The order was now given to advance to the support of the troops, who were hotly engaged and hard-pressed; the reserve moved forward in excellent order, though darkness was coming on, and very shortly became engaged and exposed to a heavy fire. The two lines were shortly reduced to one, the shattered remains of the reserve scarcely filling up the gaps formed in the first line by the deadly fire of the enemy, who nobly fought, and fell every man in his place; thus those _two_ lines, which had so shortly before presented the regularity of a field-day, were now but _one_, standing surrounded by their dead and dying comrades, and the brave fellows of other European regiments could scarcely understand how they came to be fighting in the ranks of the THIRTY-FIRST. After a long and desperate contest, the Sikhs were driven from their guns, but not without severe loss on the part of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, both in officers and men. Lieut. and Adjutant Bernard was killed on the spot, and Major Baldwin and Lieut. Pollard were mortally wounded; Lieut. Pilkington was struck by two shots, one passing through each ankle; and the horse of Major Spence was shot under him. On the death of Lieutenant and Adjutant Bernard, Lieutenant Robertson was appointed Adjutant, which appointment he held until the nomination of Lieutenant Bolton was received from the Horse Guards, he having been applied for by his father, Colonel Bolton, previously to the campaign. The camp of the Sikhs being now on fire in several places, mines and magazines exploding with terrific violence at short intervals, the enemy’s fire being silenced,--and their guns standing undefended,--the order was given to fall back a short distance and re-form, which was accordingly done; the troops bivouacked during the night in front of the Sikh camp, within reach of shot from their guns, which, having been left unspiked, were quickly reopened upon the exhausted troops, whose sufferings on that fearful night, from thirst and intense cold, will never be forgotten by those who endured them.