The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-23 00:00:00

INDIA.

The following extracts from letters, written by
officers present in the late engagement when the
gallant Cureton fell, will be read with considerable
interest :

(EXTRACT FROM THE LETTER OF AN OFFICER.)
Camp, Ramnuggur, Nov. 27.
We were engaged with the enemy on the 22d. It
was only an affair of cavalry and horse artillery, but,
for the time it lasted, our loss was very severe. On
reaching the place where Brigadier-General Cure-
ton's division was encamped, we found all in readi-
ness to move. We marched for this place, expect-

ing to find the enemy, and when about four miles
distant halted for daybreak, and formed in order of
battle—artillery and infantry in the centre, cavalry
on both flanks, the Commander-in-Chief and staff in
front of the line, skirmishers in advance. Just as
the sun was rising we moved on. It was a beautiful
sight, the troops as compact and steady as on a field
day. We found the enemy had evacuated the pla4,
but it was reported that a few horsemen were still on
the banks of the river (Chenab). The river is dis-
tant from Ramnuggur nearly three miles, and the
ground between very heavy and broken. The 3d
Dragoons, Bth Cavalry, and two troops of horse
artillery were ordered up, and went towards the
river at a canter. The cavalry drove the
enemy across the river, and the horse ar-
tillery immediately opened their fire from the
banks, but after a few rounds the heavy guns of
the enemy compelled them to retire, leaving a gun
and two waggons almost buried in the loose
sand. It could not he helped ; our six-pounders
were not of much use across the river, against the
heavy guns of the enemy, and the gun had got so
completely embedded in the deep sand, that all the
horses that could be brought down could not move
it. The gun was spiked, more artillery ordered
up; the enemy re-crossed the river, and skirmish-
ing went on all the morning. Shortly after, large
bodies of the enemy again crossed, and Colonel
Havelock was very anxious to have at them with
the 14th Dragoons and the sth Cavalry. At last, the
word was given, and Colonel Havelock advanced
the 14th Dragoons and the sth Cavalry at a trot,
in close column of squadrons, right in front. As
soon as they came within range, the enemy pitched in
their round shot well. The brigade got the word
" form line to the front," and had scarcely got into
line when they came upon a nullah full of men. The
brigade charged most gallantly; they halted, re-
formed, and again charged large bodies of horse and
foot intermingled, not less than 3,000 men, under
shelter of their own batteries. General Cureton was
shot through the heart, and Colonel Havelock fell at
the head of the 14th Dragoons, in their last desperate
charge. The troops were now taken out of fire, and
skirmishers advanced to cover the field, but many of
our poor fellows who had only been wounded were
killed before they could be rescued. The enemy kept
up a fire for the remainder of the day, whenever they
could see anything to fire at.
(EXTRACT FROM ANOTHER LETTER OF AN OFFICER.)
Camp, near Bamnuggur, Nov. 30.
The troops on the morning of the 211, under
Beigaider- General Campbell, moved at three o'clock
item , to attack a large portion of the regular troops
of the enemy, who, with several guns, were stated
to be on the banks of the Chenab, near this place.
On gaining the high ground on the right of the
town of Ramnuggur, it was discovered that
the greater part of the enemy, with their artil-
lery, had crossed over to the encampment on the
apposite side of the river, where the whole of
their forces were in position. Several small par-
ties were seen retiring from the town of Ratnnug-
eur towards the ford in front of the enemy's encamp-
ment. Brigadier-General Cureton ordered two troops
of horse artillery and the cavalry to pursue these
parties, and open a fire upon them as they crossed
the river. In their eagerness to attack the
enemy the horse-artillery pushed on through the
deal; :and heavy sand on the left side of the river,
which extends to a great distance, down to the
edge of the stream. The guns were only moved
with the greatest difficulty, but their fire inflicted
severe loss on the enemy at the ford, and the duty
'was performed under the fire of the whole of
the enemy's artillery (28 heavy guns), posted on
the high ground which overhangs the right bank
of the river. On attempting to withdraw from this
position, one gun and two ammunition waggons sank
so completely into the sand, behind a deep bank, that
it was found impossible to remove them. On observ-
ing that the gun was immovable, the enemy crossed
over the whole of his cavalry, amounting to between
3,000 and 4,000 men, but they kept close to the river,
under cover of the fire of their artillery on the other
side the river.
This body of cavalry was several times charged by
her .Majesty's 3d and 4th Light Dragoons, and sth
and Bth Light Cavalry, and were overthrown on
every occasion, and fled to the margin of the river for
shelter and aid from their artillery.
It was in these desperate encounters that we have
to regret the severe loss of Brigadier-General Cure.
ton, commanding the cavalry, while leading a squa-
dron of her Majesty's 14th Dragoons to support the
sth Light Cavalry.
Colonel Havelock also fell. He was last seen
charging the enemy at the head of his noble regi-
ment; and Colonel Alexander of the sth Light
Cavalry lost his arm.
The gun could, of course, have been recovered, had
it been worth the expenditure of men and horses, but
the Commander-in-Chief thought it was not, as the
enemy had got the correct range, and would have
done great damage.
An attempt will doubtless be made to cast some
blame upon the Commander-in-Chief for the result of
these two affairs, but not justly. The facts are, that
General Cureton ordered in the firste r
ried
instanceout as bothh e
movements, and if they had been a
had wished, they would have been attended with the
happiest results ; but on both occasions mistakes in
the execution, to a great degree unavoidable, marred
the original plan. In both cases the ardour of our
troops was too great. It was a rush who should get
at the enemy first ; but it must have been most gra-
tifying to the Commander-in-Chief to witness the
brilliant conduct of the regiments engaged, and the
intrepidity with which they were led by their officers.
The following is a correct account of our loss :
Killed—Brigadier-General Cureton, shot through
the heart ; Colonel Havelock, 14th Dragoons, miss-
ing, hut subsequently found killed ;
geralfl, 14th Dragoons, killed. Captain Fitz •
Wounded—Lieutenant Hardinge, A.D.C., shot
through the shoulder; Captain Scudamore, 14th
Dragoons, sabred in the face ; Captain Gall, ditto,
wounded in the hand; Lieutenant M‘Mahon, ditto,
F hot through the head; Lieutenant Chetwynd, spent
ball in the side.
14th Dragoons-3 privates killed, 9 missing, 23
wounded, 5
contused; 25 horses wounded 7 34

