Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-10-05
FOUGHT In AFGHANISTAN
Captain 0'Brien Of the Gordon High.
landerS Relates His War Experience.
Three Hot Engagements in Two Years Forced
Marches and TreaCherOuS AlleS-Bar-
barOuS Warfare Avenged.

Captain p. J. O'Brien, of the
East Indian military and political
service, now in Honolulu, was in
hot affairs mentioned by Lord
Roberts in his "Forty-one Years
in India" He was then a lieu
tenant of + Co., 72nd Gordon
Highlanders. The affairs were in
the memorable campaign lasting
from August, 1878, to the middle
of 1880, closing with the relief of
Candahar. The campaign was on
account of the discovery by
Britain that the Ameer of
Afghanistsn was in league with
Russia. Captain O'Brien gave a
BULLETIN reporter a running &C.
count of the part the Highlauders
played in the campaign.
"Our regiment was ordered to
Afgnanistan and went by way of
Khyber Pass with Lord Roberts.
Peiwar Kotal was held in force
by Afghan troops and was a posi-
ton that seemed aim 0st impregna.
BILE. The Goth Pathans, who were
frontier Mahommedans, seemed
disinclined to fight against their
caste brothers. 1t was necessary
that they, as well as the other
troops, should be warned that all
would move out two or three
hours before daybreak, leaving
the entire camp standing with
fires burning as if no movement
had started or was intended. The
Pathans, however, when the order
was given to march fired off shots
to indicate to the mutineers tn { a
movement was on foot.
Notwithstanding this treachery
General Roberts outfianked the
enemy, catching them all asleep,
routing them and selling the posi-
ton. The Afghan loss was 500
killed, 200 wounded and 400 taken
prisoners. Our loss was 20 killed
and wounded.
1--WE went on to Cabul. Shere
Ali, the old Amer, had fled from
Afghanistan, leaving his son,
Ayoub Khan, behind. Shortly
after General Roberts arrived at
Cabul the British troops were
hemmed in at Sherpur, it was be
lieved by Ayoub's organizing the
troops that had fled before Roberts
advance, as well as other tribes
who had not yet taken part in the
rising. There was severe fighting
at Sherpur.
"The brunt of the whole affair,
as Lord Roberts says in his book,
Forty-one years in India was
borne by the 72nd Gordon High
landers under Col. Clarke and
Lieut.. Murray the adjutant. The
relieving force lost about % killed
and wounded, and the party max
ing the sortie from the garrison
Is killed and wounded. The
Afghan besieging party lost about
$50 killed and some chiefs carried
off. No estimate of their wound
ed could be made, for they were in
all cases carried off.
Shortly after the arrival of
Roberts and the releasing of the
besieged garrison, it was heard
that the Goth regiment, while out
woodcutting under General Bur
rows Mt Kandshsr without arm ,
had be, n surprised by about TO-
600 Afghans and cut up almost to
man.
THE 72nd received orders to
proceed with the 18th Lancers,
the G-3 battery Royal Artillery,
the 99nd Highlanders, some
mountain batteries and other reai
ments, in all amounting to about
10000 men. This forop marched
to the relief of Can ahar, which
the Afghans had surrounded and
Deselgeu.
"We marched 1923 miles in %
days through the heart of hostile
country, and surrounded and de-
feated Ayoub Khan under the
very walls Of Kandahar. When
the garrison were relieved they
pointed out the spot where the
Goth Regiment had been cut up.
Not only had the bodies of the
soldiers been mutilated, but their
heads had been cut off and stuck
on telegraph posts, the wires of
which had been cut.
Two officers of the Goth, who
were prisoners in the hands of
AVOub Khan. vera hafora our