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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d4027ce --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #50145 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50145) diff --git a/old/50145-8.txt b/old/50145-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1cfdf50..0000000 --- a/old/50145-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2493 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The First Afghan War, by Mowbray Morris - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The First Afghan War - -Author: Mowbray Morris - -Release Date: October 6, 2015 [EBook #50145] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR *** - - - - -Produced by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - THE - FIRST AFGHAN WAR. - - BY - MOWBRAY MORRIS. - - London: - SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON, - CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET. - 1878. - - [_All rights reserved._] - - - - -PREFACE. - - -The following pages pretend to give nothing more than a short summary -of events already recorded by recognised authorities. - - - - -THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR. - - -It was in the year 1808, when the power of Napoleon was at its height, -that diplomatic relations were first opened between the Courts of -Calcutta and Cabul. Napoleon, when in Egypt, had meditated on the -chances of striking a fatal blow at England through her Indian -dependencies; some correspondence had actually passed between him and -Tippoo Saib on the subject, and subsequently, in 1801, he had concluded -a treaty with the Russian Emperor Paul for an invasion of India by -a force of 70,000 men, to be composed of equal parts of French and -Russian troops. The proposed line of march was to lie through Astrakhan -and Afghanistan to the Indus, and was to be heralded by Zemaun Shah, -who then ruled at Cabul, at the head of 100,000 Afghans. There was but -little danger indeed to be apprehended from Afghanistan alone, but -Afghanistan with Russia and France in the background was capable of -proving a very troublesome enemy. In such circumstances the attitude -of Persia was of the last importance, and Marquess Wellesley, then -Viceroy of India, at once proceeded to convert a possible enemy into -a certain and valuable ally. A young officer who had distinguished -himself under Harris at Seringapatam was selected for this delicate -service. How the young captain, whom Englishmen remember as Sir John -Malcolm, fulfilled his mission is matter of history. A thorough master -of all Oriental languages, and as skilful in council as he was brave in -the field, Malcolm soon pledged the Court of Persia to the interests -of England, and not only was it agreed that the two contracting -parties should unite to expel any French force that might seek to gain -a footing on any of the islands or shores of Persia, but the latter -Government bound itself to "slay and disgrace" any Frenchman found -in the country. This treaty, which may be thought to have somewhat -dangerously stretched the bounds of diplomatic hostility, was, however, -never formally ratified, and internal dissensions, culminating in the -deposition of Zemaun Shah by his brother Mahmoud, removed all danger -from our frontier for a time. - -But the idea still lived in Napoleon's restless heart. The original -treaty with Paul was discussed with his successor Alexander, and in -1808 a French mission, with the avowed design of organizing the -proposed invasion, was despatched, not to Cabul, but to Teheran. The -magic of Napoleon's name was stronger even than British eloquence and -British gold, and Malcolm, once all-powerful in Iran, when he sought -to renew the former pledges of amity, was turned back with insult from -the Persian capital. A second mission, however, despatched direct from -London under the guidance of Sir Harford Jones, was more fortunate. -Napoleon had been defeated in Spain, and the news of his defeat had -spread. Russia was something less eager for the French alliance than -she had been in 1801, while between the Muscovites and the Persians -there had long existed a hereditary feud, which the proposed league -had by no means served to extinguish. The English envoy, skilfully -piecing together these broken threads to his own ends, was enabled with -little loss of time to conclude an offensive and defensive alliance -between Great Britain and Persia, the earliest result of which was the -immediate dismissal of the French mission. By this treaty the Persian -King bound himself not to permit the passage through his dominions -of any force hostile to India, and, in the event of war arising -between England and Afghanistan, to invade the latter at the cost of -the former; furthermore, he declared null all treaties previously -concluded by him with any other European power. The English, in their -turn, pledged themselves to assist him, should his kingdom be invaded, -either with men or money and arms, but should the war be one only with -Afghanistan, they were not to interfere unless their interference was -sought by both parties. Though this treaty was concluded in 1808-9, it -was not formally ratified till November 15, 1814. - -Not on Persia alone, however, was the English Government content to -rely. In a friendly Afghanistan was a second most serviceable string -which it had been the height of imprudence to let another fit to his -bow. The two countries stood in almost precisely similar relations -to English India; each as an enemy contemptible single-handed, but a -dangerous item in an invading force; each a useful ally, and each a -salutary check upon the other. At the same time, then, as Sir Harford -Jones was neutralizing the French influence at Teheran, the Honourable -Mountstuart Elphinstone was despatched by Lord Minto, who had succeeded -Lord Wellesley at Calcutta, to the Court of Cabul. - -Previous to the year 1808 Afghanistan was practically a _terra -incognita_ to Englishmen. Zemaun Shah, the once terrible Ameer whose -threatened invasion had disturbed even the strong mind of Lord -Wellesley, was, indeed, in their hands, living, dethroned and blinded, -a pensioner on their bounty at Loodhianah, but of the country he had -once ruled over and of the subjects who had driven him into exile but -little was known in Calcutta and still less in London. Before the close -of the eighteenth century but one Englishman had ever penetrated into -that unknown land. Forster, a member of the Bengal Civil Service, in -1783-84 had crossed the Punjab to Cashmere, and thence had descended -through the great Khyber and Koord-Cabul passes to the Afghan -stronghold, whence journeying on by Ghuznee, Candahar, and Herat he -had won his way to the borders of the Caspian Sea. His book was not -published till some fifteen years after, and shows chiefly, to use -Kaye's words, "how much during the last seventy years the Afghan Empire -and how little the Afghan character is changed." But the labour and -intelligence of one man, however much they may profit himself, have -rarely by themselves added much to the knowledge of a nation. Many -well-read Englishmen could still own to little more than a vague idea -of Afghanistan; that it was a bare and rocky country, which the heat of -summer and the cold of winter alike rendered impervious to travellers, -happily shut out from more civilised regions by a mighty barrier -of mountains, topped with eternal snow, through which, by passes -inaccessible to all save the mountaineers themselves, hordes of savage -warriors had in earlier days poured down in irresistible flood on the -fertile valleys of the Indus. Elphinstone let in more light on the -gloomy and mysterious scene. Though with his own eyes he saw but little -of the country and the people, as his journey was stayed at Peshawur, -he acquired from various sources a vast amount of information, which -he reproduced with extraordinary distinctness. His book rapidly became -the acknowledged text-book of the history and geography of the country, -and may still be read with pleasure and studied with profit. It would -have been well if one of the lessons he taught had been better laid -to heart; and thirty years later his unfortunate namesake must have -recalled with peculiar bitterness all he had once read of the ingrained -treachery of the Afghan character. The mission was in itself entirely -successful, though the rapid march of events soon neutralised, and -eventually wholly destroyed its work. Shah Soojah, a name to be before -many years but too familiar to English ears, received the envoys at -Peshawur, then one of the chief cities of his kingdom. He appeared -to them in royal state, seated on a golden throne, and blazing with -jewels, chief among which shone forth in a gorgeous bracelet the -mighty Koh-i-noor. Nor were the English outdone in magnificence. The -entire mission was on a scale of profuse splendour, and the presents -they brought with them so numerous and so costly that when, thirty -years later, Burnes arrived in Cabul the courtiers turned in disgust -from what Kaye contemptuously calls "his pins and needles, and little -articles of hardware, such as would have disgraced the wallet of a -pedlar of low repute." The envoys were most hospitably received, and -Elphinstone formed a very favourable opinion of the character of -Soojah, whom he described as both affable and dignified and bearing -the "manners of a gentleman." He listened attentively to the envoys' -proposals, and declared that "England and Cabul were designed by the -Creator to be united by bonds of everlasting friendship," but at -the same time he confessed his country to be in such an unsettled -condition, and his own throne so insecure, that, for the present, -the best advice he could give the English gentlemen was that they -should retire beyond the frontier. On June 14th, 1809, therefore, the -mission set out on its homeward journey, having, however, arranged a -treaty, which was shortly after formally ratified by Lord Minto at -Calcutta, by which Soojah bound himself to treat the French, if allied -with the Persians, much as the Persian monarch had pledged himself to -behave to them if allied with the Afghans. But even at the very time -of ratification this treaty had been practically rendered null by -the success of Sir Harford Jones's mission to Teheran, and within a -year Soojah had been deposed by his brother Mahmoud, from whom he had -himself wrested the crown, and was a captive in the hands of Runjeet -Singh. - -The final overthrow of Napoleon in 1815 removed all fears of a French -advance on India, but in its stead arose the still more imminent shadow -of Russia. For many years past