1 140 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
2 had to be accomplished by the guns of the horse
3 artillery. All the Sikh guns were captured or
4 Allthe Sikh destroyed : one was carried across the river, where
5 aunseapturctl +t Was spiked by Lieutenant Holmes of the irregular
6 Gallant con- cavalry and Gunner Scott of the horse artillery, who
7 tenant Holmes forded the river in pursuit of the enemy. The
8 Scott. victory was so complete and the confusion among
9 the Sikhs so great, that had Sir Harry Smith been
10 in a condition to follow them, he might have driven
11 the Sikhs before him to Lahore.
12 Previous to the battle of Alleewal, a European
13 Brown or came into Loodianah from the camp of Runjoor
14 Potter, the Singh. He said his name was Brown, but this was
15 merely an assumed one, his real name being Potter.
16 He had been originally in the Bengal horse artillery,
17 from which he deserted after the capture of
18 Bhurtpore in 1826 or 1827. Ever since that period,
19 he had been in the Sikh service as an artillery man.
20 He had nearly lost all appearance of an English-
21 man, and retained but little of his national feelings,
22 as he himself candidly confessed. The object of
23 his visit was somewhat doubtful, though he pro-
24 fessed himself willing to surrender and return to his
25 allegiance as a British subject. It was suggested
26 to him that he had better return to the Sikh camp»
27 where he might be of service to the British inter-
28 ests. He was taken prisoner on the 28th, and
29 asserted that he had purposely laid the Sikh guns
30 Js taken pri- high, so as not to injure the British; that their guns
31 were thus elevated seems probable, but whether or
32 no this was owing to Potter's management, was