Chapter IX: Part 9

=Cabul.=--Once inside the city the army was practically shut in, for the whole country was hostile to the British. Colonel Sir Hugh Gough, V.C., relieved the Shaturgardan garrison, and the lines of communication were directed to Gandamak and the Khyber. Throughout December General Roberts was kept busy with continual fighting; during this time, in an engagement with the Kohistanee on December 11th, the 9th Lancers suffered severely, and for rescuing some of the unfortunate troopers who had fallen into a deep ditch the Rev. J. W. Adams was awarded the V.C. Standing up to his waist in water, and under a heavy fire, he stuck to his task until the Afghans were within a stone's throw of him. On this unfortunate day three guns had to be spiked and abandoned. After this affair the Afghans made direct for Cabul, but were checked on their advance on Sherpur by the steady conduct of the 72nd Highlanders. On the 14th the Asmai heights were occupied by the enemy, but after a determined fight they were driven off; almost immediately, however, a force of over 15,000 Afghans, led by Moollahs shouting "Allah Ya Allah!" dashed with reckless impetuosity upon the place, and, despite the utmost gallantry on the part of the British troops, a portion of the position and a couple of guns had to be abandoned. Then the increasing number of the enemy compelled the concentration of the army within the cantonments of Sherpur, which were fortified to resist siege, and by the intuition of Sir Frederick Roberts had been well provisioned to sustain the defenders.

At 6 o'clock on the morning of December 23rd, 1879, just before the day broke, 30,000 Afghans flung themselves at the British defences, and maintained the assault until 1 o'clock, then realising that further efforts were fruitless, and suffering from heavy losses, they began to retire, when the cavalry sallied forth and put them to rout. In this defence 2 officers and 8 men were killed, and 5 officers--including Colonel Gough--and 41 men wounded. It is estimated that the Afghans had 3,000 men placed _hors de combat_. During the night the enemy melted away, and when General Gough arrived with reinforcements not an Afghan was to be seen. Cabul was then reoccupied.

The regiments engaged were the 9th, 67th; 72nd Seaforth Highlanders; 92nd Gordon Highlanders; 9th Lancers. Native regiments: 2nd, 4th, and 5th Goorkas; 5th Punjab Infantry; 23rd and 28th Bengal Infantry; 12th Bengal Cavalry, and 14th Bengal Lancers; 5th Punjab Cavalry; two batteries Punjab Artillery, and Bengal Sappers and Miners.

=Ahmed Khel.=--General Sir Donald Stewart set out from Kandahar in April 1880 to occupy Ghuznee, and to open up communication with General Roberts at Cabul. On April 19th he met the enemy, 15,000 strong, at Ahmed Khel, 23 miles south of Ghuznee. There a mad charge of 4,000 Ghazis threatened to exterminate Stewart's little force, but standing firm they withstood the shock of the fanatics, who as they rushed at the rallying squares of Britisher, Sikh, Punjabis, and Bengalese, were mowed down by their steady fire. In this conflict, lasting only one hour, 1,000 Ghazis were killed, but of the British force only 17 were killed, and 6 officers with 120 men wounded. Marching on to Ghuznee, they reached the city on the 20th. Sir Donald Stewart then assumed command at Cabul, and Abdul Rahman was recognised as Ameer.

The regiments engaged at Ahmed Khel were 59th; 2nd 60th Rifles, and a battery of artillery; native regiments; 2nd Sikhs; 15th, 19th, and 25th Bengal Infantry; 19th Bengal Lancers, and 1st Punjab Cavalry.

=March to "Kandahar."=--When Abdul Rahman, who had been living in Russian Turkestan, returned to Cabul, and his authority appeared to be established, the British army was ordered back to India. They were, however, delayed by the determination of Ayoub Khan, a younger brother of the deposed Ameer, to make a bid for the Ameership, and he set out with the object of seizing Candahar, which had been left in the command of General Primrose with a garrison of about 3,000 men, including the 7th Fusiliers, the 66th, and a number of native troops. To check the advance of the Afghans, about 2,000 men were sent out with 6 guns under General Burrowes as far as the Helmund, but encountering an enormous army at Maiwand he assumed the defensive in a bad position, and the Ghazis drove the British troops from the field with the loss of the colours of the 66th and 2 guns. Thirteen hundred of the British force lay dead on the field. The remnants of that unfortunate army got back to Candahar after suffering great privations, and General Primrose concentrated his troops in the citadel, where they were hemmed in by the enemy, and from August 11th to the 31st waited for relief.

General Sir Frederick Roberts then offered to march on Candahar, and with 10,000 men and 8,000 camp followers set out on August 8th to march over 300 miles through a mountainous and hostile country. His army consisted of the 2nd 60th Rifles; 72nd and 92nd Highlanders; 9th Lancers; three Batteries of Artillery; 2nd, 4th, and 5th Goorkas; 2nd and 3rd Sikh Infantry; 15th Sikhs; 24th and 25th Punjab Infantry; 23rd Pioneers; 3rd Bengal and 3rd Punjab Cavalry, and Central India Horse, formed into three brigades under Brigadiers Baker, Macgregor, and Macpherson. Ghuznee was reached on August 15th; on the 23rd Kelat-i-Ghilzie was relieved, and after a rest the force marched on to Candahar, and by August 27th was in communication with General Primrose. In face of the relieving force Ayoub Khan withdrew to the hills, and General Roberts entered Candahar on the 31st.

=Battle of "Kandahar."=--Wasting no time, he made a reconnaissance, and driving the enemy at the point of the bayonet from several of their positions, proceeded next morning to give battle to Ayoub. The village of Gundi was carried by the 92nd Highlanders and the 2nd Goorkas; the 3rd Sikhs and the 5th Goorkas, working round the end of the Pie Paimal, carried several villages, and despite the tigerish fighting of the Ghazis the village of Pie Paimal was taken at noon, and then the final stand was made by the enemy; but they could not withstand the charge of the 92nd Highlanders and Goorkas, and four hours after the battle commenced the Afghans were in full flight, leaving behind them 31 guns including the 2 Royal Horse Artillery 9-pounders taken at Maiwand. In front of one of their tents lay the bleeding body of Lieutenant Maclaine of the Royal Horse Artillery, who, taken prisoner at Maiwand, had been reserved for the indignity of having his throat cut when his foes were beaten and release seemed imminent. The 72nd Highlanders suffered most severely in the battle of "Kandahar," losing among their dead Colonel Brownlow. Two other officers were killed, and 11 wounded, the loss in men being 46 killed and 200 wounded.

