Historical records of the 91st Argyllshire ... - waughfamily.ca

146 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE18*6. advance at once on what the Kaffirs had everconsidered their impregnablefastnesses. Thegreat fault, however, consisted in making thismovement on the Amatola with a force totallyinadequate to the object in view, if resistance wereanticipated on the part of the Kaffirs ;and, moreover,encumbered by aiflarge train of baggagedrawn on waggons, through a broken, wooded,mountainous, and intricate country. But apparentlyit was never dreamt that the Kaffirs reallymeant to show fight, or so small a force as 1500or 1600 men (part of which consisted of heavycavalry, perfectly useless on such ground) wouldnever have been sent on this expedition. Inshort, the opening of the campaign was apparentlylooked upon by many more in the light of apicnic or excursion of pleasure than anything else.Great, however, was their mistake; for now theKaffirs, on what they considered their ownground, foughton the 16th with the utmostdetermination. The brunt of the action felluponthe 91st, which, gallantly led up a steep woodedravine by Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell, was surroundedon all sides by overwhelming numbersof the enemy."The summit of the pass having been gained,