The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-18 00:00:00

" FOREIGN DEPARTMENT.

" Camp, Ferozepour, Jan. 31, 1849.
Sir,—l am directed to acknowledge the receipt of his
Excellency the Commander-in-Chief's dispatch, dated the
sth, 10th, and 16th ult., reporting the particulars of an action
kith the enemy at Soodalapoor, and the passago of the
Cbenab, by Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, K.C.B.
and K. H.

"2. The Governor-General regrets to find that he inad-
Vertently omitted to issue instructions founded on a minute
Which he had recorded on the subject of the dispatches under
acknowledgment.
"3. Its Lordship begs to congratulate the Commander•in-
Chlef on the success of the measures which he adopted for
effecting the passage of the Chenab, and to convey to him
the assurance of his satisfaction with, and his best thanks
far, the judicious arrangement by which he was enabled,
with comparative little less, to carry into execution his plans
for the passage of this difficult river, and for compelling the
retreat of the Seikh army from the formidable position which
they occupied on its further bank, after they had been en-
gaged and beaten back by the forces under Major• General Sir
Joseph Thackwell.
"4. Tho result of his Excellency's movements in driving
the Seikh army from their entrenchment., and forciag them to
retire to the other extremity of the Doab, was of much im-
portance.

"5. The Governor-General offers his best thanks to
Major-General Sir Joseph Thacksvell, for -his successful di-
rection of the force under his command, and for the skilful
dispositions by which he compelled the enemy to retire, and
ultimately to quit the ground he had occupied.
"6. The Governor-General offers his best thanks to Briga-
dier General Campbell for the able assistance which he ren-
dered to Major-General Sir Joseph Thackerell, and to Lieut.-
Colonel Grant, for the powerful and effective use which he
Made of the artillery under his command.
"7. The Governor-General has had much gratification in
observing the terms in which the Commander-in-Chief has
spoken of the army under his command in the field, and he
concurs with his Excellency in bestowing upon them the
pratse which is their due.

"I have, &C.,
Government
1, 11.
• '
(Signed)
"Secretary to the
,1\ r •ELLIOTT,
or'FfLeli
b°P.Trdia' witu the
Hon. the Head - QGuTtrenr°Fr,.6lGeonojerrs.ai 1:t
Extract from General Order.—The Rig . 22, 1849.
dseerr:
Go-
vernor-General of India having instructed theCosmpemeiaanl
ia-Chief to detAch a force across the Jhelum on
vice, his Excellency the Right llon. the Commwat
a,nldeerr ll
-in:
Chie f is pleased to appoint Major-General Sir
Gilbert, K. C.B. to command the whole of the troops to be
employed on the occasion. ' The force will be composed
as
orth in the following details:—
General nd Diff.
Major-General Sir W. R. Gilbert,visional K.C.B.,Sta commanding.
Lieut. C. R. Colt, 11. M.'s 3d Dragoons, A.D.C.
captain W. P. Robbins, 15th N.I. Extra A.D.C.
Major H. P. Burn, Ist N.I , D.A.A. General.
Captain J. Ramsay, 80. Army,. Quartermaster-General.
Captain C. I
Lieut. G. Johiogg' Commissary of Ordnance. nstone, Arty, D.J.A. General.
Surgeon J. C. Dempster, Superintending Surgeon.
e, tto.tillery. .
Brigadier H. Iluthwait
brigade.
Lieutenant E. Kaye, major
2d and 4th troops 2d brigade Bengaland 3d troop Bombay
horse artillery ; 3d company labattalion Bengal artillery,
with No. 1 light field battery attached ; and four reserve
companies of artillery which Brigadier General Tennant will
detail.
Engineer Department.
Major Napier, Commanding Engineer.—Captains B. W.
Goldie and W. Abercrombie; First Lieutenants C. B.
Young and J. L. Irwin; Second Lieutenant W. W. 11.
Greathed—Thrce of
Bengal, and one ditto dittocompanies Bombay. Sappers and Pioneers
Cavalry.
13tirr,iguatdier J. B. Hearsey, commanding.
„,-.r
_eriant N. B. Chamberlain, Major of Brigade.
"L Alajesty's 14th Light Dragoons ; First Regiment L'glat
t;avalry; 3d, 9th, 12th, 13th, and 14th Irregular Cavalry.
Infantry—Bengal.
tig_ma_d_ierler General,G A.
D. S. W. Mountain, C. 8., commanding.
t4.c.

