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

WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 21.; 1849.

surrender of the Dewan, began its upward march. The
former reinforcements amounted to some 7,000, the latter
to about 12,000 or 19,000 in all, an army nearly equal to
that at present on the Jhelum after her Majesty's 24th
and the 30th Native Infantry rendered unserviceable
through loss of offie,ers on the 13th, had been sent back
to Lahore. Ilahee Buksh, the commander of the Sikh
artillery, who had come over to us about the 18th,
proved himself meanwhile a valuable man in camp,
from his knowledge of the country, and the purpose
and enterprise with which he seemed disposed to exert
himself. Hitherto Shere Singh appears to have
received no material accession of strength. Chuttur
Singh and Akram Khan, son of the Ameer of Caubul,
had both made visits to camp, but neither appears to
have brought troops along with him. On the 27th Lieut.
Bowie, the companion in arms of Major Lawrence
at Peshawur, arrived in camp on parole. He was under-
stood to be the bearer of overtures or explanations of
some sort from Shere Singh; the nature of these had
not transpired. He returned to the camp of the enemy
on the expiry of his parole; all had, according to him,
been kindly treated, and Major Lawrence had been per-
mitted to rejoin his family at Sukkoo, from whom he had
been so long separated. The Commander-in-Chief now
began to clear the countries betwixt his camp and the
Chenaub of jungle and impediment—a tolerably essential
operation, which had, it seems, been overlooked for a
coucle of months—and to erect strong outworks in the
direction of the Seikh camp. With so tremendous a
park of artillery and supply of mortars as that
at his disposal, it might have been imagined that,
rather than stand still, he would have endeavoured
to approach their position by regular parallels and
covered ways, as in case of seige. Our ord-
nance could have told on them tearfully at a
range to which their shot could not have reached.
On the 30th a party of the enemy was seen prowling
about in quest of our camels as they fed; they were at-
tacked by Lieutenant Chamberlain with a party of
Christie's Irregular Horse (the 9th); 16 of them were
cut down and slain, the rest were put to the rout. Lieut.
Chamberlain himself was slightly wounded, this being
the 16th time we believe that this brave officer has been
hurt in action since 1840. At this time a working
party of 500 Europeans were employed in throwing up
a redoubt on the right face of the camp; they were re-
lieved by a corresponding number at midnight. The
work was carried on from sunset to dawn. Other works
were ordered to be constructed by hired labourers. The
Sepoys guarded the workmen—having themselves, we
presume, declined, as at Moultan, to handle entrenching
tools. The work was conducted under the supervision
of Captain Cunningham and Lieutenant Young of the
Engineers; and the enemy seemed to feel uneasy as they
saw us at last adopting a system against them which
they had pursued so long and with so much success
against us. On the Ist of February a strong de-
tachment, consisting of a regiment of dragoons, and
another of light cavalry, with four guns, was detached
to bring up supplies from Ramuggur. Reports at this
time prevailed that the Seikhs were about to send down
detachments to attack the force advancing from Moul-
tan—or to operate against Colonel Steinbach and his
Jameo troops; and it is probable that Lord Gough
may propose fortifying his camp with the view of
moving out, if requisite, with the larger portion of his
troops, leaving a small detachment secure within their
defences. Whish's force will probably reach him two
days hence; till then, he is not likely voluntarily to un-
dertake any operation against the enemy. It is said
that after the next great engagement the troops will go
into quarters for the season. They are, in fact, nearly
three weeks' march from Peshawur, and the campaign
cannot be considered ;completed till this city, together
with Attock and the Hazareh and Bunnoo countries, be
subdued; operations which would carry us far into the
month of May—a season at which men can scarcely live
under canvas.

