The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-10-28
FIERCE FIGHTING IN INDIA
sh Storm the Heights Held >,
the Tribesmep

storm the Heights Held NV
| the Tribesmen.
simla, Oct. 2O.-OfficiaI advicos fror,
nort Lockhart say that after the 6oh+
my ON Monday last between tho pr;t;.L
;moUps under Sir Yeatman Riggs and 10
Ensulseht tribesmen at Chagrna nn t the
:" Sai range, the British force retmrnnS
w Snlnwari and the tribesmen. eraatIu
uIant reoccupied in force the Seiabtss
t Hes. vi Ghagrua. The third brigade of
t tm punltiye expedition, which advanced
| liyely TIM nHiarapha, expects to have a
Accor uile IN clearing the heights.
hart tha 10 adVlces from Fort Lock-
gal ridge, which commands CGa"r na ~
iHe eamana range, Gen. Sir Yeatmo NJ,
;nsss sent the second division this morn-
ing 10 ulslodge them. The position was
very strong one and the soldiers were
ee1nipeiled to climb the hillside in India
NE three batteries meanwhile shaIlinn
ene tribesmen. The British after Snt
hellis temporary check when thew
aeacned the open space, where they We're
eAposed TO a hire, made magnificent rush
"I IT} the FACE of murderous fusilade,
Dill enemy stood their ground till the
an ,i'i ,sln reached the rocks below and then
n nud pgi-llel. The losses of the Gurkhas
anu the Gordon Highlanders were So.
we're. According to late adyic"s ce su
Digs division advanced at daybreak nv
way OF Chaigru with Brig. Gen. Kemn-
s,e[ brigade leading, 1t was nearly 10
oclock, when the enemy began n Ions
range hre. The three mountain batteries
massed ON Chagrukotal, while the Cor.
don Highlanders pushed through 70 the
support OF the first line, firing volleys Mt
long range. ~
ne tribesmen reserved their fire till
lhe Gurkhas reached the zigzag path
iIuuef the perpendicular cliff where Mai.
H; na brooks was killed in the fight
ing on Monday. Three British GONNA
MES crossed the zone of fire, sustoininp
heavy loss, while the remainder deployed
TO the left to intercept flank move
ment threatened by some 1000 of the en-
envy from that direction. The Dorset
shlfe regiment attempted to support the
Gurkhas, but were kept back by the en-
envy, who remained cool and reserved
their lire until the British were well ex-
| posed. "~' Va
At $50 p. m. matters looked serious.
as the British gun fire, though aided by
| mountain battery from Fort Gulistan.
| nad tailed to dislodge the enemy. Gen.
Aempster thereupon went forward in per-
son, moving up the Gordon Highlanders
and the third Sikhs regiment into the
nShting line. a systematic assault was
then organized and 1000 men with BAY
onets fixed stood waiting for the order
to advance. Three minutes before the
wore, of command was given, Gen. Kemp-
Ster photographed back instructions to the
batteries to concentrate their fire. The
elghlteen, pieces of artillery responded
ana under cover of this fire the leading
company of the Highlanders, amid per.
feet silence. rushed into the fire zone
half the men dropped, but the remainder
pushed CALAMITY on until they reached
the cover, where the Gurkhas lay. The
rest of the force streamed after them
and the tribesmen fled up the hill and
collected under cover of the cliffs. The
Hlghlanders and mixed regiments, after
pauslng a moment to take breath, agar
advanced to the assault and twenty min
utes later the position was won
The ridge was stormed at 3 O'Clock
and from noon till that hour the tribes
men sheltered in the Sangars stood 6
heavy bombardment, beating their drums
waving their standards and shouting de
tiance and maintaining a hot fire on tn,
advancing infantry.
| Gen. Biggs will continue the advanc
! so as to hold the frontal hill and the
pass on to Kharapha, where he will b
| joined by Sir William Lockhart.
| Throughout yesterday the tribesmel
| continued their work of building breast
| works on the summit.