the advance of Chuttur Singh in order to unite his forces with those under his son, Shere Singh, resolved to attempt the overthrow of the Sikh army in his front; and, accordingly, at daylight on the morning of the 12th., moved on the Dingee from Loah Tibba, and thence on the following morning towards the village of Chilianwala, the army making a considerable detour to the right, partly to distract the enemy's attention, but chiefly with the view of keeping as clear of the jungle as possible. The village was reached about noon, when a strong picket of the enemy's cavalry and infantry was discovered on a mound close to it. This was at once dispersed, and from the elevation was obtained a very extended view of the country and of the enemy drawn out in order of battle. The ground in front, although not a dense was still a difficult jungle; and, as the day was so far advanced, Lord Gough decided to take up a position in rear of the village.

While ground was being selected for the encampment the enemy advanced some horse artillery, and opened a fire on the skirmishers in front of the village. Orders were given for this fire to be silenced by a few rounds from the heavy guns, which was instantly returned by that of nearly the whole of the enemy's field artillery, thus exposing the position of his guns, which had hitherto been concealed by the jungle. As it was evident that the Sikhs intended to fight, and would probably advance their guns so as to reach the encampment during the night, the British were at once drawn up in order of battle. After about an hour's fire that of the enemy appeared to be, if not actually silenced, at least sufficiently disabled to justify an advance upon his position and guns.

The left division was then ordered to advance. This had to move over a greater extent of ground, in front of which the foe appeared not to have many guns. Shortly afterwards Sir Walter Gilbert was directed to advance, Brigadier Pope being instructed 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 provisions and baggage.

was

Brigadier Pennycuick's brigade having failed in maintaining the position it had carried, Brigadier Penny's reserve ordered to support; but Brigadier-General Colin Campbell, (to use Lord Gough's own words,) "with that steady coolness and military decision for which he is so remarkable, having 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 mistook for the signal to move in double time the action of their brave leaders, Brigadier Pennycuick and Lieutenant-Colonel Brookes, who waved their swords over their heads as they cheered on their gallant troops. This unfortunate mistake caused the Europeans to outstrip the native corps, which were unable to keep pace, and arriving, completely blown, at a belt of very thick jungle, got into some confusion, and Lieutenant-Colonel Brookes, heading the 24th., was killed between the Sikh guns. At this moment a numerous body of infantry, which supported their guns, opened so destructive a fire that the brigade was compelled to retire, but not before having lost their gallant leader, Brigadier Pennycuick,* and the three other field officers of the 24th., together with nearly half the regiment; the native corps also suffered severely.

Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, on the extreme left and rear, charged the enemy's cavalry wherever they shewed

* When Brigadier Pennycuick fell mortally wounded, a Sikh was mangling the body; on seeing which his son rushed forward, dealt an avenging blow, and across his father's corpse endeavoured to protect the remains; but it was in vain, and the heroic youth fell overpowered by numbers. Like Lord Talbot and his son, in Shakspere's "Henry VI.," where, however, the younger is the first slain, the words used by the elder are fully applicable in the above instance; in a gallant termination, such souls, "coupled in bonds of perpetuity," despite of "antick death," "shall 'scape mortality."

Another father and son met a like fate in this campaign. Colonel Cureton was killed at Ramnuggur, and his son, Lieutenant A. J. Cureton, of the 14th. Light Dragoons, fell at Chilianwala.

The loss of the 24th. was fearful; it was the central regiment of the fifth brigade, under Brigadier Pennycuick, which formed the right brigade of the third division, under Brigadier-General Colin Campbell. LieutenantColonels Brookes and Pennycuick, C.B., Major Harris, Captains Lee, Travers, Harris, and Shore, Lieutenants George Phillips, Payne, Woodgate, and Ensigns William Phillips, Collis, and Pennycuick were killed; Major Paynter, Captains Brown and Bazalgette, Lieutenants Williams, Croker,

themselves, and the right attack of infantry, under MajorGeneral Sir Walter Gilbert, was most successful, whilst the left brigade, under Brigadier Mountain, was highly distinguished. Brigadier Godby ably supported the advance with the right brigade.*

Lord Gough remained with Brigadier-General Campbell's division, which had been reinforced by Brigadier Mountain's brigade, until nearly eight o'clock, in order to effect the bringing in of the captured ordnance, and of the wounded.

