1 The siege of
2 Wadney aban-
3 doned.
4 Army ad-
5 vances,
6 Rattle of
7 Moodkee on
8 the 11th of
9 December,
10 1845.
11 Efficiency of
12 the Sikh guns.
13 46 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
14 The insulated position of Ferozpore became now
15 a matter of the utmost anxiety, for Sir John Littler,
16 though he had placed all his available force im an
17 entrenched camp, could not be supposed capable
18 of withstanding the immense army which was now
19 in his neighkourhood. In order to relieve Feroz-
20 pore by causing a diversion on the part of the
21 Sikhs, it was deemed advisable to pass Wudney
22 and push on the army towards Ferozpore ; and ac-
23 cordingly, on the two regiments, Her Majesty’s
24 29th and Ist European light infantry, reaching
25 Busscean, they received further orders to hasten
26 on, which they did by forced marches. On the
27 18th December, the first encounter took place be-
28 tween a portion of the Sikh army and the British ;
29 the latter had finished a long march when it was
30 called upon to engage the Khulsa troops, who were
31 rapidly advancing. The Sikhs took up a favour-
32 able position among the jungle and stunted trees
33 which covered the ground in the vicinity of Mood-
34 kee, thus concealing themselves, and enabling them
35 to take deadly aim at the mounted British officers
36 and European soldiers, and throughout the whole
37 campaign this appeared to be their chief object.
38 The British and Sikh guns opened against each
39 other, and it was evident that the Khulsa gun-
40 ners served theirs with great efficiency. The
41 British guns were merely the six-pounders attached
42 to the troops of horse artillery, and it was soon
43 apparent to the British Commander-in-chief, that
44 with his Spun alone he cout not silence those of
45 So BO ae, ee ee,