sir harry smith's division march to rejoin the head-quarters of the army—preparations to eject the enemy from their position on the british side of the river.
sir harry smith's forces, with the exception of details of native troops, left for the protection of loodiana, having been recalled to head-quarters, commenced their march on the morning of the 3rd of february, taking the direct road near the banks of the sutlej.
to brigadier wheler was entrusted the command of the forces left at loodiana, (consisting of twelve guns, the 1st cavalry, 4th irregulars, and four regiments of native in[pg 208]fantry.) these troops were intended to act as a moveable column for the protection of the line of country between loodiana and dhurrumkote. matters were thus placed on a more organized footing; a communication being secured with loodiana, the fords of the sutlej watched, and the sikh predatory bands confined to excursions amongst the villages on their own side of the river, which were by this time pretty nearly exhausted.
most of the regiments returning from aliwal presented a sadly diminished front; and h.m.'s 31st and 50th, the former of which had been present in every action and skirmish hitherto fought with the sikhs, scarcely covered the ground of one weak battalion. in the officers' lines, the diminution was equally perceptible; and in the reduced mess-tents of each regiment, wide and melancholy intervals around the once-crowded tables told but too truly of the fatal precision of the enemy's fire, and of the ready and forward breasts which had been presented to their aim.
wine had become scarce at every table; but[pg 209] the absence of this incentive to the spirits and conversation of the assemblies did not produce a very depressing effect. the stirring events of the campaign, in which all had been engaged, afforded ample subject for discussion; but the sharp routine of duty, and the daily call to arms at break of day, made early hours universally fashionable and headaches scarce.
the literary characters of the army (not a very numerous class) were perhaps more at a loss than their comrades; for our books had nearly all deserted to the enemy on the 21st of january, and a very scanty sprinkling were recovered when the sikh camp was captured on the 28th.
most of the army were utterly at a loss to know what that camp contained; but perhaps the mystery may be solved by the shekawattee cavalry, or the irregular horse, whose operations were principally confined to that part of the field.
my own share of plunder on that occasion amounted to a bottle of london porter, wrapped carefully in a sikh blanket, and stowed on a[pg 210] camel's back. a native follower was stalking hastily away with this inestimable treasure, when my groom overtook the delinquent, and i scrupled not to appropriate the booty to my own use.
i never tasted more refreshing beverage than that same bottle contained; and i do not remember ever having found a blanket more acceptable than on the night of the 28th of january, 1846.
on the morning of the 6th of february, sir harry smith's column, bringing as trophies a portion of the sikh ordnance captured at aliwal, returned to their former position near hureeka ford. on arrival, they were met by the gallant commander-in-chief with his staff. sir hugh rode along the line, and expressed in the warmest terms his approbation of the services rendered by each regiment; and the emotion with which the kind-hearted veteran spoke, effectually supplied the place of the studied oratory in general use for parade purposes.
our pickets were again thrown out on the sutlej, and resumed nearly the same position[pg 211] which had been occupied previous to the late operations; and nothing, apparently, gave evidence of the recent important events, save the diminished strength of the squadrons and companies under arms. the sikh videttes, at regular intervals, stood, like so many white statues, on their allotted posts, and the patrols sauntered hourly along the high banks between the chain of pickets.
during our excursion to loodiana, the sikhs had not remained inactive. their bridge of boats having been completed and strengthened, the enemy had crossed, and thrown up a large, semicircular entrenchment, embracing the re-entering sinuosity of the river, with a face of about three miles in extent. at first, the sikhs crossed only in small numbers, sufficient to protect the working-parties in the trenches; but finding these unmolested, they brought their guns across the sutlej, and established themselves in full strength in their strange position.
parties of goorchera horsemen, fording daily above and below the bridge of boats,[pg 212] showed us that the transit of the river near sobraon might be accomplished with facility by the whole army when it should be deemed requisite. formerly, the sikhs had been in the habit of crossing a few thousand by day, and retiring again at nightfall; but now that the works had assumed a more permanent appearance, the enemy seemed to have nearly vacated their camp on the right shore, and to have occupied permanently the entrenchments with battalions of regular infantry. the cavalry spread themselves along the banks, scouring the immediate neighbourhood, and watching for any aggressive movement on our part.
