There are
perhaps few more grateful feelings than on a summer's morning to come
out of the fierce heat and dust and glare of field-exercises, or a march
from the Malakand or Nowshera, and to find oneself in these cool and
comforting surroundings.
Just outside the garden is the old graveyard, where rest in God the
brave hearts who have fought the good fight, and now with sword in
sheath watch with kindly pride the keen young blades who follow in their
steps. Side by side lie two of the heroic Battyes, Wigram and Fred, two
of the four brothers who died for their Queen and Country. As has been
related elsewhere, Wigram was killed in 1879 while charging at the head
of his squadron at Futtehabad in Afghanistan, and Fred fell mortally
wounded just as he had completed a most brilliant operation at the
Panjkora river, on the march to the relief of Chitral in 1895. Close to
them lies that kindly, upright gentleman, beloved of all, Bob
Hutchinson, who fell at the head of the Guides during a night attack on
the border village of Malandrai in 1886. A few yards in another
direction may be seen a stone to the memory of A.M. Ommanney, a young
officer who was assassinated by a fanatic in mistake for his brother.
Besides these, and many other single graves, there are large inclusive
monuments to the memory of the officers and men of various regiments who
have fought on these borders. Amongst them may be seen those erected to
the memory of the officers and men of the 71st Highland Light Infantry,
93rd Sutherland Highlanders, and 101st Royal Bengal Fusiliers, all
killed in the Umbeyla campaign of 1863.
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