movable columns
ready to take the field, were also placed at
JuUundur and Ferozepore, while altogether some
50,000 men with GO guns were cantoned at or above
JMeerut, so that a large force might be immediately
available in the event of further trouble in the
north-west. Sir Joseph Thackwell himself left the
neighbourhood of Lahore on the 23rd with the
bulk of the army, and, marching by Umballa and
INIeerut, reached Cawnpore on the 21st April and
assumed command of the division.

He relates that on the 27th JNIarch on his way
towards Ludhiana he —

"went over our old camping-ground, and I paid
a visit to the field of Sobraon and witnessed a horrid
sight. The river line of the Sikh camp is about
2,750 yards, and the line of the entrenchments is
about 3,655 or perhaps more, and along its extent
j were some Europeans still unburied, and between
2,000 and 3,000 Sikhs in a state of fearful decom-
position. . . . A poor Sikh horse with a broken leg
was still alive, a skeleton, but 1 caused the coup-de-
grdce to be given him from a pistol."

In the meantime people at home had not been
unmindful of the great services rendered by the
army in India. On the evening of the 2nd April

224 HONOURS AND REWARDS

the thanks of both Houses of Parhament were
offered to, among other officers —

" Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, Knight
Commander of the most Honourable Order of the
Bath, for the distinguished services rendered in the
eminently successful operations at the Battle of
Sobraon."

On the same day a special General Court of the
Proprietors of Stock was held at the East India
House, where a vote of thanks was proposed and
unanimously adopted to the troops engaged in the
war of the Sutlej. At a Special Court of the
Court of Common Council of the City of London,
the thanks of the Court were awarded to the
officers, European and native — "for the intrepidity,
perseverance, and discipline evinced by them."
And finally the Mayor and Council of the
Borough of Liverpool passed a vote of thanks
expressing their sense of the services rendered by
the army of the Sutlej during the late operations,
and recording the name of Major-General Sir Joseph
Thackwell amongst those of other General Officers,
for that —

" in the opinion of the Council the annals of
British valour, glorious as they are, have rarely
furnished more signal instances of true personal
bravery and devoted heroism than were so
generally manifested both by officers and men on
these memorable occasions."

In forwarding this last under cover of a letter
from himself the Governor- General wrote :

THE THIRD LIGHT DRAGOONS 225

" It gives me the greatest satisfaction to con\ey
to you the approbation which is felt by our fellow-
subjects in England for your eminent services and
personal conduct during the late short but decisive
campaign."

Sir Joseph Thackwell, who still, it will be re-
membered, was borne on the strength of the 3rd
Light Dragoons, was naturally very proud of their
gallant behaviour in the Sutlej campaign ; he had
written to Lord Charles Manners, the Colonel of
the regiment, giving him an account of the opera-
tions in which the 3rd had taken so conspicuous
a part, and in his reply Lord Charles says :

" Your communication has filled me with pride
and exultation, but at the same time, I must assure
you, mth sorrow and regret. It is indeed a proud
circumstance to be connected with a regiment
composed of such sterling stuff as the 3rd Dragoons,
but most deeply do I mourn and bewail the loss
of so many fine fellows."

Major-General Thackwell's hopes of obtaining a
divisional command were for the time to be dis-
appointed, for Sir Harry Smith was almost at
once given the charge of the Cawnpore Division
in place of Sir Robert Dick killed in action, and
Sir Joseph therefore reverted again to the com-
mand only of the station. He had, however, gi-eat
hopes of soon obtaining promotion, his claims
having been urged at the Horse Guards by Lord
Hardinge, but he was anxious to get home for
a few months. Sir Harry Smith too was in bad
health and was torn between a desire to go home to

226 OBTAINS AND GIVES UP LEAVE

England and a wish, for financial reasons, to re-
tain a lien on his command. Some correspondence
passed between him and Sir Joseph Thackwell,
and it seems to have been ultimately arranged
by Sir Harry Smith with the authorities, that
Sir Joseph should officiate for him in command
of the Cawnpore Division during his absence in
England, vacating it in favour of Sir Harry should
Sir Joseph not in the meantime have been pro-
moted a substantive Major-General on the Indian
estabhshment. Sir Joseph Thackwell, however,
started on his way to Bombay in January 1847,
having been fortunate in first seeing something
of his eldest son Edward, who had come out to
join the 3rd Light Dragoons, and travelling by
easy stages he arrived in due course at Bombay.
Here, however, he would appear to have received
advices that his promotion was imminent, while
Sir Harry Smith had also in the interim started
for England. Sir Joseph then cancelled his pass-
age home and went round by steamer to Calcutta,
where he arrived on the Cth May. Leaving that
city on the 2nd June for Allahabad on a flat
towed by a steamer, he found himself back
again in Cawnpore on the 27th of the same
month.

By a letter from Lord Fitzroy Somerset, dated
the 23rd July 1847, Sir Joseph Thackwell was
" placed upon the staff of the army serving in the
East Indies during the absence on sick leave "
of Sir Harry Smith from the 1st May, and later —
on the 23rd September — the appointment was
confirmed, Sir Harry Smith having in the mean-

VISIT TO LUCKNOW 227

time been appointed (Tovernor and Coniniander-in-
Chief at the Cape.

For some time past there had been intolerable
maladministration in the Kingdom of Oudh, and
Lord Hardinge had arranged to proceed to Luck-
now in the autumn of this year to administer a
personal rebuke to the King, and to inform him
that, if oppression and misrule should continue to
prevail, the kingdom would be brought under
British rule— a threat already made in 1831 by
Lord William Bentinck and which was finally
carried out by Lord Hardinge's immediate suc-
cessor. The Governor-General arrived at Cawn-
pore on the 6th November, and on the 10th the
King of Oudh, gorgeously apparelled — (" the value
of the King's dress," writes Sir Joseph in his diary,
" was stated to be nine lakhs of rupees ") — arrived
to pay his respects. On the 12th the King re-
turned to I^ucknow, and on the following day the
Governor- General marched thither accompanied
by Sir Joseph Thackwell, who had been invited
to attend. The vicinity of Lucknow was reached
on the 17th and the camp of the Governor-General
was pitched in the Dilkusha Bagh— the site of the
present cantonment —

" and all the Governor- General's guests in full
dress mounted on elephants at 6.30 a.m. to visit
and breakfast with the King of Oudh. His
Majesty met the Governor-General at the bridge
over the Goomtee, or a branch of that river,^ a
mile and a half from the camp, and we continued
— a cortege of fifty or sixty elephants — along the

' Probably the Nasir-u-Din Haidar Canal.

228 FESTIVITIES

suburbs of the city, which are mean and wretched,
and, making a detour, entered the town and arrived
at the INIotee INIahal soon after 9 a.m. — about 7^ miles
from the camp — and immediately went to breakfast.

" After this the King presented each lady and
gentleman with the usual tinsel neck ornament,
and we took our departure to a second breakfast
at the Resident's— a fine large building with a
detached large Banqueting House, having a fine
saloon and a dining-room more than a hundred feet
long. The Governor-General and many of the
guests occupied the house ; I and most of the
single men occupied tents in the compound, which
together with grounds and gardens are very pretty."

" 18///.— I went to the cantonments, about
2J miles from the iron bridge over the Goomtee,
which is deep and about 70 yards wide. It
lies to the north-east of this bridge and is well
placed on a dry, sandy soil, but the exercise
ground is too limited. At 9 a.m. the King returned
the Governor- General's visit, and the breakfast
was excellent — all the officers and ladies in the
station assisted at it, and about thirty of the Oudh
Court, most of whom ate voraciously. A rich
necklace and a gold and diamond ring were given
to the King, and the usual present of a silver
tinsel necklace was placed round his neck and
those of the young Princes and all his Sirdars.
When this ceremony was over the King took his
departure under the usual salute of 21 guns, but
his Minister was left behind with Mr. Elliot and
Colonel Richmond to arrange, I fancy, something
respecting the treaty which had been decided upon.
Went to the Dilkusha Bagh, a pretty palace of
the King's near Constantia the celebrated, built by
General Claude Martin, a Frenchman in the service
of the Nawab of Oudh."

" 19M.— At half-past 3, went with the Governor-

TRANSFERRED TO MEERUT 229

General and a crowd in the King's carriages
to see the aviary and menagerie. The tigers
were tremendous beasts ; many fine sheep, ante-
lopes, hog-deer, birds of all sorts, and monkeys
were exhibited. Some fights of sheep, antelopes,
hog-deer, and a pair of partridges were amusing.
After this drove round the cantonment, which is
for three sepoy regiments and a company of
Gholandaze. I3ined in the Banqueting House,
and about 140 guests sat down to dinner."

" 20th. — At 8 a.m. attended the Governor-General,
in all the pomp of elephants, guards, and guns,
to the Motee Mahal, the palace before mentioned,
where the display of wild-beast fights took place.
They were tame and uninteresting ; the rams did
not butt ; the elephants did not push except in
play ; the hog-deer and antelopes fought well.
The display of horsemanship, and the art of defence
with sword, sword in two hands, with club and
mace was dexterous and amusing."

Sir Joseph Thackwell left Lucknow on the same
day, and was back in Cawnpore by the 22nd,
preparatory to a move to ^leerut, whither he had
been transferred, and where he arrived on the 29th
December, having halted en route at Agra and
Alighur to carry out inspections at these stations.
At this time the Meerut Division was one of the
most important in Upper India, and the station
itself contained a very large garrison : there were
three troops of horse artillery ; two field batteries ;
two companies of foot artillery ; the 9th Lancers ;
the .5th and 10th Light Cavalry; the 32nd and
98th Foot, and several regiments of native infantry,
of which the Ludhiana Regiment of Sikhs seems
greatly to have impressed Sir Joseph Thackwell.

230 PEACE REDUCTIONS

" Their manoeu\Ting," he says, " was admirable.
In the Grenadier Company was no man under
5 ft. 11 in., and the right-hand man (6 ft. 6 in.) was
a giant. One of the finest companies I ever saw.
A sergeant of the Bundelcund Legion was also a
noble-looking fellow of nearly equal height."

Those who have seen the 15th Sikhs will admit
that the regiment is now much the same in
physique and appearance as when inspected in
January 1848 by Major-General Sir Joseph Thack-
well.

Captain Campbell, who had been aide-de-camp to
Sir Joseph in Cawnpore, had now left, his place
being taken by Lieutenant Edward Thackwell,
3rd Light Dragoons, the General's eldest son :
and on the 21st February Lady Thackwell
arrived from England, accompanied by her eldest
daughter Elizabeth.

Ere this Lord Hardinge had left India for
England, and had been succeeded as Governor-
General by Lord Dalhousie, but, prior to the
departure of the former, his conviction that the
late campaign had resulted in a permanent peace
led him to take the hazardous step of effecting
large reductions in the strength of the army in
India ; and there seems some reason to believe
that his desire for economy in the military expendi-
ture — then urgently needed — may have coloured
his sanguine forecast as to the maintenance of
peace. Since the year 1837 — the last year of peace
— the strength of the army in India had been
gradually increased by 120,000 men, and with the
close of the campaign on the Sutlej Lord Hardinge

LORD GOUGH DISAGREES 231

made up his mind to effect large reductions in
the native army, while at the same time redis-
tributing the entire force so that the North-west
Frontier and the Punjab might, as far as possible,
be secured against any possible contingency. He
decided to reduce the rank and file of the native
army by 50,000 men by offering a bonus to every
man willing to take his discharge, and by antici-
pating the invalid retirements by twelve months ;
and he was thus enabled rapidly to bring down
the establishments of all regiments of native
cavalry to 420 sabres, and those of native infantry
regiments to 800 bayonets. In the artillery the
number of horses per battery was reduced from
130 to 90. The actual number of regiments of
native cavalry was at the same time increased
by eight. In acknowledging tlie receipt of the
memorandum embodying these proposals, the
Commander-in-Chief wrote :

" I deeply regret the financial difficulties, and
the consequent reductions rendered indispensable
thereby, particularly until time shall have tested
the feelings which the late arrangements with the
Lahore Durbar may produce."

He pointed out at the same time that the pro-
posed reduction in the establishment of native
infantry regiments was really larger than was
apparent, since the majority of the corps on the
frontier were considerably over strength ; he
begged for a small increase in the establishments
of British Cavalry, and asked that the Company's
European infantry might be made up to 950 — the

232 ECONOMY PREVAILS

same as those of the Queen's Regiments ; but
while the Governor- General acceded to some of
the minor suggestions made by the Commander-
in-Chief, he decHned to make any modification
in the actual reductions proposed, and which were
therefore carried into effect.

In defence of these measures it has been claimed
that, since the actual number of officers in the
reduced regiments remained the same, the ranks
could rapidly be expanded on the approach of war,
and that efficiency was not reduced in the same
ratio as the expense ; that the total financial reUef
to the strain on the Indian Exchequer amounted
to close upon two million pounds ; and that a
better strategical distribution of troops would more
than counterbalance any actual reduction in mere
numbers, and would ensure that no part of our
most vulnerable frontier was left unguarded, or at
least unwatched.

It may be that Lord Hardinge's measures might
have answered his purpose had trouble arisen where
alone it seems to have been considered possible, and
in anticipation of which the great scheme of defence
and reinforcement had been devised ; but —

" contrary to all expectations, it was not in the
Sikh army or the Sikh community, or even on
account of Sikh interests, that the disturbance arose
which led to the final Sikh war ; but from a com-
paratively insignificant trouble on an outlying
Mahomedan frontier."^

' Gough and Innes,

CHAPTER XIV

Although it is a fortress which has enjoyed
from time immemorial the reputation of great
strength, IVIultan has on several occasions been
successfully besieged. It was taken by the
Mahomedans under Mahomed Ben Kasim at the
close of the eighth century ; Mahmood of Ghuznee
captured it at the commencement of the eleventh ;
while Tamerlane took it at the close of the four-
teenth. After several fruitless attempts, extending
over several years, the fortress was in 1818 cap-
tured by Ranjit Singh, but not until 19,000
of his followers had been slain during the siege
operations, and this Afghan outpost was then
added to the Punjab.

When the close of the first Sikh war seemed
to promise a protracted period of tranquillity,
many of the districts of the Punjab — besides
those in the Jullundur Doab which had been
annexed to the British dominions in India under
the terms of the treaty of Lahore — had been
placed under the charge of British officers. The
district of Multan was, however, still under native
administration, the fortress and the province being
held by the Dewan Mulraj, the infamous son of

233

234 THE TROUBLE AT MULTAN

one of Ranjit Singh's best and most trusted
officials. Mulraj was not contented under the new
conditions of government, and towards the end
of 1847 he intimated his wish to resign his office,
but was asked to reconsider his appUcation. Early
in the new year he repeated his request to be
reheved, and Sirdar Khan Singh was accordingly
detailed to take his place, and proceeded to Multan
at the end of March, accompanied by Mr. Agnew
of the Civil Service and Lieutenant Anderson of
the Bombay Army. There can be no doubt that
in all that followed, Mulraj was in league with
the Rani, and that the attention of the British
was designedly diverted to IMultan, while in the
north the train was laid for a general revolt of
the Sikhs.

Mulraj countenanced the murder of the two
Englishmen, to avenge whom Herbert Edwardes
hurried down from Dera Futteh Khan with his
levies, calling for help from Van Cortlandt at
Dera Ismail Khan and from the chief of Bahawal-
pore, of whose friendship we have before heard
in the passage through his dominions of the Army
of the Indus.

There is no intention of here describing the
course of the Multan campaign, except in so far
as it affected the operations in the Punjab to
which it was the prelude. It will probably be
enough to say that on hearing of what had trans-
pired at Multan, Sir Frederick Currie— who early
in the year had succeeded Henry Lawrence as
Resident at Lahore — though aware that few, if
any, of the Sikh troops could safely be employed

REVOLT OF THE SIKHS 235

against Mulraj for the reduction of the fortress,
determined to use the most trustworthy of them
for the purpose of taking possession of the dis-
tricts attached to the JNIultan Government. He
therefore arranged for the employment of five
columns — one under Edwardes and Van Cort-
landt, another under the Khan of Bahawalpore,
and the remaining three composed of Sikhs
under Sikh Sirdars of whom the chief was Sher
Singh.

Later Currie sent a British force from Lahore
and Ferozepore to move on Multan, and to this
Lord Gough — who throughout had been opposed
to undertaking operations at this season of the
year and until all arrangements for the assembly
of an adequate force were fully completed — at
once added another infantry brigade, two troops
of horse artillery and a siege train, not caring
that an isolated British brigade should be sent
into the field with allies ill-trained or notori-
ously disaffected. These reinforcements, under
General Whish, reached the neighbourhood of
Multan in the third week in August, and in
the middle of the following month the Sikh
commander and his following deserted to Mulraj.
The siege of Multan, which was by then in pro-
gress, had to be raised, and the small British
force was itself in turn invested in its camp on
the Lower Chenab. On October 9th Sher Singh
marched northwards again from Multan, calling to
arms, as he went, the disbanded warriors of the
Khalsa and raising the standard of revolt through-
out the Sikh districts.

236 GOUGH'S PREPARATIONS

By the beginning of November Multan was
still holding out in the south, while in the western
Punjab proper the old Khalsa soldiers were flock-
ing to Sher Singh, whose father, Chutter Singh,
had enlisted Mahomedan support by offering to
hand over Peshawar to Dost Muhamed, the Ameer
of Kabul.

Thus the action of the Sikh Sirdars had rendered
imperative the conquest and annexation of their
country.

Lord Gough had early foreseen the possibility
of the whole of the Punjab flaming into re-
bellion ; he was ever strongly opposed to the
employment of small isolated forces ; while he was
fully cognisant of the climatic risks attendant upon
a summer campaign. He was, therefore, altogether
in favour of delaying operations until the advent
of the cold weather ; but none the less he
persistently advocated the concerting of measures
for the gradual assembly and equipment of a force
with which the invasion and conquest of the
Punjab might successfully be undertaken. For
such a purpose he estimated that an army of 24,000
men with 78 guns would be necessary, and he
especially urged that all the regiments of native
infantry and cavalry might at once be recruited
up to the higher establishments at which they
had stood at the close of the first Sikh war-
pointing out that a very large number of our
disbanded sepoys were immediately available for
re-enlistment in the native army, and that if we
failed to obtain their services "those opposed to
us will assuredly exert every nerve to get them."

DALHOUSIE'S DELAYS 237

Lord Dalhousie did not accept all the propositions
of the Commander-in-Chief : he dechned to reverse
the policy of his predecessor by sanctioning the
increased establishments of native regiments ; the
request for immediate preparations was refused;
and even in the estimate of the strength of the
force required for hostiUties in the Punjab, the
Governor-General differed from the expert opinion
of the Commander-in-Chief It was not, therefore,
until the 24th August that sanction was definitely
accorded to Lord Gough to take the necessary
steps for meeting any outbreak on the frontier,
and, accordingly, in the beginning of September
the force at Ferozepore was doubled in strength
by moving up the troops detailed for the ordinary
rehef of the force at Lahore ; but it was not before
the last day of September that Lord Dalhousie
finally directed that Lord Gough should carry
into effect the proposals made by the Commander-
in-Chief in the previous May. It was, however,
by this time impossible that the Army of the
Punjab could be assembled and ready to take
the field before the middle of November.

When it seemed certain that a second Sikh war
must be entered upon, Lord Gough had forces
immediately available — though not sufficiently
numerous for the work in hand— at Lahore,
Jullundur, and Ferozepore. Late in October he
directed General Wheeler, at Jullundur, to move
. forward his brigade across the Beas, and he shortly
afterwards increased the force on the further bank
of the Ravi by a cavalry brigade under Cureton,
and a brigade of infantry under Godby, followed

238 ASSEMBLING OF THE ARMY

by a second under Brigadier Eckford. These two
latter had moved forward about the 3rd November,
and by the 16th the Commander-in-Chief had
ordered on from Ferozepore six regiments of
infantry, a Hght field battery, and six siege
guns, with a reserve company of artillery and a
pontoon train. In advance he already had
(exclusive of AVheeler's brigade in the Bari Doab)
8 regiments of cavalry (of which 3 were British),
5 troops of horse artillery, 2 light field batteries,
and 6 battalions of infantry. Following in rear
were an infantry brigade, 2 regiments of irregular
cavalry, and a siege train ; whilst on the frontier —
not counting the troops holding Ferozepore,
Ludhiana, and Umballa — there were another
brigade of infantry, and one of irregular cavalry.

By great exertions, and in a comparatively brief
space of time. Lord Gough had been enabled to
collect under his own immediate command, an
army of 20,000 men with nearly 100 guns, while
the arrival of the contingent of Bombay troops
before Multan, had increased the strength of the
forces there under General Whish to 17,000 men
with 64 heavy guns. Without perhaps unduly
anticipating events, it may here conveniently be
mentioned, that the surrender of the fortress of
Multan on the 22nd January 1849 permitted the
troops which had been investing that stronghold
to march north to join Lord Gough. The Bengal
portion of the Multan force set out on the
27th January, and the Bombay column on the
31st, reaching Headquarters in time to take a
share in the crowning victory of Gujerat.

PROCEEDS OX ACTIVE SERVICE 239

There is but little, if anything, in General
Thackwell's diary of the earher half of the year
1848 regarding the progress of the events above
briefly described; but in September he chronicles
the continual movements of troops towards the
frontier, and was himself no doubt anxiously
lookiniJT forward for orders to take the field.

" Tuesday, 19th September.— The 5th Cavalry
marched fi-om this on the 14th, and the 69th Native
Infantry on the 16th for Ferozepore, and the native
troop of artillery on the 18th for JVIuttra to reheve
the native troop which has marched to the former
place. No. 5 Light Field Battery and the
4th Native Infantry have also marched in the
direction of the Sutlej."

« 2Qth. — Early this morning marched to Feroze-
pore H.M.'s 9th Lancers, 1st and 2nd Troops of
Artillery, and No. 6 Light Field Battery towards
Umballa."

»' 30^//. — A letter from the Commander-in-Chief

warning me to be ready for service."

Shortly after this Sir Joseph must have received
definite orders, for on the night of the 7th October
he sent off his baggage, and following himself
on the 24th, he reached Ferozepore on the
5th November, the Commander-in-Chief arriving
in camp the next day. In a letter to Lady
Thackwell dated the 6th, Sir Joseph says :

" The Commander-in-Chief received me very
kindly, and said he had intended to have given
me a separate command, but circumstances had at
present changed, but hoped an opportunity would
occur, as he had considered me unlucky in not

240 CONSTITUTION OF THE ARMY

having got honours'^' — -(in allusion, no doubt, to
the fact that Sir Joseph Thaekwell had received
no recognition of his services in the Gwahor and
Sutlej campaigns) — " implying that his recom-
mendations had not been attended to — however,
n imported

The Army of the Punjab was constituted as
follows : There was a cavalry division of two
brigades— in all, seven regiments — under Brigadier
Cureton. This officer was considered too junior
for the command of an infantry brigade without
displacing other officers — such as Colin Campbell
— whom it was intended to employ. Cureton had
been holding the appointment on the staff of the
army of Adjutant- General of Queen's Troops ; he
was an experienced officer, and it was natural that
the Commander-in-Chief should wish to avail him-
self of his services, but his employment in com-
mand of the cavalry division rendered it impossible
to appoint at least two cavalry brigadiers of equal
experience and senior in service to Cureton.

There were three infantry divisions, of which the
First was before Multan ; the Second, comprising
two brigades, was commanded by Major-General
Sir Walter Gilbert ; while the Third, under Sir
Joseph Thaekwell, was thus constituted :

1.9^ Brigade. 2nd Brigade.

Brigadier Pennycuick. Brigadier Hoggan.

H.M.'s 24th Foot. H.M.'s 61st Foot.

24th Native Infantry. 36th Native Infantry.

45th Native Infantry. 46th Native Infantry.

HAMNUGGAR 241

Srd Brigade.

Brigadier Penny,
loth Native Infantry.
20th Native Infantry.
69th Native Infantry.

There were six troops of horse artillery, three
hght field batteries, and two heavy batteries.
Hoggan's brigade was at this time at Saharun, on
the Chenab, with Cureton and Colin Campbell.

On the 8th November Major-General Thack-
well left Ferozepore with his first brigade and
Captain Kinleside's light field battery (No. 5),
forming the advance of the Commander-in-Chief's
column.

After four marches Noewala was reached, where
he halted, and the force with Lord Gough closed
up.

" 22nd. — Marched to Ramnuggar, eleven miles.
We marched in battle array, Gilbert's Division on
the right, the Third Division on the road, and
Pope's brigade of cavaliy and the Reserve Artillery
in column on the left. Brigadier-Generals Camp-
bell and Cureton had marched with the Com-
mander-in-Chief at 3 a.m., to try and surprise the
Sikhs said to be encamped near Ramnuggar. They
found them near the river, under cover of their
whole army on the other side. Some injudicious
charges were made, which resulted in the death
of poor Cureton and, it is supposed, of Lieutenant-
Colonel Havelock of the 14th Light Dragoons.
We lost one gun, stuck in the sand, and altogether
what was expected was not done. The heavy
batteries on the Sikh side of the river caused the

242 TRANSFERRED TO THE CAVALRY

greater part of the loss. Poor Cureton was shot
through the heart by a matchlock ball." ^

Sir Joseph had been instructed to follow the
Commander-in-Chief at 7 a.m. ; the march was
hastened on hearing the guns, but the action was
over before Thackwell's force could come up, and
the army encamped in front of Ramnuggar, and
within a mile of the left bank of the Chenab.

On the 24th Lord Gough appears to have sent
for Sir Joseph Thackwell, and directed him to take
over command of the Cavalry Division, explaining
to him at the same time the reasons which had
influenced him in giving the command to Cureton
in the first instance. He also published a general
order appointing Sir Joseph Thackwell second in
command of the army, and specifying the par-
ticular duties which that officer would be required
to perform, which included the provision and
superintendence of all measures for the security
and sanitary control of the camp. The command
of the Third Division was bestowed upon Brigadier
Colin Campbell.

It seemed to I^ord Gough that it was a matter
of urgency that the Sikhs should be driven from
their position on the right bank of the Chenab
opposite Ramnuggar. Their remaining there, so
close to the capital of the Punjab, not only

^ Cureton's career had been a remarkable one. He enlisted as
Charles Roberts in the 14th Li^ht Dragoons, and served with them all
through the Peninsula War. He obtained a commission, commanded
the 16th Lancers in the latter part of the first Afghan war, and a
cavalry brigade in the Sutlej campaign ; was Adjutant-General of
Queen's troops in India, and when commanding a Cavalry Division at
Ramnuggar fell with his old corps, the 14th Light Dragoons.

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A FLANK MOVEMENT 243

constituted something of a menace, but encouraged
those — and they were not few — who were dis-
affected, and who were in the rear of the British
force ; while the longer the Sikhs were permitted
to retain their position, the more time was allowed
for the arrival of the reinforcements which would
be set free by the daily expected fall of Attock.
It seemed impracticable to force a passage at
Ramnuggar, where the river is very broad and
where the enemy was strongly entrenched, and
Lord Gough accordingly decided to remain there
himself, holding the Sikh army in front of his
position, while he threw a strong force across the
Chenab by one of the fords higher up the stream.
It was known that at Wazirabad there was a good
and practicable ford, and that there was moreover
a ferry, but between Ramnuggar and Wazirabad
there were three other fords, and it was hoped that
by one of these the detached force might be able
to cross to the right bank. Of these three fords,
that at Ghurri-ki-Patten, seven miles from Lord
Gough's camp, was known to be practicable, but
was believed to be too closely guarded for a cross-
ing to be there safely attempted ; at Ranni-ki-
Patten, twelve or thirteen miles from Ramnuggar,
there was another ford which was known to be
difficult ; and finally, about a mile nearer to
Wazirabad, there was the ford of Ah-Sher-ke-Chuk
— a practicable but rather dangerous crossing.
The depth of water at any of these fords was
known to be not less than four feet.

Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell was selected
for the command of this detached force, which

244 THE MOVEMENT BEGINS

consisted of White's Cavalry Brigade, the 3rd
Irregular Cavalry, three troops of horse artillery,
two light field batteries, and the Third Infantry
Division (three brigades).^ The pontoon train and
two days' supplies also accompanied this force.
Brigadier Colin Campbell, who commanded the
infantry, has stated that —

" the movement was, in my view, and in that of
the General, a hazardous one — the placing a force
under 7,000 in a position in which they could not
be supported, and where they might be opposed by
30,000."

But I have been unable to find in Sir Joseph's
diary or correspondence anything to show that
he entertained the forebodings thus attributed
to him.

It had been intended that this detached force
should rendezvous on the right of the camp of
the 3rd Light Dragoons on the Wazirabad road,
at 1 a.m. on the 1st December : but the night
was very dark, and only the cavalry and artillery
reached the place of assembly at the hour
appointed, and Sir Joseph moved on with these
two arms, leaving the infantry to follow. The
General's diary for this date reads as follows :
" ^Marched at 1 a.m. up the left bank of the Chenab
to the ford of Ali-Sher-ke-Chuk, a little above
Ranni-klian-ki-Patten. "

Sir Colin states in his diary that the division
under his command marched at 2.30 a.m., but
gives no particular reason for his troops failing

* The 12th Irregular Cavalry were also temporarily attached.

EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS 245

to be up to time, beyond that *' we had great
difficulty in finding the place of rendcz\ous.
Two brigades of infantry went astray." But
as the Deputy Assistant Quartermaster- General
of the Third Division was a very young and
inexperienced officer, it is perhaps not unfair
to assume that faulty staff work was largely
responsible for the very late start of the infantry
portion of Sir Joseph Thackwell's command.
Prior to leaving the camp at Ramnuggar, Sir
Joseph received the following note from Lieutenant-
Colonel Grant, Adjutant-General of the Army :

" 8 p.m., 30th November 1848.

"My dear Sir Joseph,

" The Commander-in-Chief hopes you under-
stand distinctly that unless you get across the
river in time to rest and breakfast your troops, so
as to admit of your marching them to the left
of the enemy's position by 1 p.m. to-morrow,
it is his wish that you should make a second day
of it.

" The distance to the ford is now reckoned to
be thirteen miles, and to cross the river, even
with a good ford, with the force you will have,
must be a work of time. . . . Night work is to be
avoided at all times ; if, therefore, you cannot
bring all your troops fresh and with ample day-
hght before them, it is much better, allow me
to suggest to you, that the attack should be
deferred one day. God bless you.

" Yours very sincerely,

"Pat. Guant."

The force seems to have arrived in the vicinity
of the fords at Ranni-ki-Patten and Ali-Sher-ke-
Chuk about 11 a.m., after a somewhat harassing

246 THE FORDS OF THE CHENAB

march, delayed moreover by the difficulty in
dragging the heavy pontoons over the sandy track
followed by the troops. Arrived here, Sir Joseph
caused both the fords to be carefully examined.
Of the first at Ranni-ki-Patten it has been re-
corded that —

" the Chenab here consisted of four branches or
channels, one beyond the other. The sandbanks
bordering and dividing these streams are insecure ;
moreover, the river here is notorious for its
numerous quicksands, the danger of which is
proverbial. A large party of the enemy were now
descried posted for the protection of the ford. . . .
Our artillery would not have been able to cover
the passage of the British infantry, for the bank
on the other side of the river was out of range of
sight and shot."^

Lieutenant Paton, Deputy Assistant Quarter-
master-General of the Army, who had been
detailed by Headquarters to accompany the force,
and who, it is fair to assume, was one of the
officers of the Quartermaster-General's Department
who are stated in Professor Rait's " Life of Lord
Gough " to have made recent inspections of the
neighbouring fords of the Chenab, spent some three
hours in endeavouring to test the capabilities of
the upper of the two fords — that at Ali-Sher-ke-
Chuk. Sir Colin Campbell's diary of this date
contains the following statement :

" After a march of fourteen or fifteen miles, we
arrived at a part of the river which was guarded
on the opposite bank by the enemy. It was the

1 Thackwell.

THE REAL FORD 247

ford of Ranni-ki- Patten ; and above this, about a
mile higher up, ivas the Jbrd at which it was
intended the force should pass. Lieutenant Paton,
Assistant Quartermaster-General, was sent to
examine it and the approaclies to it. His report was
that it was of this shape
and breast-high in some
places ; that the sand
through which the guns must pass was very deep
and heavy, and that the bullocks with the pontoon
train would certainly not be able to drag the
pontoons through it. . . . The enemy, moreover,
xvere on the opposite side, ready to oppose our
passage, and in such cover as to make it difficult
for our guns to drive them from it''

In the two books ^ recently published on the Sikh
wars, the writers seem to have fallen into an error
as to the ford by which Sir Joseph Thackwell was
directed to cross, and also as to the reasons
which decided him to use his discretion about
moving on to, and crossing the river at, Wazirabad.
It appears to be quite clear, both from Sir Joseph's
own diary, and from that of Colin Campbell, his
next in command, that the force started from
Ramnuggar under orders to cross, if practicable,
at the upper of the three fords between Ramnuggar
and Wazirabad. Some anonymous contemporary
writers have stated that the force was intended, and
ought, to have crossed at Ghurri-ki-Patten, but this
contention is untenable, and the writer of " The
Life and Campaigns of I^ord Gough " has definitely
settled this point by admitting that Ghurri-ki-
Pattcn " was known to be too well guarded."

I a

Life of Lord GoiigJi/' " The Siklis and the Sikh War

.s.

248 FORMER ERRORS EXPLAINED

The authors, however, of this book and of " The
Sikhs and the Sikh Wars," have all spoken of
" the ford at Ranniki " as the one by which Sir
Joseph should have effected his passage of the
Chenab ; and this error is to some extent
excused by the slipshod method employed by
contemporary writers in speaking — as does also
the author of " The Narrative of the Second Seikh
War "—of the " ford " or " fords " of Ranni-ki-
Patten. As a matter of fact there were two
fords at or in the immediate vicinity of this spot
• — that at Ranni-ki-Patten itself, and the one at
Ali-Sher-ke-Chuk, only a mile at most further
up the river. Both presented considerable natural
difficulties ; the further bank at both places was
held by the enemy ; while at neither could the
passage be covered by the fire of the British
guns.

Sir Joseph had been detached to the right to
effect, if he could, an unopposed crossing, because
" it was impossible to force a passage at Ram-
nuggar." Would he have been justified in
attempting to force one where the natural
difficulties were even gTeater, with an unsupported
and infinitely smaller body of troops, and in the
face of an opposition which he knew to exist, but
the strength of which he had no means of gauging ?
The author of " The Life of Lord Gough " has
formed the conclusion, from the wording of a
portion of "The Narrative of the Second Seikh
War," that Sir Joseph decided against the practic-
ability of a crossing near Ranni-ki-Patten — " not
in the view of the presence of bodies of the

THACKWELL'S DECISION 249

enemy on the other side, but because of the nature
of the ford."

The author of " The Life of Lord Gough " is not
only in error as to the ford by which General
Thackwell was ordered to pass the Chenab, but, in
proof that the crossing at Ranni-ki-Patten was
practicable, he states that on the following day
Brigadier Hearsey passed over it some irregular
cavalry, and that later on Brigadier Markham
crossed with the whole of his brigade. Apart
from the fact that in neither of these subsequent
operations was there any likelihood whatever of
the crossing being opposed, it may, with regard
to Hearsey, be pointed out that the passage of a
river by a few mounted men is a very different
operation from putting across, in the face of an
enemy, a force composed of the three arms ; while of
Markham and his brigade. Lord Gough states that
they crossed at Kanokee ^ with the help of no less than
forty-seven boats, from which one may reasonably
surmise that this body was not under the necessity
of trying whether the ford was practicable or not.

It is true that Sir Joseph in his despatch does
not actually state in so many words that the
farther bank at Ali-Sher-ke-Chuk was held by the
enemy, but he gives as a reason for not there
attempting the passage, that he could not so place
his guns as to cover the crossing ; while the presence
of the enemy at both fords is mentioned by Sir
Colin Campbell in his diary, and by Sir Joseph

• I cannot find Kanokee on any contemporary or modern map^ but
Durand {Calcutta Review) says that Markham crossed at Ghurri-ki-
Patten.

250 MOVES TO WAZIRABAD

himself in a letter dated 19th May 1849. It seems
therefore quite clear that Sir Joseph Thackwell
reconnoitred both fords in the neighbourhood of
Ranni-ki-Patten, that he perceived at both he
would have to force a passage under natural
difficulties and military disadvantages, and that
it was the presence at both places of strong hostile
bodies, and not the nature of the fords only, which
induced Sir Joseph Thackwell to move on to
Wazirabad — an alternative permitted him by the
terms of his instructions.

The length of the march and the difficulty of
supply induced Sir Colin to suggest that the
failure to cross by the fords near Ranni-ki-Patten
necessitated a return to camp at Ramnuggar, but
Sir Joseph resolved to push on, and sent forward
Lieutenant John Nicholson, assistant to the
Resident at Lahore, and who was acting as chief
civil authority with Thackwell's force, and this
officer managed, not only to collect fifteen large
boats, but to stake out two of the fords over the
three branches into which the Chenab is there
divided, before the troops arrived at the ford and
ferry, greatly fatigued, about 5.30 or 6 p.m.
Here there was no appearance of an enemy, and
the 24th Foot, with two native regiments and tWo
guns, under Brigadier Pennycuick, were at once
ferried across to secure the passage. The 3rd
Irregular Cavalry crossed by the ford, and another
infantry brigade, endeavouring to wade across,
was overtaken by the darkness and halted and
bivouacked on a sandbank between the second and
third branches of the stream. The night was

THE PASSAGE SECURED 251

bitterly cold, no supplies could be passed over to
the advanced troops, and once at least during the
night an alarm v^^as raised on the right bank ; but
the night passed quietly, and as soon as it was
light the passage of the rest of the force was
energetically proceeded with, and by noon the
whole of tiie troops were across the river. The
pontoon train, two light field guns, and two 18-
pounders were sent back to Ramnuggar, escorted
by the 12th Irregular Cavalry and two companies
of native infantry, and with them went one
of the Commander-in-Chief's aides-de-camp— who
had thus far accompanied Sir Joseph— bearing to
Lord Gough the news that the detached force had
successfully negotiated the passage of the Chenab.
This chapter may perhaps fittingly be closed
with some extracts from a report dated 7th
December, on the crossing of the Chenab, from
Lieutenant Baird Smith ' of the Royal Engineers,
who was Senior Assistant Field Engineer with the
right column. After detailing the composition
of the force, and the hour at which the march
commenced, he goes on to say :

" The movement of the column was directed in
the first instance on Ali-ke-Chuk, at which place a
ford practicable for artillery and infantry was re-
ported to exist. On arriving, however, at the point
it was found that the information was incorrect,
and that the access to the ford was so difficult that
to move the artillery upon it was impracticable.
The river being divided into three streams would
have caused indefinite delay, had the passage been
attempted by means of the pontoon train.

1 Afterwards Chief Engineer at the siege of Delhi.

252 BAIRD SMITH'S REPORT

" Under the circumstances the selection of
another point at which to effect the passage of the
river was inevitable, and for the following reasons
the Major-General Commanding resolved to move
at once upon Wazirabad.

"(1) The distance from Ah-ke-Chuk to Wazir-
abad did not exceed six miles, and the troops were
quite equal to the additional march.

" (2) At Wazirabad a ford practicable for infantry
and cavalry was known to exist.

" (3) For the transport of the artillery fifteen
boats, of which twelve were first-class river craft,
and three of a smaller kind, were in possession of
a party of Afghan Horse attached to Captain
Nicholson, Assistant to the Resident at Lahore,
and were available for immediate use.

" (4) There were the best grounds for believing
that the enemy was not in force on the opposite
or right bank of the river at Wazirabad, and that
consequently the passage would be undisputed.

" My professional opinion having been required,
I gave it decidedly in favour of the movement on
Wazirabad : and requesting permission to precede
the column with the view of making such arrange-
ments as time would permit, I proceeded with
Lieutenant H. Yule of the Engineers and
Captain Nicholson, and reached the ford to the
north-west and about two miles distant from the
town about 3.30 p.m.

'* At the ford the river was found to be divided
into three streams— and in no part of the ford
itself did the water exceed 3 ft. 10 in. in depth.
Two of the streams only were staked out on the
night of the 1st, the third was unmarked until
daybreak on the 2nd, in consequence of the pressure
of work and want of materials. The ferry was
about three-quarters of a mile above the ford.

" The passage of the troops and guns at the ferry

A SMART PIECE OF WORK 253

continued throughout the night in a regular and
systematic manner, without confusion or accident
of any kind. By about sunrise on the 2nd, G
regiments of infantry with 18 guns, under command
of Brigadier-General Campbell, were in possession
of the right bank of the river, occupying a strong
position on the high ground bounding the valley
of the Chenab. . . . The passage . . . was completed
exactly at noon on the 2nd. Considering the
operations to have commenced at 6 p.m. on the
1st, and to have been completed at 12 noon on
the 2nd December, the passage of the force, con-
sisting of 28 guns, 4 regiments of cavalry, 7
regiments and 2 companies of infantry, with
the baggage and commissariat, the transit occu-
pied 18 hours, and this will not, I trust, be
considered long, when it is remembered that
two-thirds of the work was done during the night,
and with only a few hours' previous preparation."

CHAPTER XV

At the suggestion of Colin Campbell, the march
down the riglit bank of the Chenab was not
commenced until two hours after the transfer
across the stream of the troops and impedimenta
was effected, in order that the native soldiers,
composing the major portion of the column, might
have their usual one meal before fresh exertions
were demanded of them, and a start was conse-
quently not made until 2 p.m.

The force marched in order of battle : three
brigades in brigade column of companies, at half
distance — left in front, at deploying intervals ; the
brigade of cavalry under Brigadier White, with
strong flanking parties and rear-guard, covered the
right — the more exposed flank ; while the
3rd Irregular Cavalry marched on the left of the
infantry with orders to patrol right down to
the river and clear the right bank aided by infantry,
if necessary. Each infantry corps was covered
by its own skirmishers. After a march of some
ten miles the village of Dowrawala was reached
about dusk — the movement had been entirely un-
opposed, no sign of the enemy having been met
with. Some time during the evening (" before

254

FIRST LETTER FROM GOUGH 255

evening," says the author of the " Narrative of the
Second Seikh War " — '• during the night," says
Lawrence Archer) a shuter-sowar, or camel
despatch rider, arrived in camp, bearing the follow-
ing letter from the Commander-in-Chief :

Camp, 2nd December.

" My dear Thackwell,

" 1 congratulate you at having crossed. I
shall make as great a tomasha as I can here
to-day, in order to keep them here — or rather, to
keep their guns here ; and if the bridge of boats
reach me in time I shall throw a body across,
so as to join your advance ; therefore do not think
a dust approaching you from the river is the enemy.
They are entrenching themselves to protect this
ford, but I hope to get across by the bridge of
boats, or by some other manoeuvre.

" They are in a great fright, and well they may,
for they cannot take off their guns without fearful
loss. Two of their regiments have promised to
join me. God bless you.

" GouGH.

" Do not hurry ; bring your force well up in hand.

" G."

At G a.m. the next morning, Sunday,
8rd December, Sir Joseph marched off again,
hoping to be able to attack the left and rear
of the Sikh position in front of Ramnuggar at
11 o'clock. The force moved on, clearing away
the enemy from the river bank, and had already
gone about two miles south of the ford at Ghurri-
ki-Patten when another communication was
received from Lord Gough :

256 MORE LETTERS

Camp, 2nd December.

"My dear Thackwell,

" I congratulate you at having crossed.
1 shall make as great a fuss as possible here to-
morrow by cannonade, to keep their guns here,
and if the boats reach me in time I hope to throw
a body to co-operate with your left. Do not hurry
your men : bring them and your guns well up
in hand, and we are sure of success. I have two
regiments in the enemy's camp ready to come
over to me. I shall push across whenever I can,
when you come into action. Keep me acquainted
with your movements. I take it they will fall back
from the fords when the river is your advance.
They are in a great fright. With God's blessing,
before to-morrow night we, united, will give them
reason to be so.

" Yours very sincerely,

" GOUGH."

At the same time that this letter was handed
to Sir Joseph Thackwell, or very shortly afterwards,
two others were received — the one from Lord
Gough, and the other, of very much later date,
from one of the Headquarters Staff :

Camp, 2nd December.

"My dear Thackwell,

" This is the third note I have written you
this day. I find they are retiring from my im-
mediate front, merely keeping the fords well
protected. I am, therefore, going to open two
batteries upon them this day. Do not hurry on ;
keep your men fresh and well in hand. I hope
to reinforce you to-morrow morning ; don't think
every dust an enemy. With God's blessing, by
to-morrow night, we shall have all their guns. Two

PRECISE INSTRUCTIONS 257

of their regiments are ready to come over to me.
God bless you all.

" GOUGH.

" This man will bring an answer."

(What had happened was that the Sikhs had
di\4ned the object for which Thackwell had
been detached, and, leaving a body to hold the
Commander-in-Chief in front of Ramnuggar, had
marched up the right bank in force to oppose his
second in command.)

" To Sir Joseph Thackwell.

" When General Thackwell has taken
possession of Ghurri-ki-Patten, Lord Gough desires
that he will not move his force on to the attack
till reinforced from Ramnuggar by a brigade of
infantry and cavalry, which are prepared to move at
a moment's notice.

" By Order,

" J. B. Tremenhere.

" 3rd December, ^\ a.m."

It was probably at this time that the force was
halted for breakfast and to replenish the pouch
ammunition up to sixty rounds per man. It was
11 a.m. when the column again moved on to some
villages, nearly three miles to the right front of
the Ghurri-ki-Patten ford, where the troops were
halted, and whence Sir Joseph sent a wing of the
56th Native Infantry and part of the 8rd Irregular
Cavalry to. hold the ford, to which GOO of the
enemy's cavalry had been seen approaching. Colin
Campbell mentions in his diary that on halting
near these villages " Sir Joseph Thackwell received

258 THACKWELL HALTS

a letter from the Commander-in-Chief to inform
him that he had sent a reinforcement of the
9th Lancers and 14th Light Dragoons to join by
the ford of Ghurri-ki-Patten " ; the letter to which
allusion is thus made is no doubt the following :

Headquarter Camp,
3rd December, 10 o'clock a.m.

" My dear Sir Joseph,

"We have heard this morning of your
approach to the Ghurri-ki-Patten Ghaut, and I am
desired to acquaint you that the Commander-in-
Chief is despatching the 14th Light Dragoons, a
detachment of the 9th Irregulars, and a Brigade of
Infantry (the 2nd European Regiment, Dett. 45th,
and the 70th N.L), to join you at the Ghaut.

" Our heavy guns are all in position on the river,
close to the ford near the clump of trees, and
ready to aid you as well they can (sic) in your
attack on the enemy's position.

" Bagot takes this to you.

" Yours very sincerely,
"Pat. Grant."

The troops having halted, Nicholson's Pathan
Horse were sent out to the front, and three of
the four villages of Langwala, Tarwala, Rutta,
and Kamookhan were each occupied by a company
of infantry, the column itself remaining some Uttle
distance in rear, in front of the village of Sadula-
pore. General Thackwell rode off to the left to
see that the troops guarding the ford had been
placed in the right position, and then returning
to his troops proceeded to ride along the line of
villages. Nicholson's troopers had early reported
that some 200 Sikh horsemen had been noticed,

46'

Jade W>

.S'

a a

' Cc

ragoons
Cav^

SADULAPORE 259

and from some correspondence later between
Campbell and Thackwell, it would appear that,
during the absence of the latter, reports had
reached Campbell that the Sikhs in front were
becoming more numerous ; but this information
was apparently not conveyed to Sir Joseph, whose
first intimation of the enemy being in force was
from a patrol of the 5th Light Cavalry, in front
of the right, being cannonaded, at the moment
when Sir Joseph was passing the village of Rutta.
There not appearing to be time — owing to the
rapid advance of the Sikhs— to move the British
line up to the villages, which were moreover
surrounded by fields of tall and thick sugar-cane.
Sir Joseph Thackwell directed Brigadier-General
Campbell to retire some 200 yards and deploy
immediately in front of the village of Sadulapore —
the companies falling back from the advanced
villages, which were at once occupied by the
Sikhs, who showed in great strength.

