294 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



ganj, between which place and Kuchla on the 

 Ganores laro;e bodies of rebels were said to be en- 

 camped. Hodson was at once sent off with a few 

 of his troopers and Seaton's orderly, Major Light 

 of the Bengal Artillery, to report on the enemy's 

 strength and whereabouts. Seaton had just finished 

 his breakfast when Light came galloping back. 

 " Captain Hodson desires me to tell you, sir, that 

 the enemy's cavalry are advancing in force on both 

 flanks." Seaton at once ordered his bugler to sound 

 the alarm. In a few minutes the whole force were 

 under arms, and the cavalry, with the guns, were 

 trotting forward from either flank towards a village, 

 beyond which the rebels were advancing to the 

 attack. As our troops moved forward over broken 

 ground, dotted with tufts of tall grass, " the enemy's 

 infantry," writes Seaton, " appeared on the ridge, 

 and their guns began to open on us. The fire of 

 the enemy's guns, subdued by Bishop's battery, 

 had slackened and almost ceased, when Wardlaw, 

 seeing his opportunity, charged and captured them. 

 Hodson at the same moment threw his regiment 

 against the enemy's right, and they were driven 

 in confusion from the field, the whole body fleeing 

 precipitately. 



" The rebels, completely and utterly routed, 

 abandoned their last gun and two ammunition- 

 waggons ; their infantry threw away their arms, 

 hid themselves in the fields and ravines, or con- 

 tinued their flight headlong over the country, " ^ 



Hodson himself speaks of the magnificent charge 

 made by the 6th Carabineers and 9th Lancers. "I 

 grieve to say, however, that they paid most dearly 



1 From Cadet to Colonel. 



