THE CAPTURE OF THE FORT OF GORINDGHAR


A Traveller who at this day passes Amritsar by train will, if he looks
to the south, see hard by the formidable fortress of Gorindghar. Over
its battlements now floats the Union Jack, and on its drawbridge may be
seen the familiar red coat of the British sentry. Should he ever pass
that fort again, he may perhaps regard it with greater interest after
reading the stirring tale of how it was captured from the Sikhs by a
handful of resolute men of the Guides. To tell this story we must be
forgiven for forsaking strict chronology; for the incident here narrated
took place while part of the corps was still engaged at the siege of
Mooltan.

Against modern artillery the fort of Gorindghar would be of little
avail, however gallantly held; but by the standard of 1848 it was a very
powerful work. Its armament consisted of no less than eighteen guns,
while fifty-two lay stored in reserve, and its garrison consisted of
such veteran fighters as a regiment of Sikh infantry. As may readily be
understood, without touching on strategical details, it was a matter of
considerable importance that this fort, lying as it did on the main line
of the British communications between Umballa and Lahore, should not
remain in hostile hands. It was therefore resolved to send back from
Lahore a force to capture if possible, but at any rate to mask, this
formidable work. To accomplish this, a considerable force was despatched
from Lahore, and in advance of it was sent a party to reconnoitre and
gain intelligence. This party consisted of _Subadar_[5] Rasul Khan, and
one hundred and forty of all ranks of the Guides' infantry, with orders
to get along as fast as they could. At noon, therefore, on a hot
September day the little party set off on their forty mile march along