1 The Sikh and
2 Afghin alliance
3 against the English,
4 Lord Gough at the
5 head of the British
6 army,
7 * The action of Ram-
8 nagar.
9 Colonels Havelock
10 and Cureton killed.
11 Several desperate
12 charges made,
13 Sher Singh abandons
14 his position at Ram-
15 nagar,
16 Aud retives to Rasy
17 on the eG ri Sat
18 568 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB,
19 ously seduced by Sultén Muhammad, brother of Dost Muhammad, joined
20 Chattar Singh. Dost Muhammad, having proclaimed himself sovereign of
21 Peshawar, marched to the Indus, at the head of an Afghan force, and
22 threatened Attak, which was lost to the Darbar on his approach. Lieute-
23 nant Herbert, in charge of Attak, made a spirited defence, but was compelled
24 to surrender to Chattar Singh, who made him a prisoner. Dost Muham-
25 mad despatched one of his sons, at the head of Durrdni troops, to the camp
26 of Shér Singh, and thus, for the first time, the Sikhs and the Afghans, those
27 old hereditary enemies, were arrayed against the British. The rendezvous
28 of the armies at Ferozepur took place during October 1848. On 21st Novem-
29 ber, ord Gough joined the grand army at Sahdran. He found Shér Singh
30 encamped at Ramnagar, on the right bank of the Chindb, at the head of
31 15,000 men, and a powerful force of artillery, with a strong force also on the
32 left bank, covered by batteries. Brigadiers Campbell and Cureton, at the
33 head of an infantry brigade and a cavalry division, were sent to drive the
34 enemy across the river and capture their guns on the left bank. A
35 forward movement was made, and small parties of the Sikhs were driven
36 in. The British horse artillery was, however, rendered helpless by the
37 deep sand, and, the enemy having brought their heavy guns to play on
38 the left bank, the British gunners were obliged to retire from the conflict.
39 The enemy, seeing this, sent a body of 4,000 Sikh cavalry across the ford.
40 On reaching the left bank, they were repeatedly charged by the British
41 cavalry, but the irregular nature of the ground and the clouds of dust
42 deceived the cavalrymen. It was chiefly an artillery battle which arose
43 from the flank movement of General Thackiell, and the attack was directed
44 against a strongly fortified position under most disadvantageous circum-
45 stances. Lieutenant-Colonel William Havelock, of the 14th Light Dragoons,
46 brother of the hero who afterwards won immorta) renown in India, fell in
47 this engagement. He had been a hero in many a Peninsular fight. A
48 dashing soldier and a determined warrior, the desperate charges made by
49 him swept the bank of the river, in a few minutes, of its swarthy occupants ;
50 but the last charge saw him in the midst of the enemy. With his left arm
51 half severed from his body, he was dealing frantic blows with his sword
52 with his right hand, when he was cut off. His last words were, “Follow me.”
53 A death such as this was worthy of a British soldier. General Cureton, of
54 the Lancers, also fell in this battle, and many officers were mortally wounded.
55 The enemy having been driven from the lefp bank of the river, it was
56 now resolved to attack his position from the right flank, and on the 2nd of
57 December, Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell crossed the Chindb at
58 Wizirabdd, 24 miles higher up, at the head of 8,000 troops. He was subse-
59 quently joined by other troops, and various indecisive skirmishes took place.
60 On 28th December, Lord Gough .crossed the Chinéb with his army, and
61 taking up a position on the right bank, opened a heavy cannonade on the
62 island and batteries of Ramnagar. Brigadier Godby, with a brigade of in-
63 fantry, crossed the river higher up and opened communications with General
64 Thackwell. General Sir Walter Gilbert was,moved across with a brigade of
65 cavalry. These mancuvres led Shér Singh to abandon his entrenchments
66 at Ramnagar. At the head of a considerable force he marched to attack
67 General Thackwell, whose forces he met at Sadulldpur, but, without attempt-
68 ing to close with him, he executed a rapid retreat to the Jhelum, ‘carrying
69 with him all his guns and equipment.
70 Shér Singh, having thus moved away from the Chindb with impunity, took
71 up his position at the village of Rastl, a post of singular strength on the
72 Gtrelraajesingand tira, hearing that MBtaartblitghry@socmmavicgnforward to