The loss of the Sikhs, principally among their old and tried soldiers, was computed at three thousand killed, and four thousand wounded. With the exception of Sobraon, it was remarked by Lord Gough that he never remembered seeing so many of an enemy's slain upon the same space. The British casualties were likewise heavy.†

In this battle the "undaunted bravery" of Her Majesty's 29th. regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Congreve, was spespecially noticed, and the conduct of the 61st. was equally distinguished.

BATTLE OF GOOJERAT.

21ST. FEBRUARY, 1849.

AFTER the battle of Chilianwala, the enemy, owing to want of supplies, quitted their entrenchments, and took up a position between Goojerat and the Chenab. It appears to have been their intention to cross this river, and, after plundering the Rechna Doab, to have marched to Lahore; but this was

Berry, Thelwall, and Hartshorn (Adjutant,) Macpherson, and Archer (96th. Foot,) were wounded. Of the men the casualties were returned as four hundred and ninety-seven killed or wounded; two hundred and twenty-seven of these were killed in action, and nine subsequently died of their wounds.

"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."-Lord Gough's despatch.

Ramnuggur:-Two officers and fourteen men killed, nine officers and fifty-three men wounded, and twelve missing. Chilianwala :-Thirty-eight officers and five hundred and sixty-four men killed, ninety-four officers and one thousand five hundred and fifty-seven men wounded, and one hundred and four missing. Goojerat:-Six officers and ninety men killed, thirty-nine officers and six hundred and sixty-seven men wounded, and five missing.

prevented by Major-General Whish, who had detached a brigade to guard the fords above and below Wuzeerabad, in which direction Lord Gough had moved.

movement.

At half-past seven o'clock in the morning of the 21st. of February, the army advanced with the precision of a parade The Sikhs opened their fire at a very long distance, which exposed to the artillery both the position and range of their guns. The infantry was halted just out of fire, and the whole of the artillery were advanced, covered by skirmishers.

The Sikh guns were served with their accustomed rapidity, and the enemy well and resolutely maintained his position, but the terrific force of the British fire obliged him, after an obstinate resistance, to fall back. The infantry were then deployed, and a general advance was directed, the movement being covered, as before, by artillery.

Burra Kalra, the left village of those of that name, wherein 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 Penny, consisting of the 2nd. Europeans, and 31st. and 70th. regiments of Native Infantry, which drove the enemy from their cover with great slaughter. A very spirited and successful movement was also made about the same time against a heavy body of troops in and about the second or Chotah Kalra, by part of Brigadier Hervey's brigade, most gallantly led by Lieutenant-Colonel Franks, of the 10th. Foot.

The heavy artillery continued to advance, taking up successive forward positions, driving the enemy from those he had retired to, whilst the rapid advance and beautiful fire of the horse artillery and light field batteries, which were strengthened by bringing to the front the two reserved troops of horse artillery, under Lieutenant-Colonel Brind, Brigadier Brook having the general superintendence of the whole of the horse artillery, broke the enemy's ranks at all points. The whole infantry line then rapidly advanced, and drove their opponents before it. The nullah was cleared, several villages

stormed, the guns that were in position carried, the camp captured, and the foe routed in every direction; the right wing and Brigadier-General Campbell's division passing in pursuit to the eastward, and the Bombay column to the westward of the town.

Thus hotly pursued, the retreat of the Sikh army soon became a perfect flight, all arms dispersing over the country, rapidly followed by the troops for a distance of twelve miles, their track strewed with their wounded, their weapons and military equipments, which they threw away to conceal that they were soldiers.

Throughout these operations 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 by their steady movements and spirited manœuvres, most ably supported by the troops of horse artillery attached to them, from whom the foe received the severest punishment.

On the left a most successful and gallant charge was made upon the Affghan 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 shewn by the 14th. Light Dragoons and the other cavalry regiments on the right, both regular and irregular, completely overawed their opponents, and contributed much to the success of the day; while the conduct of all, in following up the fugitives received high commendation.

Thus were defeated the forces brought by the Sikhs into the field, amongst whom were the elité of the old Khalsa army. Their numbers were estimated at sixty thousand men of all arms, and fifty-nine pieces of artillery, under the command of Sirdar Chuttur Singh and Rajah Shere Singh, with a body of one thousand five hundred Affghan Horse, led by Akram Khan, son of the Ameer Dost Mahomed Khan.

For the first time the Sikhs and Affghans had combined together, but this last victory being so complete, shewed the futility of the compact. Amongst the fifty-three guns captured were recovered those lost at Ramnuggur and Chilianwala. It was also a gratifying circumstance that the casualties of the British were less than could be expected.