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Gen. Nation advances, wrongly believing that Col. Nuttall has taken Konoma |
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Meanwhile, the guns had been advanced to within 800 yards of the works; and here a coolie was wounded by a shot from the village. A few rounds were fired from the new position, but without much effect; and then the General, who had observed the stormers dash into the village, and believed the whole must be in our hands, stopped the firing, and advanced himself to Konoma, accompanied by Major Cock, Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, and Lieutenant Colonel Johnstone, Political Agent, Manipur. |
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The latter writes:- " As we neared the fort where we had last seen Colonel Nuttall's party, ominous sights met our eyes, dead bodies here and there, and men badly wounded; while sepoys left in charge of the latter told us that all was not yet over, and that the Nagas still held the upper forts. After advancing a few steps further, we had to pick our way over ground studded with panjies and covered with thorns, exposed to the fire of the enemy; and passing the dead bodies of several Nagas, we ascended a kind of staircase, and, after again passing under the Nagas' fire, climbed up a perpendicular stone wall and found ourselves in a small tower, which, with the adjoining works, was held by a small party of the 44th Native Infantry. I asked Colonel Nuttall where all his men were, and he pointed to the handful around him, and said, these are all. The situation was indeed a desperate one, and I felt that, without some immediate action, our power in the Naga Hills for the time being trembled in the balance." ( Extract from Diary of Political Agent, Manipur, for 22nd November 1879.) |
