The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-05 00:00:00

NOTIFICATION.

CAMP, MUKKOO, JAN. 17.
t The Governor-General has much satisfaction in in-
bll:ll,ating to the President in Council, and of notifying fur
„rellulic information, that he has this day received a demi-
"'Hoial letter from his Excellency the Commander-in-
Chief, in which his Excellency announces to the Go-
'reroor-General that, on the afternoon of the 13th inst.,
fthe troops under his command attacked and entirely de-
eated the Seikh army, under Rajah Shere Singh, in its
Position near the river Jhelum.
pi. 2. The action was obstinately and severely contested.
e enemy was in great force, and occupied very strong
"Positions-l 1 They were driven back at every point, with
e loss of many of their guns, and had, by the latest in-
telligence,
relinquished all the positions in which they
Gad been entrenched.
t,.3. Th detals of thes operations have nt yet reached
Govee rnor•iGeneral;e as soon as they are o
received they
Rill be published for general information.
„ 4. The Governor-General directs that a salute of 21
.6,11na be fired at every principal station of the army as
soon Its this notification shall be received.
lly order of the Right Hon. the Governor-General of
utdiat

11. M. ELLIOT,
Secretary to the Government of India, with the

Governor-General.

gul EXCELLENCY THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TO THE
oovEntion.•OENERAL or INDIA.
CAMP, CHILLIANWALLAH, JAN. 16.
Lord,—Major Mackeson, your Lordship's Political
camp, officially
ihgtot with mycommunicated to me on
.
- 10th instant the fall of Attock, and the ad-
aa
nee of Sirdar Chuttur Singh, in order to concentrate
h,i% force with the army in my front under Shere Singh,
Istiread
2 Y amounting to from 30,000 to 40,000 men, with
ti,-„gutls) concluding his letter thus:—" I would urge, in
event of your Lordship's finding yourself strong
.-`lO, with the army under yolir command, to strike
-n effectual blow at the enemy in our front, that the blow
itheold be struck with the least possible delay."
%Concurring entirely with Major Mackeson, and feeling
41tt I was perfectly competent effectually to overthrow
i; Leta Singh's army, I moved from Loah Tibbah at day-
Out on the 12th, to Dingee, about 12 miles. Having
bate from my spies, and from other sources of infor-
ekos. that Shere Singh still held with his right
eh villa ea of Lukhneewalla and' Futtee Shah-ke-
,, ,tlelt, having the great body of his force at the village
with his left at Russool, on the Jhelum,
sta.„
0 f .--,t3r occupying the southern extremity of a low range
1.1 "'!%cult hills, intersected by ravines, which extend
''Y to that village, I made my arrangements accord-
-447., that evening, and communicated them to the corn-
lotngeta of the several divisions; but, to insure correct
iieerreation as to the nature of the country, which I be-
to be excessively difficult and ill adapted to the
‘.,tfthileo of a regular army, I determined upon moving
0:5 linage with a view to reconnoitre.
tame the morning of the 13th the force advanced. I
to (I." a eQu.iclorable detour to my right, partly in order
ss latrac the enemy's atteuts.,-, 'oet principally to get
clear as I could of the jungle, on wi.- it would ap.
Pear that the enemy mainly relied.
P° approached this village about twelve o'clock-,-ants
.(nlad on a mound close to it a strong picket of the
01t1;4,13es cavalry and infantry, which at once dispersed,
taming from the mound a very extended view of the
ettettntry before us, and the enemy drawn out in battle
:7, he having either during the night or that morning
..2ved out of his several positions and occupied the
r_,3end in our front, which, though not a dense, was still
itegslfficult jungle, his right in advance of Futteh Shah-
scribeLrek, and his left on the furrowed hills before de-
t.,The day being so far advanced I decided upon taking
tve Position in rear of the village, in order to recon-
b,°ltte my front, finding that I could not turn the ene-
'ailanks, which rested upon a dense jungle extending
Iliat'Y to Hailah, which I had previously occupied for
'l33e p
a time and the neighourhood which I knew, and
f„°o the ravin,y hills near Russool,of without detaching a
-tulle to a distance ; this I considered both inexpedient
dangerous.
thAThe engineer department bad been ordered to examine
Was country before us, and the Quartermaster-General
in the act of taking up ground for the encampment,
o "en the enemy advaneed some horse artillery, and
,Peaed a fire on the skirmishers in frost of the village. I
ftat' raediately ordered them to be silenced by a few rounds
inln our
'tont heavy guns, which advanced to an open space
b of the village. Their fire was instantly returned
