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they advanced up the Pass, an attack was made upon their rear by the Affghans, and all discipline was lost. The soldiers of the 44th Regiment threatened to shoot their officers, and broke up into detached parties: they were cut down almost to a man by the enemy, in this Jugdulluck Pass.

Of the officers, a considerable number escaped on horseback, and reached Gundamuck in the morning; here they began to separate, taking different roads. The villagers attacked them as they passed, and only one individual of the whole British force was able to reach Jellalabad. This was Dr. Brydon, who arrived there wounded and faint, on the 13th of January. For some time he was supposed to be the sole survivor of the whole British force, with the exception of those who remained in the hands of Akbar Khan as hostages and prisoners; but afterwards it was discovered, that a few officers and soldiers had escaped death, but were detained in captivity in various places by the enemy.

Such was the result of this most lamentable march, which was from first to last a series of humiliations to the British standard, and seemed likely to do irreparable injury to our military reputation in Affghanistan.

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Nothing is of more importance to British interests in India, than that the prestige of our should not be diminished by any reverse happening to our arms; and this triumph of the Affghans under Akbar Khan was to be deplored for this reason, as well as the melancholy loss of life occasioned by the disaster.

The enemy now approached Jellalabad, which was occupied by the British garrison under General Sir VOL. LXXXIV.

Robert Sale, who had maintained his position there since the day on which he reached it, after forcing the Khoord Cabul, and other Passes, as we have previously narrated. Here he was besieged by the insurgent tribes, the Voloos, the Ghilzies, and the Shinwaries, who occupied several old forts about three miles from the town, from which they from time to time kept up a fire upon the defences. Previously to the arrival of Akbar Khan and the forces with him, General Sale had been engaged in several encounters with the enemy, in which he was uniformly successful, and more than once severely punished them.

An account of what occurred at Jellalabad, written by this gallant officer, will be found in a subsequent part of our narrative.

We mentioned that it was stipulated on the part of General Elphinstone, in the Convention with the Affghan chiefs, that the whole of the British forces in Affghanistan should evacuate that country. In compliance with this agreement, he had despatched an order to General Sale to march away from Jellalabad; but the latter officer, on receiving it from the hands of an Affghan chief, at the latter end of January, refused to abandon his post. It is said that Lady Sale, then a prisoner in the hands of the Affghans, wrote to her husband, urging him to defend Jellalabad, saying, that she preferred death to dishonour.

In the meantime, vigorous efforts were being made to assist the besieged garrison, by sending a body of troops to its relief through the Khyber Pass. Lord Auckland was about to retire from the government of India, and a new Governor-General, Lord Ellenborough, [R]

had been appointed, who arrived at Calcutta on the 28th of February. But in the meantime, Lord Auckland exerted himself to the utmost to send re-inforcements to the frontier, and facilitate the operations of his successor for retriev. ing, as far as possible, the late terrible disaster. Sir Jasper Nicholls was the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in India, and reiterated orders were sent to him to push on to Peshawur as many troops as he could spare.

Four regiments, the 30th, 53d, 60th, and 64th N. I., crossed the Punjab, and reached the left bank of the Indus on the 20th of December. Other forces followed; and Brigadier Wild, who took the command, arrived at Peshawur on the 27th. He afterwards advanced to Jumrood, near the entrance of the Khyber Pass, and there encamped his troops, intending to march to the relief of Jellalabad as soon as he was reinforced by European infantry and artillery.

Akbar Khan had used his utmost efforts to induce the Khyberries (who seem to consist of

different tribes, of whom the prin cipal are the Afreedees and Mingalees) to close the formidable defiles against us, and in this he was successful; or, perhaps, we should rather say, their national feeling of hostility towards us, induced the Khyberries to oppose our entrance into Affghanistan, through the Pass.

