The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-02 00:00:00

OVERLAND MAIL'
INDIA.

COMPLETE DEFEAT OF
THE SEIKHS BY LORD
GOUGH.

The mail of the 4.h of March from Bombay
brings intelligence from the theatre of war in the Pun-
jaub to the 21st of February, on which day a battle
was fought by the united forces of Lord Gough and
General Whish, which ended in the complete rout of
the Seikh army. Of this victory, however, no details
have arrived by this mail, as the dispatches of the
Commander-in-Chief had not reached Bombay when
the steamer left. We are enabled to state, however,
that semi-official accounts leave no doubt of the com-
plete success of our arms.
The proceedings of Lord Gough from the date of
our previous letters and up to the 10th of February
were chiefly confined to the defence of the position
which the British army occupied at Chillianw-allah.
The Seikh forces, having received some addition to
their numbers by the junction of Chuttur Singh,
the father of their leader, Shere Singh, took up
positions to the right of Lord Gough's camp, as if
with an intention of out-flanking the British. This
movement led to the supposition that the Seikhs con-
templated an attack ; but nothing of the kind took
place. The enemy caused a good deal of annoyance
to the grass-cutters and camp-followers; but no
serious encounter took place, fur Lord Gough per-
sisted in his plan of waiting for the arrival of the
Bengal division under General Whish, and of the
Bombay column commanded by Brigadier Dundas.
During several days, from th© 6th to the 12th of
February, various skirmishes took place, but no
serious encounter, as the British General continued
to act on the defensive. Provisions were abundant in
the British camp.
On the Bth a prisoner was brought into the camp,
who gave the news that Dost Mahommed was
collecting the revenue in the Attock districts, and
that he had built bridges over the Indus and the
Leandue.
On the 11th the Seikhs advanced to a village near
the British camp, as if to bring on an engagement,
and the 'whole line was turned out, but no fight took
place. The Seikhs plundered the outward and inward
mlits from the camp.
A proclamation (which will be found elsewhere)
was published by Sir Henry Lawrence, in the name
of Dhuleep Singh, the young Maharaja of Lahore,
which promised forgiveness for the past to all those
who should retire to their homes, and threatened
condign punishment to all who persisted in the
rebellion.
This proclamation was supposed sufficient to pro-
duce an effect amongst the Seikh chieftains, many of
whom were not satisfied with the course which the
campaign had taken, as they found that money and
provisions were wanting.
On the 12th the Seikhs, who during the late feigned
attacks on Lord Gough's camp had found means to
remove their heavy guns from their entrenchments at
Russoal, drew up their cavalry in the village of
Coira, and under its cover struck their tents, and
marched towards Goojerat. This retreat allowed the
British an opportunity of examining with attention
the ground on which the battle had taken place on
the 13th of January. That position of the Seikhs
was found to be immensely strong, and consisted of
a double line of intrenchments, iu front of which
they had planted large bushes in every direction, so
as to mask themselves, anti to prevent the movement
of cavalry. Their camp had been pitched upon the
slope of a hill, with a battery in the midst of broken
ground. Close to this battery was a deep and rugged
ravine with a narrow bridge. To the rear of this
natural fortress was a perpendicular wall of rock near
the Jhelum. This was the strength of the Seikhs on
the memorable 13th of January. An advance upon
that position would have cost many more lives than
those lost in that battle.
The plans of the Seikhs during several days showed
that they wished to entice Lord Gough into an attack
on that position ; but failing in their schemes, they
retired from this spot at three o'clock on the morning
of the 13th of February, and encamped at Needun
and Chimbur, with the evident intention of moving
in the direction of Goojerat.
On the 15th it was known that the Seikhs had
gone towards Wuzeerabad, as if with the intention
of crossing the Chenab there and of proceeding
towards Lahore. Fortunately General Whish with
his cavalry and a portion of his infantry had reached
Ramnuggur, and a :part of his force was detached
from Ramnuggur to Wuaeerabad, so as to prevent
the passing of the Seikhs at that ford. The Seikhs
plundered all the districts between the Jhelum and
Chenab, and took up a position near the town of
Goojerat.
Oa the 16.. h Lord Gough marched from Supooree
to Sudalpoor, a village about five miles from the
Cf.ensb ; while General Whish constructed a bridge
of boats over the Chenab at Hurreke Puttam, which
facilitated his movement to join the Commander-in-
C':,ief.
On the 18th the troops were hastening towards
the point at which they were to concentrate. The
13 Knb ay column, under Brigadier Dundas, arrived at
Ratnnuggur, and on the 19th marched to join Lord

