Vellenaux A Novel - Edmund William Forrest (7 ebook reader txt) 📗

Known To Seize A Firm Grip Of The

Musket Until They Had Dealt A Fatal Blow To Their Antagonist And Both

Fall Together Mortally Wounded,  So Hostile And Revengeful Were They One

To Another When Engaged In conflict,  Creed Against Creed,  For The Sepoys

Of The South Were,  As A Rule,  Hindoos,  While The Seiks And Afghans Were

Mahomedans--They Conceived The Brutal Design Of Destroying The Hospital

And Ruthlessly Putting To Death All They Could Lay Their Hands On,  In

Revenge For The Morning'S Defeat,  Then Escape To The Plains Beyond The

Town. After A Few Moments' Consultation They Commenced The Onslaught;

The Sepoy Guard Made But A Feeble Resistance To These Powerful Horsemen,

They Threw Down Their Arms And Fled In Haste Leaving The Poor Invalids

To Their Mercy.

 

Draycott The Moment He Guessed Their Design Sprang On To His Horse,

Which Fortunately Stood Ready Saddled At The Door Of The Surgery,  And

Rode Straight At The Leader Of The Party,  A Huge,  Burly Seik,  And

Engaged Him; But He With His Light Sabre,  And Less Powerful Arm,  Was No

Match For The Mahomedan Soldier,  Who With One Blow Smashed The

Regulation Toasting Fork,  And With His Left Hand Seized The Surgeon By

The Shoulder,  And Was Forcing Him Backwards Preparatory To Giving Him

The Final Thrust Through The Throat; The Other Scoundrels Being Engaged

In Beating Down The Bayonets Of The Guard. At This Critical Moment,  And

Before A Man Of The Wounded Had Been Touched,  About A Score Of Troopers,

Headed By Carlton,  Appeared On The Scene Of Action,  And Entirely Changed

The Programme. With A Single Stroke Of His Flashing Sabre,  Arthur Dealt

Their Leader Such A Blow That He Was Fain To Release His Hold On

Draycott And Turn To Defend Himself; By This Time The Conflict Had

Become General Fierce And Bloody.

 

Chapter 5 Pg 37

"Death To The Cowardly Ruffians; Save Our Wounded Comrades," Shouted

Carlton,  As,  With A Vigorous Thrust He Sent His Weapon Deep Into The

Chest Of His Dusky Opponent,  Placing Him At Once And Forever _Hors De

Combat_. Imitating The Dashing Conduct Of Their Youthful Leader The

Dragoons Fought As British Soldiers Can Fight When Their Mettle Is Up,

And Roused By The Gallant Bravery Of Their Pet Officers,  In Less Than

Twenty Minutes From The Striking Of The First Blow Every One Of The Seik

Horse Were Either Cut To Pieces Or Taken Prisoners. The Report Of The

Encounter Was Spread Far And Wide,  And Not A Man In The Regiment,  From

The Colonel To The Trumpeter Stood So High In The Estimation Of Both

Officers And Men Throughout The Brigade As Did Our Hero. Conspicuous

Bravery On The Battle Field Seldom Fails To Elicit Rapturous Applause

From Every Branch Of The Service.

 

The Fall Of Mooltan And The Capture Of Its Dewan Moolraj Did Not,  As

Had Been Anticipated By Many,  Put An End To The Campaign. Disaffection

And Disloyalty Had Spread Throughout The Country,  And The Seiks Were

Everywhere Arming To Resist What They Were Pleased To Assert Was The

Intention Of The East India Company,  Namely: The Subjugation Of The

Entire Country Of The Five Rivers; And Large Masses Of Soldiery,  Under

Experienced Leaders,  Had Congregated On The Plains Eager For The Fray.

Not Many Days Elapsed After The Reduction Of Mooltan Before The Army

Received Orders And Pressed On With All Expedition To That Part Of The

Country Where The Battle Of Chillianwalla Was To Decide The Question At

Issue Between The Contending Forces.

