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
The meeting at Rooper, in October, 1831, between the Governor-General
and Runjeet Singh, caused a great display of British and Sikh troops.
An officer who was present on this occasion, told me that the movements
of the Sikh battalions were very slow, and to the beat of drum: the
cavalry, mostly wearing bright cuirasses, looked glittering and showy;
whilst many of the gun carriages seemed as if a long march over a rough
road would break them down. The word of command was always given in
French.
In March, 1837, the Commander-in-Chief, General Sir Henry Fane, G.C.B.,
visited Lahore, on the occasion of the marriage of Runjeet's grandson,
Nou Nehal Singh. The entertainment was on a magnificent scale, and
cost between ten and eleven lakhs of rupees, or between £100,000 and
£110,000 sterling. Here there was again a grand military display,
and feats of arms. On this occasion, Runjeet Singh established an
order of Knighthood, called "the Star of the Punjaub." He bestowed
the Order upon Colonels Torrens, Churchill, Lumley, and Dunlop; the
Adjutants-General, and Quartermasters-General, of the Queen's and
Company's armies respectively. The investiture, with the Order, took
place afterwards at Simla, at the head-quarters of Sir Henry Fane.
All these individuals, donor and receivers, are now dead. It was the
_setting star_ of Runjeet Singh, for he died about two years after, in
June, 1839.
The appearance and discipline of Runjeet's army, was the admiration of
all military beholders. In December, 1838, before the Bengal column
marched from Ferozepore to Cabool, _viâ_ Scinde and Candahar, there
was a review of the British troops under the Commander-in-Chief, Sir
Henry Fane. Several Sikh soldiers who were present, were heard to make
very insolent remarks, and twisted their moustachoes, a gross affront
to any one, especially to an officer. They asserted that their troops
could manoeuvre much better, etc. A day or two afterwards the Sikhs
gave a review, and actually copied all the British evolutions, with the
greatest accuracy and precision. The infantry movements were also more
rapid than at Rooper, in 1831.
Lord Auckland, Governor-General of India, in the same month, visited
Runjeet Singh, at Lahore, when another display of English and Sikh
troops took place. It was on the occasion of the review of our troops,
that his Lordship, who was a bad rider, had a serious fall from his
horse. His death would have been a great blow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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