The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-11-19
TALE OF HEROISM.
Story of H ghlanders' Bravery
at Dargai Ridge.

London, Nov. 15.-The newspapers Of
this city have just received graphic de
tails by mail of the reCapture of Darga
ridge by the Gordon Highlanders on Oct
20, during which that regiment exhibited
remarkable dash and courage.
In order that the picture may be COM
plete, it is necessary to make brief re-
view of details already cabIed. After
the fighting on Monday, Oct. is, between
the column of British troops command
ed by General Sir Yeatman Biggs and
the tribesme1 from Chagru, on the Sam
ana range, the British retired upon
Shinware, and the enemy, greatly rein
forced, reoccupied Dargai ridge, which
commands Chagru. This capture and
eventual retreat from Dargai ridge has
been pronounced to be military error,
but, on the other hand, it has been de-
Tended, on the ground of the extreme
difficulty experienced in transporting
supplies through such q mountainous
country.
In any case, on Wednesday, Oct. 20,
General Biggs sent the second division to
dislodge the tribesmen from the Dargai
ridge. The position was a very strong
one, the enemy occupying the summit of
a precipitous hill. The top of this hill
could be reached only by single path,
along which the attacking force, at first
consisting of a Ghurka regiment, the
Derbyshire regiment and the Dorset
shire regiment, was obliged to climb in
Indian file, while three batteries of artil
lery shelled the sangara, or breastwork
entertainments, of the hill men.
Dargai ridge, from the direction of the
assault, it is now more fully explained.
presents frontal of about a mile, the
left end of which is sheer rock for 200
yards. In spite Of the difficulty of the
ascent, the movements of the British
troops were fairly we'll covered, except
in the case of a low dip, or small valley,
from 100 to $50 yards wide, about half
way up the ridge. This dip was exposed
to direct fire from the summit of the
cliffs. When the Ghurka, supported by
the Derbyshires and Dorsetshires
reached this fire zone, Immediately the
top of the cliffs burst out into flames, for
1000 tribesmen had reserved the fire of
their rifles until that moment. Though
decimirated, the little mountaineers
(Ghurkas) struggled across the dip and
reached the shelter of few rocks, where
they laid down, under cover, for mo-
1nent or so, in order to recover their
breath, and then, led by their officers,
they made rush for the cover of the
cliff side.
Already the little dip was strewn with
corpses, and, so bloodthirsty were the
enemy that a wounded man had but to
move a limb to become the target for
a dozen marksmen. Many man strug-
gled to his knees or to his feet, only to be
struck down again, and many SACRIFICED
their own lives While trying to save their
comrades. 1t was, in reality, "A passage
of DEATH"
Then, Reluctantly, the senior officer
photographed down to the main body of
the British troops that the passage could
not be made. AT this juncture General
Kempster ordered the Gordon High
landers to the front.
The time had then arrived for desper-
ate action, for it was o'clock in the af-
ternoon and the dead and wounded were
lying thick on every side. Over 100 men
had already fallen and the enemy were
shouting their defiance and waving their
battle flags or standards and beating
their drums, confident of the impreg-
inability of their position and certain of
their strength.
But the Gordon Highlanders had yet
to be reckOned with. Rapidly forming
his men, and after his now historic
speech, Men of the Gordon Highland
ers: Our general says that position
must be taken al all costs. The Gordon
TT: ,-il =
thias, the commander of the Highland
ers, dashed out at the head of his gallant
regiment, and in a moment they were
across, carrying everyone with them in
their onrush, storming the ridge with a
resolution that was res.stles sand beat
ing down all opposition.
When Colonel Matthias gave the order
to advance, he and his officers leaped |
into the open and the piper of the High |
landers followed, striking up Cock of |
the North" and, with a shout, the lead |
ing company of killed men was into the |
fire zone. A stream of lead swept over. |
and past them, bullets churn- |
irg up the dust which half hid the rush |
ing bodies. Piper Findlater, blowing his |
loudest and best, was among the first to |
show the way acros that deadly strip of |
ground and when, after traversing but a
few yards, he was laid low by a shot |
through both legs, he managed to prop
himself up against boulder and con-
tinued with undated energy to play
Cock of the North" animating his com,
rades by the familiar, stirring music of
his beloved pipes.
But the fire of the enemy was most
deadly, the leading line melted away and
It seemd that the Gordon Highlanders
would be annihilated. More men. how
ever sprang into the passage and the
leaders struggled across to the cover
Then there was lull and, as one paper
zone had time to see how cruel
had been the slaughter"
Then, with a second cheer, the mixed
roops, Highlanders, Dorsetshires.
5hurkas, Derbyshires and Sikhs,
;treamed across and the enemy, seeing
he barrier had been swept away, left
heir loopholes and rock barbados and
led precipitately down the reverse slopes
without waiting for the line of cold steel,
which was then nearly on the crest OF the
idge.
Piper Findlater has been recommended
or the Victoria cross. Captain Robin
ION of the Ghurkas also acted with the
greatest gallantry. After leading his
men across the fire zone to the cover and
tha fcroa tbara In fin;apt he | .