 

The Result Of The First Day'S Struggle Was Undoubtedly Very Much In

Favor Of The Seiks,  And Can Only Be Accounted For In This Way: The

Followers Of The Prophet Had For A Considerable Time Been Massing

Themselves Under Experienced Leaders And Had Established Their Position

In A Manner Best Suited To Resist The Advancing Foe,  This They Were

Enabled To Do By Their Thorough Knowledge Of The The Country,  Without

Any Great Exertion Or Hardship,  Being Undisturbed,  And Certain That The

Enemy Could Not Approach But In a Certain Direction,  And That Point

Alone Had To Be Watched. But Not So With The British. Long Forced

Marches,  Outlying Pickets,  Advance Guards,  And All The Harrassing

Fatigues Incident To Moving Through An Enemy'S Country Had To Be Borne.

This To A Considerable Extent Wearied The European Soldiery,  Though It

Could Not Dispirit Or Discourage Them,  And Again They Were Suddenly

Attacked Ere They Were Well Prepared To Do Battled. Yet They Pressed On

To A Scene Which Was To Terminate In So Bloody A Conflict. But The

Second Day Told A Very Different Tale; Whatever Advantage Had Been

Gained,  During The Early Stage Of The Fight,  Was Not Only Nullified,  But

Their Successes Became A Sort Of _Ignis Futuris_ That Lured Them On To

Their Destruction,  For During The Night The British Were Reinforced By A

Column Of Fresh Troops From Bombay And The Action Opened With Twofold

Vigor,  And So The Mighty Tide Of Battle Rolled On. Towards Evening The

Decisive Blow Was Struck; The Seiks Were Beaten At All Points And Fled

In Wild Confusion And Dismay,  Leaving Their Unconquerable Antagonists

Masters Of The Field.

 

"Colonel," Said An Aide-De-Camp,  Dashing Up At Full Gallop,  "Your

Regiment Will Move One Hundred And Fifty Paces To The Right," And Then,

Chapter 5 Pg 38

Touching His Horse With His Spur,  Darted Off In another Direction.

"Threes Right Forward," And The Dragoons Moved To The Position Assigned

Them. A Brigade Of Guns That Had Been Brought Up Under Cover Of The

Cavalry Now Opened Upon The Advancing Seik Horse With Terrible Effect,

Throwing Them Into Such Confusion As To Prevent Them From Rapidly

Reforming. At This Moment The Order Was Received For The Dragoons To

Wheel Into Line And Charge,  And Ere The Seiks Had Recovered,  Were Among

Them,  And The Flower Of The Enemy'S Cavalry Had To Give Way Before The

Impetuous Charge Of Our Light Dragoons. There Were More Hand To Hand

Encounters In This Affair Than Has Been Recorded In any Other Engagement

Of The Campaign. During The Melee,  One Of The Commanding General'S

A.D.C.'S Had A Narrow Escape. A Powerful Looking Seik Rode At Him,  But

On Coming Within Arm'S Length The Staff Officer'S Horse Stumbled Over

Some Dead Or Wounded Men; The Sword Of The Dusky Warrior Was Raised To

Give The Blow,  Which Must Have Proved Fatal,  And In another Moment There

Would Have Been A Vacancy On The General'S Staff,  But Arthur,  Who Had

Been Hewing With Might And Main Within A Few Yards Of The Spot,  Seeing

The Imminent Peril Of His Countryman,  Dashed Up,  Shortening His Sabre As

He Did So,  And,  With A Powerful Thrust,  Sent It Clean Through The Body

Of The Seik; The Blow Intended For The Head Fell Harmless On The Plated

Scales Of The Epaulet Of The Aide As He Recovered Himself In The Saddle.