The short retrograde movement was interpreted
as a retreat and the Sikh attack rapidly developed.
Sher Singh was himself here in command ; he
brought some twenty guns into action, massed a
numerous cavalry with horse artillery on the left,
while the fields of sugar-cane seemed alive with
matchlockmen.

The Sikhs clung to their cover and opened a
heavy fire from their guns, threatening both flanks
at the same time with their cavalry with a view
of getting to the rear and cutting off the baggage.
The fire was so heavy that Sir Joseph ordered
the infantry to lie down, while the 3rd Dragoons,

260 PROGRESS OF THE ACTION

8th Light Cavalry, and Major Christie's troop of
horse artillery checked the advance of the enemy
on the right flank, and Captain Warner's troop
was moved to the left of the infantry, and, sup-
ported by the 5th Light Cavalry and the re-
mainder of the 3rd Irregulars, drove back the
Sikhs. Sir Colin Campbell's diary states that he
twice asked Thackwell's leave to advance the
infantry to the attack, and in the " Life of Sir
Charles Napier" a letter is quoted wherein that
officer declares that Campbell three times begged
for leave to advance and take the guns. Sir
Joseph, however, always denied that such applica-
tion was made, and his contradiction appears in
the second edition of the " Life." In a letter also
to Dr. JNIacgregor, written on the 19th May 1849,
Sir Joseph says :

'* Anonymous writers have presumed to say that
some persons urged me to attack the enemy's
position. This assertion is unfounded. I have no
doubt that all were ready to obey orders, but
not one suggested that the enemy should be
attacked."

While in a letter written to Sir Colin Campbell
on the 8th August of the same year, in reference
to the question of attack. Sir Joseph Thackwell
reminds Campbell that "you were most cautious
in not giving an opinion," and in a further com-
munication, written to Sir Colin on the 24th May
1850, he recalls to his recollection that "I gave
you for perusal Lord Gough's note prohibiting
any further advance."

THE ACTION CEASES 261

For some two hours the cannonade continued
and, the fire of the enemy then slackening, the
cavalry on the right were directed to charge and
capture the Sikh guns if possible, Sir Joseph in-
tending to support them by moving the brigades
in echelon from the right ; no opportunity offering,
however, for the action of the cavalry. General
Thackwell deemed it advisable to remain in his
position and not to attempt to drive back an
enemy so strongly posted on the right and centre,
with the probability of having afterwards to attack
them in the entrenched position to which they
would inevitably fall back.

As soon as Lord Gough had heard of the success-
ful crossing of the Chenab on the morning of the
2nd December, he had directed a heavy cannon-
ade to commence upon the Sikh batteries and en-
campment at Ramnuggar, and this was maintained
during the 3rd so as to hold the main body of
the Sikh army to this point and thus to delude
the enemy into the belief that it was intended
there to force the passage of the river. Although,
however, the heavy firing at Sadulapore on the
afternoon of the 3rd must have been plainly
audible at Ramnuggar, and it should have been
thereby apparent that a large portion of the Sikh
force which had been in Lord Gough 's front had
gone off to oppose Sir Joseph Thackwell, the
Commander-in-Chief seems to have made no real
effort to " push across " as promised in his second
letter of the 2nd December, but remained inactive,
save for a distant and ineffective bombardment
of the half-empty trenches on the further bank.

262 THE SIKHS FALL BACK

The Sikhs repHed to this bombardment with only
six guns, but they were so cleverly concealed
that the British guns were unable to silence them ;
and leaving these six guns to reply to Mowatt's
and Shakespear's batteries, the enemy gradually
withdrew the remainder and finally fell back on
the night of the 3rd, leaving only empty em-
placements on the river bank.

Sir Joseph invited the opinions of the next
senior officers as to the expediency of an advance,
but, with the exception of Brigadier Pennycuick,
all were agreed that it would be best — the afternoon
being now well advanced — to remain where they
were : the enemy were still in strength in front ;
the line of villages formed a strong position ; a
deep nullah ran along the left front ; and it was
reported that the ground about the villages, and
in rear of them up to Sher Singh's position at
Ramnuggar, was thick with fields of sugar-cane.

As the Sikh fire began to diminish in intensity,
another letter was received from Lord Gough by
the hand of Lieutenant Tytler, 9th Irregular
Cavalry, and in this communication Sir Joseph
was at last left free to act as he considered best,
whether the promised reinforcements had reached
him or not.

The time of receipt of this letter is noted by
Sir Joseph Thackwell as 3.30 p.m.

The casualties in the action of Sadulapore
amounted to 73, of whom 33 were killed.

At about midnight on the same date the force
in front of Thackwell also began quickly to fall
back from the position it had taken up, and the

THACKWELL REINFORCED 263

whole Sikh army then, forsaking the richly culti-
vated lands on the banks of the Chenab, proceeded
to take up and entrench a fresh position in the
thick jungle bordering the Jhelum River.

At dawn on the 4th Lord Gough, finding the
position on the river bank e\'acuated, sent the
9th Lancers and 14th Light Dragoons in pursuit,
and at the same hour Godby's brigade — the
promised reinforcements — was still effecting its
passage of the ford of Ghurri-ki-Patten. The
crossing had been found to be exceedingly difficult ;
it was too deep to admit of the troops wading
through it ; the pontoons were of no service —
probably omng to the number and breadth of the
several channels ; and finally boats — which Sir
Joseph had been directed to bring do^vn from
Wazirabad — had to be made use of. It was not
until 5 p.m. on the 3rd that, just as the action
at Sadulapore was closing, the work of embarkation
commenced, and by 8 p.m. only one complete
regiment, the 2nd Europeans, had been disem-
barked on the further bank. At 7 o'clock on the
morning of the 4th, Brigadier Godby joined Sir
Joseph, bringing with him the 2nd Europeans and
the 70th Native Infantry, and it was 9 a.m. before
the remainder of Godby's troops left the western
bank and marched to join Thackwell — close upon
24 hours since these reinforcements had left
Ramnuggar, which was only some 10 miles
distant.

In Lord Gough's despatch dealing with the
operations connected with the passage of the
Chenab, and which is dated the 5th December —

264 LORD GOUGH'S DESPATCH

before he had received Sir Joseph's report written
on the 6th — but which Lord Gough himself states
he did not receive until the night of the 9th, there
are several points which, in justice to Sir Joseph
Thackwell, seem to call for comment.

In paragraph 4 the following sentence occurs :

" This officer " {i.e. Sir Joseph) " moved upon
a ford which 1 had every reason to consider very
practicable (and which I have since ascertained
was so), but which the ^lajor-General deemed
so difficult and dangerous, that he proceeded (as
he was instructed should such turn out to be the
case) to Wazirabad."

It appears that about the middle of November
Lord Gough had directed reports to be prepared
on the fords of the Chenab, that William Hodson
had been employed on this duty, and that the
records of some of these inquiries have been pre-
served. While encamped at Ramnuggar the
Commander-in-Chief had instructed the Field
Engineer, Major Tremenhere, to ascertain the
practicability of the fords on both flanks, in co-
operation with the officers of the Quartermaster-
General's department, and in "The Life of Lord
Gough " the nature of the four fords upstream from
Ramnuggar has been thus epitomised :

" Ghurri-ki- Patten. — Practicable, but too well
guarded.

" Ramti-ki- Patten. — Practicable, but objection-
able on account of the steep bank, the
strength of the stream, and the passage
not being straight.

THE QUESTION OF THE FORDS 265

'' AH-Sher-ke-Chuk. — [Where, according to the
journals of both Sir Joseph and Sir Cohn,
the force was intended to cross,] is described
as ' dangerous.'

" Wazirabad. — The bed of the stream hard and
level, the current slack, and the passage
of sufficient breadth for crossing without
risk of any sort."

From the above it may reasonably be inferred
that of the four crossings the last, where the
passage was actually effected, was the easiest, and
that Ghurri-ki- Patten came next in order of
practicability^that its only objectionable feature
was the fact that it was guarded ; we have seen,
however, what difficulties were experienced by
Godby's single brigade in crossing, unopposed, at
this place. The practicability of any ford from
a military point of view cannot, however, be con-
sidered apart from the matter of the presence or
absence of the enemy on the further bank. I^ord
Gough's despatch on the 5th December describes
the fords of the Chenab as being " most strictly
watched by a numerous and vigilant enemy and
presenting more difficulties than most rivers." The
evidence of Thackwell and Campbell is unanimous
that at both Ranni-ki-Patten and Ali-Sher-ke-
Chuk the further bank was held by the enemy ;
and under the circuinstances it seems that Sir
Joseph was justified in avaihng himself of the dis-
cretionary power allowed him and in moving on to
I Wazirabad, instead of endeavouring to force a
passage at one of these fords, known to the
Quartermaster-General's department of the army

266 A FALSE IMPRESSION

as " objectionable " or " dangerous," and where a
crossing Avould be strongly opposed.

At the end of paragraph 5 of the same despatch
there occurs the following sentence :

" I was enabled to detach another brigade of
infantry, under Brigadier Godby, at daylight on
the 3rd, which effected the passage, with the aid of
pontoon train, six miles up the river, and got into
communication with Major- General Sir Joseph
Thackwell."

That the passage of Godby 's brigade was effected
quite independently of the pontoons and with
boats brought thither by Sir Joseph, is a small
error due to the preparation of the despatch on
insufficient data, but what is more important is
that the wording of the latter part of the sentence
leaves it to be inferred that Godby was in com-
munication with Sir Joseph prior to the action of
Sadulapore, or indeed that he had actually joined
forces and so strengthened Thackwell sufficiently
to attack the Sikh army — which, as has been shown,
was not the case.

At the beginning of paragraph 6 of the same
despatch we read :

" Having communicated to Sir Joseph my views
and intentions, and although giving discretionary
powers to attack any portion of the Sikh force sent
to oppose him, I expressed a wish that, when he
covered the crossing of Brigadier Godby's brigade,
he should await their junction, except the enemy
attempted to retreat ; this induced him to halt

DISCREPANCIES 267

within about three or four miles of the left of their
position."

The instructions, conveyed to Sir Joseph before
leaving Ramnuggar by the Adjutant-General of
the army in the letter already quoted, are very
distinct : unless he can be in position ready to
attack the left of the Sikh entrenchment not later
than ] o'clock in the day, the attack is to be
deferred ; " night work is to be avoided at all
times ; " provision is to be made for " ample day-
light" before an attack is initiated. (The im-
portance of not commencing operations late in the
day has, it may be remarked, been proved over and
over again in Indian frontier warfare, and disregard
of this rule has repeatedly led to disaster.) The
letter from Major Tremenhere positively directs
General Thackwell not to attack until reinforced
by a brigade of infantry and cavalry, which how-
ever had not started at 8.15 on the morning of the
3rd. Neither here nor elsewhere is there any
reservation about the enemy's retreating, while it
was surely natural that the receipt of such explicit
orders should have induced Thackwell to halt —
sanction to advance, with or without reinforce-
ments, not being received until the action had
been already some considerable time in progress.

When Lord Gough sent away the force under
Sir Joseph Thackwell, the Commander-in-Chief did
not apparently count upon securing more than the
mere crossing of the Chenab; he hoped, indeed, that
the Sikhs would remain quietly in their trenches
opposite Ramnuggar until attacked in Hank by

268 GOUGH NOT SANGUINE

Thackwell, and in front by the force under his
immediate command, but the possibihty of the Sikh
commander holding him in front while an over-
whelming force was directed against Thackwell's
advance, does not appear to have entered into
the Commander-in-Chiefs calculations. A letter
quoted in the " Life of Lord Gough," written to his
son, and dated the day Thackwell's force left
Ramnuggar, seems not only to show that the
Commander-in-Chief was not very sanguine as to
the prospect of success in what Colin Campbell
calls " a hazardous movement," but that on that
date at least he was certainly doubtful as to
whether the river could be crossed where Thackwell
had been ordered to make the attempt.

" I attack to-morrow," he wrote ; " if my flank
will be successful, that is, if it can get across, every-
thing will go well ; if, on the contrary, they find
the ford impracticable, they will have to go on to
Wazirabad and force a passage. If my friends
opposite me move in any numbers, one way or the
other, I shall punish them ; but with a treacherous
river in my front, I cannot prevent their running
away. They have all the boats, and, by keeping
eight or ten guns at the only ford here, and send-
ing off the rest a couple of days' march ahead, they
may say, ' Catch me who can.' "

Sir Joseph Thackwell had carried out a difficult
operation, had executed to the letter the somewhat
contradictory orders received, and only the flight
of the Sikhs prevented the combined attack by him
and Lord Gough upon the entrenched position at
Ramnuggar. But the menace of Thackwell's

THE REAL EXPLANATION 269

advance was mainly responsible for the hurried
retirement of the enemy to the barren country of
the Jhelum, the abandonment of six guns, and the
destruction of a large quantity of gunpowder.

For the discrepancies, to which allusion has been
made, between some of the statements in Lord
Cough's despatch of the 5th December and the
documentary evidence now here published, there
appears to be a very simple explanation, which is,
that no copies were kept by the Headquarter
Staff of the instimctions sent to Major-General Sir
Joseph Thackwell, so that in the preparation of his
despatch the Commander-in-Chief had to rely, for
any record of his orders to his Second-in-Command,
upon the memory of his chief staff officer. On
the 6th December at Helah, some thirteen miles as
the crow flies to the west of Ramnuggar, Sir Joseph
received a letter from the Adjutant- General, which is
dated " Ramnuggar, 5th December 1848, 7 J a.m.,"
and of which the concluding sentence runs as follows :

" Will you do me the favour to let me have copies
of the several notes, this one included, I have
addressed to you by the Commander-in-Chief's
direction since you left this ground — there was no
time to copy them before they were sent off"

It is to be regretted that, even if the Commander-
in-Chief could not have withheld his despatch
to the Governor-General until receipt of Sir Joseph
Thackwell's report on his operations. Lord Gough
did not wait for the arrival of the copies of the
above-mentioned " notes " to verify the correctness
of his recollection of his own instructions.

CHAPTER XVI

On the morning of the 4th December Major-
General Thaekwell — leaving Brigadier Campbell
to follow with the infantry portion of the
force — pushed on with the cavalry in pursuit of
the Sikhs, wdth the intention of harassing their
retreat by the Dinghi, Jullalpore, and Find
Dadun Khan roads. He was not, however,
able to overtake any of their guns, nor indeed
was an5rthing seen of the enemy, in spite of
the fact that he pursued them direct and does
not appear to have received — until too late
to comply — orders for him to move first towards
the vacated entrenchment opposite Ramnuggar.
Sir Joseph took up a position for the night
with his whole force on the Jullalpore road,
about two and a half miles from the village of
Helah, and twelve in front of Ramnuggar, and
here the 14th Light Dragoons joined the column
in the evening.

The following letters were received from Head-
quarters during the day. The first is from Lord
Gough, evidently written before he knew of the
general retirement of the enemy.

270

MORE LETTERS 271

Ramnuggab, 2 a.m

^th Deceviber.

" My dear Thackwell,

" Not having heard from you, I hardly know
what to say. I hope Brigadier Godby has joined
you with reinforcements both with cavalry and
guns, but this fearful river and want of boats
embarrasses us much. Pray communicate with
me by an officer, who can cross at our pontoon
bridge, which I will ride over to this morning if I
can be spared here. I should like to see Nicholson
at it, at this side, with some intelligent officer fi'om
you — say at 7 o'clock — that is, if the enemy have
not retired during the night.

" Sincerely yours,

" GOUGH.

" I hope you have got your ammunition. What
is the enemy's position^how far from you ? "

The next letter is from Colonel Grant, dated the
same day as the last, but at 8.15 a.m.

*' My dear Sir Joseph,

" The enemy has blown up his magazines
and abandoned his position directly in front of the
clump of trees. The Commander-in-Chief requests
you will feel your way up in this direction, and he
will send the 9th Lancers across the now open ford
here to reinforce you and enable you to pursue with
fresh cavalry the enemy supposed to be retreating,
and perhaps admit of your cutting off a portion of
his guns before he gets away to any great distance.

"Provisions for your men and horses will be
crossed here and be in readiness for you by the
time you reach the enemy's abandoned position.

" We have not had a line from you subsequent
to your note of yesterday intimating that you had
got possession of the Ghurri-ki-1'atten ford — not a

272 ADVANCE TO HELAH

word about your action in the afternoon has
reached us, and the Chief is intensely anxious for
inteUigence of your proceedings.

" Yours sincerely,

" Pat. Grant."

The date of the following is indecipherable, the
paper being much worn and rubbed, but from the
contents it would appear to have been written
shortly after the foregoing letter from Grant :

"My dear Thackweix,

" Four Jhansie guns have left the ford at
4 o'clock this morning drawn by bullocks. The
9th Lancers are just going to cross to reinforce you.
Feel to your left with infantry to this ford and to
your front with cavalry.

" I leave everything to you, but don't endanger
your men ; capture the guns if you can.

" Yours very sincerely,

" GOUGH."

On Tuesday the 5th Sir Joseph's diary records :

" Marched at 7 a.m. to Helah. The Third
Division encamped in rear of Helah. The 14th
Dragoons and 8th Light Cavalry pushed on to
Dinghi to return to-night. The 9th Lancers (which
had joined during the night) and 5th Light Cavalry,
with Huish's troop of artillery, moved on eight
miles in front " (on the Jullalpore road) " to return
to-night. I have the 3rd Light Dragoons, two
troops of artillery and the 3rd Irregular Cavalry.
The troops detailed returned in the night. A
Sikh rear-guard is at Find Dadun Khan within two
coss of Jullalpore."

None of the enemy's troops or guns were, how-
ever, overtaken.

CHANGE OF PLANS 273

In a note from the Commander-in-Chief dated
6 a.m. the 5th December, Lord Gough apparently
contemplated his advance troops moving on to
Dinghi, for he impresses on General Thackwell the
importance of all pursuing troops returning to camp
at Dinghi for the night.

" White's brigade," he continues, " had better
halt to-day with the Horse Artillery and get all
their tents and baggage up with their provisions.
I shall cross over and encamp with the Cavalry
Brigade under White or the inftmtry under
Campbell, if not too far in advance. Let me
know by an officer where each will be this evening
encamped and the distance. Concentrate as much
as you can, but do not fatigue and overwork your
men."

Later, however, a note, written an hour and a
half after that above quoted from Lord Gough,
was received from Colonel Grant saying that as
the Commander-in-Chief had since learnt that the
enemy had gone off by three routes towards the
Jhelum, Thackwell was now to collect his entire
force and form a camp at Helah, which was to
be his " fixed point," although he was at liberty to
send his cavalry out in any direction he might think
desirable, but it was again impressed upon him that
they were invariably to be recalled by dusk.

On the 6th I^ord Gough paid a flying visit to
Helah, returning to Ramnuggar on the following
day. " He inspected the cavalry," writes Sir Joseph,
" and was much pleased with their appearance and
the position I had taken up. He also seemed
pleased at the operations which brought me here."

274 SIR JOSEPH'S REPORT

On this day Sir Joseph Thackwell wrote his
report on the operations covered by the period
since he left Rainnuggar on the night of the 30th
November, but there is no explanation forthcoming
as to why it was not seen by the Commander-in-
Chief until the evening of the 9th December. But
the probable reason is that while Sir Joseph's
despatch was written in the rough on the 5th, the
belated arrival of the baggage from the rear had
prevented its being before reduced to the proper
official form. On the 9th Lord Gough, in the post-
script to a note, says, " For God's sake send me in
your report ; the press will be open-mouthed at its
long delay." The despatch was then no doubt on
its way to Ramnuggar and cannot have been long
retained by the Commander-in-Chief before trans-
mission to the Governor-General, then at Umballa,
since Lord Gough's covering letter is dater the 10th.
It seems that it was Lord Dalhousie who was
responsible for the delay in publication, since he
took exception to the insertion in the report of
the name of a particular individual, and appears to
have returned the document to the Commander-in-
Chief in order that the name might be expunged.

Sir Joseph had attached to his staff a young
fellow in whom he took a kindly interest, of the
name of Angelo. This young gentleman was seek-
ing to establish a claim to a cadetship in the
Company's Service — which he was subsequently
granted— and having volunteered for service in the
campaign, was, with the sanction of the Head-
quarter Staff, allowed to join Sir Joseph in the
capacity of extra aide-de-camp. That the appoint-

LORD DALHOUSIE 275

ment had official sanction there can be no doubt,
for in General ThackwelFs diary, under the date of
the 7th November, appears the entry : " I called on
Grant and settled about young Angelo," and in
the Sadulapore despatch Sir Joseph had mentioned
Angelo's services, alluding to him as " extra aide-
de-camp." There was excellent precedent for such
a procedure, for in Lord Gough's despatch dated
19th December 1845, on the battle of JVIoodkee, he
includes among the casualties in the " Cavalry
Division StaiF" the name of "Volunteer Mr. A.
Alexander, A.D.C.to Brigadier Gough," as severely
wounded.

To Lord Dalhousie it did not, however, seem
fitting that such a title should be accorded to one
who held no military rank, and the despatch was
returned to the Commander-in-Chief by the
Governor-General with the suggestion that the
paragraph to which exception had been taken
should be expunged. Writing to Sir Joseph on
the 24th December, Lord Gough says that he had
received the enclosure " last night from the G.G."
and that " he would strongly advise " General
Thackwell " to do as the Governor-General
suggests." On the same day Sir Joseph replied
that, " agreeable to the suggestion of the Governor-
General, and to your Lordship's advice, 1 beg that
the name of Mr. Volunteer Angelo may be erased
from my despatch."

The report was again returned to the Governor-
General, and was finally published on the 31st
January at Ferozepore — more than a month later.
Contemporary writers have generally attiibuted to

276 REPORT FINALLY PUBLISHED

the Commander-in-Chief the blame for the belated
publication of the Sadulapore despatch, but it
seems clear that it was Lord Dalhousie's somewhat
unnecessary insistence upon a matter of trivial
punctilio, which was responsible for the narrative of
the crossing of the Chenab being given to the
world, when at least local interest had greatly
subsided, and when the minds of men in India and
at home were occupied with later events, and
oppressed with the desperate fighting at Chilhan-
wala.

In his covering letter to Sir Joseph Thackwell's
report, Lord Gough expresses " warm approval of
the conduct of the Major-General," and although
he thereby does a tardy and none too ample justice
to his second in command, the Commander-in-
Chief still says nothing to correct any false im-
pression which might have been conveyed by the
terms of his despatch of the 5th December,
describing the operations of the force detached
from Ramnuggar — a despatch, moreover, which
was written before the whole facts were before
him. The evidence which has been given in
Chapter XIV makes it clear that the ford at
Ah-Sher-ke-Chuk was the one by which Sir Joseph
was to endeavour to cross ; and a perusal of General
Thackwell's despatch shows that very particular
attention was given to its examination, and that
the decision to proceed to Wazirabad was not
come to until the possibihty of crossing either at
Ranni-ki-Patten or at Ah-Sher-ke-Chuk had been
considered from every point of view. It would be
interesting to know the grounds upon which the

COMMENTS UPON IT 277

statement is made on page 196 of " The Life of
Lord Goiigh," that " Thackwell never found the
real ford."

General Thackwell's loyal determination to leave
no stone unturned to carry out his orders, is shown
by the resolve — contrary to the advice of Sir Colin
Campbell — to try the distant, but — as reported —
easy ford of Wazirabad. Sir Joseph's despatch
proves that even here the difficulties of the cross-
ing had been much underestimated ; although
Nicholson had staked out two-thirds of the ford,
three sowars of the 3rd Irregular Cavalry were
drowned while attempting the passage after dark-
ness had begun to fall, while it was necessary to
pass almost the whole of the infantry over in
boats.

It will be seen from Thackwell's report that on
the morning of the 3rd December he was actually
on the march to attack the left of the Sikh
position, and had arrived within four miles of it,
when he received orders to wait for reinforcements
crossing at Ghurri-ki-Patten. At that time — it
would have been about 9.30 a.m., since he hoped
to attack at 11 — he had already marched several
miles beyond the ford, and had now to halt, send
to secure the passage, and await the promised
reinforcements ; but Sir Joseph must have already
plainly realised that there would be no time to
march on the Sikh position and attack by daylight,
if he was to wait until Godby joined him.

At 2 p.m. he was himself attacked ; and after the
action had been some time in progress, — at 3.30 p.m.,
as recorded by General Thackwell, — the prohibition

278 DELAY IN PUBLICATION

against attacking single-handed was removed, but
it was 4 p.m. before the British guns had obtained
any real superiority over the Sikh artillery, or
sufficient to warrant an advance against an enemy
in the strong position from which it would have
been necessary to dislodge them, before moving on
to a fresh attack upon the flank of the entrench-
ment opposite Ramnuggar.

To the relief which the Commander-in-Chief
must have felt at the successful accomplishment of
the passage of the Chenab and the consequent
retirement of the Sikhs, there succeeded, as was
perhaps natural, a feeling that more might have
been done, since these results had been attained so
expeditiously and with such little loss of life ;
and that perhaps an opportunity had been missed
of punishing the enemy during their retreat to the
Jhelum. A perusal of the Governor-General's
order shows that Lord Dalhousie, with a finer sense
of proportion, better appreciated the advantage
gained and the nature of the difficult and hazardous
operations by which success had been assured.

Other and less charitable reasons for the delay
in the publication of Sir Joseph's report have been
put forward by some writers — notably by Thorburn
and Malleson. The former says that after Lord
Gough's " grandiloquent despatch " of the 5th
December, the immediate publication of " Thack-
well's plain unvarnished tale " would have tended
to diminish the value of the remarks by the
Commander-in-Chief, who had hastened to an-
nounce to the Governor- General results which
actual events hardly bore out.

RECONNAISSANCE 279

To return to Sir Joseph's diary.

" 7th December. — All quiet, but it seems certain
that the Sikhs are entrenching themselves at
Moong, having been encouraged by the arrival of
4 battalions and 12 guns from Peshawar, with a
regiment of sowars. Four battalions and 12 guns
more are expected in a few days."

" ^th. — Brigadier Campbell and the infantry
moved into line to-day and occupied the centre of
my position."

" 9M. — Brigadier Brooke came in last evening
with 3 troops of Reserve (Horse) Artillery."

" lOM. — Went out with a squadron of the
cavalry, and I made a reconnaissance towards
Moong, the position of the Sikh army, to near the
village of Chuk ; found the road practicable, but
from the continued jungle for nearly six miles, it is
by no means desirable to advance by such a route
with the chance of opposition, if another can be
found less difficult."

Lord Gough had ere this received very explicit
instructions from the Governor-General, not to
move forward until the fall of Multan should set
free the column under General Whish.

" 12//?. — Lord Gough made a reconnaissance to
Phallia, and I accompanied him. He had a guard of
two squadrons of the 3rd Light Dragoons, one of
the 8th and one of the 5th Light Cavalry.
Phallia is on the road from Ramnuggar to Pind
Dadun Khan."

T^ord Gough now resolved to concentrate his
force at Wazirabad, holding Gujerat as an ad-
vanced post, and on the 14th he wrote to Thack-

280 PROPOSED MOVEMENT

well saying he could make no movement until the
26th, when he expected the arrival of " an immense
convoy " with the 20th Native Infantry, and would
then send a brigade to Wazirabad and commence
his own move thither. Writing again on Saturday
the 16th the Commander-in-Chief says :

" I have this day sent Pope's brigade to
Wazirabad, and we shall all probably make a
movement on Monday. The position I propose to
take up is with my right (or rather your right)
rather in rear of or resting on Bagran with the left
thrown back in the direction of Kienwallee. This
covers both Gujerat and Ramnuggar, and brings
me so near to Dinghi that if the Sikhs occupy it I
may be enabled, if I can get leave, to attack them.
At present I am under the ban of the G.G. I
shall with Headquarters cross the river on
Monday, please God, and will join your camp with
the Headquarters either on that or the following
day. Keep all this, however, to yourself, but be
prepared to move at a moment's notice. You will
take care not to let the Sikhs occupy Gujerat ; you
must be before them."

The various reconnaissances which had been
made of the approaches to the enemy's position
at Moong, and a report transmitted by Thackwell
late on the 16th that it was rumoured that Sher
Singh was likely to occupy Dinghi with the
Peshawar troops, induced Lord Gough to change
his intention of proceeding to Wazirabad ; and Sir
Joseph was directed to stand fast at Helah, since
it seemed to the Commander-in-Chief that, with
Sher Singh at Dinghi, the Sikhs might cross the
Chenab below Ramnuggar and strike at the

ADV^ANCE TO DINGHI 281

British communications. Headquarters crossed
the ri^'er on the 18th, but remained on the right
bank.

" 19 fh. — At nearly 3 p.m. the enemy fired a
salute of between 60 and 70 guns — I counted 61 —
but the reason is only conjectured. Some say it
is on account of the treaty between Chutter Singh
and Dost JNlohamed ; others that four regiments
from JNlultan and a large body of Gulab Singh's
troops were then within fifteen miles of their camp
and about to join them."

On the 29th December the Headquarters closed
up to Janukee.

" 2nd January 1849. — It is said the Sikhs are
throwing a bridge over the Jhelum at Tupai about
a mile below Lassoorie and that Sher Singh is
three miles from Moong."

" 8//;. — At 1 p.m. I made a reconnaissance to a
hill about seven miles from camp and three from
the Sikh post at Tronwala. Had a beautiful view
over the country and the Sikh camp at Russool,
all quite clear, and distant from Tronwala about
6 miles."

On the 9th Lord Gough moved to Loah Tibba,
three miles nearer Dinghi, from which the Sikhs had
now retired — the prohibition against an advance
having apparently been definitely removed on the
7th — and on the following day he reached Lus-
soorie, where he was joined by the force under
Sir Joseph Thackwell and by Brigadier Penny's
brigade, which latter had up to this remained
at Ramnuggar. On the 12th the whole army
marched to Dinghi and encamped nearly a mile to
the westward of the town.

282 AN HISTORIC FIELD

When Alexander the Great had conquered
Persia he passed on to India, ever the goal of every
conqueror, who had pointed out to those whom he
led that its wealth would repay them for all their
toils and sufferings. He passed through the
Khyber, crossed over the Indus at Attock in April
327 B.C., and —

" found the Punjab divided into a number of
Hindu states, jealous of each other to a degree,
which kept them from uniting to oppose his
progress. On the banks of the Jhelum or
Hydaspes, he was encountered by a considerable
native army under a local raja, whom the Greeks
knew by the name of Porus. But the tactics of
the JMacedonian were too much for the multi-
tudinous army of the unpractised Asiatic. Leaving
his camp in its original position, Alexander
moved a strong division, unperceived, a few miles
up the river, to a ford. Here he crossed early in
the morning and fell upon the Indian host while
they were engaged in opposing the portion of the
Macedonian force that had been left in their front." ^

It was within a stone's throw of this historic
battlefield that Sher Singh, with the Sikh Sirdars,
had taken up his ground to oppose the advance of
the British.

The army under Sher Singh, estimated by Lord
Gough at 30,000 to 40,000 men, with 62 guns,
was daily expecting to be reinforced by the troops
under Chutter Singh set free by the fall of Attock.
To oppose the enemy already present in his front,
the British Commander-in-Chief could dispose of
from 11,000 to 12,000 men, with 60 guns. These

* Keene,

THE BRITISH STRENGTH 283

are Lord Gough's own figures as given to the
Governor-General in a letter dated 11th January ;
but in an account of the " Battles of Chillianwala
and Gujerat," contributed to the Journal of the
Royal United Service Institution in March 1895
by General Sir Charles Gough, V.C., K.C.B., it is
stated that "the force at Lord Gough's disposal
amounted to about 24,000 men all told and 66 guns."
These are approximately the numbers given in
Appendix B of Lawrence Archer's " Commentaries
on the Punjab Campaign," and which are taken
from the returns dated 1st January 1849 ; but it
would seem that these figures cannot altogether
be relied upon, for in many cases the strengths of
the corps are shown as hardly differing from those
given on the 1st of the October previous, while
in one or two instances regiments are taken as
being even stronger at Chillianwala than at the
commencement of the campaign.

It is possible that this might be accounted for
in the case of native cavalry and infantry corps by
the return of the men from furlough, but it may
probably be taken for granted that European
regiments at any rate took the field at their full
available strength, and that their numbers are far
more hkely to have been reduced than augmented
during the progress of the campaign. The authors,
moreover, of " The Sikhs and the Sikh Wars " put
the whole British force at about 14,000 men, with
66 guns, placing the effectives of the units of
cavalry and infantry at not less than 200 per corps
fewer than are shown in the returns quoted by
Lawrence Archer. If, then, from this total are

284 THE SIKH POSITION

subtracted the necessary baggage guard — which
on the occasion of ChiUianwala consisted of three
guns of a field battery, two regiments of Irregular
Horse, and a battalion of Native Infantry— it would
seem that I^ord Gough was not far wrong in his
estimate of the numbers of men and guns which
he expected to be able to bring into action, as
stated in his letter to Lord Dalhousie written two
days prior to the battle.

Once again, as at Sobraon, had the Sikhs taken
up a position with their backs to a wide river.
Their left rested on the heights of Russool — a
rugged range of low hills sloping gently towards
the plain — while on the side towards the Jhelum,
from which it is separated by a sandy plain, there
were innumerable ravines and precipitous cliffs.
The village of Russool itself was perched upon a
high bluff surrounded by deep ravines, and was
only approachable by a narrow causeway some eight
feet in width. Sir Joseph, who, some days after the
battle, went over the position, says that " the Sikhs
had three lines of batteries to the east of it."

From Russool the line, passing by Lullianee,
Kot Baloch, Fatehshah-ke-Chuk, and Moong, ended
on the right at Luckneewala. Sher Singh himself,
with the chief portion of his immediate followers,
was about Moong and Kot Baloch, the Bunnu
troops were on the right at Luckneewala, the
Peshawar force was at Fatehshah-ke-Chuk, while
the line of the Jhelum and the strongly entrenched
and defended position about Russool — in rear
of which latter boats had been collected, and
preparations made for the construction of a bridge

DISPOSITIONS OF THE ENEMY 285

— were held by large numbers of Sikh irregular
troops. The whole country along the front of the
position taken up by the Sikhs, for several miles
to the south and east of the village of Chillianwala,
was covered by dense thorny jungle, attaining in
some places to the height of seven or eight feet ;
it was, however, rather less thick about Dinghi,
whence, too, a frequented road led towards Russool.
Near INIoojeawala, and thence to ChiUianwala,
and for about half a mile beyond this village, the
ground was fairly open.

On the evening of the 12th January Lord
Gough called together his generals and brigadiers
to receive his instructions for the morrow.

These officers were furnished with a rough plan
of the enemy's position, put together from the
various reports of the reconnaissances carried out
by the cavalry while at Helah, and also with a
statement of the strength of the Sikh forces. This
latter paper, which appears to be in Colonel Grant's
handwriting, contains the following information :

" Memo, of the enemy s strength, \2th January.

" At Luckneewala (the right of their position) :
the Bunnu troops under Ram Singh, one
regiment of cavalry, four of inftmtry, and
eleven guns.

'* Fatehshah-ke-Chuk : Sirdar Atar Singh and
Lai Singh, with two regiments of cavalry,
six old and four new corps of infantry, and
seventeen guns.

" At LuUiawala : Slier Singh, with one regiment
of cavalry, five old and four new regiments

286 ADVANCE OF THE BRITISH

of infantry, and twenty guns, with main

body of Ghoorchurrahs, about 4,000.
"At Russool (the extreme left) are two new

infantry corps, and seven guns.
" At JNIoong : Soorut Singh, with three guns in "

(illegible).

At 7 a.m. on the 31st the army advanced
towards Chillianwala, whence the Commander-in-
Chief proposed to effect a reconnaissance, and
elaborate his plans for attacking the Sikh centre,
breaking through their entrenched line and separa-
ting the regular from the irregular troops.

" The army," says Sir Joseph, " advanced in
brigade column of cavalry, artillery, and infantry
towards the Sikh position. Each column formed
its own advanced guard, and the heads of
columns were to be 100 yards from each other.
The right wing moved in column, left in front,
and the left wing right in front, directed by the
heavy battery, in front of which was the Com-
mander-in-Chief."

A considerable detour was made to the right,
partly in order to deceive the enemy, and partly
to avoid the jungle ; and on approaching the village
of Chillianwala it was found that a low hill on the
right of and overlooking the village was occupied
by a Sikh outpost, composed of both cavalry and
infantry, which was quickly dislodged.

The whole army advanced up to Chillianwala,
and from the top of a house in the village. Lord
Gough was enabled to obtain a fair view of the
jungle-covered ground for some three miles to his

THE ACTION BEGINS 287

front. It is true that he was prevented from
discovering precisely the strength and Hmits of the
enemy's position, or of accurately locating their
guns ; but he could see that Sher Singh had
moved to the front out of his entrenchments. It
was by now, however, close upon 2 o'clock, the
jungle was very thick, and Lord Gough had
resolved to postpone the attack until the next day,
encamping for the night in the vicinity of ChilHan-
wala, where there was abundant water. Preparations
for laying out the camp were already in progress,
when the Sikhs advanced some horse artillery
guns, and opened fire upon the British outposts.
To silence these, the heavy guns under Major
Horsford were immediately sent forward to the
front of the village of Chillianwala, whereupon the
Sikh commander replied at once with nearly
the whole of his artillery, thus exposing the extent
and situation of his position, which hitherto the
jungle had partially concealed. For half an hour
a comparatively ineffectual fire was maintained by
either side. It was by now 3 p.m. ; to encamp was
impossible, retreat was out of the question, and
Lord Gough resolved upon an immediate attack.

CHAPTER XVII

In order properly to follow the course of a battle
fought in thick jungle and of which the incidents
are necessarily somewhat confused, it is as well
that the arrangement of the divisions and brigades,
and the position at the outset of the several arms
should be clearly understood.

On the right of the British line, which was
about a mile and a half in length, was the Second
Cavalry Brigade under Brigadier Pope, C.B., of
the 5th Ijght Cavalry — the 9th Lancers, the 14th
Light Dragoons, the 1st and 6th Light Cavalry.
With this brigade were the three troops of Horse
Artillery commanded by I^ane, Christie, and
Huish — the whole under Colonel Grant.

On the left of the Second Cavalry Brigade
was Gilbert's (the Second) Infantry Division,
with Godby's brigade on the right and that of
Mountain on the left, while between the two
brigades was No. 17 Field Battery, under Dawes.

In the centre of the line and between the two
infantry divisions were Horsford's two heavy
batteries, each composed of four 18-pounders and
two 8-inch howitzers.

Then came Colin Campbell's division, Penny-

288

CHILLIANWALA 289

cuick's brigade being on the right next to the
hea\y guns, while Hoggan was on the left. No. 5
Field Battery, under ISIowatt, and half of No. 10
Field Battery, under Robertson, were attached to
the Third Division, and Campbell accordingly
placed Mowatt's guns between his brigades, and
those of Robertson on the left of Hoggan.

On the left of the army were three troops of
Horse Artillery, commanded respectively by
Warner, Duncan, and Fordyce — the whole under
Colonel Brind^ — flanked by the First Cavalry
Brigade, commanded by Brigadier White of the
3rd Light Dragoons, with whom was Sir Joseph
Thackwell. The brigade was composed of the 3rd
Light Dragoons and the 5th and 8th Light Cavalry.

The Reserve was formed of two native infantry
regiments of Brigadier Penny's brigade, his
remaining battalion, with two regiments of
Irregular Horse and the remaining three guns
of Robertson's battery, being, as has already been
stated, placed in charge of the baggage, under
Brigadier Hearsey.

The troops, having deployed, were ordered to
lie down, whilst the heavy guns, supported by the
field batteries with the infantry divisions, opened
fire upon the Sikh centre, where the bulk of the
enemy's artillery appeared to be posted, and after
about an hour's cannonading — " about 2 o'clock,"
states Colin Campbell, while Sir Charles (rough
says " 3 p.m. or a little later " — the Third Division
was directed to advance, and very shortly after-
wards the same orders were conveyed to Sir

' Afterwards General Sir James Briiul, G.C.B.

290 CAMPBELL'S ADVANCE

Walter Gilbert, the cavalry under Pope being
posted to protect the right flank and support the
movement.

The author of " The Narrative of the Second
Seikh A^^ar" states that the Staff Officer who
brought to Campbell the order to advance,
directed him to " carry the guns in his front
without delay at the point of the bayonet."
Campbell himself makes no mention of this in
his journal, but the officer who succeeded to the
command of the Twenty-fourth, on the colonel
being killed, has left it on record that Campbell
particularly enjoined the regiment to advance
without firing ; while I^awrence- Archer, who was
attached to the 24th Regiment, states that the
Brigadier-General, addressing the men, said,
"there must be no firing, the bayonet must do
the work " — before riding off to the left to
accompany the advance of Hoggan's brigade. In
his report on the action, too, Campbell states that
" the batteries were carried without a shot being fired
by the regiment or a musquet taken from the
shoulder," which Lord Gough describes as " an act
of madness." Before the advance commenced,
Campbell had made up his mind that the nature
of the ground made it impossible that he could
personally direct the attack of both the brigades
of his division, and he accordingly decided to
remain with his left brigade as being the one
more hable to be outflanked. If this abrogation
of his proper duties of a divisional commander
can be justified — which may well be questioned
from the fact that Gilbert, advancing through

WHITE'S CAVALRY 291

even thicker country, retained throughout his
hold on both his brigades — it seems unfortunate
that of the two, Campbell did not elect to move
with Pennycuick's brigade, in front of which
the ground seems to have been even more wooded
than it was on the left ; while the right brigade
contained, moreover, a regiment w4iich, although
far stronger ^ than any other corps on the ground,
was full of young, ardent soldiers just out from
home, led by officers and commanded by a colonel
to whom very many of them were complete
strangers.

The three troops of horse artillery on the left
moved forward under Colonel Brind and engaged
the Sikh batteries directly in front. At the
commencement of the advance White's cavalry
brigade was much thrown back — this flank being
thus refused — so that the further the forward move-
ment of the general line was continued, the greater
must the interval become between White's cavalry
and the left of the Third Division. Sir Joseph
Thackwell was fully alive to this danger, and
had early despatched Lieutenant Tucker, his
D.A.Q.INl.G., to see that the distance was not
permitted to become excessive. Brind's guns were
firing on the Sikh batteries for some three-quarters
of an hour, and had twice silenced them, the enemy
returning to their guns directly the British fire
showed any sign of slackening. On the extreme
.south of the enemy's position the Sikhs had
assembled a large body of cavalry, and these horse-

' Tlie Twenty-fourth— />«fe Macpliersou— went into action exactly
1,100 strong, including officers.

292 UNETT'S BRILLIANT CHARGE

men became more daring, and manoeuvred with the
intention of tm'ningthe British left ; " but the eagle
eye of Sir Joseph Thackwell," to quote the records
of the 3rd Dragoons, "instantly detected their
object," and he ordered a squadron of the 3rd Light
Dragoons and the 5th Light Cavalry to charge,
drive back the Sikh horsemen, and then endeavour
to take the guns in flank, whilst a part of the
remaining cavalry of the First Brigade attacked
in front. The 5th Light Cavalry came upon
a large mass of Sikhs, and were received with
a heavy musketry fire, and, being much broken up
by the thick jungle through which they had passed,
were repulsed, but were quickly rallied on the
8th Light Cavalry.

The 4th (the grey) squadron of the 3rd Light
Dragoons, under Captain Walter Unett, coming
possibly on a somewhat smaller body of the enemy,
broke through them. The following is Unett 's
account of this dashing charge :

" On returning from reporting myself to the
officer commanding the 5th Light Cavalry, I
saw the enemy's line, who just commenced to open
fire at a distance of about seventy or eighty yards,
at the edge of a low, thorny jungle. We were
on low ground, but open to the enemy, had just
passed through jungle with stunted trees, in line
with the 5th Light Cavalry, the same as one
regiment. Their bugle sounded the ' charge,' and
we instantly started and drove through the centre
of the enemy's gole at the utmost speed as the
formation of the enemy and nature of the ground
where they stood would admit of. They closed
in on our flank, and it waspell-inelL In one minute

THE GREY SQUADRON 293

I had received three blows from different men on
my left when engaged on my right front, viz.
a sword-cut from the right side of the neck to
the left shoulder, a spear-wound on the right side,
and a blow with a matchlock across the loins. We
then got pretty clear of the enemy, and I killed
a Goorchurrah at least 900 yards (upwards of half
a mile) in rear of their gole. I then found my-
self entirely alone, and the first man I saw was
Private Galloway. We rallied a few more, as
we were dreadfully broken up, and instantly
charged back through the enemy to our old ground.
They did not offer so much opposition, but opened
out, and abused us as we passed. I mention this
little circumstance to show that w^e were (or many
of us) considerably in rear of the enemy's gole —
I have always thought a mile. We could not,
from the casualties, confusion, and jungle, all meet
and come back at the same time, but we were
pretty near the three officers with parties. I
think this caused greater panic and dismay to the
enemy, for they could not tell at what point we
were coming through them, and on our re-forming
they retired off the field. As to the .5th Light
Cavalry, we never saw anything of them, and
by Captain Wheatley's official report they were
* repulsed and driven back.' Our loss in killed and
wounded will pretty well show where we charged :
out of my squadron of 106 men, including 3 officers,
we had 23 killed and 17 wounded — total 40,^ with
18 horses killed and 8 wounded (including one
officer's horse) — total 26, and on re-forming we had
only 48 men in their saddles."

' Captain Unett does not mention that of the three officers present
two \rere wounded. The otlier subaltern was Lieutenant Stisted, son
of the Colonel Stisted with whom Sir .Joseph had exchanged to the
3rd Light Dragooas in 1837.

294 A SUBALTERN'S STORY

The account of Lieutenant MacQueen, who
commanded the right troop of the squadron in
the charge, differs slightly in some particulars.
He says :

" Soon after the enemy's guns had opened on our
brigade, Colonel Yerbury received an order to send
a squadron to join the 5th Light Cavalry to assist
in driving back a body of the enemy's horse who
were at that time threatening our flank. . . . At
this time I could only see the tops of the spears
which some of the Goorchurrahs carried ; but
after crossing the low ground and ascending the
short slope on the opposite side, we came in full
view of the enemy at about 350 yards to our
front. They appeared to be about 800 strong, and
they stood in line, but were formed into two
bodies by a small interval which separated them.
As soon as we came in full view of them the
trumpet sounded the ' gallop,' and we went on as
steadily as the jungle through which we were
passing would admit of, until we came to within
60 or 70 yards of them, when they opened a
heavy fire of musketry on us. At this moment
the order to charge was given, and as the left body
of the Goorchurrahs stood exactly perpendicular
to our fi'ont, the charge of our squadron was made
right through the centre of that body.

"The squadron was rallied again at about 300
yards to the rear of where the enemy stood, and
then, but not till then, I perceived that the Fifth
had not charged with us, and that we were alone.
At the same time I also observed that the
Goorchurrahs had re-formed their line on nearly
the same ground on which we had just charged
through them. They seemed merely to have
countermarched, and were apparently again waiting
to receive our attack. We therefore again advanced

PENNYCUICK'S BRIGADE 295

towards them, but this time, instead of receiving
our charge as before, after firing a few shots they
opened out and got behind the trees and bushes
in the jungle, and as we passed through them they
wheeled their horses round, and came on pell-mell
with us, nearly to the ground where we first joined
the 5th Cavalry and commenced our first advance.
Here we again rallied the squadron, when the
Goorchurrahs who had followed us turned and fled.
The squadron went to join the regiment, which had
gone off nearly a mile to the right."

It is now time to see Avhat had necessitated the
movement to the right by the Cavalry Brigade
immediately under the orders of Sir Joseph
ThackweU.

