Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-08-12
GREAT BRITAIN'S CUSTER'S.

r GREAT BRITAlN'S CUSTER'S.
When ladia was Thought to Have Bes
r Lest 70 Ensland.
In the military history OF India al
|. two cases like Gen. Clusters, and as bot
convey serious lessons, and both are {
abiding military interest, please let M Q,
adtutant Of Hussars sketch them briefly
On the twenty-second OF November
1848, the Bengal army, under Lor
Cough, came into first contact with tn
Seikhs at Ramnugger. Col. Henr
Havelock, commanding the FOurteent
(King's OWN Light Dragons, no,
Hussars, was then the Custer OF til
English army. When mere boy, an,
infantry adjutant under Wellington il
the Peninsula, he led his fusilo ers on b,
leaping his horse over wall into tn
midst Of surprised Frenchmen, to th'
lasting admiration of Spaniards, VIII,
gave him the by-name N Chico Blanc,
(the fair boy. Havelock was 70 anxious
to win renown with his carbineers tina
he had obtained permission from Adjt.
General Curiton, his old friend, to charg.
the enemy as soon as chance should oc
cur. Accordingly, the fair haired ole
boy, when he caught sight of the clus
tering hosts, swept away toward them
at tho head of his regiment in open
column of troops, without taking any
account of the ground. A nnlah,
however, intervened, the sand was knee
deep, and the Seikh batteries soon cut
lanes through the ranks of the gay
dragons, who, the Seikhs declared,
must be drunk. The result was the same
as in the famous Crimean charge.
Havelock fell, with him many gallant
officers and men, including Gen. Curl
ton, who vainly galloped after his reck-
less friend to recall him by higher
orders.
Hardly two months later far greater
and overwhelming disaster befell the
same army from unrestrained impetuosi-
ty. Alter several engagements Of minor
Importance, the combined afghan and
Seikh forces, thoroughly organized on
European war footing by French. Italian
and German adventurers, were brought to
bay at Ohillianwalla, in difficult jungle,
on precipitous ground, and on mountain
ridges such as are described as being re-
Gently held by the Sioux.
The thirteenth of January, 1849, was
an ominous day for the prestige OF Brit
ish arms III India. The troops had a
heavy march in tho morning, and at
about two P. N. Lord Coughs trumpet
or sounded the halt for the advanced
guard. The enemy being evidently in a
strong position, the veteran general de-
cided to attack the next morning, and
the infantry OF the vanguard piled arms
to allow the other corps and the camels
and elephants, with baggage and COM
to come up. When, however,
q few soldiers were knocked over by
round shot from gun that the enemy
had pushed forward, Lord Cough i'm.
patiently said: "My Irish blood can't
stand this" and ordered the advance.
The Infantry brigade of the center, the
flower Of the army, was ordered to carry |
he strong position with fixed bayonets
and without firing shot. Unfortu-
nately, the distances were greatly un-
der estimated, and tAe the ground much
more cut by ravines than anticipated.
The result was that half of the officers
and men of the storming column were
shot down at leisure from behind rocks
md trees. Those that after desperate
struggles met their gigantic foemen in
land-to hand encounter were so utterly
exhausted and out of breath that they
could not cope with the overpowering
numbers surrounding them everywhere,
md disastrous retreat had to be made.
To make matters worse, panic spread
Ill along the battle line. " India is
ost" shouted young aide de- camp,
rs he madly careered for the reserves
9 they are beating us everywhere |" On
he right was cavalry brigade that had
,nly short time before. when in the
,pen plains, excelled in deeds of
But on that fatal thirteenth, a
lecrepit brieadier of the East India
service took command of the
brigade by seniority, superseding the
lueen's officers. Cavalry and artillery
rotted into the jungle, where it was i'm
possible to act in rank and file; the
roops got broken up, separated from
ach other. and finally entangled with
he retreat of the center.
Night set in suddenly and swiftly, and
he means of thousands of dying and
resounded from afar, without
he possibility of giving relief, for all
he camp followers had fed, and not a
rop of water could be had. If the en-
my had known the utter disorganiza-
ion Of the proud British army on the
light OF the thirteenth, and attacked at
aybreak, India, indeed, would have
een lost. For obvious reasons, the !;
7holc truth of this tragedy has never
een divulged in England, but SO threat
ming was the aspect of affairs, as shown
y the light Of private letters, that when .
be news reached England, the Iron :
Duke sent for Sir Charles Napier to go
ut again to India Immediately and take !
ommand. Napier refused point blank, !
ecause he had been snubbed by Lord :
)alhousie, the governor general, or !.
the boy politician, as the conqueror of =
indie called him. "Then must CO." .
aid the duke. This brought Sir Oh aries :
, reason, and he consequently en- :
arked the same day. Fortune, mean =
'hile. had favored Lord Cough 4; the
ortress of Mooltan, besieged by the
'ombay army, fell, and the released
rmy hastened in forced marches to the
escus. The enemy blundered, forsook
is mountain position and drew into the
lains of Goojerat, where, on the twen- n
first OF February, 1876, the English Ii
aimed decisive victory, in consequence