Journal of a Cavalry Officer; Including the Memorable Sikh Campaign of 1845-1846Humbley, W. W. W. (William Wellington Waterloo)
History
Journal of a Cavalry Officer; Including the Memorable Sikh Campaign of 1845-1846
Humbley, W. W. W. (William Wellington Waterloo)
India -- Description and travel; Sikh War, 1845-1846
I must here allude to a circumstance most favourable to our efforts in
the field. On this evening, in addition to the valuable counsel with
which you had in every emergency before favoured me, you were pleased
yet further to strengthen my hands, by kindly offering your services as
second in command in my army. I need hardly say with how much pleasure
the offer was accepted.
On the morning of the 21st, the offensive was resumed; our columns of
all arms debouched four miles on the road to Ferozeshah, where it was
known that the enemy, posted in great force, and with a most formidable
artillery, had remained since the action of the 18th, incessantly
employed in entrenching his position. Instead of advancing to the
direct attack of their formidable works, our force manoeuvred to their
right: the second and fourth divisions of infantry, in front, supported
by the first division and cavalry in second line, continued to defile
for some time out of cannon-shot between the Sikhs and Ferozepore. The
desired effect was not long delayed, a cloud of dust was seen on the
left, and according to the instructions sent him on the preceding
evening, Major-General Sir John Littler, with his division, availing
himself of the offered opportunity, was discovered in full march to
unite his force with mine. The junction was soon effected; and thus
was accomplished one of the great objects of all our harassing marches
and privations, in the relief of this division of our army from the
blockade of the numerous forces by which it was surrounded.
Dispositions were now made for a united attack on the enemy's
entrenched camp. We found it to be a parallelogram, of about a mile
in length, and half a mile in breadth, including within its area the
strong village of Ferozeshah; the shorter sides looking towards the
Sutlej and Moodkee, and the longer towards Ferozepore and the open
country. We moved against the last-named face, the ground in front of
which was like the Sikh position in Moodkee, covered with low jungle.
The divisions of Major-general Sir John Littler, Brigadier Wallace (who
had succeeded Major-general Sir John M'Caskill), and Major-general
Gilbert, deployed into line, having in the centre our whole force of
artillery, with the exception of three troops of horse artillery, one
on either flank and one in support, to be moved as occasion required.
Major-general Sir Harry Smith's division, and our small cavalry force,
moved in second line, having a brigade in reserve to cover each wing.
I should here observe, that I committed the charge and direction of the
left wing to Lieutenant-general Sir Henry Hardinge, while I personally
conducted the right.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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