1 Advantage
2 possessed by
3 the enemy,
4 Sir Joseph
5 Thackwell
6 fired on.
7 The Sikhs
8 ocenpy our
9 out-posts,
10 t dis-
11 332 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
12 the 4th light cavalry moved to replace the body-
13 guard, and Brigadier Scott assumed the command.
14 of the two regiments of this brigade at Jilleewala
15 and Kumulwala, to which were attached the 2nd
16 and 8th irregular cavalry. The country between
17 General Thackwell’s camp and the Sikh bridge was
18 chiefly a low tamarisk and grass jungle, which
19 gave the enemy every advantage in assailing the
20 outposts with infantry and sowars; and scarcely a
21 day passed without skirmishing, which caused some
22 casualties. On the 23rd, Sir Joseph Thackwell’s
23 red jacket attracted much attention, and in passing
24 the line from Chota Sobraon, towards Rhodawala,
25 forty or fifty shots were fired at the General, who
26 imagined the enemy’s sowars intended to drive the
27 picquets in. On the 24th the enemy’s sowars made
28 a rush on the picquet at Sobraon to turn their
29 right, but the 2nd irregulars composing it drove
30 them back in good style. The posts at Chota
31 Sobraon and the watch-tower were day-posts, as
32 they afforded great facilities for viewing the Sikh
33 proceedings; the infantry occupying them returned
34 to camp at night, and nothing was left there but
35 the cavalry picquet. The Sikhs, as previously
36 observed, had become acquainted with this, and on
37 the night of the 26th occupied both posts in force,
38 and it was not deemed expedient to dislodge them,
39 although there was an idea of doing so. On the
40 morning of the 28th, about 10 a.m. Sir Harry
41 ond a mith’. onne and thace af hie annonant were heard