The news of the revolt in Meerut and Delhi quickly spread throughout Punjab. The people of the region actively supported the First War of Independence, and the Gurdaspur district was no exception.
To suppress the effects of the revolt, certain preventive measures were adopted by the Deputy Commissioner of Gurdaspur, James Naesmyth. The seeds of the battle at Trimmu Ghat, located on the left bank of the river Ravi, were sown on 9th July, 1857, and the events transpired by the 18th of July, 1857. As the rebel soldiers marched from Sialkot towards Gurdaspur, a miscommunication occurred with General Nicholson. There was no railway connectivity between Amritsar and Lahore. Hundreds of "ekkas," "bahlis," and ponies were lined up. The administration, ordered immediate seizure, which asked for them to be deported to Nicholson’s camp at Amritsar. Loaded with British soldiers, the vehicles were headed toward Gurdaspur. As they reached Trimmu, General Nicholson and his command of British soldiers followed, and the fight ensued.
The revolutionaries took refuge on an island nearby, only to be found later by the British. Most of the surviving rebels crossed the river and were aided in the process as the river water lowered its level. Many of them drowned or were shot at in the deep "naala" in the river known as "Kala Pani." The remaining surviving rebels faced execution by the administration eventually. Many of these revolutionaries who martyred themselves served the purpose of the anti-British movement, and became pivotal to the story of India’s struggle for freedom.
Source: Indian Culture Portal