The Relief of ChitralYounghusband, G. J. (George John)
History
The Relief of Chitral
Younghusband, G. J. (George John)
India -- History -- Chitral Campaign, 1895
The night passed off quietly, however, and in the morning it was seen
that the enemy had cleared off the hills, though sharpshooters still
surrounded the defenders in sangars from fifty to two hundred yards
distant. Lieutenant Edwardes dressed the wounded, who had so far only
been bandaged. "Never a groan or complaint was heard," says the report,
though there were no medical appliances, and though not sufficient
water was available with which to thoroughly wash the wounds. Bandages,
crutches, and splints had to be improvised, and the officers used a
weak solution of carbolic and carbolic tooth-powder for the purpose of
dressing the wounds. The corpses of the six dead men were also brought
out and prepared for burning. At dusk an attempt was made to procure
water again, and Lieutenant Fowler with twenty sepoys started down
towards the river. But the enemy had now built and occupied sangars
along the cliff at the river's edge, and the work of getting down to
the river was one of extreme risk. Lieutenant Fowler succeeded in
getting to within ten yards of the first sangar and within five yards
of the sentry without being observed. About twenty men could be seen
sitting round a fire in the interior with their rifles lying by their
sides. A volley was poured into these men, and then Lieutenant Fowler
charged down on the top of them. A few men only succeeded in escaping
down the cliff to the river bed. Meanwhile the enemy in a second
sangar, roused by the firing, lined the walls and began firing to their
front. But Fowler had got round them behind a wall on their flank, and
he now charged right up the wall, poured a second volley into these men
over the fires, also knocked over about six of them, then bayoneted
a few more, while the remainder fled. And so successful had Fowler
been in surprising these parties, that not a single man of his was
scratched. The way down to the water was open, but Fowler now heard
heavy firing and the Pathan cry of attack in the direction of the post.
So having collected his men, he retired at once to rejoin Lieutenant
Edwardes. The enemy's attack was repulsed by this latter officer before
Fowler's return, but the attempt to obtain water had to be abandoned
for the night.
On the following day nothing of importance occurred, and that night the
defenders succeeded in reaching the river and bringing back water, the
supply of which was still further replenished by collecting the rain in
waterproof sheets. A well was sunk to a depth of twelve feet, but as
rock was then struck, the attempt to procure water in that manner had
to be abandoned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account