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9.6.10 Renewal of negotiations After punishing the Kamhows, the troops returned to Fort White and Major Raikes
with the Tashons opened negotiationw with the Tashons, which at first promised well, for Boimon, a
Falam Chief of standing, came to the Nattan Stream to interview him. The result,
however, was disappointing, as the Tashons refued to surrender the Shwe Gyo Byu and his associates, and they were
not in a position to enforce the surrender of the Burman captives held by the Siyins and Kanhows, as Major Raikes then
considered them able to do.
9.6.11 Action At Tartan* On 4th May the last action of the expedition was fought and it merits fully
description. Some new huts had been noticed on the site of Tartan, and to destroy
these a party was sent from Fort White on 4th May. The following account is taken almost verbatim from the report of
Captain C.H. Westmoreland, 42nd Gurkha Light Infantry. The column, consisting of 65 rifles of the 2nd Battalion Norfolk
Regiment and 60 rifles of the 42nd Gurkha Light Infantry, occupied the heights above New Tartan* without opposition.
The main body advanced with the intention of rushing the village, but encountered determined resistance from the Chins,
who were strongly posted in two stockades.
The upper stockade consisted of a log-hut, the sides and roof of which were bullet-proof. It was connected with a
ravine to the east by a trench about 3 feet wide, 5 feet deep, and 20 yards long. The trench was covered with logs and
planks flush with the ground. The hut itself was surrounded at a distance of 5 or 6 yards with rows of sharp-pointed
stakes about 3 feet high. The second stockade was in the bed of the ravine. It consisted of a hole about 6 or 9 feet
square, from which a trench ran down the ravine. Both trench and hole were covered with logs and planks and were
bullet-proof. In both stockades there were a few spaces between the logs through which the Chins fired, and the only
way in which they could be carried was by pulling away some of the timber.
At the lower stockade, early in the action, Second-Lieutenant Michel fell mortally wounded. The troops at first
endevoured to turn out the defenders of the upper stockade by firing through the openings between the logs. Before
long the covered trench was noticed and pulled open and the Chins in it were shot. After accomplishing this under fire
from the Chins in the lower stockade and in a the neighbouring jungle, the column retired, burning the village as it went.
The Chins, who had suffered heavily, did not follow, being deterred by the loss which they had sustained and kept in
check by a small covering party on the heights. In this action our loss was one officer killed and two(Captain Mayne and
Surgeon LeQuesne) severely wounded and three men killed and eight wounded. Surgeon LeQuesne received the Victoria
Cross for conspicuous coolness and gallantry displayed whilst dressing Lieutenant Michel‘s wound.
9.6.12 Arrangements after the close The expediton now closed and the garrison of Fort White settled down for the
of the expedition rains... Fort White was connected with the Kale valley by a mull-track and
telegraph line. The line of communication was held by four stockades. Major
Raikes remained in the hills as Political Officer and Colonel Skene in command of thre troops. The Siyin and Kanhow
Chins were now living in encampments near their respective cultivations and, though beaten and driven from village
sites, they maintained a dogged demeanour, showing no signs of surrender, and worrying us whenever opportunity
offered.
9.6.13 Events in the Yaw country Whilst General Faunce was engaged in fighting his way up in the Chin Hills, a
very serious state of affairs had existed in the Yaw county, for the
inhabitants, who were armed, broke out into open rebellion, and, assisted by the Southern Chins, espoused the cause of
the Shwe Gyo Byu Prince...Troops, however, were quickly sent to the front, marching down the Kale valley as well as up
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* Note: Footnote # 2 on page 30. “The village called by us “New Tartan“ is known to the Chins as Shellum, and they give the following account
of the fight. Shellum was a settlement in which about 100 persons of the Bwenman clan lived. They had built block-houses in case of surprise
by the troops, who actually did not surprise them, the first intimation they received of their approach was seeing a fox-terrier which was in
advance of the troops. The Chins, men, women, and children, all crowded into the block- houses, approximately 80 in numbers; they had
time to get well into their positions as the troops marched past the village before they saw it. The troops then turned and attacked the block-houses.
Twenty-nine Chins were killed and 11 wounded. Lyen Kam, the Bwenman Chief, was killed. There were 40 untouched persons left in the block-
houses when troops retired. The Tartan Chief‘s(Dolyn) youngest brother killed and Tan Chim, another brother, wounded. Dolyn came out of it all
right, but five years later died in the Myangyan jail.““