Brevet. Captain J. A. D. Ferguson, 6th Cavalry, D. A. A.

General.
Brevet Captain, Quartermaster-General.
Ist Division, Ist Brigade.
Brigadier G. Congreve, C. 8., commanding.
Lieutenant C. E. Macdonnell, Brigade Major.
Her Majesty's 29th and 61st Foot, and 80th and 36th N.I.
2d Brigade.
Brigadier N. Penny, C. 8., commanding.
Captain N. E. Shewill, Brigade Major.
2d European L 1., and 31st and 70th N.I.

2d Division.
Brigadier• General the Hon. 11. Dundas, C. 8., commanding.
Brigadier• General, A.D.C.
Major E. Green, C. 8., A.A. General.

3d Brigade.
Brigadier Byrne, C. 8., to command.
Captain French, Major of Brigade.
Her Majesty's 53d Foot, the 13th and 22d Regiments N.I.

. .
ad Brigade.
Brigadier D. Capon, commanding.
Captain W. Stiles, Brigade Major.
11er Majesty's 60th Rifles, let Fusiliers, and 3d and 19th N,

PROGRESS OF THE FORCE UNDER MAJOR

GENERAL SIR W. GILBERT.
(From the Gazette, March 8.)
The orders to march were issued at an early hour on the
22d of February, and the whole of the troops composing
this force (excepting the 3d brigade, which was not ex-
pected to start from head-quarters at Goojrat before the
Ist instant, with the heavy guns and mortars that were
to accompany) marched about eight, A.M., and kept up the
pursuit for eighteen miles, under a hot sun and through a
jungly country, in the direction of the Khoree pass, it
being understood that the only road practicable for guns
lay through that defile. The force reached their encamping
ground about four, P.M. ; the sepoys, of course, considerably
fatigued, as they had been unable to cook the day before,
and were even now without the necessary appliances for so
doing. During the night a heavy storm came on—the same
storm appears to have raged all along the outer range of the
Himalayas, as it extended to Mussoorie, and was felt here in
the masses of dust that filled the air for two or three days
after the 24th. On the 211 d the march was resumed, and the
force reached Khoree, the position which the Seikhs occu-
pied in such force after having evacuated Russool. The
Bombay division were halted, to prevent, we presume, any
attempt of the enemy at occupying the rear, while Brigadier
General Mountain went en through the pass to Pooran. It
was considered fortunate the enemy were not inclined to hold
or defend the gorge, as it was found very strong, the guns
being obliged to pass through singly, and it was the wonder
of all what could have induced the Seikhs to abandon such
a strong position for the one they occupied at Goojrat. A
hail-storm occurred as the troops were passing up the defile,
end rain fell in torrents for some time after their arrival at
Pooran, so that the tents were greatly delayed, and the
sepoys were for the third day prevented from cooking. They
consoled themselves, however, with the hope that they would
halt the next day, bat General Gilbert having received intel-
ligence that the enemy were crossing over with guns, and
that if the force hurried on they might possibly intercept
them, the march was resumed on the 24th of February,
the horse artillery and cavalry moving on a head ;
hut although Lumsden's guides—of which corps Lieu-
tenant Sale has been appointed adjutant—fell in with a
few stragglers, and cut up about forty of them, the main
' body had effected their passage before the British
troops reached Nourungabad, and were comfortably en-
camped on the right bank of the river, on either side of the
town of Jhelum. The march from Pooran to Nourungabad,
which is opposite to Jhelum, was 16 miles, and the sepoys
were at last enabled to prepare their food—the European
portion of the force had not been much better off, and a
good night's rest made all square for the morning of the
25th. The enemy were supposed to have from 17 to 20
guns with them, some of which they sent across when they
left Russool, managing to carry off the rest from the field of
battle. Major Lawrence arrived in the camp of General
Gilbert from head-quarters, and went across the river, during
the 25th, with some difficulty, as the Seikhs had collected
all the boats they could lay their hands on, on their side
the river, and burnt a large number of them. He returned
to the ritish camp the same evening, and immediately
started for the head-quarters of the Commander-in-Chief
at Goojrat, this time the bearer, we believe, of propositions
on the part of Raja Shore Singh. It was ascer-
tained that the whole of the European prisoners were on
the other side of the Jhelum in the camp of the Raja.
It appears that Sirdar Akram Khan was not killed, but se-
verely wounded, in the battle of Goojrat, and many accounts,
collected on the advance of General Gilbert, coincided as to
his having died subsequently from the effects of his wound;
but our native correspondent maintains he had continued his
flight towards Attock, and the report of his death may have
been circulated to prevent pursuit. On the 26th of February
the Major-General again marched, with his whole force,
about six miles up the river, to the vicinity of a ford of three
and a half feet in depth, where he made immediate prepara-
tions for crossing. All our letters speak in high terms of the
fertility of the country, and of the luxuriance of the crops
they saw in all directions. On the 27th the Major-Ge-
neral passed a considerable body of his troops across
what was at one time considered the main body of the
stream, and hence a belief in camp at Goojrat that the
Jhelum had been crossed, but on further inspection it was
found there were two more branches, one deeper than
the one already passed, and likely to give some trouble
should the Seikhs defend the ford. As General Gilbert
would, under any circumstances, have to wait at Jhelum for
his third brigade and guns with heavy ordnance stores, he
considered it prudent to effect his crossing at leisure, and was
consequently preparing rafts to facilitate the passage of the
deepeA of the-two streams still between him and the right
bank of the river. The troops of Maharaja Ghoolab Singh,
which had up to the present time been quietly encamped at
Meerpore, about eighteen miles north of Jhelum, have now
been called upon to co-operate with the British force, and
have marched from Meerpoor ; some, it is said, across the
Jhelum, so as to take the Seikhs in the rear, and others to-
wards General Gilbert's camp, in the immediate neighbour-
hood of which a detachment was posted, according to the
latest letters received.