Colin Campbell states in his journal that the
Staff Officer who directed him to advance, told him
he would be supported by Brind's guns on the left,
but Colonel Brind does not appear to have con-
sidered that he was in any way at Campbell's
disposal, for in a letter to Sir Joseph he mentions
having afterwards heard that some assertion of this
nature had been made, and pertinently asks, " If my
guns were under his orders, why did he not exercise
some control ? "

Campbell's two brigades appear to have
advanced simultaneously, but became almost at
once separated, and never saw one another after
the order to advance was given. JNlowatt,
with the battery between the two brigades, was
to cover the advance of Pennycuick, and moved
forward in line with the skirmishers of that brigade ;
but the advance was pushed so fast by Pennycuick

296 THICKNESS OF THE JUNGLE

that the front of INIowatt's guns would appear to
have been quickly masked. Lawrence-Archer,
who was with the 24th Regiment in the centre
of this brigade, says that ground was more than
once taken to the right, a procedure which, in such
thick jungle as covered the front, naturally tended
to remove the brigade farther from the infantry on
the left, and from the supporting guns.

" So close was the undergrowth, so numerous
the thorny trees and bushes, that not only was
touch lost between brigades, but even between
the regiments of each brigade : tlie maintenance
of connection was hardly possible. By degrees
the line of infantry, except on our left, where
obstacles were fewer, resolved themselves into
companies and groups of scrambling soldiers,
none able to see clearly twenty yards in any
direction, all pressing forward as fast as their
weary frames and nervous tension permitted,
toward the Sikh batteries in their front. Trees
and scrub were full of the enemy's sharpshooters."^

And throughout this rapid movement the men under
Pennycuick, and especially the 24th Regiment, were
pounded by the heavy guns of the enemy ; but,
rushing on without firing, the Twenty-fourth f

arrived breathless at the guns, in confused bodies, [

and captured them at the point of the bayonet. '

Their loss, however, had been heavy. Three field
officers and five company commanders, besides
other officers, had been killed or wounded, and
the casualties among the other ranks were many ;
so that when, unsupported, exhausted by their

^ Thorburn.

HOGGAN'S ADVANCE 297

exertions and the rapid advance, they were received
by an overwhelming fire from the Sikh infantry
in rear of the guns, the remnant of the Twenty-
fourth fell back upon the village whence it had
advanced, the native infantry on either flank giving
way at the same time, and the whole being followed
up by the Sikh cavalry, until the advance of the
brigades on the left and right caused the exultant
horsemen to withdraw.

In the meantime, Hoggan's brigade, admirably
led by Campbell in person, was greatly assisted in
its advance by INIowatt's guns — when no longer
able to cover Pennycuick's movements — by the
Horse Artillery, under Brind, and by Robertson's
three guns, which engaged and silenced the heavy
battery of the Sikhs, which otherwise would have
enfiladed the left brigade during its advance.
Neither in his journal nor in his report of the
action does Sir Colin give any especial credit to
the artillery on his either flank for the success
which his advance achieved and merited, and which
he thus describes :

" Although the jungle through which the 7th
Brigade passed was close and thick, causing frequent
breaks to be made in the line, yet by regulating
the pace so as to make allowance for these obstruc-
tions, the left brigade, after an advance of half a
mile, reached a comparatively open tract of country
in a tolerably connected line. On this open tract
we found formed in our front a large body of
cavalry, and regular Sikh infantry which had played
upon us during our advance.

" H.M.'s 61st Regiment charged this cavalry,

298 CAMPBELL'S ACCOUNT "

and put it to an immediate and disorderly flight, jj
while the 36th Native Infantry on the right made
an attack upon their infantry, which, however, was
not successful, and in consequence they came down,
accompanied by two guns, upon the 36th Regiment,
obhging it to retreat in rear of H.M.'s Sixty-first.

" The two right companies of the Sixty-first
were instantly made to change front to the right,
and while the remainder of the regiment was
ordered to form rapidly in the same direction, the
two right companies charged the two guns, and
captured them. The fire of these two companies
upon the enemy Avho were in pursuit of the Thirty-
sixth compelled them to desist and retreat.

" While the remainder of H.M.'s Sixty-first was
forming on those two companies, the enemy brought
forward two more guns and fresh infantry, upon
which those who had desisted from pursuit of the
Thirty-sixth again formed, and the whole opened a
heavy fire ; this force was likewise charged by H.M.'s
61st Regiment, put to the rout, and the guns
captured. At the same time the 45th Native
Infantry, in its movement to form on the left of
H.M.'s Sixty-first, was attacked by a large body of
the enemy's cavalry, which it gallantly repulsed.

" The formation of the brigade on the flank of
the enemy's line now being completed, it moved
forward, driving everything before it, capturing in
all thirteen guns, until it met with Brigadier
Mountain's brigade advancing from the opposite
direction. The enemy retreated upon their guns,
which were in position along their line in twos and
threes, which they defended to the last moment in
succession, and were only obtained possession of by
us after a sharp contest, such as I have described
in the capture of the first two guns, and they were
all charged and taken by H.M.'s 61st Regiment.
During these operations we were on two or three

MOUNTAIN'S BRIGADE 299

occasions threatened by the enemy's cavahy on our
flank and rear, and were obhged to face about and
drive them off. The guns were all spiked, but
having no means with the force to remove them,
and it being too small to admit of any portion
being withdrawn for their protection, they were,
with the exception of the last three taken, un-
avoidably left upon the field."

In a letter written by General INIountain some
years afterwards to Sir Joseph Thackwell, speaking
of this period of the battle, INIountain says :

"We cleared the jungle, took all the guns in
our front, and silenced all opposition, and, having
done this, were then sent to our left and rear to
the assistance of Sir Colin Campbell, who was
threatened by the enemy, and had asked for a
reinforcement."

On finding how sensibly the interval was
increasing between himself and the Third Division,
owing to Campbell's movement to the right, Sir
Joseph Thackwell had sent Warner's troop of
horse artillery, escorted by a squadron of the
8th Light Cavalry, to join and support Hoggan's
brigade, and the rest of the cavalry brigade was
finally moved bodily to the right, and formed up
near Campbell and Mountain, opposite the centre
of the Sikh position.

Gilbert's division, its front covered by skirmishers,
had advanced steadily through the jungle in the
order already previously described, but its forward
movement was checked and endangered by the
action of Pope's cavalry. The Commander of the
Second Cavalry Brigade, seeing a large body of

800 THE CAVALRY UNDER POPE

the enemy's horsemen on the slopes of the hills
near Russool, detached, to protect his right flank, a
force under Colonel Lane of the Horse Artillery,
consisting of a wing each of the 9th Lancers, the
1st and 6th Light Cavalry, Lane's own guns and
two of Christie's. There is but little to chronicle
in regard to Lane's further share in the events of
the day, for he appears to have become completely
separated from the remainder of the cavalry ; he
was given no further orders by Pope throughout
the action, he was unable to afford any assistance
to his Brigadier, and, although his guns did open
fire and check some of the enemy threatening his
own flank, he practically took but little further
part in the battle, and appears to have remained in
comparative ignorance of all that transpired on his
immediate left.

In regard to what occurred under Pope, it has
in many accounts been stated that the Brigadier,
seeing a body of Sikh Horse in front of his line,
ordered the charge, but the evidence of the
9th Lancers and the 14th Light Dragoons — of
Hope Grant, Thompson, and Chetwynd — does not
agree with this. A few of the enemy's cavalry had
certainly been noticed in front, and the guns were
pushed forward — Pope, while the artillery were
coming into action, bringing on his brigade in one
long line at a trot. There were no scouts or
skirmishers in front, and no support of any sort or
kind was formed in rear. The line advanced in
the following order : the two squadrons of the
9th Lancers were on the extreme right, on their
left were three troops of the 1st Light Cavalry,

ITS RETIREMENT 301

then three troops of the 6th Light Cavalry, while
on the left of the line were the four squadrons of
the 14th Light Dragoons ; beyond these again
were the guns. The Brigadier led the line in fi'ont
of the native cavalry, by the centre of which the
four regiments were dressing and regulating their
pace. The cavalry had already passed beyond the
line of the guns, and had to some extent covered
their front, thus masking their fire, when — accord-
ing to the Commander of the second squadron of
the 14th — the pace dropped to a walk, and then
the whole line came to a halt at the same moment
that some Sikh horsemen became visible in the
jungle immediately in front.

Hope Grant, who commanded the two squadrons
of the 9th Lancers, stated in his report that
his men —

" were proceeding on steadily and changing their
direction a little to their left, when the native
cavalry began to cheer and charge. I confess at
the time I could see no enemy except a party of
about fifty horsemen a good deal to our right
flank, which ... I took to be some of our own
Irregular Horse."

Several explanations have been put forward to
account for the rearward movement. Durand, in
the Calcutta Review, mentions that some of
the sowars of the native cavalry afterwards told
Brigadier Godby, that their British officers were
fifty or sixty yards in front of the line when the
enemy's horse were sighted, and were then ordered
back to their squadrons. Tliat they came gallop-

302 ADVERSE CRITICISM

ing back at the moment when the cry of " Threes
About " was raised, and so unwittingly helped to
strengthen the impression that the order was given
by authority. But it seems probable that what
then really occurred was that the Brigadier (of
whom it is asserted that he was not wounded in
the advance, as several writers have stated, but
during the retirement), recognising that his forward
movement had masked the fire of his own guns
and wishing to repair the error, gave, or intended
to give, the command " Threes Right" so as to
clear the front ; but at this moment a close body
of some forty or fifty Sikh horsemen charged hotly
into the halted squadrons of native cavalry, when
the repeated word of command, as then passed on,
became " Threes About'' That considerable con-
fusion and a certain amount of individual panic
ensued is admitted by Hope Grant and other
leaders ; some of the guns which had been left in
rear of the cavalry were ridden over, and the
Sikh sowars, following up, cut down several of
the gunners and captured four guns, two waggons,
and many horses. It has in some quarters been
represented that the whole cavalry brigade fell
victims to an unreasoning panic and that there
was a general reckless stampede to the rear, but
it would seem that this was very far from being
the case. The testimony of some of the artillery
officers— the corps which suffered most — describes
the retreat as more of the nature of the ordinary
temporary retirement of a parade movement, that
it was "deliberate," that "the men rode slowly
to the rear " ; while at any rate some of the

SIR JOSEPH'S OPINION 303

squadrons retired in good order and at no faster
pace than a slow trot. The fatal mistake was
that there was no support in rear of the line —
nothing upon which the cavalry could re-form :
there was no common halting-point.

The story of this unhappy occurrence has been
handed down to posterity as one in which British
and native cavalry, actually committed to a
charge, suddenly went about and fled panic-stricken
from the field. It seems clear, however, that no
charge was either ordered or made, neither the
" Gallop " nor the " Charge " was sounded, nor
was there any present need for either ; but the
Sfoingf about at an unfortunate moment in obedience
to an imaginary order, induced among individuals
of the four regiments a panic, easily communicable
in retirement, and to which the broken, wooded
nature of the ground — causing separation rather
than assisting re-formation — easily lent itself.

Sir Joseph Thackwell greatly regretted that he
had placed himself on the left ; he had, as men-
tioned in his report on the action, intended to
join the right column of cavalry, but it being
stated that the enemy seemed to be making a
movement to the left rear of the British, the
Commander of the cavalry division concluded
that at least an equally large body of the enemy's
horse would be on the left as was present on the
right. Sir Joseph was President of a Court of
Inquiry convened to inquire into the conduct of
the cavalry of the Second Brigade, and the verdict
of the veteran cavalry commander, who had pro-
bably at that time seen more service with the

304 GILBERT'S DIVISION

mounted arm than any dragoon then serving in
any army, may well be accepted as final.

" I feel assured," he said, " from what I have
heard of Brigadier Pope and the conduct of the
cavalry of the right, that their retrograde move-
ment originated more from mistake, than a fear
of encountering an insignificant enemy."

The untoward incident above described occurred
just as Gilbert was leading his division to the
attack, and he, finding his right uncovered by the
retirement of the cavalry, was obliged to refuse
his right brigade (Godby's), to some extent, so
as to protect his flank, while he advanced on
the village between Kot Baloch and Tupai. Dur-
ing the whole of this advance Dawes' field battery
was of the very greatest service. Covered by the
fire of these guns, the brigade under ^lountain
advanced with great steadiness upon a strong
battery of the enemy, charged and captured the
guns, while Godby's brigade also carried the Sikh
guns in their front. The flank of this brigade
was now turned by the enemy and it was attacked
on three sides, but the onslaught was splendidly
met, and Dawes, moving to the right, poured in
a heavy fire and assisted to disperse the enemy.
The Reserve, under Penny, had been ordered up
by Lord Gough and, coming into action, was at
once hotly engaged on Godby's right ; and Camp-
bell's advance being now visible on the left,
Hoggan's and JNIountain's brigades wheeled inwards
and the position was at last taken, and the Sikhs

END OF THE BATTLE 305

driven from the field. They fled towards Russool
and across Lane's front, and he, now opening a
heavy fire of gi'ape, completely dispersed them.

As darkness fell upon the field the British were
in possession of the whole of the Sikh line and
the enemy had been driven back upon the Jhelum,
taking with them the four guns captured on the
right, but leaving thirteen of their own in our
hands and several more spiked and useless on the
ground.

It was eight o'clock before the majority of the

wounded had been brought in, and then, there

beinff no water on the field, the British withdrew

i to the village of Chillianwala for the night — an

! unfortunate necessity, since, under cover of the

darkness, parties of Sikhs returned to the deserted

I battlefield and carried off' nearly all the guns

which had not been brought into camp that

J evening.

The total loss of the British force was 22
officers, 16 native officers and 659 men killed or
missing, while the wounded included 67 British
officers, 27 native officers and 1,547 rank and file,
or a total killed and wounded of 2,338 — roughly,
17 per cent, of the whole force engaged. The
loss of the enemy w^as never accurately esti-
mated, but there is no doubt that they too suffered
very severely.

Durand wrote in the Calcutta Review of General
■ Thackwell at Chillianwala that —

" he did very great service on that memorable day
by maintaining an imposing front, working Brind's

306 DURAND ON THACKWELL

guns to advantage, and showing, by the gallant
Unett's daring charge, that Atar Singh's advance
from his ground without the support of his batteries
of position would meet with no respect from those
ready horsemen, and that, once in motion, the
Sikh chief might look for rough handling from
the 3rd Dragoons and their native comrades.
Thackwell acted wisely, cautiously, and firmly."

CHAPTER XVIII

As was perhaps only to be expected, the general-
ship of Lord Gough on the 13th and the published
details of this attack upon a difficult position over
broken ground, induced a storm of criticism in the
Press, not only in England but in India, and there
were few soldiers of any eminence, who had taken
part in the campaign, who did not find themselves
the mark of anonymous scribblers. It has v/ell
been said that —

"in the days of the Lawrences, and even later.
Government servants who had the gift were openly
Press correspondents or leader-writers, and in their
literary efforts not only criticised the proceedings
of individual officers, but even of departments and
the Government itself. In some cases they edited
newspapers, and owed their advancement in the
service to the freedom and ability with which they
used their pens." ^

Among those who were attacked was Colin
Campbell, and to him the criticism with which he
was assailed and the mistakes which were attributed
to him in the conduct of his division at Chillianwala,
seem to have given more annoyance than similar
irresponsible vapourings gave to his contemporaries,

* Tliorburn.
307

308 PRESS CRITICISM

or to Lord Gough himself. The strategy of the
campaign and the tactics of Chilhanwala were
discussed by nobody with greater freedom than by
the editor of the Mofussillte, a newspaper pubHshed
at Agra. This writer was John Lang, a barrister
and a journahstic freelance, better known perhaps
for his celebrated and successful defence of Jotee
Pershad, the notorious army contractor.

Most soldiers followed the example of Lord
Gough and took no notice of newspaper comment,
but Colin Campbell seems to have been especially
susceptible to criticism of this kind, and on the
subject of the inadequate use made of his guns and
the small artillery support given to his division at
Chilhanwala — in regard to which he seems to have
been blamed in the columns of the 3Iofussilite —
he had some correspondence with Sir Joseph
Thackwell, from which extracts will now be given.

On the 26th July Campbell wrote to Sir Joseph :

" I take the liberty of enclosing for your perusal
a letter I have received from Lieutenant Robertson
of the artillery, who was posted with one half-
three guns — of No. 10 Field Battery on the left of
the Third Division of infantry when formed in line
on the left of the village of Chilhanwala on the
13th of January, on its being ordered by the Com-
mander-in-Chief to advance in that order to the
attack of the enemy in position on the other side of
the jungle immediately in its front. Lieutenant
Robertson states that he accompanied the Third
Division for a short distance, when he was ordered
by a staff officer, whom he cannot recollect, to
move with his three guns to his left to assist the
horse artillery, the three troops of which arm in

CA.AIPBELL'S INQUIRIES 309

that direction were attached to the cavalry on the
left of the line under your immediate personal
command on that day.

" \A'^ill you do me the favour to inform me if the
order received by Lieutenant Robertson to move
to his left with his three guns to assist the horse
artillery was given by you ? And if not, if you
are aware by whom the order was given to Lieu-
tenant Robertson ?

" It could not have been given by an officer of
the Headquarter Staff, because Lord Gough,
previous to the advance of the division, sent two
officers — Lieutenant Bagot, A.D.C., and Lieutenant
Johnstone, Deputy Judge Advocate — to inform me
that he had desired these officers to convey his
wishes to the horse artillery on the left to accom-
pany and assist my attack."

In reply to the above Sir Joseph, writing on the
8th August, says :

•' I have read the whole of Lieutenant Robertson's
letter, and he has given me the first intimation I
evev received of his three guns having acted on the
flank of the enemy's battery opposed to Lieutenant-
Colonel Brind's guns. This half battery and No. 5
Field Battery were attached to your division, and
Lieutenant Robertson should not have received any
orders except through you. Now, I have much
pleasure in answering your question whether the
order for Lieutenant Robertson to move to the
left to assist Colonel Brind was given by me ; to
this I say no such order was given or even con-
templated by me. I had my own guns and you
had yours, nor did I ever hear of such an order
having been given by anybody. Nor, as I before
observed, was I aware that any guns fired upon the
enemy opposed to Lieutenant- Colonel Brind, except
his own, until the arrival of Lieutenant Robertson's

310 THACKWELL'S REPLY

letter. In my advance the order to Lieutenant-
Colonel Brind was to keep his battery within about
a hundred yards of your left. He, however, got to
a greater distance, owing to the jungle and the
enemy's right opening their guns upon him ; but
I do not think he was more than four hundred
yards from your left at that time. Of course the
gap became great when your left was obliged to
close to the right. A^either Ijieutenant Bagot nor
Lieutenant Johnstone ever came to me to give any
orders from the Commander-in-Chief respecting
Brind 's guns ; and if he had received such an order
fi'om either of these officers, I think he would have
reported it to me, as I was with the cavalry on
his left. When the 5th Brigade failed, Brigadier
Brooke ^ came to say the left wing was to close to
the right, and this was the first intimation that
anything was wrong which came to my knowledge,
as I contemplated turning the enemy's right flank.
Warner's troop of horse artillery joined your left
and JNIoone's squadron of the 8th Light Cavalry.
Whilst I was with this party. White took his
brigade towards the centre, by, I believe, the
Chiefs orders, and your flank was greatly exposed."

It would seem that Sir Joseph must have written
a further letter to Sir Colin telling him that he was
making inquiries among the different members of
his staff about the order given to Robertson, for,
"writing again on the 15th November, Campbell says:

"As you told me in your former letter that the
order referred to by Lieutenant Robertson did not
emanate from you, I am sorry you troubled your-
self with writing to your staff. Of the fact, how-
ever, that Lieutenant Robertson did get an order
to leave his place in his own division and proceed

^ Commanding Horse Artillery.

CAMPBELL'S REJOINDER 311

to the assistance of Colonel Brind, who with his
eighteen horse artillery guns was opposed to some
eight or ten of the enemy, and that I was con-
sequently deprived of his aid when I most needed
him on my own flank, there is no douht whatever.
There is no mystery on that head. Some irrespon-
sible person took it upon himself to order Lieu-
tenant Robertson to join Colonel Brind, on which
duty the former remained until the few guns
opposed to the latter were silenced ; after this
Colonel Brind communicated with Lieutenant
Robertson through his Brigade JNIajor, Captain
Tucker, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General,
having been in the Lieutenant's battery when he
was engaged in enfilading the enemy's guns above
mentioned. Thus was my division robbed of its
light guns, which reinforced the main body of that
arm under Colonel Brind, without any information
being given to me at the time or afterwards, or
any report from the Commanding Officer of your
artillery or your Staff Officer being made to you,
to whose division they went. Both you and I
have to complain of these gentlemen on this account.
I will not permit myself to enlarge on the conduct
or motives of those, whosoever they may be, who
have concealed the part they took in giving this
order, and on the consequent injury they did to my
division and to me personally. It is principally on
that account that I have been misrepresented, not
only in the public prints, but in the highest and
most influential quarters.

"You dwell on the fact that in your opinion,
and in that of your staff, the estimate of dis-
tance between your division and mine made by
Lieutenant Robertson is excessive. Allow me
to say, my dear General, that this has nothing to do
with the matter. There Avas a large interval between
us in a thick jungle — and I was as much separated

312 ARTILLERY SUPPORT

from you therefore, de facto, as if you had been in
Calcutta. Your own appreciation of this, you
having been in the field with your own division,
shows how little is known accurately of the move-
ments of mine on the 13th January. Owing to
this ignorance on the part of the public, I have
had much to endure. With others whom I do
not know, and with anonymous writers, I have no
concern. But I cannot let this opportunity pass
without setting you right on the absolute state of
isolation in which I was left, till, after a long
action, and having traversed a wide space, I finally
rolled up the enemy's line from the point of attack
of my left brigade to that of my junction with
Mountain's force belonging to the right wing of
the army, my own right brigade (or Pennycuick's)
having met with a disaster of which I was not
cognisant till near the end of the day, as you will
see by what follows."

There is then given a long account of the
movements of Hoggan's brigade led by Campbell,
prefaced by the statement that when ordered to
advance he at the same time received two messages
from Lord Gough, to the effect that his left flank
would be supported by Brind's guns ; that his
Brigade Major, Keiller, was sent to find the horse
artillery, but failed to do so ; and that Campbell
therefore had to advance at once, not knowing
where these supporting guns were. At the same
time, apparently, Robertson left him in obedience
to the orders of the mysterious staff officer, and
did not rejoin the Third Division until Campbell
had effected his junction with Gilbert's left brigade.
Campbell concludes his letter to Sir Joseph by
saying :

BRIND'S OPINION 313

" Such, my dear General, is the true relation of
the manner in which the left brigade of my
di\asion was left to fight its way, without any
portion of the artillery support promised by Lord
Gough, being at the same time divested of its
own guns, as shown above. I think you will
now agi-ee with me that the estimate of distance
between your right and my left, to a hundred yards
or so, is not of any consequence — the separation of
our two divisions was absolute ; combination and
its results were precluded."

By this time General Thackwell had received
communications from Brind, Tucker, and Lieu-
tenant Thackwell, to all of whom he had written.

Colonel Brind, who had evidently also heard
from Campbell — for he speaks of "letters from
Peshawar" — has a good deal to say on the subject.

" The infantry," he writes : " moved from
Chillianwala a little before us. We were detained
by a staff officer to wait orders, which came,
and we moved on a few hundred yards, perhaps
two hundred, after the infantry. We did not
move very far when the enemy saw us, being
mounted, and fired. I continued advancing, and
inclined a little to the left to get a good position,
and then opened fire. Our position was thus."

Sikh Guns

'M*i'M'M<hl>l>l'M>l'l'M<

250 ^ - - '.

«I'N-1'I'I'M'I'I-M'-"" *

Robertson ^^ Division

314 BRIND AND ROBERTSON

"At the time I came into action on the 13th
January, I do not think the left of the Third
Division was more than 300 or 400 yards from
me, and Robertson's three guns were, so it appeared
to me, in line with their infantry, and came
into action about the same time that we did,
being about 250 yards to our right and in advance
of us. I soon after lost sight of the infantry,
who appeared, while we were engaging the enemy's
batteries, to take ground towards their right flank,
leaving a considerable gap — how great I cannot
specify. A few hundred yards in a jungle seems
a great distance, and I should doubt that the Third
Division was at any time 1,200 yards from their
guns, judging from the extent of the field and
our subsequent position at the centre of the line.
Robertson must have received orders, or he would
not, I am certain, have left the line he was attached
to. In my belief, he merely halted during the
advance, but did not take ground to the left : had
he done so he would have got in front of my
guns. I am not aware who gave him the order said
to have been given him by some staff officer. He
was not very long in action before he was called
away to rejoin his own infantry. His guns did
good service where they were, as they brought
a cross fire on the enemy's guns — their strongest
battery, I beheve — while we had a direct fire on
these guns. Robertson never joined me or was
under my orders. He appeared to be firing at
the same guns we were engaged with, and I
remember sending Bruce to point out that if he
fired more obhquely he would do more good, as
we could only bring a direct fire on these guns.
After Bruce came back I observed the disappear-
ance of the infantry."

" It struck me," says Brind elsewhere, " that
Robertson, not getting any orders from Campbell,

LETTER FROM TUCKER 315

naturally fired at the guns which fired at him. I
fancy Campbell ran on without giving any orders
to his guns."

In another communication to Sir Joseph Thack-
well, Colonel Brind wrote :

" On the 13th January he " (Campbell) " did
not exercise the command over more than his left
brigade ; he gave no instructions to the artillery
attached to his division. If my guns were of no
use to him, they were to the field, and, I think,
saved his left brigade from being cut to pieces. I had
just sent Bruce to Robertson to point out he had
better fire across our front, if he had no other
orders, for his direct fire was lost, when the M.B.
(Keiller), Bruce says, came up and took the guns
away. Who ordered him to fire at all, I don't
know — the mysterious staff officer ! I think from
16 to 18 guns opened on us. I was not disre-
garding Campbell's infantry, though not under his
orders, or in any way able to act otherwise than
I did."

There is also extant a letter fi-om Tudor Tucker,

the Deputy Assistant Quartermaster- General,
wherein he says :

" Quite at the commencement of the day, before
Brind's horse artillery was in position, you
ordered me to see that we did not get too far from
the line of infantry, because being thrown back at
an angle, every forward movement, either of theirs
or ours, increased considerably the interval from
flank to flank. I galloped by the rear across the
angle to their left, and returned by Robertson's
battery and Brind's three troops of horse artillery,
to the front of the line of cavalry, where I found
you. Robertson's battery was getting into action

316 A.D.C.'S EVIDENCE

as I came up to it. He had two guns and a
howitzer. He had moved from the infantry towards
Brind's guns, and was nearer to the latter than
to the former when he opened fire, but not fronting
the same way. Brind fronted with the cavalry,
Robertson with the infantry. 1 spoke to Robert-
son and stayed with him while he fired several
rounds. His howitzer did great execution on the
Sikh horsemen — they were in masses when he
first opened, and he soon dispersed them. The
[our] infantry advanced while 1 was with Robert-
son. I did not ask Robertson why he was where
I found him, nor under whose orders he was ; I
knew he w^as attached to an infantry division, and
concluded he had received his orders from his
General. I beg you to believe that / gaiie him no
orders of any sort. The distance between the
infantry and your division was widening very
much, owing to the advance of the infantry."

Lieutenant Thackwell, A.D.C., also denied
having given any orders whatever to Lieutenant
Robertson.

Having received the above letters, Sir Joseph
replied to Colin Campbell's letter of the 25th
November, thanking him for his —

" long account of the battle of Chillianwala, though
I must differ with you in some of its conclusions.
I was fully aware of the gallantry with which
Hoggan's brigade, under your able direction, rolled
up the enemy after breaking up their line, and that
it was left quite to its own exertions for some
time, and that its noble bearing repulsed all the
attacks of the enemy upon it ; but I cannot agree
with you that Brind's guns and the first brigade
of cavalry were of no use to you, and might as

SIR JOSEPH SUMS UP 317

well have been at Calcutta, for this force had the
whole of Atar Singh's troops, which had been
entrenched at Fatehshah-ke-Chiik, opposed to it,
composed of 16 or 18 guns and a large body of
cavalry and infantry. Lord Gough's information,
given on the 12th January, stated their artillery
to be 17 guns — consequently, had all my troops
been away you would have had some " ( ? several)
"thousand men with the above-mentioned guns
on your flank and rear, and you might then have
wished Brind's guns and White's cavalry to have
been near you. Lieutenant- Colonel Brind and all
my staff, as I have before stated, positively deny
having given any orders to Lieutenant Robertson.
For my part, I consider him not free from blame
in having left your division unsanctioned by you.
Lieutenant- Colonel Brind's guns were attached to
the first brigade of cavalry and under my orders,
and were intended to act on your left flank, and
they did so most effectually, according to my
opinion. But when you took ground to the right
in rolling up the enemy's line, of course the gap
between us became greater every instant, until,
when I joined you, it was very considerable.
When your movement was discovered, Brind's
guns and White's brigade took ground to the
right, but two troops of artillery and all the
cavalry, save one squadron, went to the other side
of Chillianwala, without my knowledge, by an
order brought by Brigadier Brooke, as was said,
from the Commander-in-Chief."

" I do not believe," says Sir Joseph in another
communication, " they were the Bunnu troops in
this position, but those of Atar Singh, who was
entrenched in front of Fatehshah-ke-Chuk, and his
works had 17 or 18 gun embrasures in them,
which I counted on the 15th January^ and traced

' I think the lOth is meant, from an entry in the diary. — H. C. W.

318 ROBERTSON'S LETTER

the wheels of the ffuns from the entrenchment to
where they formed the right Sikh battery opposed
to Brind."

Robertson, in his much-referred-to letter, wrote
to Campbell :

" I received the following order : ' Take your guns
more to the left and assist the horse artillery in
silencing those guns,' from a staff officer who rode
up to me, when I had advanced with the line
about 200 yards, if so much. The order was
given to me in a very distinct tone, and although
Heath " (his brother subaltern) " and myself have
frequently since endeavoured to recall to our
recollection the appearance of the officer, we have
failed. It w^as conveyed with such an air of
authority, and its nature at such a time was such,
that it never entered my judgment to question its
authenticity, the more especially as, having called
in question the authenticity of an order received
that same morning, which deprived me of the use
of three of my guns, I found myself mistaken when
appearances justified my suspicions* I accordingly
trotted out to the left — probably 500 yards.
Tucker of the Quartermaster- General's depart-
ment, must, I think, be accurately acquainted with
my position there as relates to your left, for he was
in the battery when I opened fire at this point ;
certain 1 am that we could not have seen each
other. I dispersed a considerable body of horse-
men here, and after having fired about 20 rounds,
I limbered up and proceeded in the direction in-
dicated by the mysterious staff officer as the
whereabouts of the horse artillery. A shot or
two, evidently fired either at the infantry of your
left or your right brigade, informed me of the j I
position of the enemy at last, and as these shots <

CAxMPBELL'S LEADING 319

hopped along my front, I brought up my right
shoulders and, unlimbering, found myself opposed
to a string of guns which were busily engaged
directly with the horse artillery, but occasionally
wheeled round a gun in acknowledgment of my
attacks on their left flank, which, being unpro-
tected, enabled me to enfilade the whole string of
them. I think we were engaged here half an hour,
and then the enemy's fire slackened and ceased.
Bruce, the adjutant of the artillery, rode up from
the horse artillery (which I never saw, though I
knew its position) and told me that my fire had
been of great service to them, that Brind was
about to advance and wished to know what I
intended to do. Having done as I was ordered, I
said I would rejoin my own division. When we
limbered up we heard the rattle of the musketry
on the left, as we guessed, at 1,200 yards' distance."

At the time of the opening of this campaign
Campbell had had but little or no experience of
the command of a brigade in the field, and it was
only since Ramnuggar that he had held charge of a
division. At Chillianwala nothing could have
been more admirable than his leading of Hoggan's
brigade ; but it is at least open to question whether,
by thus confining himself to the duties of a
brigadier, he can be absolved from some respon-
sibility for the disaster which overtook one half of
his division. His action prevented his devoting
his whole attention to the proper combination of
the component parts of his division ; the too rapid
advance of his right brigade precluded its due
support by the field battery specially told off to
accompany it ; while the withdrawal of the three field

320 THE DIVISIONAL ARTILLERY

guns intended to accompany Hoggan, could hardly
have escaped the notice of a divisional leader duly
exercising the ordinary functions of his command.
Campbell was certainly deprived during a consider-
able part of the action of the immediate support of
the three guns told off to accompany Hoggan,
but he makes but slight mention of the very great
obligations due by this brigade to the six guns of
Mowatt, when the hurried advance of the right
brigade prevented JMowatt from giving Pennycuick
the intended support, and obliged that artillery
officer to turn his guns upon the enemy in Camp-
bell's front.

That Hoggan's brigade, led by Campbell, ex-
perienced great opposition there is no doubt ; but
that is no reason for minimising the assistance
indirectly given to the troops under Campbell's
immediate command, through the pressure exer-
cised upon the remainder of the enemy's line by
the units on the right and left of the brigade,
or for belittling the strength of the hostile forces
with which other commanders had to contend.

The British attacks upon the Sikh line were to all
intents and purposes simultaneous, and although
contact was not established at precisely the same
moment at every point, it is evident that the Sikhs
could nowhere and at no time concentrate over-
powering forces upon any one portion of the
British attack, even when certain units of the
advancing line had suffered repulse or even
disaster. The defeated units were still there ; they
had not been driven from the field ; they were still
to reckon with ; and consequently the force of the

BRIND'S ACTION 321

enemy immediately opposed to Campbell's left
brigade was never ov^erpoweringly greater than
he could, from the outset, have anticipated. The
continued presence in the field of the defeated
British units must have exercised a certain
deterrent effect upon the Sikhs, in so far as
concerns the permanent reinforcement of any other
part of their extended line, already rather over-
strained for their numbers.

In the map accompanying Sir Colin Campbell's
account of the battle, to be found in Shad well's
'* Life of Lord Clyde," as, indeed, in almost every
known plan of the battle of Chillianwala, it
appears that while the British right was practically
opposite the left of the Sikh position at Russool,
the southernmost flank of the enemy very greatly
overlapped Lord Gough's left, and consequently
the British cavalry and horse artillery on this
flank were not only opposed to the Sikhs im-
mediately in their front, but to those who were
able to menace their flank and even their rear.
Malleson says that the cavalry and horse artillery
on the left " had performed the great service of
keeping in check the centre right division of the
enemy." Sir Charles Gough has described how
Brind's horse artillery came into action against
" a powerful battery of Sikh guns." The evidence
of Brind himself, and of Sir Joseph, is in agreement
as to the number of guns composing this battery ;
and from Brind's sketch, and from Robertson's state-
ment that, even while heavily engaged with our
artillery, the Sikhs were able occasionally to throw
a round shot at Campbell's infantry, it is plain how

•21

322 COUGH'S ORDERS

greatly Hoggan would have suffered during his
advance, had the horse artillery of the left not
taken some of the pressure off him on to their
own shoulders.

Sir Colin himself does not seem quite clear as to
what extent, if any, Brind's horse artillery was at
his disposal, for he speaks indiscriminately of
having been informed that the horse artillery
" was to accompany and assist " his advance, of the
" artillery support promised by Lord Gough," and
of having been told that his " left flank would be
supported by Brind's guns " ; but from the general
tone of his complaint it appears that he expected
the horse artillery was intended to advance with
him, engaging any part of the enemy's force to
which the Third Division — or that portion of it led
by Campbell himself — was directly opposed. It
seems clear that this view of the proposed action of
the artillery cannot be justified ; and that if the
two young staff officers quoted gave Sir Colin that
impression, they were not correctly communicating
the intentions of the Commander-in-Chief, who, in
his dispatch of the 16th January, when describing
his order of battle, merely says that " Brigadier-
General Campbell's division formed the left,
flanked by Brigadier White's brigade of cavalry
and three troops of horse artillery under Lieutenant-
Colonel Brind." No orders reached either Sir
Joseph or Colonel Brind fi*om Lord Gough re-
specting any fresh disposition of the horse
artillery, nor did Campbell himself send any
orders or message to Brind which could lead that
officer to suppose that he was to accompany the

CAMPBELL RESPONSIBLE 323

advance of any other arm than that with which
horse artillery usually act.

Brind is quite correct when he says that he was
" not disregarding Campbell's infantry," and there
can be no doubt that he afforded very material
support to the Third Division, to which, moreover.
Sir Joseph at once dispatched a troop of horse
artillery when he found how wide the interval
had become, and how greatly Hoggan's flank
was exposed by the continued movement of the
infantry to the right.

Splendidly as Sir Colin Campbell led the left
brigade at Chillianwala, and greatly as his reputation
as a leader in action was thereby deservedly en-
hanced, it must be agreed that for the " absolute
state of isolation " in which his brigade found itself,
he himself must accept the sole responsibility,
which cannot in fairness be transferred to the
shoulders of any other individual.

CHAPTER XIX

The Sikhs had withdrawn after the battle of
ChiUianwala to Tupai, on the Jhelum, and it has
been generally admitted that had the British been
able to advance on the morning of the 14th the
enemy might well have been driven into the river.
That night, however, and the next day, and the day
after, the rain descended in torrents, and movement
was impossible, so that while the British remained
inactive in the camp which they entrenched at
ChiUianwala, the Sikhs were able to draw off to
their left and occupy the very strong position on
the hills about Russool. The First Brigade of
cavalry, with one troop of horse artillery, was
employed during the whole of the 14th in scouring
the battlefield in the hope of discovering abandoned
guns, but none were found ; all not removed by
us had, as already stated, been carried off by
the Sikhs.

During the days of perpetual rain, reinforcements
continued to join the enemy, and consequently
Lord Gough made up his mind to wait until the
fall of Multan — now only a matter of days — should
permit of his force being swelled by the division
under Whish, and the Bombay brigade under

324

AFTER CHILLI AN WALA 325

Dundas ; meanwhile " he would strengthen his
bridge-head opposite Ramnuggar, maintain his
present position, and, by starving out Sher Singh
and all his hosts, compel him to move towards
food supplies " and the open country, where the
Sikh leader and his following might more easily
be crushed.

A few days after the battle of Chillianwala,
Chutter Singh, accompanied by the Afghan levies,
arrived in the Sikh camp, and was received with
a royal salute. He had brought with him Major
liawrence and others, who had been captured on
the fall of Attock and Peshawar, and on the 27th
Sir Joseph writes in his diary :

" Mr. Bowie, who was the Company's artillery
officer who disciplined the Sikh artillery under
Major Lawrence at Peshawar, came into camp by
Sikh permission yesterday, and he is to return
at 4 p.m. to-day. He says the Sikh army is 60,000
men, with 70 guns."

Lord Gough was now anxious about a convoy
coming from the direction of Gujerat.

" 30//^ Januari). — A wing of irregular cavalry
went to Dinghi ; two squadrons of the 1 4th Light
Dragoons, two of light cavalry, and three guns
went to Noorjemal at half-past 8 for the pro-
tection of the Gujerat convoy."

" 1*^ February. — Four squadrons of dragoons,
the 1st Light Cavalry and four guns went from camp
to Dinghi to protect the convoy from Gujerat."

" 2nd. — ^The Commander-in-Chief very anxious
respecting the safety of the convoy coming from
Gujerat, having four squadrons of European

326 THE OUTPOST DUTIES

cavalry, five squadrons of native cavalry, and four
guns to protect it, apprehending that vSher Singh
had gone by Moong to turn our left flank, whilst
Chutter Singh was in great force at Pooran to
turn our right. My patrols found out that no
enemy had passed through Moong, and that no
force was threatening our right, and at about
4 p.m. the convoy came into camp safely."

" Si'd. — An absurd report of the advance of the
enemy by the Dinghi road, and that they occupied
the mound at INIagnawala. No truth in this, for
we had occupied the mound before sunrise, though
the enemy have 300 regular cavalry and a few
hundred irregulars at the foot of the hills. It
is said, but whether truly or not, God knows,
that Chutter Singh and his troops, including the
Afghans, are at Pooran . . . also Sher Singh and his
troops. Ram Singh, Lai Singh, Khan Singh, Dhokul
Singh's regiment, and Bahadur Singh's regiment.
At Russool are Atar Singh, and Soorut Singh, with
their troops."

" M. — I went to Noorjemal, and up on the mound
at Magnawala. Saw a good many Sikh Horse and
footmen, but they did not attempt to molest our
people on the mound."

" 5th. — The enemy emerged from the pass in large
force and got possession of the mound and of
Noorjemal. All the divisional generals and the
Commander-in-Chief's staff and engineers waited
on the Commander-in-Chief to consult what is best
to be done. I rode out towards Noorjemal, and
reconnoitred the Sikh position at Khorre, Moong,
and Meanee Chuk, and I should think eight or
ten thousand men had encamped or bivouacked
near these villages, and the villagers of Noorjemal
said they had ten guns through the pass."

" Qth. — The Sikhs this morning had occupied
Noorjemal, and had advanced large bodies towards

SKIRMISHING 327

Dinghi. I therefore marched at 12 with three
squadrons of Dragoons and Lancers, a regiment
of native cavahy, two risalas of irregulars and six
guns, towards Dinghi, the whole under command
of Brigadier Bradford, and on my left was
Lieutenant-Colonel King, with two squadrons of
Dragoons and Lancers, three of light cavalry, and
six guns. When arrived near Dinghi, I found about
500 regulars and 1,000 others had plundered the
town. A few stragglers were taken. The column
made a detour to the left to within a mile and
a half of the Sikh position, and returned to camp."

" 7th. — ^lajor Yerbury (3rd Light Dragoons)
and six squadrons of cavalry were at Bazarwala
to-day with six guns. The Sikh cavalry, about,
as said, 4,000, drew out to oppose them, but did
not approach nearer than about a mile. They fired
a few shots at vedettes, and when they found out
that we had guns they retired to their camp."

" l\th. — The enemy in force on the left, and
drove in our post at Bazarwala. I had out 12
guns and nearly two brigades of cavalry, and about
a mile from the camp the advance had a good deal
of skirmishing, but little execution was done.
The enemy began to retire about half-past 2, and
the supports came into camp."

" V2th. — The enemy seems to have commenced
a retreat from Russool during last night. No
tents are to be seen, but a good many men were
still visible, but they soon retired, and the
Commander-in-Chief went to Russool. . . . Our
sick and wounded went under escort to-day at
3 p.m. to Ramnuggar."

(The Sikhs were moving towards Gujerat, where
they took up a position between the town and
a ford on the Chenab above Wazirabad.)

" \^tli. — Visited the Sikh position at Russool.

328 THE FLANK MARCH

It stands close to the Jhelum, from which it is
separated by a narrow plain. Russool is upon
a high cliff, surrounded by deep ravines. The
passage to the village is by a narrow dam about
eight feet broad. The Sikhs had three lines of
batteries to the east of it, with a gentle slope
towards the south ; at the south-west side it
rested on the Jhelum, with a salient battery of
five guns about 500 yards from the river. . . . The
Jhelum only one stream about 80 yards broad."

" loth. — Marched to Lussoorie in consequence of
the threatened march of the Sikh army upon
Lahore ; the road lay through jungle, leaving Sura
to the left and Gunderwala to the right, and
then to Hussnawala."

" IQth. — Marched at half-past 6 in one column,
same as yesterday, by Panewala, to an encampment
half a mile in front of Sadulapore — encamped in
one line. Scarcely a vestige of the late action
remaining."

" 17th. — Marched at half-past 8 in brigade
columns at deploying distance about three and a
half miles towards Kunjah, which I went to with
three squadrons of cavalry and two guns. The
enemy had retired. The country flat, with many
babul trees near Kunjah. In most places fine for
cavalry, but in parts intersected with shallow
nullahs with water."

" 18//?. — At a quarter-past 10 the army moved in
the same order as yesterday, in column of brigades,
about four miles. The right advanced towards
Wazirabad, and within a short distance of the river,
the left resting on Kunjah. The Sikhs moved from
Gujerat to a nullah two miles in advance, towards
Kunjah. All quiet."

" 19//;. — A report in tlie morning that the enemy
were advancing . . . The Chief ordered out two strong
reconnoitring parties of four guns each, to which

OPPOSITE GUJERAT 329

I added four squadrons of cavalry to each. They
advanced — that is, Lieutenant-Colonels FuUerton
and Bradford — towards the Sikh position, but only
discovered their picquets, which seemed strong and
disposed to maintain their ground. In the after-
noon I visited the picquets on the right, and
advanced that of the 3rd Light Dragoons. Went
to the mound in front of Shadiwal, and ordered
it to be occupied to-morrow morning. . . .
Saw Lord Gough, and met Lieutenant-Colonel
Franks, Major Miller, and another officer of the
gallant Queen's Tenth. The 10th Queen's, and
8th and 52nd Native Infantry arrived yesterday,
and Brigadier- General Dundas with the European
Bombay Fusiliers, 60th Rifles, and two Bombay
regiments arrived in camp about 6 o'clock."

" 20th. — The army marched in column of brigades
towards the enemy's position — about two miles —
and encamped in front of the village of Shadiwal.
I took a reconnoitring party of four guns and six
squadrons to Narawala, within less than three miles
of Gujerat. This caused their whole line to turn
out, and they displayed a good line of men. How-
ever, they did not dare to advance, and the whole
returned to camp unmolested."

"Throughout the 20th the two armies lay
opposite to each other, the Sikhs round the town
of Gujerat, the British about three miles to the
south, their left resting on the small town of
Kunjah, their centre on the large village of Shadiwal,
and their right extending to the low alluvial lands
on the Gujerat side of the ford at Wazirabad. The
whole country was perfectly flat, open, and
cultivated, dotted by populous villages, and covered
with young spring crops, chiefly wheat and barley,
at that time of the year standing a few inches high.
Had Lord Gough searched all India for a battle-

330 REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE

field better adapted for the overthrow of the Sikhs,
he could have found none more suitable." ^

The town of Gujerat and the position to the
south of it taken up by the Sikh army, were flanked
by two nullahs running down towards the Chenab ;
the nullah to the east was wet, that to the west
was dry. The latter made a slightly easterly bend
below the town, and then ran almost due south
towards Shadiwal. The two wings of the Sikh
infantry found shelter in the two nullahs, while
the centre of the line occupied three entrenched
villages, known as Burra and Chota Kalra. On
each flank, outside either nullah, were strong bodies
of the Sikh and Afghan cavalry. The total Sikh
force was estimated at close upon 60,000 men,
with 59 guns, but of these latter very few were
of heavier metal than 9-pounders.

The reinforcements which had reached Lord
Gough had raised his army to 24,000, of whom
probably 20,000 could be placed in line of battle.
Although his numbers were thus less than half those
of the enemy, he was now very strong in artillery,
having, besides heavy guns, thirteen other batteries,
of which all but one — which remained with the
baggage escort in rear of the army — were brought
into action. The Commander-in-Chief could now
dispose of 18 heavy guns, viz. ten 18-pounders and
eight 8-inch howitzers, while he had a large number
of 9-pounders. In all, and allowing for the guns lost
at Chillianwala, Lord Gough was able to bring 94
guns of varying calibre into action, including the
Bombay Light Field Battery with the baggage guard.

* Thorburn.

COUGH'S GUNS 331

There has been considerable difference of opinion
among various wi'iters as to the number of British
guns actually present at the battle of Gujerat, the
total being given as 106, 96, and 88, while Sir
Joseph gives the number as 90, viz. 18 heavy-
guns, 42 9-pounders, and 30 6-pounders. Taking
the reports of the officers commanding respectively
the Bengal and Bombay Artillery, there would
appear to have been in all 18 heavy guns,
9 troops of horse artillery, and 4 light field
batteries — making a total of 96 guns which should
have been present. Stubbs, however, in his
" History of the Bengal Artillery," writes of " the
fire of the 88 guns," from which it is apparent that,
as the Bengal Artillery could only number at most
84 guns, he must be inclitding the Bombay horse
battery which was engaged, and excluding the
Bombay light field battery, which, being with the
baggage guard, did not fire. It is evident also
from Stubbs's figures that two at least of the guns
lost at Chillianwala had not been replaced ; but
as all accounts seem in agreement that Duncan
and Huish on the left had 12 guns between them,
it would appear that while Huish's troop had
been again made up to six guns, that of Christie —
now Kinleside — had not. If these figures and
deductions are correct, there must have been
altogether 94 guns present in the field.