a better system also prevailed at the outposts: no firing at each other, or useless waste of human life, took place; and on more than one occasion, sikh officers visited and returned from the british camp.
the redoubtable ghoolab singh had arrived in lahore from his mountain principality of jamoo, and the sikh soldiery gained much confidence from this supposed acquisition of strength, which they hourly expected to rein[pg 213]force their camp. it was reported that ghoolab singh had brought with him his whole army, amounting to thirty pieces of artillery, and upwards of thirty thousand men; but this account afterwards proved to be incorrect; his forces did not exceed, in all, ten thousand troops.
however, ghoolab and his army seemed to have taken root at lahore; and no entreaties of his countrymen prevailed with that cunning chief to commit himself by joining the khalsa army in front of sobraon. nor is it matter of surprise, that so cunning a diplomatist as the aforesaid rajah proved himself, should have wished to see the result of the struggle which was now impending, before he openly joined an army which had already experienced three defeats. the chances of a british alliance were too favourable a reserve to be sacrificed, so long as a double game could be played with any chance of success.
on the 8th of february, a portion of the long-desired siege train, consisting of twelve ten-inch howitzers, and a large quantity of[pg 214] ammunition, arrived in camp, after a laborious march from delhi, with an escort of one regiment of native cavalry and small details of native infantry; and sir hugh gough at length found himself prepared with materials for recommencing active operations when such should be deemed advisable.
the main body of the british army was now encamped in line nearly parallel with the sutlej, and about three miles distant from the bridge of boats at sobraon. one brigade of infantry occupied the fortified post at rhodawallah, on the left, whence a good view was obtained of the sikh camp and proceedings. the enemy's advanced posts were thrown forward into a small fortified position, within musket-shot of rhodawallah, and a chain of pickets environed the whole front of his works.
sir harry smith's division, at an interval of about three miles on the extreme right of the army, continued to watch the fords of hureeka. sir john grey's division, consisting entirely of native troops, were with the governor-general at ferozepore, about sixteen miles distant;[pg 215] and the engineers were busily occupied in preparing, on the river near that town, a pontoon train, by which it had been resolved that the british army should cross when the position at sobraon had been stormed, and the theatre of war transferred to the sikh territories in the punjaub.
we were, of course, all aware that the day of action could not be far distant, as the long-expected siege-train had now poured the greater part of its materials for destruction into camp; but the precise time of operations had not as yet been announced.
on the evening of the 9th of february, as i rode along the river, in company with some brother-officers, we perceived that the enemy had just brought six guns into a village on the high bank above hureeka. these were probably planted to defend the ford, in case the british cavalry should attempt to cross the river at the same time that the entrenchments were attacked.
about sunset, we observed the enemy's patrols taking their usual excursion along the[pg 216] banks; and so proud were the troops in the village of the new playthings which they had got, that they could not resist the temptation of showing us they were all kept in good order, by firing two or three rounds from each gun.
european nations are not much in the habit of wasting ammunition in that playful manner, and when a battery opens, it generally means something; but this is by no means the case amongst the asiatics. the sikhs especially delight in noise, and neglect no opportunity of indulging the propensity. indeed, it was a matter of surprise to us, how they could ever rest with such a perpetual clatter of cannon and musketry going on in their camp.
with the above-named exception, the sikh pickets did not appear more on the alert than usual; nor were they strengthened at any point; so that there is no reason to suppose the enemy anticipated the attack which was to ensue in a few hours.
that night, when assembled in our mess-tent, we indulged in a discussion as to the[pg 217] means available for repelling the sikhs from the insolent position they had assumed on our territories; but many were of opinion that the day of aggression was yet far distant; and some thought—nay, decided—that sir henry hardinge would not feel himself prepared to cross the sutlej before the ensuing autumn. the argument, when at its height, was interrupted by the hasty arrival of a staff-officer, with orders for the brigadier. those orders were for the preparation of the mighty machinery which was to be brought into operation ere the morning sun had lit the rival camps, and which was destined to hurl the boasting invaders from the segment of land they occupied, headlong into the pitiless waters of the sutlej.
