Page 4 Advertisements Column 3

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 191, 17 August 1900, Page 4

OUR SHORTEST WAR. A campaign, involving the employment of many, thousands of mon mid the fighting of two sanguinary pitched battles, was once begun and ended on the same day. The glory of this unique achievement belongs to the British arms. In 1843 things boi e a threatening sspectin the Central Indian State of Gwalior, inhabited by the Mahrattas, considered the mos'; formidable warriors we had up to then encounter d in our Indian wars. Intelligence reached the British authorities" that the magnificent Mahratta army of 30,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalry, and 200 guns contemplated not only a military depotism, but an active alliance with their neighbor s'of the Punjaub, ia the event of which British influence might be threatened by a combined Sikh and Mahrattas army, composed of 180,000 men with 500 guns. Accordingly, as a precautionary measure, Lord Gough ordered the assembly of an at my to exercise on the Gwalior frontier. The force was divided into two por'ions; on the northern boundary Sir Hugh Grey coromamhd 12,000 men and 40 field pieces, on the eastern was stationed General Grey with 4000 infantry and a few batteries of horse artillery. The i concentration took place in November,! 1843, and it had the effect of bringing the native authorities to their senses ; • but while they sukily acquiesced to the orders emanating from British diplomatists, the internal disorders went on increasing. Finally, it was decided that nothing short of a British occupation of the capital, Gwalior, could put a stop to the unsatisfactory state of affairs prevailing, so on December 17th both Gough's and Grey's forces crossed the frontier for this purpose, No one suspected that there would be any fighting, the native Government was known to be peacefully inclined, and the contingency of the Mahattra army revolting, to oppose the British advanceon its own account, was quite overlooked. But no sooner had the two British columns commenced their march than the Mahrattas declared their rulers traitors, and hastened to take defensive positions. Gough appears to have entirely discredited the warnings that ! reached him. for he left Ids siege train behind at Agra, and a'lowed his wife, and the wives of many other officers, to accompany the column, riding on elephants at its lead. At daybreak ■ n December 26th .his troops (ommonced the pass.ge of tie Kohari llivcr in leisurely fashion. A halt was called for breakfast, and immedi ately on the resumption of the march everybody was startled by hearing a heavy gun fired from V e wcod< I'ring ing a village, named Mahar jpoie, and lollowingthe report a spent cannon brill elephant. Within another few miuiiles the woods became lined with flame from the mouths of 175 pieces, as they [discharged with terrible accuracy « storm of shot and shell into the Bvi :ish ranks. The surprise was complete. The ladies were hurried to the rear, and a council of war was summoned. The battle which ensued raged for tin ee hours, and the fighting was of a most disperato chau.cter. By rr.idday, however, the victory was ours, the Mahrattas fleeing from the field and leaving behind them 3000 killed and wounded and 156 guns. By a, curious coincidence, at the veiy same hour tlr's sanguinary and unexpected conflict terminated, the second British foicc (under General Grey) .which was operating many miles away from Gough's line of advance, was attacked by the second Mahratta army, 12,000 strong Mahari'.jpore had been a soldier's battle, but this, the battle of Punneali, irinp. The little British army, by a series of masterly mai.oßiivies, drove the enemy from all points of his position, capturing his artillery, and inflicting a loss of 3000 men. " This completed the day's work, at d, in fact, ended the war, which may be said to have begun at 9 o'clock that morning I with the firing of the cannon ball at] Lady Gough's elephant.- London Mail. I

m MltiW'Nli.W^fltfr RELIEVE FEVERISH HEAT, PUEVENT FITS, CONVULSIONS, ETC.' Preserve a healthy state of the consHa tution during the period of TeetKag. The words "JOHN STEEDMAN, CHEMIST, WALWORTH, SURREY," "'' Are engraved on the Government Stamp agxat!» each Facte. Agents—Kempthorne, Prossir & Co

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Photographers Come AND Photographers Go, BDT whilH we do not roll on for over, we are still very nmoh alive, especially to the palronage given in the past. And to till merit this we ahall, aa in the past, i>ipp UP-TO-DATE PHOTOS In all Styles, at Reasonable Pbiobs. Note the Addbess— W. A. COLLIS Devon Street, Directly opposite OF.ITEKION HOTEL First Prize Wanganui Exhibition, and Photographer by Spscial Appointment to Bis Excellency Lord ltanlurly.