The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-24 00:00:00

4 The Commander-in• Chief is pleased to publish the fol-
lowing memorandum, for the information and guidance of
the army :

"Camp Moodkee, 20th Dec., 1845.
" Memorandum.—The Governor-General having bees
nominated in the general orders of the Commander-in-Chief
of India as second in command of the army of the Sutlej,
Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Hardinge is pleased to aC._p-
point Lieutenant-Colonel Benson, Major Broadfoot,
Captain Mills, Captain Hore, Brevet-Captain Abbott, and
Lieutenant Lake, to his general and personal staff.
"Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Hardinge directs that
when these officers carry the Lieutenant-Generals orders
they may be recognised as officers of his staff, whose direc-
tions, as proceeding from the Lieutenant-General, are imme-
diately to be obeyed. _

" By command,
"A. W. FITZROY SOMERSET, Major,
Military Secretary to the Governor-General."
On the 25th the Governor-General issued a proclamation
which is worthy of the highest praise. It is as follows:
" NOTIFICATION.
" Foreign Department, Ferozepore, Dee. 25,
Christmas-day, 1845.
" The Governor-General has the heartfelt satisfaction to
announce to his Honour the President in Council, to the
army, and to the people of India, the repulse of the Seikh
forces in their attack on a portion of the British army near
Atoodkee, on the night of the 18th inst., and the capture
on the evening of the 21st and morning of the 22d of their
intrenched camp with 70 pieces of cannon, defended by
60,000 men' near the village of Ferozeshuhur. Upwards of
90 pieces of the enemy's artillery have been taken in these
two operation&
"These events, so glorious to the British arms, have been
followed by the precipitate retreat of the enemy towards the
Sutlej, his pride abated, and the unprovoked aggression on
the British territory signally avenged.
" The Governor-General cordially congratulates the Com-
mander-ia -Chief, General Sir Hugh Gough, G.C.8., on the,
entire success of his Excellency's rapid and energetic opera-
tions, in which the troops, both British and native, have dis-
played, under circumstances of long-continued fatigue, eine%
the 11th inst., their accustomed discipline and valour.
"The Governor-General will rejoice in rewarding the gal-
lant exploits of the army during this important campaign
by decorating the breasts of the victors with a medal as soon
as the report of these operations shall be received from the:
Commander-in-Chief. Incessantly engaged in sharing with
his brave troops their fatigues, and showing by his persr.mal
example at the head of his troops the value of enm.urin
privations with patience, it has been impossible forlda Ex:
cellency the Commander-in-Chief, in the midst of so many
occupations, to furnish to the Governor-Generea a detailed
report of these brilliant successes.
"The Governor-General, however, e;innot refrain from
notifying to the Hon. the President 5a Council, to the army,
and to the people of India these results so honourable to
the British arms ; and he directs that this notification be
carefully made kown to all the troops by being read on
their parades, and communicated to all the departments of the
Government, civil and military, and that a salute of 21 guns,
be fired from this fort of Ferozepore this day at one o'clock,
and at every principal station of the army as soon as the no-
tification shall be received.
" Thole grateful and heartfelt acknowledgments to the
army for its services cannot be closed without humbly re-
membering that our thanks are due to Him who is the onl
Giver of all victory, and without whose aid the battle is not to the strong.
"Thee Governor-General therefore invites every British
subject at this station to return thanks to Almighty_God this
day, at eleven o'clock, for the mercies He has so recently
vouchsafed us, by assembling at the Governor-General's tent,
where prayers and thanksgivings will be read by the Gover-
nor-General's chaplain.
"By order of the night Hon. the Governor-General of
India. " F. CURRIE, Secretary to the Government of
India with the Governor-General."
The valour of the British troops caused dismay amongst
the majority of the turbulent Khalsa soldiery, laws of
them attempted to fortify their positions
of th
betweene
rpv •
eemr on the
and Ilureeka Ghat, the principal passage
road to Lahore; but they soon abandoned them. Tej Singh,
their commander, had an interview with the Governor-Gene-
ral, who refused to enter into any terms until the British
were under the walls of Lahore. Tej Singh retired with
some of the Seikhs to an island, where he was threatened by
the British and by his own countrymen. At length the
whole of the Seikhs retired from the British territory, and on
the 31st of December the Governer-General issued the fol.
lowing proclamation :

