THE FIGHT AT KHELAT-IGHILZAI.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 39, 14 February 1880, Page 1

THE FIGHT AT KHELAT-I-GHILZAI.

(Bombay Gazette.)

' Judging from the details of the recent fight near Kbelat-i-Gbilzai that have jo st come to band, the whole affair 'seems to have been exceedingly well managed, and all arms did their duty moat effectively. The little arm? consisted of 200 rifles, together with 140 sabres of (he 2ad Punjaab Cavalry, all under the command of Colonel Kennedy of the latter regiment. Colonel Kennedy is known all along the linn as ' " Jorrock's " and hie regiment as " Jorrbeks's Hunt.-' During the advance last year from Qdetta to Kandahar, '^'Jorrbcke's Hunt" were continually 'and incessantly in front, doing re- ; connburing work, ;; both " Jorrocks " "and his men being Been everywhere. /They were first across the frontier, first ! over' the Kojuck^' the first within sight '■ "of Kandahar, while the regiment's ! ; services in the way of foraging were dimply invaluable. When at the coq-. elusion of the last campaign that r shower of rewards and decorations— grabbed up so plentifully by tbe men of Simla— -was scattered abroad, much to "the surprise of the Kandahar oolomn, ; «« Jorrocks " was found not to be included in the list of recipients; but apparently bard work in the saddle for days in succession, frequent bivouacs without tents, and the thermometer be--1 low- zero; anJ on unceasing zeal for work, does not weigh against a com--1 fdrtable residence at Simla, combined with the issue of a few impracticable orders in these modern tinofs. "Jorrocks" has now, however, had his opportunity, and be has taken good advantage of if. The trap by which tbe Ghiizai leader, and his 200 Afghan horeemea w«re inveigled out into the open, in fancied pursuit of one party of the 2nd P. 0., while Major Lanoe, (not long recovered from a wound received daring the Jowaki expedition,) •quietly prepared to take (hem in flank And rear with aoother party of the *?' Hunt," was as well conceived as it wsa ekilfully executed. Tbe rest of the fighting was mostly a game of long 'bowls, with rifle and mountain pun, ''except when a party of Gbazis were "surrounded on the (op of a precipitous hillock where, having made up their minds to die, and in dying to sell their 'lives as dearly as possible — they had made their final stand. It was the?, that Ca plain Sartorios, a brother to the officer of tbe same name, who won hii' Victoria Cross in Aehaotee — prodeeded with eight men of his regiment — the 59fh Fool — to laboriously climb up the bare rock, and to tackle tbe fanatics in a death struggle. We have heard o good deal recently of the manner in which tbe Victoria is now a days ■aid to be given away too cheaply ; of, in short, men being dubbed heroes because they did not run away — but tbere has nor, id the whole course of tbe 'Zulu or Afghan wars, been a' more plucky thing done than this deliberate advao.ce of nice British soldiers — not forgetting a Sepoy of tbe Baluchi regiment, who volunteered to accompany them— to try conolueions with twenty idesperate men, who had made up their minds to die. A scrimmage-— and a hot scrimmage — at the end of tbe climb was certain, lor tbe Gbazis could not

bolt if they haJ wanted to. The result was that " Tommy Atkins " and Ghazi all came rolling down together — R stabbing, thrusting, and swearing

V crowd. Ti>e British soldier, however, , cap generally take care of Himself in a fight of that Bort, and at the expense of ope men killed end* a few moie-r- including their leader— tulwar -slaehed across \ [ the . the whole twen ty fanatics . wer^ '•^iapanted for. Altogether, the , eneipy ia Baia ,to i.^:^ \ oß tf over aixty men, while, as a result of the u fe Ui, i hft ■outhern Gteilßßi country has been com;pleteiy quieted and brought under aubjectiop. "'< „ "_. '' „ '„ m| .. . .