Bhudowal Order of Battle

Bhudowal was a smallish Sikh War action, I’m not sure if you could call it a battle although there was fighting.  Its main feature was a Sikh cannonade as a British force found itself marching across the front of an entrenched Sikh force.  I was tempted to call it the Cannonade of Bhudowal.  However, at times it seemed a full-scale battle would develop and it would have made for an interesting action.  Here's the OB according to Ampal Singh Sidhu with stat's for Piquet's Field of Battle.  First a rough map of the ground.

The British were outnumbered by over two to one but their Sikh opponents were largely irregulars.  This is very unlike Mudki where the Sikhs were outnumbered by three to one but were pretty much all regular Khalsa soldiers.  Like Mudki the ground was difficult with areas of farmlands, sand dunes and trees but no jungle this time.  Let’s have a look at the forces involved.

The British under Lt-General Sir Harry Smith

Infantry Brigade	Armament	Combat Die	Defence Die	Short Range	Medium Range	Long Range
HM 31st Foot	Musket	D12	D8	0-2	3-4	4-6
24th Native Infantry	Musket	D8	D8	0-2	3-4	4-6
47th Native Infantry	Musket	D8	D8	0-2	3-4	4-6
Field Artillery	9pdr	D10	D6	0-4	5-8	9-16

Subsequently re enforced by HM 53^rd Foot

	Armament	Combat Die	Defence Die	Short Range	Medium Range	Long Range
HM 53rd Foot	Musket	D10	D6	0-2	3-4	4-6

Cavalry Brigade	Armament	Combat Die	Defence Die	Short Range	Medium Range	Long Range
HM16th	Lancers	D10	D8
Bengal Irregular Horse *	Mixed	D8	D6	0-1
Bengal Horse Artillery	6lb Gun	D8	D6	0-4	5-8	9-16
Bengal Horse Artillery	6lb Gun	D8	D6	0-4	5-8	9-16

There was also a huge tail of baggage, wounded and camp followers.

The Sikh forces are harder to detail.  There were some Khalsa present including guns.  There were a lot of Gorchurra and many irregular units of foot. I've not listed all the latter. I’m pretty much guessing here but it gives us something to work with.  You could add some Horse Artillery to the Khalsa.

Sikh Commander Rajodh Singh

Khalsa	Armament	Combat Die	Defence Die	Short Range	Medium Range	Long Range
Khalsa	Musket	D12+1	D10	0-2	3-4	4-6
Khalsa	Musket	D12+1	D10	0-2	3-4	4-6
Khalsa	12lb Gun	D12	D8	0-4	5-8	9-16
Khalsa	12lb Gun	D12	D8	0-4	5-8	9-16
Khalsa	12lb Gun	D12	D8	0-4	5-8	9-16

Gorchurra	Armament	Combat Die	Defence Die	Short Range	Medium Range	Long Range
Gorchurra	Lance	D10	D10	0-1
Gorchurra	Lance	D10	D10	0-1
Gorchurra	Jezail	D10	D8	0-1	2	3
Gorchurra	Jezail	D10	D8	0-1	2	3

Irregulars	Armament	Combat Die	Defence Die	Short Range	Medium Range	Long Range
Alkali	Jezail	D10	D12	0-2	3-4	4-6
Levy	Matchlock	D6	D8	0-2	3-4	-
Levy	Matchlock	D6	D8	0-2	3-4	-
Levy	Matchlock	D6	D8	0-2	3-4	-
Levy	Matchlock	D6	D8	0-2	3-4
Levy	Matchlock	D6	D8	0-2	3-4
Levy	Matchlock	D6	D8	0-2	3-4

So, what happened at Bhudowal?  General Smith was marching to rendezvous with other British forces at Ludhiana.  He seems to have been unaware of the presence of the Sikhs until he saw their entrenchments.  Although his officers entreated him to stay out of the range of the Sikh guns, Smith demurred.  Soon the column was marching across the Sikh front and taking casualties from artillery fire. 

 

Smith refused to retreat out of range (He felt it would damage British prestige).  The Gorchurra surged forward and Smith put his marching troops into battle order.  British casualties continued to accrue and Smith ordered the 47^th to prepare to assault the Sikh guns. The Sikh gunners shifted to grape and Smith called off the attack.  The Khalsa kettle drums signalled a Sikh advance but Rajodh Singh did not order an attack.

The head of the marching British column had now reached the shelter of the sand dunes which protected them from the Sikh cannonade.

Rajodh Singh now ordered the Gorchurra to attack.  Smith ordered his troops into squares in response.  Done in by heat and hard marching and stuck in the dunes they couldn’t manage it.  The Gorchurra captured the British baggage, camp followers and wounded.    Sikh battalions and guns moved to enfilade the rear of the British column and a firefight took place with the 31^st who were roughly handled while the column kept marching.

The British Lancers and Bengal Artillery formed a rear guard as the column marched out of danger.  I think this would make an interesting game.