1 INTRODUCTION. XXV
2 afterwards on the banks of the river ; his Cavalry might have
3 laid waste the country, and his army would have increased
4 like a snow-ball, and easily have got possession of a portion of
5 the siege-train, which was on the road without proper ammu-
6 nition, and unprotected.*
7 But while rve had a contempt for the Seiks, it is evident the
8 native army had a great idea of their prowess ; it was, therefore,
9 most fortunate that with this army there was a large body
10 of Europeans ; for, after the war was over, a Foreign officer in
11 the Seik service observed to a friend of mine, " If it had not
12 " been for your European soldiers, we would have driven
13 " you from Ferozepore into the sea;" — and I must confess,
14 I could only painfully acknowledge to myself, the truth of
15 his remark ; for, as it was, the troops under their excellencies
16 Sir Hugh Gough and Sir Henry Hardinge had but dearly
17 gained a victory over a portion of the Seik army when Sir John
18 Littler came to their rescue ! — and, after his arrival, from
19 all that I can learn, the Europeans had almost formed
20 as high an opinion of the Seik soldiers as the natives;
21 and it was long undecided whether we were to be the
22 victors or the vanquished. The 62nd affair now must
23 ever remain a mystery, and though no excuse can be
24 made for the military faults of Colonel Reid, some credit
25 may be given to him in coming forward to sacrifice himself,
26 for the honour of his regiment, he having acknowledged
27 that he ordered the retreat, when General Littler was pre-
28 sent who had ordered the advance. He had every reason
29 to expect he would be brought to a Court Martial for such
30 " culpable conduct," as the Commander-in-Chief himself
31 termed it.f However, it must be acknowledged after all
32 * It was most fortunate for the poor Recruits who accompanied the siege-train
33 that it was not attacked because they must have been sacrified to a man, as they
34 could only have fought like the Irishman at Donnybrook Fair, who declared that he
35 had nothing in his hand but his fist !
36 t General Littler certainly shewed great forbearance in not placing Colonel Reid