| caption: |
Col. Johnstone's description of the relief of Kohima |
| caption: |
Major Evans march from Samaguting to Kohima |
| text: |
On the 30th ultimo, Major Evans marched in from Samaguting with a party of 200 men of the 43rd Native Infantry and Police, and accompanied by Lieutenants Maxwell and Barrett. As, however, I heard that Samaguting, with its large store of ammunition and supplies, was very inadequately protected, I requested him to return there, leaving Lieutenant Barrett behind, as officers were much wanted, accordingly Major Evans returned the next day. Major Evans's march was unopposed, but was a splendid instance of what men can do when well led, and he accomplished the distance from Golaghat to this, 108 miles, in six days. When near Kohima, his advance guard unfortunately shot a Naga belonging to a friendly Khel mistaking him for an enemy, an act which much irritated the Kohima people. I, however, managed to calm them down, by expressing much sorrow, and assuring them that it was an accident, and his relations have since expressed themselves as satisfied, and have accepted the blood money which I tendered, and they at first refused. |
