The undoubted success gained by Sir Harry Smith at Aliwal infused fresh spirit into our troops, and now every preparation was made for the final bout with the Sikhs. On February 7 the siege-train arrived in the Commander-in-Chief's camp, and on the following day Sir Harry Smith rejoined headquarters. The Sikhs had not been idle. They had thrown up most formidable entrenchments at Sobraon, on the banks of the Sutlej, covering the ford on the direct road to Lahore. To attack this was no easy task, for the Commander-in-Chief had to provide against a counter-attack on the part of our gallant foes, who in point of numbers, as in mobility, were far our superiors. To avoid this contingency, Sir John Littler, with his division, watched the fords in front of Ferozepore; Sir John Grey, with three battalions of sepoys and a regiment of native cavalry, watched those midway between that place and Sobraon; whilst Brigadier-General Wheler fronted the Sutlej near Ludhiana.
The cavalry was now under the command of Sir Joseph Thackwell, an officer of the highest distinction, who had served throughout the Peninsular War, lost an arm at Waterloo, and finally added to his reputation in Kabul and at Maharajpore. He, with the 16th Lancers and three regiments of native cavalry, was to threaten the Sikh left above Sobraon. Next to him came the division led by Sir Harry Smith, consisting of the 31st (East Surrey), the 50th (West Kent), and four sepoy battalions. Our centre was composed of Sir Walter Gilbert's division, which contained the 29th (Worcesters), 1st Bengal Europeans (1st Munsters), and four sepoy battalions. On our left was a division commanded by another Peninsular and Waterloo veteran--Sir Robert Dick. This, which was to lead the attack, comprised the 10th (Lincolns), 53rd (Shropshire Light Infantry), 80th (South Stafford), with three battalions of sepoys; and in Dick's second line were the 9th (Norfolks), 62nd (Wiltshire), with one sepoy battalion. The artillery, which numbered sixty guns, was distributed throughout the whole front.
The troops got under arms at 2 a.m., it being the intention of the Commander-in-Chief to attack at dawn; but such a dense fog hung over the river that the actual advance was delayed until nine o'clock, when the three horse batteries attached to Sir Robert Dick's division galloped to the front, and opened a very heavy fire on the Sikh entrenchments. Under cover of this, Stacey's brigade, which included the Lincolns and Shropshires, moved steadily forward. When within 300 yards of the entrenchments, they were threatened by a body of cavalry, and also came under the enfilading fire of a battery, which inflicted heavy loss on the 53rd. Then, cheering on his men, Dick carried the first line of trenches with a charge, the brave old General meeting his death-wound in the _mêlée_. On the extreme right Sir Harry Smith's attack had been no less successful, but in the centre Gilbert's advance had been checked, owing to the nature of the breastworks in the front, which were from 8 to 10 feet in height, the men having to mount on each other's shoulders before they could force their way in. On Dick's left the 3rd Hussars had also found an entrance to the entrenchments, and were charging down on the enemy, driving them in confusion towards the one bridge which was their one and only chance of safety.