" PROCLAMATION.
a Br Tax RIGHT 110 N. THE GOVERNOR-OBABRAL OF INDIA.
" Foreign Department, Fecozepore, Dec. 81, 1841.
" The Lahore Government has, without provocation, or
any declaration of hostilities, and notwithstanding the ex-
istence of a treaty of amity and alliance, made war upon
the British Government. A large Seikh army has invaded
the British territories, which has been repulsed and driven
Gern
across the Sutlej with the loss of 91 pieces of their artil-
lery, now in our possession. It becomes necessary, therefore,
for the British Government to take measures for punishing
this unprovoked aggression, and for preventing in future si-
milar acts of treachery by the Government and army of the
Punjaub. The British Government considers it right now
to call upon all natives and inhabitants of Hindostan who
have taken service under the Lahore Government to quit
that service, and place themselves under the orders of the
Governor-General of India. As long as relations of amity
existed between the two states there was no objection to the
natives of the one territory taking service with the Govern-
ment of the other; but now that the Lahore state has be-
come the avowed enetny of the Government of Hindostan. it
is incumbent on all natives of Hindestan whose homes and
families are under British protection te quit the service of
the common enemy, and join that of the Government of their
own country. Al! persons of the above description are,
therefore, hereby called upon to repair to the British side of
the Sale), aid to report themselves to the British authori-
ties; their interests will in all cases be respected; they will,if At for the military' service, be taken into that of the Bri-
tish Government, with all the advantages of pay and allow-
ances enjoyed by British soldiers.
of
"All natives of Hindostan who, after the promulgationenemy this proclamation, continue in the service of thef p
-
will
tbieone,oannsiddewreildl
beto treated iiave as forfetirtaekt
mies of the British Government.
...Brd ,
ion.the Governor. General of India.
, ry 0
,e ko.f tli e
.culllintidg Riha lion.
i Et
w the Governor-General.",
Secretary
otraitors
ittecoltahtlinwier to
o eaen
countryv British retec
and t ene-
of
The preceding
document is said te have been founded
upon the conduct of a regiment of Bengal cavalry which re •
fused te charge the Seikhs, and otherwise digraeed them-
selves during the battle. The details of this affair are net
thoroughly known, but the conduct of one regiment does not
tend to throw any disparagement on the fidelity and valour
of the rest of the army, which, after the most grunions ef-
forts, secured the victory. The Seikhs had flattered them-
selves that they would be joined by many of the native corps ;
but they have been disappointed, defeated, routed, and re-
pelled into their own country.
The loss to the British has been very severe. The follow-
ing is as correct a list as we have been able to form in the
absence of the official dispatches :

P 01.11141.41 01711ER1.

Tilled
Major Broadfeot, agent to the Governor-General N.W.F.
Captain r. 28th Benzal Infantry, hie: Aaaistantti

OVE-4 ELAND MAIL
INDIA AND CHINA,
THREE DAYS' FIGHTING—DECISIVE THE
OVER THE SEIKEIS, GAINED BY THE
BRITISH FORCES, UNDER THE COMMAND
OF THE GOYERNOR-GF/NERAL AND SIR
HUGH GOUGH.
express from Alarseilles, in aniieipation
An extraordinary
of the Bombay mail of the 17th of January, brings some of
the important details of the three actions which took place on
the 18th, the 21st, and 22d of December.
The conflicts took place at Aloodkee and Ferozeehebtir
about twenty miles feom Ferozepore. The official account;
have not yet been published.
The Seikhs having passed the Sutlej in great numbers on
the 12th, 13th, and 14th of December, proceeded to attack the
post of Ferozepore, which was held by Sir John Littler with
about 7,000 men. After some feints, the Seikh army finding
the Governor-General and the Commander-in-Chief were
hastening tr., support the Ferozepore division at the rate of
thirty miles per day, moved off to intercept them.
In the evening of the 18th the Governor-General, with the
British army, after a long march, had reached Moodkee and
encamped, when the Seikh army, 30,000 strong, came hurry-
ing forward and attacked. A short but severe conflict en-
sued ; the Scikhs retired, leaving their guns to the British.
Amongst the killed was General John WCaskill. Sir
Robert Sale was wounded, and died subsequently.
The 19th and 110th were spent by both armies in burying
their dead, and in procuring reinforcements.
Sir John Littler, at the head of 5,000 men, joined the
British on the 21st, about sixteen miles from the camp. The
British army then formed itself into four divisions, the right
under the command of Sir Hugh Gough, the centre com-
manded by Major-General W. R. Gilbert, the left by Sir
J. Littler, and the rear by Sir Harry Smith. The Seikhs
were commanded by Tej Singh, and had formed intrench-
ments in a jungle country, which rendered the march of
infantry exceedingly difficult. The Seikhs have long been
remarkable for their artillery ; they were provided with
heavy guns, which did great execution. Sir J. Littler failed
in his attack on their position. General Gilbert was success-
ful. The first position of the enemy was taken: the dark-
ness of the night prevented the continuance of the conflict.
The British troops bivouacked on the ground. The Seikhs
found oat where the Commander-in-Chief and the Governor-
General had taken their station, and they opened a heavy
fire on it. The British troops rose up and drove them of.
On the morning of the 22d the fight was renewed, and
General Gilbert stormed several parts of the enemy's position,
although every effort had been made during the night to
strengthen it. Thirty large guns were taken. The British
soldiers afterwards began to collect their wounded, and to
bury the dead; when large bodies of cavalry and of the
camel corps, with swivels, attacked them. The British
artillery and cavalry had retired towards Ferozepore„
but the infantry drove the enemy back three several
times at the point of the bayonet. The contest of the 22d
appears to have been carried on by General Gilbert and by
the Governor-General, who headed the centre. The Seikhs,
from their acquaintance with the country, possessed great
advantages, of which they profited to the utmost. They
worked mines before their intrenchmente, and in their front
positions, which they blew up on the approach of the British,
and destroyed hundreds.
The action of the 21st and 22d is called the battle of re-
rozeshuhur, and is looked upon as one of the severest ever
fought in India. The British troops have earned the highest
praise for their bull-dog valour ; but some ignorance of the
country or of the mode of fighting adopted by the enemy has
been alluded to as having produced an unneeeseary loss of
'some of the bravest men of the army. On the 24th the fol-
lowing general order was published :
" Head- quarters, Camp, Sultanklaanwalla, Dec. 24, 1845.
" The following order, issued to the army of the Satlej on
the 20th inst., is published for the information of the army.
" The Right Hon. the Governor-General of India having
considerately tendered his services in a military capacity,
will assume the position of second in command of this army.
"All orders and instructions bunted by him will be carried
into effect, whether issued personally, or by any staff he may
be pleased to select.