during the night, and the troops, as per margin, advanced in line drawn up from the right, as follows: The front of the left of my division was led into action by his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, and the right by the Right Honourable the Lieutenant-General, Sir H. Hardinge, and I myself leading Her Majesty's 80th Foot; and notwithstanding the advance was made under a tremendous fire of heavy guns, the enemy's entrenchment was retaken, battery after battery, at the bayonet's point; and although the troops under my immediate command required no stimulus to oppose the enemy, yet the presence of those two above-mentioned distinguished officers in the field of battle greatly animated them on this trying occasion. The conduct of Her Majesty's 80th Regiment and the Hon. Company's 1st European Light Infantry, I cannot too highly speak of, as well as that of the 16th Grenadiers, and portions of the 2nd Grenadiers, 26th Light Infantry, and 45th Regiment Native Infantry. Capt. F. W. Anson, A.A.G. Lieut. T. S. Rawson, Offg. D. A. Q. M. G. Capt. G. Carr, It affords me great satisfaction to record the valuable services I received on this occasion and on the preceding evening from those distinguished officers, Brigadier C. Taylor, C.B., Brigadier J. McLaren, and Brigadier N. Wallace; the first-named officer, although wounded by a cannon shot in the evening, was again at the head of his brigade on the following morning; and the last-named officer (Brigadier Wallace) I regret to say was killed towards the end of the action; as well as from the general and personal staff, whose names are mentioned in the margin, particularly from the first-named officer (Captain Anson). Nor can I forbear to mention the gallant behaviour of Lieutenant and Adjutant Paton of the 14th Regiment Native Infantry, who commanded one of the detachments of native infantry on the right, which at one time hesitated to move forward, when that officer, seizing a colour, Dy. J. A. A. G. Capt. R. Houghton, Aide-de-Camp. Lieut. F. M. Gilbert, Offg. Extra. A.D.C. Brevet-Capt. P. Gordon, Brig. Maj. 6th Brig. advanced in front, and by this necessary example induced the men to regain their place in the line and move onwards. In consequence of the death of Brigadier Wallace, commanding the 3rd division of infantry, I take leave to bring to the notice of his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief the valuable services of that zealous officer, Captain T. R. Pond, Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General of the 3rd division. A return of the killed and wounded of both actions will be forwarded as soon as possible. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. (Signed) W. R. GILBERT, Major-General, Commanding Second Division Army of the Sutlej. P.S.-The following of the General Staff had horses shot under them :-Major-General Gilbert, 1 killed and 1 wounded; Lieutenant T. R. Rawson, 1 killed; Captain Carr, 1 killed and 1 wounded. Proclamation by the Governor-General of India. Ferozepore, December 31, 1845. The Lahore Government has, without provocation, or any declaration of hostilities, and notwithstanding the existence of a treaty of amity and alliance, made war upon the British Government. A large Sikh army has invaded the British territories, which has been repulsed and driven across the Sutlej, with the loss of 91 pieces of their artillery now in our possession. It becomes necessary, therefore, for the British Government to take measures for punishing this unprovoked aggression, and for preventing in future similar acts of treachery by the Government and army of the Punjaub. The British Government considers it right now to call upon all natives and inhabitants of Hindoostan who have taken service under the Lahore Government, to quit that service, and place themselves under the orders of the Governor-General of India. As long as relations of amity existed between the two states, there was no objection to the natives of the one territory taking service with the Government of the other; but now that the Lahore state has become the avowed enemy of the Government of Hindoostan, it is incumbent on all natives of Hindoostan, whose homes and families are under British protection, to quit the service of the common enemy, and join that of the Government of their own country. All persons of the above description are, therefore, hereby called upon to repair to the British side of the Sutlej, and to report themselves to the British authorities; their interests will, in all cases, be respected; they will, if fit for the military service, be taken into that of the British Government, with all the advantages of pay and allowances enjoyed by British soldiers. All natives of Hindoostan who, after the promulgation of this Proclamation, continue in the service of the enemy will be considered to have forfeited all claim to British protection, and will be treated as traitors to their country, and enemies of the British Government. By order of the Right Honourable the Governor-General of India, F. CURRIE, Secretary to the Government of India, with the Governor-General. NOTIFICATION. Ferozepore, Dec. 25, Christmas Day, 1845. The Governor-General has the heartfelt satisfaction to announce to his Honour the President in Council, to the army, and to the people of India, the repulse of the Sikh forces in their attack on a portion of the British army near Moodkee, on the night of the 18th instant, and the capture, on the evening of the 21st and morning of the 22nd, of their entrenched camp, with seventy pieces of cannon, defended by 60,000 men, near the village of Ferozeshah. Upwards of ninety pieces of the enemy's artillery have been taken in these two operations. These events, so glorious to the British arms, have been followed by the precipitate retreat of the enemy towards the Sutlej, his pride abated, and the unprovoked aggression on the British territory signally avenged. The Governor-General cordially congratulates the Commanderin-Chief, General Sir Hugh Gough, Bart., G C.B., on the entire success of his Excellency's rapid and energetic operations, in which the troops, both British and native, have displayed under circumstances of long continued fatigue, since the 11th instant, their accustomed discipline and valour. The Governor-General will rejoice in recording the gallant exploits of the army during this important campaign, by decorating the breasts of the victors with a medal, as soon as the report of these operations shall be received from the Commanderin-Chief. Incessantly engaged in sharing with his brave troops their fatigues, and showing by his personal example at the head of his troops the value of enduring privations with patience, it has been impossible for his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, in the midst of so many occupations, to furnish to the Governor-General' a detailed report of these brilliant successes. The Governor-General, however, cannot refrain from notifying to the Honourable the President in Council, to the army, and to the people of India, these results, so honourable to the British arms; and he directs that this Notification be carefully made known to all the troops by being read on their parades, and communicated to all the departments of the Government, civil and military, and that a salute of twenty-one guns be fired from this fort of Ferozepore, this day at one o'clock, and at every principal station of the army as soon as the notification shall be received. These grateful and heartfelt acknowledgments to the army for its services cannot be closed without humbly remembering that our thanks are due to Him who is the only Giver of all victory, and without whose aid the battle is not to the strong. The Governor-General therefore invites every British subject at this station to return thanks to Almighty God, this day at eleven o'clock, for the mercies He has so recently vouchsafed us, by assembling at the Governor-General's tent, where prayers and thanksgivings will be read by the Governor-General's chaplain. By order of the Right Hon. the Governor-General of India, Secretary to the Government of India, General Orders by the Right Hon. the Governor-General of India. Camp, Ferozepore, December 30, 1845. The Governor-General having received from the Commanderin-Chief in India the despatches, dates of which are noted in the margin*, directs that they be published for the information of the army and people of India. The first despatch from his Excellency reports the operations of the army on the evening of the 18th inst., at Moodkee, where the enemy attempted to surprise the British camp, and were repulsed at all points with the loss of seventeen guns. The second despatch reports the glorious successes obtained by the army under the immediate command of his Excellency, on the evening of the 21st, and the morning of the 22nd, at Ferozeshah, where the British army assaulted the entrenched camp of the Sikhs, defended by 108 pieces of cannon, some of heavy calibre, and, after driving the enemy from his position, captured seventyfour guns. Thus the enemy have been forced to relinquish to their victors on these occasions upwards of ninety pieces of artillery, with all the munitions of war in their camp. All the objects which the Governor-General desired to effect have been accomplished by his Excellency the Commander-inChief. The British force posted at Ferozepore, thus suddenly and treacherously surrounded by the Sikh army, with a park of artillery, has been relieved; the brave garrison, under its able December 19th and 22nd. |