1 THE SECOND SIKH WAR, 569
2 join Shér Singh, resolved to force a battle with the latter before the junc-
3 tion could be effected. Shér Singh’s troops, under one hundred chieftains of
4 various ranks, now numbered forty thousand, all, or nearly all, drilled by Eng-
5 lish and French officers under Ranjit Singh and his successors, and in a high
6 state of discipline, besides 62 guns of the heaviest calibre ever brought into
7 the field. The manner in which Shér Singh, avoiding a collision with General
8 Thackwell’s division, had cut his passage clear to the Jhelum, and the judicious
9 selection made by him of his position, evinced, in no small degree, his skill
10 as ageneral, That position was protected on the left by a low ridge of hills,
11 intersected with ravines, and by the main stream of the Jhelum, the right
12 being posted in different villages, enclosed by a thick jungle, which served
13 as a natural bulwark, entrenchments being thrown up at Chilianwdld, about
14 threé miles to the south of the ridge. The dispositions of their army were
15 not understood, owing to natural difficulties, and sufficient time had not been
16 obtained to reconnoitre the enemy’s position. On the 18th, the British
17 army reached the village of Lolidnwdld, and, after some fighting, Lord
18 Gough dislodged a strong picket of the enemy from an elevated mound.
19 Ascending the mound, the Commander-in-Chief and staff obtained a full
20 view of the surrounding country and beheld the Khdisé army forming
21 themselves in majestic battle array along the furrowed hills. Their
22 batteries were chiefly masked by bushes, and their compact infantry and
23 well-marshalled cavalry were arranged and proportioned with scientific
24 exactness. A part of the Sikh horse artillery, having advanced, opened
25 fire on the British position, on which the Commander-in-Chief gave orders
26 for immediate action. The British artillery advanced to an open space in
27 front of the village, and the heavy English guns opened fire on the enemy’s
28 artillery. The British cannonade was vigorously replied to by the enemy’s
29 field batteries, and the British army, acting under the orders of the
30 Commander-in-Chief, were drawn up in order of battle. The British
31 brigades opened a sharp fire on the enemy’s centre, where his guns were
32 principally placed, but the enemy poured in a galling cross-fire of grape
33 and musketry with such rapidity and exactness, that it proved most
34 destructive to the British, 459 men with 23 officers being almost
35 immediately killed or disabled. Brigadier-General Colin Campbell, after-
36 wards Lord Clyde, Sir Walter Gilbert, Brigadier Mountain, who distin-
37 guished himself in China under Lord Gough, and Brigadier Pennycuick,
38 each, in his turn, made the most desperate charges, and the timely arrival of
39 a field battery and artillery reserves enabled the British to recover two out
40 of the six guns captured by the enemy. The battle raged with great fury
41 until night, and, when it was dark, the fire on both sides ceased. The Sikhs
42 who had begun the engagement, gradually withdrew, leaving the scene of
43 the contest in possession of the British, who, on that account, claimed the
44 victory, though the Sikhs fired a salute of 21 guns in honour of what they
45 conceived to be a victory won by them, and a similar salute was fired at
46 Atiak, the capital of Chattar Singh. The loss on the side of the English
47 was heavy; 602 men killed and 1,651 wounded; three regiments lost their
48 colours, and four horse artillery guns were taken. There were also many
49 desertions of the Sikh soldiers under the command of Lord Gough. The
50 Silhs lost many a brave and old officer and soldier. They left a number of
51 guns on the field, of which the English brought twelve into their camp
52 after the close of the battle; the rest were recovered by the Sikhs under
53 cover of night. The Sikhs barbarously murdered the helpless wounded,
54 whom the British were unable to remove from the field before the close
55 of the contest. This was the last great attempt of the army of Ranjit
56 Sikh entrenchments
57 at Chilianwala,
58 Bloody battle of
59 Chilianwala, January
60 13th, 1849,
61 The darkness of nic ht
62 causes @ cessation ot
63 hostilities,
64 Heavy losses.
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