ever and anon, the rocket, like a spirit of fire, winged its rapid flight high above the batteries in its progress towards the Sikh intrenchment. It now became a grand artillery concert, and the infantry divisions and brigades looked on with a certain degree of interest, somewhat allied to vexation, lest the artillery should have the whole work to themselves! The Commander-in-Chief, however, was determined to give full play to an arm which he did not possess to an efficient extent in other hard-fought battles." "Notwithstanding the formidable calibre of our iron guns, mortars, and howitzers," says Sir Hugh Gough, "and the admirable way in which they were served, and aided by a rocket battery, it would have been visionary to expect that they could, within any limited time, silence the fire of seventy pieces behind well-constructed batteries of earth, plank, and fascines, or dislodge troops covered either by redoubts or epaulements, or within a treble line of trenches. The effect of the cannonade was, as has since been proved by an inspection of the camp, most severely felt by the enemy; but it soon became evident that the issue of this struggle must be brought to the arbitrament of musketry and the bayonet. At nine o'clock Brigadier Stacey's brigade, supported on either flank by Captain Horsford's and Fordyce's batteries, and Lieutenant-Colonel Lane's troop of Horse Artillery, moved to the attack in admirable order. The infantry and guns aided each other correlatively. The former marched steadily on in line, which they halted only to correct when necessary. The latter took up successive positions at the gallop, until at length they were within three hundred yards of the heavy batteries of the Sikhs; but, notwithstanding the regularity, and coolness, and scientific character of this assault, which Brigadier Wilkinson well supported, so hot was the fire of cannon, musketry, and zumbooruks,[1] kept up by the Khalsa troops, that it seemed for some moments impossible that the intrenchments could be won under it. But soon persevering gal-
- ↑ Guns mounted on camels, and carrying a pound shot.
