The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-02 00:00:00

BATTLE OF MOODKEE.

The following is an extract from a letter from an
officer in the 3d Brigade Horse Artillery, who was en-
gaged in the battle of Moodkee:—
" Fer,zepore, Jan. 28, 1846.
" Dear Sister,—l had the pleasure of receiving your
note about a month ago, but had not the opportunity of
answering it till now, on account of the post being
stopped; but, as it is now open, I take the opportunity
of sending yon a few lines, which you must be content
with for the present, and I will write to you again in
the course of a short time. My d,-e.r girl, we were
engaged with the Seikh army on the 21st and 22d of
December. Our army was about twenty thousand
strong, and that of the Seikhs about sixty thousand.
We commenced the fight about one o'clock on the 21st,
and kept it up till after dark, when we retired, and took
up our lodgings for the night on the cold sand—and a
cold, Litter night it was; nothing to eat or drink—not
even a drop of water—for the space of forty-eight
hours. We renewed the attack on the morn-
ing of the 22d, and stormed the Seikh camp about
one o'clock, and took about 100 pieces of cannon : this
is the second battle I have been in, and to tell the
truth, I never wish to see another ; but I expect to see
many more yet. We are going to cross the river in a
few days, towards Lahore, about the 10th of February.
The enemy is lying just over the river, opposite our
camp, and I have no doubt there will be many a hard
fight with them yet ; they are very numerous ; they
can bring three men on the field to our one. We lost
about 3,000 men, killed and wounded. The fi,ld was
literally strewed with dead and wounded. My old
troop had twelve killed and sixteen wounded. Thank
God, I have escaped all at present, but it is my opinion
there will be thousary2s more share the same fate yet,
for the Seikhs will not give in easy."

