1 Gallantry of
2 the troops,
3 Comparative
4 loss between
5 the European
6 and Native
7 killed and
8 wounded,
9 Conclusion to
10 be drawn.
11 74 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
12 a combination of skilful movements and the bravery
13 of the troops employed. In Sir Hugh Gough, the
14 army employed at Moodkee had a gallant and
15 experienced general. The dispositions for the attack
16 were such as were most likely to insure victory ;
17 and all accounts agree in stating, that the European
18 and Native troops behaved with their accustomed
19 steadiness and bravery. In the list of killed and
20 wounded, appended to the Commander-in-chicf’s
21 despatch, we find that the whole number of killed
22 and wounded amounted to 872; of these, no fewer
23 than fifty-one were European officers, while the
24 Native officers amounted to eleven; twelve of the
25 former and two of the latter being killed. Again,
26 in the ranks of non-commissioned officers, drum-
27 mers, rank and file, the number of killed and
28 wounded was 705, and out of this amount, upwards
29 of 500 were European soldiers of Her Majesty’s
30 3rd dragoons, 9th, 3ist, 50th, and 80th foot,
31 inclusive of non-commissioned officers and drum-
32 mers; so that two-thirds of the whole wounded
33 and killed were among the European portion of
34 the army, which did not, probably, equal a fifth of
35 the whole. One of two conclusions must be drawn
36 from these fearful odds, either that the Europeans
37 were more exposed, or that the enemy directed
38 their fire with unerring aim against them: we have
39 in our general sketch of the operations remarked
40 that the European infantry seized the enemy’s
41 guns at the point of the bayonet, but this is not
42 prominently alluded to by the Commander-in-chief,