that shadow had been looming larger -and larger to the eyes of the kings of Teheran, till the annexation -of Georgia brought the eagles of the Czar over the Caucasus up to the -very frontier of their northern provinces. The English alliance, and an -army drilled under the supervision of English officers, had, however, -turned the head of the Persian king, and his heir, Abbas Mirza, at the -head of 40,000 troops, of whom half were drilled and equipped after -the English fashion, dared, in 1826, to throw down the gauntlet to the -Czar. He paid dearly for his daring. English drill and English arms -availed him little without English officers. His son, Mahomed Mirza, -was utterly routed with the division under his command, and soon after -he himself was defeated in open battle by the Russian Paskewitch with a -loss of 1200 men. The English help, promised by the treaty of 1814 in -the event of Persia becoming involved in war with any European power, -was not forthcoming. Mediation took the place of armed men, and with -the help of Great Britain a peace was concluded in 1828 between the two -powers, humiliating to Persia, and ultimately disastrous to England. -By this treaty Persia lost the Khanates of Erivan and Nakhichevan, and -practically her whole defensive frontier to the north. In Sir Harford -Jones's words, "Persia was delivered, bound hand and foot, to the Court -of St. Petersburg." The territory acquired by Russia was nearly equal -in extent to the whole of England, and her outposts were brought within -a few days' march of the Persian capital. From that time, up to Lord -Auckland's arrival at Calcutta in 1836, Persia was little more than -a minion of the Czar, used by him to cover the steady advance of his -battalions eastward. The death of Futteh Ali Shah, at Ispahan in 1834, -snapped the last link that bound Persia to our interests. Futteh Ali, -as far as lay in his power, had ever striven to remain faithful to his -English allies, and to resist, as far as he dared, Russian intrigue -and Russian influence within his kingdom. But his son and grandson had -welcomed the Muscovite alliance with open arms, and when the latter -ascended the throne on his grandfather's death, it was evident that the -Czar would be paramount at the Persian Court. Mahomed Mirza Shah, the -new king, had long dreamed of the conquest of Herat and the extension -of his eastern frontier, and had more than once, in his grandfather's -lifetime, striven to turn his dreams to facts. Nothing could have -been more favourable to the Russian plans, and no sooner was Mahomed -secure upon the throne than he was urged to the immediate execution of -his long-cherished designs. Such was the state of affairs when Lord -Auckland was despatched by Lord Melbourne in 1836 to take the reins of -Indian Government from the hands of Sir Charles Metcalfe. - -Meanwhile many changes had taken place at Cabul. The weak and dissolute -Mahmoud, the deposer of Soojah, proved no more than a puppet in the -hands of his Vizier, Futteh Khan, the head of the great Barukzye tribe. -The youngest of the twenty brothers of this able and powerful chief -was the celebrated Dost Mahomed. Born of a woman of an inferior tribe, -he had entered life as a sweeper of the sacred tomb of Lamech. From -thence he was promoted to hold a menial office about the person of his -great brother, into whose favour he at length rose by the murder, when -only a boy of fourteen, of one of the Vizier's enemies. From that time -his rise was steady, and as he rose so did he discard the follies and -excesses of his youth, displaying a daring and heroic spirit, great -military address, and a power of self-discipline and self-control -unparalleled among the chiefs of Central Asia. To his hands was -entrusted the execution of the Vizier's project for establishing the -Barukzyes in Herat, then held by a brother of the reigning king. The -design was completely successful for the moment, owing to the daring -and also to the treachery of Dost Mahomed, but the blow recoiled -with fearful force on the person of the Vizier. Returning from his -raid against the Persians, which had been the ostensible pretext for -his march to Herat, Futteh Khan was seized by Prince Kamran, son of -Mahmoud; his eyes were put out, and persisting in his refusal to give -up his brother to the Prince's vengeance, he was hacked to pieces -before the whole court. This brutal act finally overthrew the long -tottering dynasty of the Suddozyes, who had been kings in Cabul since -Ahmed Shah founded the Afghan Empire in 1747. Dost Mahomed's vengeance -was sudden and no less brutal. But it is impossible in this limited -space to enter into all the details of his rise to the chief seat of -power. It must suffice to say that when Lord Auckland entered on his -government Dost Mahomed was firmly seated on the throne of Cabul, and -the whole of the country in the hands of the Barukzye Sirdars, with the -exception of Herat, where Kamran still reigned, the last remnant, save -the exiled Soojah, of the legitimate line. - -Shortly after Lord Auckland's arrival at Calcutta Dost Mahomed -addressed to him a letter of congratulation on his assumption of -office. Adverting to his quarrel with the Sikhs, who, under Runjeet -Singh, the old one-eyed "Lion of the Punjab," had wrested the rich -valley of Peshawur from the Afghan Empire, he said, "the late -transactions in this quarter, the conduct of the reckless and misguided -Sikhs, and their breach of treaty, are well known to your Lordship. -Communicate to me whatever may suggest itself to your wisdom for the -settlement of the affairs of this country, that it may serve as a rule -for my guidance." And he concluded with a hope that "your Lordship -will consider me and my country as your own." To this complimentary -effusion the Viceroy returned a suitable reply, assuring the Ameer -of his wish that the Afghans should become a "flourishing and united -nation," but declining to interfere in the Sikh quarrel, on the plea -that it was not "the practice of the British Government to interfere -with the affairs of other independent states." It was hinted, too, that -"some gentleman" would probably be deputed to the Ameer's Court to -discuss certain "commercial topics." This plan, which had originally -commended itself to Lord William Bentinck, shortly after took effect in -the despatch of Captain Alexander Burnes to Cabul. - -But by this time affairs in Persia had reached a crisis. Though -Mahomed Shah, breathing fire and sword against Herat, had ascended the -throne in 1834, it was not till 1837 that his threats took practical -shape. Despite the ceaseless promptings of the Russian minister at -Teheran (who, it is perhaps needless to say, had, according to his -own Government, done his best to dissuade Mahomed from any advance on -the Afghan frontier), the Shah still hung back. If Kamran would send -hostages and a large present, would own the Persian king as sovereign, -coin money, and have prayers read in his name, all should be well. -The hostages and the present Kamran was content to allow, but the rest -he could not stomach. The Barukzye chief who ruled at Candahar viewed -the proposed invasion with complaisance, hoping to secure Herat for -himself, and being perfectly willing to hold it as a fief of Persia. He -even went so far as to propose to send one of his sons to the Persian -camp as hostage for his fidelity, and to secure the best terms for -himself and his brothers. Dost Mahomed warned him that if he did so he -would be made "to bite the finger of repentance," but the warning was -disregarded. Egged on by the flattering assurances of the inestimable -advantages to be derived from a Persian alliance, that the Russian -agent did not cease to lay before him, Kohun Dil Khan disobeyed the -commands of his chief; the boy was to be sent, and the alliance was -to be completed. Mahomed Shah then commenced his march against Herat, -and at the same time Burnes appeared at Cabul. "Thus," says Kaye, "the -seeds of the Afghan war were sown." - -Burnes had been at Cabul before. He had gone there in 1832, with the -sanction of Lord William Bentinck, and had been courteously received -by Dost Mahomed, of whom he had formed a very favourable opinion, in -contrast with that which he entertained of the weak and vacillating -Soojah. His opinion of the Ameer was, probably, in the main a correct -one, but he scarcely seems to have exercised his usual judgment when -he declared the Afghans to be "a simple-minded, sober people, of frank -and open manners." Returning in the following year, Burnes was sent -to England to impart to the authorities at home the results of his -travels and observations. In London he was received with the greatest -enthusiasm. His book was published, and read by every one. He became -the "lion" of the season, and the name of "Bokhara Burnes" was to be -seen in every list of fashionable entertainments. Returning to India in -1835, he was soon removed from Cutch, where he had acted as Assistant -to the Resident, on a mission to the Ameers of Sindh. While still -engaged in that duty he received notice to hold himself in readiness -to proceed to Cabul, and on November 26, 1836, he sailed from Bombay -"to work out the policy of opening the river Indus to commerce." -That Lord Auckland had at that time any idea, much less any definite -plan, of interfering in Afghan politics is most unlikely, as it is -certain Lord William Bentinck had not when he first thought of this -"commercial" mission. It is worthy of note, however, that when Burnes -first broached the plan to the Court of Directors at home they refused -to countenance it, feeling, in the words of the chairman, Mr. Tucker, -"perfectly assured that it must soon degenerate into a political -agency, and that we should, as a necessary consequence, be involved in -all the entanglements of Afghan politics." Mr. Grant, of the Board of -Control, held similar views, and Sir Charles Metcalfe in an emphatic -minute pointed out the evils of this "commercial agency." The die, -however, was cast, and on September 20, 1837, Burnes for the second -time entered Cabul. - -As before, Dost Mahomed received him with all courtesy, and with "great -pomp and splendour." The navigation of the Indus soon disappeared -into the background. From Burnes's own letters to Macnaghten, the -Political Secretary at Calcutta, it may be seen how much of importance -he himself attached to his commercial character. Nevertheless, at a -private interview, "which lasted till midnight," with the Ameer, he -talked a good deal about the Indus, and about trade, and other such -harmless topics. The Ameer listened with the greatest attention, but -when it came to his turn to speak, he substituted