The following troops were engaged at "Kandahar" on September 1st, 1880: 7th, 60th, 66th, 72nd, and 92nd; three batteries artillery and 9th Lancers. Native regiments: 1st, 4th, 19th, 28th, and 29th Bombay Infantry; 2nd and 3rd Sikhs; 2nd, 4th, and 5th Goorkas; 15th, 23rd, 24th, and 25th Bengal Infantry; 3rd Bengal, 3rd Bombay, and 3rd Punjab Cavalry; 3rd Scinde Horse; Poona and Central India Horse.

A medal without bar was given to the following regiments: 12th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 25th, 31st, 53rd, 63rd; 6th Dragoon Guards; 8th and 15th Hussars. A number of men of the 65th were engaged as signallers, and took part in several of the actions.

=The Afghan Medal.=--With the Afghan medal, which was granted on March 19th, 1881, were issued six bars for ALI MUSJID, PEIWAR KOTAL, CHARASIA, AHMED KHEL, KABUL, and KANDAHAR. The medal bears on the obverse a crowned head of Queen Victoria, which is not truncated like her effigies on the other medals, but the shoulders are couped by the bevel of the medal, which is 1⅖ in. in diameter. The bust is surrounded by the legend VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX. This obverse is the fourth of the series facing page 188. On the reverse a column of Anglo-Indian soldiery is depicted on the march; an officer leads the way, accompanied by an infantrymen; an elephant bearing a mounted gun on its back makes the central feature, with native cavalry to fill up the foreground of a picture which has a fortress-capped mountain for background. AFGHANISTAN is impressed above in raised letters, and the date ~1878-9-80~ in the exergue. The names of the British recipients were engraved in rather squat Roman capitals, but the medals given to native troops were generally engraved in slanting writing letters. The suspenders to this medal are straight, like the General Service medals, the bars rather broad with square ends; the ribbon, 1¼ in. wide, is green with broad dark-red edges.

=Star for Kabul-Kandahar, 1880.=--Her Majesty also bestowed a bronze decoration on the troops who accompanied Major-General Sir Frederick Roberts on his 318-mile march from Kabul to Kandahar. It was subsequently granted to the troops which then composed the garrison of Kelat-i-Ghilzie, and who accompanied the force from that place to Kandahar. The decoration is a five-pointed radiated star, with small balls between the inner angles, and was made from the bronze guns taken at the battle of Kandahar on September 1st. In the centre is the Imperial monogram V.R.I., encircled by a band, with raised border inscribed ~KABUL TO KANDAHAR~, having ~1880~ below with a twig of laurel on either side. At the top is the Imperial crown, from which is a ring for suspension. The reverse is plain with a hollow centre, round the edge of which the name and regiment of the British recipient are indented in skeleton block letters. But those given to the native troops were generally engraved in a sloping script, as on the India 1895 medal, and occasionally in block capitals. The ribbon, 1½ in. wide, is of the rainbow pattern, but unwatered.

THE EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGNS

In 1882, owing to the rebellion of Arabi Pasha, British troops and ships were sent to Egypt. The bombardment of Alexandria took place on July 11th, followed by the decisive battle of Tel-el-Kebir, on September 13th. During this campaign the famous midnight charge of the heavy brigade at Kassasin took place. The British army of about 11,000 infantry, seamen, and marines, 2,000 cavalry, with 60 guns, marched on Tel-el-Kebir, under Sir Garnet Wolseley, who finding the rebel entrenchments reaching at least 4 miles from the canal out into the desert, and that his force would have to attack without a scrap of cover, decided to make a night march from Kassasin to get within charging distance of the enemy's position. The march was directed by Lieutenant Rawson, R.N., who steered by the stars, and the "monotonous tramp, the sombre lines, the dimly discerned sea of desert faintly lighted by the stars, were at once ghostly and impressive." When about 300 yards from the enemy's trenches the Highland Brigade, just before daybreak, rushed forward, and with a cheer went over the trenches, where after a stubborn resistance of about half an hour the rebels fled in confusion towards Zagazig, and the capture of Arabi at Cairo concluded the war. Nine British officers and 48 men were killed, 27 officers and 385 men wounded or missing. For his brilliant conduct of the war Sir Garnet Wolseley was raised to the peerage.

The following troops were engaged at Tel-el-Kebir: One batt. Grenadiers, Coldstreams, and Scots Fusilier Guards; 18th, 42nd, 46th, 60th, 72nd, 74th, 75th, 79th, 84th, and 87th; detachments of the 1st and 2nd Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards; 4th and 7th Dragoon Guards; 19th Hussars; a batt. of Marines; Marine Artillery, and a brigade of Seamen. The following Indian troops were also engaged: 7th Bengal and 20th Punjab Infantry; 29th Beloochees; 2nd, 6th, and 13th Bengal Cavalry.

=Egyptian Medal, 1882.=--The medal is a simple one, 1⅖ in. in diameter, depending from a suspender like that on the Ashantee medal; the ribbon is 1¼ in. wide alternately blue and white, three blue stripes and two white. On the obverse is the same Queen's head as on the Ashantee medal, but the reverse has a well-modelled Sphinx, with ~EGYPT~ in block letters above and ~1882~ in the exergue, while bars were given for the two engagements, ALEXANDRIA 11TH JULY and TEL-EL-KEBIR. They are wide and square, and set rather far apart, as in the Afghan medal of 1878-80. The names are engraved on the edge in slanting Roman capitals; in a few instances the naming is done in upright capitals.

=The Khedive's Star.=--Prince Twefik gave to all who took part in the campaign a bronze star of five points bearing on the obverse in the centre a front view of the Sphinx, behind which are three pyramids in the distance encircled by a band bearing the inscription ~EGYPT 1882~, and below in Arabic characters "The Khedive of Egypt" and the year of the Hegira "~1299~." On the reverse within a raised border is the Khedive's monogram T.M. (Twefik Muhammad), surmounted by a crown with crescent and star above. The star is suspended from a laureated bar bearing a crescent and star by means of a dark-blue ribbon 1½ in. wide.

