236 
THE INDIAN CAMPAIGNS, 1897-8. 
mained camped within the enemy's territory till Aprils prepared to 
advance if our terms of fines in money and rifles were not paid up. 
Summing np the results of the campaigns it may be said that every 
rebellion or invading section was severely punished, though our 
humanity and clemency was often mistaken for weakness. 
The Afridi himself could never stand against us, save in unapproach¬ 
able positions, and his warfare was only of the hopeless guerilla species, 
most trying to the troops in contact with him, but availing nothing in 
stopping our advance one single day. Following the law of nations 
at war, when our enemies beaten from the field, insisted on maintain¬ 
ing an unprofitable warfare, we burned their property till they came 
to their senses, even as the Prussians threatened to shell the town of 
Sedan if useless hostilities were kept up; it is only now that the Afridis 
are really feeling the pinch, resulting on their punishment of last year. 
The Artillery tactics were simple in plan but difficult to carry out; 
nearly all the minor engagements took place when withdrawing from 
positions captured or visited in operating against the enemy. A force 
must withdraw at times, and the signal to withdraw was always follow¬ 
ed by an appearance of hordes of creeping Afridis on all sides. The 
duty of the Artillery was to cover the rear-guard in its succesive 
positions, yet not to imperil its guns and still more impede the with¬ 
drawal. It required therefore great judgement to know when to 
withdraw a battery and when to come into action again. The man¬ 
ipulation of the 2nd line of mules corresponding to battery waggons, 
never so simple as it seems, was in such a country no easy matter. 
It should be mentioned that an ammunition column officer was 
appointed to each brigade division of the Tirah force, to take charge 
of the reserve ammunition mules of each battery and take back convoys 
for more artillery ammunition. 
The services of each battery serving in this force witb any share in 
the preliminary fighting must now be detailed. 
3rd Field Battery, (Major Guise) served in the Kohat-Kurram line 
from 27th August, 1897 to 22nd April, 1898, first with the Kohat- 
Kurram field force, later with the Kurram moveable column as part 
of the Tirah expeditionary force, fired forty rounds, one gun accom¬ 
panied the reconnaisauce of the Khurmana defile, but four miles up 
the defile could proceed no further, casualties : nil. 
9th Field Battery (Major Wedderburn) arrived at Kohat 22nd 
August, 1897, from Mian Mir, entraining within thirty-nine hours of 
orders to mobilize, and joined the Kohat-Kurram Field Force; shared 
in the action of the Ublan Pass, when the enemy approached within 
three miles of Kohat itself, making excellent practice; minor actions 
on the Samana and mouth of Khanki Yalley; two guns were moved 
from Doaba on 13th September, to make an attack on those besieging 
Gulistan fort which Major DesVoeux was defending. The guns were 
some 2,000 feet below, but their arrival cheered the hard pressed 
garrison, and also diverted the enemy's attention from the advance of 
the actual relieving force; fired 165 rounds ; casualties nil. 