for the Indus the -word Peshawur, and for commerce, the ability and resources of Runjeet -Singh. If only he could regain Peshawur it was very evident that -whoso would might hold the trade of the Indus. On this head Burnes -was cautious. He suggested that possibly some arrangement might be -concluded with Runjeet Singh by which Peshawur might be restored to the -Ameer's brother Mahomed, from whose government the Sikhs had originally -won it. But the Ameer wanted it for himself, and by no manner of means -for his brother. Further than this, however, Burnes would not commit -himself. He distinctly stated, moreover, that neither Dost Mahomed -nor his brothers (should they decline the Persian alliance, of which -the Ameer, and probably with sincerity, declared himself in no way -desirous) must found any hopes on British aid. Sympathy he promised -largely, should they behave themselves well, but not a single rupee nor -a single musket. Still, even after this, the Ameer persisted in his -professions of friendship to the English, nor is there any reason to -doubt that he, at that time, meant what he said. Nay, he even offered -himself to compel his brothers at Candahar to break once and for all -with the Shah; but this Burnes declined, exhorting him, however, -to use all pacific means to influence them, and himself writing -to Kohun Dil to threaten him with the displeasure of England if he -continued his intrigues with the Persian and Russian Courts. At that -particular time the Candahar chiefs had rather cooled in their desire -for the Persian alliance, and began to have suspicions that instead -of obtaining Herat they were not unlikely to lose Candahar. Burnes -thereupon despatched Lieutenant Leech, an officer of his mission, to -them, promising them that should the Persian army after the fall of -Herat advance on Candahar, he would himself march with Dost Mahomed to -their defence, which he would further with all the means in his power. -It was a bold step, but as many thought at the time, and as nearly -all were agreed afterwards, it was by far the best that could have -been taken. Lord Auckland, however, thought, or was advised to think -otherwise. Burnes was severely censured for having so far exceeded his -instructions--though he might well have pleaded in excuse that he knew -not what were the instructions he had exceeded--and ordered at once to -"set himself right with the chiefs." There was nothing left for him but -to obey, and the result of his obedience was a treaty concluded between -the chiefs and the Shah under a Russian guarantee. - -Such a risk was not to be run again, nor was Burnes for the future -to be able to plead any want of definite instructions. From this time -forward his instructions were, indeed, explicit enough. Briefly they -may be defined as to ask for everything and to give nothing. In vain -did Dost Mahomed point out that in desiring to regain Peshawur from the -Sikhs, he was doing practically no more than England was avowedly bent -on doing, on guarding his frontier from danger, and that to exchange -Runjeet Singh for his brother Mahomed was but to make his last state -worse than his first. Burnes himself fully recognized the justice of -his arguments, but Burnes's masters remained obstinately deaf. All -they would promise was to restrain Runjeet Singh from attacking Dost -Mahomed, provided Dost Mahomed in return bound himself to abstain from -an alliance with any other state. At this, says Burnes, the Sirdars -only laughed. "Such a promise," said Jubbar Khan, the Ameer's brother, -and a staunch champion of the English cause, "such a promise amounts -to nothing, for we are not under the apprehension of any aggressions -from Lahore; they have hitherto been on the side of the Ameer, not of -Runjeet Singh, and yet for such a promise you expect us to desist from -all intercourse with Russia, with Persia, with Toorkistan, with every -nation but England." To make matters still worse, at this crisis a new -actor appeared on the scene, the Russian Vickovitch, bearing letters -from Count Simonich and from the Czar himself, though the latter was -unsigned, so as to be repudiated or acknowledged as events might -require. The Ameer, still willing to please the British, offered to -turn the Russian back from his gates, but that, Burnes pointed out, -would be contrary to the rule of civilised nations, and Vickovitch was -therefore allowed to enter Cabul and to present his letters, which -were ostensibly, as those of Burnes had been, of a purely commercial -bearing. What Burnes, however, thought of the arrival, he showed -plainly enough in a letter written a few days after to a private -friend. "We are in a mess here," he writes. "The Emperor of Russia has -sent an envoy to Cabul with a blazing letter three feet long, offering -Dost Mahomed money to fight Runjeet Singh.... It is now a neck-and-neck -race between Russia and ourselves, and if his Lordship would hear -reason he would forthwith send agents to Bokhara, Herat, Candahar, -and Koondooz, not forgetting Sindh." His Lordship, however, would not -hear such reason as Burnes had to offer, and when on March 5th, 1838, -certain specific demands were presented by the Ameer, that the English -should protect Cabul and Candahar from Persia, that Runjeet Singh -should be compelled to restore Peshawur, and various others of the same -tendency, Burnes could only, in the name of the British Government, -refuse his assent to any and all of them, and then sit down to write -a formal request for his dismissal. One more attempt was made by Dost -Mahomed to come to terms, but it was of no use. The old ground was -traversed again, and only with the old result. As a last resource the -Ameer wrote to Lord Auckland in terms almost of humility, imploring him -"to remedy the grievances of the Afghans," and to "give them a little -encouragement and power." This was the last effort, and it failed. Then -the game was up indeed. Vickovitch was sent for and received with every -mark of honour; one of the Candahar chiefs came up in haste to Cabul, -and on April 26th, 1838, Burnes turned his back on the Afghan capital. - -As the Russian here disappears from our story a a few words as to -his subsequent career and end may not be out of place. After the -departure of the English envoy he flung himself heart and soul into his -business; promising men, promising money, promising everything that -the Ameer asked. He even proposed to visit Lahore and use his good -offices with Runjeet Singh, but that plea failed, owing chiefly to -the address of Mackeson, our agent at Lahore. For a time the Russian -was all-powerful throughout Afghanistan, but after the repulse of the -Persians from Herat and the entry of the English into Cabul his star -paled. He proceeded to Teheran to give a full report of his doings to -the Russian Minister there, and by him was ordered to proceed direct -to St. Petersburg. Arrived there, flattered with hope, for he felt he -had done all man could do, he reported himself to Count Nesselrode. The -minister refused to see him. "I know no Captain Vickovitch," was the -answer, "except an adventurer of that name who is reported to have been -lately engaged in some unauthorised intrigues at Cabul and Candahar." -Vickovitch understood the answer thoroughly. He knew that severe -remonstrance had been sent from London to St. Petersburg; he knew his -own Government only too well. He went home, burnt his papers, wrote a -few lines of reproach, and blew his brains out. - -To return to Cabul. Notwithstanding the Russian promises, and the -exultation of his brothers at Candahar, the Ameer felt that he had -acted unwisely. Very soon he saw that Russia could do little more than -promise, and that England had made up her mind to perform. Despite -Russian money and Russian men, the Shah could not force his way into -Herat while Eldred Pottinger stood behind the crumbling walls, and -a vast army was assembling on the banks of the Indus to drive Dost -Mahomed and the whole Barukzye clan from power. - -To keep friends with the Afghan ruler and to preserve the independence -of his Empire was the obvious policy of the British Government. But -the authorities at Simlah, Lord Auckland, Mr. Macnaghten, Mr. Henry -Torrens and Mr. John Colvin, had determined that that ruler should be, -not the Barukzye Dost Mahomed, a man of proved energy and ability, who -had shown himself anxious to cultivate the friendship of England, and -who possessed the confidence and the favour of his subjects, but the -Suddozye Shah Soojah, who, though born of the legitimate line, was -no less a usurper than Dost Mahomed himself, who was regarded by the -majority of his countrymen with indifference and contempt, and who -more than once had proved alike his inability to administer and to -maintain dominion. By what process of reasoning the Viceroy arrived -at this remarkable conclusion has never been made perfectly clear, -but though he alone, notwithstanding Sir John Hobhouse's generous -declaration from the Board of Control, will be, rightly or wrongly, -held by posterity responsible for the disastrous events which followed, -it is at least to his credit that he left no stone unturned to arrive -at the opinions of all competent advisers before deciding on his own. -Prominent among these was Mr. McNeill, then our envoy at the Court of -Teheran, a man of keen powers of observation and undoubted ability, -who may be said to share with Pottinger the glory of the Persian -repulse from Herat. His plan, as he impressed more than once on Burnes, -was to consolidate the Afghan Empire under Dost Mahomed. Placing no -reliance on the sincerity of the Candahar chiefs, he yet entertained -a high opinion of the Ameer himself, whom he would have been well -pleased to see established in Herat and Candahar as well as in Cabul. -McNeill's correspondence, however, had to pass through the hands of -Captain, afterwards Sir Claudius, Wade, himself also well versed in -the politics of Central Asia, and at that time holding the responsible -post of Governor-General's Agent on the North-Western Frontier. Wade -forwarded a copy of McNeill's letter to the Governor, and forwarded -with it one from himself in which he strongly deprecated the policy of -consolidation. To him it seemed better that the Afghan Empire should -remain, as it then was, sub-divided into practically independent -states, each of whom, as he conceived, would be more likely in their -own interests to court our friendship and to meet our views, than -if brought under the yoke of one ruler, to whom they could never be -expected to yield a passive obedience. "Supposing," he continued, "we -were to aid Dost Mahomed to overthrow in the first place his brother -at Candahar, and