1 TO THE PRESENT TIME. 71
2 river.—The enemy, completely hemmed in, were
3 flying from our fire, and precipitating themselves
4 in disordered masses into the ford and boats in
5 the utmost confusion and consternation. Our
6 eight-inch howitzers soon began to play upon
7 their boats, when the ‘debris’ of the Sikh army
8 appeared upon the opposite and high bank of
9 the river, flying in every direction, although a
10 sort of line was attempted to countenance their
11 retreat, until all our guns commenced a furious
12 cannonade, when they quickly receded. Nine
13 guns were on the verge of tne river by the ford.
14 It appears as if they had been unlimbered to
15 cover the ford. These being loaded were fired
16 once upon our advance. Two others were stick-
17 ing in the river; one of them we got out; two
18 were seen to sink in the quicksands, two were
19 dragged to the opposite bank and abandoned.
20 These, and the one in the middle of the river,
21 were gallantly spiked by Lieutenant Holmes of
22 the 11th Irregular Cavalry, and Gunner Scott of
23 the lst troop 2nd Brigade Horse Artillery, who
24 rode into the stream and crossed for the purpose,
25 covered by our guns and Light Infantry.
26 “Thus ended the battle of Aliwal—one of the
27 most glorious victories ever achieved in India.
28 By the united efforts of her Majesty’s and the
29 Honourable Company’s troops, every gun the
30 enemy had fell into our hands, as I infer from