(1895-1898)
Come gather, come gather, ye lads o’ the heather,
An’ down thro’ the glen in the pipers’ wake;
Baith gentles and commons, gie heed1 tae the summons,
An’ haste tae the muster2 make.
Macpherson’s comin’, Cameron’s comin’,
Campbell, MacNeill, an’ the men o’ the island;
An’ a’ tae enlist3 in the Gordons, the best,
An’ the brawest o’ lads in the Highlands.
The Cock o’ the North.
We must now return to the year 1895, to follow one of those little wars that flare5 up intermittently6 on the frontiers of our vast Empire, and accompany the Gordons through the campaign that is best known for the dramatic moment at Dargai. Minor7 campaigns such as these are not of the first importance from the military point of view, nor should the name of a great regiment8 be associated too closely with a single episode, but they have this value, that they have enabled our soldiers to keep in training for great and laborious9 campaigns such as the Boer War, already looming10 dark upon the horizon of history.
The initial fighting at Chitral proved to be the beginning of a great deal of guerilla warfare11 on the North-West frontier of India. Chitral had become united to our Indian Empire in 1848; but the Government took no particular part in controlling the country, the consequence being that when Umra Khan, ruler of Bajour, decided12 to dispute our suzerainty, war was proclaimed. Umra Khan acted with all promptitude, and at the beginning was rewarded with some success, besieging13 an English garrison14 in Fort Chitral in January 1895. On the 1st of April Sir Robert Low, accompanied by a force of 15,000 men, amongst whom were the Gordon Highlanders and the Seaforths, crossed the border country with all speed and rushed the outposts of the enemy on the 3rd of April. It was a hazardous15 expedition, and the troops in their haste were permitted to carry very few stores or ammunition16 or tents. Major Bland17 Strange, in his interesting narrative18 of the campaign, has written: “The bones of the expedition, like those of the first ill-starred one to Cabul, were also to whiten the passes. The desperate valour of the hillmen, starvation, Afghan guile19, and Russian intrigue20 were to smite21 us. But the good organisation22 and reticent23 generalship of Low, the dash of Kelly, the dogged defence by Robertson, and the steady courage of our troops falsified pessimistic prophecy.”
There were two important passes in the enemy’s country held by the Pathans, who were in a strong position behind defences along the slopes of the hills some 3000 feet above the advancing troops. In order to carry the position the slope must be rushed under the sniping fire of the enemy.
The Sikhs set out on this perilous24 business, while the Gordons marched up the centre of the Pass, and then, cutting away to the right, set their faces to the hill-side. They provided an easy mark for the enemy, but the advance was never checked, and when the ridge25 was reached a hand-to-hand conflict took place. Once on top the Gordons and the Scottish Borderers soon cleared the enemy out of the position. The Gordons and the Gurkhas were then left to defend the famous Malakand Pass, while General Low pushed on after the enemy. By dogged perseverance26 and the efficiency of the artillery27 the British were enabled to fight their way through to Chitral, and on April 20 marched into the town. Umra Khan made for Afghanistan, and the campaign was ended. A fort was built in case of further revolution, and that greatest of all factors in civilisation—a road—was constructed to unite India with this outlying post.
Naturally enough, the tribes who were in the neighbourhood of Chitral, and whose country lay between it and India, were by no means pleased by the occupation by British troops, nor did they take very kindly28 to the road which meant to them their eventual29 subjection. For a considerable time there were rumours30 of trouble, and in the end there broke out a sudden rising of the people in the Waziri country. This was in 1897, and so widespread was the trouble that it was not crushed until the Indian Government had put under arms the most formidable force since the Mutiny.
There are several factors in such tribal31 uprisings that carry with them their ultimate defeat. First of all, there are always rumours of revolt before it actually bursts into flame; secondly32, the tribes find it difficult to unite together, or even to rise at the same time—thus a disciplined army can deal with one after another; thirdly, they have no definite system of organisation, and—as in the case of the Afghans—are little better than an army of snipers.
The Waziris rose first, then the Swatis under the Mad Mullah, and so on to the Afridis and the Orakzais. Each of these tribes was capable of putting a great many men in the field. It has been stated that the Afridis alone could provide 30,000 men armed with modern rifles. Sir William Lockhart with 34,000 men, including some 12,000 British troops, amongst whom were the 1st Battalion33 of the Gordon Highlanders, was sent against these Afridis. In accordance with the native custom of warfare, the enemy took up a position at the summit of the now celebrated34 ridge of Dargai, and there awaited the arrival of the British. To advance with any safety, this pass must first of all be cleared.
