1 The First Sikh War. 177
2 Smith, who, with a considerable body of troops,
3 had been sent from Firozpiir to cover the approach
4 of the expected siege-train, was ordered to march to
5 its relief. His road thither lay through the village
6 of Badhowal, where the Sikhs had entrenched them-
7 selves ; but desiring to effect a junction with the
8 Ludhiana troops before giving battle, he made a
9 detour, hoping to pass by unmolested. The Sikhs,
10 however, were on the watch for him, and as he
11 passed the village they opened a heavy fire on his
12 column ; and though they failed to prevent his reach-
13 ing Ludhiana, they killed a number of his men and
14 captured the whole of his baggage. The news of this
15 miniature triumph created great exultation in the
16 ranks of the Khalsa ; but other news of a far
17 different character was soon to follow.
18 On January 22, Ranjiir Singh withdrew to the
19 Sutlej, and Sir Harry Smith occupied Badhowal.
20 Both sides had by this time been reinforced, the Sikhs
21 by 4,000 infantry and 12 guns, and the British by
22 a brigade under Brigadier Wheeler. On the 28th,
23 Sir Harry Smith moved out to attack the enemy,
24 whom he found, after an eight-mile march, at the
25 village of Aliwal^. with the river, fordable at that
26 spot, behind them. In the battle which ensued the
27 defeat of the Sikhs was complete and overwhelming.
28 At no time during the Sikh wars was the superiority
29 of i the British troops so clearly manifested as at
30 Aliwal. The most notable feature of the day was
31 a magnificent charge by the 16th Lancers, in the
32 course of which a single squadron not only broke
33 but rode through and through a square of Sikh
34 (1,841) 12