The following extracts from the Mofussilite of the 9th
instant, which reached us last night, give the latest news
received from the armies of Lord Gough and General
Gilbert :

" CAmr, GOOJRAT, MARCH 3.—The reinforcements for
Gilbert's division left this yesterday (under Brigadier
M'Leod), consisting of her Majesty's 61st Foot, 13th and
22d Native Infantry, Ist Light Cavalry, 4th troop 2d Bri-
gade Horse Artillery, and the seige train, under Brigadier
Huthwaite, C. 8., together with four companies of toot ar-
tillery. Her Majesty's 61st are to relieve her Majesty's
29th ; the latter corps is very sickly, I regret to say."
From letters " direct" from the camp of General Gilbert,
dated the Ist and 2d of March, we extract as follows ;
"Early on the morning of the 22d the second division of
the army, under Sir W. R. Gilbert, moved on, in pursuit of
the Seilihs, to the River Jhelum. We arrived opposite Jhe-
lum on the 26th; and next day moved on to Chincarpoor.
On the evening of the 27th, the left wing of the 2d Euro-
pean Regiment, the 31st Native Infantry, and Fordyce's
troop Horse Artillery, and Dawes' battery, crossed over, and
took possession of an island. On the 28th ult., the whole
of the 2d Europeans, the 31st Native Infantry, and some
guns, crossed over, and encamped on another island, and
this morning, the 2d Europeons, the 31st Native
Infantry, and the guns, marched into this camp
(Packal, about three miles from the city of Jhelum, on the
right bank of the Jhelum). The rest of the troops are now
crossing over as quickly as possible; but I suspect three or
four days must elapse before ye are all on the right bank.
You can form no idea of the difficulty and trouble of crossing
a foree over the Jhelum. Before the second stream could be
crossed we were forced to unload the camels and put their
burdens upon elephants The current is extremely rapid,
the depth of the river about two and a half or three feet, and
the footing very insecure. As yet, however, lam happy to
say not a single accident has happened. 'The personal ac-
tivity and caution of General Gilbert is wonderful. Of all
others he is the very man for such an expedition as the
present. As soon as the enemy heard the British troops
were crossing, on the 27th, they retired—the villagers say
to Attock ; but others have it that Shore Singh and the
remnant of his troops are encamped near a pass (I cannot
venture on the name) about twenty-one miles from this.
It is asserted that both horse and foot soldiers are daily de-
serting him ; but this story has been so often told, when the
very reverse was the case, that I do not place any confidence
therein.

