The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-23
THE HORRORS OF WAR.
|yOIdable Massacre Of Afsban Prisoners
by the HriIi hh.


Correspondence London Standard
bn the following day (the eighth recon-
tering parties secured the country Ia every
ection, and came back with the news that
hough struggling parties Of natives were
on the hillside, yet not a single Mongol
Waziri was visible on the plain. This was
asant information, and the day passed
etly. At about Z o'clock, however. when
were In the midst Of dinner, two shots were
n 2n the right side Of the camp, and this
y mediately followed by rifle-firing by
Ia caries all around. Everybody jumped
= Ia asAe'Ha r,ment. TO Judge by the con
nace s4af H. pldity Of the firing, the enemy
4 crept down from the hills across the
Iins and were now surrounding US. The
heral buckled on his revover and went out
pee what the matter was, at the same time
5ding several of his officers to bring him
Prnatlon. Bang, bang, bang, went the
les on every side. 1t surely must be q
kous business The troops were ordered
!. The husSarS were already In their sad
3 gallOping to the front to discover the
my. A Sepoy came up to the General and
)orted that on the other side of the nullah
r the camp, six Afghan horsemen had
IN seen and several men on foot. Inn
sdiately after the Sepoy had told his tale,
I. Villiers came up painting and reported
II the enemy was nowhere visible, and
10 the whole affair was false alarm. One
TRY had imagined he saw somebody and
ID The contagion had spread, and every
etry was now blazing away wildly, either
nothing or at our own sheep. Further in
fries were made, and 1t became apparent
% Col.sVtlliers' explanation OF the matter
& correct,-ouf sentinelS were having q
Pe sham-hght on their own account. SO,
6sured, we returned to finish our dinner
Ne had scarcely reached our tents. however.
pre- news reached US that a terrible tragedy
taken place on the outskirts Of the camp,
pre- the prisoners taken on the previous day
4 been sent to be taken care Of by the
lenty-first Regiment. They were arranged
|hree lines, and made to sit upon the ground.
pm line was fastened by one rope, which was
|sed round each man, and then fixed In the
|und by wooden pegs. A guard was placed
4 Lne prisoners, with the strict orders to
vent any OF them from escaping, as it was
|Bldered desirable that each man should be
ptlheds so that we might see who among
fn were MoDgols, who Waziris. and who
pstwais. 1t appears that the first two
ES which we heard We're not fired by our
tries, but had come into the camp of the |
enty-nrst from the opposite side OF the |
inc. The prisoners imagined the shots to |
Signals for them to attempt to escape |
by accordingly jumped up from the ground |
>ne and the same moment, and commenced |
lying from side to side evidently with the
bet either of breaking the ropes or tearjny
Rn from their fastenings Ia the ground |
~ were all in terrible state Of excitement
alarm was given and number Of Senovs
bed out to help the guard, The guard en-
~ 10 gaarN
fent them from escaping. Several of the |
|oners, however, snatched at the rifles of |
Sepoys and tried to get possession of
n. Hence enSued series of desperate |
t-to-hand struggles, in which two or three |
IS were broken. One powerful fellow man
y to get clear OF his rope and the sentry |
! was after him. AS he was running away
|Of the guard bayoneted him in the leg. |
Ethis did not stop him, for he reached the !
Pr side of the ravine in safety. He had, |
/, however, run into the arms of the out |
Ii pickets, who fired at and killed him. |
Fher fellow got free of his bonds, but he
|only run few yards when he was met BY
Rtive officer, who drew his revolver and |
him dead.
pc situation was now becoming desperate
Pie guards. They saw that unless extreme |
eureS were taken at once the whole OF
remaining prisoners would get loose, and |
eably escape, So while the great mass OF |
men, heaving, grooming and wrenching
Pc ropes, was swaying perhaps for the
time before getting free, the guards
[ed their rifles, end either shot or bayo-
q every man who persisted in struggling.
terrible deed had the effect desired.
Pred by the fact of men falling dead at
sides, and by the groans Of comrades
were sinking severely wounded, the
who had escaped unhurt instantly
me quiet and crouched upon the ground
Eror. The scene of this tragedy was ap-
ng. The dead, the living, the dying, and
wounded were still tied together. All
| lying nuddled up in one confused mass
suies' The living could not be told from
fead, except when some suffering wretch,
9g 10 pool of his own blood, and looking
~ ia the moonlit ground, besought help.
|nali never forget the appearance Of the
lace OF one Of these wounded men. He
= blue turban, long blue shirt, and
White pylamas. He was young. He !,