An incident at Mudki-Anglo-Sikh Wars

 

Back in ’21 I wrote a couple of posts on the Battle of Mudki.  Since then, some new information has come my way.  It is drawn from Cavalry, Its History and Tactics by Captain L.E Nolan and it warrants revisiting the topic.  Indeed, it increases our understanding of what happened at Mudki.  I wrote back then:

“Gough then launched his cavalry on both flanks.  Their aim was to disperse the outnumbered Sikh cavalry and then take the Sikh infantry in the flanks and rear.  Gough made sure that he enjoyed numerical superiority on one flank. The other was more evenly matched.  The huge numbers of Sikh cavalry later credited to have participated in the battle seem to have been added subsequently.

On both flanks the British cavalry prevailed.  Attempting to complete their mission they ran into impenetrable jungle ground and were shot down by Sikh skirmishers. Gough, wisely, recalled them before too many casualties were taken.  The ground was not suitable for cavalry.  The double envelopment had failed.”

 

Captain Nolan has this to tell us.

“The 3rd Dragoons charged the Sikhs at Moodkee, and drove along the rear of the whole of their position : not only were they not supported, but our own artillery played upon them at one time, and occasioned them some loss. This gallant regiment returned to camp in the evening, having lost nearly -two thirds of their number in killed and wounded, and effected very little except inspiring a wholesome dread of English dragoons.

Isolated gallant charges of cavalry are heard of (as, for example, the charge of the 3rd Dragoons at Moodkee, and that of Major Unett's squadron at Chillianwallah) ; but such charges though executed with the greatest energy, never go beyond the limits of what is expected of those detachments of cavalry which are attached to each division of the army in the field. Thus we see a display of gallantry, and even of skill, without any grand result.”

 

Nolan’s aim was a reform of the British cavalry.  It was to be accomplished by means of his book. His targets were the British War Office and his fellow officers.  In short, he was in campaign mode.  That said, he was in earnest and had the intellectual qualities and military experience to make his pitch.

Leaving aside the necessary nods to the prowess of British Arms what is Nolan telling us?  He is telling us that a well led, gallant British cavalry regiment lost near two thirds of its effectives in a single action.  A catastrophic loss by any military metric.  This sacrifice was "without any grand result.”

The key questions are when and how were these casualties sustained?  The 3^rd did three things that day.  It rode at and through some Sikh cavalry, it was hit by a stray round(s) and it was subject to Sikh musket fire while checked by terrain. Let us examine these in order.

I don’t know what the Sikh cavalry were but Nolan gives us a strong hint.  He says by way of comparison “and that of Major Unett's squadron at Chillianwallah”.  The British officers in his target audience would know that Unett had faced Gorchurra. Moreover, it had not gone well.  

I think the 3^rd faced Gorchurra at Mudki.  If so, they had no orders. The Sikh General, a traitor, had fled the field without issuing any orders.  

 

Gorchurra, left to their own devices liked to shoot up the enemy, feint charges and wear him out before finishing the job.  At Mudki and Chillianwallah the British cavalry rode through them.  Captain Thackwell tells us what the Sikhs did in such circumstances:

 “Picture to yourself a British or Anglo-Indian trooper dashing onwards with a most uncontrollable horse, and a Goorchurra or Sikh horseman, after allowing his enemy to pass, turning quickly round to deal him an ugly wound on the back of the head."

This, I think, is what happened to the 3^rd at Mudki. They charged the Gorchurra and went through them taking casualties as they did. They then continued their mission.

Nolan says “but our own artillery played upon them at one time”. The effect of this was "some loss" not more.  The British artillery was engaged in a duel with the Sikh artillery. Both were in the centre of the lines.  When the 3^rd reached the Sikh rear it could have fallen under overshooting British cannon fire.

On reaching the Sikh rear the 3^rd were checked by jungle.  They had hoped to sabre the Sikh gunners and ride down the Khalsa infantry.  Instead, unreachable Sikh skirmishers shot them from the saddle. The 3^rd could not go on further.  They retreated.

It had been a gallant charge but near two thirds of the 3rd were dead or wounded. The bulk of these casualties must have been sustained passing through the Gorchurra or at the hands of the Sikh skirmishers.  Give Nolan’s purposes I would suggest the former loomed large.

 

The Gorchurra were not destroyed or dispersed by the charge of the 3^rd.  They hung about waiting for orders that did not come.  Eventually they retreated with the rest of the Sikh Army.