" March 2.—Colonel Steinbach, with a few of Ghoolab
Singh's cavalry, has come into camp. At one P.M. all the
troops here, consisting of 2d Europeans, 31st and 70th Na-
tive Infantry, and Dawes' Battery, more on to Rhotas. (The
remainder of the force is still crossing). The Irregular
Cavalry, which was sent on to Jhelum on the 28th ultimo,
took two 9-inch mortars and a quantity of ammunition,
besides nine prisoners. The name of the pass held by the
Singhs is Buchilla. It is supposed they can muster still
some ten or twelve guns, and about 8,002 or 10,000 men, of
all sorts. Our information, however, is, as usual, so vary
indifferent that it is a matter of doubt whether another shot
will be fired, or whether they have in reality half the strength
we give them credit for."

We are extremely sorry to hear that, on the morning of
the Ist instant, an accident occurred to Brigadier-General
Mountain, which it is feared will compel that officer to re-
linquish his present command. One of the Brigadier-Gene-
ral's pistols went off as he was placing it in the holster, and
shot him through the left hand.
Since our last we have heard that the report of Ghoolab
Singles death was current at Lahore, Jullunder, and all the
principal towns and villages on the frontier ; but es we have
had no definite information on the point, we imagine that
the report is without foundation. One account, which
reached the shroffs at this station, was this—that one Jowahir
Singh, a Seikh, had stabbed the wily chieftain to the heart.
The reason assigned was, that Ghoolab refused to assist Shere
Singh, either with troops or money, to carry on the war
against the British.

-We take the following from this morning's Telegraph and
Courier, the Editor of which paper states that he received a
cpoancktaeitnibnygtehxetnraocrttsh-frwoemsttehxepirtslwdich arrived last night,
nsat.z:e_tte, Agra Messenger,
and Itli!fussitite Extra, of the 10th i
who,er t hyaosu gotwil
Iphoassveessbioenar
do,fshthe
t
Buk h Pass. 11, oun in,
on
ni
nsGr himself throughsji asße:ra'd A.l eec
reporta, s.—Gilbert
is h
ecoming back, and Campbell goes
that Ghoolab Shingh has
been poisoned by his khunsamrelr;.at the instigation of his
is very silent, and I fancy
we are doomed to a hot weathera'
nephew. The Governor-Genera
sickness is showing itself in cam in tents. lam sorry to say
out of this stench he will soon havep'and unless the chief move.
silite Extra, March 10. full hospitals."—Modr us-
" GENERAL GILBERT'S FORCE, RHOTAS, MARCH
the Ist of this month more troops crossed the 3.—On
whilst others moved to the right bank of the main stream,
nverthe 2d marched to Rhotas, which i 3 a very large pic and on
tu
looking place, and might have been strong before the ofque
gunpowder, but with artillery opposed to it it could not re-
sist two hours, being made of brick, and commanded by
several hills near it. The road from the ford to Rhotas lies
through a very finely cultivated country, and pretty scenery,
but nothing tfiat could have stopped the advance of our army.
Of the movement of the Seikhs I know little. The villagers
report them to have gone to Rowill Pinn, with only five
guns, and that the Mussulmans have risen and thrashed
Utter Singh, and many other things, which are to be doubted
though, with Gilbert and Makeson at the head of a fine
force, I fancy the regime of the Seikhs may be lo )ked upon
as nearly over."—lbid.
The Dehi Gazette announces the discovery of four more
large guns near Goojrat—making 57 in all captured from the
Seikhs. The same paper says, that Captain Steer, of the
56th Bengal Native Infantry, who was recently dismissed
the army fur drunkenness, died at Ferozepore on the Gth
inst.—Thegraph and Courier March 17.
MILITARY ISTELLIGENCE.
CASUALTIES BY DEATH IN THE ARMIES pr INDIA, REPORTED
SINCETIIE DEPARTURE OE THE MAIL OF THE:3d MARCH.
Her Majesty's Troops—Lieut. A. Lloyd, 14th Dragoons,
killed in action at Goojrat on the 21st February; ; Lieut.
Hughes, 84th Foot,,at Secunderabad, on the Ist March.
Bombay—Assistant-Surgeon Charles Thatcher, in medical
charge Goozerat Irregular Horse, at Kaira, on the Ist March.
Madras—Major C. Evans, in Europe, on the 10th
January • Captain Wilson, 32d Nativu Infantry, at Calcutta,
on the 51 March.
Bengal—Captain John Inglis' late commanding the 11th
Cavalry, at Moultan, on the 1611Febraary ; Captain J. An-
(luso, 4th troop 3cl brigade Horse Artillery; Second Lieu-