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'''THE LUSHAI EXPEDITION '''
1871-1872
BY
R.G. WOOD..."

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This article is an extract from 

'''THE LUSHAI EXPEDITION ''' 
1871-1872 

BY 
R.G. WOODTHORPE. 
LIEUT. ROYAL ENGINEERS. 

LONDON: 
HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, 
13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 

1873. 
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[[Category:India|M ]]
[[Category:Places|M ]]
=Khalkom=
The Western chiefs, Sukpilal and Khalkom,
had not yet made their appearance, and
Colonel Rattray, who was then commanding at
Pachui, received orders to explore the roads in
their direction, in order, if possible, to put press*
ure upon them.

According to the Lushais, Khalkom was ill and
could not move. His illness, however, was never
satisfactorily explained, and it was generally be-
lieved that he was wounded either at EJiolel or
Tipai Mukh.

As the time necessary for making roads could
not be spared, the General determined to trust to
the country paths from this point, taking on only
the Artillery elephants. Those belonging to the
Commissariat thenceforth worked only between
Tipai Mukh and Chepui ; the supplies being taken
on from the latter place by coolies.

On the 22nd January, the advance was con-
tinued along a very rocky path, the head-man,
and two others from Tingridum, and three men
from Chepui, accompanied it. The troops, who
camped about three miles and a half from Chepui,
on the banks of a little stream called Sairumlui,
the next day climbed up to station No. 11, on the
Gnaupa ridge, near the site of an old village
called Bohmong.

Colonel Roberts, taking Engloom with him,
went to explore the road ahead. The path
divided into two shortly after leaving camp, one
running along the ridge, the other along the
east &ce of the hill towards Surklang. The
latter was the route intended to be taken by the
troops, and this was found blocked by a rude
representation of men hanging on gallows ; and a
small red gourd, fixed in a tuft of grass, symbolised
scalped heads for those who should go that
way.

The path descended to a pretty little fordable
stream called the Tuila, and crossed a steep spur
of the Surklang to another stream, near which
good camping ground was found.
==The Route==
On the return of the reconnoiterers, Mr. Edgar
informed the Lushais with us that the Tuila route
would be the one followed, and the head-man of
Tingridum and Darpong were directed to go on
and inform Poiboi that we should pass by his
villages, but that, unless we were opposed, no harm
would be done to them, and also that he must
give up certain captives.

The Lushais earnestly begged that the General
would reconsider his decision about the route, and
take the Gnaupa one instead. This, they were
told, was impossible, and they then asked that
two young men of their number should be allowed
to go on to the villages ahead.

The Lushais had expected us to cross the
Lengteng by Gnaupa, and had fortified several
strong points on it ; and here they determined to
make a great stand. The chiefs had declared
their intention, if they succeeded in turning us
back there, of harassing our retreat in every
possible way, and not leaving off the pursuit till
the troops reached the cultivated portion of
Cachar ; while oo tbe other band, if we overcame
all their opposition and crossed the Lengteng in
spite of it, it was understood that our further ad-
vance on Chumfai would be unopposed.

In avoiding the steep and rocky passage of the
Lengteng by that route, and choosing the easier
one by Surklang and Muthilen, it was not the
General's intention to avoid a collision with the
Lushais ; indeed it was desirable that a real trial
of strength should take place between us and the
whole force of the South-eastern tribes. Conse-
quently when Darpong intimated that the real
object of the two lads in wishing to leave us, was to
recall the men stationed on Lengteng, they were
allowed to go.

The interview between Mr. Edgar and the
Lushais was carried on over our camp-fire after
dinner, and loud and earnest were the sounds of
the discussion which from time to time reached
the ears of officers already retired to rest, one of
whom, " little recking, if they would let him sleep
on," of the great issue involved, and thinking
they were some gossiping servants,* requested
them, in language more forcible than polite, to
cease chattering. No attention, however, was paid
to his modest request, and it was far into the night
when the Lushais at last left the camp. Shortly
afterwards two shots were heard by the advanced
picquet in the direction taken by the lads, but
nothing else occurred during the night.
==Narrow Ravine==
In the morning, Darpong and the Tingridum
man also departed, and at eight o'clock the force
marched for the next camp ; halting for a couple
of hours at the Tuila to allow the coolies to cook
and eat. As the supply of water at No. 11 had
been very limited, the General, Colonel Roberts,
and other officers, went on ahead to reconnoitre
the road in the afternoon. The path followed the
coarse of the ravine along its left bank. The ravine
was very narrow here, with densely wooded sides,
and the path, running over rocks and roots of
trees, in some places barely afforded a foothold,
while on the right below it was the rocky bed of a
mountain stream.

