1 174 A Short History of the Sikhs.
2 to Firozshahr, a village situated half-way between
3 Mudki and Firozpiir, and there, during the next
4 two days, they threw up entrenchments and
5 mounted more than a hundred pieces of artillery.
6 Meanwhile the force under Tej Singh had taken up
7 its position before Firozpiir, with the object of
8 preventing Sir John Littler from uniting with the
9 commander-in-chief.
10 The British had lost heavily at Mudki, and it was
11 not until the 21st that they marched to attack Lai
12 Singh at Firozshahr. The assault was not commenced
13 till three o'clock in the afternoon, Lord Hardinge
14 having decided to await the arrival of Sir John Littler,
15 who was under orders to reinforce him with 5,000
16 men and 24 guns ; and it was one o'clock before
17 the latter, having successfully evaded the vigilance of
18 Tej Singh, effected a junction with the main body.
19 The battle commenced with an artillery duel, in which
20 the heavier guns of the Sikhs gave them the advan-
21 tage. With great gallantry the British troops then
22 stormed the entrenchments. The Sikhs defended
23 themselves and their guns with even greater deter-
24 mination than at Mudki, and a hand-to-hand conflict
25 ensued which had not ceased when darkness fell.
26 During the whole of this day Tej Singh lay watching
27 Firozptir, under the delusion that he was keeping
28 Sir John Littler a prisoner. At night he discovered that
29 he had been outwitted, and hastened to the support
30 of Lai Singh. At eight o'clock in the morning he
31 came in sight of Firozshahr ; but he was an hour too
32 late. The Sikh entrenchments were in the possession
33 of the British, and Lai Singh and his troops were in