=Against the Dervishes.=--Quite a different type of enemy were the followers of the Mahdi, who after practically exterminating the Egyptian army of 7,000 men led by Hicks Pasha, and under the generalship of the slave-trader, Osman Digna, had made short work of Baker Pasha's 5,000 Egyptians at El-Teb on February 1st, 1884, met at the same place on the 29th, and fought the force of 4,000 men which Major-General Graham had got together. The battle, which was of a determined character (see also page 321), the brunt falling on the "Black Watch," the 65th, and Naval Brigade, resulted in the defeat of the Arabs with a loss of 2,000 killed; 22 British officers and 167 men were killed or wounded. For this battle those who already possessed the Egyptian medal received the bar inscribed EL-TEB.

The following troops were engaged at El-Teb: "Black Watch"; Gordon Highlanders; Irish Rifles; King's Royal Rifle Corps; 1st Batt. York and Lancaster Regiment; 100 Royal Engineers; 126 artillerymen; 328 men of 10th Hussars; 410 of 19th Hussars; 125 Mounted Infantry; Marine Light Infantry and Marine Artillery, and a Naval Brigade of 162 men.

=Tamaai.=--Fourteen days later the British force again met the Mahdi's hosts, and at Tamaai routed the Arabs with a loss of over 3,000. It was at this battle that a few Arabs first got into the British square. The "Black Watch," whose quick movement on being ordered to charge, left a gap between themselves and the York and Lancaster Regiment, losing Major Aitken, 8 sergeants, and 50 men killed, 3 officers and 26 men wounded. The British losses were 5 officers and 104 men killed, and 8 officers and 120 men wounded or missing. (See also Naval Section, page 322.)

The following troops were engaged at Tamaai: "Black Watch"; Gordon Highlanders; Royal Irish Fusiliers; York and Lancaster Regiment; King's Royal Rifle Corps; Artillery; 26th Company Royal Engineers; a squadron of the 10th and 19th Hussars; Royal Marines and a Naval Brigade.

A bar for TAMAAI was given for this battle, and to those who took part in that of El-Teb also a bar bearing the words EL-TEB--TAMAAI. The battle of Suakin on March 27th brought the first Soudan War to a close. Those who landed at Suakin or Trinkitat between February 19th and March 26th, and had taken part in the 1882 campaign, were granted the bar for SUAKIN 1884. It was further approved that a bar be issued to all those who were actually present at either or both of the actions on February 29th and March 13th; this bar to be inscribed EL-TEB--TAMAAI for those who were in both actions, and EL-TEB or TAMAAI for those who were in one or the other, but not both.

=To Relieve Gordon.=--The Mahdi, however, was not conquered; he had merely run away to fight another day. The defence of Khartoum for ten months by General Gordon, and the belated and unsuccessful attempts to relieve him, are matters of history which will not be easily forgotten; but for our purpose they recall the gallant Britisher who refused to yield, and the splendid efforts which were made by the officers and men who went up the Nile in 1884-5. They started from Cairo in September under Lord Wolseley, and reached Dongola early in November, when the gallant Sir Herbert Stewart started off with his little army of 1,600 men to reach Khartoum, by first marching 170 miles and then travelling 100 miles by steamer.

=Abu Klea.=--It was during this march that the battle of Abu Klea--"where the rifles jammed and the shoddy bayonets twisted like tin"--was fought on January 17th, 1885, and the survivors of the little band of about 1,200 who took part received the bar ABU KLEA. Here the genial giant Colonel Fred Burnaby was thrown from his horse in riding outside the square to assist some skirmishers, and killed as he lay on the ground, and here Lord Charles Beresford had many hair-breadth escapes from death (see page 325), while the Arabs achieved the remarkable feat of breaking a British square and getting inside, killing the wounded and a number of camels ere they were themselves dispatched. This, one of the most strenuous of the battles in the Sudan, resulted in a loss to the enemy of over 2,000, and to the British of 9 officers killed and 9 wounded (2 dying of their wounds), 65 non-coms. and men killed, and 85 wounded; but the enemy were still active, and as Sir Herbert Stewart marched on he found his way to the Nile barred by them, so a zareba was formed at Abu Kru, and here he was mortally wounded. The enemy were driven off; the harassed troops pressed on, reached the Nile, and heard that Khartoum had fallen! Their pluck, perseverance, and privations were in vain. In the fight between Abu Klea and the river 1 officer and 22 men were killed, and 8 officers and 90 men wounded; this was called the battle of Gubat, but no bar was given for it.

The following troops were engaged at Abu-Klea: Sussex Regiment; Mounted Infantry; Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers; Heavy Camel Corps; 19th Hussars, and a Naval Brigade.

=Kirbekan.=--During the campaign the battle of Kirbekan was fought on February 10th, and Major-General Earle, the General in Command, killed in a manner which calls to mind Forbes Mitchell's description of how Hodson, of Hodson's Horse, met his death. The battle had been won, but odd parties of survivors were being routed out; the General, despite warnings, went up to a stone hut full of Arabs, and essayed to enter it, but was shot dead. Needless to say his death was avenged--indeed, of the force of 2,000 Lord Wolseley said "scarcely any can have escaped." Two colonels were also killed at this battle, which raged for five hours. The "Black Watch" lost Lieutenant-Colonel Coveney killed, and Lieutenant-Colonel Wauchope wounded. The bar inscribed KIRBEKAN was well earned. It should be noted that no medal for this campaign is genuine which has a single bar inscribed Kirbekan; it was only given in combination with the bar THE NILE 1884-85. There are, of course, other combinations, but these were due to the fact that the recipient had taken part in the earlier campaigns. Four-bar medals are rather rare, and five-bar medals very uncommon.

The following troops were engaged at Kirbekan: South Staffordshire Regiment; 1st Batt. Black Watch, squadron 19th Hussars; 2 gun crews of artillery; small naval detachment with maxim gun--about 1,200 men.

