The Gallant 22
Saragarhi on Samana Ridge
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In the backdrop of scenic landscape of Hangu rises Samana Ridge
Now demarcating Orakzai & Hangu districts, it once delineated the border between tribal lands of Orakzai Agency and the settled North Western Frontier of British Empire

In 2003, stationed at Thal, celebrating our first anniversary, I and Mani visited the hill station of Samana
There on a ridge extending beyond Fort Lockhart stood a tall obelisk
In a desolate stretch of Frontier, it commemorated Sikh sons of Punjab who died fighting the tribals

A present day tablet remembers 21 Soldiers of 36th Sikhs
Here on Samana Ridge, in a prelude to Tirah Campaign of 1897, was fought an epic battle where a detachment of 36 Sikhs, 22 gallants under Hav Ishar Singh met a tribal lashkar of thousands
They fought to Last Man Last Round

No one of Saragarhi detachment survived to tell the heroics of those who died fighting
In the heat of battle Signalman Gurmukh Singh religiously kept up communication with Fort Lockhart via heliograph signals
'the winking helio' of Saragarhi tells us this epic tale of sacrifice

Colonel John Haughton commanded 36 Sikh in 1897
He wrote a letter to his wife, penned 15-17 Sep immediately after Saragarhi this is one authentic battle account
Coupled with @capt_amarinder's well researched book we get a fascinating recreation of battle actions at Saragarhi

With first .303 shots fired at 9 AM on Sep 11, first Sikh casualty was around noon
Sepoy Bhagwan Singh it was with Naik Lal Singh getting seriously injured
As the second assault wave died down, Sepoys Boota Singh & Sunder Singh got added to the casualty list as killed in action

Having lost much to fighting Ishar Singh knew the game was up
Returning to the roof, he flashed his last message to Fort Lockhart 'The enemy was in the fort – the Sikhs were overrun but would not surrender'
Then he went down for the last time to join his men in their final stand

The sole survivor, Gurmukh Singh now sent his last message flashing the heliograph a last time
"They are getting in now. Shall I take rifle or shall I go on signalling?"
Signalman Gurmukh Singh probably fought his last gallant action and was killed before he could get any answer

Few months later when peace returned enemy would narrate a few tales
a wounded man on his charpoy shot down four before they could gain admittance
a cook proved too good for 5 lashkaris before losing his own life
our wounded man was Naik Lal Singh
and our cook, a lost warrior

Earlier accounts mention a 'follower' at Saragarhi who fought along with 21 Soldiers and was killed in action
Through vague accounts we get a name Daad
A Non Combatant in all likelihood a Muslim locally enrolled from NWFP
@capt_amarinder dedicated his book on Saragarhi to Daad

Here dead lie because we did not choose,
To live and shame the land from which we sprung.
Life, to be sure is nothing much to lose,
But young men think it is, and we were young

for my readers interested in reading more the story on Saragarhi is on MANI JUNCTION https://www.meemainseen.com/2020/05/saragarhi/

*credits*
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Recent pictures of Saragarhi Obelisk were arranged by @omersaif

Portraits of Saragarhi Soldiers painted by Jagdeep Singh, a project envisioned by Gurinderpal Sing Josan

Source: Facebook page "ਸਿੱਖ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ {Sikh History}"