[9][10][11][6][12][13] Following the end of the Chitral Expedition in 1895, the British built a suspension bridge over the River Swat near the village of Chakdara.

It is also thought that the recent Ottoman victory over Greece inspired Islamic tribes to fight against the British, who were seen as foreign Kafir.

On 26 July, a sepoy who was out sketching had also been robbed by tribesmen in the area and had reported that a tribal force was encroaching down the valley towards the fort.

On the evening of 26 July, Haldane Rattray, the First-Lieutenant in command of the garrison at Chukdara, had travelled to the nearby settlement of Khar, to play a game of Polo with other British officers from Malakand.

By the end of the game, two sowars had arrived in Khar with a message from Second-Lieutenant Wheatley, who was still at Chukdara, informing Rattray that a large force of armed tribesmen were making their way to the fortress.

[21][7][3] A soldier of the state of Dir, that were allied with the British, had promised to inform the fort of any impending attacks by lighting a bonfire as a warning.

Shortly thereafter, the fort came under heavy fire from tribal forces hidden in the dark, beginning the battle.

Wright and Baker begun their trip that morning and fought through several skirmishes on the way north, realising the true strength of the enemy on the way.

[7] After this attack was repelled, at around midday, a group of six men were sent to reinforce the signal tower, along with food and water.

At 3pm, they attacked the fort again, attempting to destroy the defensive barbed wire by throwing blocks of grass and dirt on them.

Bolstered by reinforcements, a significantly larger and more organised attack was now being conducted on Chakdara fortress, using superior numbers, the terrain and entrenchments against the seriously fatigued defenders.

[7][16] A Sepoy by the name of Prem Singh, with the use of a loophole, managed to send a message by heliograph to the main British force in Malakand.

[7][20] By late morning, cavalry of the Guides and the 11th Bengal Lancers were seen to be crossing the Amandara Ridge on the far side of the Swat River, cutting down many tribesmen on the way and forcing the remaining others to retreat.

[5][20][3] Shortly after, the relief cavalry arrived at the entrance of the fort, finally lifting the week-long siege and forcing the remaining tribesmen to retreat from the area.

[8] During the week-long siege, six British Indian Army soldiers were killed and 12 others were wounded, including Lieutenant Rattray.