The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-03-13 00:00:00

THE LATE INDIAN WARFARE

The Times, in allusion to the flight, as yet unexplained,
of a gallant regiment, and to the mismanagement that
appears to have prevailed throughout the melancholy
massacre, for we cannot call it battle, says :
The 2nd European Regiment was at one moment so wholly
surrounded that it had to fire in every direction and to charge
alternately straightforward and rear rank in front. Infantry
were entirely unsupported by cavalry, and cavalry by artillery.
Field batteries were exposed to capture for want of troops, and
troops were unable to make head against the Sikh artillery for
want of guns. It is impossible to see without infinite concern
that some sudden panic caused the disastrous retreat of a most
celebrated regiment, and entailed the actual loss of a portion
of the British artillery. Whether this misfortune originated
in any mistake in orders is not yet ascertained, but the cir-
cumstance is rendered probable, not only by the misdirected
bravery of this corps at Ramnuggur, but by the distrust and
suspicion which a succession of such disasters has generated
both in officers and men. It is well known that the Sikh
tactics are artful in the highest degree, and moreover that they
are unmatched by any corresponding persOcuity on the part of
the 36riMn't fmmie.Bslfiriy W.PSIMPIMieff IA., ing el'efilt.e9VX
have the best authority for stating that General Thackwell, in
the affair at Sadulapore, was only withheld by the caution, thus
made so imperatively necessary, from seizing what appeared to
be so favourable an opportunity of crippling his antagonist.
Even in the case of the fort of Attock, our private correspon-
dence informs us that the whole affair—attack and defence—is
now reported to have been a feint to allure us across the
Jhelum—an improbable story, but one which forcibly exhibits
the relative estimation in which Sikh and British tactics are
held.

The Delhi Gazelle says:
An excuse has been put forth for the flight of the 14th Dra-
goons : it is said they mistook an order given to them to move
to the right or left for an order to retire. The Horse Artillery
have called for a Court of Inquiry, and it is to be hoped the
painful question may be cleared up ; at the same time, the pre-
cipitate and disastrous retreat of such a regiment cannot be
looked upon otherwise than with feelings of the most profound
regret. Brigadier Pope, who gave the order, is now no more.
The conduct of the sth Bengal Light Cavalry is scarcely likely
to meet with an apologist.
Very different was the conduct of the 3d Dragoons, as
described by a person who was present :
Brigadier White protected the left of the infantry, Colonel
Brind's guns being posted between White and Campbell's
division. Bodies of Sikh cavalry wade demonstrations on our
left. General Thackwell directed a squadron of the 3d Dra-
goons and sth Light Cavalry to charge them. The Dragoons
willingly obeyed the order, and under their gallant leader,
Captain Unett, dashed through the Sikh wedge, and cut their
way back. The sth cavalry, in spite of their officers, came
back in confusion, and intense was our anxiety about the fate
of the 3d squadron. At length they emerged covered with.
glory! Two officers of this squadron were wounded, the gal-
lant Unett and Stisted, and the loss among the men amounted
to 46 killed and wounded. Such gallantry deserves to be handed
down to posterity.
The flight of the 14th Dragoons and Bengal Cavalry is
accounted for by their acting under the influence of a
panic, but this !nay admit of explanation. Lord Gough
says:--

The right brigade of cavalry, under Brigadier Pope, was not,
I regret to say, so successful. Either by some order, or mis-
apprehension of an order' they got into much confusion, ham-
pered the fine brigade of horse artillery, which, while getting
into action against a body of the enemy's cavalry that was
coming down upon them, bad their horses separated from their
guns by the false movements of our cavalry, and, notwith-
standing the heroic conduct of our gunners, four of those guns
were disabled to an extent which rendered their withdrawal at
the moment impossible. The moment the artillery was extri-
cated, and thecavalry re-formed, a few rounds put to flight the
enemy that had occasioned this confusion. With this excep-
tion the conduct of the troops generally was most exemplary.
Although the enemy, who defended not only his guns but his
position with desperation, was driven in much confusion and
with heavy loss, from every part of it, and the greater part of
his field artillery was actually captured, the march of brigades

to their flanks to revel parties that had rallied, and the want of
numbers and consequent support to our right flank, aided by
the cover of the jungle and the close of the day, enabled him,
upon our further advance in pursuit, to return and carry off
unobserved the greater portion of the guns we had thus gal-
lantly tarried at the point of the bayonet.