Gough.
On the 20th the lot preparations were made for
the conflict, and on the 21st Lord Gough attacked
Shere Singh in his position near Goojerat, defeated
him on all points, and routed the Seikh army. Shere
Singh fled, leaving a great portion of his guns and
of his ammunition, as well as his standing camp, in
possession of the victors, who were engaged in the
pursuit of the dispersed Seikhs when the intelligence
left.
The news of this victory reached Bombay by ex-
press late at night ou the 3d of March, and a royal
salute was fired in its honour on the 4th, at one
o'clock in the afternoon. The steamer started in the
evening of the 4th for Suez.
The victory was announced in the following pro
clamation

" NOTIFICATION.
"POLITICAL DEPARTMENT.

" BOMBAY CASTLE, MARCH 3

" The Right 11;n. the Governor in Council has the
gratification of publishing for general information the
following notification by the Right lion. the Gover-
nor• General of India, announcing the rout of the
Seikh army under Raja Shere Singh, on the 21st ult.,
by the forces under the command of his Excellency
the Commander-in- Chief.
" A salute of twenty-one guns will be fired at
every principal military station in this Presidency on
receipt of this notification.
"By order of the Right Honourable,
the Governor in Council,
" A. MALET. Chief Secretary."

" NOTIFICATION.
"FOREIGN DEPARTMENT.
" CAMP, FEROZEPORE, FEB, 23.
" The Governor-General has the gratification of
intimating to the President in Council, and notifying
for public information, that he has this day received
a dispatch from Major Mackeson, C. 8., Agent to the
Governor-General, with the Commander-in-Chief,
conveying the intelligence that the forces under his
Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, on the 21st
instant, attacked and routed the Seikh army in the
neighbourhood of Goojerat.
" 2. The enemy was beaten at every point, and
retreated in disorder, leaving in the hands of the
British troops, by whom he was pursued, a great por-
tion of his artillery, his ammunition, and the whole
of his sanding camp.
" The official dispatches of his Excellency the Com-
mander-in-Chief will be published as soon as they are
received.
" The Governor-General directs that a salute of 21
guns shall be fired at every principal station of the
army on the receipt of this notification.
"By order of the Right Hon. the Governor-
General of India,
" H. M. ELLIOT,
" Secretary to the Government of India
" with the Governor-Genera!

(True copy.) "A, iIALET Chief-Secretary."
The news of the battle arrived in Bombay too late
for the ordinary editions of the papers, but the fol-
lowing extras were published :
(From the Telegraph and Courier.)
" March 4, 1849.
"An express, with dispatches dated the 25th ,
arrival late laA night from the camp of the G,vernot:-
General, bringing the important intelligence of a b tttle
having, be n fought un the 2 lit betwe. n the 13ritiTh army
under L.)rcl Gough, anl the insurgent forces headed by
the eslbt,l Sirdar, Shere Singh.
The Seikhs, we are informed, were beaten on all •
aides, with the less of several, but not the whole, of
their guns. Their arnmunallm, and the slim!, of their
standit.g camp. were taken by the Nothin4 is
said as to the 10',-,a sustained on either side; and, indeed,
official details on this head can hardly a: yet have
received. Ey the last advises the British were still in
pursuit ofThe
" A sP.lute has been ordered by the Governor-General
to be f.red in honour of the victory.
" above brief account (embracing all the news
viVieli has ‘, et come to hand) seems to indicate that the
S aikhs have at last received a sound thrashing. As the
atnnatnition and standing camp, however, were taken by
Lord Gough, it seems odd that any of the Seikh guns
should have bc‘n allowed to be carried off from the
field. We have been so accustomed to false or imper-
ket official statements that until the arrival of details
vse hardly know whether a complete victory has been
NVOil or not.