The battles of the British Army : $b being a popular account of all the principal engagements during the last hundred yearsBlackwood, Robert Melvin
History
The battles of the British Army : $b being a popular account of all the principal engagements during the last hundred years
Blackwood, Robert Melvin
Battles -- Great Britain; Great Britain -- History, Military; Great Britain. Army -- History
“Instead of advancing to the direct attack of their formidable works,
our force manœuvred 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 our 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
intrenched 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 McCaskill), 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.
A very heavy cannonade was opened by the enemy, who had dispersed
over their position upwards of 100 guns, more than 40 of which were
of battering calibre; these kept up a heavy and well-directed fire,
which the practice of our far less numerous artillery, of much lighter
metal, checked in some degree, but could not silence; finally, in the
face of a storm of shot and shell, our infantry advanced and carried
these formidable intrenchments; they threw themselves upon the guns,
and with matchless gallantry wrested them from the enemy; but, when the
batteries were partially within our grasp, our soldiery had to face
such a fire of musketry from the Sikh infantry, arrayed behind their
guns, that, in spite of the most heroic efforts, a portion only of
the intrenchment could be carried. Night fell while the conflict was
everywhere raging.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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