then his Suddozye rival at Herat, what would be the -consequence? As the system of which it is intended to be a part would -go to gratify the longing wish of Mahomed Shah for the annexation of -Herat to his dominions, the first results would be that the Shah-Zadah -Kamran would apply to Persia, and offer, on the condition of her -assistance to save him from the fate which impended over his head, to -submit to all the demands of that General, which Kamran has hitherto -so resolutely and successfully resisted, and between his fears and -the attempts of Dost Mahomed to take it, Herat, which is regarded by -everyone who has studied its situation as the key to Afghanistan, would -inevitably fall prostrate before the arms of Persia, by the effect of -the very measures which we had designed for its security from Persian -thraldom." That it was our interest to maintain the independence of -Herat was obvious, so long as Herat was able to remain in the position -it was then assuming, that of a barrier against Russo-Persian invasion. -Prince Kamran was, in fact, then playing our game as well as we could -have played it ourselves. But the question was, how long would Herat be -able to retain its independence? The fall of Herat meant the fall of -Candahar, and the absorption of all Southern and Western Afghanistan -into a Persian province, and a Persian province was then but another -name for a Russian province. Could it have been possible, and that -McNeill thought it possible was a strong argument in its favour, to -consolidate the various states under one ruler strong enough to retain -the reins when once placed in his hands, Herat and Candahar would -have been secured for ever, and there would have arisen in a united -Afghanistan a perpetual barrier to Russian ambition. Had we come to -terms with Dost Mahomed, in all human probability we should not have -had to chastise the insolence of his son. Burnes for his part still -championed the cause of the Ameer, urging that it was not yet too late -to secure his friendship, that, despite all that had taken place, he -still wanted only the smallest encouragement to range himself on our -side, and that as whatever action was taken could not be taken save at -some cost, the money could not be better spent than on Dost Mahomed. -But when Burnes's opinion was asked, the Government had already decided -on their policy, and as Dost Mahomed was to go, he was only asked to -pronounce on the expediency of choosing Soojah as his successor. It -seemed to him that McNeill's plan, of which he was a staunch advocate, -would be better served by restoring Soojah to his crown than by giving -it to Sultan Mahomed or any other of the chiefs, who would probably -be but a tool in the hands of the Sikhs, themselves objects of bitter -hatred to the Afghans. As the Government, then, were committed to one -of two evils, Burnes gave his vote in favour of that which seemed to -him the least, and which he, in common with the rest of the Council, -believed could be accomplished with little danger and at comparatively -little expense. - -Lord Auckland's first idea was that the deposition of Dost Mahomed -should be effected by the combined forces of Runjeet Singh and Soojah, -raised and drilled under British supervision, and assisted by British -gold--in Kaye's words, "England was to remain in the background, -jingling the money-bag." Such were the first instructions issued to the -Mission sent in May, 1838, to sound Runjeet Singh on the design, but -scarcely had they been written when the thought of employing British -troops seems first to have dawned in, or been introduced into Lord -Auckland's mind. He would have preferred that the two Princes should -undertake the work on their own account, while he contributed merely -his countenance and perhaps some money, but he was very doubtful -whether the Princes would see the matter in the same light. Macnaghten, -the leader of the mission, was instructed therefore to suggest the -first course to Runjeet Singh, and should he view that with disfavour, -to hold out the possibility of some sort of "demonstration" being -undertaken by British troops from some convenient point. The event -proved that Lord Auckland's doubts were just. The Sikh Prince heard -the proposal for restoring Soojah with pleasure, and at once gave his -consent to the plan; but when Macnaghten, cautiously feeling his way, -hinted that an army of Sikhs, together with such a force as Soojah -could raise with British help, would be amply sufficient, the crafty -old man stopped him with an emphatic refusal. That England should -become a third party to the treaty already existing between him and -Soojah was, in his own phrase "adding sugar to milk;" he was willing, -moreover, himself to play such a part as England might deem necessary; -but with the independent expedition he would have nothing to do. -Macnaghten therefore at once returned to his original proposal, and -after a good deal of fencing and delay on Bunjeet Singh's part, the -treaty was concluded. From Soojah, of course, little difficulty was -to be anticipated, but he, unlike Runjeet Singh, though willing to -employ British gold and British skill in equipping and disciplining the -forces he declared his ability at once to bring to his standard, was -by no means anxious to see a British force in the field with him. He -was doubtful what effect such an apparition in their strongholds might -have upon his countrymen, nor was he at all desirous to appear as owing -his throne to British bayonets. He proposed that his own force should -proceed by way of the Bolan Pass on Candahar and Ghuznee, while the -Sikhs, with whom should go his son Timour, should march on the capital -through the Khyber and Koord-Cabul defiles. Already, he said, had he -received offers of allegiance from numerous chiefs discontented with -the Barukzye rule, and offended at Dost Mahomed's alliance with the -Persians, prominent among whom appeared, strangely enough, the name of -Abdoolah Khan, destined to become the prime mover in the insurrection -which ultimately cost Soojah his life, and restored the Barukzye -dynasty. "The faggots," they wrote, "are ready; it only requires the -lighted torch to be applied." Soojah therefore was urgent with -Macnaghten that he should be allowed to accomplish his restoration with -his own troops, as he expressed himself confident of doing; a feat -which would greatly tend to raise his character among his countrymen, -while the fact of his being "upheld by foreign force alone could not -fail to detract in a great measure from his dignity and consequence." -Soojah's wishes, in fact, tallied precisely with Lord Auckland's -original design, but every day brought fresh complications, with fresh -confirmation of the impracticability of that design. First Soojah and -Runjeet Singh alone were to be the agents; then a British force was to -"demonstrate" in reserve at Shikarpoor; next a few British regiments -were to be added to Soojah's levies. Finally, all these plans were -dismissed, and one wholly different to any Lord Auckland had hitherto -dreamed of was substituted in their stead. - -Sir Henry Fane, Commander-in-chief of the British army in India, -was then at Simlah, with Lord Auckland. That he had from the first -disapproved of English interference with Afghan politics the following -passage from his correspondence with Sir Charles Metcalfe, written -in 1837, sufficiently proves. "Every advance you might make beyond -the Sutlej to the westward, in my opinion, adds to your military -weakness ... if you want your empire to expand, expand it over Oude or -over Gwalior and the remains of the Mahratta Empire. Make yourselves -complete sovereigns of all within your bounds, _but let alone the far -West_." But as it had been decided that the work was to be done, he -was vehement in his opinion that it should be done as thoroughly as -possible. With a "fine old Tory" contempt of anything approaching to -economy, he advised the employment of a regular British force, horse, -foot, and artillery, with which there could be no possibility of a -reverse, a contingency in the peculiar circumstances of the case to be -guarded against with more than common care. There were, still nearer -to the Viceroy's person, other and even warmer advocates of the same -policy; so after some weeks of suspense and oscillation Lord Auckland -yielded, and the fiat for the "Army of the Indus" went forth. - -In August the regiments selected were warned for field service, and -in September a General Order published the constitution of the force. -It was to be divided into two columns, the Bengal column and the -Bombay column. The former was to consist of a brigade of artillery -under Colonel Graham; a brigade of cavalry under Colonel Arnold; -and five brigades of infantry under Colonels Sale and Bennie, -of Her Majesty's, and Colonels Nott, Roberts, and Worseley, of the -Company's service. The latter were told off into two divisions under -Sir Willoughby Cotton, an officer of Her Majesty's army, who had seen -service in the Burmese war, and Major-General Duncan, of the Company's -army. The whole was to be under the personal command of Sir Henry Fane -himself. The Bombay column was to consist of a brigade of artillery -under Colonel Stevenson; a brigade of cavalry under Major-General -Thackwell; a brigade of infantry under Major-General Wiltshire; the -whole to be under the command of Sir John Keane, Commander-in-chief -of the Bombay army. The English regiments selected were, besides the -artillery, in the Bengal column, the 16th Lancers and the 3rd and 13th -Regiments of the Line; in the Bombay column, the 4th Dragoons and the -2nd and 17th Regiments of the Line. Besides these troops, Soojah's -own levies were being actively raised on the other side of the Indus, -under the supervision of Captain Wade, who found it no easy matter -to quiet the Afghan's not unfounded fears lest he should come to be -no more than a puppet in the hands of the English officers, and his -restoration finally effected, not by his own arms, but by the English -bayonets. Though the sympathies of the majority of our army were -rather with Dost Mahomed than with Soojah, and it was far from clear -to them on what pretext they were to invade the former's kingdom, the -prospect of active employment after so many years of repose was popular -with all classes of military men, and from every quarter of India -officers, leaving without a murmur the luxurious ease of well-paid -staff appointments, made haste to rejoin their regiments. Scarcely -less important than the selection of the military commands was the -selection of the envoys who were to accompany the different columns -in a political capacity. Wade