. Battles of the nineteenth century . tClark a second re-inforcement, and 200Sikhs doubled outfrom Sherpur tofurther strengthenhim. But the Af-ghans, swarming upfrom out the Char-deh valley, had theshorter distance to travel, and were beforehand with the hurry-ing reinforcements. As the Afghan front andflank attacks developed themselves, they en-countered from the garrison of the conicalhill a heavy rifle fire, and shells at short rangetore through the loose rush of Ghazees ;but the bhang- maddened fanatics sped onand up without wavering. As they gatheredbehind a mound for the final onslaught,
. Battles of the nineteenth century . tClark a second re-inforcement, and 200Sikhs doubled outfrom Sherpur tofurther strengthenhim. But the Af-ghans, swarming upfrom out the Char-deh valley, had theshorter distance to travel, and were beforehand with the hurry-ing reinforcements. As the Afghan front andflank attacks developed themselves, they en-countered from the garrison of the conicalhill a heavy rifle fire, and shells at short rangetore through the loose rush of Ghazees ;but the bhang- maddened fanatics sped onand up without wavering. As they gatheredbehind a mound for the final onslaught, CaptainSpens with a handful of his Highlanders,charged out on the forlorn hope of dis-lodging them. A rush was made on the gallantScot ; he was overpowered and slaughtered aftera desperate resistance, and the charge of theinfuriated Ghazees swept up the hillside. Inmomentary panic the defenders yielded theground, carrj-ing downhill with them the rein-forcement of Punjaubees which Captain Hallwas bringing up. Two of the mountain guns. were lost, but there was a rally at the foot of thehill, vmder cover of which the other two wereextricated. The Afghans refrained from descend-ing into the plain, and directed their effortstowards cutting off the British troops still inposition on the Asmai heights. It was estimated that the Afghan strengthdisclosed this day did not fall far short of 40,000men ; and General Roberts, reluctantly com-pelled to abandon for the time anv furtheroffensive efforts, determined to withdraw thetroops from all isolated positions and to con-centrate his whole force within the protection of the Sherpur can-tonment. The ordersissued to Baker andMacpherson, gradu-ally to retire intothe cantonment, wereexecuted with skilland steadiness. Mac-pherson cooll\-marched throughDeh Afghan, hisbaggage sent on infront under a evacuationof the Asmai positionw a s conspicuously-adroit. Baker helda covering positionuntil all the otherdetails had steadilymade goo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1901
