Story of the Guides

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PREFACE In order to preserve information regarding the origin of this text, a copyright by the author, and a Heritage History distribution date are The Author's grateful thanks are due to the many past included at the foot of every page of text. We require all electronic and printed versions of this text include these markings and that users adhere to and present officers of the Guides who have helped him in this the following restrictions. little book. And especially to General Sir Peter Lumsden and G.R. Elsmie, Esq., authors of Lumsden of the Guides; and to 1. You may reproduce this text for personal or educational purposes as the Memoirs of General Sir Henry Dermot Daly, written by his long as the copyright and Heritage History version are included. son, Major H. Daly. 2. You may not alter this text or try to pass off all or any part of it as your own work. G.J.Y. 3. You may not distribute copies of this text for commercial purposes. 4. This text is intended to be a faithful and complete copy of the original document. However, typos, omissions, and other errors may have occurred during preparation, and Heritage History does not guarantee a perfectly reliable reproduction. Permission to use Heritage History documents or images for commercial purposes, or more information about our collection of traditional history resources can be obtained by contacting us at [email protected] Original Copyright 1909 by G. J. Younghusband. 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS FIRST STEPS IN WAR ......................................................................... 4 THE FIGHTING ROUND MOOLTAN AND AFTER .............................. 10 THE CAPTURE OF THE FORT OF GORINDGHAR .............................. 15 ON THE FRONTIER IN THE 'FIFTIES ................................................ 18 THE STORY OF DILAWUR KHAN ..................................................... 22 THE GREAT MARCH TO DELHI ....................................................... 27 TWENTY YEARS OF MINOR WARS .................................................. 31 THE MASSACRE OF THE GUIDES AT KABUL, 1879 ......................... 40 THE AFGHAN WAR, 1878-80 ........................................................... 48 WAR STORIES .................................................................................. 54 THE ADVENTURES OF SHAH SOWAR AND ABDUL MUJID .............. 58 THE RELIEF OF CHITRAL ................................................................ 64 THE MALAKAND, 1897 .................................................................... 69 THE HOME OF THE GUIDES ............................................................. 74 SIR HARRY LUMSDEN, WHO RAISED THE GUIDES FROM A PORTRAIT MADE WHEN HE WAS COMMANDING THE CORPS. Original Copyright 1909 by G. J. Younghusband. 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 Martinets of the old school gravely shook their heads, CHAPTER I and trembled for the discipline of men without stocks and overalls. Men of the Irregular Cavalry, almost as much trussed and padded as their Regular comrades (who were often so FIRST STEPS IN WAR tightly clad as to be unable to mount without assistance), looked with good-natured tolerance on a foredoomed failure. SIR HENRY LAWRENCE'S IDEA—STOCKS AND TUNICS—A NEW But Sir Henry Lawrence had the courage of his opinions, and DEPARTURE—SELECTION OF TITLE—DUTIES—HARRY determined to put his theories to practice, though at first on a LUMSDEN—HIS METHODS OF TRAINING—BAPTISM OF FIRE—A small scale. GALLANT EXPLOIT—WORKING FOR THE SIKHS—CAPTURE OF Not only were the Guides to be sensibly clothed, but BABUZAI—DEATH OF DUFFADAR FATTEH KHAN—THE SPRING OF professionally also they were to mark a new departure. In 1846 1848—GUIDES UNRAVEL A PLOT—GENERAL KHAN SINGH the Punjab was still a Sikh province, and the administration HANGED—THE MAHARANI DEPORTED. was only thinly strengthened by a sprinkling of British It is given to some regiments to spread their officers. Men, half soldiers, half civilians, and known in India achievements over the quiet centuries, while to the lot of under the curious misnomer of Political Officers,—a class to others it falls to live, for a generation or two, in an atmosphere whom the British Empire owes an overwhelming debt—were of warlike strife and ever present danger. The Guides have scattered here and there, hundreds of miles apart, and in the been, from a soldier's point of view, somewhat fortunate in name of the Sikh Durbar practically ruled and administered seeing much service during the past sixty years; and thus their provinces as large as Ireland or Scotland. The only British history lends itself readily to a narrative which is full of troops in the country were a few of the Company's regiments, adventure and stirring deeds. The story of those deeds may, quartered at Lahore to support the authority of the Resident,— perchance, be found of interest to those at home, who like to a mere coral island in the wide expanse. What Sir Henry read the gallant record of the men who fight their battles in Lawrence felt was the want of a thoroughly mobile body of remote and unfamiliar corners of the Empire across the seas. troops, both horse and foot, untrammelled by tradition, ready To Sir Henry Lawrence, the preux chevalier, who died to move at a moment's notice, and composed of men of a soldier's death in the hallowed precincts of Lucknow, the undoubted loyalty and devotion, troops who would not only be Guides owe their name and origin. At a time when soldiers of value in the rough and tumble of a soldier's trade, but would fought, and marched, and lived in tight scarlet tunics, high grow used to the finer arts of providing skilled intelligence. stocks, trousers tightly strapped over Wellington boots, and The title selected for the corps was in itself a new shakos which would now be looked on as certain death, Sir departure in the British Army, and history is not clear as to Henry evolved the startling heresy that to get the best work out whether its pre-ordained duties suggested the designation to of troops, and to enable them to undertake great exertions, it Sir Henry Lawrence, or whether, in some back memory, its was necessary that the soldier should be loosely, comfortably, distinguished predecessor in the French army stood sponsor and suitably clad, that something more substantial than a pill- for the idea. Readers of the Napoleonic wars will remember box with a pocket-handkerchief wrapped round it was required that, after the battle of Borghetto, the Great Captain raised a as a protection from a tropical sun, and that footgear must be Corps des Guides, and that this was the first inception of the made for marching, and not for parading round a band-stand. Original Copyright 1909 by G. J. Younghusband. 4 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 Corps d'Elite, which later grew into the Consular Guard, and That the commencement should be not too ambitious, later still expanded into the world-famed Imperial Guard ten it was ruled that the first nucleus should consist only of one thousand strong. troop of cavalry and two companies of infantry, with only one But whatever the history of the inception of its title, the British officer. But as this story will show, as time and success duties of the Corps of Guides were clearly and concisely hallowed its standards, this modest squad expanded into the defined in accordance with Sir Henry's precepts. It was to corps which now, with twenty-seven British officers and contain trustworthy men, who could, at a moment's notice, act fourteen hundred men, holds an honoured place in the ranks of as guides to troops in the field; men capable, too, of collecting the Indian Army. trustworthy intelligence beyond, as well as within, our Following out the principle that the corps was to be for borders; and, in addition to all this, men, ready to give and service and not for show, the time-honoured scarlet of the take hard blows, whether on the frontier or in a wider field. A British Army was laid aside for the dust-coloured uniform special rate of pay was accorded to all ranks. And finally, which half a century later, under the now well-known name of fortunate as Sir Henry Lawrence had been in the inspiration khaki, became the fighting dress of the whole of the land that led him to advocate this new departure, he was no less forces of the Empire. fortunate in his selection of the officer who was destined to The spot chosen for raising the new corps was inaugurate a new feature in the fighting forces of the Empire. Peshawur, then the extreme outpost of the British position in Even from among officers of proved experience and India, situated in the land of men born and bred to the fighting ability it is by no means easy to select the right man to trade, free-lances ready to take service wherever the rewards inaugurate and carry through successfully an experimental and spoils of war were to be secured. While fully appreciating measure; much more difficult is it to do so when the selection the benefits of accurate drill, and the minute attention to lies among young officers who have still to win their spurs.

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