AFGHANISTAN. 



9 



sides, occurred at Pul-i-Khisti, on the Kushk 

 river. A Russian outpost had been stationed 

 at this point, called in the Turkoman language 

 Dash Kepri, previous to the March agreement. 

 After the covenant, the Afghans had crossed 

 the river and occupied the same position. This 

 movement, on which the subsequent contro- 

 versy chiefly hinged, was described by Sir Pe- 

 ter Lumsden as a defensive manoeuvre to meet 

 Russian demonstrations, and not an advance 

 of the Afghan line. The Russians approached 

 Dash Kepri, on the left bank, March 25 ; but 

 finding the Afghans intrenched at the bridge of 

 . Pul-i-Khisti, they withdrew and took up a posi- 

 tion three miles back. Gen. Komaroff opened 

 communications with Oapt. Yate on the 26th, 

 and informed him that the left bank of the 

 Kushk was Russian territory, a claim identical 

 with that presented in London by the Russian 

 representatives. Gen. Komaroff concentrated 

 the Murghab detachment at Iman Baba on 

 March 18, and, assuming the direct command, 

 moved forward. On the 25th they encamped 

 within three miles of the Afghan position at 

 Ak Tapa. Their vanguard was at Kizil Tapa, 

 a mile from Pul-i-Khisti. At Fort Kizil Tapa 

 a picket had been stationed for months, and by 

 virtue of this the Russians had reported the 

 military occupation of Pul-i-Khisti. Officers 

 reconnoitring the Afghan position on the 22d 

 reported to the Russian commander that the 

 Afghans had a picket at Pul-i-Khisti, and were 

 digging trenches on a hillock. Gen. Komaroff 's 

 instructions from Prince Dondoukoff - Korsa- 

 koff were to carry out an effective occupation 

 of Dash Kepri or Pul-i-Khisti. The Russians 

 made no advance beyond Kizil Tapa. In the 

 parleys between Oapt. Yate and Col. Zakre- 

 jevsky, when the English officer produced a 

 copy of the telegram containing the agreement 

 of March 17, Col. Zakrejevsky replied, as di- 

 rected by his commander, that the Russians 

 had no intentions of attacking the Afghans, 

 but, in order to prevent a collision, the latter 

 must withdraw from the posts and intrench- 

 ments advanced during the last few days. The 

 Afghans continued to move their posts for- 

 ward, and on the Russian flank on the left 

 bank of the Kushk to send out numbers of 

 cavalry, and to make fortifications. Gen. Ko- 

 marofiE was impelled by this state of things to 

 make a reconnaissance in force. On the 27th 

 of March, Col. Alikhanoff pushed past the Af- 

 ghan position at Ak Tapa with a body of cav- 

 alry, ascending the left bank of the Kushk to 

 the distance of four miles in the rear of the 

 Afghans. Intercepted there by Afghan cav- 

 alry, he retired. The same day a company of 

 Russian infantry reconnoitred the other flank 

 of the Afghans on the right bank of the 

 Murghab. Three Afghan companies went out 

 against them, and threatened to fire if they 

 advanced further. The next day the Afghans 

 occupied a hill commanding the left flank of 

 the Russian camp, where they began to throw 

 up intrenchments and established a post of 



cavalry behind the Russian line. These ma- 

 noeuvres, which the English officers justified 

 on account of the Russian reconnaissances of 

 the previous day, Gen. Komaroff interpreted 

 as a menace, and an operation which endan- 

 gered his position. He thereupon sent an en- 

 ergetic summons to the Afghan commander, 

 Naib Salar, giving him till evening to evacuate 

 the left bank of the Kushk and the right bank 

 of the Murghab as far as the mouth of the 

 Kushk. The Afghan officer refused to retire, 

 u acting on the advice of the English." 



Gen. Komaroff, after receiving this reply, 

 marched with his detachment against the Af- 

 ghan position, a movement which he described 

 as a military demonstration, intended to give 

 force to his demand. The Afghans opened 

 fire on the advancing column, and a desperate 

 battle ensued. Although the Afghans fought 

 valiantly, their muskets were useless against 

 breech-loaders, and they were finally driven out 

 of their position, leaving 900 slain on the field, 

 and abandoning their cannon. 



Gen. KomarolFs force numbered about 2,000 

 men. It consisted of two battalions of in- 

 fantry, half a mountain - battery, and a cav- 

 alry column commanded by Col. Alikhanoff, 

 made up of Cossacks, Mervians, Akal Tekkes, 

 and Sariks, under their chiefs. The Afghans 

 numbered 4,300 men, of whom 1,400 were cav- 

 alry, with 8 guns. On the Russian side of the 

 Kushk, on a mound in front of the bridge, 

 were 1,200 cavalry, a company of infantry 

 with 4 guns intrenched, to the left of the cav- 

 alry, and to the rteht rear several companies 

 with 3 guns intrenched. The main body of 

 the Afghans was posted in trenches on the op- 

 posite side of the Kushk and consisted of about 

 2,400 men. On the right bank of the Murghab 

 about 200 cavalry guarded the rear against 

 a Sarik attack. On the fortified hill of Ak- 

 tapa, in the rear of the main position, one or 

 more guns were mounted. Gen. KomarofFs 

 plan was to attack the Afghans on one flank 

 with the cavalry, and on the other with an in- 

 fantry column, before assailing them in front 

 with the second column of infantry. By an 

 error the cavalry brought up 500 yards in front 

 of the Afghan center, 1,200 yards in advance 

 of the central column. Gen. Komaroff or- 

 dered the mountain-guns to advance quickly to 

 the support of the cavalry, and called up all 

 the infantry. The Afghans opened fire on the 

 Cossacks, who had dismounted. The fire was 

 returned by the Cossacks and a few of the 

 Mervians who had rifles. Three hundred Af- 

 ghan cavalry then descended the mound to 

 charge the Cossacks in the rear. Alikhanoff 

 met this with a rifle-fire of the Cossacks and a 

 counter-charge of the Merve Tekkes. At the 

 same time the other infantry column, who had 

 come up and engaged the intrenched infantry, 

 turned their rifles upon the Afghan horse. 

 The latter gave way, and the whole body of 

 cavalry retreated across the river in disorder. 

 The infantry in the trenches answered feebly 



