The victory over the Sikhs at Sobraon had been complete. That battle had been fought on February 10; on the 20th of the month our troops entered Lahore, the capital of the Sikh kingdom. The conditions of peace were galling enough to a high-spirited and warlike race like the Sikhs, but they were indispensable for our security in India. Their army was reduced to reasonable dimensions, all the artillery was handed over to us, the whole of the territories on the left bank of the Sutlej were annexed by Great Britain, and a war indemnity of £1,500,000 was exacted. The conduct of the administration was placed in the hands of a Council of Regency, which was supposed to be favourable to our cause, and a British Resident was appointed at the Court of Lahore, in which city a strong British garrison was retained until all the terms had been complied with. It was soon evident that the Council of Regency was unable to govern the country. Spasmodic outbursts of anti-British fanaticism culminated in the murder of two English officers at Multan, and in the early summer of 1848 it was clear that we must be prepared to conquer and to administer the Punjab. Multan was in the hands of men opposed, not only to the British, but also to the nominal rulers of the kingdom (the Council of Regency), and a British force, under General Whish, was despatched to retake the fortress. This was composed of two troops of horse artillery and a siege-train manned by four companies of English gunners. Five companies of sappers, under Major Robert Napier, later known as Field-Marshal Lord Napier of Magdala, the 10th (Lincoln) and 32nd (Cornwall Light Infantry), with four sepoy battalions, made up the regular forces. To these must be added some 15,000 native levies, who had flocked to the call of a subaltern--Lieutenant Herbert Edwardes--and some loyal Sikhs. A column was under orders from Bombay to assist Whish. This comprised the King's Royal Rifles, the 1st Bombay European Regiment (now the 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers), and four sepoy battalions. The task before Whish was more than his force, without the aid of the Bombay troops, could encompass, and the check to his operations had a disastrous effect throughout the Punjab. All the malcontents threw in their lot against us, and on December 16 Lord Gough crossed the Ravi River, and commenced the final conquest of the Land of the Five Rivers. His army was composed as under: DISTRIBUTION OF THE ARMY OF THE PUNJAB, 1849. _Commander-in-Chief: General Lord Gough, G.C.B._ Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, K.C.B. First Cavalry Brigade--Brigadier M. White: 3rd Hussars, 5th and 8th Light Cavalry. Second Cavalry Brigade--Brigadier Pope: 9th Lancers, 14th Hussars, 1st and 6th Light Cavalry. First Infantry Division: Major-General Whish, at Multan. First Brigade--Brigadier Markham: 32nd Foot (Cornwall Regiment), 49th and 51st Bengal Infantry.