Historical Record of the Tenth, or the North Lincolnshire, Regiment of Foot,: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1685, and of its Subsequent Services to 1847Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Tenth, or the North Lincolnshire, Regiment of Foot,: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1685, and of its Subsequent Services to 1847
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot
Accordingly the seventh brigade, in which was the TENTH foot,
reinforced by the fifty-third regiment, and led by Brigadier
Stacy, was ordered to head the attack, to turn the enemy's
right, to encounter his fire before his numbers were thinned, or
spirit broken, and (to use the soldier-like expression of the
Commander-in-Chief General Sir Hugh Gough) "_to take off the
rough edge of the Sikhs in the fight_." An opportunity was now
afforded for the TENTH to distinguish itself, and the regiment
nobly availed itself of this opportunity. At nine o'clock the
brigade moved on to the attack over the sandy flat in admirable
order, halting to correct, when necessary, any imperfections in
its line. For some moments, notwithstanding the regularity and
coolness of the assault, so hot was the fire of the Khalsa troops,
that it seemed almost impracticable to gain the entrenchments. A
brief halt ensued, the brigade again advanced, and persevering
gallantry triumphed. The TENTH foot, under Lieutenant-Colonel
Franks, now for the first time brought into serious contact with
the enemy, greatly distinguished itself. With cool and steady
courage, the regiment marched on with the precision of a field-day,
and _never fired a shot until within the works of the enemy_[10]--a
forbearance much to be commended, and worthy of constant imitation,
to which the success of the first effort, and the small loss
sustained by the regiment, may be attributed.[11]
Other brigades, at the moment of this successful onset, were
ordered forward in support. The thunder of upwards of one hundred
pieces of ordnance reverberated through the valley of the Sutlej,
and it was soon perceived, that the weight of the whole force
within the enemy's camp was likely to be thrown upon the two
brigades (sixth and seventh) that had passed the trenches.[12] The
Sikhs fought with the energy of desperation, and, even when some
of their entrenchments were mastered with the bayonet, endeavoured
to recover with the sword the positions they had lost. It was not
until the weight of all three divisions of infantry, in addition
to several regiments of cavalry, with the fire of every piece of
field-artillery that could be sent to their aid, had been felt,
that the enemy gave way. The Sikh regiments retreated at first in
tolerable order, but the incessant volleys of the British soon
caused them to take to a rapid and discomfited flight. Masses of
them precipitated themselves on to their bridge, which being broken
by the fire of the British, was incapable to sustain the multitude
pressing forward, and the sudden rise of the Sutlej rendered the
ford almost impassable, adding another obstacle to the escape of
the enemy. A dreadful carnage ensued. The stream was red with the
bodies of men and horses, the bridge in many places had given way,
and it is considered, that, at least a third of the Sikh army
perished in this battle; sixty-seven of their guns fell into the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account