The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-06 00:00:00

for action, being shortly afterwards joined by the- Loodianah
force. No particulars hare reached us; the battle is sup-
posed to have been a severe one, a heavy cannonade having
been heard at Simla and Loodianah, as, we believe, also at
Ferozepore, till three o'clock in the afternoon. It is probable
that the steamer may be detained till the Governor-General's
express brings tidings to the Presidency; so that the home
reader may, shortly after the arrival of this, know more than
cut"taS,inocfetlhaest2nsitghhftromual "ails
eolfhti,hean2d4ththheay2
we at present do of the matter.
frisoimadCrasal:
e6tahrrifTroedm
They bring us no news of any importance, and we infer,
therefore, that no further particulars had transpired of the
alleged action on the 21st. The communication along the
disturbed districts is at present irregular and much inter-
rupted.]
" The services of the force under Sir Charles Napier, whose
co-operation seem to form a portion of the Governor-Gene-
ral's plan, will hardly be available before the Ist of March,
and considering how soon after this the fierce and tremen-
dous heats set in, it appears more than doubtful whether a
regular campaign beyond the Sutlej will this season be en-
tered on. It must be remembered that the country pro-
posed to be invaded, if intended to be annexed to the British
dominions, must be throughout completely subjugated; that
it comprises an area of 25,000 square miles, traversed by vast
rivers and mountain ranges reaching the greatest altitudes
known to m n; that it contains a fierce and untamed popu-
lation of nearly 5,000,000 of human beings. Nor must it be
forgotten that not one-fourth of the magnificent artillery.of
Runjeet Siugh has been captured or disabled; that two-
thirds of his arms' remain undamaged and entire. It seems
not improbable that tbi- season Lahore may be occupied and
garrisoned, the communications with Ferozepore--the post
where our troops and magazines must be collected—being
kept up; and that thus will their own capital become the
centre and emanating point of next year's operations. The
war-advocates at home have for years past talked of the con-
quest of the l'unjaub as once
at
easy aid desirable--the de-
struction of the Seikh empire the task of a few months.
The exploit has been forced on us, and we must perform it
as best we may ; we doubt not but in the end we shall do so
triumphantly; but we must add 30,000 men to our army,
and 10,000,600/. to our debt and this, with an income not
able of late to meet our expenditure by nearly 2,000,000/.
a year."

THE ARMY ON TIIE SUTLEJ.
(From the Delhi Gazette, Jan. 21.)
Matters at Ferozepore continue much in the same state
as when we last wrote, and must remain so until our opera-
tions for crossing the Sutlej are complete at all points, and
that cannot now well be before the 4th, sth, or Gth of Feb.
The only event that might vary the monotony of a standing
camp would be an attempt on the part of the Seikhs to cross
to our side, and that they have thought of so doing may be
inferred from the fact, that about noon on the 14th a picket
of theirs came over, about 200 or 300 strong. Tneir object in
doing so is not known to us, but the Commander-in-Chief
lost no time in ordering out a party, which speedily drove
them back again, and when they had succeeded in so doing,
their heavy guns (our Lahore correspondent, whose letters
are necessarily brief, says they have 120 pieces of ordnance
with 70,000 men ready to oppose us) commenced firing at us
across the river, on which some of our heavy ordnance were
brought up to return the compliment, and thus a very use-
less and undignified cannonade was kept up for near four
hours, neither party doing any execution. One of our cor-
respondents also writes of a slight skirmish with the
same picket, on the night of the 13th, in which we lost one
European artilleryman killed, and a native one wounded.
These skirmishes occurred at the point where the Seikhs
have or had their bridge of boats; former accounts were to
the effect that they had themselves broken up the bridge;
others now say that our artillery destroyed it on the 14th,
while the rest are silent regarding this point; so that we
may conclude that the Seikh pickets come over on their own
bridge, and that the bridge is still standing. As a sample of
the reports which are carried about, we may mention, that
the firing was, at Ferozepore, placed to the account of a
general battle, and magnified, by the time the Ferozepore
letters got to Umballah and Kurnaul, into a victory in which
the Seikhs had been signally defeated in large numbers
and driven into the Sutlej. The contents of our La-
hore newswriter's communication, although brief, seem to
show that the Seikhs are determined to stand out, and we
have every reason to think, from present appearances, they
will do so. At Ferozepore itself the 27th and 44th Native
Infantry, and the 3d Irregular Cavalry, supported by Cap-
tain Garbett's troop of Horse Artillery under Brigadier Car-
negy, are encamped at the Khoodee Ghat as a protection
to the boats, and a check upon the ghat three miles below.