21: that of nearly the whole of the enemy's field artillery,
h na exposing the position of his guns, which the jungle
ad hitherto concealed.
sell was now evident that the enemy intended to fight,
end Ivould probably advance his guns so as to reach the
c,toPialent during the night.
therefore drew up in order of battle; Sir Walter
13-Inheres division on the right, flanked by Brigadier
lae's brigade of cavalry, which I strengthened by the
strong" ght Dragoons, well aware that the enemy was
three
cavalry upon his left. To this were attached
col e troops of Horse Artillery, under Lieutenant-
,i,"o• Grant. The heavy guns were in the centre. ,
lef-rnigadier-General Campbell's division formed the
and uanked by Brigadier White's brigade of cavalry,
Col three troops of Horse Artillery, under Lieutenant.
°ll3nel Brind.
Thl4 field batteries were with the infantry divisions.
tha e, formed, the troops were ordered to lie down, whilst
Lt. heavy guns, under Major Horford, ably seconded by
opened Majors and Sir Richmond Shakespear,
itr,,e!led a well-directed and powerful fire upon the ene-
pidaell centre, where his guns appeared principally to be
the held batteries of the infantry divisions.
AbAfter about an hour's fire, that of the enemy appeared
e,
if not silenced, sufficiently disabled to justify an
-r"ce upon his position and guns.
to then ordered my left division to advance, which had
~,,h111,...°,ve over a great extent of ground, and in front of
a.ftn the enemy seemed not to hare many guns. Soon
tOrders to Brigadier Pope to protect the flank and stin-
°l.t the movement. Brigadier Penny's Brigade was
el(' in reserve, while the Irregular Cavalry, under Bri-
tidier Ilearsey, with the 2uth Native Infantry, was
ordered to protest the enormous amount of provision
baggage that so hampers the movements of an In-
klisn army.
IQ Some time after the advance, I found that Brigadier
.5-ennyealek's brigade bad failed in maintaining the posi-
tion, it had carried, and I immediately ordered Brigadier
penny's reserve to its support; but Brigadier-General
ampbell, with that steady coolness and military deci-
sion for which he is so remarkable, having pushed on
I°4 left brigade and formed lino to his right, carried
tterything before him, and soon overthrew that portion
Of the enemy which had obtained a temporary advantage
ever his right brigade.
This last brigade, I am informed, mistook for the
iitnal to move in double time the action of their brave
ii%ders, Brigadier Pennycuick and Lieutenant-Colonel
4,r,l"kea (two officers not surpassed for sound judgment
thtoilitary daring in this or any army), who waved
,v swords over their heads as they cheered on their
stailant This unhappy mistake led to the
zu comrades.
tottLopeans outstripping the native corps, which could
ttinrep pace, and arriving completely blown at a belt of
'/4,.:'er jungle, where they got into some confusion, and
cotenant-Colonel Brookes, leading the 24th, was killed
off"eri the enemy's guns. At this moment a large body
~ infantry which supported their guns opened upon them
destructive a fire that the brigade was forced to re-
„re,, having lost their gallant and lamented leader, Bri-
"trer Pennycuick, and the three other field officers of
as: 24th, and nearly half the regiment, before it gave
bop the native regiment, when it came up, also
cir,"ing severely. In justice to this brigade, I must be
foe"wed to state that they behaved heroically; and but
*0 their too hasty, and consequently disorderly advance,
vehtdol have emulated the conduct of their left brigade,
fro,se,h, left unsupported for a time, had to charge to their
ma: and right, wherever an enemy appeared. The bri-
tok_ef Horse Artillery on their left, under Lieutenant-
tekin.,7l Brind, judiciously and gallantly aiding, main-
-7,,71a an effective fire.
44(Tajor-General Sir J. Tbackwell, on the extreme left
11 orrisert:h chargeds the enemy's cavalry wherever they
° tight attack of infantry, under that able officer
thjer-General Sir Walter Gilbert, was most praisewor-
Ito/ and sue,2essful. The left brigade, under Brigadier
gotiltlit.lsin, advanced under a heavy fire upon the enemy's
In a Intoner that did credit to the Brigadier and
fertgalls.nt brigade, which came first into action and suf.
GoAtlleYerely. The right brigade, under Brigadier
4,4,], ably supported the advance.
in:',',lllll division nobly maintained the character of the
arev, taking and spiking the whole of the enemy's
they In their front, and disperFing the Seikhs wherever
~,17 were seen.
Ere'ohte hMisajfioerl-dGbealtetreryal
.reports most favourably of the
The tight brigade of cavalry, under Brigadier Pope,
/1 lot) I regret, to say, so successful. Either by some