Sitana: A Mountain Campaign on the Borders of Afghanistan in 1863.

"The most important of the early frontier campaigns"

First edition, decidedly uncommon, of one of the few accounts of the Ambela, or Umbeyla, campaign of 1863 against the Pushtun and Bunerwal Wahabist sympathizers of the Ambela valley in Swat. It was described by Captain H. L. Nevill in his excellent Campaigns on the North-West Frontier (1912) as "the most important of the early frontier campaigns".

As Adye remarks in his preface: "the campaign... though short, was a very interesting one, both in its military aspects, and more especially as having occurred in a part of the country never before entered by British troops." Adye was assistant adjutant-general of artillery throughout the Crimean War and in the Indian mutiny, where he was involved in the fighting at Cawnpore. "From May 1859 Adye commanded the artillery in the Madras presidency. He was deputy adjutant-general of artillery in India from March 1863 until 1868, and implemented the amalgamation of the three East India Company regiments of artillery with the Royal Artillery, which required patience and tact. In November 1863 he joined the commander-in-chief, Sir Hugh Rose, at Lahore, and was sent by him to the Ambela valley, where the progress of General Chamberlain's expedition against the Sitana fanatics was blocked. Adye, accompanied by Major F. S. Roberts, was to report on the situation. He was present at the action of 15 December which finally dispersed the Sitana warriors, and at the burning of Mulka a week later. He was mentioned in dispatches" (ODNB)