Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-01-08

til he attained proficiency. He vas at
tached TO the Quartermaster's depart
ment and thenceforward familiariZed
himself with the multitudinous details
OF camp pitching and preparations for
locating troops which belong TO the Of
fee.
The Chief occasion when he was call
ed upon to use his power OF organiza-
ton in this direction was during the
grand tour made in 1853 by Lord Can
ming. the first viceroy and governor
general OF India. in order TO proclaim
to the native princes and people that
the queen had taken over the govern
ment of their country from the East
Indian company. The moving camp
was an immense one. and the state
professions into Lucknow and other
towns were purposely made on mag
niticent scale to impress the oriental
mind.
But though Roberts special duties
lay in departmental administration. he
hid plenty Of personal hard fighting
throughout the nutiny. He was at
tached to the movable column which
was sent to attack Delhi. the focus of
the rebellion. The position of the small
British force before the capital of the
insurrection was for months a perilous
one. Fighting was of daily occurrence,
the mutincers having an unlimited
number OF guns and an inexhauStiDle
supply of ammunition. Roberts came
under fire for the first time in a
skirmish. when of his party were
killed and 30 wounded. Soon after
ward. in another of the engagements
near the walls of the city, the young
lieutenant was hit by bullet near the
spine as he was helping the drivers
keep the horses quiet while limbering
up the guns. a leather pouch had
somehow slipped behind his back and
prevented the bullet penetrating deep
ly. He took part in storming the mo-
gurs palace and then was sent to join
Sir Colin Campbell in the relief of
the Lucknow residency. The Victoria
cross came to him for an act of hero
ism in one of the minor engagements,
by which the country was cleared of
rebels. In chasing a batch of mu-
tineers he saved the life of a native
officer, and moment afterward, see
ing two sepoys making off with
standard, he rode after them and
wrenched it from their hands. carry
ing off the standard as musket,
pressed close to his body, missed fire.
After the mutiny several years of
quiet administrative work passed over
Roberts in India until he was called to
take part in The Abyssinian expedition,
the dispatches of which he carried
home TO England announcing its COM
plete success. When Lord Lytton be-
came viceroy. he offered Roberts the
command of the Punjab frontier force,
carrying with it the responsibility for
the frontier administration. Thus il
came about that when hostilities with
the AfghanS broke out he was sent to
support Yacoob Khan in Kabul. The
position was n most difficult one, and
after much fighting he found himself
to concentrate his forces in
Sherpur, where he held out through a
winter. With 1000 men he resisted all
the assaults of 100000 fierce tribesmen
and insured the conquest of the coun-
try. Some months later in 1880. came
the fatal battle of Maiwand, and it be-
came necessary TO relieve Kandahar.
To Roberts was intrusted the task, and
the march has become n historic one
in the annals OF the British army.
With 10000 men, 5000 followers.
2 800 horses and gun mules he marched
the 313 miles from Kabul to Kandahar
between Aug. 9 and 81. He found the
garrison In n demoralized condition.
but a completes victory over Ayub
Khan near the city resulted in the
British installing Abdur Rabman in eff
fective rule over the whole country.
The administrative reforms institut-
ed by Lord Roberts of Kandahar dur
ing his tenure of office as commander
in chief of India are perhaps as good
n title 70 his country's gratitude as the
victories lie won. In innumerable de-
tails the British soldier in India owes
an immense debt TO the commander
who has ameliorated his barrack life.
As leader in the field he POSSESSES the