The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-21 00:00:00

TrIE SUN, LONDON,

of by all in terms of the highest respect and deepest
attaelom iit—es a man not more brave than he was ge-
nerous and just. It now became necessary to separate
him. from his brethren and chiefs, and the separation is
represented as having been most touching. There were
eighteen of these of higher rank than the rest, who had
been with him through all his adventures. They threw
themselves at his feet, and wept sore as they were parted
from him and might not hope to see his face any more.
He was placed under a strong guard some distance from
the town, in a fine country residence his father had
built. Writing materials were prohibited him, but
every attention was shown to his comfort in so far as
this was compatible with his safety. He declined seeing
his famely—he had not beheld them for nearly a month
before; they had been placed for safety in an excavation
under ground, and he refused all intercourse with them,
as the sight of his mother, wife, and children, he said,
unmanned him, and disturbed him in the discharge of
his duties. It was not considered safe to retain him
longer than was indispensable in a neighbourhood where
there numberless dependents ready to incur any risk in
attempting his rescue, and he was accordingly ordered
to proceed with the force about to march up the line of
the Chenab in the direction of Ramnuggur, to turn off
as they approached the road leading to Lahore for the
camp of the Governor-General. Orders were now
given to the troops to prepare for their upward march—
the company 2d battalion Artillery, 14 and 2d compa-
nies 4th battalion Golundauze, No. 5 light field bat-
tery, the Ist Lancers, the 4th company Sappers and
Miners, the 4th and 9th Native Infantry, and a division
of the baggage corps to be left behind in charge of
the fort—the residue of the Bombay column to march by
the left bank of the Chenab under Brigadier-General
the Hon. H. Dundas, the Bengal troops under Major-
General Which by the right. The wounded were put
on board the Bess flat, to be towed by the steamers
down the river, and thence proceed to Bombay. The
battering train was sent into the fort, and the breaches
were ordered to built up. The troops now made their
way in numbers into the fort, and a scene of plunder is
said to-have ensued in the last degree discreditable to
the discipline of the Bengal army. The details given
by our correspondents are too distressing to be dwelt
upon. The fort was completely separated from the
town. It was surrounded by a regular glacis, which in-
stead of sloping away to a point, was cut off short, ex-
hibiting a face of at least 18 feet in height. At the
base of the wall was a ditch 25 feet deep and 40 feet
wide; beyond this was the outer wall 50 feet from the
base of the ditch to the battlements. Within the fort,
and on a considerable elevation, was the citadel, in itself
of very great strength.
Of the general appearance of Moultan after it
passed into our hands, the annexed graphic descrip-
tion, from the correspondence of the Delhi Gazette,
atibrds perhaps the best idea that could be given
" Fort of Moultan, Jan. 25, 1849.
" The day before yesterday Major Wheeler commenced
his researches for the reputed wealth contained within
these walls. He was accompanied on the occasion by an
old bedridden Mistree of Sawun Mull's time. Thus was
a clue obtained to the whe: eabouts of those vast subter-
ranean store-houses of which we have heard. The prin-
cipal of these were pointed out in the open ground within
the citadel, as also among the ruins of the explosion.
Some of these contain a large amount of silks, others ghee
and grain stored up in the lifetime of the late Dewan's fa-
ther. There is also a great collection of opium, indigo,
&c., worth a large sum of money. Two or three lacs of
rupees were blown up with the vast chaos of valuables;
when the rubbish shall have been cleared away from the
entrances of the Tykannehs, then we shall no doubt be
able to extricate many of the bales of shawls and silks.
In the mint a pretty good amount of silver and gold
coin was found. Moolraj's house and the neighbouring
Toshukhanah contained a great quantity, as also many
valuable swords, and rich property of every description.
The fort is reduced to such a heap of ruins that it will
require many months to excavate and remove the fallen
houses; the site of the explosions is marked by a long
deep pit, around which buildings are piled on buildings,
scarcely one brick remains on another; corpses, carcases
of animals, and every description of property strew the
ground; the stench within the citadel is dreadful, there
must be hundreds of men buried in the rubbish. The
piles of huge stone shot have been hurled to a great dis-
tance, and the contents of large bomb-proofs showered
far and wide upon the occupants of the place. The
Bahawul Iluk shrine is reduced to a mere wreck, but
that of Shah Rookn Alum has been more fortunate, it
has escaped with only a few,scars. It is a most massive
structure, and from its great height commands a beauti-
ful view of the surrounding country. On ascending two
winding-staircases the parapet is reached; thence may
be seen the snowy range, the winding course of the
Chenab, the numerous canals: gardens, and fields
which dot the far-spreading jungle ; even Jhung,
on a very clear day, is said to be visible.
Within the courtyard of this shrine there is a newly-
built range of bomb-proof barracks; in these some va-
luable property has been stowed away. Moolraj's house
appears to have been once a good substantial one;
it is now unroofed, and the walls are knocked to pieces
with our shells; ho appears to have vacated it long ago.
There is a large garden with raised walks, which appear
to have been nicely laid out. Between this and the
before-mentioned tomb there is an enormous domed
magazine, surrounded by a dry ditch several feet deep;
a trench has been cut to communicate with it under-
ground, and the surface being closely packed with logs
of timber, a mine is suspected: double sentries have been
placed, as a precaution against accidents. The stables,
godowns, and arsenal are built in long ranges behind
the citadel wall; they are mostly protected by domed
roofs of considerable thickness, but our shells have pene-
trated them, and set fire to the contents; many dead and
wounded men, on charpoys, were found in them. In a
large timber-yard wheels for guns of all siz,s, and
Dumbooruk saddles, newly made, are lying about in
great profusion. Further on, near the ramparts, are
two large brick furnaces fbr casting cannon; an earthen
mould of a very large one—intended to be made—lies
close to them. The quantity of loose gunpowder in every
hole and corner is surprising; the largest collections are
those iu the vicinity of the heaps of arms thrown away
by the garrison before making their exit. Camp fole
lowers and others appear utterly regardless of danger,
for blazing fires of logs are met with at every turn.
Some small explosions have occurred, but no one has
been killed, though many have been seriously burnt.
The soil appears made of lead. Bullets strew the ground
like pebbles; the supply would haye lasted for years had
the garrison held out; cannon balls are equally common
from those stone ones of Brobdignagian proportion to
the Lilliputian for one-pounders; 39 cannon have been
counted, and four mortars (the largest of these has
been knocked off its rude carriage by our shot). There
is abundance of wall pieces of all sizes and lengths;
zumbooruks and muskets innumerable, with piles
of matchlocks of every weight and size. Talwars by
thousands, and heaps of wooden and leather accoutre-
ments for all the above weapons. I think Moultan is the
beau ideal of a Buneea's fort, or rather fortified shop.
Never, perhaps, in India have such depots existed of
merchandise and arms, amalgamated as they are with
avarice. Here opium, indigo, salt, sulphur, and every
known drug are heaped in endless profusion; there ap-
parently, ancient granaries in the bowels of the earth
disclose their huge hoards of wheat and rice; here
stacks of leathern ghee vessels, brimming with the
grease, fill the pucka receptacles below ground; there
silks and shawls revel in darkness, bales rise on bales;
here some Mammouth chest discovering glittering scab-
bards of gold and gems; there tiers of copper canisters
crammed with gold moburs. My poor pen cannot de-
scribe the variety of wealth displayed to the inquisitive
eye. Tumbrils under strong guards have been moving
to and fro with gold coin all the day; it is said that
threo or four crores are concealed in the fort; the place
is alone known to Moolraj, who may eventually make
such disclosures as would materially benefit his cause.
The Sappers are busily employed in filling up our
trenches and approaches. I think we have taught the
Moultanees how to take a fortress, and they will pro•
!stably profit by the tuition should affairs ever allow it."
The Mahajuns and other inhabitants of Moultan in
the first instance offered 15 lacs for the ransom of the
town, but this amount was refused, and the matter was
referred to the Governor• General, by whose order a
committee was appointed, which fixed on 20 lacs as the
proper amount to be paid. The inhabitants, however,
now began to talk of " oppression," and refused to pay
the sum demanded.

