Show KOaiAROFFS CUNNING How thc Itusshiu KciicrnL Cot s Onto thc Afghans SIMLA May 5Ee witnesses of the Penjdeh affair say that on March 2911 Taib Salar Afghan commander received General KomarofTs ultimatum in substance sub-stance that unless the Afghans retired from the left bank of the Kushk and the right bank of the Murghab before the evening of that date that the Russians would drive them out Captain Yates then conferred with Colonel Zacharwski as already reported The same night Taib Salar FIlm CONSULTING WITH BRITISh OFFICERS Declined to evacuate the positions referred re-ferred to but offered to consider reasonable reason-able proposals regarding pickets and outposts General Komaroff made no answer to this offer and next morning during a rainfall accompanied by heavy mist the Russians advanced Turcoman cavalry covering the infantry This movement drew the Afghan lire when the Turcomans opened out showing battalions bat-talions of the Seventythird Regiment Sotwa Cossacks and eight guns Two of the latter came into action and the infantry infan-try fired volleys for half an hour SWEEPING TIlE AFGHANS OWN In files The Afghans with muzzle loaders and wet powder answered feebly while two guns badly positioned replied re-plied to the Russian artillery The Kushk river was swollen and unfordable The only means of retreat was by the PulIKhisti bridge seven feet wide The Cossacks swept forward on the left flank of the Afghans and the Russian infantry charged their intrenchments and carried them at the point of the bayonet killing hundreds of the defenders who resisted bravely After the first shot the British officers five miles south hurried to the spot and met the Afghans in full retreat both from AkTapa and PuliKhista Col Alikhanoff with a strong escort crossed the bridge and occupied occu-pied the Afghan military governors tent but no pursuit was made Colonel Alikhanoff ordered his Saruk Turcomans to attack Captain Yates party which arrived ar-rived during the Afghan retreat Captain Yates asked Colonel Zacharwski for an interview and requested that troops be sent to guard the British camp No answer was given the request Some Tekke Turcomans appeared on the scene and the Saruk Turkomans with Captain Yates urged a retreat The British were relieved under the escort of the Zaruk chiefs Taib Nalar was badly wounded The Afghans were demoralized A copy of the telegrams giving the news of the agreement of March 17th was given I Colonel Zachanvski March 27th |