The San Francisco call., 1897-10-21
BRIPONS
STORM THE
MOUNTAIN
The Brave Charge Of
the Gordon High
landerS.
HALF THEIR NUMBER
KILLED.
Tefore Their VaIor the Hill
Tribesmen Break in
Wild Panic.
ENGLISH GAIN A COSTLY
VICTORY.
Samana Range, on the Indian From
tier, Swept Clear of the Rebel
Horde.
Special Dispatch to THE Sail

SIMLA, Oct. 20.-OficiaI advices from
Fort Lockhart say that after the fighting
on Monday last between the British
troops under Gensral Sir Yeatman Biggs
and the iDsurgcnt Ir besmen from Chagru,
en- the Samana range, the British force re-
turned to Ahinwari, and the ribesmen
greatly REINFORCED occupied in force :he
heights west of Chagru.
The trlbesmen held Dargai ridge, which
commanded Chagru, until this morning,
when General Biggs sent the Second D.
vision to dislodge hem. The position
was very strong one, on the summit of
precipitous h,Il, reached only by sim
gle path. along which the attacking forces,
consisting of the Gourka regulars and the
Dorse shire regiment were obliged to clim b
il Igdisn file. three batteries meanwhile
shelling the savages.
TIE British suffered a tenn porary check
when they reached the open space and
were exposed to an accurate fire. After a
prolonged artillery fire the Gourkas were
re-eniorced by the Gordon Highlanders.
Then followed a magnificent rush across
I the open space IN the face of murderous
ilslilade. The enemy stood their x round
until the British reached the rocks below,
down which the tribesmen could not see
10 tire, and then they fed pelI NELL. Tie
losses of the Gourkas and the Gordon
Highlanders were severe
According to later advices, General
Biggs' division advanced at day break by
way Of CLaEru Kotal, with Brigadier-
General Kempster's brigade leading. 1t
was nearly 10 O'Clock when the enemy be-
can a long-range hight. Three mountain
batteries, massed on Chagru KotaI, re-
piled, while the Gordon Hignlanders
pushed through 20 support the first line,
trnG yolleys at long range.
The tTibesmen reserved their fire until
the Guorkas reGched The zjgzag path
under the perpendicular cliff, wnere Major
Jennings Bromley was killed on Monuay
IN the lighting between the BIggs brigade
and the insurgent tribesmen from Chagru
on the Samana range. Three Britis h
companies crossed the zone OF fl re here at
rush, sustaining heavy losses, while the
remainder depIoyed to the left TO inter
cept flank attack, threatened by some
seven thousand o: the enemy from that
direction. The Dorsetshire regiment at
tempted TO support the Gourkas, but was
kept back by the enemy, who remained
L
British were we'll exposed.
At1 P. NJ. matters looked serious as the
gun fire, though aided by q mountain bat
terry from Fort Guistan. had failed to dis
lodge the enemy. General Kemps.er
: 'hereupOn went forward in person, NOV
H2g up the Gordon Hlghlanders and the
Third Sikh Regiment into the fighting
line. A systematic assault was then or
panized and 2000 men with fixed bayonets
stood waiting for the order to advance.
Three minutes before the word of COM
msnd was given General Kempster tele-
graphed back instructions to the company
TO concentrate their fire. The eighteen
pieces OF artillery responded, ana under
cover of this fire the leading company OF
the Highlanders, amid perfect silence,
m u he'd into the fire zone.
Half the men dropped, but the re-
mainder pushed CALAMITY on until they
reached the cover where the Gourkas Law.
The rest of the force streamed after them,
and the tribesmen, seeing that most OF
the troops had passed the fire zone, fed
up the hill and collected under cover OF
the cliffs. The Highlanders and mixed
regiments, after pausing a moment 10 take
breath, again advanced to the assault, and
twenty minutes later the position was
won.
The ridge was stormed at 8 o'clc ck.
From noon until hat hour he iribesmr n,
sheltered IN the Sangars, stood heavy
bonn bar ment, beating their drums way
ing their standards, shouting eff n ce and
maintaining a hot fire on the advancing
in iantTy.
General Biggs will continue the advance
so as to hold tie frontal hills, and hen
push on 10 Kharappa, where he will be
joined by Sir William Lock ardt
Throughout yesterday the tribesmen n
continued their work of building breast
works on the summit
R0UAPn mans nm ., rnu-sn1,