The following troops received the bar for the Nile: "Black Watch"; Gordon and Cameron Highlanders; 18th Royal Irish; Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry; Royal West Kent Regiment; Essex Regiment; South Staffordshire Regiment; 19th Hussars; Heavy Camel Corps, and a Naval Brigade.

=To Recover the Sudan.=--The fall of Khartoum led to the organisation of another campaign in order to recover the Sudan from the power of Osman Digna, and for this arduous campaign those who did not receive the new Egyptian medal had a bar added to the one they possessed for SUAKIN 1885. During this campaign a New South Wales contingent of 800 took part. A battle which came as a surprise, and resulted in heavy losses, was fought on March 22nd, 1885, and for this a bar inscribed TOFREK was given. The only entire regiment present was the 1st Batt. Royal Berkshire. The losses of the Hadenowas were over 1,500; the British lost 5 officers and 94 men killed, 6 officers and 136 men wounded, 1 officer and 70 men missing, and of the Indian contingent 120 were killed or wounded.

The following troops were present at Tofrek: the Berkshire Regiment; a detachment of Royal Engineers; a squadron of the 5th Lancers and 20th Hussars; a battalion of Marines; a Naval Brigade, and an Indian Brigade.

By a General Order dated September 1st, 1885, a medal of the 1882 pattern was granted to all Her Majesty's forces employed in the operations in the Sudan, in commemoration of their arduous labours in the ascent of the Nile, and their gallantry in the operations which ensued, and also for the operations in the Eastern Sudan in the vicinity of Suakin; and Her Majesty further approved of the issue of the following bars: THE NILE 1884-85, ABU KLEA, KIRBEKAN, SUAKIN 1885, and TOFREK. A General Order dated June 1st, 1886, signified that the Egyptian medal be granted to the troops engaged in the operations of the Upper Nile who had not previously received it.

=Gemaizah, 1888.=--The neighbourhood of Suakin was again the scene of battle when, on December 20th, 1888, the Dervishes advanced on the place with the determination to invest it. General Grenfell, however, forced the issue, and on December 20th, 1888, after one and a half hour's fighting, totally routed them; for this battle the bar for GEMAIZAH 1888 was awarded by an Army Order in January 1890, and the medal to all who were employed at, or south of, Korosko on August 3rd, 1889.

The following troops were engaged at Gemaizah: King's Own Scottish Borderers; the Welsh Regiment; Royal Irish Rifles; 137 officers and men 20th Hussars; Mounted Infantry; 17 officers and men of the 24th Company Royal Engineers; Naval Brigade of men from H.M.S. "Starling" and "Racer," and Egyptian troops.

=Toski.=--After this battle the expedition was withdrawn, and the Sudan was left to the mercy of the Dervishes, Suakin alone being held by the British and Egyptians. Ever on the war-path, the followers of the Mahdi resolved to invade Egypt, and were actually permitted to penetrate northwards for about 50 miles. At Toski, however, they were seriously encountered by Sir F. Grenfell, the Sirdar of the Egyptian Army, and on August 3rd a terrific but comparatively bloodless battle for the British and Egyptians was fought. The Dervishes, however, were routed, and almost every leader was killed. For this battle a bar inscribed TOSKI 1889 was awarded to all troops who were present at the action. Men who had received bars for former Egyptian campaigns, on receiving new ones, returned the old ones to the Commissary-General of Ordnance, Woolwich Arsenal; the rivets of all genuine medal bars are, therefore, always the same. The names and regiments are usually engraved in slanting Roman letters, but those given to the navy are generally stamped in rather large skeleton upright Roman letters.

The following were engaged at Toski: 98 officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the 20th Hussars, and Egyptian troops.

=Tokar.=--The battle of Tokar was fought in 1890, but the British silver medal was not awarded for this engagement. The Egyptian Government, however, issued a bar inscribed in Arabic characters "Tokar" and "1308 H" (~TOKAR 1890~), to be worn with the Egyptian Star, which, except for variations in the date, had been awarded to all who took part in the campaigns. Officers and men from the "Dolphin" and "Sandfly" received this star and British officers who were serving with the Egyptian Army.

=The Khedive's Star.=--For the first campaign the Star bears in Arabic and English ~EGYPT 1882~; for the campaigns of 1884 and 1885 ~EGYPT 1884-6~; but for the campaigns 1888-9, which include the fighting round Suakin and up the Nile, the Star was issued without a date.

=Riel's Rebellion.=--Whilst we were busy in Egypt, "Riel's Rebellion" was engineered in 1885 among the half-breeds and Indians on the North-West Territories. It was a nine-days' wonder, but nevertheless a troublesome one. Riel was attacked at Batoche on May 11th, defeated by General Middleton, and after trial executed.

By Militia General Orders dated September 18th, 1885, the Canadian troops which took part in suppressing the rebellion were awarded a medal inscribed on the reverse in fancy letters NORTH-WEST CANADA 1885, the date being placed in the centre, with North-West above and Canada below, and the whole surrounded by a wreath of maple leaves, the terminals of which are at the bottom of the medal. The obverse is the same as the Egyptian 1882 medal, and the bar similar to that used with that medal. One bar for SASKATCHEWAN was issued with the medal to those who took part in that engagement. The medals were issued unnamed, but they are found both engraved and impressed; the ribbon is blue-grey, with two red stripes.

=The Canada Medal.=--In January 1899 the Home Government approved of the issue of a medal by the Canadian Government to the Imperial Forces and Canadian Militia which had taken part in the campaigns occasioned by the Fenian Raids, and in the Red River expedition, 1870, so ably organised by Viscount Wolseley. This medal, which I illustrate facing page 148, had the recipient's name and regimental number, as well as the regiment, generally impressed in square block letters. The obverse is as on the Egyptian 1882 medal. The ribbon is of scarlet, with a broad white stripe down the centre. When the medals were struck in 1899, 16,120 were issued; of these only 365 had the single bar for RED RIVER; 150 were issued with the two bars FENIAN RAID 1866 and RED RIVER 1870; 30 only were issued with the combination of RED RIVER 1870 and FENIAN RAID 1870, and twenty with three bars for FENIAN RAID 1866, FENIAN RAID 1870, and RED RIVER 1870.