 

"Thanks,  Carlton,  My Dear Fellow,  For This Good Service; I Will Not

Forget It,  Should It Ever Come To My Turn To Assist You In any Way," Was

All That Could Be Said In The Hurry And Excitement Of The Conflict,  For

The Tide Of Battle Still Rolled On. A Two Gun Sheet Battery Which Had

Been Committing Great Havoc On A Column Of Infantry,  Was Still Throwing

Grape And Canister With Murderous Effect. These Discharges Had Again And

Again Swept Through The Little Party. The Seik Gunners Stood Manfully To

Their Guns Until The Infantry Came Within Fifty Yards Of Them. "Charge,

Men,  Charge," Shouted A Very Handsome Officer Of The Bombay Fusiliers,

"They Cannot Stand The Bayonets Of The Old Toughs. Forward." The Men

Sprang To The Charge,  And About One Hundred Of The Fusiliers To The Very

Teeth Of Destruction,  Facing Inevitable Death With A Coolness And

Fearlessness So Characteristic Of The British Soldier. But A Body Of The

Enemy'S Horse Suddenly Appeared On The Flank Of The Column Of Infantry

Compelling Them To Form Square To Resist Cavalry,  And Thus The Brave

Little Party Were Placed In a Precarious Position,  Being Cut Off From

Their Supports. A Withering Volley From The Right And Rear Face Of The

Square,  Followed By A Rapid File-Firing From The Standing Ranks,  Emptied

Quite A Number Of Saddles And Drove The Troopers Off.

 

An Officer Of Dragoons At The Head Of A Party Of His Men Rode At The

Seik Artillerest,  Who,  With The Exception Of Two,  Abandoned Their Guns

And Were Endeavouring To Escape By Retreat,  But They Were All Either Cut

Down Or Captured. The Two Who Yet Remained At Their Post Waited For The

Infantry To Advance Sufficiently Close To Make Their Fire Tell With

Murderous Effect,  They Then Raided Their Lintstocks To Fire,  Which Must

Have Proved Horribly Fatal To The Fusiliers,  When Arthur Carlton,  For It

Was He Who Led,  Appeared Out Of A Cloud Of Dust And Smoke Close To The

Chapter 5 Pg 39

Battery. Leveling His Pistol,  He Shot Down One Of The Seik Gunners,  The

Lintstock Of The Other Was Within A Few Inches Of The Vent. A Second

More And A Frightful Gap Would Have Been Made In The Ranks Of The

Advancing Fusiliers.

 

A Shout That Can Only Be Given By A British Throat,  Broke On The Ear Of

The Unfortunate Artillerest,  Who Hesitated For A Moment. It Was His

Last,  For A Down Stroke From Arthur'S Flashing Sabre Fell Upon His Neck,

Separating The Head From The Body. The Fusiliers Dashed Up,  And The

Battery That Dealt So Much Destruction Among The Infantry Was Captured

At Last.

 

"Splendidly Done,  By Jupiter. Those Men Are The Fusiliers Of The Bombay

Column,  Are They Not? And Who Is That Cavalry Officer?"

 

"Cornet Carlton,  Light Dragoons,  Your Excellency; The Same Officer Who

Saved Your Excellency'S Despatch And My Life,  That I Mentioned To You

Some Half Hour Since," Was The Earnest Reply,  Of One Of The Aides.

"Gallant Fellow,  Bravely Done,  Only A Cornet,  Must Have His

Lieutenancy,  Hargraves,  See That I Do Not Forget This In My Despatches

To The Government To-Morrow." Then,  Turning To His Chief Of Staff,  Said,

"Give Orders For The Dragoons And Light Artillery To Pursue For Half An

Hour. The Enemy Is Beaten At All Points,  And Get The Infantry Under

Canvass With As Little Delay As Possible." "The Action Is Over," Said

The Commander-In-Chief,  Closing His Field Glass,  And With His Staff Left

The Ground. And Thus,  After Two Days Hard Fighting,  The Name Of

Chillianwalla Was Added To The List Of Victories That Has Been

Emblazoned On The Page Of History,  Showing The