The 18 heavy guns seem to have been divided into
four batteries, or among four artillery companies,
viz. six in one, and four in each of the other three.

Some changes had naturally taken place in the
higher commands ; Godby had been transferred to

332 CHANGES IN THE COMMANDS

the command at Lahore, and Penny, from Camp-
bell's division, now commanded Godby's brigade
under Gilbert. Carnegie had taken Penny's place,
and McLeod had been appointed to the command
of Pennycuick's brigade. The two brigades in the
First Division were commanded respectively by
Markham and Hervey, while the Bombay column,
containing four regiments, remained as an inde-
pendant unit under Dundas. The cavalry division
under Sir Joseph Thackwell now comprised some
fourteen regiments of cavalry, of a total strength
of close upon 7,000 sabres, and was organised as
follows :

1*/ Cavalry Brigade. S?-d Cavalry Brigade.
Brigadier M. White, C.B. Brigadier Bradford.
3rd Light Dragoons. 11th Irregular Cavalry.

5th Light Cavalry. 14th Irregular Cavalry.

8th Light Cavalry.
Attached on the 21st,
Scinde Horse.

2nd Cavalry Brigade.
Brigadier G. H. Lock-
wood, C.B. ^
9th Lancers.
14th Light Dragoons.
1st Light Cavalry.
6th Light Cavalry.

Uh Cavalry Brigade.

Brigadier J. B. Hearsey,
C.B.
11th Light Cavalry. ,
3rd Irregular Cavalry.
9th Irregular Cavalry.
13th Irregular Cavalry.

There was also the 12th Irregular Cavalry, but
this regiment had been detached with other details

* This officer— of the ord Light Dragoons—only rejoined from
England on the 7th February.

GUJERAT 333

to Wazirabad, while the army still lay at Chillian-
wala, to resist any attempt of the Sikhs to cross
the Chenab.

For the battle on the 21st some modifications
were made in the above-mentioned composition of
brigades : the Third Cavalry Brigade was broken
up, and of the two regiments which it contained,
the 11th Irregular Cavalry was sent to Hearsey's
brigade, while the 14th was at first posted to the
First Brigade, but remained during the action on
the right at Hearsey's disposal. The 9th Lancers
and Scinde Horse — the latter about 250 strong —
were temporarily placed under Brigadier White,
and the 5th Light Cavalry of the First and the 6th
Light Cavalry of the Second Brigade formed part
of the baggage guard for the day.

From Sir Joseph Thackwell's despatch it will
be seen that he was not only in command of the
cavalry division on this day, but that the whole
of the troops on the left or west of the nullah
which bisected the British force were also placed
under his immediate supervision as second in
command under Lord Gough.

It was 7 o'clock on a cloudless morning when
the veteran Commander-in-Chief drew out his
army for his " last and his best battle " — one, more-
over, which was finally to crush the power of the
Khalsa, which was, in the words of the great Sikh
maharaja, to paint the map of India " all red,"
and which saved the old soldier who won it from
being sacrificed to the popular outcry raised by
the previous indecisive and bloody battles of the
campaign.

334 OPENING OF THE ACTION

" There was no dust," says Durand, who accom-
panied the Headquarters, " to cloud the purity
of the air and sky. The snowy ranges of the
Himalaya, forming a truly magnificent back-
ground to Gujerat and the village-dotted plain,
seemed on that beautiful morning to have drawn
nearer, as if, like a calm spectator, to gaze on the
military spectacle."

And as Lord Gough rode down his line from
right to left, he was received with a tremendous
outburst of enthusiasm by the officers and
men of his army, filled with the confidence of
victory.

Soon after 7 a.m., Sir Joseph's diary tells
us, that the troops moved in the order of
battle as set forth in the accompanying plan.

The two batteries of Kinleside and Lane were
sent to the right later on in the morning. The
11th and 14th Irregular Cavalry had only two
7isalas each present, and the 13th Irregulars but
one squadron.

The Commander-in-Chief had determined to
attack the Sikh centre and left, and drive them
back on their right, when the British left wing,
having advanced, would complete the work of
destruction. About 8.30 a.m. the Sikhs opened
fire, thereby disclosing the position of every one
of their guns, and the Commander-in-Chief send-
ing forward the whole of his powerful artillery,
covered by infantry skirmishers, the guns took
up a position in one long line, and for nearly
three hours poured a most destructive fire upon
the enemy.

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336 "THE LINE WILL ADVANCE"

About midday Lord Gough ordered a general
advance of the whole line, and General Gilbert,
thinking the village of Burra Kalra had been
evacuated, sent Penny's brigade to occupy it.
The Sikhs, however, were still in possession, and
a tremendous musketry fire was opened from the
loopholed walls of the village, which was eventually
carried by the 2nd Europeans, supported by the
31st and 70th Native Infantry, all these regiments
suffering severely. Chota Kalra was also found
to be held by the Sikhs, and the brigade under
Hervey— the only one of Whish's division then
in the front line — diverging slightly to the right
in order to attack it, a gap was thus left between
the First and Second Divisions, of which the
enemy showed a disposition to take advantage,
until Markham, advancing, filled the vacant space
in the line. The enemy's horsemen were in con-
siderable force opposite the cavalry brigades of
Lockwood and Hearsey, but they were kept at
a distance by the fire of Warner's battery, by
the wet nullah on the right, and by the swampy
nature of the ground. A small body of the enemy,
however, made a wide sweep to the east, and,
bringing up their left shoulders, approached the
position occupied by Lord Gough and the Head-
quarter staff. Here they were at once attacked
and cut to pieces by the escort of the 5th Light
Cavalry under Lieutenant Stannus.

As soon, however, as the infantry carried the
Sikh position, the whole of the cavalry and horse
artillery of the right were launched in pursuit
and pressed the retreat of the enemy until dark,

THE CAVALRY ON THE LEFT SSl

compelling them to disperse, capturing many guns,
and inflicting immense loss.

On the left of the dry nullah dividing the British
advance the infantry of the Third Division were
not called upon to fire a shot, but Campbell's
artillery was of material assistance to the troops
under Dundas, when threatened by a determined
rush of the Sikh cavalry and infantry from the
shelter of the nullah immediately in front of
the enemy's position. Of great importance was
the work of the cavalry on the extreme left, the
operations of which are thus noted in the diary of
their Commander :

"Large bodies of Sikh cavalry showed them-
selves in front and on the rising ground on our
left flank, and this occasioned the cavalry to form
line, as the infantry had already deployed . . . this
induced the enemy to open fire from four guns,
which obliged White to retire his left. I, however,
soon remedied the mischief by directing Duncan's
troop to advance within four or five hundred yards
of the enemy's cavalry, and he opened a well-
directed fire upon them. Huish's troop also
advanced and opened fire, and as the enemy's
cavalry were advancing to outflank my left, the
Lancers, who had thrown back the left, were
formed to the front, and I ordered the Scinde
Horse and a squadron of I^ancers, supported by
another squadron in echelon to the right, to charge
the enemy's right, which they did in fine style,
and drove this Afghan body and Goorclmrras
opposed to them back with considerable loss." (In
this magnificent charge the opposing squadrons
were shattered and driven in headlong flight, while
two standards were captured from the enemy.)

338 THE PURSUIT STOPPED

" During this time our line and guns were advanced,
and cannonaded the enemy with good effect, and
the Sikh cavahy were driven with loss beyond the
Bara Darri, losing a gun which had belonged to
Captain Huish's troop. The infantry of the left
being well up, I continued my movement to the
left of the above place, where the tents of Sher
Singh and others, with their entire camp, were left
standing, and opened my twelve guns upon the
retreating enemy, and continued thus, inclining
well to the left, by which movement an immense
body was cut off from the road to Jhelum, and
eventually from that to Bimber. They were
several times charged by the 9th Lancers and
8th Light Cavalry, and a good deal cut up by
Duncan's, Huish's, and latterly Blood's battery,
until the horses had no longer a trot in them. A
great number of men were killed in the pursuit,
which lasted for nearly twelve miles from the Bara
Darri, and ended at twenty minutes after 4 p.m.,
when no enemy was in sight, and the villagers
reported that they had taken away only three horse
artillery guns."

General Thackwell intended to bivouac for the
night and resume the pursuit next morning, having
now been joined by Lockwood's and Hearsey's
brigades from the right, but the cavalry was re-
called by Lord Gough and rejoined the army in
front of Gujerat between 10 and 11 o'clock
at night. The enemy never halted until they
reached the Jhelum, thirty miles distant, while
Akram Khan, brother of the Ameer Dost Mu-
hamed, who had commanded the Afghan Horse
at Gujerat, and who was wounded in the action,
never drew rein until he arrived near Rawul

LOSS OF THE ENEMY 339

Pindi. The author of the '* Narrative of the
Second Seikh War " writes of the pursuit, in
which, as aide-de-camp to Sir Joseph, he took
part :

" The slaughter, perpetrated by the British
Dragoons in the pursuit, was fearful. No quarter
was given, and every Sikh, armed or unarmed, fell
under the sword or the pistol."

Hope Grant, who was with the 9th liancers,
says :

*' It was horrible work slaughtering these wretched
fugitives, who had taken refuge in trees and in
the standing corn hoping to evade discovery. . . .
Our men were enraged with the Sikhs, owing to
the brutal manner in which they had slaughtered
our wounded at Chillianwala."

Full justice was done in Lord Gough's despatch
to the work of the Cavalry Division :

" I feel indebted," he wTote, " to IMajor-General
Sir Joseph Thackwell for the able and judicious
manner he manoeuvred the cavalry, with horse
artillery attached, on the left, keeping in check the
immensely superior force of the enemy, whose main
object was to turn my flanks."

Sir Charles Gough, in his account of the " Battles
of Chillianwala and Gujerat," says :

" It was a glorious sight to see the Scinde Horse
and the 9th Lancers sweeping forward over the
open plain, and in a few minutes the whole force
of Afghan Cavalry turned and fled, and Thackwell
. . . found that his advance had completely turned
the right of the Sikh line."

340 LOSS OF THE BRITISH

In another place he writes :

" Thackwell's handling of the cavalry on the left
was perfect, and precisely at the right time and
in the right way he delivered his attack. Sup-
ported by the fire of two troops of horse artillery
and the advance of the remainder of the brigade,
the two flank regiments — the Scinde Horse in first
line and the 9th I.ancers in second — charged the
Sikh and Afghan Horse, who were completely
defeated and fled from the field. This success
placed him on the right flank of the Sikh infantry
and in an awkward position for those attempting
to resist the advance of our centre and precipitated
their retreat." Had the ground not been so broken
and intersected by nullahs, "which favoured the
retirement of their infantry and hindered the
cavalry in pursuit, they would scarcely have been
able to get away any body of men at all."

The triumph of the British was complete and
their loss had been comparatively small. The total
casualties of the army under Lord Gough's com-
mand were but 96 killed and less than 700
wounded. Fifty-three guns and several stand of
small arms were taken, while the actual losses
of the enemy in men were most severe — the line
of retreat for twelve miles being strewn with
killed and wounded, with guns, small arms, and
baggage.

" 22/^6?. — Rode over the principal part of the
Sikh position : a good many of the Sikhs lay dead,
but I think as many have been killed in the
pursuit. Sir Walter Gilbert, his division, the
Bombay Division, the 14th Light Dragoons,
the 3rd and 9th Irregular Cavalry, and the 11th

GILBERT PURSUES 341

and the Scinde Horse marched to-day towards
Jhelum, and Brigadier- General Campbell, with his
division, the 9th Lancers and 8th Light Cavalry,
towards Bimber, a little in front of where I halted
last night or rather evening. I rode over the field
of battle of our right and centre. . . . This morn-
ing the Commander-in-Chief read me some letters
to the Governor- General and his replies ; foreseeing
that a strong force would have to cross the Jhelum,
he had, in one of these letters, named me and
Gilbert to command this force, and no one else.
He gave us both strong recommendations, but left
it for the Governor-General to decide. He read
his reply, to the effect that ' as but few of the
cavalry would be employed, he thought it but right
that Gilbert should have the command '—which,
perhaps, I have no right to be dissatisfied with."

(Elsewhere Sir Joseph gives the composition of
Gilbert's force as follows : three troops of horse
artillery, two field batteries, six 18-pounders, four
companies of sappers and miners, 14th Light
Dragoons, 1st Light Cavalry, 13th and 14th
Irregular Cavalry, 280 of the Scinde Horse (the
above cavalry under Brigadier Hearsey), First,
Second and Third Infantry Brigades, and the
Bombay l^rigade.)

*' 24ith. — Nine guns taken from the Sikhs were
brought in to-day by Lieutenant-Colonel Bradford
and the 1st Light Cavalry."

" 25^/f.— Brigadier-General Campbell's division,
the 9th I^ancers and 8th liight Cavalry returned to
camp, bringing with them two more captured guns."

Sir Walter Gilbert, moving by Dinghi and the
Khoree Pass, followed up the enemy with great

342 END OF THE CAMPAIGN

rapidity ; on the 6th the Sikhs gave up their
prisoners ; a few days later, at Rawul Pindi, the
Sirdars surrendered, and the disarmament of the
soldiers of the Khalsa was completed ; 49 guns
with many thousand stand of arms had been
taken ; and by the •21st of JNIarch — exactly a
month after the battle of Gujerat — Peshawar had
been reoccupied and Dost Muhamed had been
chased back to the Khyber ; the Afghans " had
ridden down through the hills like lions and ran
back into them like dogs."

On the 22nd the Sirdars, Sher Singh and Chutter
Singh, came into camp, and on the following day
part of the army which was to occupy Wazirabad
crossed the Chenab and went into camp near the
town — Sir Joseph, with his staff, taking up his
quarters in a house which had formerly belonged
to General Avitabili— and on the 28th the force
broke up, and all, except those units which were to
garrison Wazirabad, marched to their destinations.

Sir Joseph had hoped that on the army breaking
up he might be transferred from Meerut and
permitted to remain in command of the Punjab
division, and he had indeed applied in this sense
to Lord Gough ; but the " imperious little man,"
who then in India ruled all men and all things,
had decided that any arrangements made at the
present time must be altogether of a temporary
character and that " the commands should remain
as they are, until a more deliberate and careful
consideration can be given to the subject of
divisional commands in Upper India generally."

At the end of March, then. Sir Joseph left

LETTERS FROM OLD FRIENDS 343

Wazirabad for a short tour in the Punjab, re-
visiting some of the battlefields, and then travelled
quietly down to Meerut, which was reached on
the 23rd of April, and where Lady Thackwell and
his daughter were anxiously awaiting him.

During the next few months rewards and con-
gratulations came in fast, and among the latter
few can have given Sir Joseph more real pleasure
than the letters he received from those comrades
and commanders with whom and under whom he
had seen his early service. There are letters from
old General Sir John Slade, who had commanded
the brigade in which the 15th Hussars had served
in the Corunna campaign, and who writes :

" Trusting that my name may not be quite for-
gotten by you, whose early career I am so well
acquainted with personally, and whose recent
successes it has given me so much pleasure to
trace — marking how the early promise has been
surpassed by the later stirring events of Indian
warfare."

Lord Anglesey, too, wrote :

" I have had my eye upon you all, and have
often been rejoiced by the brilliant success that has
attended you and others of my good and gallant
old friends."

His lordship asks Sir Joseph to help a grandson,
William Paget, in the 54th Native Infantry, to
see something of active service.

"He," writes Lord Anglesey, "is anxious for a
staff situation, but this (as 1 have told him) is by

344 SIR HARRY'S CONGRATULATIONS

no means my wish, for, to say the truth, I have
httle opinion of staff-hunters to form good
soldiers."

Sir Joseph seems to have shared these senti-
ments, for in reply to the INIarquis of Anglesey's
letter he writes :

" The routine of duty in a regiment forms a young
soldier for any higher employment, and, for myself,
I have reason to rejoice that no staff avocations
took me away from the fine school of instruction,
both at home and abroad, the 15th Hussars, with
other regiments, were so fortunate as to have under
your lordship's command and guidance."

General Thackwell's old Peninsular and Indian
comrade, Sir Harry Smith, wrote from the Cape :

" I had been watching your operations with every
possible interest, and I congratulate you first upon
your whole skin, next upon the honours your sword
had previously won and richly merited at Sobraon.
Your campaign at one time looked blue . . . you
began with too much. Multan ought to have been
reduced before you moved on the numerous Singhs.
In all campaigns, however, there are errors, but
none ever ended more gloriously than yours.
When you were detached after poor Cureton's
death, you were placed in a most peculiar position,
and you were the best and only judge of what
you ought and could do. Every ass in a difficulty
shuts up, having no opinion, but so soon as a result
attaches, then they all know. . . . 'If and
' if.' You feel you did right, and the end of the
campaign shows it, for anything you might with
your force have effected would have been at the
best only a partial success and without any effect

GRAND CROSS OF THE BATH 345

on the positive dissolution of the enemy in the
finale. . . . God bless you, my gallant dragoon."

On the 17th May the Duke of Wellington wrote
to Sir Joseph Thackwell, acquainting him that — -

" the Secretary of State has, upon my recommend-
ation, submitted to the Queen your appointment
to be a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honour-
able Military Order of the Bath, of which Her
Majesty has been graciously pleased to approve."

In reply Sir Joseph said —

"To be promoted to the highest military honour
is most flattering to the pride of an old soldier, and
to have been recommended to Her Most Gracious
Majesty's favour by your Grace, under whose
guiding wand I had served some campaigns, is a
matter of congratulation of which I may well
be proud."

" Allow me to congratulate you," wrote Lord
Gough, "upon, I hope, but the first instalment
of our Gracious Sovereign's estimate of your long
and brilliant services. Lady Gough warmly unites
in the hope that you and Lady Thackwell may
long live to enjoy the present and, I trust, many
future marks of your Sovereign's high estimation."

The thanks of both Houses of Parliament were
unanimously accorded to all the Commanders and
subordinates of the army of the Punjab for the
indefatigable zeal and exertions exhibited by them
throughout the recent campaign, and the thanks of
the Court of Directors were in like manner given
to all those who had taken part in the military
operations on the Chenab. Finally, towards the

346 COLONELCY OF THE SIXTEENTH

end of this year Sir Joseph was further gratified
by being appointed Colonel of the 16th Lancers —
a regiment which had served under his command in
the army of the Indus, at Maharajpore, and on the
Sutlej. On hearing of this appointment Lord
Charles Manners, the Colonel of the 3rd Light
Dragoons, wrote to Sir Joseph begging that —

" however distinguished is your regiment, I trust
you will not allow the 3rd Dragoons to be entirely
obliterated from your recollection, and that you
will not cast away all regard for your old love now
that you have formed connection with a new one."

Sir Joseph was now entitled to supporters to
his coat of arms, and, with the permission of the
Colonel of the 15th Hussars, he selected the figure
of a hussar for his dexter supporter, and having
obtained the approval of Lord Charles Manners,
he took a dragoon for the sinister supporter.

CHAPTER XX

The command at Meerut was no sinecure ; the
district was a very large one, embracing the
stations of Agra, Delhi, IVluttra, Alighur, Bareilly,
Shahjehanpore, and the posts about Almora ; and
in the days when the second half of the last
century was only commencing, the travelling
necessitated by " inspections " was continuous and
protracted, and Sir Joseph Thackwell was fre-
quently absent from Meerut inspecting regiments
and batteries in the outlying garrisons of his wide-
spread command. For the greater part of the
four years which General Thackwell still remained
in India, his aide-de-camp was I^ieutenant Gibney,
of the 50th Native Infantry, whose father was an
old 15th Hussars comrade of Sir Joseph ; but
in the year preceding the expiration of the General's
period of command, Lieutenant Gibney returned
to regimental duty, and his place was taken by
Sir Joseph's nephew, Captain Thackwell of the
22nd Regiment.'

The summer of 1849 Lady Thackwell and her
daughter spent at Mussoorie ; the following hot
weather, and that of 1851, they passed at Simla.
Sir Joseph was only able to visit these hill

• Afterwards (Jeneral Thackwell, C.B.
347

348 A NEW COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

stations for very brief periods, and while in these
highlands nearly the whole of his short leave
was passed in travelling among the hills . . . among
mountain villages and along paths which, however
well-known now to the majority of Anglo-Indians,
might then almost be described as " the roads
that only Rumour knows." In the summer of
1850 Sir Charles Napier was in Simla as Com-
mander-in-Chief, but even then he was probably
meditating, if he had not indeed already resolved
on, the resignation of his high post, for in
December of the same year we read in Sir Joseph's
diary that on the 17th "the troops paraded
to hear the General Order read, inducting Sir
William Gomm into the office of Commander-in-
Chief."

Thus Sir Joseph Thackwell had already served
in India under no fewer than five commanders-
in-chief — Sir Henry Fane, Sir Jasper NichoUs,
Lord Gough, Sir Charles Napier, and now Sir
William Gomm.

It is only on the 8th February 1850 that Sir
Joseph acknowledges the receipt of the medal and
clasps for the Peninsula campaign !

Major-General Thackwell was now anxious to
return home, and he was looking forward to
leaving India in 1852, when he was greatly
disappointed to hear from Lord Fitzroy Somerset,
that the period of service of a major-general on
the staff in India was not five years as he had
imagined, but six, and that he would consequently
not have completed his service in that country
until May 1853.

CLOSING WORK 349

He was kept busy, however, up to the last
with reports and committees — reports called for,
wherein his opinion was invited as to the best
type of horse for cavalry and light batteries, and
reports on the arming of native cavalry ; while
he was appointed president of a committee
sanctioned by the Government of India to go
exhaustively into, and report fully upon, the
whole system of military prisons in India — their
management and maintenance, their plan of
construction ; and when the work was at last
finished and his report was sent in, Colonel
Mountain, Adjutant- General of Queen's troops
in India, wrote to him :

" I congratulate you on the conclusion of your
labours, which will, I have no doubt, be ultimately
attended with the most beneficial results to Her
Majesty's service in India. When the committee
was sanctioned by Government, with you for
president, my mind was relieved of a care that
had dwelt upon it for many years."

Early in March 1853 Lady Thackwell and
her daughter proceeded to England, but it was
not until May that Sir Joseph Thackwell's long,
eventful, and honourable period of Indian service
was to come to an end — when, leaving Meerut
on the 3rd, he arrived at Calcutta, accompanied
by his nephew, on the 13th May, embarking
for England four days later. He was not,
however, allowed to leave India without receiving
the following appreciative letter from the Com-
mander-in-Chief ;

350 COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S LETTER

" Simla, 21th April 1853.

" My dear Sir Joseph, —

" I cannot allow the time of your departure
from among us to draw near without writing you
a few lines expressive of my own regret at losing
your assistance in whatever may be in store for
us during the remainder of my service in this
country. And I feel very confident that those
among us who have partaken of your long course of
brilliant and valuable service in India, or any portion
of it, will regret equally with myself this privation.

" Your known desire to return home after so
long an absence, and private affairs requiring
your personal supervision, are the best arguments
with which we can furnish ourselves to reconcile us
in any way to the change.

" We have been comrades in fields of old, and
that is an additional reason with me for grudging
the losing sight of you for so long as I am in
this command. Moreover, you have been doing
right good service in another and not less valuable
way — ^and that under my own eye — as president
of the Military Prison Committee — and we all
owe you much for the active and judicious
assistance you have invariably afforded for bringing
its labours to a satisfactory conclusion.

" On all these accounts, I beg, my dear Sir
Joseph, you will accept my very best thanks
and a brother soldier's heartiest wishes for your
prosperous journey and that of Lady Thackwell
and your daughter homeward — in all which Lady
Gomm most cordially joins with me, and also
that we may find all in good health on our return.
" Believe me always, my dear Sir Joseph,
" Yours most faithfully,

"Wm. Gomm."

It was not, however, only from those of his own
profession that expressions of sorrow were to be

LEAVES INDIA 351

heard on Sir Joseph Thackwell's severance of his
connection ^ith " the I^and of Regrets," for an
Indian newspaper of the day records :

" We have never heard Sir Joseph Thackwell's
name mentioned except with reverence and respect,
no matter what the rank or grade of the person
who had occasion to speak of him. Independent
of his intimate knowledge of every branch of his
profession and his wonderful activity. General
Thackwell has an amount of good sense, good
feeling, good taste, and good humour, which
peculiarly fit him for command."

England was reached on the 5th July, and
Sir Joseph proceeded direct to Bristol, where he
found all his family assembled.

From all sides he received a cordial welcome
home ; from Lord Hardinge, who now filled the
place of the Duke of \^^ellington ; from Lord
EUenborough, who, as Governor- General, had been
present with Sir Joseph at the battle of Maharaj-
pore ; from his old comrade Sir Harry Smith, who
wrote on the 20th July, saying :

" As I think by this time the fiery edge of your
congratulations on reaching England are taken off,
I write to say none of your old friends are more
happy than I am to know you are once more
in old England after your unprecedented career
in India ; and long may you live to enjoy your
repose."

When he went over to Ireland his diary records
that—

352 RECEPTION AT HOME

'* bonfires along the coast announced my arrival,
and Admiral Purvis sent his barge, with Lieutenant
Twyford and twelve men, who took me on board
his yacht and carried me to Whitegate, and the
barge took me ashore. I was cordially cheered by
those on board the steamer on my departure, and
by a brig full of people at Whitegate, and by all
the inhabitants of the village, who lighted bon-
fires, decorated their houses with green boughs,
garlands, and arches, and illuminated them at
night . . . indicative of the good- will of the people."

Early in September he visited Gloucester and
attended a public dinner given in his honour by
two hundred gentlemen of the county, with l^ord
Fitzhardinge in the chair.

It might have been expected that one who had
now for years been so continually in harness would
have welcomed some respite from military occupa-
tions, and would have been glad, at least for a time,
of perfect rest and change ; but Sir Joseph Thack-
well had only been in England a very few weeks
when he visited the camp at Chobham, where a
considerable force was undergoing its first ex-
perience of camp life in England, preparatory to
the more realistic work which the British Army
was to see in the following year.

" Went by train to Chertsey in one hour," writes
General Thackwell, " and walked thence to the
camp at Chobham, about four miles. Walked for
upwards of a mile about the camp."

He then walked back to London, and by the end
of the day had got over " between seventeen and
eighteen miles, and without fatigue."

INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF CAVALRY 353

In February 1854 the strained relations between
the Western Powers and Russia, and the prospect
of an expeditionary force proceeding to Turkey,
brought General Thackwell up to London to
inquire what chance there might be for him of
employment with the cavalry.

" M February. — Called at St. James's on the
Duke of Cambridge, and sat with him for about
twenty minutes. He was very kind, and asked many
questions, spoke highly of the 16th Lancers and
3rd IJght Dragoons, and seemed to entertain a good
opinion of Colonel White. Called on the Duke of
Newcastle and on Lord Palmerston. Saw Lord
Hardinge at the Horse Guards, and had a most
kind interview, but with but little chance of
employment in Turkey. A lieutenant-general is to
command, and an inferior rank as brigadier would
not suit me. He thinks it most likely the troops
will not go beyond Malta."

Early in April, however, Sir Joseph was
appointed —

" to serve as Inspecting General of Cavalry in
Great Britain during the temporary absence of
Major-General His Royal Highness the Duke of
Cambridge, K.G.," and he took over the duties
of the appointment on the 4th May.

The Horse Guards had apparently mislaid Sir
Joseph's address, for the letter was sent, not to
his house, but to his club, where it seems to have
lain for some time, and the Duke of Cambridge
had to embark without handing over personally
to Sir Joseph, to whom, however, he wrote the

following characteristic letter :

354 LETTER FROM THE DUKE

"St. James's Palace,

" April 10th 1854,

" My dear Sir Joseph, —

" I was in hopes to have seen you before my
departure, but I have not been able to ascertain
your whereabouts, and so 1 must write. I was
anxious to have said a few words to you on the
subject of the command you are about to assume,
and to wish you joy upon having been selected for
it. You will find Lieutenant-Colonel Cotton, the
Cavalry Brigade Major, a most attentive and zealous
officer. He is well aware of all my views and
feelings as regards the cavalry, and if you would
like him to name these points to you, he would do
so with pleasure. My great anxiety has been to
keep the regiments as efficient as possible for their
reduced strength. The riding is a point to be
especially attended to. I have introduced a system
of jumping at Maidstone which answers to perfec-
tion, and I hope you will carry it out fully through-
out the service. Pray try to get the depot
squadrons as efficient, both in men and horses, as
possible.

" Griffiths at Maidstone is an excellent fellow, and
so is my little friend Major Meyer, the army
riding-master. I will now not trouble you further,
and remain, my dear Sir Joseph,

" Yours very sincerely,

*' George.

"I expect the officers to attend to everything
themselves, and not to leave things to sergeants."

Sir Joseph and Lady Thackwell took a house in
London, in Montague Square, and on the 20th
June — after just over fifty-four years' service — he
was at last promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-
General.

For the few months which his new appointment

RETIREMENT 355

lasted. General Thackwell was kept very busy,
constantly travelling to inspect depots of cavalry
regiments in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and
sending men and remounts to the regiments in
the Crimea. On the 1st February 1855, however,
Major- General Lord Cardigan was appointed to be
Inspector-General of Cavalry, and Sir Joseph was
then offered by Lord Hardinge the Lieutenant-
Governorship of Chelsea Hospital, which, however,
he declined.

Previous to leaving India he had purchased a
property called Conneragh in county Waterford,
and in 1853 he had bought another place, called
Aghada Hall, in county Cork, and here he estab-
lished his headquarters and passed the greater part
of the last quiet years of his busy and eventful
life — shooting, carrying out improvements in his
property, and running over from time to time to
England to visit his nephew, John Cam Thackwell,
J. P., D.L., the son of his eldest brother, who
occupied the family house at Wilton Place, Dymock,
in Gloucestershire. All Sir Joseph's sons had
gone into the Army, and of the eldest we have
seen something during the campaign in the Punjab ;
he died in 1903. William de Wilton Roche had
served in the Crimea with the 39th Regiment and,
exchanging to the 38th, rose to conmiand, and
retired, with the rank of Major-General. Osbert
D'Abitot had entered the Indian Army and liad
greatly distinguished himself against the rebels in
Rajputana and Neemuch, after his regiment, tlie
15th Native Infantry, had mutinied ; he was
present at the siege of Lucknow under Lord Clyde,

356 FAMILY LIFE

and was killed in the streets after its capture on the
21st March 1858. Francis John Roche entered the
5th Royal Irish Lancers and rose to the rank of
Captain, but died in 1869 from the effects of wounds
received from a tiger. Of the daughters, all three —
Elizabeth Cranbourne, Annie Esther, and Maria
Roche — survived their father. The second was the
wife of the Rev. T. P. Little, M.A., Vicar of The
Edge, Gloucestershire, and died in 1902 ; the
youngest married Lieutenant- Colonel James
Bennett. Lady Thackwell survived her husband
until the 21st June 1874.

Early in 1856 there seemed some possibility that
the great services of Sir Joseph Thackwell might
be further recognised by the grant of a baronetcy,
but in a letter, dated the 15th March, Sir
Charles Yorke wrote that the Field Marshal
Commanding-in-Chief had submitted Sir Joseph's
name for the dignity of a baronet to I^ord
Palmerston, —

*' stating at the same time the high opinion
which he entertained for your services — particularly
in the wars in India, when you held a large
command of cavalry. . . that Lord Hardinge has
received in reply an answer from Lord Palmerston,
in which he expresses how fully he appreciates the
merit and value of your services, but regrets that he
could not recommend you to the Queen for the
honour in question without creating an inconvenient
precedent." ^

^ Lord Hardinge had asked for the baronetcy on the grounds that
Sir Joseph had been second in command to Lord Gough : there was
of course ample precedent for conferring even a higher title upon the
second in command of a successful general.

NEARTNG THE END 357

Towards the end of 1858 and in the beginning of
the following year there were signs that Sir Joseph's
health was beginning to fail, and that even his iron
constitution was at last affected by nearly sixty
years of war and strife. The journal which he had
commenced with his entrance into the army is
kept up to the end, and it is only on the 6th April
that the last entry is recorded, and that the pen
drops from the fingers. Two days later — on the
8th April — heart failure had supervened, and the
brave life had come to an end.

The services of Sir Joseph Thackwell speak for
themselves ; it cannot be denied that they were
great, and it must be admitted that even for those
days — when reward was more sparingly bestowed
and praise less loudly declaimed than in modern
times — these services were by no means lavishly
recompensed. It is, however, to be hoped that
those who have followed to the end this memoir of
the military Ufe of one whose experience of the
employment of the mounted arm was greater and
more varied than perhaps any other British cavalry
man, will have recognised that not only was Sir
Joseph Thackwell one of the most loyal of men —
alike towards his superiors, his contemporaries, and
his subordinates — but that he had a soul far above
self-advertisement. If one may venture to suggest
another characteristic for consideration, it seems to
be that upon which the greatest of living British
cavalry leaders has recently laid much stress. Sir
John French has lately said that " comradeship and
unselfishness " form the keynote of true military
endeavour ; that—

358 "PEACE AT THE LAST "

" the motto of the soldier should be ' to love his
comrade as himself,' and that he believed that this
forgetfulness of self and unalloyed striving for the
good of the whole to be more difficult to practise
in the military than in any other profession."

Surely these were the principles which Sir Joseph
Thackwell had striven throughout his sixty years of
arduous service to live up to ; to sink all idea of
individual gain, of personal distinction, in the
general good of the noble service to which he was
so proud to belong ; and if the striving after these
ideals should result in a certain curtailment of all
that has perhaps in other ways been hoped for and
desired, the knowledge and the memory of their
attainment must " bring a man peace at the last."

APPENDIX A

DESPATCHES. AFGHANISTAN

Secret Departjtent, Simlah, August ISth, 1839.

The Right Honourable the Governor-General of India has great
gratification in publishing for general information a copy of a report this
day received from His Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir J. Keane,
K.C.B., etc., Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the Indus, an-
nouncing the capture, by storm, on the 23rd ultimo, of the important
fortress of Ghuznee.

A salute of 21 guns will be fii-ed on the receipt of this intelligence
at all the principal stations of the army in the three Presidencies.

By order, etc.

{Signed) T. H. Maddock,
Officiating Secretary to Government of India,
With the Oovernor-General.

" Headquarters cajip, Ghuznee, Juli/ 2ith, 1839.
" To THE Right Honourable Lord Auckland, G.C.B., etc., etc.,

ETC.

" My Lord,

1. "I have the satisfaction to acquaint your Lordship that the
army under my command has succeeded in performing one of the most
brilliant acts it has ever been my lot to witness during my service of
forty-five years, in the four quarters of the globe, in the capture, by
storm, of the strong and important fortress and citadel of Ghuznee,
yesterday.

2. " It is not only that the Afghan nation, and, I understand, Asia
generally, have looked upon it as impregnable, but it is in reality a
place of great strength, both by nature and art, far more so than I
had reason to suppose from any description that I have received of
it ; although some are from officers from our own service who had
seen it in their travels.

3. " I was surprised to find a high rampart in good repair, built
on a scarped mound, about 35 feet high, flanked by numerous
towers, and surrounded by a ' faussebraye ' and a wet ditch, whilst
the height of the ' citadel ' covered the interior from the commanding

' In these appendiccH only thoso (Iespnt<;lie8 have bcnn included wherein General Thack-
weli'a name ia mentioned, and all detailed liste ol casualties have been omitted.

359

360 APPENDIX A

fire of the hills from the north, rendering it nugatory. In addition
to this, screen walls had been built before the gates ; the ditch was
filled with water, and unfordable, and an outwork built on the right
bank of the river, so as to command the bed of it.

4. " It is therefore the more honotirable to the troops, and must
appear to the enemy out of all calculation extraordinary, that a for-
tress and citadel, to the strength of which, for the last 30 years,
they had been adding something each year, and which had a garrison
of 3,500 Afghan soldiers, commanded by Prince Mahomed Hyder,
the son of Dost Mahomed Khan, the ruler of the country, with a com-
manding number of guns, and abundance of ammunition and other
stores, provisions, etc., for a regular siege, should be taken by British
science and British valour, in less than two hours from the time the
attack was made, and the whole, including the Governor and garrison;
should fall into our hands.

5. " My despatch of the 20th inst. from Nannee will have made known
to your Lordship that the camp of His Majesty Shah Shoojah-ool-
Moolk, and of Major-General Willshire, with the Bombay troops, had
there j oined me, in accordance with my desire ; and the following
inorning we made our march of 12 miles to Ghuznee. The line of
march being over a fine plain, the troops were disposed in a manner
that would have enabled me at any moment, had we been attacked,
as was probable from the large bodies of troops moving on each side of
us, to have placed them in position to receive the enemy. They did
not, however, appear, biit on our coming within range of the guns of
the citadel and fortress of Ghuznee, a smart cannonade was opened
on our leading columns, together with a heavy fire of musketry from
behind garden walls and temporary fieldworks thrown up, as well as
the strong outwork I have already alluded to, which commanded the
bed of the river. From all but the outworks the enemy were driven
in, under the walls of the fort, in a spirited manner by parties thrown
forward by Major-General Sir W. Cotton, of the 16th and 48th Bengal
Native Infantry, and H.M.'s 13th Light Infantry under Brigadier Sale.
I ordered forward three troops of horse artillery, the camel-battery,
and one foot-battery, to open upon the citadel and fortress by throwing
shrapnel shells, which was done in a masterly style, under the direction
of Brigadier Stevenson. My object in this was to make the enemy
show their strength in gims, and in other respects, which completely
succeeded, and our shells must have done great execution and occa-
sioned great consternation. Being perfectly satisfied on the point of
their strength, in the course of half an hour I ordered the fire to
cease, and placed the troops en bivouac. A close reconnaissance of the
place all round was then undertaken by Captain Thomson, the chief
engineer, and Captain Peat of the Bombay Engineers, accompanied
by Major Garden, the Deputy Quartermaster-General of the Bengal
Army, supported by a strong party of H.M.'s 16th Lancers,^ and one
of H.M.'s 13th Light Infantry. On this party a steady fire was kept
up, and some casualties occurred. Captain Thomson's report was
very clear (he foimd the fortifications equally strong all round), and
as my own opinions coincided with his, I did not hesitate a moment
as to the manner in which our approach and attack upon the place
should be made ; notwithstanding the march the troops had per-
formed in the morning, and their having been a considerable time
engaged with the enemy, I ordered the whole to move across the river
(which runs close under the fort walls), in columns to the right and
left of the town, and they were placed in position on the north side,

' A mistake for the Snd Bengal Light Oavaky.

AFGHAN WAR 361

on more commanding ground, and securing the Cabool road. I had
information that a night attack upon the camp was intended from
without. Mahomed Ufzul Khan, the eldest son of Dost Mahomed
Khan, liad been sent by his father with a strong body of troops from
Cabool to his brother's assistance at Ghuznee, and was encamped
outside the walls, but abandoned his position on oiu* approach,
keeping, however, at the distance of a few miles from us. The two
rebel chiefs of the Gilzie tribe, men of great influence, viz., Abdool
Rhuman and Gool Mahomed Khan, had joined him with 1,500
Horse, and also a body of 3,000 Ghazees from Zeinat under a mixture
of chiefs and Moolahs, carrying banners, and who had been assembled
on the cry of a religious war. In short, we were, in all directions,
surrounded by enemies. These last actvially came down the hills on
the 22nd, and attacked the part of the camp occupied by His
Majesty Shah Shoojah and his troops ; but were driven back with
considerable loss, and banners taken.

6. " At daylight on the 22nd I reconnoitred Ghuznee, in company
with the chief engineer and the Brigadier commanding the Artillery,
with the Adjutant and Quartermaster-General of the Bengal Army,
for the purpose of making all arrangements for carrying the place by
storm, and these were completed in the course of the day. Instead
of the tedious process of breaching (for which we were ill prepared),
Captain Thomson undertook, with the assistance of Captain Peat
of the Bombay Engineers, Lieutenants Diu"and and MacLeod, of the
Bengal Engineers, and other officers under him (Captain Thomson),
to blow in the Cabool gate (the weakest point) with gunpowder ; and
so much faith did I place on the success of the operation, that my
plans for the assault were immediately laid down, and the orders
given.

7. " The different troops of horse artillery, the camel and foot
batteries, moved off to their ground at 12 o'clock that night, without
the slightest noise, as had been directed, and in the most correct manner
took up the position assigned to them, about 250 yards from the
walls ; in like manner, and with the same silence, the infantry soon
after moved from their ground, and all were at their post at the
proper time. A few minutes before 3 o'clock in the morning the
' explosion ' took place, and proved completely successful. Captain
Peat of the Bombay Engineers was thrown down and stunned by it,
but shortly after recovered his senses and feeling. On hearing the
adv'ance sounded by the bugles (being the signal for the gate having
been blown in) the artillery, under the able directions of Brigadier
Stevenson, consisting of Captain Grant's troop of Bengal Horse
Artillery, the camel-battery under Captain Abbott, both superintended
by Major Pew, Captains Martin's and Cotgrave's troops of Bombay
Horse Artillery, and Captain Lloyd's battery of Bombay Foot Artillery,
all opened a terrific fire upon the citadel and ramparts of the fort, and
in a certain degree paralysed the enemy.

8. " Under the guidance of Captain Thomson of the Bengal En-
gineers, the chief of the Department, Colonel Dennie, of H.M^'s 13th
Light Infantry commanding the advance, consisting of the light
"companies of H.M.'s 2nd and 17th Foot, and of the Bengal European
regiment, with one company of H.M.'s 13th Light Infantry, proceeded
to the gate, and with great difficulty, from the rubbish thrown down,
and the determined opposition offered by the enemy, effected an en-
trance and established themselves within the gateway, closely followed
by the main column, led in a spirit of great gallantry by Brigadier
Sale, to whom I had entrusted the important post of commanding
the ' storming party,' consistingj^(with the advance above mentioned)

362 APPENDIX A

of H.M.'s 2nd Foot under Major Carruthers, the Bengal European
Regiment vinder Lieutenant-Colonel Orchard, followed by H.M.'s
13th Light Infantry vinder Major Tronson, and H.M.'s 17th Regiment
under Lieutenant-Colonel Croker. The struggle within the fort was
desperate for a considerable time ; in addition to the heavy fire kept
up, our troops were assailed by the enemy, sword in hand, and with
daggers, pistols, etc., but British courage, perseverance, and fortitude
overcame all opposition, and the fire of the enemy in the lower area
of the fort being nearly silenced. Brigadier Sale turned towards the
citadel, from which could now be seen men abandoning their guns,
running in all directions, throwing themselves down from immense
heights, endeavouring to make their escape, and on reaching the gate,
with H.M.'s 17th, under Lieutenant-Colonel Croker, followed by the
13th, forced it open ; at 5 o'clock in the morning the coloiu-s of H.M.'s
13th and 17th were planted on the citadel of Ghuznee, amid the cheers
of all ranks. Instant protection was granted to the women found in the
citadel (amongst whom were those of Mahomed Hyder, the Governor),
and sentries placed over the magazine for its security. Brigadier Sale
reports having received much assistance from Captain Kershaw, of
H.M.'s 13th Light Infantry, tloroughout the whole of the service of
the storming.

9. " Major-General Sir W. Cotton executed, in a manner much to
my satisfaction, the orders he had received. The Major-General
followed closely the assaulting party into the fort, with the ' Reserve,'
namely. Brigadier Roberts, with the only available regiment in his
brigade, the 35th Native Infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Mon-
teath ; part of Brigadier Sale's brigade, the 16th Native Infantry
under Major McLaren, and 48th Native Infantry vinder Lieutenant-
Colonel Wheeler ; and they immediately occupied the ramparts, putting
down opposition wherever they met any, and making prisoners until
the place was completely in our possession. A desultory fire was kept
up in the town long after the citadel was in our hands, from those who
had taken refuge in houses, and in desperation kept firing on all that
approached them. In this way several of our men were wovmded and
some lolled, but the aggressors paid dearly for their bad conduct in
not surrendering when the place was completely ours. I must' not
omit to mention that the three companies of the 35th Native Infantry
imder Captain Hay, ordered to the south side of the fort, to begin with
a false attack, to attract attention to that side, performed that service
at the proper time, and greatly to my satisfaction.

10. " As we were threatened with an attack for the relief of the
garrison, I ordered the 19th Bombay Native Infantry, under the com-
mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Stalker, to guard the Cabool road, and
to be in support of the cavalry division. This might have proved an
important position to occupy ; but as it was, no enemy appeared.

11. " The cavalry division under Major-General Thackwell, in addi-
tion to watching the approach of the enemy, had directions to surround
Ghuznee and to sweep the plain, preventing the escape of runaways
from the garrison. Brigadier Arnold's brigade (the brigadier himself,
I deeply regret to say, was labouring vmder very severe illness, having
shortly before bvu-st a blood-vessel internally, which rendered it wholly
impossible for him to mount a horse that day), consisting of H.M.'s
16th Lancers under Lieutenant-Colonel Persse, momentarily command-
ing|the brigade, and Major McDowel, the junior major, the regiment ;
the senior major of the 16th Lancers, Major Cvu-eton, an officer of
great merit, being actively engaged in the execution of his duties as
Assistant Adjutant-General of the cavalry division ; the 2nd Cavalry
under Major Salter, and the 3rd under Lieu tenant- Colonel Smyth, were

AFGHAN WAR 363

ordered to watch the south and west sides. Brigadier Scott's brigade
was placed on the Cabool road, consisting of H.M.'s 4th Light Dragoons
under Major Dalj% and the 1st Bombay Cavah-y vmder Lieutenant-
Colonel Sandwith, to watch the north and east sides. This duty was
performed in a manner greatly to my satisfaction.

12. ■■ After the storming, and that quiet was in some degree restored
within, I conducted His Majesty Shah Shoojah-ool-Moolk, and the
British Envoy and Minister, INIr. IMacnaghten, roimd the citadel and
a great part of the fortress. The king was perfectly astonished at our
haWng made ourselves masters of a place conceived to be impregnable,
when defended, in the short space of two hours, and in less than
48 hovirs after we came before it. His Majesty was of course greatly
deHghted at the result. When I afterwards, in the course of the day,
took Mahomed Hyder Khan, the Governor, first to the British Minister,
and then to the king, to make his submission, I informed His Majesty
that I had made a promise that his life should not be touched, and the
king in very handsome terms assented, and informed Mahomed Hyder
in ray presence, that although he and his family had been rebels, yet
he was willing to forgive and forget all.

13. " Prince Mahomed Hyder, the Governor of Ghuznee, is a prisoner
of war in my camp, and under the surveillance of Sir A. Burnes ; an
arrangement very agreeable to the former.

14. " From Major-General Sir W. Cotton, commanding the First
Infantry Division (of the Bengal Army), I have invariably received the
strongest support, and on this occasion his exertions were manifest in
support of the honour of the profession and of our country.

15. " I have likewise at all times received able assistance from Major-
General Willshire, commanding the Second Infantry Division (of the
Bombay Army), which it was found expedient on that day to break up,
some for the storming party, and some for other duties ; the Major-
General, as directed, was in attendance upon myself.

16. "To Brigadier Sale I feel deeply indebted for the gallant and
soldier-Uke manner in which he conducted the responsible and arduous
duty entrusted to him, in command of the storming party, and for the
arrangements he made in the citadel immediately after talcing posses-
sion of it. The sabre wound which he received in the face did not
prevent his continuing to direct his column until everything was secure,
and I am happy in the opportmiity of bringing to your Lordship's
notice the excellent conduct of Brigadier Sale on this occasion.

