Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-04-24
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way Gown INTO the vaney now TO try
and overtake the column. We must
remain and do what we can"
But what can We dor" asked a cor
poraL
"Dier" replied the sergeant That's
what we were sent out here for, any
how. We are twenty-five to hundreds
and thousands We must kill as many
Of the devils as we can and then lie
down ourselves"
There wasn't a glimmer of hope.
We knew the Afghan. In that long
and bloody campaign neither side both
cred with prisoners. If we captured
one. ten. fifty or a hundred b was puff
bangl and they we're left lying dead
a we marched on. II one of our men
fell into their hands his head va
Topped of or a spear sent through him
before he could wink twice. They'd
have the life of every man, even il
they yielded up twenty lives for one.
Some would follow on after the col
umn. but hordes would be left behind
to harass the outposts left along the
line of communication.
It stood us in hand to make good
use of the few hours left 20 Is The
Afghans were elated and excited, and
showed no disposition 10 attack that
evening, but we knew the morrow
would open a siege which might last
until there was no longer a nan to de
fend the fort. As there were five days
rations for 100 men, the twenty-five of
US had close upon a months provisions.
As for water, there was a spring bub-
bling up within the fort, and all the
preparations we could make consisted
in Strengthening the position. During
the night we built a bomb proof,
hauled in a large supply Of frewoOd,
and not one of Us got a wink of sleep.
Day had scarcely broken when we
found ourselves surrounded by at least
a thousand natives. The first move on
their part was & demand a surrender.
This was promptly refused, and mus
kerry fire was then opened on the fort.
We made no return, but avoided the
portfolios as much a. possible, cooked
breakfast, and most of the men slept
until nooh.
l told you our fort was on the crest
Of a steep hill The earth slanted
away from it in all directions for about
forty rods before there was any cover
for an enemy. So far as musketry was
concerned. they might blaze away for
a year and not hurt any one, but We
knew they would soon bring up field
pieces against us. There was only one
spot where they could plant the guns
to get the proper elevation on US, and
that was Just opposite the north center
| Of the fort. on a little plateau forty feet
above the travelled trail. During the
day we backed this wall with other
blocks of stone, and made il as secure
as circumstance would permit, and
when night came the enemy had fired
5000 bullets at us without infiicting the
least damage.
We hadn't the lumber TO build plat
forms around the walls, but we had
sufficient 70 build three lookout sta
tons at three corners. and there sn-
tinels took their stations when darkness
fell. What we feared was a night at
tack with scaling ladders, and that was
exactly what they were planning for.
Instead Of taking time to make ladders,
however. they made a rush on us about
/ o'clock in the morning with a detail
Of men, carrying hong poles to rest
against the walls. The sentinels gave
us timely notice, and standing on
blocks of stone so as TO bring us nearer
the enemy as he showed up on top of
the wall. we tumbled him off with bull
let and bayonet so rapidly that he drew
of in great confusion.
That attack was a good thing for us.
The enemy gave us credit for three
times our actual strength, and there
/ fore decided to move with more caution
in the future, and it gave us the idea
that our position could be defended
against big odds. During the next day
the Afghans kept mp a slow and irregu-
lar fire against rs, simply wasting their
lead, and all the men, except those on
necessary duty, were permitted to sleep.
When night came again we discovered
| the cause of their apathy. We plainly
heard them clearing away the small
trees on the plateau and using the
spade, and knew that they were going
TO plant artillery to use against us.
The artillery branch of the Ameer's
service was very weak, the guns being
of light caliber and the ammunition
generally poor, but no M could doubt
that If a gun or two was got to bear on
US, and the enemy would keep Pegging
away. the shot and shell would in time
effect a breach.
We had above 5000 rounds of car,
tidges, as our slaughtered comrades