The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-01 00:00:00

rTl•rlttn 1 11
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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1848.

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM

INDIA.

Extraordinary reverses have been encountered by
the British forces encamped before Moultan, as will
be observed by the accounts contained in our dispatches
front Hindostan. Treachery has again embarrassed
the ;tactics of the English Commanders, and has again
cast dishonour and infamy upon the Oriental charac-
ter. At the very moment when the brigade of
General Itinisn had commenced operations against
the lloomw, its brilliant exertions were interrupted
by the defection of ono of our Eastern auxiliaries--
San RE SINGH with the five thousand Seikhs under
his command having suddenly deserted to the DEWAR,
carrying with him twelve guns and howitzers, to-
gether with eighty of the lighter pieces of ordnance
calle d zumboorucks. By this abrupt movement the
British forces were suddenly changedfrom a besieging
army into an army of observation; and the assault
whicl i would otherwise have commenced within thirty or
forty hours was altogefier abandoned. After the with-
drawal of the troops to a considerable distance from
the batteries, it was found to be absolutely necessary
to retreat still further, and that too with all possible
expedition. On the 17th September, therefore, the army
under General Wnisu had fallen back eighteen miles
from the capital in the direction of Bahawulpoor.
Such, in a few syllables, is the nature of the disasters
which have descended upon the gallant forces col-
lected by the genius, animated by the enthusiasm
and inflamed by the audacity of our young and illus-
trious countryman Lieutenant EDWARDES. All his
achievements have only been inaugurative of our
discomfiture. His heroism has led only to misfor-
tune. His assiduity has been lavished to no purpose
save the enhancement of his own precocious repu-
tation.

Reviewing the whole of the occurrences which
have transpired in the Punjaub since the joint mission
of AGNEW and ANDERSON, it is impossible not to
regard those occurrences with mingled sentiments of
sorrow and indignation, of pride and shame, of exul-
tation and astonishment. Our sorrow is for the use-
less effusion of heroic blood ; our indignation for the
mad incaution of our superior officers, and the melan-
choly procrastination of our Government; our pride
is for the glory of EDWARDES and his coadjutors ;
our shame for the parsimony by which all their
splendid deeds of daring have been rendered ineffec-
tual ; our exultation is at the conduct of our subordi-
nates; and our astonishment for the shameful inca-
pacity of their civ.l and military superiors.
In order to arrive at some adequate estimate of the
grief which these reverses under the walls of Moultan
may be presumed to have engendered, it is only
necessary to reflect upon the movements of the be-
seiging army during the seven days which preceded
its discomfiture. It will be discovered upon exami-
nation that, notwithstanding their ultimate disasters,
the troops there assembled under the command of
General Winsss covered themselves with as
much glory as his dilatory and- deficient ar-
rangements appear to have covered himself with
disgrace. Whether under the direction of
Lieutenant EDWARDES, of Lieutenant Lime, of
Colonel CORTLANDT, or of our faithful and distin-
guished ally EMAUM•OOD-DEEN, the QUEEN'S soldiers,
and their companions, the brave Sepoys, proved them-
selves worthy of the arms they weilded and of the im-
mortal colours under which they served. Cavalry,
infantry, and artillery alike participated in the dan-
gers of the undertaking and are alike entitled to
share in the honours won at its commencement.
Without Altering into a detailed recapitulation of the
movements of the British forces in the vioinity of
Moultan from the Bth to the 14th of September,
from the feigned attack of the Doudpootras to
the desertion of the 5,000 Seikhs, under the
treacherous Raja SHERE SINGH—it will be sufficient
to assert upon the authority of those who witnessed
the different ensagements, and who are
eminently qualified to pronounce such an opinion,
that the fire sustained by our troops surpassed in fury
the deadly discharges at Moodkee and at Sobraon.
Under that blighting whirlwind of cannon-ball and
musketry out of the ninety men of her Majesty's 10th
Regiment, who were engaged on the 9th September,
no less than forty were disabled. Yet in
forces
the very
teeth of these appalling obstacles the besieging
pressed steadily forwards until every defencible point
in one of the most important suburbs bad been cap-
tured, and until the battering guns were advancing
to within an interval of merely six hundred yards from
the fortifications of Moults!). To accomplish this ex-
traordinary feat of arms, however, required the daring
of men whe were infuriated almost to insanity by
the atrocious cruelty of their antagonists. In the
agony of a struggle which was at one time becoming
absolutely desperate, all thoughts of humanity were
forgotten. The Europeans were infected by the
ferocious rigour and inexorable rage of their oppo-
nents. They fought like men possessed—like
desperadoes intoxicated with passion—like veterans
thirsting for vengeance. In a narrow square 400
men were encountered by the besiegers—every one of
those 400 men was either shot or bayoneted 1
In another direction one hundred of the defenders
fell like corn in one mass under the blasts of the
artillery ! Sixty of the ruffians, who had cut down
a young Ensign (LLOYD), while parleying with them,
were destroyed by her Majesty's 'Tenth—only five
out of the entire party effecting their escape ! On
the springing of one mine alone, when the dust had
been dissipated, and the stench of the gunpowder had
abated, the ground was found to be covered with
hundreds of the scorched and blackened bodies,
heaped together, of the men slain in the explosion.
Major-General Wins]; had a horse shot under
him; Colonel PATTOUN, Quartermaster TAYLOR,
Major • MONTIZAMEERT, Ensign LLOYD, and
Lieutenant CUBITT, are said to be amongst
those who have gloriously fallen in the en-
counter ; while many of our most distinguished