Page:Our Indian Army.djvu/604

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580
OUR ANGLO-INDIAN ARMY.

driven from the field. The 22nd, 23rd, and 12th regiments then successively charged up the bank with the bayonet, and forced the enemy's line at all points, the last regiment capturing several guns; while the Sindeans gave way in all directions, and fled from the field, leaving the whole of their artillery, ammunition, standards, and camp, with considerable stores and some treasure, in the hands of the victors.

The battle, however, was not won without considerable loss on the side of the British. Six European officers and sixty sergeants and privates were killed, and fourteen officers and about two hundred men wounded. The loss of the Beloochees was enormous: a careful computation gave it as 6,000; one thousand bodies were heaped in the ravine alone. Not a single prisoner was captured by the British; for in the barbarous system of warfare to which the Beloochees had been accustomed, no quarter is ever given to an enemy: the consequence was that, anticipating the same treatment from their British victors, the wounded refused all quarter, and continued to strike at every one that approached them, until they were bayoneted where they lay.

At break of day on the following morning, Sir Charles Napier sent to tell the Ameers that he would immediately storm Hyderabad if they did not surrender. Six of these sovereign princes (three of Khyrpoor and three of Hyderabad) soon after entered his camp on horseback, and offered themselves as prisoners. They yielded their fortress, and laid their rich swords and other arms at the British general's feet. "Their misfortunes," said Sir Charles, "were of their own creation; but as they were great, I gave them back their swords." On the 20th of February, Sir Charles Napier entered the capital of Lower Sinde. On taking possession of Hyderabad, considerable treasure fell into the hands of the British; and further discoveries afterwards greatly augmented this, so that a total amount of specie was ultimately reported in the hands of the victors, amounting to above three millions sterling.