1 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS. 329
2 taken of the artillery, it is not from any wish
3 to conceal its merits, but from inability to give
4 any particulars. Fortunately, this branch needs
5 no remark from our feeble pen:—the Bengal
6 artillery has ever maintained its character as a
7 service equa] to the same branch in any army in
8 the world.
9 On assuming command of the cavalry division, cavalry aivi-
10 General Thackwell found it to consist of the 4th,°°”
11 Ist, and 8th regiments of Bengal light cavalry; the
12 3rd, a wing of the 2nd, the 8th and 9th irregular
13 cavalry, and the body guard. On the 2nd January Sarak
14 picquets of irregular cavalry were established established,
15 watching the Nuggur, Meetawallee, and Tilleewallee
16 ghauts on the Sutlej. The 8th irregular cavalry
17 joined General Sir Harry Smith at Mullawal, about
18 five miles to the right of the head-quarters’ camp,
19 watching the bridge then being constructed by the
20 Sikhs, and the ford of Sobraon. On the 6th
21 January, Sir Robert Dick, with the 9th and 16th
22 lancers, (Queen's) 3rd light cavalry, and 4th irregular Meerut caval
23 cavalry, arrived ; and the three last corps belonging ”*""*
24 to Brigadier Cureton’s brigade: they were detached
25 to the right of Sir Harry Smith’s division; and the
26 Queen’s 9th lancers were encamped near Jumalwal
27 to keep up the communication between the main pisposition of
28 army and the division on the right, the body-guard ava
29 were also sent to join Brigadier Cureton’s brigade.
30 Most of the boats up the ghauts mentioned had
31 been sunk by the Sikhs, but a few serviceable ones