On the 15th of January, Brigadier Wild having resolved to make the attempt to march forward to Jellalabad, entered the Khyber Pass, and attempted to take possession of the small Fort of Ali Musjid, which is situated in a difficult part of the defile, and the occupation of which is absolutely necessary to enable troops to traverse the Pass. But owing to a want of a proper disposition of the forces, the attack failed; and although the fort was actually carried, and for some time occupied by a body of troops, yet being unsupported by the rest of the army, which had recoiled from the Pass, they were compelled to abandon it, having no water or provisions so as to enable them to garrison it.

CHAPTER X.

AFFGHANISTAN continued.-General Pollock takes the command and determines to force the Khyber Pass-Description of the Defile — The Fort Ali Musjid taken by the British Troops-March of the Army through the Khyber Pass-Arrival at Jellalabad-Account of the Operations there previously-Important Victory of the Garrison over the Afghans headed by Akbar Khan-Death of General Elphinstone-Occurrences at Cabul-Murder of Shah Soojah-His Son Futteh Jung proclaimed King-Long Detention of the British Troops at Jellalabad-Akbar Khan treats for the Surrender of his Prisoners-Situation of the Prisoners-State of Affairs at CabulGeneral Pollock advances from Jellalabad-Futteh Jung joins the British Camp-Conflict at Jugdulluk-Description of the different Passes and Defiles-Final Defeat of Akbar Khan in the Tezeen Valley-The British Army reaches Cabul-Release of the Prisoners -Proclamation by the Governor-general for the Evacuation of Affghanistan-General McCaskill sent into Kohistan-Defeat of the Affghans at Istaliff-Destruction of the Grand Bazaar at Cabul The British Forces evacuate Cabul-March to Peshawur-Jellalabad destroyed-Arrival at Peshawur-Evacuation of Quelta by General England-March through the Bolan Pass--Proclamations by the Governor-general.-CANDAHAR and GHUZNEE.-The Insurrection spreads to the Candahar District-Colonel Maclean fails in attempting to reach Cabul-Candahar invested by the InsurgentsVictory gained by General Nott-Failure of the Affghans in a nocturnal Attack on Candahar-General England attempts to reinforce General Nott-Ill-success of this Enterprise-State of Garrison at Ghuznee-Treachery of the Inhabitants-Surrender of Ghuznee by Colonel Palmer-His Reasons for evacuating the Fortress-Treachery of the Ghazees-Attack upon the British Troops-Destruction of the Sepoys and Captivity of the OfficersPrisoners sent to Cabul-General Nott advances from Candahar to join General Pollock at Cabul-Description of his Line of MarchGeneral England advances to Quetta-Victory by General Nott over the Affghans at Gonine-Ghuznee abandoned by the Affghans and destroyed by General Nott-Another Victory gained by General Nott-He effects a Junction with General Pollock at Cabul.

HE number of troops un

adier Wild amounted to 3,500 After his unfortunate at

Tder the command of Brig- men.

tempt to force the Khyber Pass, he remained passive until joined by Major-general Pollock, who now took the command of the forces destined for the relief of Jellalabad. General Pollock fixed his quarters at Shumsher, where the army was encamped on a large plain, about fifteen miles from the mouth of the Khyber Pass. A portion of the force under his command consisted. of Sikhs, the troops of the Maha Rajah Shere Sing, ruler of the Punjab, under General Avitabile.

Attempts were made to purchase from the Khyberries an unmolested passage through the dangerous defiles, and after negotiations had been carried on for some time, it was agreed that for a certain sum General Pollock's army should be allowed to march unopposed. Part of this is said to have been actually paid, and as the accounts from Jellalabad represented General Sale as in want of immediate succour, General Pollock determined to advance forthwith with a force of about 8,000 men; although two brigades, consisting of 4,000 men, under the command of Colonel Bolton, had not yet joined him. From Jumrood on the eastern side, the Khyber Pass extends for twenty-eight miles towards Jellalabad, and for twenty-two miles of this, the defiles have hitherto been considered as impassable to an army, if opposed by an enemy. As far as the fort of Ali Musjid the Pass is deep and uninterrupted. This fort is situated in the middle of the defile on an isolated hill, and completely commands the Pass. "For about seven miles beyond, the ascent is somewhat uniform till near Lundu Khana, where, for a couple of miles, it runs along the face of a frightful precipice, like the galleries by

