1 The Sikhs not
2 pursued across
3 the river by-
4 the British,
5 The Comman-
6 der-in-chief
7 conlident of
8 the victory.
9 Supported by
10 the opinion o!
11 the Governor-
12 general,
13 178 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
14 . No attempt was made to follow the Sikhs across
15 the river, but while the bloody scene was being .
16 enacted at Sobraon, troops were passed over the
17 bridge at Koonda Ghat. Had the British followed
18 the Sikhs on the 10th, they might have made their
19 way without resistance to Lahore, dnd there re-
20 newed the conflict; but such was not the intention
21 of our sagacious commander, and the capital of
22 the Punjab was destined to be occupied by the
23 British, without the repetition of the struggles
24 which had occurred on the left bank of the Sutlej,
25 and in which the vaunted power of the Khalsa
26 troops had been effectually destroyed.
27 Previous to the battle of Sobraon, we find that
28 the Commander-in-chief was confident of suc-
29 cess, for he says, when speaking of the Governor-
30 general, in his despatch to the latter, “ I could not
31 permit myself to doubt, that, with the blessing of
32 Divine Providence, the victory would be ours.”
33 The plan of the attack had been submitted to the
34 Governor-general, who, as an experienced General,
35 could appreciate its merits, or defects, as a final at-
36 tempt to overthrow a people against whom he had
37 now been carrying on a fierce war for nearly two
38 months. At the battle of Feerozshuhur, as we
39 have seen, Sir Henry Hardinge had, as second in
40 command, led the left of the British army, and by
41 his skill, courage, and decision contributed to the
42 attainment of that great victory. He was now
43 about to share the dangers and glories of another