Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-10-21
GALLANT CHARGE.
The British Win a Bloody
Battle on Dargair Ridge.
Charge Up Hill With Fixed Bayonets,
Half Of Them Falling.
Iribesmen Pour in Terrific Fire, But Finally
Retreat in Disorder.

Simla, Oct. 2O.-According to advices
from Fort Lockhart, the tribesmen
having occupied Dargair ridge, which
commanded Chagru, on the Sama
range, General Sir Biggs sent the sec
ond division, this morning, to dislodge
them. The position was a very strong
one, on the summit Of a precipitous hill,
reached only by single path, along
which the attacking force, consisting
of the Gurkha Regiment and the Dor
setsnire Regiment was obliged to climb
in Indian file, three batteries mean
While Smelling the Sahngers.
The British suffered a temporary
check when they reached the open
space and were exposed to an accurate
fire. After prolonged artillery fire
the Gurkhas We're reinforced by the
Gordon Highlanders. Then followed a
mad rush across the open space in the
teeth of murderous fusilade. The
enemy stood their ground until the
British reached the rocks below, down
which the tribesmen could not see to
fire and the fled pell nell.
The losses of the GurkhaS and the
Gordon Highlanders were severe. Ac-
cording to later advices Gen. Bigg's
division advanced at daybreak by way
of Chagru-kota with Brigadier Cen
eral Kempsters brigade leading. 1t
was nearly 10 O'Clock when the enemy
began long range fire. The three
mountain batteries. massed on Chagru-
kolat. replied, while the Gordon High
landers pushed through to support the
first line firing volleys at long range
ha nj hot f,.D =
the Gurkahas reached the zig-zag path
under the perpendicular cliff where Ma
jor Jennings Bromley was killed, Mon
day. in the fighting between the Biggs'
brigade and the insurgent tribesmen
from Chagrua, on the SANTANA range
Three British companies crossed the
zone of fire at a rush, sustaining heavy
losses, while the remainder deployed to
the left to intercept flank attack
threatened by some 1000 of the enemy
from that direction. The Dorsetshire
Regiment attempted to support three
companies of Gurkhas, but was kept
back by the enemy who remained cool
and reserved their fire until the Bri-
fish We're well exposed.
AT 1880 P. NJ. matters looked seri-
Gus, as the British gun fire, though
aided by mountain battery from Fort
Gulistan, had failed to disodge the
enemy. General kempster thereupon
went forward in person, moving up the
Gordon Highlanders and the third Sikh
Regiment onto the fighting line. A sys-
assault was then organized.
and 1000 men with fixed bayonets stood
waiting for the order to advance.
Three minutes before the word of
command was given Gen. Kempster
photographed back instructions to the
batteries to concentrate their fire. The
Is pieces of artillery responded; and
under cover of this fire, the leading
company of the Highlanders. amid per-
feet silence rushed into the fire zone.
Half of the men dropped, but the re-
mainder pushed calamity on till they
reached the cover where the Gurkhas
lay. The rest of the force streamed af-
ter them. and the tribesmen seeing that
most of the troops had passed the fire
zone. fled up the hill and collected I'M
der cover of the cliffs. The Highland
ers and mixed regiments after pausing
a moment to take breath again ad-
.vanced to the assault, and 20 minutes
later the position was won.
The ridge was stormed at o'clock
From noon until that hour the tribes
men sheltered in the sangars stood a
heavy bombardment, beating their
drums. waving their standards, shout
ing defiance and maintaing a hot fire
on the advancing infantry.
General Sir Yeatman Biggs will con-
tinue the advance so as to hold the
frontal hills and then push on to
Kharappa, where he will be joined by
Sir VIM. Lockhart.
Throughout yesterday, the tribesmen
continued their work of building
breastworks on the summit.