3,1 Light Dragoons-5 privates wounded.
sth Light Cavalry--Quartermaster-Sergeant killed
by a round shot, which first took off the arm of
Co'ono!. Alexander, and then contused the foot of
Lieutenant Reily ; 12 privates killed, 15 ditto
wounded ; AO horses killed and wounded.
Bth Light Cfmalry—Subadar Major killed.
12th Irregular Cavalry—Capt. _Holmes wounded.
Horse Artiller7-1 private wounded, 2 Syces
killed, 4 horses killed.
THE LATE 2...5.A40R CUIZETON.
We are indebted to a friend for the following little
sketch of the late Brigadier-General Cureton'a ser-

vices :
" Colonel eureka° served in the Peninsula from
1809 to the end of the. war, and was. present with the
14th Light Dragoons in many actions and skirmishes
that gallant corps was engaged in, including, the battles
of Talavera, Busaco, and
,x uente_,s d Onor ; siege of
battle of. Salamanca, capture
Badajos, in April, 1812 ;
of Madrid, and battle of Vittoria. He served with
the 40th at Orthes, Tarbes, and Toulouse.. He was
wounded in the right leg, by a rifle ball, in cross-
ing the Mondego, near Coimbra, October Ist, 1810 ;
received a severe sabre eat on the head (skull frac-
tured), another on the left hand at Fuentes d'Onor,

sth May, 1811 It 3 accompanied the 16th Lancers
to India in 1822, al qd was present at the seige and
capture of Bhurtpore. in 1825.6. Served as Assist-
ant Adjutant-Geners.,' of Cavalry in the campaign in
Afighanistan under Lord Keene in 1839-40, and was
present at the assault and capture of Ghuznee
(medal) ; was specially selected to command the ad-
vance column of the army on its route through
the Bolan Pass, and entrance into Affghanistan ; and
was also selected to command a force of cavalry
detached in advance of the army, to seize the
enemy's guns, and secure possession of the citadel
of Caubul, in August, 1839, which be accomplished.
Commanded a brigade of cavalry in the action of
Maharajpore, on the 29th of December, 1843
(medal), for which he was appointed a C.B. He
again commanded a brigade of cavalry in the cam-
paign on the Sutlej, and was engaged at Buddiwal
and in the battles of Aliwal and Sobraon ; in the two
former he commanded the whole of the cavalry."

" GENERAL ORDER TO THE ARMY OF THE PIINJAUB.
" Head-quarters' Camp Ramnuggur,
Nov. 23, 1848.

" Aware of the general esteem and respect in which
Brigadier-General Cureton was held by the officers
of all ranks who have enjoyed an opportunity of
sf.rving under hii command, or been associated with
him either on duty or in private life, the Commander-
in-Chief invites all so disposed to be in attendance, to
pay the last offices to this excellent officer, whose de-
cease no officer in the army can more deeply lament
than Lord Gough himself. —Mojussilite, Dec. 5.

Lieutenant-Colonel Havelock, who fell bravely at
the head of the 14th Light Dragoons, served in the
Peninsula, from July, 1810, to the end of the war in
l 814, including the battles of Busaco, Sabugal, Sala-
manca, and Vittoria ; pas-age of the Bidassoa, battle
of the Nivelle, affairs near Bayonne, battles of Orthes
and Toulouse, and in the campaign of 1815, and was
wounded at Quatre Bras.