1 114 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
2 ee a rated the latter from the cavalry; but from their
3 Sith shell. bursting high, little mischief was done to those in
4 the vicinity. It was during the night of the 21st
5 that the Sth light cavalry were ordered off the field
6 A cevalty to Feerozpore. This was done by an officer in the
7 orteved off the Adjutant-general’s department ; and at a time when
8 the British were weak in this branch, the with-
9 drawing of even one regiment was a serious mis-
10 take. What the object of this movement was, if
11 there really were any, it is difficult to divine, but
12 the officer commanding the regiment thought it
13 was necessary for him to obey the order he received,
14 and weakness was the result. The want of a suf-
15 ficient force of cavalry was severely felt at Mood-
16 kee, and where thirty thousand Ghorchurras were
17 waiting to charge, the loss of even one cavalry regi-
18 ou of, ment was likely to be serious at Feerozshuhur. So
19 Tush force, sensible was Sir Henry Hardinge of his deficiency of
20 cavalry, particularly of European cavalry, that he is
21 reported to have said “he would give half a lakh of
22 rupees that Her Majesty’s 16thlancers should arrive.”
23 During the night of the 21st many a poor
24 Imperfect. wounded European soldier found his way to the
25 arrangements) ear in search of medical aid, but the arrangement
26 department 6 affording it was very incomplete, excepting
27 through the efforts of the regimental surgeons,
28 who did everything in their power with the means
29 at their command. As for the field hospital, it had
30 no existence. True, a field surgeon had been ap-
31 pointed and a superintending surgeon also, but
32 both officers remained behind at Moodkee with the