=Annexation of Burma.=--Britain also became involved in another Burmese War while the Egyptian campaigns were proceeding. King Theebaw, who commenced his reign in a murderous manner, impelled by the financial straits into which his extravagance had led him, began to extort money from British subjects, and moreover laughed at the demand that a British agent should be installed at Mandalay, expressing his contempt for the "barbarians" in a very decided and provocative manner. As a result an expedition under Major-General (afterwards Sir H. N. D.) Prendergast, V.C., was sent into the country; the dethronement of the King was declared by the British, Minhla was stormed and carried, and the victorious troops marched to Mandalay, where Theebaw and his army surrendered. On January 1st, 1886, Lord Dufferin proclaimed the annexation of Burma. The British troops had plenty of work, however, after this, for the dacoits gave a deal of trouble; several pitched battles were fought, and the country remained in an unsettled state for some time. Medals and bars were given for two periods during this expedition and long-drawn guerilla warfare. For the first period the Indian General Service Medal 1854 was awarded, with a bar inscribed BURMA 1885-87, and it is noteworthy that for the first time a medal of bronze was given to all authorised camp followers. To those who took part in the second period of fighting a bar for BURMA 1887-89 was awarded; the bars only, in both instances, being given where the soldier already possessed the medal.

The following regiments took part in the Burma campaign, 1885-7: Royal West Surrey Regiment; Liverpool Regiment; Somerset Light Infantry; Royal Welsh Fusiliers; Hampshire Regiment; Yorkshire Light Infantry; Royal Munster Fusiliers; 1st Battery 1st Brigade East Division; 5th Battery 1st Brigade South Division; 7th Battery 1st Brigade North Division; 8th Battery 1st Brigade London Division; 9th Battery 1st Brigade Cinque Ports Division Artillery. The following native regiments were also engaged: 1st, 2nd, 5th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 26th, 27th, 44th Bengal Infantry; 3rd, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th Madras Infantry; 1st Madras Pioneers; 1st, 5th, 7th, 23rd, 25th, 27th Bombay Infantry; 3rd Goorkas; 2nd and 3rd Infantry Hyderabad Contingent; 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th Companies Madras Sappers and Miners; 2nd, 4th, and 5th Companies Bengal Sappers and Miners; 2nd Company Bombay Sappers; 1st Madras and 1st Bombay Lancers; 2nd Squadron 2nd Madras Cavalry; 3rd Cavalry Hyderabad Contingent; 7th Bengal Cavalry; No. 1 Bombay Mountain Battery; No. 4 Punjab Mountain Battery.

=Naga, 1879-80.=--To those engaged in the operations against the Nagas, an uncivilised race of hillmen in the north-east of Assam, during March 1875, December 1879, and January 1880, a bar inscribed NAGA 1879-80 was awarded. Only British officers and native troops received this medal or bar, and it has so far been seldom met with in England. The medals realise in the sale-room, according to condition, anything between 10s. and 30s. apiece.

The Naga expeditionary force comprised the 42nd, 43rd, and 44th Goorkas; 18th Bengal Native Infantry, with the crews of two mountain guns.

=Sikkim, 1888.=--Another expedition into Sikkim became necessary in March 1888, owing to an attempt on the part of the Thibetans to annex the district which lies to the north of Darjeeling. The British field force under Colonel (afterwards General) T. Graham had to march over rough mountain tracks, and through dense jungle, where pestilent leeches, attaching themselves to man and beast, added to the hardships of the campaign. It was not until September 24th that any really big action was fought, and that was decisive; the Thibetan army of 10,000 men being attacked on the Tukola ridge, and within a short time totally routed by the British force of 2,000 with comparatively little loss to the victors.

The force engaged in this campaign was mainly composed of Goorkas, the 32nd Bengal Pioneers, and two companies of the 2nd Batt. Derbyshire Regiment. The bar for SIKKIM 1888 was added to the medal already won by those who had taken part in the Indian wars, and the medal with bar was granted to those who did not possess one. Bronze medals with the bar were awarded to authorised followers.

=The Black Mountain Expedition.=--In 1888 a punitive expedition under Brigadier-General M'Queen, C.B., was sent into the Hazara or Black Mountain district on the left bank of the Indus, beyond the north-west frontier of India, to punish Khan Khel and to chastise the Azakis and Hassanzais for the murder on June 18th of Major Battye, Captain Thurston, and a number of the native surveying party which they led. The district lies in a perfect maze of mountains, on the crags and precipices of which watch-towers and villages were perched, frequently 9,000 feet above sea-level; indeed, the Northumberland Fusiliers and the Kybeerees actually carried the Gorapher Peak 9,500 feet above sea-level, thus establishing a record in altitude for an assault by British troops. The expedition entered the district from two directions, and the fourth column concentrating on October 1st prepared to act on the offensive. On the 4th they proceeded against the enemy, who was found in great force--official figures say 4,000--at the village of Kotkai, which, built upon a great mass of broken rocks on a steep spur, was defended by well-built sangars, but this was taken after some hard fighting, in which the 18th Royal Irish met a charge of Ghazis, who rushed from cover and surprised the Irishmen, but they "went at them with a will, bayoneting or shooting every Ghazi within reach." In this rush 88 fanatics paid the penalty of their madness.

Leaving the 29th Punjab Infantry in possession of Kotkai as an advance post, the expedition pushed on and blew up the hill fortress of Maidan; meanwhile the other column had been pressing forward from the Agror Valley, climbing mountains and destroying watch-towers and hostile villages, so that the pressure of the two forces, together with the losses they had sustained, compelled the hillmen to sue for peace, promising better behaviour in the future, and paying the heavy indemnities imposed. In this campaign, which concluded on November 9th, the Hazara field force lost 2 officers mortally wounded, and about 100 men killed and wounded.

The following regiments were engaged in the Hazara or Black Mountain expedition: 1st Batt. Northumberland Fusiliers; 1st Batt. Suffolk Regiment; 2nd Batt. Royal Irish Regiment; 2nd Batt. Sussex Regiment; 2nd Batt. Seaforth Highlanders; 240 men of the Scottish Division Royal Artillery; 4th Goorkas; 3rd, 14th, and 45th Sikhs; 4th, 24th, and 29th Punjab Infantry; 4th Bengal Native Infantry; 34th Pioneers; 15th Bengal Cavalry, and a Native Mountain Battery.