17. " Brigadier Stevenson, in command of the artillery, was all I
co\ild wish ; and he reports that Brigade Majors Backhouse and
Coghlan ably assisted him ; his arrangements were good, and the execu-
tion done by the arm he commands was such as cannot be forgotten by
those of the enemy who have witnessed and survived it.

18. " To Brigadier Roberts, to Colonel Dennie (who commanded the
advance), and to the different officers commanding regiments already
mentioned, as well as to the officers and gallant soldiers under them,
who so nobly maintained the honour and reputation of our country,
ray best acknowledgments are due.

19. " To Captain Thomson, of the Bengal Engineers, the chief of
the department with me, much of the credit of the success of this
brilliant ' coup-de-main ' is due ; a place of the same strength, and
by such simple means as this highly talented and scientific officer
recommended to be tried, has perhaps never before been taken, and I
feel I cannot do sufficient justice to Captain Thomson's merits for his
conduct throughout. In the execution he was ably supported by the
officers already mentioned; and so eager were tlio other officers of the
Engineers, of both Presidencies, for the honour of carrying the powder

364 APPENDIX A

bags, that the point could only be decided by seniority, which shows
the fine feeling by which they are animated.

20. " I must now inform your Lordship that since I joined the
Bengal column in the valley of Shawl, I have continued my march with
it in the advance, and it has been my good fortune to have had the
assistance of two most efficient staff officers, in Major Craigie, Deputy
Adjutant-General and Major Garden, Deputy Quartermaster -General.
It is but justice to these officers that I should state to your Lordship
the high satisfaction I have derived from the manner in which all their
duties have been performed up to this day ; and I look upon them as
promising officers to fill the higher ranks. To the other officers of both
departments I am also much indebted for the correct performance of
all duties appertaining to their situations.

21. " To Major Keith, the Deputy Adjutant-General, and Major
Campbell, the Deputy Quartermaster-General of the Bombay Army,
and to all the other officers of both departments under them, my
acknowledgments are also due, for the manner in which their duties
have been performed during this campaign.

22. " Captain Alexander, commanding the 4th Local Horse, and
Major Cunningham, commanding the Poonah Auxiliary Horse, with the
men under their orders, have been of essential service to the army in
this campaign.

" The arrangements made by Superintending Surgeons Kennedy
and Atkinson previous to the storming, for affording assistance and
comfort to the wounded, met with my approval.

23. " Major Parsons, the Deputy Commissary-General in charge of
the department in the field, has been unremitting in his attention to
keep the troops supplied, although much difficulty is experienced,
and he is occasionally thwarted by the nature of the country and its
inhabitants.

24. " I have, throughout this service, received the utmost assistance
I could desire from Lieutenant- Colonel Macdonald, my officiating mili-
tary secretary, and Deputy Adjutant-General H.M.'s Forces, Bombay;
from Captain Powell, my Persian interpreter, and the other officers of
my personal staff. The nature of the country in which we are serving
prevents the possibility of my sending a single staff officer to deliver
this to your Lordship, otherwise I shoiild have asked my aide-de-camp.
Lieutenant Keane, to proceed to Simla, to deliver this despatch in
yovir hands, and to have afforded any further information that your
Lordship could have desired.

25. " The brilliant triumph we have obtained, the cool courage
displayed, and the gallant bearing of the troops I have the honour
to command, will have taught such a lesson to our enemies in the Afghan
nation, as will make them hereafter respect the name of a British
soldier.

26. " Our loss is wonderfully small, considering the occasion ; the
casualties in killed and wounded amount to about 200.

27. " The loss of the enemy is immense ; we have already biu"ied
of their dead nearly 500, together with an immense number of
horses.

28. "I enclose a list of the killed, wounded, and missing. I am
happy to say that although the wounds of some of the officers are
severe, they are all doing well.

29. "It is my intention, after selecting a garrison for this place,
and establishing a general hospital, to continue my march to Cabool
forthwith.

" I have, etc.,
(Signed) " J. Keane, Lieutenant-General"

AFGHAN WAR 365

General Ordees by the Commander of the Forces : Head-
quarters, Meerut, November 22nd, 1839. By the Right Honour-
able the Governor-General, Camp Somalka, November I9th, 1839.

The following General Orders, issued by the Right Honourable the
Governor-General in the Secret Department under date the 18th instant,
are published for general information to the army.

" General Orders by the Right Honourable the Governor-
General OF Indla.

" Secret Depaktmeot, Camp, Paniput, Nt^ember l%th, 1839.

1. " Intelligence was this day received of the arrival, within the
Peshawar territory, of His Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir John
Keane, K.C.B. andG.C.H., Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the Indus,
with a portion of that force on its return to the British provinces. The
military operations under the direction of His Excellency having now
been brought to a close, the Right Honourable the Governor-General
has, on the part of the Government of India, to acquit himself of the
gratifying duty of offering publicly his warmest thanks to His Excellency,
and to the officers and men who have served under his command, for the
soldierlike spirit and conduct of all ranks throughout the late campaign,
and he again cordially congratulates them on the attainment of the
great objects of national security and honom- for which the expedition
was undertaken.

2. " The plans of aggression, by which the British empire ia India
was dangerously threatened, have, under Providence, been arrested.
The Chiefs of Cabool and Candahar, w];io had joined in hostile designs
against us, have been deprived of power, and the territories which they
ruled have been restored to the Government of a friendly monarch. The
Ameers of Scinde have acknowledged the supremacy of the British
Government, and ranged themselves under its protection ; their
country will now be an outwork of defence, and the navigation of the
Indus within their dominions, exempt from all duties, has been opened
to commercial enterprise. With the allied Government of the Seiklis,
the closest harmony has been maintained ; and on the side of Herat,
the British alliance has been courted, and a good understanding, with
a view to common safety, has been established with that power.

3. " For these important results the Governor-General is proud to
express the acknowledgments of the Government to the Army of the
Indus, which, alike by its valour, its discipline, and cheerfulness under
hardships and privations, and its conciliatory conduct to the inhabit-
ants of the countries through which it passed, has earned respect for the
British name, and has confirmed in central Asia a just impression of
British energy and resources.

4. " The native and European soldiers have vied with each other
in effort and endurance. A march of extraordinary length,' through
difficult and untried countries, has been within a few months success-
fully accompHshed ; and in the capture of the one stronghold where
resistance was attempted, a trophy of victory has been won, which
will add a fresh lustre to the reputation of the armies of India.

5. " To Lieutenant-General Sir John Keane, the Commander-in-
Chief of the Army, the Governor-General would particularly declare
his thanks for his direction of these honourable achievements. He
would especially acknowledge the marked forbearance and just
appreciation of the views of the Government which guided His

' More than 1,700 miles ; on arriving at Ferozepoor, 2,070 Imiles.

366 APPENDIX A

Excellency in his intercourse with the Ameers of Scinde. He feels the
Government to be iinder the deepest obligations to His Excellency,
for the unshaken firmness of purpose with which, throughout the whole
course of the operations, obstacles and discouragements were dis-
regarded, and the prescribed objects of policy were pursued, and, above
all, he would warmly applaud the decisive judgment with which the
attack upon the fortress of Ghuznee was planned, and its capture
effected ; nor would he omit to remark upon that spirit of perfect co-
operation with which His Excellency gave all support to the political
authorities with whom he was associated. Mr. Macnaghten, the Envoy
and Minister at the Court of Shah Shoojah-ool-Moolk, and Colonel
Pottinger, the Resident in Scinde, have been chiefly enabled by the
cordial good understanding which has throughout subsisted between
them and His Excellency, to render the important servnces by which
they have entitled themselves to the high approbation of the Govern-
ment ; and his Lordship has mvich pleasure in noticing the feeUngs of
satisfaction with which His Excellency regarded the valuable services
of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir A. Bumes, who was politically attached to
him in the advance upon Ghuznee.

6. " The Governor-General would follow His Excellency the Com-
mander-in-Chief in acknowledging the manner in which Major-General
Sir Willoughby Cotton, K.C.B. and K.C.H., exercised his command
of the Bengal division throughout the campaign, and supported the
honoiir of his country on July 23rd ; and His Lordship would also offer
the thanks of the Government to Major-G«neral Willshire, C.B., com-
manding the Second Infantry Division ; to Major-General Thackwell,
C.B. and K.H., commanding the cavalry division ; to Brigadier
Roberts, commanding the 4th Infantry Brigade ; to Brigadier Stevenson,
commanding the artillery of the army ; to Brigadier Scott, commanding
the Bombay Cavalry brigade ; and to Brigadier Persse, upon whom,
on the lamented death of the late Brigadier Arnold, devolved the
command of the Bengal Cavalry brigade ; as well as to the command-
ants of corps and detachments, with the officers and men under their
respective commands ; and to the officers at the head of the several
departments, with all of whom His Excellency the Commander-in-
Chief has expressed his high satisfaction.

7. " To Brigadier Sale, C.B., already honunrably distinguished in the
armals of Indian warfare, who commanded the storming party at
Ghuznee ; to Liexitenant-Colonel Dennie, C.B., who led the advance on
the same occasion ; and to Captain George Thomson, of the Bengal
Engineers, whose services in the capture of that fortress have been
noticed in marked terms of commendation by His Excellency the
Commander-in-Chief ; and to Captain Peat, of the Bombay Engineers,
and Lieutenants Durand and MacLeod, of the Bengal Engineers, and
the other officers and men of the Bengal and Bombay Engineers under
their command, the Governor-General would especially tender the
expression of his admiration of the gallantry and science which
they respectively displayed in the execution of the important duties
confided to them in that memorable operation.

8. "In testimony of the services of the Army of the Indus, the
Governor-General is pleased to resolve that all the corps, European and
native, in the services of the East India Company, which proceeded be-
yond the Bolan Pass, shall have on their regimental colours the word
' Afghanistan,' and such of them as were employed in the reduction
of the fortress of that name, the word ' Ghuznee ' in addition.

" In behalf of the Queen's regiments, the Governor-Greneral will
recommend to Her Majesty, through the proper channel, that the
same distinction may be granted to them.

AFGHAN WAR 367

9. " The Governor-General would here notice with approbation the
praiseworthy condtict, during this expedition, of the officers and men
attached to the disciplined force of His Majesty Shah Shoojah-ool-
Moolk. This force was newly raised, and opportunities had not been
afiorded for its perfect organisation and instruction ; but it shared
honourably in the labours and difficulties of the campaign, and it had
the good fortune, in repelling an attack made by the enemy in force,
on the day prior to the storming of Ghuznee, to be enabled to give
promise of the excellent services which may hereafter be expected
from it.

10. " His Lordship has also much satisfaction in adding that the best
acknowledgments of the Government are due to Lieutenant-Colonel
Wade, who was emploj'ed upon the Peshawar frontier, and who, gal-
lantly supported by the officers and inen of all ranks under him, and
seconded by the cordial aid of the Seikh Government — an aid the more
honourable because rendered at a painful crisis of its affairs — opened
the Khyber Pass, and overthrew the authority of the enemy in that
quarter, at the moment when the advance of the forces of the Shah
Zadah Tynaoor could most conduce to the success of the general opera-
tions.

"By command, etc. (Sgd.) "J. Stewart, Lieutenant-

(Sgd.) " T. H. Maddock, Colonel, Secretary to the Govern-

Officiating Secretary to Govern- meni of India, Military Department,

ment of India, with the with the Right Honourable the

Governor-General. Governor-General.

♦• By order of the Commander of the Forces.

(Sgd.) "J. R. LuMLEY, Major-General,
Adjutant-General of the Army.""

APPENDIX B

DESPATCHES. GWALIOR

" General Ordebs by the Right Honourable the Governor-
General OF India.

"Camp, Gwalior EESIDENCY, January -Ith, 1844.

" The Governor-General directs the publication of the annexed
despatch, from His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, reporting
the operations of the corps under His Excellency's immediate com-
mand, and of that under the command of Major-General Grey, against
the mutinous troops which overawed and controlled the Government
of His Highness the Maharajah Jyajee Rao Scindiah, and attacked the
British forces, on their advance to Gwalior to His Highness' s support.

" The Governor-General deeply laments the severe loss in killed and
wounded which has been sustained in these operations ; but it has been
sustained in the execution of a great and necessary service, and the
victories of Maharajpore and Punniar, while they have shed new glory
upon the British army, have restored the authority of the Maharajah,
and have given new secvirity to the British empire in India.

" The Governor-General cordially congratulates His Excellency
the Commander-in-Chief upon the success of his able combinations,
by which two victories were obtained on the same day, and the two
wings of the army, proceeding from distant points, have been now
united under the walls of Gwalior.

" To His Excellency, and to Major-General Grey, and to all the
generals and other officers, and to all the soldiers of the army, the
Governor-General, in the name of the Government, and of all the
people of India, oJSers his most grateful acknowledgments of the
distinguished service they have performed ; nor can he witlihold the
tribute of his admiration justly due to the devoted courage manifested
by all ranks in action with brave enemies, who yielded their numerous
and well-served artillery only with their lives.

" The Governor-General's special thanks are due to Her Majesty's
39th and 40th Regiments, to the 2nd and 10th Regiments of Native
Grenadiers, to the 56th Regiment of Native Infantry, which took with
the bayonet the batteries in front of Maharajpore.

" Her Majesty's 39th Regiment had the peculiar fortune of adding to
the honour of having won at Plassy, the first great battle which laid
the foiindation of the British empire in India, the further honour of
thus contributing to this, as it may be hoped, the last and crowning
victory by which that empire has been secured.

368

GWALIOR 369

" Her Majesty's 40th Regiment, and the 2nd and 16th Regiments
of Native Grenadiers, again serving together, again displayed their
pre-eminent qualities as soldiers, and well supported the character of
the ever-victoriovis army of Candahar.

" The corps of Major-General Grey, suddenly attacked at Punniar,
after a long march, carried the several strong positions of the enemy
with a resolution no advantage of ground could enable him to with-
stand ; and Her Majesty's 3rd Buffs and 50th Regiment added new
lustre to tlie reputation they gained in the Peninsular War.

" Everywhere, at Maharajpore and at Punniar, the British and the
native troops, emulating each other, and animated by the same
spirit of military devotion, proved that an army so composed, and
united by the bonds of mutual esteem and confidence, must ever
remain invincible in Asia.

"The Government of India will, as a mark of its grateful sense of
their distinguished merit, present to every general and other officer,
and to every soldier engaged in the battles of Maharajpore and Punniar,
an Indian star of bronze, made out of the guns taken at those battles,
and all officers and soldiers in the service of the Government of India
will be permitted to wear the star with their uniforms.

" His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief is requested to furnish
the Governor-General with nominal rolls of all the officers and soldiers
engaged in the two battles respectively, in order that the star pre-
sented to each may be inscribed with the name of the battle in which
he was engaged.

" A triumphal monument, commemorative of the campaign of Gwalior,
will be erected at Calcutta, and inscribed with the names of all who
fell in the two battles.

"The Governor-General directs that the words 'Maharajpore' and
' Punniar ' shall be borne upon the colours or standards and ap-
pointments of the several regiments, troops, and companies named
below, as respectively engaged in those battles :

" Maharajpore.

" 2nd troop Second Brigade Horse Artillery ; 3rd ditto, ditto, ditto ;
Second ditto Third Brigade ditto ; 1st company 1st Battalion of Foot
Artillery ; 1st ditto, 4th ditto, ditto ; Her Majesty's 16th Lancers ;
Governor-General's Bodyguard ; 1st Regiment Light Cavalry ;
4th ditto, ditto ; 10th ditto, ditto ; 4th Regiment Irregular Cavalry ;
Detachment of 5th Light Cavalry ; ditto, 8th ditto ; 3rd, 4th, and
5th companies of Sappers and Miners ; Her Majesty's 39th Regiment
of Foot ; ditto, 40th ditto ; 2nd Regiment of Grenadiers ; 14th
Regiment of Native Infantry ; 16th ditto of Grenadiers ; 31st ditto
of Native Infantry ; 43rd ditto of Light Infantry ; 56th ditto of Native
Infantry ; 6th Company 39th Native Infantry ; flank companies
of the Khelat-i-Ghilzie Regiment. The few men of No. I company
of the Khelat-i-Ghilzie Regiment, and of the cavalry and infantry,
of the Bundelcund legion, who were present, will receive stars.

" Punniar.
" Ist troop Third Brigade Horse Artillery ; 3rd ditto, ditto, ditto ;
6th company 6th Battalion Foot Artillery ; 2 squadrons Her Majesty's
9th Lancers ; 2 ditto 5th Regiment Light Cavalry ; 2 ditto 11th ditto,
ditto ; 8th Regiment Light Cavalry ; 8th Regiment Irregular Cavalry ;
Ist Company of Sappers and Miners ; Her Majesty's 3rd Buffs ; Her
Majesty's 50th Foot ; 39th Regiment Native Infantry ; 50th ditto,
ditto ; Slat ditto, ditto ; 58th ditto, ditto. The cavalry, infantry, and
artillery of the Seepree contingent.

370 APPENDIX B

"A royal' salute and a feu-de-joie will be fired at all the stations
of the army, on the receipt of this Order.

" By order of the Right Honourable the Governor-General of India.

(Signed) " F. Currie,

" Secretary to the Government of India,
" with the Governor-General."

"From His Excellency General Sir H. Gough, Bart., G.C.B..
Commander-in-Chief, East Indies.

" To the Right Honourable the Governor-General, etc., etc., etc.
Dated Headquarters Camp, before Gwaijor, January 4th, 1844.

" My Lord,

" Your Lordship having witnessed the operations of the
29th, and being in possession, from my frequent communications,
of my military arrangements for the attack on the Mahratta army
in its strong position of Chonda, I do not feel it necessary to enter
much into detail, either as to the enemy's position or the dispositions
I made for attacking it ; I shall here merely observe that it was
peculiarly well-chosen, and most obstinately defended ; indeed, I
may safely assert that I never witnessed guns better served, nor a
body of infantry apparently more devoted to the protection of their
regimental guns, held by the Mahratta corps as objects of worship.

" I previously communicated to your Lordship that my intention
was to have turned the enemy's left flank by Brigadier Cureton's
brigade of cavalry, consisting of Her Majesty's 16th Lancers under
Lieutenant-Colonel McDowell, your Lordship's Bodyguard under
Captain Dawkins, 1st Regiment of Light Cavalry under Major Crom-
melin, C.B., 4th Irregular Cavalry under Major Oldfield, C.B., with
Major Lane's and Major Alexander's troops of horse artillery under
Brigadier Gowan ; the whole under the orders of Major-General Sir
J. Thackwell, K.C.B. and K.H., commanding the cavalry division.

" With this force the Third Brigade of Infantry under Major-General
Valiant, K.H., was directed to co-operate, consisting of Her Majesty's
40th Regiment of Foot under Major Stopford, 2nd Regiment of Grena-
diers under Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton, and the 16th Regiment of
Grenadiers under Lieutenant-Colonel McLaren, C.B.

" It is equally known to your Lordship that I proposed to have
attacked the centre, with Brigadier Stacy's brigade of the Second Division
of Infantry, which consisted of the 14th Regiment Native Infantry
under Lieutenant-Colonel Gairdner, the 31st Native Infantry iinder
Lie vitenant- Colonel Weston, and the 43rd Light Infantry under Major
Nash, to which I attached No. 17 Light Field Battery under Captain
Browne ; the whole under Major-General Dennis, commanding the
Second Division of Infantry.

" The force was to have been supported by Brigadier Wright's
brigade, composed of Her Majesty's 39th Regiment commanded by
Major Bray, and the 56th Native Infantry under Major Dick, with
No. 10 Light Field Battery under Brevet-Major Sanders; Major-General
Little, commanding the Third Division of Infantry, superintended the
movement of this column.

" On the left of this force I placed the Fourth Brigade of Cavalry under
Brigadier Scott, C.B., of Her Majesty's 9th Lancers, consisting of the
4th Light Cavalry (Lancers) under Major Mactier, and the 10th Light
Cavalry vmder Lieutenant-Colonel Pope, with Captain Grant's troop
of horse artillery ; with this force I proposed threatening the right
flank of the enemy's position.

GWALIOR 371

" Yoiir Lordship is aware of the extreme difficulty of the country,
intersected by deep and ahnost impassable ravines, which were only
made practicable by the unremitting labour of Major Smith, with the
Sappers; and that I had to pass the Koharee river in three cohunns
at considerable distances, on the morning of the 29th ; but, by the
judicious movements of their respective leaders, the whole were in
the appointed positions by 8 o'clock a.m., about a mile in front of
Maharajpore.

" I found the Mahrattas had occupied this very strong position
diu-ing the previous night, by seven regiments of infantry, wdth their
guns, which they entrenched ; each corps having foui* guns, which
opened on oiu- advances. This obliged me to alter, in some measure,
my disposition.

" Major-General Littler's column being exactly in front of Maharaj-
pore, I ordered it to advance direct, while Major-General Valiant's
brigade took it in reverse, both supported by Major-General Dennis's
column, and the two light field batteries.

" Yoiu" Lordship must have witnessed, with the same pride and
pleasure that I did, the brilliant advance of these columns under their
respective leaders : the Eiu*opean and native soldiers appearing
emulous to prove their loyalty and devotion. And here I must do
justice to the gallantry of their opponents, who received the shock
without flinching ; their guns doing severe execution as we advanced,
but nothing could withstand the rush of British soldiers.

" Her Majesty's 39th Foot, with their accxistomed dash, ably sup-
ported by the 56th Regiment Native Infantry, drove the enemy from
their guns into the village, bayoneting the gunners at their posts.
Here a most sanguinary conflict ensued: the Maliratta troops, after
discharging their matchlocks, fought sword in hand with the most
determined courage.

" General Valiant's brigade, with equal enthusiasm, took Maharaj-
pore in re^'erse, and 28 guns were captiu-ed by this combined
movement ; so desperate was the resistance, that very few of the
defenders of this very strong position escaped. Dm-ing these
operations Brigadier Scott was opposed by a body of the enemy's
cavalry on the extreme left, and made some well-executed charges,
most ably supported by Captain Grant's troop of horse artillery
and 4th Lancers, capturing some guns and taking two standards,
thus threatening the right flank of the enemy.

" In conformity with previous instructions, Major-General Valiant,
supported by the Third Cavalry Brigade, moved on the right of the
enemy's position at Chonda. During the advance Major-General
Valiant had to take in succession three strong entrenched positions,
where the enemy defended their guns with frantic desperation ; Her
Majesty's 40th Regiment losing two successive commanding officers.
Major Stopford and Captain Coddington, who fell wounded at the
very muzzles of the guns, and captviring four regimental standards.
This corps was ably and nobly supported by the 2nd Grenadiers, who
captured two regimental standards, and by the IGth Grenadiers, under
Lieutenant-Colonels Hamilton and McLaren. Too much praise can-
not be given to these three regiments.

" Major-General Littler, with Brigadier Wright's brigade, after
dispersing the right of the enemy's position at Maharajpore,
steadily advanced to fulfil his instructions of attacking the main
position at Chonda in front, supported most ably by Captain Grant's
troop of horse artillery and the 1st Regimont ^){ Light Cnviilry. This
column liad to advance under a very severe fire o\'er very difficult
ground, but when within a short distance, again the rush of tho 39th

S72 APPENDIX B

Regiment, as before, under Major Bray, gallantly supported by the
56th Regiment under Major Dick, carried everything before them,
and thus gained the entrenched main position of Chonda. In this
charge the 39th Regiment lost the services of its brave commanding
officer. Major Bray, who was desperately woimded by the blowing
up of one of the enemy's tumbrils in the midst of the corps, and were
ably brought out of action by Major Straubenzee. This gallant corps
on this occasion captured two regimental standards.

" A small work of four guns on the left of this position was long and
obstinately defended, but subsequently carried, and the guns captured
by the Grenadiers of the 39th under Captain Campbell, admirably
supported by a wing of the 56th Native Infantry under Major
Phillips.

" Brigadier Cureton's brigade of cavalry taking advantage of every
opportunity, manojuvred most judiciously on the right, and would have
got in rear of the position, and cut off the retreat of the whole, had they
not been prevented by an impassable ravine. I witnessed with much
pride the rapidity of movement of the three troops of horse artillery,
which bore a conspicuous part in this well-contested action ; their
leaders promptly brought them forward in every available position, and
the precision of their fire was admirable. With the two light field
batteries I have every reason to be pleased : they well supported the
high character of the Bengal artillery.

" I was greatly gratified with a spirited charge made by Major
Oldfield, C.B., of the 4th Irregular Cavalry, who had been left to cover
Major Alexander's troop of horse artillery, and who charged, by ray
orders, a considerable body of the enemy's infantry, who were moving
of? from the right position of Maharajpore. Two gims and two stand-
ards rewarded this charge.

" I was likewise much pleased with a charge made by my personal
escort under Cornet Stannus, wluch did great credit to himself and the
small body of the 5th Light Cavalry which formed it.

" Several acts of individual heroism occiu"red on this day ; none
exceeded those of Major-General Churchill, C.B., Quartermaster-
General of Her Majesty's forces in India, and Captain Somerset, of the
Grenadier Guards, yoiu: Lordship's military secretary, whom you kindly
allowed to act on my staff, and whom I sent with Brigadier Cureton's
brigade, to communicate to me the movements of that corps. These
two gallant officers nobly fell, having received several wounds in
personal rencontre. In Major-General Churchill, Her Majesty's service
will experience a great loss ; he died dvu-ing the night, after amputation
of the leg, but I am glad to add there is every hope that Captain
Somerset will do well, though severely wounded.

" I regret to say that our loss has been very severe, infinitely beyond
what I calculated on ; indeed I did not do justice to the gallantry of my
opponents. Their force, however, so greatly exceeded oiu-s, particu-
larly in artillery ; the position of their guns was so commanding ; they
were so well served, and determinedly defended, both by their gunners
and their infantry, and the peculiar difficulties of the coimtry giving the
defending force so great advantages, that it could not be otherwise.

" In the return of killed I greatly deplore the loss of Lieutenant-
Colonel E. Sanders, C.B., of the Engineers, than whom this army, with
its nxunerous list of devoted soldiers, could not boast a more promising,
nor a more enthusiastic officer.

" It is also my painful duty to record my deep regret at the loss of a
most valuable officer. Major Crommelin, C.B., of the 1st Light Cavalry,
who died of wounds received when nobly leading his corps in support
of the Fifth Brigade of Infantry.

GWALIOR 373

" Yoiir Lordship is aware -that I had collected a strong force in
Bimdlecund under Major-General J. Grey, C.B., to co-operate with me,
and that both corps crossed the Scindian frontier, from the north-east
and south-west, at the same time. It may, therefore, be necessary
here to observe that, on finding that all your Lordship's strenuous
attempts to maintain those friendly relations which had hitherto existed
between the two Governments were fruitless, and that the Mahratta
army, the ruling power, appeared determined to rest the fate of the
country on the hazard of a general action, I instructed Major-General
Grey, with the troops under his command, to push on as rapidly as
practicable to Punniar, twelve miles south-west of Gwalior, thus
placing the Mahratta army between two corps capable of supporting
each other, should it remain in the vicinity of its capital, or of sub-
dividing that army to repel or attack these two columns. They adopted
the latter alternative, and, under Divine guidance, the consequence has
been most decisive and honourable to the British arms.

" I beg now to enclose Major-General Grey's report, detailing his
movements and operations, which were as creditable to this meritorious
ofificer as the result has proved highly honourable to the brave troops
he had under his command. I beg earnestly to draw your Lordship's
favourable attention to their conduct, and to the recommendations of
Major-General Grey.

" I beg also to bring to your Lordship's notice the several officers
named by those in command of the separate columns. In this list I
shall not re-name these, whom it is my intention to bring to yoiu-
Lordship's favourable consideration as commanding divisions and
brigades, and on the staff, at the conclusion of this report.

" Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, commanding the cavalry
division, mentions having received every assistance from Captain Pratt,
16th Lancers, Assistant Adjutant-General ; Captain Clayton, 4th Light
Cavalry, Assistant Quartermaster-General, and Lieutenant Pattinson,
16th Lancers, Brigade-Major of Cavalry; Lieutenant Cowell, 3rd Light
Dragoons, aide-de-camp, and Captain Herries, 3rd Light Dragoons,
your Lordship's aide-de-camp, who acted as aide-de-camp to Sir J. Thack-
well on this occasion, and Lieutenant Renny, of the Engineers, attached
to the cavalry division.

" Major-General Dennis mentions having derived every assistance
from Captain McKie, H.M.'s 3rd Buffs, Assistant Adjutant-General;
Lieutenant Sneyd, 57th Native Infantry, xA.cting Deputy Assistant
Quartermaster-General of the Second Division of Infantry, and
Lieutenant Dowman, Her Majesty's 40th Foot, acting aide-de-camp.

" Major-General Littler strongly brings to notice Major Bray, com-
manding 39th Regiment (severely wounded), and Major Straubenzee,
of H.M.'s 39th Regiment ; Majors Dick and Phillip, 56th Native Infantry ;
Major Ryan, Her Majesty's 50th Regiment; Captain Nixon, H.M.'s
39th Regiment, Brigade-Major ; Captain Campbell, H.M.'s 39th Grena-
dier company; Captain Graves, 16th Grenadiers, Assistant Adjutant-
General, and Lieutenant Croker, H.M.'s 39th Regiment, Assistant
Quartermaster-General, Fifth Brigade of Infantry ; Captain Harris, 70th
Native Infantry, his aide-de-camp, and Captain Alcock, 46th ; Captain
Johnstone, 46th, and Lieutenant Vaughan, 21st Native Infantry, acting
aide-de-camp.

" Major-General Valiant has also strongly brought to my notice the
conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel McLaren, C.B., 16th Grenadiers; Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Hamilton, 2nd Grenadiers; Major Stoj)ford and Captain
Coddington (both severely wounde 1), and Captain Oliver, succe.ssivoly
commanding Her Majesty's 40th Regiment ; Captain Manning, 16th
Grenadiers; Captain Young, 2nd Grenadiers ; Brigade Major, Captain

374 APPENDIX B

Abercrombie, Engineers, and Lieutenant Nelson, H.M.'s 40th Foot,
his aide-de-camp.

" Brigadier Gowan strongly recommends Captain McDonald, Deputy
Assistant Adjutant-General of Artillery.

" Although it was not their good fortune to come into action, I feel
it is due to Brigadier Tennant, and the officers and men of the foot
artillery, to express my thanks for the great exertions they made to
bring up the heavy ordnance, which alone was prevented from opening
on Maharajpore by the rapidity of the luovement of the attacking
columns, and from the action having commenced earlier than I expected.
My thanks are likewise due to Brigadier Riley, and that portion of the
Sixth Brigade of Infantry which formed the rearguard, for the manner
in which he protected and brought forward the mimense train of stores,
provisions, and baggage which accompanied the army, over so great an
extent of the enemy's country.

" I have thus, my Lord, attempted to detail a series of movements,
many of which came under your Lordship's observation. It now
becomes my duty, as Commander-in-Chief of this army, to do justice
to those gallant men who, I feel, I can conscientiously assure your Lord-
ship, merited my warmest approbation ; and although it fell to the lot
of some, as in all actions it must, to be more prominently forward than
others, yet I am proud to say I found in all arms the most animated
enthusiasm and the most able support.

" To Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, K.C.B., to Major-Generals
Dennis and Littler, and to Brigadier Gowan, commanding divisions, my
best thanks are due, for the manner in which they conducted and led
their respective divisions.

" To Major-General Valiant, K.H., and Brigadiers Scott, Stacy,
Cureton, and Wright, I am equally indebted, for their gallantry and
exertions in command of brigades ; and to tlie several officers com-
manding corps and troops of horse artillery and light field batteries,
named in a foregoing part of this despatch, I feel called on to express
my warmest approval. They nobly led and were gallantly supported
by the officers and men of their respective corps.

" I beg to bring to your Lordship's notice the high professional talents
of Major Smith, from whom I derived every assistance, as well as from
several officers of the Engineer department.

" To the general staff I am greatly indebted : from Major-General
Smith, C.B., Adjutant-General of Her Majesty's forces in India, and
Major-General Lumley, Adjutant-General of the army, I experienced
the most cordial support.

" To Lieutenant-Colonel Garden, Quartermaster-General of the
army, whose exertions were as creditable as they were unceasing,
I am very much indebted ; to Major Grant, Deputy Adjutant-General
of the army ; to Major Barr, Assistant Adjutant-General, Her Majesty's
forces, and to Major Drummond, Deputy Quartermaster-General of the
army, I feel vmder much obligation, for their zeal and assistance.

" The arrangements of Lieutenant-Colonel Bvirlton, Commissary-
General, who accompanied me in the field, and Captain Ramsay,
Assistant Commissary-General, and principal executive officer, have
been very judicious.

" Lieutenant-Colonel Birch, Judge- Advocate-General, accompanied
me in the field, and rendered me his assistance. The exertions of the
jmiior officers in the several departments well justify my most favour-
able report of them, especially Lieutenant W. Eraser Tytler, Deputy
Assistant Quartermaster-General, and Captain Ekins, Assistant
Adjutant-General of the army.

" I have every reason to be satisfied with the conduct of Superin-

GWALIOR 875

tending Siirgeon Wood, and Field-Surgeon Chalmers. This latter
officer peciiUarly and most creditably exerted himself in the field
hospital at Maharajpore.

" To Lieutenant-Colonel Gough, C.B., H.M.'s 3rd Light Dragoons,
my military secretary, and the other officers composing my personal
staff ; Major Havelock, C.B., H.M.'s I3th Light Infantry, Persian
interpreter; my aides-de-camp. Lieutenant Frend, of H.M.'s 31st Foot
(who was severely wounded, and had his right arm amputated in the
field) ; Captain R. Smith, 28th Regiment of Native Infantry ; Captain
Evans, 26th Light Infantry, and Lieutenant Bagot, of the 15th Native
Infantry, I am greatly indebted, for their alacrity and zeal in carrying
my orders ; also my best thanks are due to Captain Sir R. Shakespear,
Bt., of the artillery ; to Captain Curtis, 37th Native Infantry ;
Sub-Assistant Commissary-General ; to Lieutenant Macdonald, of the
2nd Madras Light Cavalry, and to Lieutenant Hayes, of the 62nd
Native Infantry, all of whom acted as my aides-de-camp during the
day.

'■ I must not omit to mention Assistant-Surgeon Stephens, M.D,,
H.M.'s 62nd Regiment, surgeon on my personal staff, who accom-
panied me in the field, and was attentive and useful to the wounded
in the field.

" I have the honour to enclose a list of our killed and wounded ;
that of the enemy must have been exceedingly great.

" By the accompanying returns your Lordship will perceive we have
captui'ed in the action of Maharajpore, 56 guns, and the whole of
the enemy's ammunition waggons.

" I feel I have been led into a much longer detail than I had in-
tended, and have brought to your Lordship's notice a very lengthened
list of officers who led, and troops who achieved a victory that, in one
day, has brought a once powerful nation, and undoubtedly brave
army, to feel the indomitable power of the British arms, thus securing
the internal peace of central India.

" I have the honour to be, my Lord,

" Your Lordship's obedient and hmnble servant,
(Signed) " H. Gough, General,

" Commander-in-Chief, East Indies."

APPENDIX C

DESPATCHES. SUTLEJ CAMPAIGN
SOBRAON

" General Order by the Right Honourable the Governor-
General OF India.

" Camp, KUSSOOR, February 2ith, 1846.

" The Governor-General, having received from His Excellency
the Commander-in-Chief, the despatch annexed to this paper, an-
nounces to the army and the people of India, for the fourth time during
this campaign, a most important and memorable victory obtained by
the army of the Sutlej over the Sikh forces at Sobraon, on the 10th
instant.

" On that day the enemy's strongly entrenched camp, defended by
35,000 men, and 67 pieces of artillery, exclusive of heavy guns on
the opposite bank of the river, was stormed by the British army,
under the immediate command of His Excellency Su- Hugh Gough,
Bart., G.C.B., and in two hours the Sikh forces were driven into the
river with immense loss, 67 guns being captured by the victors.

" The Governor-General most cordially congratulates the Com-
mander-in-Chief and the British army on this exploit, one of the most
daring ever achieved, by which, in open day, a triple line of breast-
works, flanked by formidable redoubts, bristling with artillery, manned
by 32 regular regiments of infantry, was assaulted and carried by
forces under His Excellencj^'s command.

" This important operation was most judiciously preceded by a
cannonade from the heavy howitzers and mortars, which had arrived
from Delhi on the 8th instant, the same day on which the forces under
Major-General Sir Harry Smith, which had been detached to Loodiana,
and had gained the victory of AUwal, rejoined the Commander-in-
Chief's camp.

" The vertical fire of the heavy ordnance had the effect intended by
His Excellency ; it shook the enemy's confidence in works so well
and so laboriously constructed, and compelled them to seek shelter in
the broken ground within their camp.

" The British infantry, formed on the extreme left of the line, then
advanced to the assault, and, in spite of every impediment, cleared
the entrenchments, and entered the enemy's camp. H.M.'s 10th,
53rd, and 80th Regiments, with the 33rd, 43rd, 59th, and 63rd Native
Infantry, moving at a firra and steady pace, never fired a shot till

876

SUTLEJ CAMPAIGN 377

they had passed the barriers opposed to them, a forbearance much to
be commended and most worthy of constant imitation, to which may
be attributed the success of their first effort, and the small loss they
sustained. This attack was crowned with the success it deserved,
and (led by its gallant commander, Major-General Sir Robert Dick)
obtained the admiration of the army, which witnessed its disciplined
valour. When checked by the formidable obstacles and superior
numbers to which the attacking division was exposed, the Second
Division, under Major-General Gilbert, afforded the most opportune
assistance by rapidly advancing to the attack of the enemy's batteries,
entering their fortified position after a severe struggle, and sweeping
through the interior of the camp. This division inflicted a very severe
loss on the retreating enemy.

" The same gallant efforts, attended by the same success, distin-
guished the attack of the enemy's left, made by the First Division,
under the command of Major-General Sir Harry Smith, K.C.B., in
which the troops nobly sustained their former reputation.

" These three divisions of infantry, concentrated within the enemy's
camp, drove his shattered forces into the river, with a loss which far
exceeded that which the most experienced officers had ever witnessed.

" Thus terminated, in the brief space of two hours, this most remark-
able conflict, in which the military combinations of the Commander-
in-Chief were fully and ably carried into effect with His Excellency's
characteristic energy. The enemy's select regiments of regular infantry
have been dispersed, and a large proportion destroyed, with the loss,
since the campaign began, of 220 pieces of artillery taken in action.

" The same evening, six regiments of native infantry crossed the
Sutlej ; on the following day the bridge of boats was nearly completed
by that able and indefatigable officer. Major Abbott, of the Engineers,
and the army is this day encamped at Kussoor, 32 miles from Lahore.

" The Governor-General again most cordially congratulates the
Commander-in-Chief on the important results obtained by this memor-
able achievement. The Governor-General, in the name of the
Government and of the people of India, offers to His Excellency
the Commander-in-Chief, to the general officers, and all the other
officers and troops vmder their command, his grateful and heartfelt
acknowledgments for the services they have performed.

" To commemorate this great victory, the Governor-General will cause
a medal to be struck, with ' Sobraon ' engraved upon it, to be pre-
sented to the victorious army in the service of the East India Company,
and requests His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief to forward the
lists usually furnished of those engaged.

" The Governor-General deeply regrets the loss of the brave officers
and men who have fallen on this occasion. Major-General Sir Robert
Dick, K.C.B., who led the attack, received a mortal wound after he
had entered the enemy's entrenchments. Thus fell, most gloriously,
at the moment of victory, this veteran officer, displaying the sanie
energy and intrepidity as when, 35 years ago, in Spain, he was the
distinguished leader of the 42nd Highlanders.

" The army has also sustained a heavy loss bj' the death of Brigadier
Taylor, commanding the Third Brigade of the Second Division, a most
able officer, and very worthy to have been at the head of so distinguished
a corps as H.M.'s 29th Regiment, by which he was beloved and
respected.

" The Company's service has lost an excellent officer in Captain
Fisher, who fell at the head of the brave Sirmoor Regiment, which
greatly distinguished itself.

" The Governor-Gerjerol has much satisfaction in again offering to

378 APPENDIX C

Major-General Sir Harry Smith, K.C.B., commanding the First Division
of infantry, his best thanks for his gallant services on this occasion,
by which he has added to his well-established reputation.

" The Governor-General acknowledges the meritorious conduct of
Brigadier Penny and Brigadier Hicks, commanding brigades in the
First Division.

" Her Majesty's 31st and 50th Reguuents greatly distinguished
themselves, as well as the 42nd and 47th Native Infantry and the
Nusseree battalion.

" The Governor-General's thanks are also due to Lieutenant-Colonel
Ryan, commanding H.M.'s 50th, who, he regrets to hear, has been
severely wounded.

" To Major-General Gilbert, commanding the Second Division, the
Crovernor-General is most happy to express his acknowledgments for
the judgment, coolness, and intrepidity displayed by him on every
occasion since the campaign opened ; and on the present, the prompti-
tude and energy of his attack essentially contributed to ensure the
success of the day.

" The Governor-General trusts that the wound received by Brigadier
McLaren will not long deprive the service of one of its best officers.

" H.M.'s 29th, and the 1st European Regiments, and the 16th, 48th,
61st Native Infantry, and the Sirmoor battalion, have entitled them-
selves, by their gallant conduct, to the thanks of the Government.

" To Brigadier Stacy, on whom the command of the Second Division
devolved, the Governor-General's thanks are especially due, for the
able manner in which the attack within the enemy's camp was directed.

" The Governor-General is also glad to have this opportunity of
acknowledging the services of Brigadier Wilkinson, commanding the
Sixth Brigade of the attacking division.

" The brigade composed of H.M.'s 9th and 62nd Regiments, and
the 26th Native Infantry, vxnder the command of Brigadier the Honour-
able T. Ashbvirnham, placed in support of the attacking division, by
its firm and judicious advance contributed to the success of the assault.

" The cavalry, tinder the command of Major-General Sir J. Thackwell,
K.C.B., Brigadiers Cm-eton, Scott, and Campbell, were well in hand,
and ready for any emergency. H.M.'s 3rd Light Dragoons, as usual,
were in the foremost ranks, and distinguished themselves under their
commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel White.

" Brigadier Smith, the commanding Engineer, fully accomplished
the Commander-in-Chief's instructions ; and to Captain Baker and
Lieutenant Becher of the Engineers, the Governor-General's acknow-
ledgments are due, for leading the division of attack into the enemy's
camp. These officers will maintain the reputation of their cbrps
whenever gallantry or science may be required from its members.

" Major Abbott, of the Engineers, exclusive of his exertions in con-
structing the bridge of boats, displayed much intelligence in the field.
The merits of Major Reilly, commanding that most useful corps the
Sappers and Miners, are acknowledged. The ability and zeal of
Brigadier Irvine, the senior officer of the Engineer corps, are well
known to the Governor-General ; and his forbearance in not assuming
the command, having reached the camp on the preceding evening, is
duly appreciated.

" Brigadier Go wan, commanding the artillery, ably directed the
practice of the heavy artillery on the left, assisted by Lieutenant -
Colonel Biddulph, Lieutenant-Colonel Brooke, Lieutenant- Colonel
Wood, and Captain Pillans.

" On the right, the howitzer practice was well sustained by Major
Grant.

SUTLEJ CAMPAIGN 379

" The troops of horse artillery of Lieutenant-Colonel Lane and
Captain Fordyce greatly assisted the attack of our infantry on the
left ; and whilst the enemy were crossing the river, the fire of Lieuten-
ant-Colonel Alexander's troop was most effective.

" The troops of Captain Horsford and Captain Swinley also did
good service.

" The Governor-General's acknowledgments are due to Major Grant,
Deputy Adjutant-General, and to his department generally, for their
ability and intelligence. To the Quartermaster-General the service
is much indebted for the judgment and zeal which mark all the
proceedings of that officer, and the Governor-General offers
acknowledgments to him, to the Deputy Quartermaster-General,
Lieutenant-Colonel Drummond, and the officers of that department.

" To Lieutenant-Colonel Barr, Acting Adjutant-General, and to
Lieutenant-Colonel Gough, Acting Quartermaster-General, Queen's
service, the Governor-General's thanks are due. He regrets the
temporary privation of the services of these officers by the wounds
they have received.

■' To Lieutenant-Colonel Birch, Judge- Advocate-General, the
Governor-General again has to repeat liis thanks for his intelligence
and gallantry.

" To Lieutenant-Colonel Havelock, Persian interpreter, the Governor-
General offers his best thanks.

" The Governor-General desires to record his obligations to Count
Ravensburg, and to the officers of His Royal Highness's staff, Count
Oriola and Count Greuben. This gallant and amiable Prince, with
his brave associates of the Prussian army, has shared all the dangers
and secured for himself the respect and admiration of the British
army ; and the Governor-General begs to convey to Hjs Royal Highness
and to his staff, his cordial thanks for the ready offers of their services
on the field of battle.

" The Governor-General has now to acknowledge the services
rendered by the officers attached to his own staff.

'■ He renews to Lieutenant- Colonel Benson, of the Military Board,
his strong sense of the important services rendered by that officer
during the whole of this campaign, whose general information in military
details, and cool judgment in action, deserve this aclaiowledgment.

" Lieutenant-Colonel Wood, the Governor-General's Mihtary Secre-
tary, displayed on the 10th instant the same intelhgence and gallantry
as on former occasions.

" Major LavvTence, the Governor-General's Political Agent, has,
throughout these operations, afforded most useful assistance by his
ability, zeal, and activity in the field, as well as on every other occasion.

" Captain Mills, Assistant Pohtical Agent, and Honorary Aide-de-
camp to the Governor-General, has shown the most unwearied devotion
to the service as well in the field as in the exercise of his personal
influence in the protected Sikh States.

" The Governor-General's thanks are also due to Captain Cunning-
ham, Engineers, Assistant Political Agent.

" The Governor-General's Aides-de-camp, Captain Grant, Lord Arthur
Hay, Captain Peel, and Captain Hardinge, by their gallantry and in-
telligence, rendered themselves most useful.

'■ In the operations of this campaign, in which officers of the civil
service have accompanied the camp, and participated in the risks
incidental to active warfare, the Governor-General's tlianks are due
for their readiness in encountering those risks, and their endurance
of privations.

" The Governor General acknowledges the able assistance he has

380 APPENDIX C

at all times received from the Political Secretary, F. Carrie, Esq.
His acknowledgments are also due to his Private Secretary, C. Hardtnge,
Esq., and to the Assistant Political Agent, R. Cust, Esq.

" Lieutenant-Colonel Parsons, Deputy Commissary-General, has
succeeded in keeping the Army well supplied ; and the Governor-
General is much satisjSed with his exertions, and those of tho officers
imder his command. The army took the field under circumstances of
great difficulty ; and, by strenuous exertions, and good arrangements
on the part of the Lievitenant-Colonel, the army has now a large supply
in reserve, a result very favourable to the Chief of the Commissariat
Department. The mamier in which Captain Johnson has conducted
the commissariat duties entrusted to him has also met with the Gover-
nor-General's approbation.

" To Dr. Macleod, superintending surgeon, and to Dr. Graham, as
well as to the officers of the medical department generally, the Governor-
General offers his acknowledgments.

" His thanks are due to Dr. Walker, surgeon to the Governor-
General, whose ability is only to be equalled by his zeal and humanity.

" A salute of 21 guns will be fired in celebration of the victory
of Sobraon at all the usual stations of the army.

" By order of the Right Honourable the Governor-General of India.

(Signed) " F. Currie,
" Secretary to the Government of India,

" with the Governor-General."

"General Sir Hitgh Gough, Bart., G.C.B., Commander-in-Chief
OF the Forces in India, to the Governor-General of India.

" HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF THE SUTLEJ, CAMP, KUSSOOR, February 13th, 1846.

" Right Honourable Sir,

" This is the fourth despatch which I have had the honour of
addressing to you since the opening of the campaign. Thanks to
Almighty God, whose hand I desire to acknowledge in all our successes,
the occasion of my writing now is to announce a fourth and most
glorious and decisive victory.

