e right of the enemy's
position at Chouda. During the advance he had to take in succession
three strongly intrenched positions, where the enemy defended their guns
with frantic desperation. Here Her Majesty's 40th Regiment lost two
successive commanding officers, Major Stopford and Captain Coddington,
who fell wounded at the very muzzles of the guns. It captured four
regimental standards. This corps was ably and nobly supported by the
2nd and 16th Grenadiers, under Lieutenant-Colonels Hamilton and McLarey.
Major--General Littler, with Brigadier Wright's brigade, after
dispersing the right of the enemy's position at Maharajpoor, steadily
advanced to fulfil his instructions to attack the main position at
Chouda, and was supported most ably by Captain Grant's troop of horse
artillery, and the 1st Regiment of Light Cavalry. This column had to
advance under a severe fire, over very difficult ground, but when within
a short distance of the enemy, the gallant 39th Regiment, as before,
rushing forward, led by Major Bray, and gallantly supported by the 56th
Regiment, under Major Dick, carried everything before them, and thus
gained the intrenched main position of Chouda.

The battle of Maharajpoor was now virtually won. The loss on both sides
had been severe. The British had 106 killed, of whom 7 were officers,
and 684 wounded, and 7 missing, making a total loss of 797. The
Mahrattas are supposed to have lost between 3000 and 4000 men.

In consequence of this victory and that of Panniar, the Mahratta Durbar
submitted to the British Government. Lieutenant-Colonel Stubbs was
appointed governor of the fort of Gwalior, which commands the city. The
Mahratta troops were disbanded, and a British contingent was formed, to
be maintained at the cost of the Gwalior Government, which was compelled
to pay forthwith the expenses of the campaign.

CHAPTER FOUR.

THE PUNJAUB CAMPAIGNS, 1845-1849.

BATTLE OF MOODKEE--18TH DECEMBER 1845.

On the death of Runjeet Singh, the Lion of Lahore, chief of the Sikhs
and ruler of the Punjaub, in 1839, the throne was seized by his reputed
son, Sher Singh. He was a good-natured voluptuary, and utterly unable
to manage the warlike troops raised by his father. He was disposed to
be friendly with the English, but being assassinated by Ajeet Singh on
the 15th of September 1843, Dhuleep Singh was proclaimed Maharaja, and
Heera Singh was raised to the dangerous office of vizier.

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