=Hazara, 1888.=--To those not already in possession of the India medal it was awarded with the bar HAZARA 1888, while the bar was added to the medals of those who already possessed the I.G.S. 1854 medal. Bronze medals were awarded to the followers.

=Chin-Lushai, 1889-90.=--In February 1889 an attack was made upon another surveying party under Lieutenant Stewart, in which he and his men were killed. A punitive expedition was consequently formed to proceed against the tribes inhabiting the Chin Hills and Lushai. The expedition advanced on November 15th in two columns, Brigadier-General Symons proceeding against the Chin tribes, and Colonel Tregear against the Lushais. The little forces had to make their way through the roadless and pestilent jungle, which caused the troops much suffering from disease, until, having destroyed the enemy's villages and crops, and captured a few stockades, the chiefs of the tribes thought it expedient to submit, which they did, and on April 30th, 1890, the expedition was disbanded.

The following troops took part in the expedition: those under General Symons were the King's Own Scottish Borderers, detachments of the 1st Cheshire Regiment and the Norfolk Regiment, who with the 2nd Batt. 4th and 24th Goorkas, and two companies of the Queen's Own Madras Sappers and Miners, constituted the Burma Field Force. The native troops under Brigadier Tregear consisted of the 2nd Goorkas, 3rd and 9th Bengal Infantry, 28th Bombay Pioneers, and one company of Bengal Sappers and Miners. The India Medal 1854 with bar for CHIN-LUSHAI 1889-90 was given to those who did not already possess the medal, while to those already issued the bar was added. A bronze medal and bar was given to all authorised camp followers.

=Samana, 1891.=--The Meeranzies, a Pathan tribe, forgetful of the lesson given them by Sir Neville Chamberlain in 1855, again caused considerable trouble in 1891, and Sir William Lockhart marched from Kohat on April 5th to chastise them. Being defeated with considerable losses at Mastaon, they were glad to submit, and by May 25th the war was concluded, and native troops were left to garrison Samana. The British losses in this expedition were over 100 officers and men killed and wounded.

The following regiments were engaged: 1st Batt. King's Royal Rifles, two companies of the 2nd Batt. Manchester Regiment and No. 3 Mountain Battery of the Royal Artillery; 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Punjab Infantry; 3rd Sikh Infantry; 1st Batt. 5th Goorkas; 15th Sikhs; 19th, 22nd, 27th, and 29th Bengal Infantry; 23rd Punjab Pioneers; 19th Bengal Lancers; Bengal Sappers and Miners, and No. 3 Peshawar Mountain Battery.

The India Medal 1854, with bar for SAMANA 1891, was awarded for this campaign; bronze medals with bar being given to authorised followers.

=Hazara, 1891.=--In 1891 trouble again broke out in the Black Mountain district, and another punitive expedition under Major-General Ellis was necessary in order to compel that respect for British authority which it was believed the campaign that had only concluded about sixteen months previously had succeeded in achieving. The expedition set out on March 12th, and took a couple of months to bring the tribes to their senses. On May 16th they surrendered unconditionally, hostilities were concluded, and the troops returned.

The Hazara Field Force of 1891 comprised the 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers; 2nd Seaforth Highlanders; 1st King's Royal Rifles; 6 men of the 2nd Manchester; Nos. 1 and 9 Mountain Batteries of the Royal Artillery; 4th Sikh Infantry; 5th Goorkas; 11th, 19th, 27th, 28th, and 37th Bengal Infantry; Bengal Sappers and Miners; 32nd Punjab Pioneers; Infantry of the Guides Corps, and the 2nd Derajat Mountain Battery. The I.G.S. 1854 Medal was given in silver to the troops, and in bronze to authorised camp followers, with bar inscribed HAZARA 1891. Those already in possession of the medal had the bar attached thereto.

=Burma, 1889-92.=--During the years 1889-90-1-2 a series of expeditions was organised to put down disturbances in Burma and Lushai; for the services rendered by the various forces the India Medal 1854, with bars for BURMA 1889-92 and LUSHAI 1889-92, were issued to the troops who took part in the following expeditions: The Pokhau expedition from April 16th to May 16th, 1889; Touhon expedition from September 17th, 1889, to April 1890; Chinbok Column, January 1st to 20th, 1890; Thetta Column, January 1st to 4th, 1891; Chinbok Column, January 8th to February 14th, 1891; Morneik Column, January 27th to March 28th, 1891; Wuntho Field Force, February 18th to May 7th, 1891; Tlang-Tlang Column, March 29th to April 3rd, 1891; Baungshe Column, December 25th, 1891, to February 29th, 1892; Irrawaddy Column, December 15th, 1891, to April 18th, 1892; North-Eastern Column, December 15th, 1891, to April 7th, 1892.

=Lushai, 1889-92.=--The medal with bar LUSHAI 1889-92 was awarded to the officers and men comprising the Lushai Expeditionary Force from January 11th to May 5th, 1889; the relieving force under Lieutenants Swinton, Cole, and Watson, which went to the assistance of the forts Ayal and Changsil when attacked by the Lushais, September 9th to December 9th, 1890; the expedition under Captain Hutchinson against the Jacopa Village to avenge the attack on Mr. Murray, February 20th to March 3rd, 1891; the expedition under Captain Lock from March 1st to June 1892, necessitated by the general rising of the Eastern Lushais, and the attack at Lalbura upon a force under Mr. M. Cabe; also the force under Captain Shakespear, which advanced into the South Lushai hills between March 16th and May 13th, 1892. All dates are inclusive.

H.E.I. CO.'S MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL.

EDWARDIAN ARMY.

LONG SERVICE AND GOOD CONDUCT MEDALS.]

Two divisions took part in this campaign, and European troops participated only with the Burma section. 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers, and detachments of 1st Batt. Cheshire and Norfolk Regiments. The native troops were: 2nd Batt. 4th and the 42nd Goorkas; two companies of the Queen's Own Madras Sappers and Miners. The troops engaged with the Chittagong column were: 2nd Goorkas, 3rd and 9th Bengal Infantry; 28th Bombay Pioneers, and a company of Bengal Sappers and Miners.