The following defence of the 14th Dragoons had
appeared in the Mofussilite:—
" Having read in the Mofussilite of the 23d of Ja-
nuary an article in which her Majesty's 14th Dragoons
are selected for editorial comment, I trust you will
allow me, through the medium of the same columns, to
ask a few plain and simple questions, and make a few
remarks which will tend to set the public right, and
correct the statements made in that number. Your
readiness in correcting the errors that arise necessarily
when men write on sudden impulse, and during the
confusion that must exist after an engagement such as
was that of the 13th of January, induces me to do so; for
to these circumstances alone, and not to malignity, am I
inclined to attribute the remarks made on the 14th Dra-
goons by your correspondent. Why has this gallant
corps been singled out from all the regiments composing
Pope's Brigade, when the 9th Lancers and the Ist and
6th Light Cavalry were united with the 14th Dragoons
on the 13th of January, in a line of two deep—when the
right and centre regiments were the first to obey the
order to retire by threes about,' were the first to break—
when the 14th, which was the last to retire, was the
first to rally—and when the other regiments, on the right
and centre, went three times the distance to the rear
the 14th Dragoons did? The officers of the 6th Light
Cavalry and about 30 of their men formed up with the
14th, and have vouched, and will again vouch, for this
fact. No regiment went about until ordered, and the
14th received the command from Brigadier Pope, whose
ingenuity could device or conceive no other movement
to the rear but by the word Threes about." The 14th
Dragoons were never ordered to charge at all on the
13th, and could not, as they only formed part of a line of
cavalry. Brigadier Pope halted the line of cavalry
when he caught the first glimpse of the enemy, and
never gave a single word of command, although re-
quested to do so by the officer commanding the 14th
Dragoons—who was rendered powerless by his position,
with all the seuiur (dicers of native cavalry—except the
command to go tbrces about,' which occasioned the
confusion in the absence of either skirmishers to protect
the rear, or a reserve to rally upon in retiring. Why
ere the guns placed in the rear of the cavalry by Bri-
gadier Pepe, when in firing they would kill his own
troops—they were worse than useless there ; and this
against remonstrance and entreaty ? Why should a
brave body of men, who have always distinguished them.
selves since the formation of their regiment by Dormer,
more than a century and a half ago, and more signally
under Lord Wellington than any other cavalry regiment, li
be selected for vituperation when, while united with three
other regiments, they only obeyed the order of the Bri-
gadier commanding ? It looks like trying to sacrifice a
regiment to save a Brigadier, when the tact is that the
14th Dragoons were rallied by their own officers, one
of whom was killed and the other wounded, trying to
save Captain Huish, not, 800 yards from where they
went about, as soon as they discovered that a panic
had been created by their being, when in front of their
own guns, commanded to retire by a word which would
necessarily tend to insure disorder in a jungle, and in-
crease the difficulty of such a position. The confusion
was created by a sick old man who chanced to get hurt,
and who was, I believe, in the novel position of com-
manding a cavalry brigade in action. and never having
been under fire before in his life. Nothing better can
be expected while such a piece of decrepitude is placed
in command of a cavalry brigade; or rather while such a
system exists as will permit a man weighed down with
years, illness, and infirmity, who cannot mount or
dismount a horse unless assisted by three or four men
and a chair, to command her Majesty's Dragoons and
Lancers, for the first time in his life before the enemy
in the field. A rheumatic, aged, decrepit Light Dragoon
is a contradiction of terms, and would be as loudly ridi-
culed in Europe as if the troops of flying artillery were
led at a review by the Chelsea pensioners."
A letter from Lahore, dated the 18th, says:—" I am
sorry to inform you that Brigadier Pope was mortally
wounded in the action of the 13th, and is since dead.
Captain Unett, of the 3d Dragoons, is the only officer
touched of that corps; he was sliced down the back
about a yard. The corps had 24 killed; ne return vet
of the wounded."

BY THE COIIMANDER-IN.CHIEF—QUEEN'S
TROOPS.
The Commander-in•Chie£ in India is pleased to pro-
mote Lieutenant-Colonel Henry N. Douglas, of the 78th
Highlanders, to be Colonel, by brevet, in the. East Indies
only, from the 29th July, 1848.
The following orders aro confirmed:—
By his Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir Willoughby
Cotton, G.C.8., appointing Lieutenant Little, 10th Hus-
sari, Aide-de-Camp to the Right Hon. the Governor of
Bombay, vice Harrison, resigued—with effect from the
Ist of October, 1848.

Head-Quarters, Camp Chilianwalla, 17th January.—
The Commander-in-Chief in India is leased to make the
following promotions until her Majesty's pleasure shall
be known:—

14th Light Dragoons—Cornet William Spilling to be
Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Cureton, killed in ac-
tion. 14th January, 1849.

10th Foot—Lieutenant Henry Andrew Hollinaworth
to be Captain, vice Fenwick, promoted. 12th September,
1848.

Lieutenant Henry Radford Norman, to be Captain,
without purchase, vice Hollinsworth, deceased. 3d
October, 1848. _

Ensign Patrick Brown Lucas to be Lieutenant, vice
Hollinsworth, promoted. 12th September, 1848.
Ensign C. R. Berkeley Calcott to be Lieutenant, vice
Norman, 3d Oct., 1848.
24th Foot—To be Lieut. -Colonels without purchase—
Major Howell Paynter, vice Brooks, killed in action.
14th Jan., 1849.

Major Matthew Smith, from 29th Foot, vice Penny-
cuick, killed in action. 14th Jan., 1849.
To be Majors without purchase—Brevet Major John
Harris, vice Paynter, promoted. 14th Jan., 1849.
Captain Augustus George Blachford, vice H. W.
Harris, killed in action. 14th Jan., 1849.
To be Captains without purchase—Lieut. Francis
Spring, vice Lee, killed in action. 14th Jan., 1849.
Lieut. John Henry Lutman, vice Travers, killed in
action. 14th Jan., 1849.

Lieut. George E. L. Williams, vice C. R. Harris, killed
in action. 14th Jan., 1849.

Lieut. Francis Charles Skurray, vice J. Harris, pro•
moted. 14th Jan., 1849.

Lieut. Sweton Grant, vice Blachford, promoted. 14th
Jan., 1849.

Lieut. Andrew John Macpherson, vice Shore, killed
in action. 14th Jan., 1849.
Lieut. Richard Aubin Croker, vice Brown, promoted
in 29th Foot. 14th Jan., 1849.
To be Lieutenants without purchase—Ensign William
Douglas Hall Baillie, vice G. Phillips, killed in action.
14th Jan., 1849.
Ensign Henry John Hindu, vice Payne, killed in action,
14th January, 1849.
Ensign R. a A. de Montmorency, vice Woodgate,
killed in action. 14th January, 1849.
Ensign Robert Holahan, from the 18th Foot, vice
Spring, promoted. 14th January, 1849.
Ensign Alexander Robert Mowbray, from the 29th
Foot, vice Lutmau, promoted. 14th January, 1849.
Ensign James Stewart, from the 98th Foot, vice Wil-
liams, promoted. 14th January, 1849.
Ensign Joseph Charles Goodfellow,, from the 224
F9Qtt Vice §kUrraYl Pr9l49ted• Joututry, 1549,