nd Native Infantry, and two of General Van Courtlandt's
horse artillery guns accordingly advanced, and a very sharp night-fight
ensued. Ignorance of the localities, and the darkness and confusion
consequent on a hastily planned night-attack, rendered the gallant
efforts of the troops useless, and, after a considerable loss in killed
and wounded, they were withdrawn. Lieutenant-Colonel Pattoun, of the
32nd Foot, led the attack with great gallantry. Lieutenant Richardson,
adjutant of the 49th Native Infantry, an officer of Herculean frame,
rushed at the barricaded door of the house most strongly occupied by the
enemy, and with a mighty effort dashed it in among the rebel inmates,
who threw themselves forward to oppose his entrance. Seeing that the
party was too strong for him, he seized the foremost Sikh soldier in his
arms, and, with his body thus shielded, backed out of the enclosure,
when he hurled the half-strangled rebel back among his friends. He did
not escape, however, without some severe wounds about his head and arms.

Captain Christopher had, from the first arrival of the steamers at
Mooltan, shown the usual willingness of his profession to co-operate
with his brother officers on shore. On the night in question he had
already once conducted some reinforcements to Colonel Pattoun's
assistance, but the fighting at the outposts still raged with unabated
fury. Another reinforcement came up, but had no guide. "Will no one
show us the way?" asked the officer of the party, looking round on the
tired occupants of the trenches. "I will," replied Christopher; and
putting himself at their head, he steered them with the steadiness of a
pilot through ditches and gardens, under a roaring fire of musketry.
Ere he reached the spot, a ball hit him on the ankle, and shivered the
joint to pieces. He was borne out of the fight, but never recovered
from the wound, and three weeks afterwards was numbered with the brave
who fell at the siege.

The British army continued forming their approaches for the attack, and
the rebels at the same time laboured without ceasing to strengthen their
position. On the 12th of September, General Whish determined to clear
his front. The action commenced at seven a.m. by the irregulars, under
Lumsden, Lake, and Courtlandt, making an attack to distract the
attention of the enemy on the left, when they expelled the enemy from an
important village, and captured their magazine and hospital. Tw