During the year 1859 the Cabul Khail Wuzerees began to grow troublesome,
they made plundering incursions over our border, and in one of them
murdered Captain Mecham. It being determined to send a force into their
country, Brigadier-General Chamberlain marched from Kohat with nearly
4000 native troops of all ranks, in December, and found the enemy posted
in a range of hills near the Kurum river. Here they had removed their
families, flocks, and stores of grain, and had strongly fortified their
position with breastworks. On December 22nd. the attack was made in two
columns, and after two hours hard fighting the Wuzerees were driven from
ridge to ridge, leaving their tents, and as much of their cattle as they
could not remove, in the possession of the assailants. A few days
afterwards their chiefs submitted, and agreed to terms for peace. Three
months had scarcely passed, when the Mahsood Wuzerees, a far more
powerful tribe, who had made forays on British villages for years,
poured down from their hills upon the lands of the Nawaub of Tonk, which
were under British protection, and plundered and burnt in their
customary manner. On hearing of this act of aggression the Indian
Government resolved to teach these freebooters a lesson once for all.
Brigadier-General Chamberlain took the field at the head of about 5000
Native troops, with Lieut.-Colonel Lumsden as second in command; and on
April 17th., 1860, entered the hills, carrying sixteen days’ provisions.
After traversing a difficult and unknown country, the Brigadier encamped
at Paloseen, and hearing that the enemy was in force near, marched in
search of them, leaving Colonel Lumsden with about 1300 men in charge of
the camp and baggage. The Mahsoods saw their opportunity. On the night
of April 22nd., 3000 of them silently gathered in a depression to the
rear of the British, and early on the following morning drove in the
pickets and furiously assailed the camp. Luckily Colonel Lumsden was on
his guard. Two chieftains of the enemy fell by his hand, and his men,
cheered by their leader’s example, checked the rush of the Wuzerees, and
in ten minutes utterly routed them with heavy loss. General Chamberlain,
finding his information false, returned to Paloseen, and a few days
later forced the Burara Pass, after some severe fighting. He next
assaulted and captured the town of Kaneegoum, situated about 7,000 feet
above the sea level, with trifling loss. On May 11th. he captured
Mukeem, the principal town of the Mahsoods, who suffered heavily. The
place was burnt, the towers blown up, and the troops returned to Bunnoo;
having defeated a tribe which had never before been worsted, and
penetrated a hostile region previously almost unknown. The expedition
was a complete success, and added much to the prestige of the British in
the eyes of the neighbouring clans. For their distinguished bravery in
this campaign six native soldiers were decorated with the Order of
Merit. The operations in the Eusufyze country, in the latter part of the
year 1863, formed part of what is known as—