of course was to march with the Sikh -force destined to escort Prince Timour through the Khyber Pass to his -father's capital, but it was not so easy to determine on whom should -devolve the delicate duty of directing the mind of Soojah himself, -and shaping the political course of his operations. Sir Henry Fane -not unreasonably wished that the entire control, political as well -as military, should be vested in his own hands, and proposed to take -Burnes with him as his confidential adviser. But Lord Auckland -had other views, and, contrary to general expectation, his choice fell -on Macnaghten, under whom Burnes, after a momentary, and not unnatural, -fit of disgust, agreed to serve in a subordinate capacity, believing, -in common with others, that Soojah once firmly seated on the throne, -Macnaghten would return, and the chief control of affairs would then -devolve upon him. - -On October 1st the Declaration of War was issued. If our officers -were doubtful before as to the right of their cause this document -certainly tended but little to solve their doubts. Hardly, moreover, -had the Simlah manifesto had time to penetrate through India when news -arrived of the raising of the siege of Herat. As the deliverance of -Herat, and Western Afghanistan generally, from Persian rule had formed, -according to the proclamation, the principal object of the expedition, -it was supposed that the English army would now be disbanded, and -Soojah and Runjeet Singh left to their own devices. Even those of the -authorities at home who had allowed that, while a Persian force was -still at the gates of Herat, Lord Auckland could not do otherwise than -prepare for its defence, were unanimously of opinion that the motive -for the expedition had now ceased to exist. Among such authorities -conspicuously appear the names of the Duke of Wellington, Lord -Wellesley, Sir Charles Metcalfe, Mountstuart Elphinstone, and others of -scarce less weight and experience. Lord Auckland and his advisers were -not, however, of this number. The army was to be reduced in strength, -it is true, since there was no longer any prospect of an encounter with -Persia, or possibly with Russia, but the expedition was in no way to be -abandoned. Instead of two divisions the Bengal column was to consist -only of one; two brigades of infantry were to be left behind; and the -cavalry and artillery were to be proportionately reduced. Nor was Sir -Henry Fane inclined to retain the command of a force whose numbers -were so diminished, and whose probabilities of action were so limited. -The Bengal column was therefore placed in the hands of Sir Willoughby -Cotton, and on its junction with the column from Bombay the chief -command was to fall to Sir John Keane, who led the latter force. - -All things were now ready, but before the army broke ground a grand -ceremony was to take place, a ceremony which had indeed been arranged -before any note of war had been sounded. On November 29th Lord Auckland -and Runjeet Singh met at Ferozepore. It was a magnificent pageant. The -Viceroy's camp was pitched about four miles from the river Gharra. -The English army lay on the plain, a noble force, in perfect order and -condition, and brought together, according to Havelock, in a manner -that had never before been equalled. Escorted by the principal military -and political English officers, Runjeet Singh rode up on his elephant -through a splendid guard of honour, amid the thunder of artillery and -the clash of innumerable bands, to the Durbar tent. Lord Auckland and -Sir Henry Fane rode out to meet him, and as the two cavalcades joined -such was the crush and uproar that many of the Sikh chiefs, thinking -there was some design afoot on their prince, began "to blow their -matches and grasp their weapons with a mingled air of distrust and -ferocity." With some difficulty a passage was cleared, and the little -decrepit old man, supported by the Viceroy and the Commander-in-chief, -entered the tent where the costly presents prepared for him were laid -out. Ordnance of British make, horses and elephants magnificently -caparisoned, were all inspected and admired, and, while a royal salute -thundered without, the prince bowed low before a picture of Queen -Victoria, borne into his presence by Sir Willoughby Cotton. As the -infirm old chief was being conducted round the tent he stumbled and -fell to the ground at the very muzzle of one of the British guns. A -murmur of horror arose from his Sirdars at so dire an omen, but as the -Viceroy and Sir Henry Fane hastened to raise him to his feet, their -hearts were comforted by the reflection that though their chief had -fallen before the British guns, the highest representatives of the -British Queen had raised him again to his feet. - -On the following day the visit was returned amid a scene of still -greater splendour and variety. According to an eye-witness "the Sikhs -shone down the English." All the great Sirdars were present in their -most gorgeous trappings and mounted on their finest steeds, while from -a Sikh band the strains of our own national anthem rose upon the air, -and from the Sikh guns pealed forth the salute ordained for royalty -alone. It must be confessed, however, that Runjeet Singh's ideas of -ceremony were not all of the same exalted nature. At a later period -of the day, after all the due formalities were over, the Viceroy was -required to be present at "an unseemly display of dancing girls, and -the antics of some male buffoons." The two following days were devoted -to military exercises. On the first Sir Henry Fane manoeuvred the -British force with elaborate skill and display; and on the second -the Sikh cavalry executed some less intricate movements with the -unqualified approval of their experienced critics. - -With this the ceremony was at an end. Runjeet Singh returned to -Lahore, and the Viceroy followed him on his first visit to the Sikh -principality. The final dispositions and selections were made by the -Commander-in-chief. A few weeks previously Soojah's levies, about 6000 -strong, horse, foot, and artillery, under the command of Major-General -Simpson, had left Loodhianah on their way to the front, and on December -10th, 1838, the British troops marched out from Ferozepore on their -first stage to the Afghan capital. - -A glance at the map will suffice to show that a more direct route -might have been found from Ferozepore to Cabul than down the bank -of the Indus to Bukkur, thence, across the river, by Shikarpoor and -Dadur, through the Bolan Pass, to Quettah, and from Quettah, through -the Kojuck, by Candahar and Ghuznee to Cabul. In short, as Kaye points -out, the army was about to traverse two sides of a triangle, instead of -shaping its course along a third. But there were two important reasons -for the choice of the longer route. In the first place, Runjeet Singh -had strong objections to opening the Punjab to our troops; and in the -second place the Ameers of Sindh were to be "coerced." - -Shikarpoor, on the northern bank of the Indus, had originally formed -a part of the great Douranee Empire, handed down by Timour to Zemaun -Shah and his brothers, intact as it had been received from the founder, -Ahmed. But piece by piece the kingdom had been dismembered through -the quarrels and weaknesses of its rulers. Cashmere, and Mooltan, and -Peshawur had been won by the Sikhs; Herat had risen to independence; -while Shikarpoor with a fair slice of the southern frontier had passed -to the Ameers of Sindh. But though Shikarpoor was theirs, they held, or -had held it, in consideration only of a yearly tribute, which tribute, -unpaid through many years, had now swelled, as Soojah maintained, to no -less a sum than twenty lakhs of rupees, a sum gratuitously increased by -the English Government to twenty-five lakhs, that the terms of Runjeet -Singh (who was to have received half, but had lately increased his -wants) might be granted without Soojah being the sufferer. The Ameers -themselves, however, told a different tale. Independently of their -not unreasonable objections to the validity of a claim that had been -suffered to slumber for upwards of thirty years, they were enabled -triumphantly, as they supposed, to point to two releases of the debt, -written in Korans, and signed and sealed by Soojah. Thus fortified, -they declared to Colonel Pottinger, our agent at Hyderabad, that "they -were sure the Governor-General did not intend to make them pay again -for what they had already bought and obtained, in the most binding way, -a receipt in full"--a mark of confidence which Pottinger was instructed -to demolish without delay. Nor was this the only difficulty that the -passage through Sindh promised to present. In the treaty which had -opened the Indus to navigation, it had been expressly stipulated that -the river should be free to commerce only, and it became therefore -necessary, for the transport of our army, that this treaty should be -broken. Pottinger, sorely against his will, was ordered to point out -to the Ameers that if they placed any obstacles in the way of the -"first and necessary" undertaking on which their English friends had -embarked, it would be the painful duty of those friends to take steps -to ensure a more ready and hearty co-operation. In other words, the -Ameers were told that if they did not do what was wanted of them, they -would be turned out to make room for those who would. They must pay -the twenty-five lakhs of rupees, the greater part of which would go -into the pockets of a man to whom they were indebted not one single -anna; they must consent to the violation of the treaty of the Indus, -and they must further the advance of our army through their territory -in every possible way. If they did not agree to these demands, they -would find the consequences disagreeable. It did not at first appear -that they were likely to agree. Burnes had, indeed, managed to settle -the difficulty of the Indus, and the Ameers of Khyrpore, more tractable -than the Hyderabad princes, had agreed temporarily to cede to the -British the fortress of Bukkur, the point selected for the passage. -Soojah with his levies, who were some days' march in advance of the -Bengal column, had already crossed, and was waiting our arrival at -Shikarpoor, but for a while it seemed extremely doubtful when we should -be able to join him. The Ameers were waxing turbulent. They had grossly -insulted Pottinger, and were openly collecting forces for the defence -of their capital. It was feared that the "painful duty" would be found -necessary, and orders were despatched to Keane (who had landed with the -Bombay army at Vikkur in the end of November, but had been temporarily -delayed at Tattah for want of carriage) to prepare