The initial encounter was rather futile35. The ridge was carried by storm, and then, as the hillmen were in rapid flight, vacated again. On the return of the British to camp, the Afridis, under the delusion36 that our troops had taken fright and were in retreat, assembled again in their thousands, and full of elation37 attacked them in the rear. The task of guarding the safe return of the British troops was entrusted38 to the Gordon Highlanders, who checked the rush of the enemy with consecutive39 volleys. The fight went on throughout the night, and so on this day’s fighting, though much had been gained, all had been thrown away. Dargai had been taken, only to fall again into the hands of the enemy, and before an advance could be made it must be retaken at the point of the bayonet.
The withdrawal40 from Dargai has been bitterly blamed by critics, some of them more carping than competent; but one thing is clear enough—the Afridis were so encouraged by regaining41 the ridge that they were greatly heartened for the next day’s fighting, and manned the heights in expectation of victory.
Two days later the engagement was reopened, the British artillery shelling the tribesmen’s most prominent defences, but little damage could be done in a country so covered with rocks. The most it could accomplish was to assist the infantry42, and under the protection of the guns the Gurkhas began the first assault. They rushed into the bullet-swept zone that lay between the end of the pass and the ascent43, to be so harassed44 by the rain of fire that they were compelled to take cover at the bottom of the slope, and there await support. The Dorsets and the Derbys who gallantly45 went to their assistance, were also compelled to take cover after a terrible punishing. The zone of fire was concentrated on a narrow stretch of open country, which had to be crossed before the actual ascent of the ridge began. That was the first stage of the attack. Then the stiff climb followed, while at the top of the ridge the Afridis waited under cover. The triumphant47 shouts of the tribesmen could be heard at the initial success over the British arms, and at this desperate situation, when three battalions48 were under cover, unable to advance or retreat, the Gordons, with the Sikhs in support, were called forward to carry the position. Colonel Mathias appealed to his famous battalion, “Highlanders,” he cried, “the General says the position must be taken at all costs. Men, the Gordons will storm that Pass!” Colonel Gardyne has written that at those words “there was first a tremendous hush—then the answering cheer assured Colonel Mathias that his confidence was not misplaced. The bugle49 sounds the advance, the pipers play, the officers cry, ‘Come!’ and a wave of kilted soldiers bursts into the fire-swept open. Almost at once, Major Macbean fell, shot through the thigh50.... The gallant46 young Lamont was killed instantaneously; Lieutenant51 Dingwall, wounded in four places, was carried out of further danger by Private Lawson. The first division reach the sheltering rocks, panting for breath; they shout, the officers waving their swords to those behind; while Piper Findlater, though wounded and unable to move, still inspires them with his warlike strains. They start again, ‘the men cheering like mad,’ up the precipitous path leading to the crest52 where they look for a warm reception. But the top is reached—it forms a succession of ridges53 along which the Highlanders rush unopposed, and great is the cheering as they realise that the enemy is in full flight.”
To put it bluntly, the Afridis had not waited to dispute the position with men who could not be stopped by bullets, and this charge in the face of such a deadly and concentrated fire will be long considered as courageous54 and splendid a story as anything in the history of the Highland4 regiments55. What followed can be told in very few lines. The war against the Afridis was by no means over, but the eventual issue was already in sight. The advance through the almost impenetrable ravines and over the rugged56 hills progressed painfully, but with determination. Peace came on April 4, 1898. It had been a memorable57 campaign, and one that the troops engaged in were naturally proud to commemorate58. As Sir William Lockhart said in taking leave of them, “The boast of the tribes was that no foreign army—Moghul, Afghan, Persian, or British—had ever penetrated59, or could penetrate60 their country; but after carrying three strong positions and being for weeks subsequently engaged in daily skirmishes, the troops succeeded in visiting every portion of Tirah, a fact which will be kept alive in the minds of future generations by ruined forts and towers in their remotest valleys.”
The Gordons received two Victoria Crosses for gallantry in the action at Dargai, and established themselves, by their exploit, first favourites in the affections of the British people.
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1
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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2
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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3
enlist
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| vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍 | |
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4
highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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flare
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| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
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intermittently
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| adv.间歇地；断断续续 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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8
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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10
looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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11
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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12
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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13
besieging
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的现在分词 ) | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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15
hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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18
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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guile
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| n.诈术 | |
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intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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21
smite
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| v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿 | |
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22
organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 | |
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23
reticent
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| adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的 | |
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24
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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25
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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26
perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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27
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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28
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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29
eventual
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| adj.最后的，结局的，最终的 | |
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30
rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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31
tribal
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| adj.部族的，种族的 | |
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32
secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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34
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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35
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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36
delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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37
elation
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| n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意 | |
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38
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
consecutive
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| adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的 | |
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40
withdrawal
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| n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销 | |
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41
regaining
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| 复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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42
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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43
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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44
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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45
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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47
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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48
battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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49
bugle
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| n.军号，号角，喇叭；v.吹号，吹号召集 | |
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thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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52
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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53
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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commemorate
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| vt.纪念，庆祝 | |
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59
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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