The boats had, at the date of our latest letters 17th
January, been nearly all raised, but require, on a careful
inspection. much greater repairs than was at first thought
would be the case, as they suffered considerably in the hurry
of sinking them. Captain Prendergast (who has been ap-
pointed second in command to the 14th regiment of Irre-
gular Cavalry, and not Lieutenant Pattinson, as we formerly
stated) left Ferozepore on the IGth, in progress towards Sa-
haranpore, to assist in raising the corps, Captain Fisher
being unable, from the nature of his wounds, to take the
initiative in the formation of the corps, of which he has
obtained the command. The question has already been
asked us, by what authority Queen's officers are appointed
to such situations ? We can only say that they are made
in the face of the most positive existing orders of the Court
of Directors. How far the prospect of such a campaign as
the one now in progress may have induced the Court to fur-
nish the Governor-General with extreme latitude in these
matters, we cannot say, but we apprehend Sir henry Har-
dinge, who has hitherto been extremely cautious in the in-
fringement of general rules, except on this identical point,
would not act without authorityin a matter of such very materiel
importance, affecting
,the rights of the Company's army.
Time will show, but we think it would be well to say at
once what is the extent of the authority under which those
rights have been infringed. At Loodianah the Seikhs have
presented a bolder front than at Ferozepore, proportioned to
the strength of our force at that place. They crossed, it ap-
pears by our native correspondent, on the 13th, and a friend
on the spot furnishes such a clear view of the subsequent
events, that we prefer giving it in his own words :
" Loodianah, Jan. 16.
" I do not know whether you have any correspondent
here ; if not, a few words on our proceedings may be accept-
able. Our friends are gathering rather strong, and have a
camp on this bank of the river, apparently at least a mile
long, with another smaller one several miles lower down,
which was pitched yesterday, I think. They have, it is
said, brought 47 gulls of various sizes Over, and four
mortars, and are intrenching themselves ; so, probably,
intend to give us the pleasure of paying them the first
visit. If they should come outside the reach of their great
guns, I imagine we are now quite able to walk into them.
The lst Cavalry and Lane's four 6-pcunders arrived here on
the 14th; that is all we have of cavalry or artillery, but we
have the two Gom klia regiments, and the 30th and 36th Na-
tive Infantry, besides a detachment on duty in the fort. We
marched out on the 14th about. 2,000 strong, a mile towards
their camp, which is some five miles oft; and after standing
in most martial attitude au hour or two, marched home again,
'covered, if not with glory, yet with dust. The Horse Artil-
lery alone remained in camp all harnessed, and the enemy's
artillery fired off a feu de joie on the occasion ; a reconnoitring
party afterwards went out and saw nothing but a similar
party of the enemy. This was our first day's operation, and
it seems clear they had the better of us; both parties ail.
vanced, but we have retired while they have kept; their
ground. On the 15th, the 30th marched in from liassean,
and our neighbours had increased their camp considerably,
and sent a large division of horse to the camp, some
miles lower down, probably to look after the Ferozepore
road. Our friends of the 53d are expected from that
direction (Bassean), and had better look out for their
baggage. Major Bradford, with a troop of the Ist Cavalry,
went out to reconnoitre, and got close to the enemy's camp,
when they were very near bagging a fine string of camels,
but were fired on by matchlock men concealed behind a
sand-hill, so retired; there was much less noise this day,
so we suppose they were employed intrenching themselves,
Heavy firing about noon to-day for some ten minutes, at
nothing I suppose ; two squadrons of the cavalry went to
reconnoitre. There are a multitude of Affghan idlers about
here, who, it is said, would willingly take service, and
might at least be depended on_against the Seikhs, fine able-
bodied fellows; they would at least fill a ditch much better
than those Puteealah scaramouches. Futteh Jung could
raise a regiment of them in no time. One can conceive no
men at arms more beggarly than those same Puteealah
allies of ours, horses arid men. One of them came to Lieu-
tenant Lake the day before yesterday, as they were going
out reconnoitering with one troop, and said he was afraid of
his life, so he was permitted to go home and take care of'
himself.