The Governor-General has decided that the property
taken at Moultan is to go to the captors of the place as
prise.
Preparations had been making some time beforehand for
the upward march of the troops. On the 27th of Jan-
uary the first portion of the Bengal force, under Briga-
dier Markham, of her Majesty's 32d, marched out. It
was composed of Anderson's troop Horse Artillery, the
11th Irregular Cavalry, her Majesty's 32d Foot, and the
51st and 72d Native Infantry. He reached Ameerghur
on the 28th, and halted at Sirdarpore, the place where
the Seikhs from Moultan attacked them on their down-
ward march on the 16th of August, and where Shere
Singh first encamped o❑ the 11th of October on his re-
tirement, on the 30th; they crossed the Ravee at its
junction with the Chenab on the 31st, and arrived within
six marches of Jhung, a large mercantile town near the
junction of the Chenab and Jhelum. They were from
this to 'push on to Ramnuggur, the place near which
the grand army lay encamped between the 20th of
November, when Lord Gough joined, and the 16th of
Deceinber. They were expected to reach this,
if all went well with them, by about the 18th of
February. On the 30th the second brigade, consisting
of Mackenzie's troop of Horse Artillery, 12 heavy guns,
the 11th Regular Cavalry, her Majesty's 10th Foot, and
the Bth and 51st Native Infantry, and commanded by
Brigadier Hervey, followed in the footsteps of the first.
On the 2d of February the Bombay column marched,
under command of the Brigadier -General the Hon. H.
Dundas, with Colonel D. Capon as Brigadier. It con-
sisted of her Majesty's 60th Rifles, the Ist Bombay Eu-
ropean Fusiliers. the 3d and 19th Native Infantry, the
3,1 troop of Horse Artillery, the 2d company Ist Batta-
lion European Artillery, with N,o. 7 light field battery
attached, the Ist company of Sappers and Miners, and
500 of the 2d Sinde Horse—or in all about 2,200 Euro-
peans and 2,400 Natives, all in the very highest condi-
tion. They expected to reach Ramnuggur in 17 marches.
Totters of the 4th from their camp reached us last night,
at which date they were at Kotab, 25 miles north of
Moultan. The siege train had been sent into the
fort, and the breaches were ordered to be par-
tially repaired, Major Scott, of the Bombay En-
gineers, having been ordered to report on its condition,
to enable the Governor• General to decide whether it
should be razed to the ground, or repaired and garri-
soned. In the event of the latter being determined on,
15,000 men will be requisite for its defence. The troops
left behind are not above 2,60') in all. They are detailed
above. The 7th Bengal Irregular Horse and 49th Na-
tive Infantry had been left behind to convey treasure to
Ferozepore and Lahore. Instead of appropriating the
booty found in the town, the inhabitants were allowed to
hold it to ransom for 200,0004—they had offered
300,0004 to save it from sack when we first entered it.

