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
Although I now brought up Major-General Sir Harry Smith’s division,
and he captured and long retained another point of the position,
and Her Majesty’s 3rd light dragoons charged and took some of the
most formidable batteries, yet the enemy remained in possession of
a considerable portion of the great quadrangle, whilst our troops,
intermingled with theirs, kept possession of the remainder, and finally
bivouacked upon it, exhausted by their gallant efforts, greatly reduced
in numbers, and suffering extremely from thirst, yet animated by an
indomitable spirit. In this state of things the long night wore away.
Near the middle of it one of their heavy guns was advanced, and
played with deadly effect upon our troops. Lieutenant-General
Sir Henry Hardinge immediately formed Her Majesty’s 80th foot
and the 1st European light infantry. They were led to the attack
by their commanding officers, and animated in their exertions by
Lieutenant-Colonel Wood (aide-de-camp to the lieutenant-general), who
was wounded in the onset. The 80th captured the gun, and the enemy,
dismayed by this counter-check, did not venture to press on further.
During the whole night, however, they continued to harass our troops by
fire of artillery, wherever moonlight discovered our position.
But with daylight of the 22nd came retribution. Our infantry formed
line, supported on both flanks by horse artillery, whilst a fire was
opened from our centre by such of our heavy guns as remained effective,
aided by a flight of rockets. A masked battery played with great effect
upon this point, dismounting our pieces, and blowing up our tumbrils.
At this moment, Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Hardinge placed himself at
the head of the left, whilst I rode at the head of the right wing.
Our line advanced, and, unchecked by the enemy’s fire, drove them
rapidly out of the village of Ferozeshah and their encampment; then,
changing front to its left, on its centre, our force continued to
sweep the camp, bearing down all opposition, and dislodged the enemy
from their whole position. The line then halted, as if on a day of
manœuvre, receiving its two leaders as they rode along its front with a
gratifying cheer, and displaying the captured standards of the Khalsa
army. We had taken upwards of seventy-three pieces of cannon, and were
masters of the whole field.
The force assumed a position on the ground which it had won, but even
here its labours were not to cease. In the course of two hours, Sirdar
Tej Singh, who had commanded in the last great battle, brought up
from the vicinity of Ferozepore fresh battalions and a large field of
artillery, supported by 30,000 Ghorepurras, hitherto encamped near the
river.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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