Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-03-16

upon the platform with a spyglass, and
looking into the thicketa on the other aide
Of the valley, I was sure | could 500 ~
least Ave bundrrd natives That was
rcally only half tho number. From the
movement Of tho.s 1 could zee 1 felt oer.
tain they wero about 10 charge, aud Daf
scarcely reported this when they broke
cover with yells aud shricks and dashed
at the fort. The idea Of the platform
must have been m Inspiration. Bat Tor 10
the fort would have been taken.
As the natives broke cover the loopholef
were manned aud the rest Of the forcc or.
dored on to the platform. Running nhend
Of the main line were thlriy or forty men,
each with n great stick In bis hand. After
them came a. many more dragging rude
ladders, the rungs Of which were made 81
vines. At the very nrut dash. and without
losing over three Or four men, The fellows
plugged up every loophole, and a minute
later their Ladders were set against The
wall. without orders. realizing the situa'
ton. the seventeen men NJ the loopholei
made their way 10 the platform. Each OF
~ had over two feet ofspacc tocovcr, max.
Ing a long. thin line. The natives swarmed
up the ladders like 70 many monkeys, aud
though we had q great advantage In over
Topping tIful tHtN ruNNft Nh'h f''hfN7H
ness tina, we hal four men killcd and two
wounded before we repnlscd them. After
smptyinr our muskcta We used the bayo-
nets alone. and some u or men Killed
seven or eight Of tho nssallants. A. they
Became demornlizod and started 10 retreat
We opened on them with the extra mus
ket.' aud when the last KUN had hccn fired
We counted il5 dead men In sight. hut
for the platform they would have swarmed
over the walls like 70 many Ices
Now tho rial siege bcgnn. Bodies Of
natives wcrc stationed on ever side Of ~
within musket range. and steady and
hafassing iire WIZ maintained night aud
DAY. Aftcr the iirst two days artillery was
employed. Although Il was not heavy
enough 10 break the walls. 10 answered tho
purpose for annoying ~. our Killed We
had 10 bury inside the fort, nor could We
gct outside 10 10 any thing with the Afghan
dead. All lay upon about half an acre u
ground. and 20 near ~ that after thirty.
tix hours we began TO scent the faint In the
air. II was the plan Of the enemy 10 leave
their dead here 20 work our destruction,
and for a tins II seemed ~ II sucecss would
attend u.
About noon, while rummaging In, the
underground storrhou.c, came acrtN
barrel of alcohol. which had b-cn capttNed
with some other baggage n mouth bcf,\c.
II the Afghans knew what Il was they had
not touched Il. In ease beside the barrel
were quantities OF quinine. morphine, calo-
mel and other drugs which our hospital
corps had lost NJ the same time, When
reported the lind 60 tho lieutenant I also
made request of him. and after consider
able argument II was granted.
Night came on with strong wind from
the north and an overcast sky, aud II WIS
only fairly dark when was LET out Of the
gate with two pailf,ils Of the alcohol The
natives werc iirlng away a. usual, aud ~
walked down among the dead heard tho
"Eipf" Of bufcts all around me. had q
saturated cloth over my mouth aud cotton
IN my noStrils, and could stand the odor
very well. Theru was considerable grass
and brush on the field. and | distributed
the alcohol pretty literally over both the
soil aud the dead. Il took four trips 10
empty the barrel. II was then knocked 20
pieces aud the material carried out. Tho
last act was TO light match and set fire
10 q paper, and minute later was safe
In the fort, and the field OF the dend wns
all ablAze. Before midnight we had wiped
out the threatened danger, much 10 the
chagrin and indignation Of the natives.
The relief came too late, however, Tor some
OF our poor fellows. Within the next
three days We had dive deaths. every one Of
them. no doubt, due TO tho pesiilcntisl
odor; and the constant strain Of watching
had begun 10 tell upon all the living.
We had bccn afraid the natives would
bring up mortar and drop shells Into the
fort, but We had been besirgcd for three
weeks before they got one Into position.
They opened ilre one afternoon. but Of ten
shells rcnt into the air 10 drop down on our
heads all went Wild. Then tho mortar
burst, killing all around Il, aud We wcru
safe On the fortleth day from the hour
we entered the fort the natives made an.
other dash ut the walls Our force was now
reduced 10 thirtyone men, ord four Of these
were down with fever aud unable to raise
their heads. We had warning Of the dash
and were prepared for Il. Every man on
the platform had three loaded muskcis.
We took thirteen loaded shells belonging
10 the gun, cut the fuses short, and laid
them ON the wall Beside each was u piece
Of lighted punk. II was estimated that
there were fully go native. In the attack.
ing party, and they carried about fify lad.
AiiAs iht UkhN Nlhl Z AlANi Atll minutes
II was the shells VIZ rolled down among EN-
which did the work. believe the dead
aud wounded were fully 80. but they could
afford that loss better than the three We
had killed outright.
The tool weather had now come. and on
the night OF The fight snow fell TO the
depth OF nix inches. For two days after
not shot was fired. Then. for the next
A. a. A HuHa.
did not attempt another assault. but coolly
calculated TO wear as out. A fow more
days would have accomplished thu. on
the seyenty.ilrst day u our Investment We
were relieved by n British fotcc, but there
were only eight Of us able To stand on our
feet. In all. on.y twenty-five Of ns were
alive. ON the day OF the relleflfy Afghans
could have scaled the walls and taken the
iort.--New York san.
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