to co-operate with -Cotton against Hyderabad. As the Bombay column moved up the right bank -of the river, the Bengal column, against the urgent remonstrances of -Macnaghten, moved down the left bank to meet it. Both forces were in -the highest spirits. The defences of Hyderabad were known to be weak; -its treasures were believed to be immense, and a prospect of unbounded -loot danced before the eyes of a soldiery who had almost forgotten what -the word meant. At the eleventh hour, however, the enchanting prospect -faded. The Ameers consented to our demands; a part of the tribute was -paid, and Hyderabad was saved for a time; while, what was then of -still more importance, a collision between the military and political -authorities was avoided. - -On February 20th, 1839, Cotton was at Shikarpoor, and again differences -between him and Macnaghten seemed imminent. Soojah had found himself -short of carriage, and Macnaghten had asked Cotton to supply him with -1000 camels from his own train. But the General expressed himself -strongly to the effect that if Soojah was unable to advance his men, -it were far better that Soojah and his men should be left behind than -that their wants should be relieved at the expense of the English -troops. It was but too apparent, even at that early stage, that the -English military officers were inclined to look upon Soojah and his -6000 soldiers as altogether superfluous. He was, indeed, a king who -was to be restored to his throne, but until the throne was ready for -him it would be better for all parties that he should remain in the -background. Macnaghten, keenly alive to the danger of such sentiments, -and feeling himself especially bound, both in honour and interest, to -uphold the cause of our ally, combated the military policy resolutely. -A collision was happily averted by the timely arrival of despatches -from the Viceroy, strongly tending to confirm Macnaghten's views; -nevertheless, when the English force advanced, three days afterwards, -the carriage difficulty had not been solved, and Soojah with his levies -remained at Shikarpoor. Keane, who came up with the Bombay army some -days later, though little less willing, was more able to help; but the -king, who had fondly hoped to head the advance into his own kingdom, -was, for the time, compelled to content himself with a second place. -Cotton's march through the Bolan Pass to Quettah, though arduous and -painful, was unopposed. Many of the camels and other beasts of burden -dropped dead on the route from want of water; there was considerable -desertion among the camp followers, and some plundering on the part of -the Beloochees, but progress was steadily made, and on March 26th the -column reached Quettah, "a most miserable mud town, with a small castle -on a mound, on which there was a small gun on a ricketty carriage." -Here there seemed a fair prospect of sheer starvation. Stores, as well -as baggage, had been abandoned among the rugged defiles of the Bolan -Pass, and Mehrab Khan, the Beloochee Prince of Khelat, with whom Burnes -had concluded a treaty in our favour, either could not, or would not, -help. He declared that there was very little grain in his country, -and Burnes could not prove that he did not speak truth, while he was -bound to allow the Khan's plea that much of the alleged scarcity was -owing, though unavoidably owing, to our own presence. He could not, -therefore, conscientiously recommend Macnaghten to sanction Cotton's -proposal for a movement on Khelat, though convinced in his own mind of -our ally's treachery, and when Keane, arriving at Quettah on April 6th, -assumed the chief command, it was decided to push on for Candahar with -all possible speed. Save for the heat, and the scarcity of water, the -advance proceeded uneventfully enough. Our soldiers behaved admirably -under circumstances peculiarly trying to Europeans, and experienced -by many of them for the first time. George Lawrence (one of the three -owners of a name which is a household word throughout India, at that -time a captain of the 2nd Bengal Light Cavalry) relates how he saw a -trooper of the 16th Lancers pour the contents of a soda-water bottle -half full of water, a treasure then worth its weight in gold, down -the throat of a native child on the point of perishing from thirst. -As the army neared Candahar, Soojah was moved up again to the front, -and many of the chiefs and people of Western Afghanistan hastened to -his standard. It was known that Kohun Dil Khan had fled, that there -was open dissension among the Barukzye brotherhood, and it soon became -clear that if a stand was to be made it would be made at a point nearer -Cabul. On April 25th, Shah Soojah-ool-Moolk, after more than thirty -years of exile, re-entered in bloodless triumph the southern capital of -his kingdom. - -Till June 27th the army lay at Candahar, waiting the ripening of the -crops. So long a period of forced inactivity was distasteful to the -troops, while daily the conviction forced itself on the more observant -of the officers that the popularity which Soojah had claimed for -himself existed only in his own imagination. The Douranee tribes had, -indeed, long yearned to shake off the hateful yoke of the Barukzye -Sirdars, by whom they had been systematically plundered and oppressed; -but they lacked both spirit and strength to make common cause with -their promised deliverer, while both their national and religious -feelings were alike stirred by the appearance within their gates of -the accursed infidels. When the first cravings of curiosity had been -gratified, their attitude to their king was one rather of indifference -than devotion, and to us one of undisguised if not active enmity. It -needed not the warning of Soojah to remind the English that they were -no longer in Hindostan. Two young officers, Inverarity, of the 16th -Lancers, and Wilmer, were attacked at a short distance from camp; -Inverarity was murdered, and his companion escaped with difficulty. -The Ghilzyes, a fierce and lawless tribe, the original lords of the -soil, alike rejecting British gold and British promises, began, too, -to give early promise of the stern opposition that was hereafter to -be experienced from them. When, a fortnight after his arrival, Soojah -held a grand state reception, scarcely one of his subjects appeared to -do homage to their king. A royal salute of 101 guns was fired in his -honour; the British troops marched past his throne in imposing array, -and Soojah, highly elated, declared that the moral influence of the -ceremony would be felt "from Pekin to Constantinople." But in reality, -the whole affair, so far as what should have been its most important -features were concerned, was a miserable failure. Lawrence relates a -significant speech made to him by an Afghan of distinction, whom he -fell in with while on reconnoitering service to the front. "What could -induce you," said the man, "to squander crores of rupees in coming to -a poor rocky country like ours, without wood or water, in order to -force upon us an unlucky person as a king, who, the moment you turn -your backs, will be upset by Dost Mahomed, our own king?" The order to -advance given on June 27th was heard therefore with pleasure by all; -and on July 21st the army was encamped before the famous citadel of -Ghuznee. - -It became soon evident that a serious mistake had been committed. -Ghuznee was deservedly considered the strongest fortress in the -country, and its defences were the boast of all Afghanistan. Keane had, -indeed, been advised to the contrary, but he knew at least that it was -garrisoned by about 3000 of the enemy under Hyder Khan, one of the -Ameer's sons, while another was reported to be in the neighbourhood -with a strong body of horse. Nevertheless, discarding the battering -train, which had been tugged up to Candahar with immense labour and -expense, he resumed his march with light field-pieces only, and found -himself accordingly before a place subsequently described by himself as -one "of great strength, both by nature and art," without the means of -effecting a breach in its walls. - -Our light companies soon cleared the villages and gardens surrounding -the fort, not, however, without some loss, and at daybreak on the 22nd -Keane and Cotton, with a party of engineers, reconnoitred the place -from the heights commanding the eastern face. It was perfectly evident -that the field-pieces might for all practical purposes have been left -behind with the siege train at Candahar, but treachery was to show -us a way in, which we could have found for ourselves only at immense -loss. One of the garrison, a Barukzye of rank, nephew to the Ameer -himself, had deserted to our camp; the gates, he assured us, had all -been built up with the exception of the Cabul gate, and by the Cabul -gate therefore it was decided that the entrance should be made. That -very night was chosen for the attack. Four English regiments were -detailed for service; the 2nd, 13th, and 17th of the Line, and the -Company's European Regiment. Colonel Dennie, of the 13th, was to lead -the advance, consisting of the light companies of the four regiments, -and the main column was placed under Brigadier Sale. Captain Thomson, -of the Bengal Engineers, was to superintend the explosion party, with -his two subalterns, Durand (afterwards Sir Henry Durand) and Macleod, -and Captain Peat, of the Bombay corps. The night was dark and stormy. -The light guns were ordered to open fire, to distract the attention -of the garrison, while the powder-bags were piled at the gate. The -work was done quickly, quietly and well. Durand, according to one -account, finding the first application of the port-fire of no effect, -was obliged to scrape the hose with his finger-nails; then the powder -exploded, and with a mighty crash, heard above the roaring of the -guns and the noise of the storm, down, amid a column of black smoke, -came huge masses of timber and masonry in dire confusion. In rushed -Dennie at the head of the stormers, and after him pressed Sale with the -main column. The resistance, though short, was stubborn. The breach -was still so narrow that entrance was difficult and slow. Dennie had -won his way inside, but between him and Sale a strong party of the -garrison had made their way to the gate. The Brigadier himself was -cut down, but after a desperate struggle regained his feet, cleaving -his opponent to the chin. The supports, under Colonel Croker, pushed -forward manfully, and as the day broke the colours of the 13th and 17th -Regiments were flung out to the morning breeze on the ramparts of the -Afghans' strongest fort. Ghuznee was ours, with a loss of 17 killed and -165 wounded, of whom 18 were officers. The