Here the amount of plundering committed by the Bengal
troops appears to hove been fearful—the work of
spoliation being by no mear,s , confined to the men.
The fort having surrendered, the booty found there
will not, it is understood, be allotted to the captors, but
was to be assigned to the Durban. It is ;.,said to
amount to upwards of 1,000,000/. sterling; it will, of
course, pass immediately from the Durbar to the British
treasury to meet the charges of the war. The sick and
wounded of the Bengal division, about 160 in number,
under command of Captain Moore, her Majesty's 10th
Foot, had reached Feroz Tore by boat. Captain Mait-
land, 72d Native Infantry, and Lieutenant Irwin, 49th
Native Infantry, who had both been severely wounded
during the first siege, had accompanied them. The whole
were under the medical charge of Dr. Macbeth, 10th
Foot. Lieutenant Gillon, 72d Native Infantry, who was
wounded at the storming of the suburbs on the 27th of
December, died on the 20th of 'January. Lieutenant J.
Thompson, of the Artillery, was the last officer killed be-
fore Moulton, having been shot in the trenches on the
morning of the 21st of January; tl e total number killed
since August being 13.
The following are the names of the wounded officers
of the Bombay force hourly expected the steamer Sesos-
iris from Kurracheo:—Captain T. Tapp, Captain H. D.
H. Leith, and Lieutenant W. Gray, Ist Fusiliers; Lieu-
tenants J. Hill and J. A. Fuller, Engineers; Lieutenant
W. N. Dyett, 3d Native Infantry. The subjoined is a
memorandum of the wounded men expected by the same
vessel:—

EUROPEANS.
Artillery, and Sappers and Miners ... 11
Her Majesty's 60th Rifles 56
Ist Fusiliers 45

