THE SITUATION IN KANDAHAR-PEACE, HONOURS, AND REWARDS -BREAKING UP OF THE KANDAHAR FIELD FORCE- RETIREMENT TO INDIA.

Kandahar, Sept. 11.

THE victory of the 1st has, I need scarcely tell you, made glorious summer out of the five weeks' winter of discontent which came between Maiwand and Baba Wali. Pessimists who inundated our mail-bags with long tirades against that time-honoured field-officer, General Incapacity, are now vigorous and ardent admirers of the heroes of the hour, and every excuse is sought for to condone what at first was set down as an unpardonable series of military faults. Perhaps in the long run, deferred, if not posthumous criticism, will turn out the most true; and Time, the great physician, may award the true and just balance of praise and blame to those who caused our defeat and those who retrieved our hidden, if not lost, prestige. Sir Frederick Roberts' own account of the battle of the 1st September may always be quoted as a model of terse and clearly worded despatch writing; and, like the great Cæsar, he has certainly the gift of the pen as well as of the sword.

On the occasion, a day or two since, of the presentation of the distinguished service medals to the soldiers of the 72nd and 92nd Highlanders, and my little friends the gallant 5th Goorkhas, Sir Frederick ordered a general parade of all arms, and made use of the opportunity by addressing a few eloquent and welcome words of commendation to the regiments on the ground. As his speech has been most imperfectly reported, I will give you the text as it was copied into our general order-book. After the General had ridden on to the ground where the whole garrison was drawn up on three sides of a square in

R

close columns facing inwards, and a general salute had been given, Sir Frederick raised his helmet in acknowledgment, and spoke as follows:

'I need scarcely tell you, Soldiers of the Kandahar Field Force, how pleased I am to have this opportunity of giving to the men of the 72nd and 92nd Highlanders, and the 5th Goorkhas, the medals for distinguished conduct on the field, which they have so deservedly earned and won. I say this, from my experience as a soldier, that no men with whom I ever served could have better deserved these rewards; and it is an additional pleasure to me to have seen the other day of what material my Highlanders and Goorkhas are made. I can but hope that it may be my good fortune to have such good soldiers by my side when next I go into action. The 72nd have, I grieve to say, to mourn the loss of their Colonel, as fine a leader of men as I have ever seen, and with him fell an equally gallant spirit, Captain Frome, and many brave men, amongst whom, I grieve to say, Sergeant Cameron, a grand specimen of a Highland soldier! But the 92nd had also a heavy loss, Colour-Sergeant Fraser, and other good soldiers, being amongst the slain. On the 2nd of September no less than fourteen gallant fellows were laid in one grave, and many of their comrades are now lying wounded in our hospital. But in all this you have a British soldier's consolation, that of knowing that you did your duty nobly. I believe, in my day, I have seen some hard knocks given and received, but never do I remember noticing a greater look of determination to win a battle than I observed on your faces on that morning of the 1st of September.

'Not even the bravest of the Afghans could stand

against such a bold attack. Yes! You beat them at Cabul and you have beaten them at Kandahar; and now, as you are about leaving the country, you may feel assured that the very last troops the Afghans ever wish to meet in the field are Highlanders and Goorkhas. You have indeed made for yourselves a name in this country, and as you will not be forgotten in Afghanistan, so you may rest assured you will never be forgotten. by me.'

His

General Roberts has an admirable presence. seat on horseback is perfect, and his voice is clear and well pitched, while his charm of manner is proverbial. At the close of these few well-chosen sentences there was a short pause, but only for a moment, for the enthusiasm of the Highlanders was contagious; and led by them, three ringing British cheers were given, echoing and re-echoing far away into the city and the heights above Sherpur.

Although not yet officially announced in orders, I hear on the best authority that General Roberts, as well as Sir Donald Stewart, are to have the higher grace of the Bath, while the former will succeed General Sir Neville Chamberlain as Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army in February next. But more remains behind. These rewards have been already earned in the winter of 1879 in Cabul and in Sherpur, and for the wondrous march of 318 miles in twenty days, and the battle and relief of Kandahar, a peerage and the thanks of Parliament, we think, are not too much!

Few, if any officer of our General's age, have such a record of good and successful service to show. From the mutiny of 1857 to the battle at Mazra, what a long bead-roll of glory! The siege and capture of Delhi

(wounded badly, and horse shot under him); the affairs of Bulundshuhur (horse shot), Allygunge, Agra, Kanoug (horse sabred) to Bundhera, where he was nearly captured while on reconnaissance; from the relief of Lucknow by Lord Clyde, the operations at Cawnpore, the defcat of the Gwalior contingent, the battle of Khodnagunge, the retaking of Futtehghur, the storming of Meangunge, the skirmish at Koorsee, and the various actions which ended with our taking of Lucknow (thanked by the Governor-General, Victoria Cross, Brevet Majority, and Medal with three clasps) to the period when he was employed on special service with the expedition of 1863 against the tribes on the northwestern frontier of India; from the Abyssinian campaign of 1868 (Assistant Quarter-Master-General, and bearer of Sir Robert Napier's final despatches; Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel and Medal); from the Looshai expeditionary force in 1871 to the capture of the Khobel villages, the attack on the Northlang Range, and the burning of Taikoom; from the Afghan campaign of 1878, with the actions of the Peiwar Kotal, Saperi Pass, Khost expedition, the action of Malun (thanks of Parliament, and K.C.B.; the outbreak and massacre at Cabul in September, 1879, the second command of the Kurram field force, and passage of Shuturgardan; the defeat of the Afghan army at Charasaiah; the reoccupation of Cabul and defence of Sherpur; the final defeat of the enemy on 23rd December, down to the famous march and the crowning victory of Baba Wali;-where can a more glorious calendar of success be shown in so short a space of time?

Since I wrote to you on the 7th our time has been fully occupied. The whole of Ayub's guns have been

brought in-thirty-two, including the two we had to abandon after Maiwand, but not the six presented to the Wali. These are said to be somewhere on the Girishk road, and we shall probably get them before long, as our cavalry are scouring the country in all directions.

Meanwhile, immediately after the battle on Ist, Ayub fled towards Khakrez, en route to Herat, where it is doubtful what sort of a reception, as a beaten man, he will receive. He had with him, we learn, no baggage, and but a couple of hundred Herati horsemen. His Khakrez-Cabuli infantry fled without attempting to make a stand, and were cut down in numbers as they retired up the Argandab Valley. Day by day we continue to receive additional particulars of Ayub's loss, which is now found to be much more severe than at first estimated. As forage is very scarce here it was decided on the 2nd that Gough should march his cavalry brigade to Kokeran, where supplies of all kinds are plentiful, and where the position is of high strategic value. Our total casualties on 31st and 1st are now ascertained to be 248, including two officers not before mentioned, viz. Rowcroft of the 4th Goorkhas and young Chesney of the 23rd Pioneers.

As soon as we have full reports from Gough as to the state of the country we shall send a strong column to Kushk-i-Nakhud, to bury the dead and open out the district, which is most fertile for supplies. Kokeran is not more than eight miles from Kandahar; it has a walled village and a fort, and during our early occupation of Kandahar we had a considerable detachment of our garrison stationed there, and if these had not been we should not have been so painfully in the dark as to Ayub's movements.