loss of the garrison was -never accurately known. Upwards of 500 were buried by our men, and many -more were supposed to have fallen beyond the walls under the sabres of -our cavalry; 1600 prisoners were taken, and large stores of grain and -flour proved a welcome addition to the value of the prize. - -With the fall of Ghuznee fell the hopes of Dost Mahomed. Within little -more than twenty-four hours the news had reached him, and his brother, -Jubbar Khan, was forthwith despatched to the English camp, proffering -submission to Soojah, but claiming for his brother the office of -Vizier, which had come to be considered a sort of hereditary appanage -of the Barukzye clan. The offer was declined, and what Kaye calls the -"mockery" of an honourable asylum in the British dominions suggested -in its stead. With an indignant refusal the envoy returned to his -brother, and Dost Mahomed then resolved on one last attempt. He moved -out from the capital, designing to take up his ground at Maidan, a -well-chosen spot on the Cabul river. But when he had reached Urgundeh, -he saw too clearly that the game was up. Hadji Khan, a man in whom -he had placed peculiar reliance, had gone over to the enemy; the -Kuzzilbashes were leaving him fast. With the Koran in his hand, he rode -among his troops. "You have eaten my salt," he said, "these thirteen -years. If, as is too plain, you are resolved to seek a new master, -grant me but one favour in requital for that long period of maintenance -and kindness--enable me to die with honour. Stand by the brother of -Futteh Khan while he executes one last charge against the cavalry of -these Feringhee dogs; in that onset he will fall; then go and make -your own terms with Shah Soojah." The appeal was in vain. Dismissing -all of his followers who were minded to purchase safety by bowing to -the new allegiance, he turned his horse's head, and rode towards the -Hindoo-Koosh. - -A party of horse under the gallant Outram was despatched in hot -pursuit. Twelve English officers rode with him, Lawrence among the -number, and about 200 of our own men. Had the party been no larger -it is probable that it would not have been left to Dost Mahomed to -surrender at his own discretion. But in an evil hour it was decided -that Hadji Khan with 500 Afghans should be added, and the dilatoriness -of our "allies" wholly neutralised the energies of our own men. Hadji, -a traitor once, remained a traitor still, and though quick to leave his -master in the hour of his misfortunes, he had no intention, with an -eye to future contingencies, to commit himself beyond hope of recall. -The harder, then, Outram and his troops rode, the slower rode the Khan -and his following; every pretext that the ingenious Eastern mind could -devise for delay was turned to account, and as the country was wholly -unknown to the English leader he could not leave Hadji to his devices -and push on alone after the fugitive. His orders were not to continue -the chase beyond the Afghan frontier. On August 9th he reached Bamean, -to find that his game was but a day's march before him; but that one -day's march had sounded the recall. Dost Mahomed was over the frontier, -and there was nothing left for Outram but to return, to be laughed at -for his "wild-goose chase," and to hear from the Commander-in-chief -that "he had not supposed there were thirteen such asses in his whole -force!" It is satisfactory, however, to know that the traitor Hadji had -this time over-reached himself. Outram reported his conduct on his -return; other proofs of his treason were forthcoming; he was arrested -by order of the king, and spent the remainder of his life a state -prisoner in Hindostan. - -So Soojah was once more seated on the throne of Cabul. He had entered -the city on August 6th in royal pomp, resplendent with jewels (among -which the mighty Koh-i-noor was this time conspicuous by its absence), -mounted on a white charger, half smothered in golden trappings; -Macnaghten and Burnes, in diplomatic costume, rode with him, and all -the chief officers of the English army swelled his train. But there was -no popular enthusiasm; there were no loyal cries of welcome. The people -flocked to stare at the show, but it was at the white-faced strangers -they stared, not at their restored king. Still, the work had been -done. The English flag had waved over Candahar and Ghuznee; an English -army was encamped before Cabul. The usurpers were in flight, and the -"rightful" king had returned again to his own. - -According to the original terms of the proclamation, the British -troops, their mission accomplished, were at once to withdraw from the -country. Soojah himself was anxious to be rid of allies in whose hands -he was conscious he was and could be no more than a puppet, and whose -presence in the kingdom was a standing testimony to the absence of -that loyalty which he had so loudly vaunted. Nothing would have better -pleased the English themselves than to have acquiesced in the king's -wishes; nothing would have pleased Lord Auckland better than that they -should do so. But it could not be. Unprotected by British bayonets -the throne of the new king would not have stood for a day, and with -it would have fallen the feeble fabric on which the "justice" of the -expedition rested. The Simlah manifesto had declared that Soojah's -"popularity throughout Afghanistan had been proved to his lordship -by the strong and unanimous testimony of the best authorities;" how -then could his lordship leave Soojah alone to give the lie to his own -manifesto? But though it was expedient that an English force should -still, at least for a time, continue at the king's right hand, it was -neither expedient, nor, as it was thought, necessary that the entire -army should remain. A garrison at Cabul and Candahar, and others at the -principal posts on the main roads to Hindostan, Ghuznee and Quettah on -the west, and Jellalabad and Ali-Musjid on the east, would be amply -sufficient. These could be furnished by a portion of the Bengal army, -and the remainder could be withdrawn by way of Jellalabad and the -Khyber Pass, while the Bombay column could return _en masse_ through -the Bolan Pass. Such was the advice of the Commander-in-chief, and -such, as it soon appeared, was the opinion of the Viceroy himself. -Before, however, the homeward march began, Wade had brought Prince -Timour to his father's court. Wade's share in the expedition, though -dwarfed by the more brilliant exploits of Keane, had, notwithstanding -the disaffection of the Sikhs (who, after Runjeet Singh's death, had -not cared to conceal their dislike of their English allies), been -performed with complete success, and had moreover materially assisted -the march of the larger force. For a long time Dost Mahomed had -regarded the advance through the Khyber with far greater anxiety than -that along the Western route, and though his troops had never actually -encountered Wade in the field, a considerable detachment had been -withdrawn for that purpose from the main army at a very critical moment. - -The official order for the departure of the troops appeared on October -2nd. It was at once seen that the first plan had been considerably -altered. Nearly the whole of the Bengal division was to remain behind -under Cotton, and only a comparatively small detachment was to return -home with Keane and the Bombay army. Though Dost Mahomed had fled the -kingdom, he was known to be still near at hand, a guest among the fiery -and hostile Oosbegs, with whom he might at any rate seriously harass -the frontier, if not, indeed, find himself strong enough to hazard an -advance upon the capital. A detachment had therefore been sent up in -September to the Hindoo-Koosh, and it became necessary to supply their -place at Cabul. The 13th, 40th, and 41st were the English regiments -that remained. Of these, the first named, with the 35th Bengal Native -Infantry and three light field guns, was stationed at Cabul, under -Dennie. Jellalabad was garrisoned by the 48th Bengal Native Infantry, -the 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry, some Sappers and Miners, three light -guns, and a detachment of Skinner's Horse. At Candahar, under Nott, -were the 40th and 41st Regiments of the Line, the 42nd and 43rd -Regiments of Bengal Native Infantry, a company of the European Bengal -Artillery, two regiments of Soojah's Irregular Infantry, one of his -Cavalry, and a troop of his Horse Artillery. MacLaren held Ghuznee with -the 16th Bengal Native Infantry, some of Skinner's Horse, and certain -details of Soojah's levies. At Quettah was a small force composed of -Soojah's troops only, while the Kojuck Pass was watched by a body of -Afghan horse, under Bosanquet, of the Bengal Infantry. At each of these -posts was also stationed a political officer. - -Shortly after the departure of Keane with the homeward-bound column, -Soojah left the cold of the capital for the milder air of Jellalabad, -and with him went Macnaghten, leaving Burnes in charge at Cabul. The -winter months were passed in comparative quiet. Macnaghten busied -himself with an attempt to win the favour of the turbulent Khyber -tribes, and by lavish payments did succeed in lulling them to temporary -quiet. There, too, was received news of the fall of Khelat, which had -been determined on during the upward march as punishment for Mehrab -Khan's treachery, and still more important news from the Bamean of the -further flight of Dost Mahomed to the court of the Ameer of Bokhara, -where our own envoy Stoddart was then a close prisoner in imminent -danger of death. But as a set-off against so much that was good to hear -there came from Burnes the disquieting intelligence of the advance of -a large Russian force from Orenberg on Khiva, ostensibly to release -certain Russian merchants from captivity, and to punish the Khan, -not too severely, for general misconduct--a pretext which, it will -probably be remembered, was used with great effect on a subsequent -occasion. Macnaghten was inclined at first to make light of the news, -on which Burnes had, on the contrary, laid the greatest stress; but as -rumour grew he consented at last to despatch a mission to the Russian -camp. Conolly and Rawlinson were selected--Burnes, when the post was -offered to him, having only replied "that he would willingly go if he -was ordered"--when, on the eve of their departure, the welcome news -arrived that there was no longer a Russian camp for them to visit. -Snow, pestilence and famine had done the work that neither Tartar -sabres nor English diplomacy would have probably availed to do then, -any more than they have availed since, and of Peroffski's 6000 men -scarcely a man found his way back to Orenberg. - -Towards