The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-16
The GORDON HICHLANDERS.
The Story Of Their Capture Of the
Dargai Ridge.
cHEERED on BY A WOUNDED PIPER.
they Crushed Down the Opposing
Tribesmen and Opened the Way
for the other Troops.

OF this city have printed graphic details by
mail Of the capture of Dargai Ridge by the
Gordon Highlandets ON October 20, during
which that regiment exhibited remarkable
dash and courage.
On Wednesday. October 20. General Biggs
sent the Second division to dslodge the
tribesmen from Dargai Ridge. The position
hill could be reached only by single path
along which the attacking party. at first
consisting OF Ghurka regiment, the Der
byshire regiment and the Dorsetshire regl-
ment was obliged to climb in Indian file,
while three batteries OF artillery shelled
Ridge, from the direction of the assault.
presents frontage Of about mile. the
left end Of which is sheer rock for zoo
yards. In spite OF the difficulty Of the as
cent the movements OF the British troops
were fairly well covered. except in the
case OF a low dip or small valley. from leo
TO $50 yards wide about half way up the
ridge. The dip was exposed to direct fire
from the summit of the cln. AS the
Dorsetshire regiments reached this fire
zone, the top OF the cliffs burst out into
flsmesl for thousand tribesmen had re-
served their fire until that moment Though
decimated the Ghurkas struggled across the
dip and reached the shelter OF few rocks,
where they lay down under cover for a
moment In order 10 recover their breath
Then, led by their officers, they made a
dash for the cover Of the cliff. but the
others could not follow, and the enemy
with true military instinct reserved their
nie- Though the remainder Of the GhurKas
the Derbyshire and the Dorsetshire regi-
ments appeared on the fringe of the dip
yet TO step into the fire zone was to court
death. But the Dorsetshires again tired
to advance to the support OF the Ghurkas
ana thirteen men struggled into the open
space. only to drop before the far side
haven was reached. Then. reluctantly, the
senior officer, photographed down to the
main body of the British troops that the
passage could not be made.
AZ this juncture General Kempster or
deied the Gordon Highlanders 10 the front
The time had arrived for desperate action,
for 1t was then 4 o'clock Ia the afternoon
ana the dead and wounded were living thick
on every side. over 100 men had already
fallen and the enemy was shouting It's de-
Nance, waving battle flags and beating
drums. confident Of the impregnabi!ity of
their position and certain OF their success.
But the Gordon Highlanders had vet to be
reckoned with. Rapidly forming his men.
and after his now famous speech: Men
OF the Gordon Highlanders, our general says
that position must be taken at all cost.
The Gordon fIighlanders Will take it,"
colonel Matthias. the commander of the
Highlanders. dashed out at the head of his
saltht regiment and In n moment tiey
were across, carrying every one with them
ll-ri ha rid
resolution that was resistless and beating
down all opposition When Colonel Matthias
gave the order to advance no and his Off
Gers leared into the open and the pipers
OF the Highlanders followed, striking IN
The Cock OF the North" and with
hont the leading company Of Killed men
was In the lire zone. Another stream of
lead swept over. through aud past them.
bullets churning up the dust which half
hid the rushing bodies
Piper Findlater. blowing his loudest and
best, was among the first to show the way
across that deadly strip OF gn7und, and
when' AFTER traversng but few yards,
he was laid low by shot through both
hhs, ne managed to prop himself against a
rock and continued with unabated energy
TO play The Cock OF the Nerth." animal
ing his comrades by the familiar, stirring
music OF his pipes
But the Are of the enemy was most
neadiy; the leading line melted away and
II seemed that the Gordon Highlanders
would be annihilated. More men. however
sprang into the passage and the leaders
struggled across to the cover. There was
.heh luii and, as one paper remarks, "One
had lime TO see how cruel had been the
slaughter"
iheh, with second cheer. the mixed
troops' Highlanders. Dcrsetshires. Ghurkas
i,erhyshires and Silks. streamed across ana
.ne enemy seeing that the barrier had been
swept away, left their leopholes and rock
harricades and fled prccipitately down the
reverse slope without waiting for the hne
OF cold steel which was then nearly on The
crest Of the ridge
ripper f1ndlater has been recommended
fer the Victoria CROSS
Captain Robinson OF the Ghurkas also
acted with the greatest gallantry After
MS leading his men across the fire zone TO
cover and finding that the force there u,,r,
irsuinclent, he returned over the death
tlap alone ana was mortally wounded while
Leading the second rush OF Ghurkas 10 aun-
pert the first body of that regiment