1 172 A Short History of the Sikhs.
2 referred to, definite orders were issued for the
3 march of the army of the Khalsa into British
4 territory ; and within a week a body of fifty
5 thousand men with a numerous and powerful
6 artillery, and supported by the contingents of the
7 sirdars, whose numerical strength equalled that of
8 the trained force, moved from Lahore in the direction
9 of Firozpur, which town was to be the first object
10 of attack. On December 11, the passage of the
11 Sutlej was commenced, Tej Singh commanding the
12 infantry and regular cavalry, and Lai Singh the
13 ghurcharhas, or irregular cavalry ; and by the
14 evening of the next day the entire force was
15 encamped on the left bank of the stream. The
16 frontier force of the British consisted of the three
17 divisions at Firozpur, Ludhiana, and Ambala,
18 amounting in all to thirty thousand men with
19 seventy guns, and a reserve of nine thousand men
20 and twenty-six guns at Meerut. General Sir John
21 Littler commanded at Firozpur ; Sir Hugh Gough,
22 the Commander-in-chief, was at Ambala ; and the
23 Governor-General himself was at Ludhiana.
24 The first action took place on December 18,
25 at Mudki, twenty miles to the south-east of Firoz-
26 pur, where Lai Singh encountered the Ambala and
27 Ludhiana divisions, which had united, and were
28 advancing to the support of Sir John Littler. Lai
29 Singh's force was defeated with great slaughter
30 and the loss of seventeen guns ; but it was night
31 before the Sikhs, who had displayed unlooked-for
32 determination, were driven from the field. Under
33 cover of the darkness they made good their retreat