Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-21
"MALAKAND FIELD FORCE. >

The Thrilling Account by Lieutenant
Churchill, Of Fourth HuSSarS,
Of the Rising of the Tribesmen in
the Himalay as, Issued To-Day in
New York and London - The
Chitral Campaign, and How the
Fighting Began-Six Days and
Nights Of Solid Fighting, Vividly
Described.
New York, March 20.-In this city
and London tomorrow, bright and
breezy book, THE Story of the Mala-
kand Field Force" from the pen of
Lieutenant Winston Spencer Churchill,
Of the Fourth (British) Hussars, will
be placed before the public by Messrs.
LongmaDs, Green & Co. Lieutenant
Churchill is g. grandson of the late
Leonard jerome, of New York, and is
the son of the late Lord Randolph
Churchill The book will doubtless be
welcomed by those who delight in re-
ports, picturesquely made, of deeds of
valor and hard fighting generally under
the greatest difficulties. The young
lieutenant has blended accurate de-
tails, hard facts and figures, dates and
names, with pretty pictures of Indian
warfare and fine examples of heroism
and endurance both among friends and
foe.
The gallant tribesmen are de-
scribed as follows:
Except at the times of sowing and
the harvest, a continual state OF feud
and strife prevails throughout the
land Tribe wars with tribe. The
people of one valley fight with those
of the next One village attacks an
other To the quarrels of communi-
ties are added the combats of indi-
viduals. Khan assails khan, each sup
ported by his retainers. Every tribes
man has
A BLOOD FUED
with his neighbor. Every mans hand
is against the other, and all against
the stranger.
Nor are these struggles conducted
with the weapons which usually be-
long to the races of such development
To the ferocity of the Zulu are added
the craft of the Redskin and the
craftsmanship of the Boer. AT a
thousand yards the traveller falls
wounded by the well-aimed bullet of
a breech-loading rifle. His assailant,
approaching, cuts him in pieces, as he
lies bleeding, with the fury of South
Sea Islander The weapons OF the
nineteenth century are in the hands
OF the savages Of the stone age"
The Malakand is then described at
length, the following extract giving
some idea Of the scene of so much Sc
we're fighting:
THE Malakand is
LIKE A GREAT CUP
of which the rim is broken into nu-
merous clefts and jagged points. AT
the bottom of this cup is the crater
camp. The deepest cleft is the Mala-
kand Pass The highest of the jagged
points is Guides Hill on a spur of
which the fort stands. 1t needs no
technical knowledge to see that 10 de-
fend such place the rim OF the cup
must be held. But in the Mai
akand the bottom of the cup
is too small to contain the necessary
garrison. The whole position is there
fore, from the military point of view,
bad and indefensible."
A comprehensive review of the Chit
raj campaign follows and then comes
THE STORY OF THE OUTBREAK,
which is led up to in this manner:
But a single class had viewed with
quick intelligence and intense hostility
the approach of the British power.
The priesthood of the Afghan border
instantly recognized the full meaning
OF the Chitral road. The cause of
their antagonism is not hard to dis
Germ Content with civilization assails
the superstition and credulity on which
the wealth and influence of the Mullah
depends A general combination of
the religious forces of India against
that civiliZing, educating rule, which
unconsciously saps the strength of
superstition, is one of the dangers of
the future. Here Mohammedanism
was threatened and resisted. A vast,
but silent agitation was begun. Mes
sengers passed to and fro among the
tribes Whispers of war holy war,
were breathed to a race intensely pas
sionate and fanatical Vast and mys-
terious agencies. the force of which are
incomprehensible to rational minds,
were employed. More astute brains
that the wild valleys of the North
produce conducted the preparations.
Secret encouragement came from the
South-from India itself Actual sup
port and assistance was given from
Kabul.
AT length the time came. A strange
combination of circumstances operated
to improve the opportunity. The vic
tory of the Turks over the Greeks; the
publication of the Amir's book on
'Johad;" his assumption of the posi-
ton of a Caiiph of Islam and much in
discreet writing in the Anglo-lndian
press united to produce a boom in
Mahommedanism.
The fighting
BEGAN UNEXPECTEDLY
and is thus described
"On the afternoon of the Goth of
July the subalterns and younger off.
GERS of the Malakand garrison proceed
ed to Khar to play polo. Thither also
came Lieutenant Rattray, riding over