Total ... 112
NATIVES.
Artillery 9
Sappers and Miners 18
3d Native Infantry
4th Native Infantry (Rifles) ... 23
9th Native Infantry ... 1
19th Native Infantry 8

Total ••• 68
••• •••

Grand Total 180
We subjoin the orders issued by Lord Dalhousie on
the news of the surrender of the fort and the dispatches
of Major-General Whish reaching him:—
" NOTIFICATION.—FOREIGN DEPARTMENT.
" Camp, Mukkoo, Jan. 25, 1849.
" The Governor-General has the highest satisfaction
in intimating to the President in Council, and notifying
for public information, that he has this day received in-
telligence that on the morning of the 22d instant, when—
practicable breaches having been effected—the troops
were about to storm the citadel of Moultan, the Dewan
Moolraj surrendered himselt with his whole garrison un-
conditionally to the British Government.
" The Governor-General directs that a salute of 21
guns shall be fired at every principal station of the army,
as soon as this notification shall be received.
"By order of the Right Honourable the Governor
General of India. _ _ _

-.
(Signed) "IL M. ELLIOT,
Secretary to the Government of India, with the
Governor-General."
" FOREIGN DEPARTMENT.

4, Camp Ferozepore, Feb. 1, 1849.
" The Governor-General having received a dispatch,
reporting the surrender, on the morning of the 22d in-
stant, of the citadel and garrison of Moultan, directs
that, together with other dispatches relating to the
operations against the city and tort, it shall be published
for the information of the army and of the people of
India. The capture of this important fortress, which
during a protracted period has resisted the powerful ar-
mament brought against it, and has been defended with
gallantry and endurance,
is a just subject of congratula-
tion to the Government of India and to the army. The
Governor-General desires to convey to Major-General
Whish, C. 8., his warmest thanks for the valuable ser-
vice which has thus, under Providence, been rendered to
the Government by the united forces which ho com-
mands, for the steady and skilful and successful prosecu-
tion of a siege which, at a comparatively small loss to
ourselves, has inflicted most heavy loss upon the enemy,
and has utterly destroyed his strongest fortress.
Brigadier Cheape, C. 8., the chief engineer of the army,
is entitled to the best thanks of the Governor-General
for the zeal and ability with which he has fulfilled the
important duty entrusted to him, and in the discharge of
which ho has been well supported by Major Napier,
chief engineer of the Bengal division, and Major Scott,
chief engineer of the Bomay division of the force. To
Brigadier Markham, whose services have been con-
spicuous, to Brigadier Salter, and to Brigadier Hervey,
the Governor-General tenders his warm acknowledg-
ments. To Brigadier the Hon. H. Dundas, C. 8., corn- ,
mending the Bombay division, to Brigadier Capon, and
Brigadier Salter, the best thanks of the Governor-Gene-
ral
are due for the ready and effective assistance they
have rendered upon all occasions, as well in the attack
upon the suburbs on the 27th December, as in the assault
of the city, which their troops were the first to enter,
and in all the subsequent operations of the siege. To
Major Garbett, and to Major Leeson, commanding
the artillery of the Bengal and Bombay di-
visions ; to Commander Powell, of the Indian
navy ; and to the heads of the various departments,
the Governor-General offers his thanks. And
to all the troops of each division, European and native,
to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men, the
Governor-General tenders his hearty thanks for the gal-
lantry, perseverance. skill, end discipline which they
have displayed throughout the service on which they
have been employed. With etiaat coriiisaity the Gover-
nor-General offers his best thanks to Major Edwardes,
C. 8., wi,h the irregular force under his orders; and to
Lieutenant Lake, who has commanded the forces of our
ally, the Nawab of Bhawulpore. The Governor-General
congratulates these officers on their having been enabled,
with their native troops, to witness, in the capture of
Moultan, the complete vindication of the supremacy of
British power, which, (luring the past summer, their own
gallantry and enterprise so materially contributed to
sustain. The Governor-General Kill have the utmost
satisfaction in bringing the services of the force at Moul.
tan under the favourable consideration of her Majesty's
Government and the Hon. East India Company. A
salute of 21 guns has been ordered to be tired at every
principal station of the army in India.—By order
of the Right Honourable the Governor-General of India.
(signed) " 11. M. ELLIOT,
Secretary to the Government of India, with
the Governor-General."