About a mile from camp the path again divided,
leading in one direction to the south over Muthilen
to the village of Kungnung, and in the other to
the east, up Surklang. The latter was the road
reconnoitred. After climbing through some very
steep jooms, it ran along the south side of the
hill. It was a tolerable road here, some three or
four feet wide, and evidently made in some parts
in others cut with da6s out of the hillside, the
best Lushai path we had yet met with.

After pursuing it for some time, and just as it
was so late as to necessitate a speedy return,
several large granaries were discovered in a joom,
and while these were being inspected, Darpong
and his companion appeared upon the scene. On
questioning him as to his presence there, when
he was expected to have gone towards Poiboi's
village, which was in quite the opposite direction,
he said that the two shots we heard the night
before had been fired at the Lushais who left our
camp by people from Taikum, a large village a
mile or so further on the road, and that he had
been to inquire into the matter. He also pointed
out to us Kungnung near the summit of Muthilen,
and said that both the villages were full of armed
men. He then departed, promising to be in
camp next morning.

==Order Of March==
From the point where we met Darpong it was
easily seen that the onward route must be by
Kungnung, as Chelam, Poiboi's village, was not
visible over the high intervening hill. This being
determined on, the reconnoitring pdrty returned
to their camp.

The night passed off quietly, and the troops
marched again shortly after eight a.m. on the
25th. Darpong had come in and given the
General to understand that an attack would be
made on us in the ravine. Fifty men of the 44th
went in advance, then the General and staff, and
the wing of the 44th; sixty men of the 22nd
being left as a guard for the Artillery and coolies,
for whose safety all felt very anxious.

Such was the order of march for the small
force with him, and considering the precipitous
nature of the hill-sides, which completely com-
manded the narrow rocky stream, the General
felt that he could not search the banks as he
went along.

About half a mile from camp, however, as the
advanced guard were climbing over a steep rocky
part of the path, the first shots were exchanged,
and as if by magic along the whole line and in
front, the gloom of the forest was lighted up by a
myriad of flashes, and bullets and slugs fell
around us,

* As on a July day.
The thunder shower falls pattering on the way."

At the first discharge the General's orderly
was shot dead from the the right bank, and almost
immediately the General himself was wounded in
the left arm and hand by a Lushai on the left
bank,' not eight yards off.

The Sepoys replied well, and Captain Robert-
son's advanced guard extended as they reached
the rocky ground on the left flank, while the rest
of the 44th, under Colonel Nuthall and Captain
Lightfoot) flinging down their packs and great-
coats, dived into the rocky stream, and meeting
the enemy in their own jungle, almost hand to
hand, drove them up the hill before them, scatter-
ing them most effectually. Thirteen Lushais
fell almost in one spot in the stream, those who
were not dead being despatched without mercy.

One man was trying to escape up the face of
a piece of rock over whieh some water trickled
into a pool below. The slippery rock hindered
him, and ere he could mount it a Goorkha bad
overtaken him and cut him down with his
kookrie. He fell on his face in the pool, looking
painfully like a woman, as he lay there with
his smooth cheek and neatly braided hair and
knot.

The General's wounds having been speedily
bound up, he was enabled shortly to overtake
the troops again.

At the very commencement of the firing, a
note was sent by Mr. Edgar from the camp,
telling the General that he had forced Darpong
to state what he knew about the intended attack.
His statement was, that the Lushais meant to
avoid the troops, but to attack the coolies and
artillery elephants. Two of Mr. Edgar's Cachari
coolies were wounded at the outset, and this
dispiriting the others, that gentleman determined
to remain with them. Captain Thompson also
remained behind.