" My last commimication detailed the movements of the Sikhs
and our coimter-manoeuvres since the great day of Ferozeshah. De-
feated on the Upper Sutlej, the enemy continued to occupy his position
on the right bank, and his formidable lete-du-pont and entrenchments
on the left bank of the river, in front of the main body of our army.
But on the 10th instant, all that he held of British territory, which
was comprised in the groimd on wlaich one of his camps stood, w;as
stormed from his grasp, and his audacity was again signally punished
by a blow, sudden, heavy, and overwhelming. It is my gratifying duty
to detail the measures wliich have led to this glorious result.

" The enemy's works had been repeatedly reconnoitred during the
time of my headquarters being fixed at Nihalkee, by myself, my
departmental staff, and my engineer and artillery officers. Our
observations, coupled with the reports of spies, convinced us that there
had devolved on us the arduoiis task of attacking a position covered
with formidable entrenchments, not fewer than 30,000 men, the best
of the Khalsa troops, with 70 pieces of cannon, vmited by a good
bridge to a reserve on the opposite bank, on which the enemy had a
considerable camp and some artillery, commanding and flanking his
fieldworks on our side. Major-General Sir Harry Sinith's division
having rejoined me on the evening of the 8th, and part of my siege
train having come up with me, I resolved, on the morning of the 10th,
to dispose our mortars|and battering guns on the alluvial land, within

SUTLEJ CAMPAIGN 381

good range of the enemy's picquets at the post of observation in front
of Kodeewalla, and at the Little Sobraon. It was directed that this
should be done during the night of the 9th, but the execution of this
part of the plan was deferred, owning to misconceptions and casual
circtimstances, until near daybreak. The delay was of little impor-
tance, as the event showed that the Sikhs had followed our example,
in occupying the two posts in force by day only. Of both, therefore,
possession was taken without opposition. The battering and dispos-
able field artillery was then put in position on an extended semicircle,
embracing within its fire the works of the Silchs. It had been
intended that the camionade should have commenced at daybreak ;
but so hea\'y a mist hung over the plain and river that it became neces-
sary to wait until the rays of the sun had penetrated it and cleared
the atmosphere. Meanwhile on the margin of the Sutlej, on our
left, two brigades of Major-General Sir Robert Dick's division, under
his personal command, stood ready to commence the assault against
the enemy's extreme right. His Seventh Brigade,'in which was the 10th
Foot, reinforced by the 53rd Foot, and led by Brigadier Stacy, was
to head the attack, supported, at 200 yards' distance, by the Sixth
Brigade, under Brigadier Wilkinson. In reserve was the Fifth Brigade,
under Brigadier the Honourable T. Ashburnliara, which was to move
forward from the entrenched village of Kodeewalla, leaving, if necessary,
a regiment for its defence. In the centre, Major-General Gilbert's
division was deployed for support or attack, its right resting on and
in the village of the Little Sobraon. Major-General Sir Harry Smith's
division was formed near the village of Guttah, with its right thrown
up towards the Sutlej. Brigadier Cureton's cavalry threatened, by
feigned attacks, the ford at Hurrekee and the enemy's horse, under
Rajah Lai Singh Misr, on the opposite bank. Brigadier Campbell,
taking an intermediate position in the rear between Major-General
Gilbert's right and Major-General Sir Harry Smith's left, protected
both. Major-General Sir Joseph ThackweU, under whom was Brigadier
Scott, held in reserve on our left, ready to act as circumstances might
demand, the rest of the cavalry.

" Our battery of nine-pounders, enlarged into twelves, opened near
the Little Sobraon with a brigade of howitzers formed from the light
field batteries and troops of horse artillery, shortly after daybreak.
But it was half-past 6 before the whole of our artillery fire was
developed. It was most spirited and well-directed. I cannot speak in
terms too high of the judicious disposition of the guns, their admirable
practice, or the activity with which the cannonade was sustained.
But, notwithstanding the formidable calibre of our iron guns, mortars,
and howitzers, and the admirable way in which they were served,
and aided by a rocket battery, it would have been visionary to expect
that they could, within any limited time, silence the fire of 70
pieces behind well-constructed batteries of earth, plank, and fascines,
or dislodge troops, covered either by redoubts or epaulements, or within
a treble line of trenches. The effect of the cannonade was, as hf •
been since proved by an inspection of the camp, most severely feltJJ.>^
the enemy, but it soon became evident that the issue of this struggle
must be brought to the arbitrament of musketry and the bayonet.

" At 9 o'clock. Brigadier Stacy's brigade, supported on either
flank by Captains Horsford's and Fordyce's batteries, and Lieutenant-
Colonel Lane's troop of horse artillery, moved to the attack in
admirable order. The infantry and guns aided each other correlatively.
The former marched steadily on in line, which they halted only to
correct when necessary. The latter took up successive positions at
the gallop, imtil at length they were within three hundred yards of

382 APPENDIX C

the heavy batteries of the Sikhs ; but, notwithstanding t}ie regularity
and coolness and scientific character of this assault, which Brigadier
Wilkinson well supported, so hot was the fire of cannon, musketry,
and zumboorucks, kept vip by the Khalsa troops, that it seemed for
some moments impossible that the entrenchments could be won under
it ; but soon, persevering gallantry triumphed, and the whole army
had the satisfaction to see the gallant Brigadier Stacy's soldiers driving
the Sikhs in confusion before them within the area of their encamp-
ment. The 10th Foot, under Lieutenant-Colonel Franks, now for
the first time brought into serious contact with the enemy, greatly
distinguished themselves. The regiment never fired a shot until
it had got within the works of the enemy. The onset of Her Majesty's
53rd Foot was as gallant and effective. The 43rd and 59th Native
Infantry, brigaded with them, emulated both in cool determination.

" At the moment of the first success I directed Brigadier the Honour-
able T. Ashbiu'nham's brigade to move on in support, and Major-
General Gilbert's and Sir Harry Smith's divisions to throw out their
light troops to threaten the works, aided by artillery. As these
attacks of the centre and right commenced, the fire of our heavy guns
had first to be directed on the right, and then gradually to cease ; but
at one time the thunder of full 120 pieces of ordnance reverberated
in this mighty combat through the valley of the Sutlej ; and as it was
soon seen that the weight of the whole force within the Sikh camp
was likely to be thrown upon the two brigades that had passed its
trenches, it became necessary to convert into close and serious attacks
the demonstrations with skirmishers and artillery of the centre and
right ; and the battle raged with inconceivable fury from right to
left. The Sikhs, even when at particvilar points their entrenchments
were mastered with the bayonet, strove to regain them by the fiercest
conflict, sword in hand. Nor was it until the cavalry of the left, under
Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, had moved forward and ridden
through the openings in the entrenchments made by our Sappers in
single file, and re-formed as they passed them, and the 3rd Dragoons,
whom no obstacle usually held formidable by horse appears to check,
had on this day, as at Ferozeshah, galloped over and cut down the
obstinate defenders of batteries aiid fieldworks, and until the full
weight of three divisions of infantry, with every field artillery gun
which could be sent to their aid, had been cast into the scale, that
victory finally declared for the British. The fire of the Sikhs first
slackened, and then nearly ceased ; and the victors then pressing
them on every side, precipitated them in masses over their bridge,
and into the Sutlej, which a sudden rise of seven inches had rendered
hardly fordable. In their efforts to reach the right bank through
the deepened water, they suffered from our horse artillery a terrible
carnage. Hiuidreds fell under this cannonade ; hundreds upon hun-
dreds were di-owned in attempting the perilous passage. Their awfvil
slaughter, coiifusion, and dismay were such as would have excited
compassion in the hearts of their generous conquerors, if the Khalsa
troops had not, in the earlier part of the action, sullied their gallantry
by slaughtering and barbarously mangling every wounded soldier
whom, in the vicissitudes of attack, the fortune of war left at their
mercy. I must pause in this narrative especially to notice the deter-
mined hardihood and bravery with which our two battalions of Ghoork-
has, the Sirmoor and Nusseree, met the Sikhs, wherever they were
opposed to them. Soldiers of small stature but indomitable spirit,
they vied in ardent courage in the charge with the Grenadiers of our
own nation, and, armed with the short weapon of their mountains,
were a terror to the Sikhs throughout this great combat.

SUTI>EJ CAMPAIGN 388

" Sixty-seven pieces of cannon, upwards of 200 camel-swivels (zum-
boorucks), numerous standards, and vast munitions of war, captured
by our troops, are the pledges and trophies of our \dctory. The battle
was over by 11 in the morning ; and in the forenoon I caused our
Engineers to biu-n a part and to sink a part of the vaunted bridge of
the Khalsa army, across which they had boastfully come once more
to defy us, and to threaten India with ruin and devastation.

" We have to deplore a loss severe in itself, but certainly not heavy
when weighed in the balance against the obstacles overcome and the
advantages obtained. I have especially to lament the fall of Major-
General Sir Robert Dick, K.C.B., a gallant veteran of the Peninsula
and Waterloo campaigns. He survived only until the evening the
dangerous grape-shot wound which he received close to the 80th
Regiment, in their career of noble daring. Major-General Gilbert,
to whose gallantry and unceasing exertions I have been so deeply
indebted, and whose services have been so eminent throughout this
eventful campaign, and Brigadier Stacy, the leader of the brigade
most hotly and successfully engaged, both received contusions. They
were such as would have caused many men to retire from the field,
but they did not interrupt for a moment the efforts of these heroic
officers. Brigadier McLaren, so distinguished in the campaigns in
Afghanistan, at Maharajpore, and now again in our conflicts with the
Sikhs, has been badly wounded by a ball in the knee. Brigadier
Taylor, C.B., one of the most gallant and intelligent officers in the
army, to whom I have felt deeply indebted on many occasions, fell
in this fight, at the head of his brigade, in close encounter with the
enemy, and covered with honourable wounds. Brigadier Penny, of the
Nusseree battalion, commanding the Second Brigade, has been wounded,
but not, I trust, severely. I am deprived for the present of the valuable
services of Lieutenant-Colonel J. B. Gough, C.B., Acting Quarter-
master-General of Her Majesty's troops, whose aid I have so highly
prized in all my campaigns in China and India. He received a wound
from a grape-shot, which is severe, but I hope not dangerous. Lieuten-
ant-Colonel Barr, Acting Adjutant-General of Her Majesty's forces,
whose superior merit as a staff-officer I have before recorded, has
suffered a compound fracture in the left arm by a ball. It is feared
that amputation may be necessary. Lieutenant-Colonels Ryan and
Petit, of the 50th Foot, were both badly wounded with that gallant
regiment. Captain John Fisher, commandant of the Sirmoor battalion,
fell at the head of his valiant little corps, respected and lamented by
the whole army.

" I have now to make the attempt, difficiilt, nay, impracticable I
deem it, of expressing in adequate terms my sense of obligation to those
who especially aided me by their talents and self-devotion in the hard-
fought field of Sobraon.

" First, Right Honourable Sir, you must permit me to speak of
yourself. Before the action, I had the satisfaction of submitting to
you my plan of attack, and I cannot describe the support which I
derived from the circumstances of its having in all its details met
your approbation. When a soldier of such sound judgment and
experience as yovir Excellency assured me that my projected opera-
tion deserved success, I could not permit myself to doubt that, by
the blessing of Divine Providence, the victory would be ours. Nor
did your assistance stop here ; though suffering severely from the
effects of a fall, and unable to mount on horseback without assistance,
your uncontrollable desire to see this army once more triumphant
carried you into the hottest of the fii'e, filling all who witnessed your
exposure to such peril at onco with admiration of the intrepidity that

384 APPENDIX C

prompted it, and anxiety for your personal safety, involving so deeply
in itself the interests and happiness of British India. I must acknow-
ledge my obligation to you for having, whilst I was busied with
another portion of oiir operations, superintended all the arrangements
that related to laying our bridge across the Sutlej, near Ferozepore.
Our prompt appearance on this side of the river, after victory, and
advance to this place, which has enabled us to surprise its fort, and
encamp without opposition in one of the strongest positions in the
country, is the result of this valuable assistance.

" The Major-Generals of the divisions engaged deserve far more
commendation that I am able, within the limits of a despatch, to
bestow. Major-General Sir Robert Dick, as I have already related, has
fallen on a field of renown worthy of his military career and services, and
the affectionate regret of his country will follow him to a soldier's grave.

" In his attack on the enemy's left, Major-General Sii" Harry Smith
displayed the same valour and judgment which gave him the victory
of Aliwal. A more arduous task has seldom, if ever, been assigned to a
division. Never has an attempt been more gloriously carried through.

" I want words to express my gratitude to Major-General Gilbert.
Not only have I to record that in this great fight all was achieved by
him which, as Commander-in-Chief, I could desire to have executed.
Not only on this day was his division enabled, by his skill and courageous
example, to triumph over obstacles from which a less ardent spirit
would have recoiled as insurmoimtable ; but, since the hour in which
our leading columns moved out to Umballa, I have found in the Major-
General an oificer who has not merely carried out all my orders to the
letter, but whose zeal and tact have enabled hmi in a hundred instances
to perform valuable services in exact anticipation of my wishes. I
beg explicitly to recommend him to your Excellency's especial notice
as a divisional commander of the highest merit.

" Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell has established a claim on
this day to the rare commendation of having achieved much with a
cavalry force, where the duty to be done consisted of an attack on
fieldworks, usually supposed to be the particular province of infantry
and artillery. His vigilance and activity throughout our operations,
and the superior manner in which oui- outpost duties have been carried
on under his superintendence, demand my warmest acknowledgments.

" Brigadier Stacy, C.B., I must commend to yom* special protection
and favour. On him devolved the arduous duty of leading the first
column to the attack, tin-ning the enemy's right, encoimtering his
fire, before his numbers had been thinned, or his spirit broken, and,
to use a phrase which a soldier like your Excellency will comprehend,
taking off the rough edge of the Sikhs in the fight. How ably^ how
gallantly, how successfully this was done, I have before endeavoured
to relate. I feel certain that Brigadier Stacy and his noble troops
will hold their due place in yoiu- Excellency's estimation, and that his
merits will meet with fit reward.

" Brigadier Orchard, C.B., in consequence of the only regiment under
his command that was engaged in the action being with Brigadier
Stacy's brigade, attached himself to it, and shared all its dangers,
glories, and success.

" I beg as warmly and sincerely to praise the manner in which
Brigadier Wilkinson supported Brigadier Stacy, and followed his lead
into the enemy's works.

" Brigadier the Honoiirable T. Ashburnham manoeuvred with great
coolness and success as a reserve to the two last-mentioned brigades.

" Brigadier Taylor, of H.M.'s 29th, fell nobly, as has already been
told, in the discharge of his duty. He is liimself beyond the reach of

SUTLEJ CAMPAIGN 385

earthly praise ; but it is now my earnest desire that his memory may
be honoured in his fall, and that his regiment, the army with wliich
he served, and his country, may know that no officer held a higher
place in my poor estimation, for gallantry or skill, than Brigadier
C. C. Taylor.

" Brigadier McLaren, C.B., in whom I have ever confided, as one
of the ablest of the senior officers of this force, sustained on this day,
as I have before intimated, his already enviable reputation. I trust
he may not long be kept by his wound out of the sphere of active
exertion, which is his natural element.

'• Brigadiers Penny and Hicks commanded the two brigades of
Major-General Sir Harry Smith's division, and overcame at their head
the most formidable opposition. I beg to bring both, in the most
earnest manner, to your notice, trusting that Brigadier Penny's active
service will soon become once more available.

" The manoeuvres of Brigadier Cureton's cavalry, in attracting and
fixing the attention of Rajah Lai Singh Misr's horse, fulfilled every
expectation which I had formed, and were worthy of the skill of the
officer employed, whose prominent exploits at the battle of Aliwal I have
recently had the honour to bring to your notice.

" Brigadier Scott, C.B., in command of the First Brigade of cavalry,
had the rare fortune of meetmg and overcoming a powerful body of
in ant.y in the rear of a line of formidable fieldworks. I have to
congratulate him on the success of the noble troops under him, and to
thank him for his owti meritorious exertions. I am quite certain that
your Excellency will bear them in mind.

" Brigadier Campbell's brigade was less actively employed ; but
all that was required of it was most creditably performed. The
demonstration on the enemy's left by the 9th Lancers, towards the
conclusion of the battle, was made in the best order under a sharp
cannonade.

'• Brigadier Gowan, C.B., deserves my best thanks for his able
arrangements, the value of which was so fully evinced in the first hour
and a half of this conflict, when it was almost exclusively an artillery
fight. Brigadiers Biddulph, Brooke, and Dennis supported him in
the ablest way throughout the day, and have given me the most
effectual assistance under every circumstance of the campaign.

" The effective practice of our rockets, under Brigadier Brooke,
elicited my particular admiration.

" Brigadier Smith, C.B., had made all the dispositions m the Engineer
department, which were in the highest degree judicious, and in every
respect excellent. On the evening of the 9th instant Brigadier Irvine,
whose name is associated with one of the most brilliant events in our
military history, the capture of Bhurtpore, arrived in camp. The
command would, of course, have devolved on him, but with that
generosity of spirit which ever accompanies true valour and ability,
he declined to assume it, in O' der that all the credit of that work which
he had begun might attach to Brigadier Smith. For himself. Brigadier
Irvine sought only the opportunity of sharing our perils in the field,
and he personally accompanied me throughout the day. Brigadier
Smith has earned a title to the highest praise I can bestow.

" To the general staff I am in every way indebted. Nothing could
surpass the activity and intelligence of Lieutenant-Colonel Gai-den
and Major Grant, who are the heads of it, in the discharge of the duties
of their departments, ever very laborious, and during this campaign
almost overwhelming. Both yet suffer under the effects of wounds
previously received. Lieutenant-Colonel Drummond, C.B., Deputy
Quartermaster-General, and Lieutenant Arthur Becher, Deputy

386 APPENDIX C

Assistant Quartermaster-General, ably supported the former ; and
the exertions of Captains Anson and Tucker, Assistant Adjutants-
General, have been most satisfactory to the latter and to myself.

" Lieutenant-Colonel Parsons, Deputy Commissary-General, has
evinced the most successful perseverance in his important endeavours
to supply the army. He has been ably aided at headquarters by
Major W. J. Thompson, C.B., and Major Curtis, Sub-Assistant Com-
missary-General ; all three of these officers were most active in con-
veying my orders in the battle of Sobraon in the face of every danger.
I have, in the most explicit way, to record the same intelligence and
ability, and the same activity and bravery, in the case of Lieutenant-
Colonel Birch, Judge- Advocate-General, both as respects departmental
duties and active attendance on me in the field. I have already spoken
of the loss which I have svistained by Lieutenant-Colonels Gough and
Barr being wounded. The exertions of both in animating our troops
in moments of emergency were laudable beyond my power to praise.
Lieutenant Sandys, 55th Regiment Native Infantry, postmaster of the
force, assisted in conveying my orders.

" Superintending Surgeon B. Macleod, M.D., has been indefatigable
in the fulfilment of every requirement of his important and responsible
situation. I am entirely satisfied with his exertions and their results.
I must bring to notice also the merits of Field-Surgeon J. Steel, M.D.,
and Surgeon Graham, M.D., in charge of the depot of sick.

"I was accompanied during the action by the following officers of my
personal staff : Captain the Honourable C. R. Sackville West, H.M.'s
21st Foot, officiating military secretary (Captain Haines, for whom
he acts, still being disabled by his severe wound) ; Lieutenant-Colonel
H. Havelock, C.B., H.M.'s 39th Foot, Persian interpreter ; Lieu-
tenant Bagot, 15th Native Infantry ; Lieutenant Edwards, 1st Euro-
pean Light Infantry ; and Cornet Lord James Browne, 9th Lancers,
my aides-de-camp ; and Assistant Surgeon J. E. Stephens, M.D., my
medical officer, assisted in conveying my orders to various points,
in the thickest of the fight and the hottest of the fire, and to ail of them
I feel greatly indebted.

"I have to acknowledge the services in the command of regiments,
troops, and batteries, or on select and particular duties in the Engineer
department, of the following oificers, and to recommend them to your
Excellency's special favour, viz. : Major F. Abbott, who laid the bridge
by which the army crossed into the Punjaub, and who was present at
Sobraon, and did excellent service ; Captain Baker and Lieutenant
John Beecher, Engineers, who conducted Brigadier Stacy's column
(the last of these was wounded) ; Lieutenant Colonel Wood, artillery,
commanding the mortar battery ; Major Lawrenson, commanding
the 18-pounder battery ; Lieutenant-Colonel Huthwaite, com-
manding the 8-inch howitzer battery ; and Lieutenant-Colonel
Geddes, commanding the rockets ; Captain R. Waller, horse artillery ;
Captain G. H. Swinley, Captain E. F. Daj% Captain J. Turton, Brevet-
Major C. Grant, Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel J. Alexander, Brevet-
Major J. Brind, Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel J. T. Lane, Brevet-Major
J. Campbell, Captain J. Fordyce, Captain R. Horsford, and Lieutenant
G. Holland, commanding troops and batteries ; Major B. Y. Reilly,
commanding Sappers and Miners ; Lieutenant-Colonel White, C.B.,
cominanding the 3rd Light Dragoons ; Captain Nash, 4th Light Cavalry ;
Major Alexander, 5th Light Cavalry ; Captain Christie, 9th Irregular
Cavalry ; Lieutenant-Colonel Fullerton, 9th Lancers ; Captain Leeson,
2nd Irregular Cavalry ; Brevet-Captain Beecher, 8th Irregular Cavalry ;
Captain Pearson, 16th Lancers ; Brevet-Captain Quin, Governor-
General's Bodyguard ; Brevet-Major Angelo, 3rd Light Cavalry ;

SUTLEJ CAMPAIGN 387

Lieutenant-Colonel Spence, 31st Foot ; Captain Corfield, 47th Native
Infantry ; Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Ryan, and Brevet-Lieutenant
Colonel Petit, and Captain Long, 50th Foot ; Major Polwhele, 42nd
Regiment Native Infantry ; Captain O'Brien, and Lieutenant Travers,
Nusseree battalion ; Captain Stepney, 29th Foot ; Major Sibbald,
41st Regiment Native Infantry ; Major Birrell and Brevet-Captain
Seaton, 1st European Light Infantry ; Brevet-Major Graves, 16th
Grenadiers ; Lieutenant Reid, Sirmoor battalion ; Lieutenant-Colonel
Davis, 9th Foot ; Major Hanscomb, 26th Regiment Native Infantry ;
Lieutenant-Colonel Bvmbury, 80th Foot ; Captain Hoggan, 63rd
Regiment Native Infantry ; Captain Sandeman, 33rd Regiment Native
Infantry ; Lieutenant-Colonel Franks, 10th Foot ; Brevet-Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Nash, 43rd Regiment Native Infantry ; Brevet-
Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson, 59th Regiment Native Infantry ;
Lieutenant-Colonel Phillips, 53rd Foot ; Major Shortt, 62nd Foot ;
Brevet-Major Marshall, 68th Regiment Native Infantry ; and Captain
Short, 45th Regiment Infantry.

" The following staff and engineer officers I have also to bring to
yom- especial notice, and to pray that their services may be favourably
remembered, and the survivors duly rewarded, viz. : Captain E. Christie,
Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General, and Lieutenant Maxwell, Deputy
Assistant Quartermaster-General of Artillery, and Captain Pillans
and Brevet-Captain W. K. Warner, Commissaries of Ordnance ; Brevet-
Captain M. Mackenzie and Brevet-Captain E. G. Austen, and First
Lieutenant E. Kaye, Artillery, Majors of Brigade ; Napier, Major of
Brigade of Engineers ; Captain Tritton, 3rd Light Dragoons, Deputy
Assistant Adjutant-General ; Lieutenant E. Roche, 3rd Dragoons,
aide-de-camp to Major-General Sir J. Thackwell, and Officiating
Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General of Cavalry, in the place of
Captain Havelock, 9th Foot, who was present in the field, but unable,
from the effects of a wound, to discharge the duties of his office ;
Captain E. Lugard, 31st Foot, Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General ;
Lieutenant A. S. Galloway, 3rd Light Cavalry, Deputy Assistant
Quartermaster-General ; Lieutenant E. A. Holdich, 80th Foot, aide-
de-camp to Major-General Sir Harry Smith ; Lieutenant F. M'D.
Gilbert, 2nd Grenadiers, acting aide-de-camp to Major General
Gilbert ; Captain R. Houghton, 63rd Regiment Native Infantry, Offici-
ating Assistant Adjutant-General ; Lieutenant Rawson, Deputy
Assistant Quartermaster-General, killed ; Lieutenant R. Bates, 82nd
Foot, aide-de-camp to the late Major-General Sir R. Dick ; Captain
J. R. Pond, 1st European Light Infantry, Deputy Assistant Adju-
tant-General ; Lieutenant J. S. Paton, 14th Regiment Native Infantry,
Officiating Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General ; Brevet-Captain
Harrington, 5th Light Cavalry ; Captain A. Spottiswoode, 9th Lancers ;
Lieutenant R. Pattinson, I6th Lancers ; Captain J. Garvock, 31st
Foot ; Lieutenant G. H. M. Jones, 29th Foot ; Captain J. L. Taylor,
26th Light Infantry ; Lieutenant H. F. Dunsford, 59th Regiment
Native Infantry, Majors of Brigade ; Captain Combe, 1st European
Light Infantry, Major of Brigade Second Brigade ; Captain Gordon,
llth Native Infantry, Major of Brigade, Sixth Brigade; Captain
A. G. Ward, 68th Native Infantry, Major of Brigade, and Lieutenant
R. Hay, Major of Brigade, killed.

" Having ventured to speak of your Excellency's own part in this
action, it would be most gratifying to me to go on to mention the
brilliant share taken in it by Lieutenant-Colonel Wood and the officers
of your personal staff, as well as by the civil, political, and other military
officers attached to you. But as these were all imder your own eyes,
I cannot doubt that you will yourself do justice to their exertions.

388 APPENDIX C

" We were in this battle again honoured with the presence of Prince
Waldemar of Prussia, and the two noblemen in his suite, Count Oriola
and Count Greuben. Here, as at Moodkee and Ferozeshah, these dis-
tinguished visitors did not content themselves with a distant view of
the action, but, throughout it, were to be seen in front wherever danger
most urgently pressed.

" The loss of the enemy has been immense ; an estimation must be
formed with a due allowance for the spirit of exaggeration which
pervades all statements of Asiatics where their interest leads them to
magnify numbers ; but our own observation on the river banks and in
the enemy's camp, combined with the reports brought to our Intelli-
gence Department, convince me that the Khalsa casvialties were
between 8,000 and 10,000^ men killed and wounded in action and
drowned in the passage of the river. Amongst the slain are Sirdar
Sham Singh Attareewalla, Generals Gholab Singh Koopta and Heera
Singh Topee, Sirdar Kishen Singh, son of the late Jemadar Kooshall
Singh ; Generals Mobaruck Ally and lUahee Buksh, and Shah Newaz
Khan, son of Futtehood-deen, Khan of Kussoor. The body of Sham
Singh was sought for in the captured camp by his followers ; and
respecting the gallantry with which he is reported to have devoted
himself to death rather than accompany the army in its flight, I forbade
his people being molested in their search, which was finally successful.

" The consequences of this great action have yet to be fully developed.
It has at least, in God's providence, once more expelled the Sikhs from
our territory, and planted our standards on the soil of the Punjaub.
After occupying their entrenched position for nearly a month, the
Khalsa army had perhaps mistaken the caution which had induced us
to wait for the necessary material, for timidity. But they must now
deeply feel that the blow which has fallen on them from the British
arm has only been the heavier for being so long delayed.

" I have, etc.

(Signed) " H. Gough, General,
" Commander -iU'Chief, East Indies."

' Majok-General Sir Joseph Thackwbll, K.C.B., K.H., Com-
manding Cavalry Division, to the Adjutant-General of
THE Army of the Stjtlej.

" Str, "Camp, Kussoor, February llth, 1846.

"I have the honour to report, for the information of His Excellency

the Commander-in-Chief, the operations of that part of the cavalry

division under my command which had the happiness in participating

in the glorious victory obtained over the Sikhs on February 10th, 1846.

" The Third Brigade of Cavalry, under Brigadier Ciu-eton, consisting of
the 16th Lancers, commanded by Captain Pearson, the 3rd Light
Cavalry, under Major Angelo, and the Bodyguard, under the command
of Captain Quin, with a troop of horse artillery, had been directed to
make a demonstration in the direction of Hurreekee Ghat. The Second
Brigade, under Brigadier Campbell, consisting of H.M.'s 9th Lancers,
under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Fullerton, and the 2nd
Irregular Cavalry, under the command of Captain Leeson, and Major
Campbell's troop of horse artillery, had been ordered to support the
Second Division of Infantry near Sobraon. The First Brigade of Cavalry,
under the command of Brigadier Scott, C.B., composed of H.M.'s 3rd
Light Dragoons, under the command of Lieutenant- Colonel White, C.B.,

' We have since ascertained, from undoubted authority, that the Sikhs acknowledged
they had 37,000 men engaged in this battle, exclusive of the large force, particularly of
cavalry, at this side of the river, and that their loss on this occasion was from 13,0lX) to 14,000

•|

SUTLEJ CAMPAIGN 389

the 4th Native Cavalry, under that of Captain Nash, the 5th Light
Cavahy, under Major Alexander, and the 9th Irregular Cavalry, under
Captain Christie, with the 8th Irregular Cavalry, under Captain Beecher,
had been ordered to take post in front of the village of Asyah. The
troops arrived on their gi'ound at the time ordered, and it becomes my
duty to state the operations of the troops immediately under my com-
mand, the reports of the brigadiers of the Second and Third Brigades
being best calculated to show theirs. I will therefore advert shortly to
those operations of the First Brigade. Early in the morning, on a party
of the enemy's cavalry showing themselves, the 8th Irregular Cavalry
and a squadron of the 3rd Light Dragoons were detached three-quarters
of a mile in front of Alawalee, and the enemy retired and made no
further demonstration on that point. On the advance of Sir Robert
Dick's division the cavalry under Brigadier Scott supported it at a
short distance, and on his entering the enemy's entrenchments they
made a flank movement to their right, at first intended to support the
Second Division ; but ere I advert to the effects of this movement I must
bear testimony to the gallant conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Lane's
troop of horse artillery, which came into action within a short distance
of the enemy's entrenchments. Part of Brigadier Scott's brigade was
ordered to support, and I took two squadrons of the 3rd Light Dragoons,
followed by the 4th and 5th Light Cavalry, along the ravine or nullah
in front of the enemy's line till the head of the column came upon a
part which he still defended, flanked by a battery of three guns. But
the firm appearance of the cavalry made the Sikhs gradually give way
on the right, and on my discovering a passage into the entrenchment
the troops were passed through in single file.

" On the first squadron being formed I ordered it to charge, and led
it over broken ground against the enemy's retiring infantry (many of
whom were sabred) nearly to the ford. The difficulty of the ground
prevented support arriving in due time, and the squadron, on being
pressed upon by large masses of infantry, was obliged to repass the diffi-
cult ground it had before gone over. In a short time the second squadron
of the 3rd came up, together with the 4th and 5th Native Cavalry, and
the enemy were charged, pressed upon by the leading squadrons, into
the river.

" On entering the entrenchments I had sent for a troop of artillery
to play upon the ford, and Major Grant's troop and, near the end,
Lieutenant-Colonel Lane's, were employed on this service.

" I beg to assure His Excellency that I am well satisfied with the
conduct of all the officers and men engaged under my own observation,
and the gallant manner in which the 3rd Light Dragoons and the other
troops above mentioned entered the entrenchments deserves my warm-
est commendations, and I beg to state that I derived every assistance
from Brigadier Scott, who conducted his brigade much to my satisfac-
tion during the conflict, as did also commanding officers their respective
regiments. I beg to bring to His Excellency's notice the highly satis-
factory conduct of Captain Hale at the head of the right squadron of the
3rd Light Dragoons in the attack on the enemy, and I am greatly
indebted to the able assistance of Captain Tritton, the Deputy Assistant
Adjutant-General of the division; to Lieutenant Roche, 3rd Light
Dragoons, my aide-de-camp, and Officiating Deputy Assistant Quarter-
master-General, and to Lieutenant Francis of the 9th Lancers, who
acted as my extra aide-de-camp. .. t i

(Signed) "Jos. Thackwell, Major-General.
" To the Adjutant- General of the Army,

" Commandinr) Cavalry ^Division,"

APPENDIX D

DESPATCHES. PUNJAB CAMPAIGN

Notification

FORBiG>f Department, Camp, UmbaujAH, December Sth, 1848.

The Right Honourable the Governor-General has much pleasure in
publishing, for general information, the following despatch from His
Excellency the Commander-in-Chief.

" Headquarters, Flying camp, Hellah, December 5ih, 1848.

" My Lord,

" It has pleased Almighty God to vouchsafe to the British
arms the most successful issue to the extensive combinations rendered
necessary for the purpose of effecting the passage of the Chenab, the
defeat and dispersion of the Sikh force under the insurgent Rajah Shere
Sing, and the numerous Sikh sirdars, who had the temerity to set at
defiance the British power. This force, from all my information,
amovmted to from 30,000 to 40,000 men, with 28 guns, and was strongly
entrenched on the right bank of the Chenab, at the principal ford, about
two miles from the town of Ramnuggar.

" My despatch of November 23rd will have made yom- Lordship ac-
quainted with the motives which induced me to penetrate thus far into
the Punjaub, and the occurrences of the previous day, when the enemy
were ejected from the left bank of the Chenab. My daily private com-
munications will have placed your Lordship in possession of the diffi-
culties I had to encounter in a country so little known, and in the passage
of a river, the fords of which were most strictly watched by a numerous
and vigilant enemy, and presenting more difficulties than most rivers,
whilst I was surrounded by a hostile peasantry.

" Finding that to force the passage at the ford in my front must have
been attended with considerable loss, from the very strong entrench-
ments and well-selected batteries which protected the passage, I in-
structed the field-engineer, Major Tremenhere, in co-operation with the
Quartermaster-General's department, to ascertain (under the difficulties
before noticed) the practicability of the several fords reported to exist
on both my flanks, while I had batteries erected and made demonstra-
tions so as to draw the attention of the enemy to the main ford in my
front, and with the view, if my batteries could silence their guns, to act

390

rUNJAB CAMPAIGN 391

simultaneously with the force I proposed to detach under an officer
of much experience in India, Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell.

'• On the night of November 30th, this officer, in command of the
following force, and more particularly detailed in the accompanying
memorandum :

European. Native. Total.
3 Troops Horse Ai-tillery . . 3 3 ^

2 Light Field Batteries . . 2 2
1 Brigade of Cavalry .... 1 4 5

3 Brigades of Infantry . . 2 6 8

"... two eighteen-povinders with elephant draft and detail artillery,
pontoon train, with two companies, moved up the river in light marching
order, withovit tents and with three days' provisions, upon a ford which
I had every reason to consider very practicable (and which I have since
ascertained was so), but which the Major-General deemed so dangerous
and difficult that he proceeded (as he was instructed should such tvu-n out
to be the case) to Wuzeerabad, a town 22 miles up the river, where
Lieutenant Nicholson, a most energetic assistant to the Resident at
Lahore, had secured 16 boats, with the aid of which this force effected
the passage on the evening of the 1st and morning of the 2nd instant.
" Upon learning from an aide-de-camp sent for the purpose that
the Major-General's force had crossed and was in movement, I directed
a heavy cannonade to commence upon the enemy's batteries and
encampment at Ramnuggar, which was returned by only a few guns,
which guarded effectually the ford, but so buried that, although the
practice of our artillery was admirable under Major Mowatt and Captain
Sir Richmond Shakespear, we could not, from the width of the river,
silence them. This cannonade, however, inflicted very severe loss to
the enemy in their camp and batteries, and forced him to fall back
with his camp about two miles, which enabled me, without the loss of
a man, to push my batteries and breastworks, on the night of the 2nd,
to the bank of the river, the principal ford of which I then commanded.
By this I was enabled to detach another brigade of infantry, under
Brigadier Godby, at daylight on the 3rd, which effected the passage,
with the aid of pontoon train, six miles up the river, and got into
communication with Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell.

" The cannonade and demonstration to cross at Ramnuggar were kept
up on the 2nd and 3rd, so as to fix a large portion of the enemy there
to defend that point. Having communicated to Sir Joseph my views
and intentions, and although giving discretionary power to attack any
portion of the Sikh force sent to oppose him, I expressed a wish that
when he covered the crossing of Brigadier Godby's brigade he should
await their jimction, except the enemy attempt to retreat ; this induced
him to halt within about two or three miles of the left of their position.
About 2 o'clock on the 3rd, the principal part of the enemy's force,
encouraged by the halt, moved to attack the detached column, when a
smart cannonade on the part of the enemy took place, and an attempt
to turn both Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell's flanks by numerous
bodies of cavalry was made. After about one hour's distant cannonade
on the part of the Sikhs, the British artillery never returning a shot,
the enemy took corn-age and advanced, when our artillery, commanded
by that excellent officer Lieutenant-Colonel C. Grant, poured in upon
them a most destructive fire, which soon silenced all their guns and
frustrated all tlieir operations, with very severe loss upon their side ;
but the exhausted state of both man and horse induced the Major-General
to postpone the attack upon their flank and rear, as he was directed.

392 APPENDIX D

until the following morning, the day having nearly closed when the
cannonade ceased.

" I regret to say that during the night of the 3rd the whole of the
Sikh force precipitately fled, concealing or carrying with them their
artillery, and exploding their magazines. I immediately pushed across
the river the 9th Lancers and 14th Light Dragoons in pursuit, under
that most energetic officer, Major-General Sir Walter Gilbert. The
Sikhs, it appears, retreated in the greatest disorder, leaving in the villages
numerous wounded men. They have subdivided into three divisions,
which have become more a flight than a retreat ; and I understand a
great portion of those not belonging to the revolted Khalsa army
have dispersed and returned to their homes, thus, I trust, effectually
frustrating the views of the rebel Shere Sing and his rebel associates.

" I have not received Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell's report,
nor the retvu-ns of his lo s, but I am most thankfiil to say that our whole
loss, svibsequent to November 22nd, does not much exceed 40 men ; no
officers have been killed, and but three womided. Captain Austin, of
the artillery, only appears severelj^ so.

" I have to congratulate your Lordship upon events so fraught with
importance, and which will, I have no doubt, with God's blessing, tend
to most momentous results. It is, as I anticipate, most gratifying to
me to assure yoiu" Lordship that the noble army under my command
has, in these operations, upheld the well-established fame of the arms
of India, both Exoropean and native, each vying who should best
perform his duty. Every officer, from the general of division to the
youngest subaltern, well supported their Commander-in-Chief, and
cheerfully carried out his views, which at a future period, and when we
shall have effected the views of the Government, I shall feel proud in
bringing to your Lordship's notice.

" I have, etc.

(Signed) " Gough."

FOREIGN Department, Fort William, February 2nd, 1849.

The President of the Council of India in Council is pleased to direct
the publication of the following General Order by the Right Honourable
the Governor-General, with the Commander-in-Chief's despatch, dated
January 1 6th, detailing the operations of the army under His Ex-
cellency's command at Chillianwallah.

By order of the President of the Council of India in Council.
(Signed) Feed. Jas. Halliday,
Officiating Secretary to the Government of India.

" General Order by the Right Honourable the Governor-
General OF iNDLi.

"FOREIGN Department, Camp, Mitkko, January 2ith, 1849.

" The Governor-General, having received from the Commander-in-
Chief in India a despatch, dated the 16th instant, directs that it shall
be published for the information of the army and of the people of India.

" In this despatch His Excellency reports the successful operations
of the troops under his immediate command, on the afternoon of the
13th instant, when they attacked and defeated the Sikh army vuider
the command of Rajah Shere Sing.

" Notwithstanding great superiority in numbers, and the formidable
position which he occupied, the enemy, after a severe and obstinate

PUNJAB CAMPAIGN 393

resistance, was driven back, and retreated from every part of his
position in great disorder, with much slaughter, and with the loss of
12 pieces of artillery.

" The Governor-General congratulates the Commander-in-Chief on
the victory so obtained by the army under his command ; and, on
behalf of the Govermnent of India, he desires cordially to acknowledge
the gallant services which have been rendered on this occasion, by His
Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, the generals, the officers, non-
commissioned officers, and soldiers of the army in the field.

" The Governor-General offers his thanks to Major-General Sir Joseph
Thackwell, K.C.B. and K.H., for his services, and to Brigadier White,
for his conduct of the brigade of cavalry on the left.

" Major-General Sir W. R. Gilbert, K.C.B. , and Brigadier-General
Campbell, C.B., are entitled to the especial thanks of the Governor-
General, for the admirable manner in which they directed the divisions
under their orders.

" To Brigadier Mountain, C.B., and to Brigadier Hoggan, the Gover-
nor-General tenders his acknowledgments for the gallant example they
offered in the lead of their men ; and to them, to Brigadier Godby, C.B.,
and Brigadier Penny, C.B., for their able conduct of their respective
brigades.

" The warm thanks of the Governor-General are due to Brigadier
General Tennant, commanding the artillery division; to Brigadier
Brooke, C.B., and Brigadier Huthwaite, C.B., for their direction of the
operations of that distinguished arm, and for the effective service which
it rendered.

" To the heads of the various departments, and to the officers of the
general and personal staff, whose services are acknowledged by the
Commander-in-Chief, the Governor-General offers his thanks.

" The Governor-General deeply regrets the loss of Brigadier Penny-
cuick, C.B., and of the gallant officers and men who have honourably
fallen in the service of the country.

" It has afforded the Governor-General the highest gratification to
observe that the conduct of the troops generally was worthy of all
praise.

" The Governor-General, indeed, is concerned to think that any order
or misapprehension of an order could have produced the movements
of the right brigade of cavalry which His Excellency the Commander-
in-Chief reports.

" To the artillery, European and native, to the cavalry on the left,
and to the European and native infantry, the Governor-General offers
his hearty thanks, especially to those corps, Eviropean and native,
which His Excellency reports to have acted under trying circumstances
with a gallantry worthy of the greatest admiration.

" The Governor-General will have sincere satisfaction in bringing
the services of this army under the favourable notice of H.M.'s Govern-
ment and the Honourable East India Company.

" A salute of 21 guns has been ordered to be fired from every principal
station of the Army of India.

" The Governor-General repeats to the Commander-in-Chief and to
the army the assurance of his cordial thanks, ai>d expresses his confident
belief that the victory which, under Divine providence, they have won,
will exercise a most important influence on the successful progress of
the war in which they are engaged.

" By order of the Right Honourable the Governor-General of India.

(Signed) " H. M. Elliott,
" Secretary to the Government of India,

" with the Qovernor-General,"

394 APPENDIX D

" From His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, to the Right
Honourable the Governor-General of India.

Headquakters Camp, Chiulianwallah, Januuri/ 16th, 1849.
" My Lord,

" Major Mackeson, your Lordship's political agent with my
camp, officially commimicated to me, on the 10th instant, the fall
of Attock and the advance of Sirdar Chutter Sing in order to concen-
trate his force with the army in my front, under Shere Sing, already
amounting to from 30,000 to 40,000 men, with 62 guns, concluding his
letter thus : ' I would urge, in the event of your Lordship's finding
yourself strong enough with the army under your command to strike
an effectual blow at the enemy in our front, that the blow should be
struck with the least possible delay.'

" Concurring entirely with Major Mackeson, and feeling that I was
perfectly competent effectually to overthrow Shere Sing's army, I
moved from Loah Tibba, at daylight on the 12th, to Dingee, about 12
miles. Having learnt from my spies, and from other sources of
information, that Shere Sing still held with his right the village of
Lukhneewalla and Futtehshaw-ke-Chuek, having the great body of his
force at the village of Woolianwalla, with his left at Russool, on the
Jhelura, strongly occupying the southern extremity of a low range of
hills, intersected by ravines, which extend nearly to that village, I
made my arrangements accordingly that evening, and communicated
them to the commanders of the several divisions ; but to insm-e correct
information as to the nature of the country, which I believed to be
excessively difficult and ill-adapted to the advance of a regular army,
I determined upon moving on this village with a view to reconnoitre.
" On the morning of the 13th the force advanced. I made a con-
siderable detour to my right, partly in order to distract the enemy's
attention, but principally to get as clear as I could of the jungle, on
which it would appear that the enemy mainly relied.

" We approached this village about 12 o'clock, and I found, on a
mound close to it, a strong picquet of the enemy's cavalry and in-
fantry, which we at once dispersed, obtaining from the mound a very
extended view of the country before us, and the enemy drawn out in
battle array, he having, either during the night or that morning, moved
out of his several positions, and occupied the groiuid in our front,
which, though not dense, was still a difficult jungle, his right in advance
of Futtehshaw-ke-Chuck, and his left on the furrowed hills before
described.

" The day being so far advanced, I decided upon taking up a position
in rear of the village, in order to reconnoitre my front, finding that I
could not turn the enemy's flanks, which rested upon a dense jungle,
extending nearly to Hillah, which I had previously occupied for some
time, and the neighbourhood of which I knew, and upon the raviney
hills near Russool, without detaching a force to a distance ; this I
considered both inexpedient and dangerous.

" The engineer department had been ordered to examine the country
before us and the Quartermaster-General was in the act of taking up
groiuid for the encampment, when the enemy advanced some horse
artillery, and opened fire on the skirmishers in front of the village.

" I immediately ordered them to be silenced by a few rounds from
our heavy guns, which advanced to an open space in front of the
village. Their fire was instantly returned by that of nearly the whole
of the enemy's field artillery ; thus exposing the position of his gvuis,
which the jmigle had hitherto concealed.

" It was now evident that the enemy intended to fight, and would

PUNJAB CAMPAIGN

395

probably advance his gxins so as to reach the encampment during the

night.

" I therefore drew up in order of battle. Sir Walter Gilbert s division
on the right, flanked by Brigadier Pope's brigade of cavalry, which I
strengthened by the 14th Light Dragoons, well aware that the enemy
was strong in cavalry upon his left. To this were attached three troops
of horse artillery under Lieutenant-Colonel Grant.
" The heavy guns were in the centre.

" Brigadier-General Campbell's division formed the left, flanked by
Brigadier White's brigade of cavalry, and three troops of horse artillery
under Lieutenant-Colonel Brind.

" The field batteries were with the infantry divisions.
" Thus formed, the troops were ordered to lie down, whilst the heavy
gvms, vmder Major Horsford. ably seconded by Brevet-Majors Ludlow
and Sir Richmond Shakespear, opened a well-dkected and powerful
fire upon the enemy's centre, where his guns appeared principally to
be placed ; and this fire was ably supported on the flanks by the field
batteries of the infantry divisions.

" After about an hour's fire the enemy appeared to be, if not silenced,
sufficiently disabled to justify an advance upon his position and
guns.

" I then ordered my left division to advance, which had to move
over a great extent of ground, and in front of which the enemy seemed
not to have many guns. Soon after, I directed Sir Walter Gilbert to
advance, and sent orders to Brigadier Pope to protect the flank and
support the movement. Brigadier Penny's brigade was held in reserve,
while the irregular cavalry under Brigadier Hearsey, with the 20th Native
Infantry, was ordered to protect the enormous amount of provision
and baggage that so hampers the movement of an Indian army.

" Some time after the advance, I found that Brigadier Pennycuick's
brigade had failed in maintaining the position it had carried, and imme-
diately ordered Brigadier Penny's reserve to its support ; but Brigadier-
General Campbell, with that steady coolness and military decision for
which he is so remarkable, havmg pushed on his left brigade and formed
line to his right, carried everything before him, and soon overthrew that
portion of the enemy which had obtained a temporary advantage over
his right brigade.