Extract from a private letter of a soldier in the
Artillery, at the battle of Chillianwallah :
" Camp, Chillianwallah, Jan. 18.
* * * We left Lahore and proceeded to a place
called Ramnuggur, and came in with Shero Singh, who
gave us rather a warm reception, and opened fire as well
as us. Our artillery moved on to the bank of the river,
and the firing continued for a considerable time on both
sides, until the enemy's cavalry crossed the ford ; the
artillery then had orders to retire, and the cavalry, ours,
charged the enemy, but had to retire with great loss—a
number of officers were killed as well as men.
The enemy then re-crossed to the opposite side,
and our heavy guns were moved down within range of
him, and opened fire for two nights and two days, but
could not move him out of his position, which was
deeply entrenched. Genera' Thackwell crossed the
river at a place called Woaarabad, with some
artillery and cavalry and infantry to take the enemy
in flank, but Shere Singh smelt a rat and moved
down to meet him, and came in with him on 3d De-
cember. The enemy attacked us with artillery, then
ours opened on them; the firing was kept up a considera-
ble time, when the enemy retired into a thick jungle.
The cavalry and artillery did not do anything on either
side, it was an artillery fight alone. The loss on our
side on this occasion was but little. We crossed the
river with the heavy guns on the 30th, and joined the di. ,
vision in advance, and moved towards a place called \
Chillianwallah, and fell in with the enemy and engaged
them at twelve o'clock on the 13th of January. The
battle raged till dark, when both armies retired to their
respective camps, where we are now, within two and a
half miles of each other, and have a fine view of each
other's camp. Our battle at Chillianwallah was the best
contested one I ever saw. The loss on both sides must
have been dreadful, as both parties met bayonet to
bayonet, sword to sword, and gun to gun. Guns
were taken and retaken on both sides. We took
twelve of theirs, and they four of oars. We took a
deal of their ammunition and stores, and they, of course,
some of ours, but I cannot say what. We (the Artillery)
lost two captains and about thirty men. The gallant
24th regiment of root Europeans (I amnow lying with
that regiment) lost thirteen officers killed, ten wounded,
two missing. I saw the thirteen officers that were killed,
on the following day, lying in a tent, after they were
brought in from the field, and a horrid sight it was in-
deed—most of them with the head severed nearly from
the body--the colonel of the regiment and his son lying
by each other. I thank God I have got off safe once
more. I have experienced many hot days in this dis-
trict, but the 13th of January was the warmest I ever
felt, or ever wish to feel. This is a very fine country, and
we have a splendid view of the flimalayah Mountains:
they are very high, and covered with snow, and look
most beautiful. The weather is cold and very pleasant
indeed; the frost lies on the ground of a morning, the
same as in old England. I have a nice pony, and enjoy
myself of a morning with a ride, but it is rather expen-
sive keeping him, as fodder is dear—in fact all kinds of
food are dear. Bread, eight pounds for a rupee; mutton,
threepence per pound; and vegetables not to be had at
any price."

THE ARMY OF THE PUNJAUB.
(From the Bombay Times.)
The latest intelligence from Lord Gough's army con-
tained in our last extended to the 20th of January, our
present letters come down to the 3d of February. At
the former of these dates the Seikhs, under Shere Singh,
and the British army, under the Commander-in-Chief;
lay encamped about dye miles from each other. The in-
surgents occupied the strong post of Russool, meant to
have been attacked on the 14th of January, when Lord
Gough lost his temper and gave battle a day sooner than
was intended, and on which his left at that date rested.
The former consisted of some 30,000 men of all arms, one-
third, at least of whom were in the last degree irregular,
with about 40 guns, none heavier than 14-pounders. The
river Jhelum was in their rear, and thtir communication
with the countries beyond. Where their friends lay in
strength, and from which their supplies were drawn, was
maintained by a bridge of boats. Lord Gough had also
at this time begun to entrench himself; he had
ordered up the whole troops that could be spared
from Ramnuggur, and directed her Majesty's 53d from
Lahore, and her Majesty's 98th from Ferozepore, to
join him without delay. Brigadier-General Wheeler's
force from the Jullundur was also directed to join ; it
was about 5,000 strong, with 12 guns. On the 27th
General Whielfa force, liberated from Moultau by the