St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-12
British Troops and Tribesmen
Engage in Battle on the
Pamir Frontier.
Russia Alleged to Be Behind
the Warlike Movement of
the Tribes.
Gallant Acts Performed by
officers Of the Queens
Soldiers.
London Excited by the News,
and Fears Expressed Of a
General Fight.

LONDON, Dec. 11.-Official dispatches
received here this evening from Cal
:utta state that there has been fighting
between the British forces and the
tribesmen in the vicinity of Gilgit, near
The Pamir frontier. and not fal from the
new boundary line recently claimed by
Russia. In short, the British troops are
now face to face with frontier tribesmen
in arms who are claimed to be under
Russian protection, and most serious
events may result from this clash of
arms.
At Gilgit there is a British agency
garrsOned by some Kashmires and In
dian Ghoorkhas and battery of artil-
lery. According to the latest advices
received from the front, the tribesmen
of Hunsea and Magyar, TWO towns on the
river Indus, and almost opposite to
each other, have for some time been
threatening the Chalt fort, held by a de-
tachment of Kashmires. This has
caused Col. DUrand, the British agent
at Gilgit, to make an advance upon the
Chalt fort for the purpose of relieving
the garrison. This
Advance of the British
was made early during the present
month, for on Nov. 90 Col. Durand wired
the cOmmander-in-chief that he should
move upon the enemy on Dec. 2, unless
he was previously attacked by the
tribesmen, who were reported to be as
sembing in large numbers, and to have
been instigated in their action by Rus
sian agents. Col. Durand also tele-
graphed, the same day, that he feared a
serious conflict was inevitable, although
he had done everything possible to pre-
vent it.
Other dispatches just received here
from Calcutta announce that Fort Chalt
was captured on Dec. 2, and that seven
sepoys were killed and twenty-siX
wounded. Col. Durand, the dispatch
adds, and Capt. Aylmer and Lieut.. Bah
cock were seriously wounded. Several
other officers were slightly wounded.
Capt. Aylmer and Lieuts. Boysagon and
Babcock, continued the dispatch, dis
played extraordinary galiantry. Capt.
Aylmer most CALAMITY led a Storming
party, carrying gun-cOttOn petard, and
in the face of
A Shower of Bullets.
dashed up TO the iron-bound gate of
the fort, affixed the petard to it, lit the
fuse, Tetreated a short distance, and
then had the pleasure of hearing a
deafening report. The next moment
the gallant captain saw that the petard
had blown the gate of the fort to pieces.
Capt. Aylmer and Lieuts. BOysagon
and BadcOck, followed by handful of
sepOys, then made dash into the fort
and, after some desperate fighting, cap
tured a field gun. which had been used
effectively against the attacking party.
The British officers and SepOyS also cap
tured nine prisoners, the remainder of
the rebel triJesnen fleeing, leaving a
number of dead inside and outside the
fort
Reports of the conflict on the Pamir
frontier reached this city in time for
them to spread to the clubs and theaterS.
The result was feeling of considerable
excitement, and there were many old
Indian officers who gravely shook their
heads upon hearing the news, saying
that it was the most serious that had
come from India for many a day. The
younger officers. naturally. were elated
aud were loud in their expressions of
hope that the long expected
War With Russia
was to come at last, and that the Brit
lsh lion and the Russian bear were to
engage in the long-anticipated struggle
for supremacy in the East, and for the
possession of India, the richest prize in
The East. The excitement increased
rapidly and the general opinion is, at
midnight, about the clubs and such
places, that war with Russia is looming
up on the horizon in India. In any
case. it is certain that the whole Pamir
question will now be raised in deadly
Earnest.
Later-A constant EXCHANGE of dis
patches is going on between high Off
eials here. Some of the officials OF the
India Office, who are apparently going
to pass the night in that building, re-
fuse to furnish any other information
to inquirers than that already given
above.
One officer of high rank. who has re-
Gently returned from India, was more
communicative, and SAID there could
now be no doubt that the affairs OH the
frontier of the Pamir district had
reached a most delicate and dangerous
stage. The claims made by Russia, lie
said, must be greatly modified before
even a basis for negotiations cali be es-
tabliShed between the three nations
oncerned-Russia, China and Great
Britain,