The Military Operations at Cabul, which Ended in the Retreat and Destruction of the British Army, January 1842: With a Journal of Imprisonment in Affghanistan |
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44th foot Affghan horse Affghanistan Akbar Alexander Burnes arms army arrived artillery attack Bala Hissar Bameean body Brigadier Shelton British Cabul camp Candahar cantonments Capt Captain cavalry Charekar chiefs command commissariat Conolly Ditto Ditto Dost Mahomed Khan Elphinstone endeavoured enemy Envoy Envoy's escort European Eyre favour fire followers force garrison gate Ghazees Ghuznee Giljyes ground Gundamuk H. A. gun Haughton hill honour hostages hour Jellalabad jemadar Jugdulluk juzailchees juzails Khan's Khoord-Cabul Kohistan Kuzzilbash ladies Lawrence Lieut Lord Auckland Mackenzie Mahomed Akber Khan Mahomed Shah Khan Major Pottinger ment miles military morning murder native infantry night Nuwab officers party pass Peshawur Pollock prisoners rear received regiment retreat road rupees Saleh Mahomed Sappers Seeah Sung sent Sepoys Shah Bagh Shah's Sir William Macnaghten Sirdar Skinner snow soldiers suffered Tezeen tion treaty Trevor troops Troup valley walls whole William Macnaghten wounded Wuzeer Zuman
Popular passages
Page 207 - Native Infantry, suffered severely ; and at last, finding that delay was only destruction, they followed the general example, and made the best of their way to the front. Another horse-artillery gun was abandoned, and the whole of its artillerymen slain. Captain Anderson's eldest girl, and Captain Boyd's youngest boy, fell into the hands of the Atfghans. It is supposed that 3,000 souls perished in the pass, amongst whom were Captain Paton, assistant quartermaster-general ; and Lieutenant St.
Page 195 - Dreary, indeed, was the scene over which, with drooping spirits and dismal forebodings, we had to bend our unwilling steps. Deep snow covered every inch of mountain and plain with one unspotted sheet of dazzling white ; and so intensely bitter was the cold, as to penetrate and defy the defences of the warmest clothing.
Page 45 - It no sooner," says Lieutenant Eyre, " became generally known that the commissariat fort, upon which we were dependent for supplies, had been abandoned, than one universal feeling of indignation pervaded the garrison ; nor can I describe the impatience of the troops, but especially the native portion, to be led out for its recapture — a feeling that was by no means diminished by their seeing the Affghans crossing and recrossing the road between the commissariat fort and the gate of the Shah Bagli,...
Page 42 - Afghans to maintain a very strict watch at night. A man in Captain Johnson's employ was accordingly sent out to reconnoitre the place ; he returned in a few minutes with the intelligence that about twenty men were seated outside the fort near the gate, smoking and talking ; and from what he overheard of their conversation, he judged the garrison to be very small, and unable to resist a sudden onset. The debate was now resumed, but another hour passed and the General could not make up his mind. A...
Page 206 - Giljyes were observed hastening to crown the heights in considerable force. A hot fire was opened on the advance, with whom were several ladies, who, seeing their only chance was to keep themselves in rapid motion, galloped forward at the head of all, running the gauntlet of the enemy's bullets, which whizzed in hundreds about their ears, until they were fairly out of the pass. Providentially the whole escaped, with the exception of Lady Sale, who received a slight wound in the arm.
Page 156 - Dangerous it is ; but if it succeeds, it is worth all risks : the rebels have not fulfilled even one article of the treaty, and I have no confidence in them ; and if by it we can only save our honour, all will be well. At any rate, I would rather suffer a hundred deaths, than live the last six weeks over again.
Page 206 - Affghan professions, that little or no confidence was placed in the present truce, and we commenced our passage through the dreaded pass in no very sanguine temper of mind. This truly formidable defile is about five miles from end to end, and is shut in on either hand by a line of lofty hills, between whose precipitous sides the sun, at this season, could dart but a momentary ray. Down the centre dashed a mountain torrent, whose impetuous course the frost in vain attempted to arrest, though it succeeded...
Page 17 - The immediate cause of the outbreak in the capital was a seditious letter addressed by Abdoollah Khan to several chiefs of influence at Cabul, stating that it was the design of the Envoy to seize and send them all to London ! The principal rebels met on the previous night, and, relying on the inflammable feelings of the people of Cabul, they pretended that the king had issued an order to put all infidels to death...
Page 381 - ... alarmed, and had turned out. They pursued me, but I soon distanced them, crossing several fields at speed, and gaining a road which I perceived led round the western end of the Shah's garden. Proceeding cautiously along, to my horror I perceived my path again blocked up by a dense body of Affghans. Retreat was impossible; so putting my trust in God, I charged into the midst of them, hoping that the weight of my horse would clear my way for me, and reserving my sword cuts for my last struggle.
Page 174 - Dangerous it is, but, if it succeeds, it is worth all risks ; the rebels have not fulfilled even one article of the treaty, and I have no confidence in them, and if by it we can only save our honour, all will be well ; at any rate, I would rather suffer a hundred deaths than live the last six weeks over again.