=North-East Frontier, 1891.=--Early in 1891 the British Resident at Manipur was attacked, and columns from Tamu on March 28th, Silchar on April 15th, and Kohmia on April 20th were sent forward to secure the submission of the Rajah and the punishment of those responsible for the attack on the Resident. The Rajah submitted to the terms laid down, and by May 7th, 1891, the campaign was brought to a conclusion.

The Manipur Field Force consisted of about 300 of the 4th King's Royal Rifles; 1st Batt. 2nd Goorkas; 2nd Batt. 4th Goorkas; detachments of the 42nd, 43rd, and 44th Goorkas; 18th Bengal Infantry, and the 8th Bengal Mountain Battery. For this expedition the bar for the N.E. FRONTIER 1891 was added to the India General Service Medal 1854.

=Hunza, 1891.=--Lieutenant-Colonel Algernon Durand had foreseen that trouble was brewing, and made very praiseworthy efforts not only to circumvent it, but to ensure that should hostilities occur he would be in a position to defend himself against the robbers and slave-dealers who surrounded him. An attack had been made on the Chalt garrison, and further trouble was anticipated when Durand informed the chiefs of Hunza and Nagar, without referring to their misconduct, that the British intended having free access to their territory in order that "all requisite arrangements might be made for holding the frontier, and that unless they complied with our demands troops would enter their country, and make roads in spite of them." The tribesmen armed, and "confident in the strength of their defiles ... and to defeat Kashmir troops as of yore," they collected, and Colonel Durand concentrated at Chalt, from whence on November 29th an ultimatum was sent to the chiefs; but the envoy was insulted and robbed of his horse, so the British force crossed the Hunza River on December 1st by a temporary bridge thrown by Captain Aylmer, V.C., and the war which Colonel Durand had striven to prevent commenced, and with a little force of 1,000 men and 2 guns he opposed himself to about 5,000 or 6,000 men.

The force was made up of 180 of the 5th Goorkas, 400 Goorkas and Dogras of the Kashmir Bodyguard, 250 Dogras of the Kashmir Raga Pertab Regiment, 150 Punyali levies, and the commander's personal escort--20 men of the 20th Punjab Infantry. The only Europeans present were officers. The forts of Nilt were assaulted and captured after very desperate fighting, in which Captain Aylmer and Colonel Durand were severely wounded, and in the moment of victory the command passed out of the latter's hand. In two hours the place was captured, but owing to the failure to advance 4 British officers had been lost, and nearly 40 men killed and wounded after the successful assault. The cliff opposite Nilt, a very difficult position, was next scaled after "a little Dogra sepoy named Nagdu one night succeeded in climbing 1,200 feet up the cliff, and found a practicable path." Then the place was stormed by the men under the command of Captain Colin Mackenzie of the Seaforths; Lieutenant Manners-Smith led a little body of Kashmir troops up a cliff 1,000 feet high, and within two days Nagar was occupied, and the Hunza chief with Uzr Khan fled across the frontier. It is noteworthy that from the men of the district against whom we had fought, Colonel Durand raised the Hunza-Nagar levies who later fought so well for us.

In this little hard-fought campaign three Victoria Crosses were won, by Captain (now Major-General C. B.) Aylmer, Lieutenant (now Major) Boisragon, and Lieutenant (now Lieutenant-Colonel C. I. E.) Manners-Smith, while several of the native troops earned the Order of Merit for their gallantry and devotion.

For this arduous expedition the I.G.S. Medal 1854, with bar for HUNZA 1891, was issued to those participants who had not already received the medal for other services. Those who possessed the medal received the bar only.

=East and West Africa.=--A great deal of fighting had been forced upon us by the African tribes, against whom expeditions or columns had been sent from 1887 to 1892. First against the Yonnie Tribe, when the coloured men of the 1st West India Regiment fought side by side with men from the crews of H.M.S. "Acorn," "Icarus," and "Rifleman," from November 13th, 1887, to January 2nd, 1888. Next an expedition had to be sent up the Gambia River, the men of H.M.S. "Swallow" composing the force which operated between December 29th, 1891, and February 5th, 1892. Then the 1st West India Regiment again took the field on March 8th, 1892, against Tambi, men of H.M.S. "Alecto," "Race," "Sparrow," "Thrust," and "Widgeon" co-operating, and in the same year the native troops took part in the expedition against Toniataba, and in the expedition against the Jebus. For these services a medal similar to that issued for the Ashantee War was granted on November 1st, 1892, but, as in the case of the Zulu War medal, dates upon the bars are the only indication of the particular service, or services, rendered. Three bars were sanctioned, 1887-8, 1891-2, and 1892, so that the last bar was issued for three different expeditions. This is known as the East and West Africa medal, but it was not a distinct issue, for those who possessed the Ashantee medal were only given the bar or bars. The ribbon is the same as used for suspension with the Ashantee medal, and the names were either engraved or impressed on the edge of the medal.

=Central Africa Medal.=--In 1895 a series of operations were found necessary in Central Africa, and to decorate the native troops engaged the same medal was awarded without bars. It was, however, suspended from a brown, white, and black ribbon, 1¾ in. wide, by means of a swivel ring, so that the ribbon was run through the ring as in the case of the Abyssinian medal. This slight distinction, and the issue of a new ribbon, constitutes the medal a distinct decoration, and those who had already received the West African medal were entitled to it. It, moreover, distinguishes the Central Africa medal from the East and West Africa medal, which again had name bars added for WITU 1890 to the crews of ten of H.M. ships; LIWONDI 1893 to 3 officers and 34 men of H.M.S. "Herald" and "Mosquito"; WITU AUGUST 1893 to 200 seamen and 36 marines; JUBA RIVER 1893 to 1 officer and 40 men of the "Blanche"; LAKE NYASSA 1893 to 100 Sikhs and parties of men from H.M.S. "Adventurer" and "Pioneer"; a bar inscribed 1893-94 was issued to those who took part in the operations against the Sofas from November 1893 to January 1894; GAMBIA 1894 was inscribed on the bar to 50 of the 1st W.I.R. and parties of seamen and marines from four of H.M. ships; BRASS RIVER 1895 to men of four of H.M. ships, and NIGER 1897 to the troops taking part in the expedition to Egbon, Bida, and Ilorin or garrisoning Fort Goldie and Lokoja from January 6th to February 25th, 1897. The bars are square and set somewhat far apart; the name and rating, etc., of the recipient impressed on the edge.

