THE AFGHAN WAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LIII, Issue 5932, 1 March 1880, Page 5

THE AFGHAN WAR.

Regarding the attack on Sbirpur Cantonment by the Afghans, it appears that General Roberts had received information of the intention of the Afghans. Their signal for attack was to be the lighting of a beacon. Meanwhile every effort had bean made to strengthen the defences. “The shape of Shirpur," says The Times' correspondent, “is a huge rectangle, the long sides of which are about 2200 yards, and the short sides about 1200 yards long. Only the south and western sides had been completed when it was first occupied, and even these had already fallen out of repair. The eastern side had not been commenced. The northern side was formed by the Behmaru heights, a roundtopped ridge, divided in the centre by a deep gorge, at the north-east angle of the large village of Behmaru, with numerous outlying buildings and orchards. The . main village was brought within the defence, and used as a shelter for the transport animals, the public followers, and the native field hospital, while the outlying buildings were either deslroyed or converted into outworks. The east-face consisted of the newly-erected low barracks for the Native regiments. These barracks had not a permanent parapet, and the defence of this face depended almost entirely on a small village a little in advance of the centre, which was roughly fortified as a redoubt. A shelter-trench, following the sinuosities of the hill, Lad been excavated the whole length of the Behmaru heights, and gave a flanking fire on all points particularly exposed to attack. Abattis was also largely employed everywhere. There was a gap between the western face of the Behmaru heights and the western walls of Shipur, which made that angle very weak. This was closed by interlocking and embedding the wheels of the captured guns in the earth and by other engineering devices. A flanking fire was also brought to bear upon this point from the heights, and it was further strengthened by occupying a large house with high walls in an adjoining village.” Other arrangements were made, and nothing apparently neglected which foresight could provide. The troops were apportioned'to their posts. At 6 o’clock on the morning of December 23, the Afghan beacon was seen blazing, as was expected from a neighbouring hill. Ton minutes later there was the rattle of musketry. At daybreak the enemy developed their attack against Behmaru. “So resolute was the attack,” according to the same correspondent, “and so large the numbers of the enemy, chiefly Kohlsstanis, at this point, that General Baker twice sent reinforcements from the reserve. While this attack continued, the enemy enveloped the whole south and west front with a very brisk fire from the orchards and other cover, sending many of their bullets into the interior of Shirpur. They also showed large bodies of men, and for some time it was not certain that they did not mean to make a serious attack from the south and west also. General Roberts, who was duly informed of what was passing at the principal points by telegraph and heliograph, at last, about 10 o’clock, decided to disregard other communication with the enemy, and advanced four guns through the Behmaru gorge, so as to bring a cross fire to bear on the village outside.. This fire soon drove the enemy out, and their dislodg&nent from this chosen point of attack apparently so dispirited them that the Kohistanis commenced streaming out from all the villages they had hitherto occupied in the direction of their homes. Then General Roberts ordered the whole of the cavalry in pursuit, and, riding himself to Behmaru, made arrangements for clearing all the villages to the east and south-east of Shirpur. In the meanwhile, under General Massy, the cavalry had circled well round to the north-east of Shirpur, and had intercepted and cut up some of the hinder-most fugitives before they could reach the shelter of the hills. As the cavalry got further round, the enemy, who still held fast the remaining villages to the east, fearing that the retreat on the city would be cut off, lost heart, and made for the Siah-Sang hills. All the villages round, as far as the centre of the south face, were clear of the enemy before dark, and the more important were occupied or destroyed by our troops. The cavalry, whose movements had been most effective, returned to Shirpur before dark.” The next day General Gough brought up his reinforcements, and effected a junction without opposition. The Afghans appear to have lost heart suddenly, and fled even more quickly than they gathered. Their loss is reported variously at from two to three thousand killed and wounded —a. number which would appear to imply that the slaughter had been great daring the pursuit. The next day the city of Oabul was re-entered, and the military governor formally reinstated. A cautious examination of the Bala Hissar showed that all the powder stored there had been destroyed. A great part of the city had been gutted. The latest telegrams state that the Mohammedans had taken to flight, fearing retribution, as they all sympathised with the enemy. “ The Hindoos report a reign of terror. Every shop and house was gutted, except those of the Mohammedans. The women were stripped publicly; the children were seized and threatened with death; the men were shot. The Kizil Bushes were spared after swearing on the Koran to be true to the Mohammedans. The Afghanistan tribesmen carried away a vast amount of loot. They brought their women and families to witness the British defeat.”

One moat singular fact is stated by the Lahore correspondent of the Times ;—“ From the frontier, Afghans in small parties are travelling to different parts of India; and every train for the interior takes from 20 to 40 members of this warlike nation. The authorities are on the alert, and will carefully watch these travellers. It is curious also that large number of Arabs are constantly arriving at Bombay. Although they arc stopped at the railway stations whenever (here js any ground of suspicion by order of the residents, they manage to make their way 10 the various cities of the interior by road. This matter is attracting the earnest attention of the Government.”