1 132 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
2 and Loodianah, was Dhurrumkote, and against
3 this Major-general Sir Harry Smith was sent, with -
4 drucuned aaa the first division of the Army of the Sutlej. The
5 pane ee place was speedily evacuated by the Sikhs, and
6 British: some Affghan soldiers left for its protection were
7 taken prisoners. ;
8 One of the Sirdars under British protection, and
9 who early joined the Sikhs, was Ajeet Singh, of
10 Ladwa, near Loodianah. He held a small jagheer
11 from the Lahore Government, named Buddeewal.
12 Here he had constructed a small fort, which had
13 tea be ha been seized by the Loodianah force, under Briga-
14 British. dier Wheeler, on its march to jom the head quarters
15 of the army at Busseean. Ajeet Singh, however,
16 returned when the operations at Moodkee and
17 Feerozshuhur had diverted the attention of the
18 Ajeet Singh British from Loodianah, and obtained possession of
19 again obtains
20 possession of the females belonging to his family. Nor this
21 it, and burns
22 the barracks alone; but, assisted by the Sikhs, he burned a por~
23 of the 50th at
24 Loodianah, tion of the barracks, and the mess-house of Her
25 Majesty’s 50th, at Loodianah, and eventually re-
26 took possession of Buddeewal.
27 The Sikhs fre After Sir Harry Smith had taken Dhurrum-
28 Smith wie khote, he proceeded towards Loodianah, but when
29 deewal. passing Buddeewal, he was fired on by the Sikhs,
30 ee who seized a great portion of his baggage, and
31 tienes made prisoners of Assistant-surgeon Barron and
32 taken prison- Some European soldiers. Sir Harry Smith did not
33 a return the fire, but pushed on with all expedition
34 to Loodianah, where he arrived with his troops
35 much harassed by the march, and their situation