Between January 1894 and April 1898 a series of operations and expeditions was found necessary against various chiefs in British Central Africa, and for these a bar inscribed CENTRAL AFRICA 1894-1898 was added to the Central Africa medal, which when issued in 1895 had a swivel ring instead of a clasp. When the bars were added in 1899 the straight-bar clasp with claw clutch--as used with the first issue of this medal, the Ashantee--replaced the swivel ring.

=Ashanti, 1896.=--In 1895 trouble in Ashantee necessitated the sending of a small force, comprising the 2nd Batt. of the West Yorkshire Regiment, and a composite battalion made up of 20 men of each of the three Guards Regiments, and the following eight regiments: 1st Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1st Leinster Regiment, 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers, 2nd Devons, 2nd Shropshire Light Infantry, 3rd Batt. Royal Rifles, 2nd Batt. Rifle Brigade, together with the necessary detachments of Artillery, Engineers, Army Service, Ordnance, and Medical Corps. For this campaign against King Prempeh, a very distinctive decoration was given: a St. Andrew's Cross bisects the corners of a four-pointed star, over which is a circular centre containing the Imperial crown surrounded by a plain band inscribed ~ASHANTI~ above, and ~1896~ below. On the back, in raised letters, is the inscription FROM THE QUEEN. The star is suspended from a yellow ribbon, with rather broad black stripes near the edges, by means of a ring; it was issued unnamed, but the Colonel of the Yorkshires had the name of each of his men and that of the regiment engraved upon their stars.

=West African Medal.=--For their services against Mwele a number of men from four of H.M. ships were awarded the West African medal, but, instead of a bar, MWELE 1895-6 was impressed on the edge, on either side of the clasp claw, together with the name and ship of the recipient. Those already in possession of the medal had Mwele and the date engraved on the edge. The 24th and 26th Bombay Infantry were also engaged, and they likewise received the medal: the latter have the names, etc., engraved in slanting script like India 1895 medals. A bar for NIGER 1897 was issued later, and in 1898 bars for BENIN 1897 were issued to men from nine of H.M. ships, and a bar for DAWKITA 1897 was also added for the members of the Gold Coast Constabulary who took part in the defence of Dawkita. In 1899 authority was given to add the bar for SIERRA LEONE 1898-99 to the East and West Africa medal for those engaged in the country between February 1898 and March 1899. Men of the West African Rifles and 1st West India Regiment were engaged, also some Royal Garrison Artillerymen. The name and date are arranged in two lines, and the bar is consequently rather wider than the others. The named edges are engraved in capital Roman letters, but some issued to Europeans are impressed. In 1900 it was decided to issue four more bars, and to revert to the use of dates instead of names; these bars cover 1896-8, 1897-8, 1898, and 1899. In the following year the bar inscribed 1896-99 was issued to those who had been employed in the northern parts of the Gold Coast, or in the hinterland of Lagos; later those who had been engaged in the Kadima and Munchi expeditions were awarded the medal and bar for 1900.

=The Relief of Chitral.=--Early in 1895 the war cloud was gathering in Chitral; the Nizam-ul-Mulk, the nominee of the British, had been shot at the instigation of his supposedly idiot half-brother, Amir-ul-Mulk, and the Indian Government was in no great haste to recognise the succession attained in such a way, especially as the Mehtar indulged in the most savagely murderous deeds. Later came the news to Surgeon-Major (afterwards Sir George) Robertson that on the night of January 22nd Umra Khan had crossed the Lowari Pass into Chitral territory with 3,000 or 4,000 followers, demanding that Amir-ul-Mulk should join him. Then Robertson made up his mind to reach Chitral, and occupy the fort in the valley, as speedily as possible. The little force pressed on, many an unfortunate man getting frost-bitten during the terribly cold nights. An ultimatum was then sent to Umra Khan, indicating that he must at once leave Chitralis territory. Of course he did not; one or two unfortunate affairs happened--the disaster at Mastuj and at the Koragh defile, where a number of the surviving Sikhs, after existing without food or water for seven or eight days, were cajoled, by the promise of life, from the little sangars in which they had taken refuge, and then cruelly murdered. The gallant defence of Rashun under Edwardes and Fowler, until they were captured by the cunning of Muhammad Isa, must be mentioned _en passant_.

On March 27th the famous march to Chitral began, and to join up with the force marching from India Colonel J. G. Kelly set out with his little force of 400 of the 32nd Pioneers and 40 Kashmir Sappers, with two mountain guns, from Gupis. Laboriously climbing the hill tracks, a foot deep in snow, until almost snowblind, his men reached Ghizr, 10,000 feet above sea-level, where a body of Hunza-Nagar levies were encamped. These he added to his force; then Kelly endeavoured to push through the great carpet of snow 3 feet thick. It was of no avail, for the pitiless snow blinded his men, and he had to return to Ghizr until it stopped, which it did on April 3rd. Of the heroic march of these men, of the difficulties they faced and undauntedly overcame, one is tempted to write at great length, but Sir George Robertson does fitting justice to this party of his rescuers in "Chitral, the Story of a Minor Siege."

The main force from India under Major-General Sir Robert Low advanced across the Malakund Pass after a smart fight on April 3rd, in which the Gordons and Scottish Borderers, "racing for the honour of their regiments ... swarmed over the Dechoities at a wonderful speed, and breathless but triumphant had crowned the pass by 2 o'clock, the 60th Rifles being close up." Here the British force lost 11 killed, and 47 wounded. The Jandol Valley was attacked on April 17th, and occupied next day. On the 19th General Gatacre started with a couple of battalions and some guns for Dir and Chitral; pushing across the rugged Janbatai ridge, he learned that the garrison of Chitral was almost at its last gasp--and five days' march lay between him and his goal! He therefore asked permission from Sir Robert Low to make a dash for Chitral with 500 of the Buffs, a few native sappers, and a couple of mountain guns; but when sanction was obtained it was learned that Kelly had reached Chitral, and that there was no need to hurry.