a few weeks ago, the eve of a battle, suddenly announced, would have sent half the party at table to make their wills, or to prepare for the coming event as well as a few hours' notice would permit; but now, most of these preparations had already been made;—(and as few were sanguine enough to suppose they could last much longer, as fully half their com[pg 218]rades had been killed or crippled, and the enemy appeared fresher than ever,)—the approaching struggle excited perhaps a trifle more of interest than would have been bestowed on a hurdle-race or steeple-chase, to come off next morning.
we were ordered to be under arms and moving about two hours before daybreak; and therefore an early retreat was advisable, in order to be in proper condition for the labours which the coming day threatened to entail on some, and to terminate for ever with others.
however lightly the subject may be treated, with lively companions and flashing lights around you, yet, when the scene is changed to the dusky canvas walls of a solitary tent, and the subsiding hubbub of the camp leaves one to court sleep or reflection, i confess, for my own part, that the eve of a battle has never been the calmest of my nightly rests. the probability that ere to-morrow's sun has set we may be one of that loathsome class for whom the "hiatus maxime deflendus"—"to be filled up by spade and mattock"—is await[pg 219]ing, usually causes a retrospect which, unless with a man possessing the philosophy or vanity of a cicero,[49] must be somewhat perplexing. when the deeds of a life are hurriedly compressed into a few hours' consideration, i have always found the dark side inevitably gaining the ascendance, and no effort of will would cause the imaginary sphere to revolve and present a luminous surface to view. that austere judge, whom the ancients described as inflicting punishment on the hapless shades who, though guiltless of heinous crimes, had yet neglected numerous opportunities of benefiting mankind, appeared to me to discharge his duty so rationally, that i could not impugn the decision.
although our actions may be matter of very light reflection whilst time floats gaily onwards, yet a life of uselessness does not afford a very satisfactory retrospect, especially when it appears likely to come to an abrupt conclusion.[pg 220] seeking earnestly for some familiar spirit to avert the unpromising theme, the demon ambition rises, and points, with beckoning gestures, to worldly distinctions, success, and military renown. the fascinating vision then appears entitled to be treated with some respect, and away flies mammon with his unresisting victim. cruel seducer! as in the case of a rustic caught by the recruiting serjeant with a bunch of coloured ribbons and an eldorado in the distance, sad experience alone unmasks the sombre reality, and the disappointed aspirant to a shadow, finds that rank and honours are reserved for the soldier's declining years; but youth and glory are rarely companions. [50] perhaps it may be good policy to keep the phantom hovering in sight, when possession destroys the mistaken pursuit, or at all events, discovers its true value. notwithstanding these trite complaints, the subordinate regimental ranks have ever proved[pg 221] faithful to their duty, and the english soldier has continued "to conquer under the cold shade of aristocracy."[51]
in the midst of reflections of this useless nature, i was roused by the mild voice of a native attendant whispering, as softly as if he feared the enemy might overhear him, that the camp was stirring, and that the appointed hour had arrived. to my surprise, i found that the hands of my watch confirmed the hindoo's assertion; and my night of intended repose had slipped away in a less profitable employment.
hastily buckling on my equipments, and having seen that my saddle was equally prepared for the emergencies of the day, i rode on to where the dark array of troops were gathering on their alarm posts in the dim star-light. each brigadier had received, overnight, his instructions for the position to be occupied on this momentous occasion; and the movement of the forces was conducted with that[pg 222] silence and regularity which complete discipline, and an intimate knowledge amongst those in command of their respective duties in the field, can always ensure. each word of command, though softly uttered, was effectually obeyed, and the column proceeded to take up their position on the extensive curve assumed by the investing army.
the atmosphere, laden with heavy vapours, spread a darkening veil between the rival hosts, and thousands of eyes watched earnestly for the rising of the curtain and the beginning of the tragedy.