Sikh War Campaign: Second Battle of Ferozepore

After the Sikh victory at Ferozepora last week, the Brits retreated while the Sikhs dug in.  A week later the Brits, having been reinforced, returned to Ferozepore & although still heavily outnumbered, & with few truly British troops, attacked. 

The Sikhs have a line of weak entrenchments stretching from the river on their right to the wadi in the centre & a pair a of redans on the left of the wadi.  The front line is continuously manned with strong reserves behind.  The Brits begin with an advance of cavalry & infantry on their right, artillery batteries bombarding the centre & native cavalry held back on their left.

The British artillery gain an initial advantage with hot shooting knocking out some of the Sikh guns.  The Sikhs move up reserve artillery in the centre. On the near flank the British cavalry have crossed the wadi.   Crossing the wadi has slowed theri advance giving the Sikhs time to reinforce their left flnak cavalry.

The British cavalry, cursed with indifferent dice, failed to break thru & the front line has broken off.The artillery duel continues in the centre.

Having failed to break thru in their initial charge, the outnumbered British cavalry are withdrawing to avoid defeat by attrition.  The Brit infantry is now advancing in the centre.

The Sikh cavalry have followed up the British withdrawal which is inhibited by the wadi here the Brits are forced to fight a rearguard action. The British infantry attack (mainly Sepoys) has had mixed results.  One redan has been cleared, but in the space to the left of the old British fort the attackers were broken.  One Sikh unit of fanatics has charged forward forcing limbered artillery behind the front line to flee. 

The Sikh cavalry counterttack took out some of the British cavalry, but they also lost some in a successful counterattack of from truly British musketry firing down into the wadi.  The victorious Sikhs in he centre have been destroyed by artillery & musketry.  Attempts to make a counterattack by Sikh cavlry on the far flank are proceeding very slowly due to poor command.

This is the situation about noon when we decided to halt play for the night.  Battle to be continued next week.  Units broken at this stage:

Brits: 2 Sepoy Inf, 4 cavalry (1 each British, Elite, Sepoy, irregular).

Sikhs: 4 batteries, 4 irregular infantry, 4 irregular infantry