THE BATTLES OF ALIWAL AND
SOBRAON. .
(FROM A PRIVATE LETTER.)
CALCUTTA, FEB. 18.—Since the dispatch of my last the
official report of the battle of Aliwal has been received,
and will be forwarded with this; but I fear it will be a
twice-told tale, for you must have received it by the mail
which left Bombay on the 15th. I shall, therefore, refrain
from giving an abstract of it here. BBut I have received an
acceunt of the battle from a young friend who was engaged
in mortal combat for the first time, which I send you, and I
think you will find it of sufficient interest to give it a place
in your columns. The loss of the enemy has been variously
estimated. The number left dead on the field is only stated
to be about 700, while the casualties in their headlong flight
across the river are estimated at between 5,000 and 6,000—
some letters say 10,000—drowned in attempting to ford the
river; their confusion, while attempting to cross, being
greatly increased by the destructive fire of our Horse Artil-
lery ,guns, which galloping to the very brick, scattered
death among the multitude. My friend's letter is as follows :
"At five o'clock, A.M., of the 28th, we were all ready;
and as all had received every order and instruction the pre-
vious night, we marched off without having occasion to sound
a bugle, and without the least noise. The Ist trcop, Ist bri-
gade, which had come from Ferozepore with Colonel Wheeler,
and two other Horse Artillery guns, were attached to our
troop, making a total of ten Horse Artillery guns, all under
Lane's command. Mill, of our corps, commanded his four
guns of the Ist troop, Ist brigade, and I commanded our four
guns, and the two others were under another young officer.
We were brigaded with some cavalry, the Queen's 53d, the
30th Native Infantry, and the Goorkhas. We left all our
baggage at Budhowal, under guards from corps, and went
down to attack the Seikhs in their position in regular fighting
order. We marched in three divisions, and after proceeding
about nine miles, we got to the top of a rising spot,
and there was a most splendid plain before us, stretching
down to the banks of the Sutlej and the Seikh army,
amounting to 24,000 men and 70 guns, all ready on the look
out for us. It was about half-past 9in the morning, the sun
clearly shining, but not too hot, and our force, amounting to
about 10,000 men, on the hill, just going down quietly into
the midan (plain), and the Seikhs standing in dense - masses
format
odwuo wa
sn
01(,:rficeiefuvorina,‘1,ray, infantry, and guns, watching our movements.
splendid,
position, not 1,20108 i thfaeihrlyo,latdhee ; oarhdder
itwwasasgiihydeneedton
mhaolstt
.
sight to see our
just as stetahlet- fine fellows takieg up their
aeare
moral any review day I ever witnessed, and
engaged in mortal yards from the enemy's guns, quietly and
fi nr minutes had passed by we should be
knowing
gwit with the Seiks. Without exception
the whole panorama
men
nhe most splendid thing I ever wit-
nessed—at least 84,900auts on the field, ours and the Seikhs.
The word was given to advance ; but I ought to have told you
wfaaostrfylintehdeom9
r thatgh toft
hl ieni en
is way :---cays lry on the extreme
Queen's
ceoProunderbatter
atehep native infantry—then
then our guns, two
n s—then infantry and
horse artillery—then 31st PCI.7-2. y—then infantry--
oved down on
Queen's and native cavalry. Ever
the Seikhs at a steady walk. The geirhrsilicinnwotasstir a pace,
but steadily watched our movements, and this
ous moment to all. After we had advanced abouatn3r oi-
-400 yards, an immense burst of smoke appeared all along the
enemy's front, and long before we heard the report of their
guns down came their shot in a storm along our whole line.
It was indeed a beautiful sight, shot and shell plunging and
tearing up the ground round us. Nothing could surpass the
steady way in which our fine fellows advanced; not a step
was quickened, not a turn right or left, but all pressing fir
onwards. At last the order was given—" Open your fire,
Artillery," and the word was "Trot—gallop," and away we
went in advance of all, till we got within about 300 yards of
them. Then " left about" and our whole artillery opened
with a most tremendous roar. in the mean while all the in•
fantry, according to orders, lay flat clown on the ground, so
we had it all to ourselves. It was at this time the shot
came the best, and it was at this time that whilst laying the
howitzer I had a narrow escape. We poured round shot and
shrapnell into them incessantly, and for three-quarters of
an hour this artillery fight lasted; but then the Seikhs had
had enough of it, and we found their fire bad almost ceased,
so up got the infantry, and then we limbered up, and at a
gallop advanced to the front of all. Here we came upon
sonic of their guns (about 20, ehiefly9 and 6-pounders), some
dismounted, others knocked over, waggons blown up, and
their artillerymen lying round them ; some of the poor
horses were dragging about the field the dead horses at-
tached to guns and waggons, showing how tremendous must
have been the effects of our shrapnell amongst them. We,
of course, did not wait to spike the guns, but galloped on,
with a squadron of Lancers, and the body guard as our pro-
tection, after the enemy, who were now in full retreat
to the river. Poor creatures, they kept looking round,
especially the infantry, and, seeing no escape, they deter-
mined to stand to the last. One very fine fellow came down
at me whilst I was leading the troop on. I shouted to him
to lay down his arms, and ho should not be killed, but
he waved his sword over his head, and with great courage
came right at me. He tried to get on the near side of my
little horse, when, I suppose, he thought he could do
as he liked ; but this, of course, I would not allow, and
kept him on my sword hand. All the sergeants of the
troop were shouting out to me to take care—" Take care, sir,
for God's sake, take care, Sir, he will be using his matchlock !"
But he contented himself with his sword, and whilst he was
trying to cut at me one of the men rode at him and gave him
a fearful blow over his head, and the poor wretch was
killed. It was whilst I was laying the howitzer at a mass of
their cavalry, a 9-pounder shot of eleirs passed between my
1"r,7"," 17'1:- '-',7(4, 5,t111 t. in the E.Ct cf stooping :lown to 11-!ng
my eye on a level with the tangent scale of the gun and the
muzzle. The sergeant of the gun said to me, "For God's
Mkt; take ore, sir, here coulee A rowed MLA I" but before I