One of tlio American pnpere, the Piltshurg Tclei/tam, gives ihe following account of ''John Hintoo, of PennsylvaDif;, the Aiyhun general " : — "Nearly forty years ago, in iSouih Huntingtoa lownshij), Westmoreland, Penney, vania, lived John Hicton. He was on orphan boy, rude aod uneducated, and bad wandered there from the neighborhood of Masootown, Fayotte. Witb no known relatives, he was kicked about from one family to another till manhood. Eulisliug then in the regular array, be served in the Florida war. At its close he helped to escort the Cherokees beyond the Mississippi. From Indian territory he went to New Orleans and shipped as a common sailor on a vessal bound for the East ladies. At the City of Madras he deserted and enlisted ia a British Regiment, He served mauy years, and during the Sepoy Mutiny was noted for his dariug bravery. At his discharge he was presented with a gold medal by the Governor-Generaf himself. He is uext heard of as travelling in -a caravan from Delhi westward across the Indus River, through Afghanistan and Bercia to Turkey and back. Io time, from trading he became iuimeusiy -wealthy, and was the owner of five caravaus, more than 13,000 horses and camels, and 50 elephants. Io 1854 be visited Gabul, where bis magnificent retinue attracted the attention of the Ameer, aud he was
■ invited to ao audience. A present' bf--100 of his besfc horses and !a ; tbrae-i tusked elephant made the Ameer his eternal friend. When yearly' his gift was followed by similar presents, John Hinton had the monopoly of trade from the summits of the Hindoo Kooah , mountains to the confines of the Belooohistan, and in real' power was second only to the Ameer himself. About 1870 he was made military commander of the district of Herat, and in 1876 suppressed local rebellion, to the great satisfaction of his sovereign. Trained in arts of war among the" savages of North America and among the superstitious natives of India, where he became thoroughly acquainted : with British soldiers and resources, together with the years of service as idolised commander of the Mohamedan tribal armies of Afghanistan, amounting to tens of thousands of half-civilised men, John Hinton is the ablest soldier in Asia."
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Bibliographic details
Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 121, 22 May 1879, Page 4
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370Untitled Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 121, 22 May 1879, Page 4
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