Extremely rare handwritten Account of the Battle Saragarhi India – a 1st edition of ‘Tirah 1897’, from the collection of historian Byron Farwell, with his occasional pencilled underlinings. Laid in is an 6pp&nbspsigned manuscript letter marked 'Please Read only Yourself’ – will give you some idea of what is going on at the front'&nbspwritten and signed by J A Lindsay, a member of the Tirah campaign, who arrived at Sargarhi as the relief force, after the bloody battle, where 21 Sikhs of the 4th Battalion of the 36th Sikh Regiment of British India defended an army post against 10,000 Afghan tribesman. The&nbsplong letter is headed ‘Tirah Field Force, Fort Lockhart, Samana, 6 October 1897’ folded, written on rectos and versos, approximately 600 words. It is very clean and legible, with no tears. Lindsay describes the Battle of Saragarhi (one of history's great last stands) and the aftermath. He says that ‘Saragarhi is an awful sight&nbspwhich 21 Sikhs behaved so admirably...and the place is anything but sanitary, as of course not much burying could be done.’ He goes on describe the current military situation and to complain of the intense cold and the lack of water and proper clothes. He talks of the strategic positions and engagements on the range, 'The 36th Sikhs marched over from Gulistan (4 miles) this morning carrying the standard they had captured from the enemy – they are a splendid corps and have made a great name for themselves.' An interesting insight into the fighting on the North-West Frontier's most famous post. Original red cloth binding, black spine lettering. With five maps (one folding). Saragarhi was a military post between Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan, The Battle of Saragarhi was fought during the Tirah Campaign on 12 September 1897 between 21 Sikhs of the 4th Battalion (then 36th Sikhs) of the Sikh Regiment of British India, defending an army post, and 10,000 Afghan and Orakzai tribesmen. The battle occurred in the North-West Frontier Province, now named the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and is part of Pakistan. The contingent of the twenty-one Sikhs from the 36th Sikhs was led by Havildar Ishar Singh. They all chose to fight to the death. Considered by some military historians as one of history's great last-stands. This letter written three weeks after Saragarhi gives an insight to the Saragarhi post by a soldier arriving days after the battle,&nbspgiving the aftermath of the battle at first hand by a British officer who was part of the campaign. Provenance: From the collection of the late Byron Edgar Farwell (1921-1999) American military historian and biographer.