The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-11-21

! in peaceful times like the present. She has
done so this year from far off India. and be-
/ slowed another honor and decoration upon
! the famous highland clan of soldierly
! Scots, the Grants, of BLACK Watch" fame,
/ that for century or more has had at least
! one hero of every generation in India
| On the 9th Of March last flying de-
! tachment of native soldiers-Gourkas-
rushed into the English camp at Tummu,
in Burmah. and breathlessly announced a
terrible disaster to a small English army
at the capital of Manipur, distant from
! Tummu about four days march over the
hills The camp at Tummu was in charge
Of Lieut.. c. J. w. Grant, of the Second
Burmah regiment. HIS father, grand
father and grandfather had been sol
diers in India, and be knew by instinct and
tradition that once a tribe got the upper
hand in hostilities a massacre of British
residents and soldiery would follow. The
government of India maintains an agent,
or representative, and residency at Mani
pur, and there at the time, as Lieut.. Grant
knew, were the chief commissioner, his
wife and other English officials and at
taches. Between them and all other Eng
lish posts, except Tummu, lay wide
stretches OF jungle, cutting off all hope of
escape and of timely succor. Grant
promptly wired to his superiors at distant
points In Burmah for authority to march
to the resc e of his comrades and friends,
and at II o'clock at night on the 9th re-
ceived sanction of his plans. At 5 O'Clock
on the morning of the 2Sth he set out with
so men of his own regiment and 30 of the
Gourka soldiers that had come in from
Manipur.
The route lay over the hills and the COM
pany marched twelve hours before resting.
The next night and day they marched
thirteen hours, and the next, the Both, eight
hours, fighting their way over intrench-
ments and through villages, always out
numbered, but victorious. The Manipuri
prisoners taken in the fight confirmed the
news of the disaster at Manipur and said
that the English leaders had all been kill
ed and that the wife of the resident, Mrs.
Grimwood, had escaped into the jungle and
was fleeing toward the British camps.
Lieut.. Grant resumed his march at II
o'clock at night and pushed on until
daylight, when he was confronted by river
with its bridge burning and hostile fort
on the opposite side covering the passage.
The gallant leader made a reconnaissance
on horseback and found the bridge timbers
burned through; also ne saw the exact
formation of the enemy's works-a mud
fort with trenches extending up and down
the river bank.
The little force of so men was then
placed in three lines, the first two of 20
men each in firing sections of 10 each.
The advance sounded, and one section of
the front line opened fire while the other
rushed forward thirty PAGES, dropped
down and also opened fire. In this way
the advance crept up to within 100 yards of
the works. Then Lieut.. Grant signaled
his supports, 40 men in two sections, to
move up on either flank, which they did,
not halting at the firing line, but pushing
about forty yards ahead, then dropping
and opening fire. At this the first sections
arose in body and dashed forward to the
river bank and down into the stream,
Grant at the head of all. The water was
from three to six feet deep, and the plucky
lieutenant got in over his depth and had
to be helped ont. His followers, however,
lost no time, but, standing in the shallow
edge of the stream, fixed bayonets and
formed for the charge.
The enemy kept down behind their walls
firing from loopholes, and these were the
only targets the assailants had until they
advanced with the cold steel. Then the
Manipuri left their cover at the first wall
and fell back. Grants men advanced,
freely using the bayonet. At the second
wall the enemy tried to rally, but the tao
tics of the English were too much for