The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-01-30
AHAED STRUGGLE
BY COL.WALTER DUNLAP.

/ lltL regIlldnt OF O0OrhdS, lau tIle dtl
vance as We moved ont OfPeshawur fol
Cabul, Skirmishing began as soon as
we were out Of the fOrtiticatlOns,a and fOl
four hours we were pestered and an
nOyed and put to considerable loss OF
life Then we reached the mountain
pass known as the kashWa, and here
a road came in from the north called
the Dark Way. While the column
rested 200 Of ms Pioneers pushed ur
this way for mile on a reconnaissance
and found small but strong stone fort
which had just been deserted by the
natives. Word was sent back and the
result was that company B, which
| numbered forty seven men, was detail
| ed to occupy the fort, which was once
christened Fort Baker
The officer in command was Lieut..
! Erayne. seconded by the orderly ser
geant and first corporal. We Lad
| been badly broken up in the campaign
and our commissioned and non com
missioued officers We're badly scattered
some dead some in the hospital and
| others On detached service. was the
corporal alluded to above The fort
was built at a spot where the way OF
road left the hills and crossed a valley
about half = mile wide We We're at
the southern edge of this valley on a
detache! I'LL, which was higher than
any other ground within gunshot.
There was L fine spring on this hill,
and the natives had inclosed it in a
square fort covering one hundred
square feet Of ground.
The garrison of this fort had been
called ont to assist in holding the main
pass against our army, and it had de
parted in such a hurry that we fourd
-four hundred pounds Of powder. six
hundred pounds Of lead, forty mus
kcts, sixty blankets and a large stock
Of provisions left behind There were
also both shell and grapeshot for the
field piece. Not doubling that we
should be besieged as soon as the
army was out Of sight, we set to work
10 make everything snug. The gate
way was blocked, the extra muskets
loaded, and the men assigned to posi-
tions in squads We took possession
about noon, and up to four o'c'ock the
sound Of fighting in the main pass
came plainly to our ears. They had
scarcely died away when we caught
sight OF sixty Afghans approaching us
by narrow pathway frum the west
They had been down in the Kashwa
/ lighting our column. but had been
driven OFF. They were a portion only
Of the garrison; the balance had been
killed by British bullets. These fel-
lows approached rs without the slight
est suspicion. and their first warning
was yolley which knocked over full
| dozen.
On that famous march TO Cabul the
watchword was, Pass on In more
! than q score Of instances the British
army left native garTisons to the right.
left or rear Of them. There was about
as much danger in the rear as in the
| front 1t was constant warfare on Il
line a hundred miles long. We knew
| pretty we'll " hat TO look for. and were
in no wise disappointed when the sun
| went down to find ourselves besieged
! by force of at least 300 natives. Our
coup had dumbfounded them, however
and not gun was fired during the
afternoon or night. They must plan
! how best to overcome us, And the
| problem no doubt worried them We
had four stout walls ten feet high,
oceans of the purest water and pro
visions for sixty days It was hard to
figure against that, and we turned in
that night with a feeling that we
would be left undistmbed. Nothing
whatever occurred to alarm Us. and
during all next forenoon we did not
catch sight Of native. Exactly at
noon Il native bearing flag of truce
came across the valley. As We did
not want him to know our strength,
| was sent out to meet him ten PAGES
from the gate.
Il demand the surrender Of the fort. 4"
he said in broken English.
And if we surrender 2" [ asked
You Will all he put to DEATH
But if we refuse?"
1t will be death just the same"
Then we refuse"
The native stalked off without an
other word or look, and soon disap
peared across the valley. Then min
utes later three field pieces opened fire
ON lis with solid shot from the cover
Of a mass Of rocks and bushes about
six hundred yards away. Every ball
struck the north wall. but they might
as well have been bullets, for all the
harm they did. We let them fire
away for half an hour, and then four
Of the men who carried elephant rifles
which had been picked mp at Peshawur
| went to the loop holes and dropped
TWO gunners apiece inside of two min
utes. This caused the battery to with
! draw in a hurry, and we were bother
ed no more that afternoon Piled
against the eastern wall of the fort on
the inside was a large quantity OF
heavy poles and rude planks. We
had at first supposed this material to
have been brought in for iirewood and
had used some of it for our fires. 1t
now occurred to the lieutenant that
there We're net enough loop holes in
the wall TO accommodate even our
| small force, and that the natives had
broughtin that stuff to erect platforms.
He at once set the whole force at work
and we did not knock off until mia
night Then we had a solid platform
against the north and east walls. being
about seven feet high Tuis would
enable us to use the top of the walls
as a hreastwork, The other two sides
Of the fort could not be scaled because
OF the nature of the ground.
The night passed quietly and some
Of eur men began to think the native;
had withdrawn from our locality tc
go To the front. Those OF rs who hat
fought them before knew better. A
/, 5 o'clock l got upon the platform viii
( a spyglass. and looking into the thick
cts on the other side Of the valley,
was sure [ could see at least five hun