Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c56.s25.8

v4.c56.s25.8

Three British officers, next in rank to Lake only, fell in this battle, besides ten others of less exalted rank ; but no colonel captain or even lieutenant in Sindhia’s army, because these offices in the campoo had been hitherto filled by Europeans only. The hard-pressed British troops were kept in heart by the example of their European officers in the Royal and the Company's services alike, who fearlessly sacrificed themselves in front of their men. As Lake himself wrote after one of these battles, "You may perceive by the loss of European officers in sepoy regiments how necessary it is for them to expose themselves—in short, everything has been done by the example and exertions of the officers. . . . . The sepoys have behaved exceedingly well. but from my observation this day as well as on every other, it is impossible to do great things in a gallant and quick style without Europeans" (*i.e.*, European regiments). (Pearse, 214.)