" This last brigade, I am informed, mistook for the signal to move in
double time the action of their brave leaders. Brigadier Pennycuick
and Lieutenant-Colonel Brooks (two officers not surpassed for sound
judgment and military daring in this or any other army), who waved
their swords over their heads as they cheered on their gallant comrades.
This imhappy mistake led to the Europeans outstripping the native
corps, which could not keep pace, and arriving, completely blown, at a
belt of thick jungle, where they got into some confusion, and Lieutenant-
Colonel Brooks, leading the 24th, was killed between the enemy's guns.
At this moment a large body of infantry, which supported their guns,
opened upon them so destructive a fire that the brigade was forced to
retire, having lost their gallant and lamented leader. Brigadier Penny-
cuick, and the three other field-officers of the 24th, and nearly half the
regiment before it gave way, the native regiment, when it came up,
also suffering severely. In justice to this brigade, I must be allowed
to state that they behaved heroically, and, but for their too hasty, and
consequently disorderly advance, would have emulated the conduct of
their left brigade, which, left unsupported for a time, had to charge to
their front and right wherever an enemy appeared. The brigade of
horse artillery on their left, under Lieutenant-Colonel Brind, judiciously
9jad gallantly aiding, maintained an effective fire..

396 APPENDIX D

" Major-General Sir J. Thackwell, on the extreme left and rear,
charged the enemy's cavalry wherever they showed themselves.

" The right attack of infantry, xmder that able officer Major-General
Sir Walter Gilbert, was most praiseworthy and successful. The left
brigade, under Brigadier Mountain, advanced imder a heavy fire
upon the enemy's guns, in a manner that did credit to the brigadier
and his gallant brigade, which came first into action and suffered
severely ; the right brigade, imder Brigadier Godby, ably supported
the advance.

" This division nobly maintained the character of the Indian army,
taking and spiking the whole of the enemy's guns, in their front, and
dispersing the Sikhs wherever they were seen.

"The Major-General reports most favourably of the fire of his field
battery.

" The right brigade of cavalry, under Brigadier Pope, was not, I
regret to say, so successful. Either by some order, or misapprehension
of an order, they got into much confusion, hampered the fine brigade
of horse artillery, which, while getting into action, against a body of
the enemy's cavalry that was coming down upon them, had their
horses separated from their guns by the false movements of our cavalry,
and notwithstanding the heroic conduct of the gunners, four of whose
guns were disabled to an extent which rendered their withdrawal, at
the moment, impossible. The moment the artillery was extricated
and the cavalry re-formed, a few roimds put to flight the enemy that
had occasioned this confusion.

" With this exception, the conduct of the troops generally was most
exemplary, some corps, both European and native, acting imder
most trying circumstances (from the temporary failure on our left
centre and right, and the cover which the jungle afforded to the
enemy's movements), and with a gallantry worthy of the highest
admiration.

" Although the enemy, who defended not only his gims but his
position, with desperation, was driven in much confusion, and with
heavy loss, from every part of it and the greater part of his field artillery
was actually captured, the march of brigades to their flanks to repel
parties that had ralUed, and the want of numbers and consequent
support to our right flank, aided by the cover of the jungle and the
close of the day, "enabled him, upon our fiu-ther advance in pursuit,
to return and carry off unobserved the greater portion of the guns
we had thus gallantly carried at the point of the bayonet.

" I remained with Brigadier-General Campbell's division, which
had been reinforced by Brigadier Mountain's brigade, vmtil near
8 o'clock, in order to effect the bringing in of the captured ordnanc6
and of the wounded, and I hoped to bring in the rest of the guns next
morning. But I did not feel justified in remaining longer out. The
night was very dark. I knew not how far I had advanced. There
were no wells nearer than the line of this village. The troops had been
arduously employed all day, and there was every appearance of a
wet night ; rain did fall before morning.

" I should have felt greater satisfaction if I were enabled to state
that my expectations in regard to the guns had been realised ; but
although a brigade of cavalry, under Brigadier White, with a troop of
horse artillery, were on the ground soon after daylight, we found that
the enemy, assisted by the neighbouring villagers, had carried off their
gims, excepting twelve, which we had brought in the night before. Most
of the captured waggons I had caused to be blown up before leaving
the ground.

" The victory was complete, as to the total overthrow of the enemy ;

PUNJAB CAMPAIGN 397

and his sense of utter discomfiture and defeat will, I trust, soon be
made apparent, unless, indeed, the rumours prevalent this day, of his
having been joined by Chutter Sing, prove correct.

" I am informed that the loss of the Sikhs has been very great,
and chiefly amongst their old and tried soldiers. In no action do I
remember seeing so many of an enemy's slain upon the same space
— Sobraon perhaps only excepted.

" I have now, my Lord, stated the general movements of tliis army
previous to and during the action of Chillianwallah, and as that action
was characterised by peculiar features, which rendered it impossible for
the Commander-in-Chief to witness all the operations of the force, I
shall beg leave to bring prominently to your Lordship's notice the
names of the several officers and corps particularly mentioned by the
divisional commanders.

" I have already stated the obligations I am imder to Major-General
Sir Joseph Thackwell and Sir Walter Gilbert, and to Brigadier-General
Campbell, for their most valuable services. I warmly concur with
them in the thanks which they have expressed to the several brigadiers
and ofiicers commanding corps, and to the troops generally.

" Sir Joseph Thackwell names, with much satisfaction, Brigadier
White's conduct of his brigade ; Major Yerbury, commanding 3rd
Light Dragoons ; the gallant charge of Captain Unett, in command
of a squadron of that corps ; Major Mackenzie, commanding the 8th,
with a squadron detached in support of the artillery. He further
notices the assistance he derived from the zeal and activity of Captain
Pratt, Assistant Adjutant-General, and Lieutenant Tucker, Deputy
Assistant Quartermaster-General of his division ; of Captain Cautley,
Major of Brigade, of his aide-de-camp. Lieutenant Thackwell, and of
Lieutenant Simpson, Sub-Assistant Commissary-General.

" Brigadier-General Campbell speaks in terms of admiration of the
Fifth Brigade, led on by that distinguished officer. Brigadier Pennycuick,
and particularly of the gallant exertions of H.M.'s 24th Foot, under
the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Brooks ; and the good and steady
advance of the 25th and 45th Native Infantry, under the command
of Lieutenant-Colonel Corbett and Major Williams. He particularises
the undaunted example set to his brigade by Brigadier Hoggan ; the
continued steadiness and gallantry of H.M.'s 61st Regiment, commanded
by Lieutenant-Colonel Macleod, under the most trying circumstances ;
the distinguished conduct of Major Fleming and the officers of the
36th Native Infantry ; and of the 46th Native Infantry, under Major
Tudor ; as also the able and zealous exertions of the Brigade Major,
Captain Keiller. The Brigadier-General also brings to notice his
obligations to Major Tucker, Assistant Adjutant-General of the army ;
and to Captain G oldie and Lieutenant Irwin, of the Engineers, who
were sent to his assistance, and the cordial and able support which he
received from Major Ponsonby, his Assistant Adjutant-General; and
he particularly mentions the conduct of Ensign Garden, his Deputy
Assistant Quartermaster-General ; and Captain Haythorno, his aide-
de-camp ; further naming Lieutenant Grant, of H.M.'s 24th Regiment;
Lieutenant Powys, of H.M.'s 61st, who attended him as orderly officers ;
and of Lieutenant and Adjutant Shadwell, of H.M.'s 98th, who was
with him as a volunteer.

" Sir Walter Gilbert speaks warmly of the charge led by Brigadier
Mountain, against a large battery of the enemy, and followed up on the
right by Brigadier Godby ; and of the subsequent conduct of those officers ;
as also of the conduct of Major Chester, Assistant Adjutant-General;
and Lieutenant Galloway, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General of
the division ; of Lieutenant Colt, his aide-de-camp ; of Captain Sher-

ms APPENDIX D

will, and Lieutenant Macdonnell, Majors of Brigades ; and of Captain
Glasfurd and Lieutenant W. E. Morton, of the Engineers.

" The Major-General further mentions the undaunted bravery on
this occasion of H.M.'s 29th Regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel
Congreve ; the distinguished conduct of the 2nd European Regiment,
under Major Steel ; and the manner in which Majors Smith and Way,
of the 29th, and Major Talbot, of the 2nd Europeans, seconded their
able conunanders. He also expresses his thanks to Lieutenant-
Colonel Jack, commanding the 30th Native Infantry ; Major Banfield,
commanding the 56th Native Infantry, who was mortally wounded ;
Major Corfield, commanding the 31st Native Infantry, and Major
McCausland, commanding the 70th Native Infantry, for the manner
in which they led their regiments into action ; naming likewise Captain
Nembhard, of the 56th, who succeeded to the command of that corps ;
Captain DaweS; commanding the field-battery of the division ; and
Captain Robbins, of the loth, who acted as his aide-de-camp.

" The Reserve, consisting of the 15th Native Infantry, and eight
companies of the 69th Native Infantry, was ably handled by Brigadier
Penny, well seconded by Lieutenant-Colonels Sibbald and Mercer,
commanding the corps. The Brigadier particularly mentions the
steady conduct of the rifle company of the 69th, under Captain
Sissmore ; and acknowledges the services of Captain Macpherson, his
Major of Brigade, and Brevet-Captain Morris, of the 20th Native
Infantry, who attended him as orderly officer.

" Brigadier-General Tennant, commanding the artillery division,
rendered me every aid, and presided over the noble arm of which
he is the head, most creditably to himself and most beneficially to
the service. The Brigadier-General particularly mentions Brigadier
J. Brooke, who commanded the whole of the horse artillery ; Brigadier
Huthwaite, commanding the foot artillery ; Lieutenant-Colonels
C. Grant and J. Brind ; Major R. Horsford and Major Mowatt ; all
of whom were in important commands. He further brings to notice
Captain J. Abercrombie, Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General ; Lieu-
tenant Tombs, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General, his aide-de-
camp ; Lieutenant Olpherts ; Captain Hogge, Commissary of Ordnance ;
and Lieutenant de Tassier, who attended him as orderly officer.

" I have, in the beginning of this despatch, noticed the services of
Brevet-Major Sir Richmond Shakespear and Brevet-Major Ludlow,
in command of the heavy batteries, imder the general superintendence
of Major Horsford ; and it only remains for me to add that the
conduct of Major Fordyce, Captains Warner and Duncan, Lieutenants
Robinson and Walker, commanding troops and field-batteries, as well
as the officers and men of the artillery generally, have been named in
terms of praise by the divisional commander.

" Lieutenants C. V. Cox and E. Kaye, Brigade Majors of this arm,
have also been named by their respective brigadiers.

■' From the engineer department, under Major Tremenhere, I
received active assistance, ably aided by Captain Dtirand, Lieutenants
R. Baird-Smith, and Goodwyn.

" To the general staff I am greatly indebted. Lieutenant-Colonel
Gough, C.B., Quartermaster-General, and Major Lugard, Acting Ad-
jutant-General, and Captain C. Otter, Acting Assistant Adjutant-
General of Her Majesty's forces ; Lieutenant-Colonel P. Grant, C.B.,
Adjutant-General of the army ; Major C. Elkins (killed), a valued and
much-regretted officer. Deputy Adjutant-General ; and Major Tucker.
Assistant Adjvitant-General of the army ; Lieutenant-Colonel W.
Garden, C.B., Quartermaster-General of the army ; Lievitenant W. F.
Ty tier. Assistant Quartermaster-General, and Lieutenant Paton, Deputy

PUNJAB CAMPAIGN 399

Assistant Quartermaster-General of the army; Lieutenant-Colonel
Bircli, Judge-Advocate-General ; and Lieutenant G. B. Jolmson, Deputy
Judge-Advocate-General ; Major G. Thomson, Assistant Commissary-
General ; Lieutenant-Colonel J. G. W. Ciu-tis, Assistant Commissary-
General ; Captain C. Campbell, Pa>nnaster to the army ; Captain
J. Lang, postmaster ; and H. Franklin, Esq., Inspector-General of Her
Majesty's hospitals.

" To my personal staff I am also much indebted : Captain F. P.
Haines, military secretary ; Major N. Bates, aide-de-camp : Lieu-
tenant A. Bagot, aide-de-camp ; Lieutenant S. J. Hire, aide-de-camp ;
Captain Gabbett, aide-de-camp ; Lieutenant G. N. Hardinge, aide-
de-camp ; and Lieutenant W. G. Prendergast, Persian interpreter.

" The unwearied exertions of Dr. Penny, superintending sm-geon,
and of Dr. MacRae, field-surgeon, in the care of the wounded, have
been beyond all praise.

" The Earl of Gifford kindly accompanied me throughout the opera-
tions, and was most useful in conveying my orders to the several
divisions and brigades. I had also the advantage throughout the day
of the active services of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Henry M. Lawrence,
Major Mackeson, Mr. Cocks, C.S., Captain Nicholson, and Lieutenant
Robinson, as well as of Major Anstruther, of the Madras Artillery, and
Lieutenant H. O. MajTae, of the 6th Madras Light Cavalry.

'■ Captain Ramsay, Joint Deputy Commissary-General, with the
several of3ficers of that department, has been most indefatigable, and
hiiherto kept the army well supplied.

'■ I have, etc.
{Signed) " Gough, General,

" Commander-in-Chief J"

" From Major-Gener.vl Sir Joseph Thackwell, K.C.B., Commanding

Cavalry Division.

" Sra^ "CAJIP CHILIANWALLA, \Gth January, 1849.

" I have the honour to report for the information of His Ex-
cellency the Right Honom-able the Commander-in-Chief, that the
cavalry under my command advanced on the flanks of the army on
the morning of the 13th inst. from Dinghie, detailed as in the margin. i
The right brigade in columns of squadrons, left in front. The left
brigade in column of the same front, right in front. Both brigades
covered by advanced guards and strong flanking parties, those on
the right to patrol to the foot of the hills. A squadron of the 8th
Light Cavalry under Captain Moore I ordered to form the advance
guard to the left column of artillery, and this squadron remained then
employed during the operations of the day. 1 had intended to join
the right column of cavalry, but on the enemy's line being discovered
in quite a different position from what it was imagined they occupied the
previous evening, I thought it likely they had as large a body of cavalry
on their right flank as on their left, and particularly as officers sent out
to reconnoitre reported that they were making a movement towards
our left rear. I remained therefore with the cavalry of this wing, though
I did not believe the report. On the infantry deploying into line and
advancing, the cavalry did the same on the left of Lioutenant-Colonel
Brind's battery, the left regiment being refused, the movement of

' l8t Brigade: Brigadier WWte, C.H. ; H.M.'a 3rd Light Dragoons, Maior Yerhurj- ; Oth
Light Cavalry, Cajjtain Wheatley ; 8ih l.iglit Cavalry, Major Mackenzie ; :ind Hiigade,
Brigadier Pope, C.B. ; H.JI.'s 9th Lancers, Major Grant, C.B. ; H.M.'sllth Light Drasjoons,
Lieuteii.int-Colonel King; l«t Light Cavahry, Lieulenaul^Colonel Bradford: titli Light
Cavalry, Major Coventry.

400 APPENDIX D

the infantry greatly to the left caused Lieutenant-Colonel Brind's
guns and the cavalry to make a similar movement, which soon brought
the line under the fire of a strong battery on the enemy's right flank,
upon which Lieutenant-Colonel Brind's guns soon opened with great
effect ; and after a cannonade of nearly three-quarters of an hour,
judging that many of the enemy's guns were disabled, I ordered the
oth Light Cavalry and a squadron of the 3rd Light Dragoons to charge
a body of cavalry which threatened our left, to drive them back and
take the enemy's guns in flank, whilst a part of the remaining cavalry
was to charge them in front. This intention was abandoned in con-
sequence of the 5th Light Cavalry being driven back. From the
gallant charge of the squadron of the 3rd Light Dragoons \uider
Captain Unett, who dispersed the troops opposed to him and the good
coixntenance of the remainder of the cavalry, this cavalry did not dare to
advance in pursuit of the 5th Light Cavalry, neither did their cavalry and
infantry near their guns dare make any offensive movement. At this time
I directed Lieutenant-Colonel Brind to make a movement to his right to
support the Third Division of Infantry which had suddenly moved to the
same flank. The enemy then directed their fii'e more rigorously from
about six guns which had not been silenced, and the cavalry sustained
some casualties in making their flank movement to the right and
eventually to the left rear of Chilianwalla.

" I greatly regret to learn of the misconduct of the cavalry of the
right wing, but as their movement did not come under my observation
I have the honoiu* to transmit the reports of Brigadier Pope, Lieutenant-
Colonel Bradford, Lieutenant-Colonel King, and Major Grant, and it
would appear that many faults were committed, such as having no
reserve in the rear to support and prevent the right flank being turned ;
secondly, that care had not been taken not to get before the artillery
on the left, the denseness of the jungle being no excuse for such a false
step ; and thirdly, that commanding officers, although they might
have heard the words ' Three's about,' did not take upon themselves
to charge any of the enemy's cavalry which were pressing upon the
line. Could I have anticipated such an untoward circumstance as
occiured I should have been on the spot to have given the benefit of
my experience to an officer deemed fully competent to have command
of a brigade of cavalry, and I feel assured from what I have heard of
Brigadier Pope and the conduct of the cavalry of the right that their
retrograde movement originated more from mistake than a fear of
encountering an insignificant enemy, and I have every confidence on
the next occasion the 9th Lancers and the 14th Light Dragoons will
remove the stigma now cast upon them and earn similar laiu-els to
those their predecessors gained in the Peninsula. I only regret for
myself that I have not the gift of ubiquity. In fiu'therance of my
desire to give every information to His Excellency I have the honoiir
to forward the reports named in the margin, i by which, although I
cannot advance much in favour of the 2nd Brigade of Cavahy, I have
much to say in praise of the 1st Brigade, two regiments of which did
their duty entirely to my satisfaction ; and although the 5th Light
Cavalry met with a check, but soon rallied, the gallant conduct of the
squadron of the 3rd Light Dragoons vuider Captain Unett, who was
severely wounded, has contributed more to establish the invincibility
of the British cavalry than the accidental mishaps occasioning the loss
of a few lives can have aided in lessening a faith in it. Having thus
detailed the operations of the Cavalry Division from observation and
report, I have now a pleasing duty to perform in bx'inging to the notice

' Brigadier Pope, Lieutenant-Colonel King, Lieutenant-Colonel Bradford,* Major Grant.

» Not yet received.

PUNJAB CAMPAIGN 401

of the Right Honourable the Commander-in-Chief that Brigadier
White conducted his brigade nmch to my satisfaction, as did also Major
Yerbury. Major Mackenzie, and Captain Wheatley theii- regiments;
and I must particularise the gallant charge made by the squadron
imder Captain Unett and the steady support given by the squadi-on
of the 8th Light Cavalry under Captain Moone to the guns of Lieutenant-
Colonel Brind's battery and to Captain Warner's guns when acting
with the Third Division of Infantry to the last moment. I am also well
satisfied with the conduct of the officers of this brigade and of the
men, with few exceptions. I also beg to bring to his Lordship's notice
the zeal and activity of my Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General, Captain
Pratt, and my Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General Lieutenant
Tucker, and I have derived great assistance from both on all occasions.
I also beg to notice the zeal and activity of my aide-de-camp. Lieutenant
Thackwell, and the Sub. -Assistant Commissary-General of the Cavalry
Division, Lieutenant Simpson, also the zeal and activity of Captain
Cautley, Major of Brigade 1st Cavah-y Brigade. Lieutenant-Colonel
Brind,' Major Fordyce, Captains Warner and Duncan attached to this
Brigade of Cavalry conducted their operations greatly to my satisfaction
and they and the officers and men are deserving of all praise. I beg
leave to transmit a return of killed, wounded, and missing.
" I have the honour to be,
"Sir,
"Your most obedient Servant,

" Joseph Thackwell,
" Major-General Commanding Cavalry Division Army of the Punjab.

" Lieutenant-Colonel Grant, C.B.,

" Adjutant-General of the Army Headquarters."

" From the Right Honourable the Commander-in-Chief, to the
Right Honourable the Governor-General of India, etc,
etc., etc.

"Headquarters Camp, Eamnuggar, December 10th, 1848.
" My Lord,

" In continuation of my letter of the 5th instant, I have
now the honour to enclose to your Lordship a copy of Major-General Sir
Joseph Thackwell's despatch, dated the 6th idem, but only received last
night, detailing the operations of the force imder his command, after it
had been detached from my headciuarters.

" I can only repeat the warm approval I have already expressed
of the conduct of the Major-General and of every officer and man under
his command, and I beg your Lordship's favourable consideration of
the services of those named by Sir Joseph Thackwell.

" I beg to enclose a rough sketch of the operations of the 3rd instant.

" I have, etc.,

(Signed) " Gough. "

" From Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, K.C.B. and K.H.,
to Lieutenant-Colonel Grant, C.B., Adjutant-General of
the Army.

" Camp, HETLEH, December Gth, 1848.

" Sib,

" I have the honour to report, for the information of the Right
Honourable the Commander-in-Chief, that, agreeably to His Excellency's

402 APPENDIX D

orders, I left the camp at Ramnuggar, with the troops named in the
margin,^ at about half-past 3 o'clock on the morning of December 1st,
1848. instead of at 1 o'clock, as I had ordered, some of the troops
having lost their way among the intricacies of the rear of the encamp-
ment, and proceeded to the vicinity of the ford on the Chenab at
Runnee-Khanke-Puttun, distant thirteen miles from Ramnuggar,
which, owing to the broken ground and narrow roads, where any
existed for the first four miles, I did not reach before 11 o'clock. The
enemy had infantry at this ford, which report afterwards magnified
to 4,000 men, but the villagers said it was much deeper than the one
at Allee-Shere-ke-Chuck, a mile higher up the river. I am much
indebted to Lieutenant Paton, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General,
for his anxious exertions in examining this ford ; and from this report
I came to the conclusion that this ford of AUee-ke-Chuck could not
have artillery on the left bank of the river to cover the passage of the
troops, from the insecure bottom of the first ford, neither could the
pontoon train be of much use, for the same reason, and the deep sands
which lay between the fords. The pontoon train might have been laid
over the main stream under cover of a battery, near the enemy's in-
fantry ; but beyond the river the sands seemed wet and insecure, and
a branch of the river beyond them was said to be deep, with a muddy
bottom. Under all these disadvantages, I came to the decision that
it was more advisable to try the passage of the river near Wuzeerabad,
where Captain Nicholson, assistant to the Resident at Lahore, informed
me that at the ferry were seventeen boats, and a ford not more than
three feet ten inches deep, with a good bottom, than to run the risk of
a severe loss by passing the river near the enemy. This survey of
the ford occupied three hoiirs, and at 2 o'clock I put the column in
movement to the ford and ferry at Wuzeerabad, which was in posses-
sion of Lieutenant Nicholson's pattans, where the leading infantry
arrived about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, having made a march of about
twenty-five miles. The 6th brigade of infantry and some of the guns
were passed over the Chenab immediately, and I am indebted to
Brigadier-General Campbell, Lieutenant-Colonel Grant, horse ar-
tillery, and Captain Smith of the Engineers, for their great exertions
in forwarding this object. Brigadier Eckford I hoped would have
crossed the river by the three fords that evening ; but as it became
too dark and hazy for such an operation, he halted for the night on the
dry sands near the last branch of the river. Major Tait, 3rd Irregular
Cavalry, was enabled to pass over three of his risallas, in doing which,
I am sorry to say, three sowars and one horse were drowned. On the
morrow the infantry, cavalry, and all the troops were soon over the
river by ferry and ford, and all the baggage and commissariat animals
passed the sanie by 12 o'clock, without any fiirther loss.

' Major Christie's troop Horse Artillery ; Captain Huish's troop Horse Ai'tDlery ; Captain
Warner's troop Horse Artillery ; Captain Kinleside, No. 5 Light Field Battery ; Captain
Austin, No. 10 Light Field Battery ; Captain Kobinson and two 18-poimders, under the
command of Lieutenant-Colonel Grant, Horse Artillery ; 2 companies of pioneers ; the
pontoon train ; 1st Brigade of Cavalry, commanded by Brigadier White ; 3rd Light Dra-
goons, commanded by Major Yerbmy ; 5th Light Cavalry, commanded by Captain Wheatley ;
8th Light Cavalry, commanded by Captain Moone ; 3rd Irregular Cavalry, commanded by
Major Tait ; 12th Irregular Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Cuimingham ; 3rd Brigade
of Infantry, Brigadier Eckford ; 31st Native Infantry, Major Corfield ; 56th Native Infantry,
Major Bamfield ; Third Division of Infantry, Brigadier-G-eneral Campbell commanding ;
Sixth Brigade of Infantry, Brigadier Pennycuick ; H.M.'s 24th Foot, Major Harris ; 2 flank
companies, 2nd BattaUou company, 22nd Native Infantry, Major Sampson ; Eighth Brigade of
Infantry, Brigadier Hoggan ; H.M.'s 61st Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel McLeod ; 36th Native
Infantry, Major Plemyng ; 46th Native Infantry, Major Tudor. Of the above detail, the
following returned in charge of the two 18-pounders and pontoon train : 2 guns of No. 10
liight Field Battery ; 12th Irregular Cavalry ; 2 companies 22nd Native Infantry.

PUNJAB CAMPAIGN 403

" At 2 p.m., after the troops had dined, I marched, hi order of battle,
three brigade cohimns of companies, at half distance left in front, at
deploying interval ; the First Brigade of Cavalry, in the same order on
the right, with strong flanking parties and rearguard, and the 3rd
Irregular Cavalry on the left, with orders to patrol to the river and
clear the right bank, aided by infantry, if necessary. In this order I
arrived at Doorawal at dusk, about twelve miles from the ferry, and
halted for the night. On Simday, December 3rd, at dayUght, the troops
proceeded in the same order towards the Sikh position, and I intended
to have reconnoitred and commenced an attack upon it by 11 o'clock ;
hearing, however, when within about four miles of it or less, that
reinforcements were expected to pass over the Chenab at the ford near
Ghurree-ke-Puttun, it became necessary to secure that post, and which
had been foimd without an enemy an hour before, but to which it now
seemed that a body of about 600 of the enemy were seen approaching,
and I detached a wing of the 56th Native Infantry, and two risallas
of the 3rd Irregular Cavalry imder Major Tait, who secm-ed the post
and frustrated the attempt of the enemy. This caused so much delay,
that enough of daylight would not be left for the advance and attack
on the left and rear of the enemy's position. About 2 p.m. some of the
enemy's guns opened on a patrol of the 5th Light Cavalry, and he was seen
advancing in large bodies of cavalry and infantry, and the picquets,
which occupied three vUlages with large plantations of sugar-cane, being
too much in advance to be supported, fell back without any loss, and
the enemy occupied these villages with cavalry on the right, guns and
bodies of infantry, and the main body of their cavab-y with horse
artillery were on their left. When the enemy's guns opened, I ordered
Brigadier-General Campbell to deploy the infantry into line in front of
the village of Sudoolapoor, Brigadier Eckford and part of Brigadier
Hoggan's brigade being extended, in order not to be outflanked. It
was not until the enemy came well within range of our guns that I
caused them to open their fire, which they then did with great effect.
The enemy tried to turn both our flanks, which having foreseen, I had
caused Captain Warner to move his troop of artillery to the left of the
infantry, and had sent the 5th Light Cavalry to the left to support these
guns, and to act in conjunction with the two risallas of the 3rd Irregular
Cavalry under Captain Biddulph, who were posted on open ground, and
these soon drove the enemy back. The attempt to turn our right was
met by extending the 8th Light Cavalry and H. M.'s 3rd Light Dragoons,
supported by Major Christie's troop of artillery. As the cavalry on the
right advanced, the enemy's sowars gave way, and they fell back on
their infantry, having lost some men by the skirmishers of the 3rd
Light Dragoons. After a cannonade of about two hours the fire of the
enemy slackened, and I sent Lieutenant Paton to desire the cavalry
on the right to charge and take the enemy's guns, if possible, intending
to support them by moving the brigades in dchelon from the right at
intervals according to circumstances ; but as no opportunity offered
for the cavalry to charge, and so little of the daylight remained, I deemed
it safer to remain in my position than attempt to drive back an enemy
so strongly posted on their right and centre, with the prospect of having
to attack their entrenched position afterwards. From this position
the Sikhs began to retire at about 12 o'clock at night, as was afterwards
ascertained, and as was conjectured by the barking of the dogs in their
rear. I have every reason to believe that Shere Singh attacked with
twenty guns, and nearly the whole of the Sikh army were employed
against my position, which was by no moans what I could have wished
it ; but the fire of our artillery was so effective, that he did not dare to
bring his masses to the front, and my brave, steady, and ardent infantry.

404 APPENDIX D

whom I had caused to lie down to avoid the heavy fire, had no chance
of firing a shot, except a few companies on the left of the line. The
enemy's loss has been severe ; ours comparatively small. I regret not
being able to capture the enemy's guns ; but with the small force of
cavalry — two regiments on the right only — it would have been a matter
of difficulty for tired cavalry to overtake horse artillery, fresh and well
mounted. In these operations the conduct of all has merited my warm-
est praise, and the patient endurance of the artillery, cavalry, European
infantry and sepoys, under privations of no ordinary nature, has been
most praiseworthy.

" To Brigadier-General Campbell I am much indebted for his able
assistance during these movements, and to Lieutenant-Colonel Grant,
commanding the artillery. Major Christie, Captains Huish, Warner,
Austin, and Kinleside, and the officers and men under their command,
I cannot bestow too much praise for their skill and gallantry in over-
coming the fire of a numerous artillery, some of which were of heavy
calibre. I am also greatly indebted to Captain Smith of the Engineers,
for his exertions in passing over guns at the Wuzeerabad ferry, and for
his assistance in conveying my orders on various occasions. And my
thanks are due to Lieutenants Yule and Crommelin of the same corps,
and Lieutenant Bacon of the Sappers ; to Lieutenant Paton, Deputy
Assistant Quartermaster-General, my best thanks are due for his
exertions and assistance in the advance of the troops, and during the
action ; and to Captain Nicholson, assistant to the Resident at Lahore,
I beg to oSer my best thanks for his endeavours to procure intelUgence
of the enemy's movements, for his endeavours to procure supplies for
the troops, and his able assistance on all occasions. Captain Pratt,
my Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General ; Lieutenant Tucker, Deputy
Assistant Quartermaster-General, and Lieutenant Thackwell, aide-de-
camp, have been most zealous in performing their respective duties, and
have rendered me every assistance ; and I feel assured that if the cavalry
and infantry had been brought into close action, I should have had the
great satisfaction of thanking brigadiers commanding, officers of corps,
and the officers and men, for their gallantry and noble bearing in
action, as I now do for their steadiness and good conduct. To
Major Mainwaring, Captains Gerrard, Simpson, Faddy, and James,
I am much indebted for their exertions in their respective depart-
ments.

" I beg further to state that on the morning of the 4th I put the
troops in motion to pvirsue the enemy, who had retreated during the
preceding night, and encamped about eleven miles from the Chenab,
on the road to jullalpore, the 9th Lancers having been pushed to the
front, but without seeing anything of the enemy, who had retreated
by the Jhelum, Jullalpore, and Pind Dadun Khan roads. On the
following day I arrived at this place, and sent two regiments of cavalry
on the road to Dingee, one of them, the 14th Light Dragoons, and two
regiments of cavalry, and a troop of horse artillery on the road to Jullal-
pore. The latter party observed two bodies of the enemy of about 800
and 400 men each, imagined to be a strong rearguard, about eight
miles from this, and behind a thick jungle which reaches to the river ;
and the former went to Dingee, which place the enemy had left, and the
villagers said had gone over to the Jhelmn. Both parties returned
to this camp without, I am sorry to say, having overtaken any of the
enemy's troops or guns.

" I beg leave to enclose a return of the killed and wounded.

" I have, etc.,
{Signed) " Jos. Thackwell, Major-Oeneral,
"Commanding the advanced post of the Army."

PUNJAB CAMPAIGN 405

" The Secretary with the Governor-General to the Adjutant-
General OF THE Army.

" FEROZEPORE, January Zlst, 1849.

" I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of His Excellencj' the
Commander-in-Chief's despatches, dated the 5th, 10th, and 16th ultimo,
reporting the particulars of an action with the enemy at Sadoolapore,
and the passage of the Chenab by Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell,
K.C.B.

" The Governor-General regrets to find that he inadvertently omitted
to issue instructions founded on a minute which he had recorded on the
subject of the despatches under acknowledgment. His Lordship begs
to congratulate the Commander-in-Chief on the success of the measures
which he adopted for effecting the passage of the Chenab, and to convey
to him the assurance of his satisfaction with, and his best thanks for,
the judicious arrangement** by which he was enabled, with comparatively
little loss, to carry into execution his plan« for the passage of that difficult
river, and for compelling the retreat of the Sikh army from the formid-
able position which they occupied on its further bank, after they had
been engaged, and beaten back by the forces under Major-General Sir
Joseph Thackwell. The result of His Excellency's movements, in
driving the Sikh army from their entrenchments, and forcing them
to retire on the other extremity of the Dooab, was of much importance.

" The Governor-General offers his best thanks to Major-General
Sir Joseph ThackM'ell for his successful direction of the force under his
command, and for the dispositions by which he compelled the enemy
to retire, and ultimately to quit the ground he had occupied. The
Governor-General tenders his best thanks to Brigadier-General Camp-
bell for the able assistance which he rendered to Major-General Sir
Joseph Thackwell, and to Lieutenant-Colonel Grant for the powerful
and effective use which he made of the artillery under his command.

" The Governor-General has had much gratification in observing the
terms in which the Commander-in-Chief has spoken of the army under
his command in the field ; and he concurs with His Excellency in
bestowing upon them the praise which is their due."

General Orders by the Right Honourable the Governor-
General OF India.

CAMP FEROZEPORE, February 2ith, 1S4'J.

The following notifications from the Foreign Department are pub-
lished for the information of the army :

" Notification.

" FOREIGN DEPARTMENT, CAMP, FEROZEPORE, February -iord, 1849.

" The Governor-General has the gratification of intimating to the
President in Council, and notifying for public information, that he has
this day received a despatch from Major Mackeson, C.B., agent to the
Governor-General with the Commander-in-Chief, conveying the intelli-
gence that the forces under His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief
on the 2l8t instant attacked and routed the Sikh army in the neigh-
bourhood of Goojerat.

" The enemy was beaten in every point and retreated in disorder,
leaving in the hands of the British troops, by whom he was pursued, a
great portion of his artillery, his ammunition, and tho whole of his
standing camp.

406 APPENDIX D

" The official despatches of His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief
will be published as soon as they are received.

" The Governor-General directs that a salute of 21 guns shall be
fired, at every principal station of the army, on the receipt of this
notification.

" By order of the Right Honourable the Governor-General of India.
(Signed) " H. M. Elliott,

" Secretary to the Governor of India,

" with the Governor-General.'"

Notification.

Foreign Department, Camp, ferozepore, February 2ith, 1849.

The Right Honourable the Governor-General directs the publica-
tion of the following letter from His Excellency the Commander-in-
Chief, reporting the complete defeat of the Sikla army on the 2l8t instant.
The detailed despatches will be published hereafter.

" Fbom His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief in India, to the
Right Honourable the Governor-General.

"Camp m front op Goojerat, February/ 2lst, 1849.

" My Lord,

"I have the honour to report to your Lordship that I have
this day obtained a victory of no common order, either in its character,
or, I trust, in its effects.

" I was joined yesterday by Brigadier Markham's brigade, Brigadier-
General Dimdas having joined late the preceding night. I moved on
in the afternoon of yesterday, as soon as these troops were refreshed,
from Trikur, to the village of Shadiwal, and at 7 this morning I
moved to the attack, which commenced at half-past 8 o'clock, and
by 1 o'clock I was in possession of the whole of the Sikh position,
with all his camp equipag \ baggage, magazines, and, I hope, a large
proportion of his guns ; the exact number I cannot at present state,
from the great extent of his position and length of pursuit, as I followed
up the enemy from four to five miles on the Bimber road, and pushed
on Sir Joseph Thackwell with the cavalry. The rout has been most
complete; the whole road for twelve miles is strewed with guns,
ammvmition waggons, arms, and baggage.

" My loss was comparatively small (I hope within 300 killed and
wounded) when it is considered I had to attack 60,000 Sikhs, in a very
strong position, armed with upwards of 60 guns. The loss of the enemy
must have been very severe.

" The conduct of the whole army, in every arm, was conspicuous
for steadiness in movement and gallantry in action. The details I shall
furnish hereafter.

" I have, etc.,

(Signed) " Gough, 6'eneraZ,

" Commander-in-Chief in India.
" By order of the Right Honourable the Governor-General of India.

(Signed) " H. M. Elliot.
" Secretary to the Government of India, with the Governor-General.
s ., (Signed) " J. Stuart, Colonel,

" Secretary to the Government of India, Military Department,

"with the Governor -General."

PUNJAB CAMPAIGN 407

FORT WnxiAif, FOREIGN DEPARTJIE^T, March 9th, 1849.

The President in Council is pleased to direct the publication of the
following notification issued by the Right Honoiu-able the Governor-
General at his Lordship's headquarters, with a despatch from His
Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, reporting the details of the com-
plete victory which was gained over the Sikh force at Goojerat, on the
21st ultimo, by the army under His Excellency's command.
By order of the President of the Council of India in Council.

(Signed) Fred. Jas. Halliday,
Officiating Secretary to the Government of India,

" General Order of the Right Honourable the Governor-
General OF India.

"Foreign Department, Camp, Ferozepore, March 1st, 1849.

" The Governor-General, having received from His Excellency the
Commander-in-Chief a despatch, reporting the details of the brilliant
victory which was gained by the British army at Goojerat, on the 21st
ultimo, directs that it be published for the information of the army
and of the people of India.

" The Sikh army, imder the command of Sirdar Chutter Sing and of
Rajah Shere Sing, combined with the Afghan troops in the service of
the Ameer of Cabool, were posted in great strength near to the town of
Goojerat.

" Their numbers were estimated at 60,000 men, and 59 guns were
brought by them into action.

" On the morning of the 2 1st they were attacked by the forces under
the personal command of His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief. A
powerful and sustained cannonade by the British artillery compelled
them, after some time, to retire from the positions they had well and
resolutely maintained.

" The subsequent advance of the British army drove them back at
once from every point, and retreat having been speedily converted
into rout, they fled in the utmost disorder, and, abandoning their gims,
and throwing away their arms, were pursued by the artillery and cavalry
till the evening, for many miles beyond the town.

" Fifty-three pieces of the enemy's artillery, his camp, his baggage,
his magazines, and vast stores of ammunition left in the hands of the
British troops, bear testimony to the completeness and to the import-
ance of the victory that has been won.

" The Governor-General, in the name and on behalf of the Govern-
ment of India, most cordially congratulates his Excellency the Com-
mander-in-Chief and the whole army on the glorious success which,
under the blessing of Divine providence, their skill and gallantry
have achieved ; and he offers to his Excellency, to the generals, the
officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the force, his grateful
acknowledgments of the services they have thus rendered to the
Government and to their country.

" The Governor-General begs especially to thank Major-Gencral
Sir Joseph Thackwell, K.C.B. and K.H. ; Major-General Sir W.
Gilbert, K.C.B. ; Major-General Whish, C.B. ; Brigadier-General
Campbell, C.B. ; and Brigadier-General the Honourable H. Dundas,
C.B., for the ability and judgment with which they directed the opera-
tions of the divisions respectively under their command.

408 APPENDIX D

" To the chief engineer. Brigadier Cheape, C.B. ; to the officers
commanding brigades, Brigadier Brooke, C.B. ; Brigadier Huthwaite,
C.B. ; Brigadier Leeson ; to Brigadier White, C.B., Brigadier Hearsey
and Brigadier Lockwood, C.B. ; to Brigadier Hervey and Brigadier
Markham ; to Brigadier Mountain, C.B. ; Brigadier Capon and Briga-
dier Hoggan ; Brigadier Carnegy and Brigadier McLeod, the best
thanks of the Governor-General are due.

" The services of Brigadier-General Tennant and of the artillery
of the force have been recorded in the despatch of the Commander-in-
Chief in terms of which they may justly be proud.

" The Governor-General cordially joins with his Excellency in
acknowledging their merit, and in bestowing upon them the praise
they have earned so well.

"To Major Lvigard, to Lieutenant-Colonel Gough, C.B., and to the
officers of the general staff of Her Majesty's army ; to Lieutenant-
Colonel Grant, C.B. ; to Lieutenant-Colonel Garden, C.B. ; and to the
officers of the general staff of the army ; to Captain Ramsay and the
officers of the commissariat department ; to Mr. Franklin, inspector-
general of Her Majesty's hospitals ; to Dr. Renny and the officers of
the medical department, and to the officers of his Excellency's personal
staff, the Governor-General offers his best thanks, and assures them of
his full appreciation of their services.

" And to all the troops of every arm, European and native, the
Governor-General desires to convey his entire approbation of their
steady and gallant conduct throughout the day ; particularly to a
portion of the 9th Lancers and the Scinde Horse for their charge
against the Afghan cavalry ; to the Third Brigade of Infantry, under
Brigadier Penny, C.B., for their attack on the village of Kalra ; and to
a portion of Brigadier Hervey's brigade for their charge led by Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Franks, C.B., all of which have been specially reported
by his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief.

" The Governor-General estimates highly the important results which
the battle gained on the 21st ultimo is calculated to produce. He
entertains a hope that the conviction, which the events of that day
mvist force upon all, of the vast superiority which the British army
derived from the possession of science and military resource, will
indvice the enemy shortly to abandon a contest which is a hopeless one.

" The war in which we are engaged must be prosecuted with vigour
and determination, to the entire defeat and dispersion of all who are
in arms against us, whether Sikhs or Afghans.

" The Governor-General has ever felt, and feels, unbomided con-
fidence in the army which serves in India. He relies fully on the con-
viction that their services will be given cheerfully and gallantly, as'
heretofore, whatever may be the obstacles opposed to them ; and he
does not doubt that, with the blessing of Heaven, such full success will
continue to follow their efforts as shall speedily give to the Govern-
ment of India the victory over its enemies, and restore the country
to the enjoyment of peace.

" The Governor-General will not fail earnestly to commend
the past services of this army to the favovu-able consideration of
Her Majesty's Government and of the Honourable East India
Company.

" A salute of 21 guns has been ordered at every principal station of
the army in India.

" By order of the Right Honourable the Governor-General of India.

(Signed) " H. M. Elliot,
" Secretary to the Government of India,
" with the Governor-General.'"

PUNJAB CAMPAIGN 409

" From the Right Honoitrable the Commander-in-Chief in India,
TO the Right Honourable the Governor-General of India.

" Headquarters Camp, Goojerat, February -ziith, I810.

" My Lord,

" By my letter of the 21st instant, written on the field
of battle immediately after the action, your Lordship will have been
made acquainted with the glorious result of my operations on that day
against the Sikh armjs calculated from all credible reports at 60,000
men of all arms and 59 pieces of artillery, under the command of
Sirdar Chutter Sing and Rajah Shere Sing, with a body of 1,500 Afghan
Horse led by Akram Khan, son of the Ameer Dost Mahomed Khan ;
a result, my Lord, glorious indeed for the ever-victorious army of
India ! the ranks of the enemy broken, their position carried, their
gvms, ammvmition, camp equipage, and baggage captured, their flying
masses driven before the victorious pursuers from mid-day to dusk,
receiving a most severe punishment in their flight ; and, my Lord,
with gratitude to a merciful Providence, I have the satisfaction of add-
ing that, notwithstanding the obstinate resistance of the enemy, this
triumphant success, this brilliant victory has been achieved with
comparatively little loss on our side.

" The number of guns taken in action and captured in the line of
pursuit, I now find to be 53.

" The official report made by the Adjutant-General of the army
on the 20th instant will have informed your Lordship that I had
directed Brigadier-General the Honoiu-able H. Dundas to join me by
forced marches, and that I had closed up to so short a distance of the
Sikh army that they could not possibly attempt the passage of the
Chenab, in order to put into execution their avowed determination
of moving upon Lahore, make a retrograde movement by the Kooree
Pass (the only practicable one for giins), or indeed quit their position,
without my being able to attack them and defeat their movement.

" On the 18th instant Brigadier Markham had proceeded from
Ramnuggar up the left bank of the river to Kanokee, to which I
had directed 47 boats to be sent up. On the morning of the
20th this officer crossed the Chenab, by my instructions, and joined
me at 1 1 o'clock a.m. At the same time Lieutenant-Colonel Byrne
was directed to move down the left bank, from the position he held in
front of Wuzeerabad, with two corps of infantry and four guns, leaving
two regiments of irregular cavalry to watch the fords, and to prevent any
marauding parties or bodies of the routed enemy from effecting a
passage.

" On the same day a reconnaissance was made of the enemy's position,
and it was ascertained that their camp nearly encircled the town of
Goojerat, their regular troops being placed immediately fronting us
between the town and a deep watercourse, the dry bed of the River
Dwara — this nullah, which is very tortuous, passing round nearly
two sides of the town of Goojerat, diverging to a considerable distance
on the north and west faces, and then taking a southerly direction,
running through the centre of the ground 1 occupied at Shadiwal.
Thus the enemy's position on the right was generally strengthened, the
nullah giving cover to his infantry in front of his guns, whilst another
deep, though narrow wet nullah running from the east of the town and
falling into the Chenab, in the direction of Wuzeerabad, covered his left.

" The ground between these nullahs, for a space of nearly three miles,
being well calculated for the operations of all arms, and presenting
no obstacle to the movement of my heavy guns, I determined to make
my principal attack in that directiop and dispose my force accordingly.

410 APPENDIX D

" On the extreme left I placed the Bombay column, commanded
by Brigadier the Honourable H. Dundas, supported by Brigadier White's
brigade of cavalry and the Scinde Horse, xmder Sir Joseph Thackwell,
to protect the left and to prevent large bodies of Sikh and Afghan
cavalry from tm-ning that flank ; with this cavalry I placed Captains
Duncan and Huish's troops of horse artillery, whilst the infantry
was covered by the Bombay troop of horse artillery under Major
Blood.

" On the right of the Bombay cokimn, and with its right restmg on
the nullah, I placed Brigadier-General Campbell's division of infantry,
covered by No. 5 and No. 10 Light Field Batteries, imder Major Ludlow
and Lieutenant Robertson, having Brigadier Hoggan's brigade of
infantry in reserve.

" Upon the right of the nullah I placed the infantry division of Major-
General Sir Walter Gilbert, the heavy gims, 18 in number,
imder Majors Day and Horsford, with Captain Shakspear and Brevet-
Major Sir Richmond Shakspear, commanding batteries, being disposed
in two divisions upon the flanks of his left brigade.

" This line was prolonged by Major-General Whish's division of
infantry, under Brigadier Markham, in support of second line, and the
whole covered by tlaree troops of horse artillery. Major Fordyce's,
Captains Mackenzie's, and Anderson's; No. 17 Light Field Battery,
under Captain Dawes, with Lieutenant-Colonel Lane's and Captain
Kinleside's troops of horse artillery, in a second line in reserve, xmder
Lieutenant-Colonel Brind.

" My right flank was protected by Brigadiers Hearsey's and Lock-
wood's brigades of cavahy, with Captain Warner's troop of horse
artillery.

" The 5th and 6th Light Cavalry, with the Bombay Light Field
Battery, and the 45th and 69th Regiments, imder the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Mercer, most effectually protected my rear and
baggage.

" With my right wing I proposed penetrating the centre of the
enemy's line, so as to turn the position of their force in rear of the
nullah, and thus enable my left wing to cross it with little loss, and in
co-operation with the right to double upon the centre of the wing of
the enemy's force opposed to them.

"At half -past 7 o'clock the army advanced in the order described,
with the precision of a parade movement. The enemy opened their
fire at a very long distance, which exposed to my artillery both the
position and range of their guns. I halted the infantry just out of fire,
and advanced the whole of my artillery, covered by skirmishers.

" The cannonade now opened upon the enemy was the most magni-
ficent I ever witnessed, and as terrible in its effect.

