CHAPTER VI.

MOOLTAN-THE SIEGE OF LUKKEE.

1848-1849.

IT having been decided in the month of May that no British force was to take the field against Moolraj until the arrival of the cool season, Sir Frederick Currie determined to keep the rebellion within the narrowest limits by despatching five converging columns on Mooltan. Of these it is only necessary to my purpose to notice twothe first, under the command of Rajah Sher Sing, moving from Lahore; and the fifth, under Cortlandt and Edwardes, operating in the Derajat.

At the action of Suddosain on July 1, the rebel army, commanded by Dewan Moolraj in person, was driven off the field and shut up within the walls of Mooltan, and Edwardes, confident of being able to carry the town, then surrounded only by old walls, wrote to the Resident at Lahore to say that all he wanted was 'a few heavy guns, as many sappers and miners as could be spared, and Major Napier to direct them.'

The news of the victory of Suddosain reached Sir Frederick Currie at Lahore on July 10, and being convinced that it was now possible to bring the rebellion to an immediate close, he took upon himself all responsibility,

and in opposition to the opinions previously expressed by the Governor-General and the Commander-in-Chief, despatched a force under General Whish to Edwardes's assistance. This force marched in two columns, the one from Lahore and the other from Ferozepore, with a British regiment attached to each, and reached Mooltan in the middle of August.

On September 4 the siege train arrived, Mooltan was summoned, and two attacks followed on the 9th and 12th of the same month.

Meanwhile, in the early part of July, Sher Sing's column had also reached Mooltan and been allotted its position by Edwardes. The column numbered five thousand men, and the eyes of the remainder of the Sikh army in Peshawur, Bunnoo, and Huzara were fixed upon it, 'ready,' as Edwardes says, 'to take their cue from its conduct.'

Before long, however, an event occurred which proved at once that a fresh struggle with the Khalsa was altogether unavoidable. Chuttur Sing, father of Sher Sing, had been latterly creating a diversion in Huzara in favour of Moolraj, and now called upon his son to do the same at Mooltan. For some time Sher Sing hesitated, but in the end he made up his mind, and on September 14 went over with his whole army to the side of the Dewan of Mooltan. The siege, in consequence, had to be raised at once, and it was not resumed until three months later (December 27), when reinforcements arrived from Bombay.

Having thus sketched the more prominent events of the latter part of 1848, I will return to my story.

Two days after leaving Bunnoo (July 16) Reynell Taylor arrived at Lukkee, and put up in the gate of the

fort, which a few months later was to be closed against him. He describes it as 'a strong little place, close to the left bank of the Gombela, and in the middle of a beautiful grass plain,' but mentions that it was sadly in need of repair, owing to damage done by the rain.

Marching thus through the country, and transacting business as he went, he occasionally varied his evenings by going out for an hour's pigsticking on 'Pickle,' or by a bathe in the cool waters of the Koorrum.

On July 19 he reached Esakhail, and two days later a letter arrived from John Holmes, saying that the troops at Dhuleepgurh were showing signs of disaffection. Reynell Taylor at once wrote to Futteh Khan, offering to return if any real difficulty was likely to occur; and thus again, forgetful of himself, he was ready to go back to a post described by Edwardes as one of 'treachery and danger which no British officer was called upon to hold for the sake of the Sikh Government.'

A few days later a more satisfactory account was brought in, so Reynell Taylor determined to resume his march, and on July 29 he reached Derah Ishmael Khan in safety.

Here he found the wife of his friend, General Cortlandt, a woman of singular strength of mind, and one capable of taking an active part in the stirring events of the time; and here too, on August 15, the first account of Chuttur Sing's outbreak in Huzara reached him. On the 17th he writes in his diary :-'Cock's letters give so serious an account of affairs in Huzara that I think we are in for it. I have ordered my traps to be ready to march towards Lukkee and Bunnoo, where my presence is likely to be

more required than it is here, though, of course, it will be better if I can avoid moving at all.'

'The real state of the Huzara row is not yet known in Lahore, and hopes are entertained-rather wild ones, I fear-that Sirdar Jundhur Sing may, on arrival, be able to patch up matters between Sirdar Chuttur Sing and his State. Heard from General Cortlandt at Mooltan-his letter dated August 15-that the right column under General Whish was expected next day.'

On August 28 he continues:- Bad news from Huzara. It seems clear that Chuttur Sing is in rebellion. I expect the next news to be that there has been a serious collision. God strike with the true men and protect my countrymen.'

The unsettled condition of Huzara caused Reynell Taylor to turn his thoughts again towards Bunnoo, and on August 29 he writes:-'Sent word secretly to Mullick Futteh Khan and John Holmes to the effect that this fresh row in Huzara would be likely to lead to more plotting among the Sikhs, and that, though I considered them well able to manage matters, if they thought my presence would at all tend to keep matters straight, or add to the safety and power of those who were true and loyal servants of Maharajah Dhuleep Sing, and who were in every respect my brethren and friends, that they were to say so, and I would find some excuse to march via Lukkee to Bunnoo, or halt at the former place if it seemed better. I feel, with Mooltan on one side and Bunnoo on the other, like an intelligent animal between two stools.'

Conflicting accounts continued to arrive daily at Derah Ishmael Khan, and Reynell Taylor found it impossible to

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obtain any reliable news of the state of affairs further up the country. At one time there was a report that Chuttur Sing had murdered Abbott, and that the whole of the district of Huzara was in the hands of the rebels; at another, that there had been a great fight in Huzara, and that two of Golab Sing's regiments had joined Chuttur Sing; that the Peshawur force was only waiting its opportunity to rise; and finally, that it had already risen.

At last, on September 8, the entries in the diary terminate abruptly, and it is not until some days later that they are resumed :-'I have not been able to write my journal regularly for twelve days; they have been rather eventful and anxious days too. A severe skirmish occurred at Mooltan on the 10th, in which, I believe, our troops were foiled of their object, and lost a considerable number of officers and men. I did not receive any particulars of this affair, but the significant looks and manner of the people around me convinced me that they looked upon it as a reverse to our arms. Meanwhile there were all sorts of reports abroad of horrible things supposed to have happened at Peshawur and other places.

The

'A few days after the accounts of the first skirmish we heard that a considerable engagement had taken place, and when the dak arrived it brought the welcome news of a severe fight and complete victory over the rebel troops. number of men killed and wounded I believe to be very great, but we have had no returns. The action occurred on the 12th, and, strange to say, the guns, or explosions, were heard at Derah Ishmael Khan, and that, too, by some halfdozen people. I can testify to the wind having been the right way, and to the people reporting what they had heard