which the Simplon is traversed." On the 5th of April at half-past three in the morning, the troops, under the command of General Pollock, began their march. It was found that the Khyberries were determined to oppose their progress, and they had fortified the mouth of the Pass with a strong breast work of stones and bushes. The hills on the right and left were rocky and precipitous, and presented great difficulties to the ascent of troops. Two columns, however, were detached by General Pollock from the main body, which were compelled to make a considerable détour to the right and left before they could commence the ascent. The enemy were in force on the heights on either side, but the two columns advanced in gallant style, and gained possession of the crest of the hills, driving all opposition before them. When the heights were in our possession, General Pollock ordered the main column to enter the mouth of the Pass, and destroy the barrier, which the enemy abandoned as soon as they saw that the hills were crowned by the British troops. As the latter advanced along the heights, the Khyberries retreated, and the main column under General Pollock pushed forward up the Pass, driving all opposition before them.

The fort of Ali Musjid was evacuated by the enemy, and a portion of the troops of the Maha Rajah Shere Sing, the Sikhs, was placed in possession of it, in order to keep the Pass open. This body of men had behaved with great gallantry; and in a proclamation subsequently issued by Lord Ellenborough, from his head quarters at Benares, they are mentioned in terms of high praise.

General Pollock now met with

little opposition. On the 9th of April, his advance-guard reached Lundu Khana, and the whole force had cleared the Pass before the 14th of April. This is the first instance in history of an army forcing its way through these dreaded defiles against an enemy. Even Nadir Shah, the great Persian conqueror of India, was compelled to purchase from the Khyberries an unmolested passage for his troops. And although the British troops had not to engage in a contest with the enemy throughout the whole of their advance, it was owing to the determined courage with which they gained possession of the heights, and drove the Khyberries before them when they first entered the Pass, that the hostile forces retreated before them, and thus enabled our army to march in comparative safety through defiles which, properly defended, would be impassable. The Sikh troops were left in possession of the Khyber Pass; and on the 27th of April, the two brigades consisting of about 4,000 men, which General Pollock had been unable to wait for, commenced their march through it, under the command of Colonel Bolton. The advance of these troops had been delayed; and, as we before mentioned, the urgency of General Sale's situation did not allow General Pollock to stay for their arrival.

On the morning of the 16th of April, the troops under the command of the latter General came in sight of Jellalabad, after a march of thirteen days since leaving Jumrood. The greeting on both sides was most enthusiastic. The garrison thronged the walls of the fortress, and loud cheers, mingling with the roar of cannon, attested

the joy with which the beleaguered troops welcomed the arrival of their deliverers.

But we must now detail the events that had taken place at Jellalabad, before the seasonable junction was effected; and we cannot do better than give part of a despatch from Sir Robert Sale, in which, at some length, he narrates what had occurred since reaching Jellalabad, in November last year. It is dated "Jellalabad, 16th April, 1842:"

"I found the walls of Jellalabad in a state which might have justified despair as to the possibility of defending them. The enceinte was far too extensive for my small force, embracing a circumference of upwards of 2,300 yards. Its tracing was vicious in the extreme; it had no parapet excepting for a few hundred yards, which there was not more than two feet high. Earth and rubbish had accumulated to such an extent about the ramparts, that there were roads in various directions across and over them into the country. There was a space of 400 yards together on which none of the garrison could show themselves, excepting at one spot: the population within was disaffected, and the whole enceinte was surrounded by ruined forts, walls, mosques, tombs, and gardens, from which a firé could be opened upon the defenders at twenty or thirty yards.

"The garrison took full possession of the town in such a state on the morning of the 15th of November, and in the course of the day the place, and detached hills by which on one side it is commanded, were surrounded and surmounted by a force of not fewer than 5,000 insurgents. A general attack on

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