Some of the Lushais managed to slip past the
column, and attacked the rear, and as we
climbed the hill in pursuit of the Lushais, we
could hear the firing below.

On collecting the scattered columns, the ad-
vance followed the Kungnung path through some
open jooms, from which we could see the Lushais
running wildly about on the spurs and ridges
above, apparently endeavouring to collect for a
stand at the village.

At length the path ran along the face of a
huge precipice, and was commanded for a long
distance by a small stockade, constructed at the
most difficult part of the road, where a few resolute
men might have stopped the advance of an
army, while a few rocks detached from above
would have inflicted heavy loss on the troops
passing beneath, as escape would have been
impossible. At this very point, a fortnight
later, a small hill pony, belonging to an officer,
slipped and went over the path, and falling
three hundred feet, was killed at once.
==Successful Manceuvre==
The rapidity with which the advance had been
conducted, had left the Lushais no time to
defend this stockade ; but passing onwards, the
path suddenly emerged on a joom, above which,
and on the high crest of another precipitous ridge,
was another long stockade. The foremost Sepoy,
on showing himself at the edge of the joom, was at
once saluted with a shot, which fortunately missed
him. It was found useless to take this stockade
with a rush, owing to the nature of the ground,
and so two parties of the 44th, under Capts.
Robertson and Lightfoot, skirmished round to
their right, taking advantage of some long gi*ass
jungle which concealed them from the defenders
of the stockade, who kept up a steady fire on
the road, expecting to see the troops appear
every moment.

The rest of the force had been halted under
shelter of the bank, till the result of the flank
movement should be apparent. This manoeuvre
was most successfully executed, and great must
have been the surprise of the Lushais, while
keeping their attention and fire directed on the
path in front, to find themselves suddenly taken
in flank. They fled, scarcely exchanging a shot
with their unexpected assailants ; and, when the
troops advanced through the stockade to the vil-
lage, a couple of hundred yards beyond, not a
Lushai was visible, all having vanished in the
forest and down the hill-side.

The troops at once occupied the village. The
fires were found burning in the houses, domestic
articles were lying about as if abandoned in haste ;
and a few dogs, cowering in corners, testified to
the unpreparedness of the Lushais for this result
of their attack. In some houses were picked up
white skirts, which had been distributed to some
of the people who had visited us at Chepui

The artillery elephants could not be got up to
the village that evening, being unable to climb
the latter part of the track, and so encamped
below the stockade. The coolies, with the whole
of the baggage, arrived in camp by seven p.m.

Owing to the excellent arrangements made for
the protection of the elephants and coolies by
Major Moore, in charge of the Coolie Corps, Cap-
tain Udwy, 44th, commanding the rear-guard, and
Lieutenant Hall, 22nd, commanding the supports,
the casualties were less than might have been ex-
pected, only one coolie being killed, while two
were wounded severely, and one slightly. The
other casualties for the day were as follows :
killed — two non-commissioned officers and one
man of the 44th; wounded Artillery, two severely;
44th, one severely ; Police, one severely.
==Narrow Escape Of The General==
General Bourchier's wounds were re-examined
as soon as the medical officers arrived at Kung- «
nung. He had a very narrow escape. He him-
self at first thought that he was wounded in the
left hand only, and it was not till he took off his
coat that a hole was discovered under and behind
his left elbow ; and a wound which was found in
his fore-arm at once accounted for the pain he
felt there. Fortunately for the Left Column, the
General's wounds, though painful, did not dis-
able him, excepting so far as they neccessitated
a sling for a short time.

Mizoram, 1872: Khalkom - Revision history

Pdewan: Created page with "{| class="wikitable" |- |colspan="0"| This article is an extract from '''THE LUSHAI EXPEDITION ''' 1871-1872 BY R.G. WOOD..."

Pdewan: Created page with "{| class="wikitable" |- |colspan="0"|
This article is an extract from
'''THE LUSHAI EXPEDITION '''
1871-1872
BY
R.G. WOOD..."