" There can be little doubt our neighbours are determined
to have another throw before they give up the game, but I
tehle9thloothkatofthoeuser littleks
think they will let us pay our compliments to them in their
mud gurrhee. here.'
Reports had reached own camp. They:hdeodnij't
1128711111toolnikteh
bad been driven across.
(From the Delhi Gazette of Jan. 24.)
The news received this morning is not so precise as we
could wish it, as we cannot reconcile dates and distances
without more detailed information, but it appears, and we
give it as we have it from a station not on the frontier, that
Sir Harry Smith moved his division up the Sutlej on the 19th
and 20th, overcoming such opposition as he met with in his
progress, and that on the morning of the 21st he came, be-
tween 7 and 8 o'clock, in sight of the Seikh encampment •
that he immediately prepared for action and commenced
battle about half-past 8 o'clock, and further, that Sir
rylt
was, about 9 o'clock, joined by the Loodianah force. The
battle, if such actually did take place, and we are inclined to
place reliance en the account, must have been a severe on
as one letter from Loodianah has it that very
heavy • N
firing
continued till half-past 3 (of the 91st).
We regret to hear from a most respectable party at Loodi •
snap, that such has been the feeling at that place regarding
the unprotected state of the station, " that the Mahajuns and
cloth merchants generally have deposited their wealth in
Phulloor, and given large presents to the Seikh force there
to protect them in the event of Loodianah being plundered."
We learn from the general tinders, received this morning
also, but too late for insertion in the supplement, that a 15th. Regiment of Irregular Horse is to be raised at Meerut. The
name of the commandant is not stated. The following ap-
pointments connected with these corps have appeared:—
" 11th Regiment—Lieutenant R. H. Hicks, Ist Enslga
Light Infantry, to be second in command, in lieu of Sma/A-
page. Ensign C. Cureton, 38th Light Infantry, to be Adjutant
12th Regiment—Cornet A. W. M. Wylly, stl._ Light
Cavalry, to be Adjutant.
" 13th Regiment—Lieutenant C. Need, 7th Nittive Infantry,
to be Adjutant.
" 14th Regiment--Captain Fisher, her Majesty's 8d Dra-
goons, Commandant; Lieutenant G. M. Prendergast, 44th
Native Infantry, to be second in command; Lieutenant
W. D'Oyly. 58th Native Infantry, to be Adjutant,"
It is with sentiments of much pleasure we mention an in-
stance of much tact on the part of the Governor-General which.
was evidently intended to smooth down any little asperity
that might be shown on the publication of General Littler ft
report along.with the dispatches, and we hay. no doubt that
it will have the good effect intended by Sir HenryHardine,
who asked the officers of the 62d Foot to meet Sir John
Littler at his table, and after dinner made a
..!aidsoln
speech eulogistic of the regiment, them
D highly for
rr,
their bravery and gallant bearing on theloss in killed and
showing at the same time that then
the field, other regiment in
wounded exceeded that of anyand _
bore incontestable evidence to the noble manner in which

they;,;(7l,;;Ftii;7l;siructive and truly awful tire fromille
enemy's iutrenchment. This must have been extremely sa-
tisfactory to the gallant General and to the officers of a
regiment which will yet have many opportunities of dis-
tinguishing itself and of commanding greater success. It
ought to be a source of satisfaction, both to General Littler
and to the 62d, that if they did not do all they could have
wished, and all they deserved, the attack on his side rni-
have most materially influenced success elsewhere, and
the victory of the centre division was based en the
of all.e %Its

_
(From the Bengal Hiakatn)
It now comes out that we are indebted to Captem Lum-
ley, the Assistant-Adjutant-General, for our doraciency at
Ferozeshah, in cavalry and artillery, that ofracer having
taken upon himself to order the cavalry and artillery en-
gaged at Moodkee back to Perozepore Als may be sup-
posed, Captain Lumley was, immediately on this being
known, superseded in his appointment, and a court-martial
ordered to be held on him. A medical cf. rtificate has, it is
said, been subsequently produced, der.iarktg that Captaiai