" The Sikh guns were served with their accustomed rapidity, and the
enemy well and resolutely maintained his position ; but the terrific
force of our fire obliged them, after an obstinate resistance, to fall
back. I then deployed the infantry, and directed a general advance,
covering the movement by my artillery as before.

" The village of Bm-ra-Kalra, the left one of those of that name, in
which the enemy had concealed a large body of infantry, and which was
apparently the key of their position, lay immediately in the line of
Major-General Sir Walter Gilbert's advance, and was carried in the
most brilliant style, by a spirited attack of the Third Brigade, under
Brigadier Peimy, consisting of the 2nd Europeans, 31st and 70th Regi-
ments of Native Infantry, which drove the enemy from their cover with
great slaughter.

" A very spirited and successful movement was also made about the

PUNJAB CAMPAIGN 411

same time against a heavy body of the enemy's troops, in and about
Chota-Kaka, by part of Brigadier Hervey's brigade, most gallantly
led by Lieutenant-Colonel Franks of H.M.'s lOth Foot.

" The heavy artillery continued to advance with extraordinary
celerity, taking up successive forward positions, driving the enemy
from those they had retired to, whilst the rapid advance and beautiful
fire of the horse artillery and light field batteries, which I strengthened
by bringing to the front the two reserved troops of horse artillery under
Lieutenant-Colonel Brind — Brigadier Brooke having the general super-
intendence of the whole of the horse artillery — broke the ranks of the
enemy at all points. The whole infantry line now rapidly advanced
and drove the enemy before it ; the nullah was cleared, several villages
stormed, the guns that were in position carried, the camp captured,
and the enemy routed in everj' direction ! — the right wing and Briga-
dier-General Campbell's division passing in pursuit to the eastward,
the Bombay column to the westward of the town.

■' The retreat of the Sikli army, thus hotly pressed, soon became a
perfect flight, all arms dispersing over the country, rapidly pursued
by our troops for a distance of twelve miles, their track strewed with
their wounded, their arms, and military equipments, which they threw
away to conceal that they were soldiers.

" Throughout the operations thus detailed, the cavalry brigades on
the flanks were threatened, and occasionally attacked by vast masses
of the enemy's cavalry, which were, in every instance, put to flight
bj' the steady movements and spirited manoeuvres of our cavalry, most
zealously and judiciously supported by the troops of horse artillery
attached to them, from whom the enemy received the severest punish-
ment.

" On the left, a most successful and gallant charge was made upon
the Afghan cavalry and a large body of Goorchurras, by the Scinde
Horse and a party of the 9th Lancers, when some standards were
captured.

" The determined front shown by the 1 4th Light Dragoons and the
other cavalry regiments on the right, both regular and irregular,
completely overawed the enemy, and contributed much to the success
of the day ; the conduct of all in following up the fugitive enemy was
beyond all praise.

" A competent force, vmder the command of Major-General Sir
Walter Gilbert, resumed the pursuit towards the Jhelum on the follow-
ing morning, with a view of cutting off the enemy fi-om the only practi-
cable gun road to the Jhelum. Another division of infantry, under
Brigadier-General Campbell, advanced on the road to Bimber, scouring
the country in that direction, to prevent their carrying off the guns by
that route, and a body of cavalry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Bradford,
successfully pushed on several miles into the hills, and twenty-four
from Goojerat, accompanied by that most energetic political officer.
Captain Nicholson, for the same purpose, whilst I remained in posses-
sion of the field for the purpose of supporting these operations, covering
the fords of the Chenab, and destroying the vast magazine of ammu-
nition left scattered about in all directions. I am happy to add that
these combinations have been entirely successful, the detached parties
coming at every step on the wreck of the dispersed and flying foe.

" Having thus endeavoured to convey to your Lordship the par-
ticulars of the operations of the battle of Goojerat, I beg now to
offer my heartfelt congratulations to your Lordship, and to the
Government of India, upon this Higrial victory achieved under the
blessing of Divine providence by the united efforts and indomitable
gallantry of the noble army under my command, a victory, my Lord,

412 APPENDIX D

as glorious to the army that gained it as it must be satisfactory to
yourself and the Government of India, from the very important and
decisive results to be expected from it.

" It is quite impossible for me svifficiently to express my admiration
of the gallant and steady conduct of the officers and men, as well
native as Eui'opean, upon this occasion.

" The brilliant service they have performed in so signally defeating
so vastly a superior force, amongst whom were the elite of the old
Khalsa army, making a last, united, and desperate struggle, will
speak for itself, and will, I am confident, be justly estimated by your
Lordship.

" I cannot too strongly express to yoiu" Lordship my deep sense of
obligation to the general officers and brigadier-generals in command of
divisions, who so ably carried out my views and directed the operations
of their troops on this day.

" I beg to annex for your Lordship's information the reports I have
received from them, and to bring most prominently to your Lordship's
notice the brigadiers commanding brigades ; the commanding officers
of regiments and of troops of horse artillery and light field batteries ;
and the several officers of the divisional and brigade staff enumerated
in these reports, in terms of such just commendation.

" I feel much indebted to Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell for
the able and judicious manner he manoeuvred the cavalry, with horse
artillery attached, on the left, keeping in check the immensely superior
force of the enemy, whose main object was to turn my flanks. I am
also greatly indebted to this tried and gallant officer for his valuable
assistance and untiring exertions throughout the present and previous
operations as second in command with this force.

" To Major-General Sir Walter Gilbert, whose services upon this,
as on all former occasions, were invaluable, and ever marked by energy,
zeal, and devotion ; as well as to Major-General Wliish, Brigadier-
Generals GampbeU and Dundas, for their able assistance, I am deeply
indebted.

" To Brigadier-General Tennant, commanding that splendid arm,
the artillery, to whose irresistible power I am mainly indebted for the
glorious victory of Goojerat, I am indeed most grateful. Conspicuous
as the artillery has ever proved itself, never was its superiority over
that of the enemy, its irresistible and annihilating power, more truth-
fully shown than in this battle. The heavy batteries mancEU\Ted
with the celerity of light guns, and the rapid advance, the scientific
and judiciovis selection of points of attack, the effective and well-directed
fire of the troops of horse artillery and light field-batteries, merit my
warmest praise ; and I beg most earnestly to recommend their brave
and gallant commanders, with the several officers named in Brigadier-
General Tennant's report, to your Lordship's most favourable notice.

" From Brigadier Cheape, the chief engineer, and the talented
officers in that department as named in the Brigadier's report, I have
received the most valuable assistance in recoiuioitring the enemy's
position and on the field of battle. The Sappers and Pioneers, under
that most able officer. Captain Siddons, did excellent service, and
were ever in front to overcome anj^ obstacle to the advance of the
artillery.

" To the officers of the general staff of Her Majesty's service. Major
Lugard, Acting Adjutant-General, and Lieutenant-Colonel Gough,
Quartermaster-General of Her Majesty's troops in India, my best thanks
are due ; their exertions upon the present occasion and throughout the
recent operations were most valuable, and I beg to bring them imder
your Lordship's most favourable notice. I am equally indebted to

PUNJAB CAMPAIGN 413

Captain Otter, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General of Her Majesty's
forces, for his valuable services.

" To the officers of the general staff of the army, Lieutenant-Colonel
Grant, Adjutant-General, and Lieutenant-Colonel Garden, Quarter-
master-General, whose most onerous and very important duties have
invariably been conducted to my entire satisfaction, I am under the
greatest obligation. Then* valuable assistance in the field, and their
indefatigable exertions throughout operations of no ordinary character,
deserve my warmest thanks and your Lordship's approbation.

"To Lieutenant-Colonel Birch, Judge-Advocate-General, I am much
indebted for his assistance upon every occasion.

" To Major Tucker, Deputy Adjutant-General, a most gallant, ener-
getic, and valuable officer ; to Lieutenant-Colonel Drummond, Deputy
Quartermaster-General, whose services have been most praiseworthy ;
to Major Chester, Assistant Adjutant- General, and Lieutenant Tytler,
Assistant Quartermaster-General ; Lieutenant Johnston, Deputy
Judge- Advocate-General ; Major G. Thompson, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Curtis, Assistant Commissary-General ; Captain C. Campbell, paymaster
to the army, I offer my best thanks for their services whilst attending
me in the field, and the efficient manner they have performed their
several duties.

" Mr. Franklin, inspector-general of Her Majesty's hospitals, has
been imceasing in his exertions in rendering every aid to the sick and
wounded of the royal service, and giving the benefit of his long pro-
fessional experience in such duties ; as has Doctor Renny, superintend-
ing surgeon of this army, who has beea indefatigable in his professional
exertions and well-organised medical arrangements.

" I feel I cannot too prominently bring to notice the valuable exer-
tions of Doctor MacRae, field-surgeon, and of the medical officers of the
army generally ; they have been most unwearied and praiseworthy.

" To Captain Ramsay, Deputy Commissary-General, and to the officers
of his department, I am much indebted, and feel grateful for their
unceasing and successful exertions, amidst all difficulties, to supply the
troops, and thus preserve the efficiency of the army.

" The officers of my personal staff have well merited my best thanks
and your Lordship's favourable notice. Captain Haines, military
secretary, who has rendered me most valuable aid ; Brevet-Major
Bates, aide-de-camp ; Lieutenant A. Bagot, aide-de-camp ; Lieutenant
S. J. Hire, aide-de-camp ; Captain Gabbett, aide-de-camp ; Lieu-
tenant G. Hardinge, aide-de-camp ; and Lieutenant W. G. Prender-
gast, my Persian interpreter.

" I beg also to acknowledge the valuable assistance I have received
from the political officers. Major Mackeson, Mr. Cocks, Captain Nichol-
son, and Lieutenant Robinson, both in the field and throughout the
operations. I regret to add that Mr. Cocks was seriously wounded
during the action in a rencontre with a Sikh horseman.

" I would also bring to your Lordship's notice the name of Lieutenant
Stannus, of the 5th Light Cavalry. This officer has commanded the
cavalry party attached to my escort throughout the operations to
my entire satisfaction. He was severely wounded on the 21st, when
gallantly charging a party of the enemy's horsemen.

"Major Anstruther, of the Madras Artillery; Lieutenant Mayne,
of the Madras Cavalry, and Captain Showers, of the 14th Native
Infantry, attended mo in the field.

" I have most unwillingly been delayed from sooner forwarding
this despatch, from the circumstance of having only this day received
Brigadier-General the Honourable H. Dundas's report, and some of
the casualty returns have not even yet reached us. As soon as the

414 APPENDIX D

whole come in, a full, amended, general return shall be transmitted
without loss of time for your Lordship's information.

" I have the pleasvu'e to enclose a plan of the battle of Goojerat,
also a retiu-n of the captured ordnance.

" I have, etc.
(Signed) " Gough, General,

" Commander-in-Chief in India.

" P.S. — The casualty lists having arrived, I have the honour to
enclose the return of killed and wounded, which, I am sorry to see, is so
much heavier than I at first anticipated. Several of these were occa-
sioned by accidental explosions of the enemy's tumbrils and magazines
after the action. " G."

" From Major-General Sir J. Thackwell, K.C.B. and K.H.,
Commanding Cavalry Division, to Lieutenant- Colonel
Grant, C.B., Adjutant-General of the Army.

" HEADQtJABTERS CAMP, GOOJERAT, FehTuaTy 25th, 1849.

" Sir,

I have the honour to report, for the information of His Excel-
lency the Right Honoiu-able the Commander-in-Chief, the operations
of the division of cavalry under my command, in the battle fought
on the 21st instant, near the town of Goojerat.

" The left column of cavalry, under the command of Brigadier
White, C.B., consisting of the troops named in the margin,^ was as-
sembled in colunm of troops at half distance, right in front, at deploying
interval, on the left of the Bombay colmnn of infantry, at 7 o'clock
in the morning.

" The right column, composed of troops named in the margin,'^
imder the command of Brigadiers Hearsey and Lockwood, C.B., were
formed in column left in front at the same hour.

" The Third Division of Infantry and the Bombay brigade, all on the
left of the nullah, leading towards Goojerat, being under my immediate
superintendence, I remained on the left flank of the army ; and I
make no doubt Brigadier-Generals Dundas and Campbell have made
you fully acquainted with the operations of the troops under their
command.

" On approaching the village of Nurrawalla, just without the range
of the enemy's batteries, the infantry deployed into line, and Brigadier
White formed his cavalry in front of that village with his left back,
and parallel to a gentle rising of the ground on which was posted the*
enemy's right, consisting of a large body of Afghans and Goorchurra
Horse. From this position a fire of round shot was opened, and the
enemy's cavalry extended to the right, so as to threaten to turn our
left flank. To oppose the enemy's guns, I ordered Captain Duncan
to move his troop of horse artillery to the front, which he did in good
style, and opened his fire within five hundred or six hundred yards.

' Left Column. First Brigade of Cavalry, Brigadier White, C.B.. commanding: H.M.'s
3rd Dragoons, Major Yerbury ; H.M.'s 9th Lancers Lieutenant-Colonel Fullerton ; 8th
Light Cavalry, Major Mackenzie ; Soinde Horse, Captain Malcolm ; Captain Duncan's
troop Horse Artillery ; Captain Huish's troop Horse ArtUlery.

- Right Column. "Second Brigade of Cavah-y, Brigadier Lockwood, C.B., commanding :
H.M.'s 14th Light Dragoons, Lieutenant-Colonel King ; 1st Light Cavalry, Lieutenant-
Colonel Bradford ; 2 iisallas 11th Irregular Cavalry, Captain Masters ; 2 risallas 14th
Irregular Cavalry, Lieutenant Robarts ; Captain Warner's troop Horse Artillery.

Fourth Brigade Cavalry, Brigadier Heai-sey commanding : 3rd Irregular Cavalry, Major
Tait, C.B. ; 9th Irregular Cavalry, Major Christie. The 5th and 6th Light Cavalry were
left in the rear to protect the baggage.

PUNJAB CAMPAIGN 415

This movement was followed by the advance of Captain Huish's troop,
and both did considerable execution upon the enemy, but did not
prevent the attempt of the Afghans to outflank our left. The Scinde
Horse were on tlie left of my line, and I ordered them to advance with
a squadron of the 9th Lancers, under Captain Campbell, a part of the
former to be in reserve, and supported by a squadron of the 9th Lancers,
under Major Grant, C.B., in echelon on the right. These troops made a
most brilliant charge upon the enemy ; at the same time I advanced
the guns and cavalry towards the enemy's line. The fire of the guns
soon put the Goorchurras in retreat, and the glorious charge of the
troops on the left caused their whole force to seek safety in retreat by
the Burradiuree. A gvm was captured during these proceedings ;
but as we were then considerably in advance of the left of the infantry
— although Captain Duncan was enabled to enfilade a battery opposed
to them — and ignorant of the force the enemy might have between
the Burradurree and the town, a space co\'ered with trees, it became
necessary to proceed with caution ; yet I soon was enabled to open
a fire upon the enemy, both on the right and left of the former place
which caused them considerable loss, and hastened their retreat.

" I may here observe that all the enemy's tents were left standing
near the Burradurree, and on the Sikh right of the town, with pro-
bably much baggage in them, all of which were probably plundered by
the camp followers.

" The enemy being now in full retreat, I moved Brigadier White's
brigade well to the left front, and soon forced the enemy from the
Jhelmn road, and eventually from that of Bimber, also cutting off
large bodies of the enemy, much baggage, and many guns, which were
secured by this brigade, as well as the troops of the Second and Fourth
Brigades, which had been ordered to join in the pursuit. At 4.20 p.m.,
none of the enemy being in sight, and being, as was said by the villagers,
nine or ten miles from Goojerat, I discontinued the pursuit and returned
to camp at this place. In this pursuit Captains Duncan and Huish's
troops of artillery, latterly joined by Major Leeson and Major Blood's
troop of the same arm, brought their guns to bear vipon the enemy
with good effect on several occasions, and their advance was as rapid
as the intersected nature of the ground (by nullahs) would admit, and
the 9th Lancers and 8th Light Cavalry made gallant attempts to close
with the enemy's cavalry, which, however, were frustrated by the rapid
retreat of the latter, yet a great number of the enemy were slain by
this brigade in the pursuit. I witnessed the activity of Captain Unett,
and part of his squadron of the 3rd Light Dragoons, and Brigadier
White mentions that the whole of that regiment was actively engaged
in this work of retribution.

" Being an eye-witness to all the movements of the First Brigade,
I have great satisfaction in stating that Brigadier White conducted them
very much to my satisfaction. I am also well satisfied with the manner
in which Lieutenant-Colonel Fullerton, Majors Yerbury and Mackenzie
commanded their respective regiments, and in which Major Grant
supported the charge of cavalry on the left. The charge of the Scinde
Horse reflects the highest credit on Captain Malcolm, and I have great
pleasure in having witnessed the gallant bearing of all the officers and
men of this brigade during the operations of the day ; and 1 feel sure
that their only regret was that the enemy's cavalry so often declined
the attack.

" To Captains Duncan and Huish and Majors Leeson and Blood I
am much indebted for the manner in which they brought their guns
into action whenever an opportunity occurred, and the steadiness and
good conduct of both officers and men were very conspicuous.

416 APPENDIX D

" I have now the pleasing duty to state, that I have received every
assistance and support from my Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General,
Captain Pratt, on the present occasion, as well as during the campaign.
To my Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General, Lieutenant Tucker,
I am greatly indebted for his zeal, activity, intelligence, and successful
endeavours to procure intelligence of the movements of the enemy
during the operations. He, as well as my aide-de-camp. Lieutenant
Thackwell, Lieutenant Young, of the Engineers, Lieutenant Carter,
of the Pioneers, and Cornet Beatson, of the 6th Light Cavalry, accom-
panied me during the battle, and afforded me essential service in
carrying my orders on various occasions during the operations of
the day.

" Brigadier White states how greatly he was satisfied with the
conduct of his Brigade Major, Captain Cautley, and the whole of the
officers and men of his brigade.

" As the operations of the Second and Fourth Brigades of cavalry did
not come under my observation, except towards the latter end of the
piu-suit, I have the honour to forward Brigadier Lockwood's report,
and it would appear therefrom that he conducted his brigade judi-
ciously ; and I am gratified to learn that both officers and men
behaved greatly to his satisfaction, and that the 14th Light Dragoons and
1st Light Cavalry conducted themselves gallantly, and evinced every
anxiety to close with the enemy. I am happy to observe that the
Brigadier has mentioned M'ith great approbation the conduct of Lieu-
tenant-Colonels Bradford and King, in command of their regiments ;
and I cannot avoid here stating, for the information of his Lordship,
that I observed with much satisfaction the zeal and judgment evinced
by both officers, when in command of considerable bodies of cavalry
detached from the camp at Chillian wallah on important duties.

" I regret that I have not yet received any report from Brigadier
Hearsey, or return of casualties from his brigade or the Scinde Horse ;
these will be forwarded when they arrive.

" I have, etc.

{Signed) " J. Thackwell.
" Major-General commanding Cavalry Division."

INDEX

Adour, crossing of the, 56
Afghanistan, 1 1 1 e< seq.
Agnew, Mr., 234
Alexander, Capt., 158
Alinenda, ford of, 32
Aniiens, treaty of, 6
Anderson, Lieut., 234
Angelo, Volunteer, 274, 275
Anglesey, Lord, 342, 343
Anson, Lieut. -Col. George, 5

— Major-Gen., 30, 31
Archer, Lawrence, 283, 290, 296
Army, reduction of, 6

— British, strength of, 2G

— French, strength of, 27
Arnold, Col., 16th Lancers, 114,

130
Atar Singh, 285, 306, 317, 326
Auckland, Lord, 111, 112, 166
Avitabih, Gen., 153, 156, 193, 341
Aylett, Major, 5
Aylett, Sir Wilhain, 91

Bagot, Lieut., 309, 310
Bahawalpore, Khan of, 234, 235
Baird, Sir David, 9 ; difficulties

with the Junta, 11 ; sends

Hussar brigade to join Moore,

14
Baird Smith, Lieut., Royal En-
gineers, 251
Baiza Bai, 173, 174
Battles :

Chillianwala, 286 et seq.

Emsdorff, 92

Gujerat, 329 e< aeq.

Ligny, 69

Maya, 47, 48

Mayorga, 18

Morales, 34, 35

Nivelle, 51

Orthes, 54 et aeq.

Roncevalles, 47, 48

Sadulaporo, 259 et seq.

Sahagun, 15

Battles — continued :
Sobraon, 201 et seq.
Sorauren, 48, 49
Toulouse, 63 et seq.
Waterloo, 10 et aeq.

— British fall back to, 70

— crops on the field, 74
Villers en Cauchies, 5, 91
Vimiera, 9

Vittoria, 38 et seq.
Baurot, Gen., 65
Beecluer, Capt., 205, 217
Bentinck, Lord William, 227
Bere, Capt., 158
Beresford, Col., 114
Berri, Duke de, 81
Blood, Major, 337
Bliicher, Marshal, 69
Bock, Major-Gen., 30, 31
Bolan Pass, 123 et seq.
Bonaparte, 65 ; advances against

Moore, 18
Bonaparte, Joseph, 36
Bourbourg, last station of Fif-
teenth during occupation, 82
Bouverie, Gen. Sir Henry, 101,

102, 104
Bradford, Brig.-Gen.. 30, 31, 327.

329, 332, 340
Bradford, Lieut., 163 ^
Brind, Col., 289, 291, 295, 309 et

seq., 321, 322, 323
Broadfoot, Lieut., 165
Bromley, Major Henry, 2, 3
Brooke, Brigadier, 279, 310, 317
Brown, Capt., 162
Bruce, Capt., 314, 315, 319
Brudenell, Lord, 104, 106
Buckley, Major, 15th Hussars, 95,

102, 105
Burdett, Sir Francis, 24
Burnes, Sir Alexander, 117, 150,

104
Burrard, Sir Harry, 9
Byng, Gen., 45-48

417

418

INDEX

Calcraft, Capt., 5
Cambridge, Duke of, 362, 353
Campbell, Col., 9th Lancers, 197

— Gen., 48

— Brigadier, 199, 201, 241 et seq.

— Brig. -Gen. Colin, at Chillian-
wala, 288 et seq.

— Sir Colin and the press, 307 et
seq. ; at Gujerat, 336

Campbell, Capt., A.D.C., 230
Cannon, Mr. Richard, 91, 92
Cardigan, Lord, 354
Carnegie, Brigadier, 332
Carrion River, passage of, 36
Castanos, defeat of his army, 13
Cavalry Brigade, formation of, 76

3rd, 78

6th, 76

— British, inspection of, 69

— Division, composition of, at
Gujerat, 332

— Headquarters, 50
Chapman, Doctor, 168
Chaumont, League of, 68
Chenab, fords of, 243 et seq.. 266
Churchill, Gen., 114

— Major-Gen., 182, 184, 185
Chutter Singh, 236, 281, 282, 325,

326 341
Christie, Capt., 260, 288, 300, 331
Cintra, Convention of, 9
Clausel, Gen., 43, 46
Clayton, Capt., 177, 186
Oibbon, Major, 162
Cloyne, Bishop of, 90
Cochrane, Capt., 15th Hussars, 42
Cole, Gen., 47
Combermere, Field Marshal Lord,

82, 90 178

Com. -in-Chief in Ireland, 89

Congress of Vienna, 67
Corunna, arrival of army at, 21
Cotton, Gen. Sir Stapleton, 51, 58
Cotton, Major-Gen. Sir Willough-

by, 110, 112, 114, 116, 116,117,

118, 121, 123 et seq., 150, 156
Coventry, Lord, 1
Cowell, Lieut., 186
Craigie, Major, D.A.G., 127
Craufurd, Brig-Gen. Robert,

marches from Cortonna, 12
Crispin, Lieut., 2nd Light Cavalry,

130, 137, 163
Crommeline, Major, 187
Cumberland, Duke of, 7, 90
Hon. Col. of 15th Hussars,

86, 87

Cumberland, Duke of, appointed

Col. of the Blues, 87
Cureton, Major, 114, 146

— Lieut. -Col., 157, 158

— Col., 166, 196

— Brigadier, 200, 202, 203. 207,
237, 240, 343 ; death of, 241

Currie, Sir Frederick. 234, 235

Dalhousie, Lord, 230, 237, 274 et

seq.
Dalrymple, Sir Hew, 9

— Lieut.-Col., 15th Hussars, 59,
71, 83

— Col., death of, 85

Darley, Capt., 10th Hussars, 20

Dawes, Capt., 288, 304

Debelle, Gen., 14

D'Erlon, Gen., 45

Dennie, Col., 138

Dennis, Major-Gen., 183, 186

Dhuleep Singh, 194,220

Dick, Gen. Sir Robert, 191, 194,

196, 201, 207, 219,220, 221, 222,

226
Dinglii, army concentrated at, 281
Dornberg, Gen., 81
DostMuhamed, 111, 112, 127, 132,

133, 134, 139, 145, 163, 236, 281,

337, 341
Douglas, Brigadier, 133
Duero, passage of, 30
Duncan, Major-Gen., 115, 116
Duncan, Capt., 289, 331, 336, 337
Dundas, Brigadier, 325, 329, 332,

336
Durand, Col., 301, 334 ; on Thack-

well at ChilUanwala, 305
D'Urban, Major-Gen., 30, 31, 36,

38, 43

Ebro, passage of, 37

Eckford, Brigadier, 238

Edwardes, Herbert, 234, 235

Egmont-op-Zee, 5

Elba, Napoleon leaves, 67

EUenborough, Lord, 169, 171, 186,

194, 195, 350
Elley, Colonel J., 58
Elliot, Mr., 228
Emsdorff, 4, 5
Ers River. 63, 64
Esia, passage of, 32, 33

Fane, Sir Henry, 112, 113, 114 e<

seq., 117, 120, 121, 123, 347
Farmer, Capt., 155

INDEX

419

Ferris, Capt., 152, 164
Finch, Lieut., 1 5th Hussars, 33
Fitzhardinge, Lord, 351
Forage, scarcity of, 52
Fordyce, Capt., 289
Foy, Gen., 43
Fraser, Lieut., 163
Freyre, Gen., 62

Galloway, Private, 3rd Light

Dragoons, 293
Garden, Lieut. Thomas, 2

— Lieut.-Col., 181
Gardiner, Major, 40
Ghuznee, 135 et seq.

— description of, 141 et seq.
Gibnev, Lieut., 346

Gilbert, Major-Gen. Sir Walter,
201, 207, 213, 240, 241, 288,
290, 299, 304, 332, 335, 339, 340

Giron, Gen., 39, 46

Godby, Brigadier, 202, 237, 263,
266, 271, 277, 301, 304, 331

Gomm, Gen. Sir William, 347, 349

Gordon, Ensign, 165

Gough, Gen. Sir Charles, 283, 289,
321, 338

Gough, Gen. Sir Hugh, 89, 172-
174, 194, 198, 207

Gough, Lord, 235 et seq., 290, 347

congratulations to Sir Jo-
seph, 344

his g\ins at Gujerat, 331

his Saidulapore despatch

criticised, 266 et seq.

in Punjab campaign, 242 et

seq.

Gowan, Brigadier, 186

Graham, Lieut.-Gen. Sir Thos.,
39, 41, 43, 47

— to command left column, 29
Grant, Col. Colquhoun, 16, 30„

32, 35, 43

— Sir Colquhoun, 90

— Major-Gen. Sir C, 69, 72, 76,
78-80, 149; succeeds Duke of
Cumberland, 87

Grant, Major Hope, 300-302, 338
Grant, Sir Patrick, 179

— Lieut.-Col. Patrick, 245

— Col. Patrick, 258, 271-274
Grey, Gen. Sir John, 170. 174, 176,

177, 187, 201, 207, 213, 220
Griffiths, Major, 15th Hussars, 59,

60, 71, 79, 83, 149
Guard, Imperial, 72, 74

Gulab Singh, 163, 195, 220, 281
Gwalior, 173 e< seq.

Hancox, Capt., 83

— Lieut.-Col., 73

Hardinge, Lord, 214, 215, 225,
227 et seq., 230, 232, 350-354

— Sir Henry, 194, 196, 197, 208

— Viscount, 211

Harispe, Gen., 52, 53, 65 .

Harriott, Brigadier, 200
Harris, Capt., 186
Hastings, Marquis of, 173
Havelock, Lieut.-Col., 14th Light
Dragoons, 241

— Sir Henry, 118
Hay, Major, 158

Hearsey, Brigadier, 249, 332, 333,

335, 337, 340
Heiliger, Capt. Augustus, 8
Herring, Col., 149
Hervey, Brigadier, 332, 335
Hill, Gen. Sir R., 38, 39, 40, 41, 43,

46, 49, 50

— Gen. Lord, 73, 90, 102
Hilton, Capt., 16th Lancers, 157
Hodson, Lieut. William, 264
Hoggan, Brigadier, 240, 241, 289,

297, 299, 304, 312, 316, 319, 320,
322
Horses, 15th Hussars, slaugh-
tered on the beach, 22
Horsford, Major, 287, 288
Household Cavalry Brigade, 49
Huish, Capt., 288, 331, 337
Hussar Brigade, 28, 36, 47, 53, 63

inspection by Wellington, 29

marches to join Baird, 12 e<

seq.

numbers of, 52

passage of the Garonne, 62

— — strength of, 29
Hyder Khan, 139

Jeyes, Assistant Surgeon, 80
Jhelum, River, 305
Johnstone, Lieut., 309, 310
Jones, Brigade- Major, 32, 68
Joseph, King, 27
Junot, 18

Kabul, 147 et seq.

Keane, Gen. Sir John, 117, 120,

121, 122 et seq., 136, 149, 150,

157
Keillor, Brigade-Major, 312, 315
Keir, Sir William, 91

420

INDEX

Kelat-i-Ghilzai, 134
Kerrison, Col., 7th Hussars, 79
Khyber Pass, 152 et seq.
Kinleside, Capt., 241, 331, 334
Knight, Lieut., commands

Moore's escort, 22
Kurrak Singh, 163, 221

Lake, Lord, 178
Lambe, Capt. Sandford, 5
Lambert, Gen. Sir John, 89
Lane, Lieut.-Col., 206, 288, 300
Lane, Major, Royal Artillery, 305,

334
Lawrence, Henry, 234

— Major, 221, 325
League of Chaumont, 68
Lefebvre, 18

Leitch, Capt., 7

Lions la Foret, headquarters of

Fifteenth, 81
Lisbon, 9
Littler, Major-Gen., 183, 184, 186,

187, 188

— Gen. Sir John, 201, 222
Lockwood, Brigadier, 332, 335,

337
Loftus, Capt., 8
Londonderry, Lord, 23
Longa, Col., 30, 38, 39, 46
Lord, Doctor, 163
Losses, British, at Chillianwala,

305

at Gujerat, 339

Louis XVlil., King, 66
Lucknow, festivities at, 227 et seq.

Macgregor, Dr., 260
Mackeson, Capt., 155
Macnaghten, Sir WiUiam, 123,

139, 150, 154, 165, 166
MacQueen, Lieut., 294
Mahmood, tomb of, 144
Mahmood of Ghuznee, 233
Manners, Gen. Lord Charles, 225,

345
Mansfield, Capt. James, 6
Markham, Brigadier, 249, 332,

335
Martin, Gen. Claud, 228
Mavile, Capt., 165
Mayorga, junction of Moore's and

Baird's forces, 14
McCaskill, Brigadier-Gen., 113
McLeod, Brigadier, 332
Medals for Waterloo, 83
Mercer, Major, 79

Mina, 43

Moore, Sir John, 9

resolves on retreat, 17

Moreton Court, 1

Morillo, Gen., 48, 52

Mountain, Brigadier, 288, 299, 304,

312, 348
Mowatt, Capt., 262, 289, 295, 296,

297, 320
Mulraj, Dewan, 233 et seq.
Multan, 233 et seq.

Napier, Gen. Sh- Charles, 221, 222,

260, 347
Napoleon leaves Elba, 67
Newcastle, Duke of, 94, 95, 104,

352
Nicholls, Major-Gen. O., 3
Nicholson, Lieut. John, 250, 252,

271, 277,
Nicholson, Capt. John, 258
NicoUs, Gen. Sir Jasper, 167 et

seq., 347
Nihal Singh, 163
Norton, Mr., 98
Nott, Gen., 171
Nottingham Castle, attack on, 97

Otway, Col., 18th Hussars, 19
Oudh, King of, 227 et seq.
Outram, Capt. James, 148
Ovitts, Private William, 92

Pack, Brigadier-Gen., 30, 31
Paget, Major-Gen. Lord, 8, 23
Palmerston, Lord, 352, 355
Paris, Gen., 45, 52, 53
Parker, Capt., 2
Paton, Lieut., 246, 247
Pattiala, Raja of, 167
Pattinson, Lieut., 186
Pennv, Brigadier, 241, 281, 289

304, 332, 335
Pennycuick, Brigadier, 240, 250,

262, 288, 291, 295, 296, 312
Persse, Col., 137
— Brigadier, 158
Peshawar, 152 et seq.
Picton, Lieut. -Gen. Sir Thomas,

40, 46, 47
Pisuerga River, passage of, 36
Pocklington, Major, 91
Pollock, Gen., 167, 168, 169, 171,

188
Ponsonby, Col., 30, 31, 36, 43, 48
Pope, Brigadier, 241, 280, 288,

290, 299, 300 et seq.

INDEX

421

Pottinger, Col., 117
Pratt, Capt., 177, 186
Prole, Capt., 154

Raban, Lieut., 164
Ramnuggar, action at, 241
Ranjit Singh, 133, 153, 193, 221,

233, 234
Ranjur Singh, 205, 206
Rattray, Lieut., 105
Reddie, Capt., 155
Regiments (British) :
Life Guards, 25, 70
3rd Heavy Dragoons, 37
4th Heavy Dragoons, 37
5th Heavy Dragoons, 37
3rd Light Dragoons, 37, 108,
160, 167, 168, 188, 190, 198,
199, 205, 207, 209, 210, 211
et seq., 225, 244, 259, 272,
279, 289, 292, 306, 329, 332,
345, 352
4th Light Dragoons, 115, 132
5th Dragoons, 35
7th Hussars, 8, 10, 55, 69, 70,

77, 78, 82, 332
8th Hussars, 104
9th Lancers, 199, 229, 239,
258, 263, 271, 272, 288, 300,
301, 340, 333, 336, 337, 338,
339
10th Hussars, 8, 10, 24, 28, 34,

35, 40, 43, 49, 51, 59
11th Light Dragoons, 82, 110
12th Dragoons, 35, 37, 38
13th Light Dragoons, 44, 70,

73, 76, 78, 79, 83
14th Light Dragoons, 35, 37, 44,
258, 263, 270, 272, 288, 300,
301, 332, 339, 341
Ehott's Light Horse, 4, 92
1 5th Light Dragoons, 4 ; strength
of in 1801, 6 ; converted into
hussars, 8
15th Hus.sars, 28, 35, 40, 43, 48,
54, 56, 76, 78, 79, 82, 83, 89,
90, 91, 92, 149, 342, 343, 345,
346 ; at Toulouse, 63 et seq. ;
at Vittoria, 41 ; casualties
in, at Waterloo, 72 ; changes
among officers, 59 ; embark
at Portsmouth for Corunna,
10 ; embark for Belgium, 68 ;
embark U>r Lisbon, 25 ; enter
France, 51 ; formation at
Waterloo, 73 ; march to
Quatre Bras, 69 ; position at

Regiments (British) — continued :
Waterloo, 74 ; reduction on
peace, 67 ; return home, 66 ;
return to England, 22 ; speci-
ally mentioned, 58 ; strength
of squadrons at Waterloo, 73 ;
strength on landing at Corun-
na, 10

16th Light Dragoons, 37, 38

16th Lancers, 115, 128, 129,
137, 138, 149, 150, 157. 171,
181, 185, 186, 187, 200, 203,
345, 352

18th Hussars, 14, 24, 28, 33, 34,
35, 40, 43, 49, 54, 82

W^orcester Regiment of Pro-
visional Cavalry, 1,4 ; strength
of, 3 ; disbandment of, 4

Worcester Regiment of Fen-
cible Cavalry, 4

W'orcester Regiment of Light
Dragoons, 4

2nd Foot, 132, 138

10th Foot, 329

13th Light Infantry, 132, 138,
151, 171

17th Foot, 132, 139

24th Foot, 240, 250, 290, 296
et seq.

31st Foot, 160

32nd Foot, 229

38th Foot, 8

40th Foot, 172

41st Foot, 172

44th Foot, 164

50th Foot, 203

51st Foot, 33, 79

53rd Foot, 207

60th Rifles, 329

61st Foot, 240, 297, 298

98th Foot, 229

2nd European Regt., 258, 263,
335

1st Hussars, King's German
Legion, 35, 37, 43, 54

2nd Hussars, King's German
Legion, 69, 77

3rd Hussars, King's German
Legion, 8, 14, 78

2nd Ligiit Dragoons, King's
(jlerman Legion, 8

Chasseurs Britanniques, 33

Duk(i of Cimiberland's Hano-
verian Hussars, 70
R(!gimeuts (Foreign) :

I3tli Chasseurs k Cheval, 57,
60

422

INDEX

Regiments (Foreign) — continued :

16th Dragoons, 84

21st Dragoons, 34
Regiments (Native) :

1st Bengal Light Cavalry, 115,
132, 181, 182, 183, 187, 200,

288, 300, 332. 340

2nd Bengal Light Cavalry, 115,

129, 132, 137, 138, 145, 150
3rd Bengal Light Cavalry, 115,

120, 129, 132, 137, 138, 150,

160, 171, 200, 203
4th Bengal Light Cavalry, 181,

199, 206, 208, 209
5th Bengal Light Cavalry, 171,

199, 204, 206, 208, 209, 229,

239, 259, 260, 272, 279, 289,
292-295, 332, 333, 335

6th Bengal Light Cavalry, 288,

300, 332, 333
7th Bengal Light Cavalry, 171
8th Bengal Light Cavalry, 160,

200, 207, 208, 260, 272, 279,

289, 292, 299, 332, 337, 340
10th Bengal Light Cavalry, 180,

229
lith Bengal Light Cavalry, 199,

206, 332
2nd Bengal Native Infantry,

172
4th Bengal Native Infantry, 239
7th Bengal Native Infantry, 1 60
8th Bengal Native Infantry, 329
15th Bengal Native Infantry,

241
16th Bengal Native Infantry,

132, 145, 172
20th Bengal Native Infantry,

149, 154, 241, 280
21st Bengal Native Infantry,

149, 150, 154
24th Bengal Native Infantry,

240
31st Bengal Native Infantry,

187, 335
36th Bengal Native Infantry,

240, 298

37 th Bengal Native Infantry,

154, 156, 164
38th Bengal Native Infantry,

172
42nd Bengal Native Infantry,

172
43rd Bengal Native Infantry,

172
45th Bengal Native Infantry,

240, 258, 298

Regiments (Native) — continued :
46th Bengal Native Infantry,

240
48th Bengal Native Infantry,

154, 156
49th Bengal Native Infantry,

160
50th Bengal Native Infantry,

346
52nd Bengal Native Infantry,

329
54th Bengal Native Infantry,

164
56th Bengal Native Infantry,

257
57th Bengal Native Infantry,

149
66th Bengal Native Infantry,

160
69th Bengal Native Infantry,

241
70th Bengal Native Infantry,

258, 263, 335
1st Bombay Cavalry, 128
3rd Bombay Light Cavalry, 172
19th Bombay Infantry, 133
22nd Bombay Infantry, 122
26th Bombay Infantry, 122
2nd Irregular Cavalry, 199, 204
3rd Irregular Cavah-y, 200, 244,

250, 254, 257, 260, 272, 277,

332, 339

4th Irregular Cavalry, 171, 181-

183, 187, 200, 206
6th Irregular Cavalry, 171
8th Irregular Cavah-y, 199, 206,

209
9th Irregular Cavalry, 199, 205,

206, 208, 209, 258, 332, 339
11th Irregular Cavalry, 332,

333, 334, 339

12th Irregular Cavalry, 244,

251, 332

13th Irregular Cavalry, 332,

334, 340

14th Irregular Cavalry, 332,

333, 334, 340
Khelat-i-Ghilzai Regiment, 187
4th Local Horse, 131
1st Skinner's Horse, 131
Ludhiana Regiment of Sikhs,

229, 230
Poena Local Horse, 115
Scinde Horse, 332, 333, 336,

338, 339, 340
Sirmoor Battalion, 208, 213
Reille, Gen., 45

INDEX

423

Renney, Lieut., 186
Eichmond, Col., 228
Riots, Luddists, 25

— at Nottingham, 94 et seq.
Roche, Miss, 89

Roche, Col., 89, 90

Roche, Francis, 89

Roche, Cornet Edmund, 3rd Light

Dragoons, 113, 119, 132, 136,

137, 158, 190, 197

— Lieut. Edmund, 200
Robertson, Lieut., 289, 297, 308,

309-312, 321
Robinson, Capt., 164
Rolleston, Major, 99
Rose, Cornet, 15th Hussars, 88
Ross, Col., 20th Foot, 32
Russell, Lord Jolxn, 104
Rye Court, 1

Sale, Brigadier Robert, 132

— Gen., 164, 165
Salusbury, Ensign, 165
Sanchez, 43

Saunders, Lieut.-Col., 182

Scinde, Ameers of, 116

Scott, Brigadier, 183, 196, 199,
201, 204, 208, 209

Shah Shuja, 111, 112, 115, 120, 123,
128, 134, 139, 163 ; reaches
Kandahar, 131 ; enters Kabul,
148

Shakespear, Major, 262

Shelton, Gen., 164

Sher Singh, Maharaja, 193, 235,
236, 282, 285, 325, 326, 337, 341

Siborne, Lieut., 72, 76

Simpson, Major-Gen., 123

Sindia, Daulat Rao, 173

Skinner, Col. James, 114

Slfitde, Major Charles, 3rd Light
Dragoons, 111

Slade, Gen. John, 10, 342

Smith, Sir Harry, 179, 184, 189,
190, 201, 202, 204-207, 213, 214,
220, 225, 226, 343, 350

Smyth, Lieut.-Col., 158

Somers Cocks, Lieut.-Col. Hon.
John, 2

Somerset, Capt., 170, 182

Somerset, Major-Gen. Lord Ed-
ward, 43, 47, 58

Somerset, Lord Fitzroy, 189, 226,
347

Somnaut, temple of, 144

Soult, Marshal, 18, 45, 49

Duke of Dahnatia, 66

Spain, army of, strength of, 45

St, Hillaire, Gen., 65

Stacy, Brigadier, 183, 185

Stannus, Lieut., 335

Stewart, Brigadier-Gen. Charles,

14
Stisted, Lieut.-Col. Charles, 108

— Col., 293
Stisted, Lieut., 293
Stoddert, Col., 155
Swayne, Capt., 164

Temple, Lieut., 15th Hussars, 88
Thackwell, Joseph, attached to
Horse Artillery, 6 ; Cornet in
15th Light Dragoons, 4 ; joins
provisional cavalry, 1; Lieut, in
provisional cavalry, 3 ; placed
on half -pay, 7; promoted Capt.,
8 ; re-posted to 15th, 7
Thackwell, Capt. Joseph, action
at St. Germier, 60 ; at Grenade,
56, 57 ; at Pampeluna, 51 ;
command of 15th devolves up-
on, 72 ; commands advance at
passage of the Esla, 33 ; com-
mands cavalry picquets, 21 ;
describes march, 28 ; left arm
amputated, 80 ; promoted Ma-
jor, 83 ; receives contusion, 42 ;
reconmiended for a brevet, 58 ;
rejoins regiment, 81 ; severely
wounded, 72

— Major Joseph, brevet of Lieut.-
Col., 84 ; riots in Birmingham,
84

— Lieut.-Col. Joseph, command
of 15th Hussars, 86

— Col. Joseph, attends foreign
manoeuvres, 88 ; children of,
107 ; embarks for India, 109 ;
exchanges, 108 ; gazetted C.B.,
111; Guelphic Order, 108;
Major-Gen. in India ; marriage
of, 89, 90 ; on half-pay, 104

— Major-Gen. Sir Joseph, ap-
pointed Col. 16th Lancers, 345 ;
appointed Inspector-General of
cavalry, 352 ; appointed Lieut. -
Gen., 353 ; at Ghuznoe, 138 et
seq. ; receives Order of the
Durani Empire, 150 ; to com-
mand Cavalry Division, 241 ; to
command cavalry in Afghani-
stan, 113 ; to command flank
movements, 243 ; handling of
the cavalry at Gujorat, 338,

424

INDEX

339 ; his Sadulapore report, 274
et seq. ; receives Peninsular
medal, 347 ; receives the G.C.B.
344 ; reception at home, 351 ;
verdict on cavalry disaster at
Chillianwala, 304
Thackwell, Gen. Sir Joseph, 225 ;
appointed K.C.B., 163 ; ap-
pointed to army of observation,
167 ; at Maharajpore, 181 e< seg. ;
at Sobraon, 208 ; commands
cavalry for Gwalior, 176 ; con-
firmed as Major-Gen., 226 ;
opinions, 160 et seq. ; ordered
to join the army of the Punjab,
239 ; return home, 188-190 ;
thanks of Parliament, 224 ; to
command Third Division, 240 ;
transferred to Meerut, 229

— Lieut.-Gen. Sir Joseph, family,
354, 355 : death of, 356

Thackwell, Miss EHzabeth, 230
Thackwell, Cornet Edward, 3rd
Light Dragoons, 226, 230

— Lieut. Edward, 313
Thackwell, Capt., 22nd Regiment,

346
Timur Shah, 132, 133
Torrens, Gen., 114
Torres Vedras, lines of, 28
Toulouse, description of defences,
62 ; dispositions for attack on,
62, 63 ; French retire upon, 61
Tremenhere, Major, 257, 264, 267
Tucker, Lieut., 291

— Capt., 311, 313, 315, 318
Turing, Capt., 18th Hussars, 41
Tytler, Lieut., 262

Unett, Capt. Walter, 3rd Light

Dragoons, 292, 306
Uxbridge, Lord, 69, 82

Valiant, Brigadier, 122

— Major-Gen., 181, 184, 189
Van Cortlandt, Gen., 234, 235
Vienna, Congi-ess of, 67
Villate, Gen., 47

Vivian, Col., 54, 63

— Sir Hvissey, 90

Wade, Major, 148, 149, 150'

— Col., 133, 152

Waldemar, Prince, of Prussia, 222

Walton, Private Robert, 58

Warner, Capt., 260, 289, 299, 310,
335

Waterloo, honours for, 83

Webb, Capt. Thomas, 2

Wellesley, Sir Arthur, 9

Wellington, Lord, 69 ; his plans,
27 ; preparations for campaign
of 1813, 26; dispositions after
Vittoria, 45 ; dispositions before
Toulouse, 61 ; headquarters, 36 ;
orders for 21st June, 39, 40 ;
theatre of operations, 46

— Duke of, 189, 344, 350
Wheatley, Capt., 293
Wheeler, Gen., 237, 238
Wheeler, Lieut., 165
Wheeler, Lieut.-Col., 156
Whish, Major-Gen., 235, 238

324 335
White, Brigadier, 244, 254, 273,

289, 291, 310, 317, 322, 332,

333, 336, 352
White, Lieut.-Col. Jlichael, 211
Wildman, Col., 98
Wilkins, the Reformer, 96
Williams, Gen. Sir Edmund, 160,

163, 166, 170, 191
Willshire, Gen., 135, 145
Wilson, Lieut.-Gen. Sir Robert,

92, 93
Wilson, Robert, 5
Wodehouse, Capt., 15th Hussars,

33 70

— Lieut.-Col., 73
Woodberry, Lieut., 18th Hussars,

35
Woodburn, Capt., 165
Wright, Col., 184, 185

Yerbury, Col., 3rd Light Dra-
goons, 294

— Major, 3rd Light Dragoons, 327
York, Duke of, 83

Yule, Lieut. H., Royal Engineers,
252

Printed hy Bazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., Londo-n and Ayleibtiry.

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