THE BATTLE OF PENJDEH. Narrative by Eye-Witnesses.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 106, 13 June 1885, Page 5

THE BATTLE OF PENJDEH. Narrative by Eye-Witnesses.

Simla, May 4.— Eye-witnesses of the Penjdeh affair say that on March 29th Taib Salar, the Afghan commander, received Gen. KomarofPs ultimatum, in substance that unless the Afghans retired from the left bank of the Kushk and right bank of the Murghab before evening of that date, the Russians would drive them out. Capt t Yato then conferred witKCol. Zacharwski, as already reported. The same night Taib Salar, after consulting with the British officers, declined to evacuate the positions referred to, but offered to consider reasonable proposals regarding pickets and outposts. Geri. Komaroff made no amswer to the offer, and the next morning, during tha rainfall occompanied by a heavy mist, the Russians advanced, the Turcoman cavalry covering the infantry. The movement drew the Afghan fire, when the Turcomans opened out, showing the battalions of the Seventy-third Regiment, a sotnia of Cossacks and eight guns. Two of the latter came into action, and the infantry fired volleys for half an hour, sweeping the Afghans down in files. The Afghans, with muzzle-loaders and wet powder, answered feebly, while two guns, badly positioned, replied to Russian artillery. The Kushk River was swollen and unfordable. The only means «of retreat was by the Pul-i-Khisti bridge, seven feet wide. The Cossacks went forward on the left flank of the Afghans, and the Russian infantry charged their intrenchments and carried them at the point of the bayonet, killing hundreds of the defenders who resisted bravely. After the first shot the British officers five miles south of Ak-Tapa hurried to the spot and met the Afghans in full retreat, both from Ak-Tapa and Pul-i-Khisti. Col. Alikhanoff, with a strong escort, crossed the bridge and occupied the Afghan military governor's tent, but no pursuit was made. Col. Alikhanoff ordered his Sarakh Turcomans to attack Capt. Yate's party, which arrived during the Afghan retreat. Capt. Yato asked Col. Zacharwski for an interview, and requested that troops be sent to guard tbo British camp. No answer was given the request. Some Tekke Turcomans appeared on the scone, and the Sarakh Turcomans with Capt. Yate urged a rotreat. The British wore placed under the escort of the Sarakh chiefs. Taib Salar was badly woundedand the Afghansdemoralised. A copy of the telegrams giving news of the agreement of March 17th was given Col. Zacharwski on March 27th.

A Russian Hero. St. Petersburg, May 7.— Col. Zakrjewski, who was with Col. Alikhanoff during tho Russian's movements preceding and attending the battle of Penjdeh, has reached St. Petersburg with a full report of the Russian case, and has departed for Gatschina to doliver his report to the Czar. He says the inhabitants of Penjdeh are well disposed toward the Russians. Ccl. Zahrjewski's report of the battle of March 30th is identical with that of Gen. Komaroff. He admits the Afghans were armed with poor rifles, but says their guns were botter than these of the Russians. He asserts that the Afghan forces numbered 5,000, while there were only 1,500 Russian troops. Ho brings with him two captured Afghan standards. The Colonel is the hero of the day. London, May 7.— Gladstone, replying to questions in the House of Commons this afternoon, said that although on the receipt of the first telegrams, he had described the Penjdeh affair as an act of unprovoked aggression, still he had never presumed that the information in his possession when he made that declaration was unquestionable. As a matter of fact, within twenty-four hours afterward news containing important qualifications of that first received had come to hand. Gladstone had no doubt, he said, that when Earl Dufferin, the British Viceroy at India, at Lahore, after his return from the conference with the Ameer at Rawil-Pinde, described the Russian attack as an act of unprovoked aggression without any qualification, tho Viceroy's statement was warranted by the circumstances under which he spoke and the knowledge in his possession ; but Russia had since denied that Col. Alikhanoff had ordered the Turcomans under his command to make any attack. The report that Uol. Alikhanoff had issued such an order was made to England by Capt. Yate and his party, who belonged to Sir Peter Lumsden's" Boundary Commission, and who were in Penjdeh during the battle ; but it had been ascertained since that neither Capt. Yate nor any of his party were aware of any foundation for the report of that rumour. Gladstone said that Earl Dufferin had arranged with Abdurrahman Khan, Ameer of Afghanistan, the basis upon which the British Government had so far proceeded in the frontier affair, and if further communications with the Ameer on tho subject should become necessary they would bo made.