The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-12-01
THE ENGLISH AND AFGHAN FORCES

The actual strength of the English q, ny in
India is 59.9sS men the nominal strength
being 49, this not oi ipS9diag nH0 the naive
| tailed for operation against the Afghaus, 60
90 ding to recent mail advices from 1rdis and
Ep gland, had toual strength of 81 AIS mep,
and field strength of II S22, the Europear 8
here included numbering respectively 2Ss
ard 1897. England could therefore send in
| 1900 more Europeans before reducing he-
| garrison in India to the figure it was at the
| time Of the Matiny, and thus far there have
| been offers of assistance from many native
| princes, who have stroug armies of their own.
The s6Zetted details for frontier operations
were as follows:
Euran Colurnn-Msior General F; S. Roberts, V.
One consider Te,ts tattstes o; 3
First Battalion Nineteenth Foot : ,cond, Twep.
ty:thtrt sud fweuty.1tnth PuD 1au0 naIjve
in nS.ntr!, Gaides !iof99t;yl, FSo.th aud F'sh
TIE field strength is 5 237 men Of vi ton
1,092 are English. The force is somewb hat dc
fcent in artillery.
Mooltan Observation-Disclosures General Dorad NJ.
Echo batteries and siege train ..,.-.-,
T!iteenth Hpssars aud Two reGinente naive eava,v
Native In fantry.
Sappere and engineers.
According to the India papers this division
contains $50 men. having d field strength h of
G.705. of whom G2j Europeans. OF tire
eight batteries, five are heavy, SO that this
division is meant for hard work and red1cing =
places of strength.
Qaetta Column-Maior Genera, a S. Biddulpb, C.B
Two mountain batteries one field battery.
Eighteenth Foot and two reg ments native infant-y
SaPpers and eDgtneers.
Indian papers put the strength of this col |
uun at : ,032 men field strength 5 $50 men,
including only es0 Europeans.
The whole force it was Intended, should be |
under the command of General Sir Neville
Chamberlain, Commander-ir Chief of the
Madras Army, whose military career egan in
the Afghan war when be was merely youth,
and who has had more eXperien ce than any man
living in negotiation and warfare With The
hill tribes beyond the frontier of the Popjaub.
He has been wounded eight times, nearly al
ways in single com bat, and has great pei
sonai reputation among the hill men. Sir
Neville will, however, owing to shattered
health, remain with Sir Edwin johnson as
General Sir Frederick Paul Haiues, G. e. B.,
of the Oue Hundred and Fourth foot, Com
mandern. Chief in India, is probably conduct
ing the campaign.
General Roberts has served for twenty years
in the Quartermaster Generals Department
besides taking part in active service He has
patches, earned the Victoria Cross at Delhi Or I
sabrng color. bearer in the breach and TAX
ing his flag, and fought at Lucknow in the &
Umbeyls expedition. in Abyssnia, etc. He
10 in the prime of life-sctive, vigorous and q
hardy.
General Donald Stewart served with distinc- ]
ton under Sir Colin Campbell before and duv- a
ug the Mutiny, when he was repeatedly men. i
tioned in dispatches, was Deputy Aojutant
General of the Indian Army aud commanded y
The Beng gal Brigade in Abyssinia. With him is i
Sir Samuel Brown, another v. C, from the
ame Forty-sixth Bengal Naive Infantry that b
rsiued Speke and Grant, He served with b
great distinction on the frontier and during c
he Mutiny, getting his Victoria Cross for tue Il
lction at S'rpoorah, where, with one orderly, t.
le rode upon nine pounder gun that was t,
aking his men, and single handed fought the t.
,unuers SO that they could not reload. Though q
le was badly wounded in the knee and hcd his n
eft arm severed he ont down seven antagon n
cts. Sham Broom" is worshipped among the 8
native soldiers for his dGtiug, his wonderful fl
semanship and Lis skill as q sportsman. Il
General Biddulph first attracted notice as o ii
adet at Woolwich, saving q oomrade's life st I
imminent peril Of his own. he distinguished n
himself in the Crimea, has held many bigh rC
,otitons on the head natter staff in India, and ii
pjoys the reputation of being q very popular P
DrigRdier q
The Ameers field army, according to news Of b
october o. was placed at 900 infantry II oOO Cl