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
Sixty-seven pieces of cannon, upwards of two hundred camel-swivels
(zumbooruks), numerous standards, and vast munitions of war, captured
by our troops, are the pledges and trophies of our victory. The battle
was over by eleven in the morning, and in the forenoon I caused our
engineers to burn a part and to sink a part of the vaunted bridge of
the Khalsa army, across which they had boastfully come once more to
defy us, and to threaten India with ruin and devastation.
The loss of the enemy has been immense; an estimate of it must be
formed with a due allowance for the spirit of exaggeration which
pervades all statements of Asiatics, where their interest leads them
to magnify numbers; but our own observation on the river banks and in
the enemy's camp combine, with the reports brought to our intelligence
department, to convince me that the Khalsa casualties were between
8,000 and 10,000 men killed and wounded in action, and drowned
in the passage of the river. Amongst the slain, are Sirdars Sham
Singh, Attareewalla, Generals Gholab Singh, Koopta, and Heera Singh,
Topee, Sirdar Kishen Singh, son of the late Jemadar Kooshall Singh,
Generals Mobaruck Ally, and Illahee Buksh, and Shah Newaz Khan, son of
Futteh-ood-deen Khan, of Kussoor. The body of Sham Singh was sought for
in the captured camp by his followers; and, respecting the gallantry
with which he is reported to have devoted himself to death rather than
accompany the army in its flight, I forbade his people being molested
in their search, which was finally successful.
The consequences of this great action have yet to be fully developed.
It has at least, in God's providence, once more expelled the Sikhs from
our territory, and planted our standards on the soil of the Punjaub.
After occupying their entrenched position for nearly a month, the
Khalsa army had, perhaps, mistaken the caution which had induced us to
wait for the necessary material, for timidity. But they must now deeply
feel, that the blow which has fallen on them from the British arm, has
only been the heavier for being long delayed.
I have, etc.,
(Signed) H. Gough, General,
Commander-in-Chief, East Indies.
XII.
[Page 184.]
The monument erected to the memory of Sir Robert Dick, at the church of
Tullymet, Perthshire, by his brother officers, is of white marble; the
main features being a sculptured representation of the veteran soldier,
who has just received the deadly shot, whilst animating, by his
dauntless example, Her Majesty's 80th Regiment. In the upper portion
of the monument is a group of war trophies; and, surrounded by laurel,
are inscribed the names of the several battles in which this gallant
officer had participated.
SACRED TO THE MEMORY
OF
MAJOR-GENERAL SIR ROBERT HENRY DICK,
K.C.B., K.C.H.,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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