Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-11-25
English and Afghan Forces.

strong armies of their own.
The gazetted details for frontier operations
were as follows:
Kuran Column-Major General F. s. Rob-
erts, V. C., c. BIS batteries artillery 262
| squadron Tenth Hussars, Twelfth ROYAL
Cavalry, 609
First Battalion Nineteenth Foot Second,
Twenty-th and Twenty ninth Punjaub:
native infantry. guides (infantry,) Fourth
and Fifth Ghoorkas, Seventh Company
sappers 5,7l5
The field strength is S, 237 men of whom 1922
are English. The force is somewhat deficient in
artillery.
Mooltan Division-LieutenantG General
Donald nj. Stewart, c. B.
s batteries and siege train.
Fifteen Hussars and regiments native
cavalry.
Flfty-ninth Foot, Sixtieth Rifles and Fifth
Regiment Native Infantry.
Ssppers and engineers.
According to the India papers this division con-
tains ,S75 men, having field strength of 6, 705,
Of whom 1925 are Europeans. OF the eight bat.
teres five are heavy, that this division Is meant
for hard work and reducing places of strength.
Quetta Column-Msjor-G General A. S. Biddulph,
2 mountain batteries, l field battery.
3 regiments native cavalry.
Eighteenth Foot and regiments native infan.
try.
Sappers and engineers.
Indian papers put the strength of this column
at ,032 men; field strength, {, $50 men, including
only $50 Europeans.
The whole force. it was intended. should be uu.
der the command oil General Sir Neville Cham.
berlsin, Commandcr-in- Chief Of the Mauras army
whose military career began in the Afghan war
when he was merely . youth, and who has had
more experience than any man living 10 negota
ton and warfare with the hill tribes beyond the
frontier Of the PuDjaub. He has been wounded
eight times, nearly always in single combat, and
has great personal reputation among the b
men. Sir Neville WILL however, owing to shat
tered health, remain with Sir Edwin johnson a,
military advisers in Lord Lytton's council, and
Gen. Sir Frederick Paul Haines, G. C. b., of the
One Hundred and Fourth foot, Commanderi
Chief in India, is probably conducting the cam
paign.
General Roberts has served for twenty wears il
the Quartermaster- Generals Department, beside,
| taking part in active service. He ha
| been twenty-three times mentioned in des
| patches, earned the Victoria Cross at Delhi fol-
| sabering color bearer in the breach and taking
his flag. and fought at Lucknow in the Umbeyls
| expedition, in Abyssinia, &C. He is in the prime
| Of life-active. vigorous and hardy.
Gen. Donald Stewart served with distinction un-
der Sir Colin Campbell before and during the Mu.
Tiny, when ne was repeatedly mentioned in des
patches, was Deputy Adjutant General of the In
dian Army and commanded the Bengal Brigade
in Abvssinia. With him is Sir Sxu uel Brown az
other V. c., from the same Forty sixth Bengal Ma
tive Infantry that trained Spoke and Grant. He
served with great distinction on the frontier and
during the Mutiny, getting bis Victoria Cross for
the action at Surpoorah where, with one orderly,
he rode upon q nine-pouner gun that was raking
his men, and single hsnded fought the gunners so
that they could not reload. Though he was badly
wounded in the knee and had his left arm severed,
be cut down seven antagonists. "Sham Broom
is worshipped among the native soldiers for his
daring, bis wonderful horsemanship and his skill
as sportsman.
Gen. Bidduiph first attracted notice as q cadet al
Woolwich, saving q comrades life at immnen n,
peril Of his own. He distinguished himself in the
Crimea, has held many high positions on the
headquarter staff in India and enjoys the reputa-
ton of being very popular brigsdier.
Thai is a small town on the left bank of the
kurum, l68 miles by road from Cabu and 1888
from Ghuznee being at the western extremity of
| the tongue-shaped Kohat District jutting forward
| into Afghsnistan. Fify-one miles away is Mo-
BANNED Aims Fort, the road leading through q
fertile country with splendid groves Of mulberry
and plane trees, though rice swamps along the
| river make it unhetlthy. The fort in Lumsdem 9
| time (lS5o) was an extensive work, with eight
| bastions and IS many round towers, surrounded
by wide ditch and covered way, and densely
packed within with buildings. The march to this
point is likely to be annoyed by the Jajis, o pow
erful and warlike tribe, whose cupidity will nat
| urally be excited by the sight Of an extensiv e
baggaRe-train. The physical difficulties of the
route are at least as great those of the Khyber
Pass, and it is not likely that General Roberts
will push on farther than the Kurum Fort without
| support. His column, however, will distract and
threaten to turn the Afghan main army, and so
may come into prominence. The Quetta column
| is likely to make the real attack on Candshar.
| something over lao miles to the northwest secur-
ing which stronghold it would cut off the Cabul
Valley from the south and be able to Cooperate
| with either Of the other forces, against Ghuxnee
or Cabul, while in case of necessity 1t might es-
say the dangerous march on Herat. As TO the
main body (Mooltan or Peshawur force) opinions
have differed in Englsnd-one set of critics hold.
ing that it was seriously intended to deliver the
attack by the Khyber Pass on the Ameer's CAPT
tai. others that it would be used merely to threat
en- and occupy him while the other columns ad-
vsnced.
The Ameer's field army. according to news of
October ~, was placed at 80, 600 infantry IL 900
cavalry and 200 guns, including battery of Arm
strong guns. The men were reported to be suf.
| fering great deal from fever, and such forces,
too, are always likely to fuctuate in numbers
from disafiection and quarrels. The Neues Wiener
regular army at "a 600 infantry, IL, 900 cavalry
| and about ] 600 arterymen, with field batteries
US pieces and about $50 old style cannon of vari.
Gus descriptions According to the Russian staff
reports the Afghan army contains 81 regiment
~ the line, SO Of which were in 1875 armed with
Enheid rifles, some having bsyonets, Others
swores. Thus there are about 81 900 regular iu-
iantfy that have been drilled for eight years by
batye instructors, many Of whom have served in
me English Army. The cavalry is composed O.
10 regiments. each of 4 troops of nominally loo
sabres. or the 9, 400 men probably 600 are ia
tne neld. There are 5000 irregular cavalry
levies from the Usbegs and the people of Ze
mindewsr. The field artillery is placed at s bat
teres, in all 80 pieces Excluding the mounted
pieces in the forts, there are about 100 guns ii
use aud Is many 10 reserve. There is also the old
militia force (estinated at 95 800 horse and 81 200