Historical Record of the Thirty-first, or, the Huntingdonshire Regiment of Foot;: containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1702, and of its subsequent services to 1850Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Thirty-first, or, the Huntingdonshire Regiment of Foot;: containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1702, and of its subsequent services to 1850
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Foot, 31st
On the morning of the 10th of February, some hours before daylight,
the several divisions were silently formed in column of attack.
Major-General Sir Henry Smith’s division was on the extreme right;
it was formed into two lines; the first line consisted of the
first brigade, to which the THIRTY-FIRST regiment belonged, under
Lieut.-Colonel Spence: this line was supported by the second
brigade at a short distance in the rear. When the day dawned, the
first brigade found itself about three-quarters of a mile in front
of the enemy’s works. The cannonading, which commenced a little
after daylight, continued with little interruption, until about
nine A.M. A stray shot was now and then sent at the regiment, but
did no damage, when orders were given to the infantry to advance to
the attack. The men, who had been lying down, instantly jumped up,
formed line, and advanced.
The ground immediately in front of the enemy’s works was very
irregular, which made it difficult for the men to keep their
places. The enemy’s fire, which commenced at a distance of two
or three hundred yards, grew gradually more and more heavy; and
firing, as the Sikhs did, from behind lofty entrenchments at the
assaulting party, who offered a fair mark as they scrambled up the
ramparts, they shot down a number of the British troops, while the
survivors, after in vain attempting to reach the top, the loose
nature of the soil rendering the footing extremely insecure, were
compelled to fall back on the advancing second brigade, who saw
with indignation that the enemy were hacking the wounded.
The line was quickly re-formed and advanced a second time; the
same determined resistance was again made: but the men, burning to
revenge their comrades, would not be deterred. Here Lieut. Tritton,
bearing the Queen’s colour, was shot through the head; and Ensign
Jones,[33] who carried the regimental colour, was, nearly at the
same time, mortally wounded; the regimental colour, falling to
the ground, was seized by Serjeant Bernard M‘Cabe, who, rushing
forward, crossed the ditch and planted it on the ramparts. The men
cheering, scrambled into the works as best they could, and drove
the enemy, who were beaten at all points, before them into the
river, Lieut. Noel gallantly carrying the Queen’s colour in front
of the regiment, the staff of which was shivered in his hand.
The attack having been everywhere successful, the slaughter
of the Sikhs, as they crossed the river, was tremendous. Many
casualties, however, in the THIRTY-FIRST regiment occurred within
the enemy’s works. Lieutenant Timbrell was dangerously wounded by
a grape-shot, which broke both his thighs, and Lieutenant Elmslie
was also severely wounded by a musket-ball. Captain Garvock, Major
of Brigade, and Lieutenant and Adjutant Bolton, were both severely
wounded outside the works, where Lieutenants Gabbett and Law were
also wounded. Thirty-five rank and file were killed, and 102
wounded.
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