the end of April the court returned to Cabul. Affairs were -far from satisfactory. The unpopularity of the English, and even of -Soojah himself, became daily more and more obvious to all observant -people. The dual Government was a failure. The English, pledged not -to interfere with Soojah, were obliged to permit much of which they -strongly disapproved to pass unchallenged, and were only called upon -to intervene to pass measures which Soojah himself was not strong -enough to enforce. Whenever therefore their presence did make itself -conspicuously felt it had the natural result of only increasing their -unpopularity. The expense had already been enormous, and showed no -signs of decreasing. The wealth and liberality of the English had -been a tradition in Afghanistan since the days of Elphinstone, and -the Afghans, though they hated the infidel soldiers much, loved the -infidel gold still more. Unfortunately, too, the dislike borne to the -English by the Afghan men was not shared by the Afghan women, and the -passion of jealousy, with but too good cause, was thus added to the -passions of distrust and hate. Evil news, too, came from every quarter; -from the Bamean frontier on the north, from Herat on the west, from -Candahar on the south, from Peshawur on the east. Macnaghten had never -ceased importuning the Viceroy to sanction the restoration of Herat -and Peshawur to the Afghan dominions. The Sikhs were now open in their -declarations of enmity to the English, though they had refrained as yet -from any actual hostilities, and Macnaghten, with considerable reason, -declared there could be no safety in Afghanistan till, to use his own -words, "the road through the Punjab was macadamised." At Herat, too, -Yar Mahomed, the Vizier, a man of boundless avarice and treachery, -though living on British bounty, was openly intriguing with Persia, and -had behaved with such gross and repeated insolence to our Envoy that -the latter had at last left his court in disgust. But Lord Auckland, -though not insensible to Macnaghten's arguments, did not dare at that -time to increase either his responsibilities or his expenses, both of -which were already sufficiently heavy. Grave complaints were heard -from Candahar, where the old system of taxation that had made the -Barukzye rule so irksome was still in force, and still in the hands -of the same hated collectors. The Ghilzyes, who had already received -severe punishment from Outram, were again in the field, and further -still to the south the whole country was in revolt. Khelat had been won -back from us by Mehrab Khan's son, and Loveday, the English officer -in charge, barbarously murdered. In the far north our outposts had -pushed on over the Bamean range, and were in frequent collision with -the Oosbegs, and other supporters of the Barukzye cause. It is true -that wherever our troops met the enemy in the open field the victory -remained with the former, but that such meetings were as frequent as -they were showed the angry temper of the country but too plainly to all -who had eyes to see and ears to hear. Still the sanguine temperament -of Macnaghten refused to recognise the impracticability of the game. -Still he persisted in believing in the popularity of Soojal, and in the -ultimate settlement of his kingdom, and as a proof of his confidence he -about this time sent down to Bengal for his wife, an example which was -followed by most of the other married officers. - -The news from the north soon became still more alarming. Jubbar Khan -was at Khooloom with the Ameer's family, living on the bounty of the -Wullee, or chief of that place, who still upheld with fidelity rare -for an Afghan the cause of the fugitive king. Other once staunch -supporters, however, had "come in," as the phrase went, among them -Azim Khan, one of the Ameer's sons, and it was reported that Jubbar -himself was vacillating. A forward movement of our troops would, it -was believed, soon bring him to his senses. A forward movement was -accordingly made and the Khan did "come in." On July 3rd he arrived at -Bamean with his brother's family, and a large party of retainers. - -But now the Ameer himself was once more in the field. At first a guest -in the court of Bokhara, he had afterwards become the prisoner of that -treacherous chief, who, had he dared, would have murdered his captive, -and his sons with him, as he would have murdered the English Envoy. -But Dost Mahomed, who as he said of himself, "was a wooden spoon, to -be thrown hither and thither without hurt," contrived in some way to -effect his escape, and, after infinite hardships, to make his way to -his old ally of Khooloom, who welcomed him with open arms. The Oosbegs -gathered to the popular standard. The Ameer was reminded that his wives -and children were in our power; "I have no family," was his answer, -"I have buried my wives and children," and at the head of 8000 men he -advanced on Bamean early in September. Our troops had been compelled to -abandon the outposts they had established beyond the frontier. They had -never failed indeed to repel the frequent attacks that had been made on -them, but it had become at last painfully evident that such isolated -posts were no longer tenable. They fell back therefore to Bamean, -losing everything on the retreat, and to make matters still worse a -regiment of Afghan infantry that had been lately raised went over in a -body to the enemy. Meanwhile, however, Dennie had come up with strong -reinforcements, and on September 18th a decisive battle was fought. The -enemy were immeasurably the stronger both in numbers and position, but -the victory was ours, and for the second time Dost Mahomed only escaped -death by the speed of his horse. But though he saved his life, he lost -a valuable friend. Dennie's guns had a salutary effect on the Wullee, -and within a few days of the battle the old man prudently came to terms -with the English, pledging himself no longer to harbour or assist Dost -Mahomed or any of his family. Great was the delight in the camp at -Cabul, where affairs had begun to look very black indeed, and serious -apprehensions at one time entertained of an insurrection;--but they had -not yet done with the Ameer. - -Driven out of the Hindoo Koosh, our gallant enemy next re-appeared in -Kohistan, a district only too ripe for revolt. Sale was ordered out -to meet him and Burnes went with him, while Wade was despatched from -Jellalabad to act against the refractory Wuzzeerees. After a series -of small successes, in one of which Edward Conolly, a young cavalry -officer of great bravery and promise, was killed, and one repulse at -Joolgah, Sale, on November 2nd, met the Ameer at Purwandurrah, in the -Nijrow country, a name disastrous among many other disastrous names in -the annals of the Afghan war. The latter had no original intention of -giving battle, but a chance movement of our horse changed his mind. -Lord, one of our political agents, had proposed that our cavalry, the -2nd Bengal Light Cavalry, should take up new ground on the Afghan -flank. The order had been given, and the two squadrons, numbering -something over two hundred sabres, had already gone "threes about," -when Dost Mahomed, seeing, as he supposed, the British in retreat, -rode straight down on them at the head of about 400 horsemen. Fraser, -who was in command, at once facing his men about, gave the order to -charge, and dashed, with his officers behind him, full at the advancing -squadrons. Not a trooper followed. At an irresolute walk they met -the onset, and scarcely even waiting to cross swords, fled in every -direction, leaving their officers to their fate. Of these, two, Crispin -and Broadfoot, were instantly cut down; Lord managed to win his way -through the sabres, only to fall immediately afterwards by a shot from -one of the forts; Fraser, severely wounded, was saved only by the -strength and speed of his horse; how the others escaped no man could -say. Our infantry managed in a measure to retrieve the fortunes of the -day. The Afghans were driven from their position, but their leader once -again escaped from out our very grasp. Lawrence has generously tried -to find excuses for the conduct of his men (he was not himself with -them, for at that time he was acting as assistant agent to Macnaghten), -but the fact remains that a native regiment, hitherto famous for its -bravery and fidelity, refused to follow its English officers on the -field of battle, and fled like sheep before a horde of irregular -horsemen not twice their number. Burnes wrote off to Cabul forthwith -to announce, perhaps somewhat to magnify, the disaster, and implored -Macnaghten to concentrate all our troops at once on the capital, in -anticipation, which all then believed to be certain, of the Ameer's -instant advance. Far other, however, were at that time the plans of -Dost Mahomed. He did, indeed, advance on the capital, but attended only -by a single attendant, and within twenty-four hours after his victory -he had placed his sword in Macnaghten's hands. - -Force would never have driven him to such a step, but he was weary -of fighting in a cause which, so far as he then could foresee, could -but be hopeless, and he felt that after his brilliant triumph of the -previous day he could lay down his arms without disgrace. Macnaghten -and the other English officers received him with the utmost courtesy. -Nicholson, an officer of great bravery and intelligence, was appointed -to take charge of him, but the indignity of a guard was spared him. -Soojah refused to see him, on the ground that he should be "unable to -show common civility to such a villain." Many, however, who had held -persistently aloof from Soojah, came to pay their respects to one -whom they still regarded as their lawful ruler; one of them, Shere -Mahomed, known as the swiftest mounted messenger in all Afghanistan, -exclaiming, as he grasped his chief cordially by the hand, "Ah, Ameer, -you have done right at last; why did you delay so long putting an end -to all your miseries?" Within a few days the Ameer's son, Afzul Khan, -followed his father's example, and on November 13th the two illustrious -prisoners set out for India, under the charge of Nicholson and a strong -escort of British troops. - -As in the previous year the court passed the winter months at -Jellalabad. Cotton was already there on his way down to India, "anxious -to get away," and only waiting the arrival of his successor, General -Elphinstone. Elphinstone was a brave, kindly, and courteous old -gentleman; he had seen service in the Peninsular, and bore the Waterloo -medal, but he was entirely without experience of Indian warfare; was, -moreover, sadly crippled in health, and unfortunately destitute of the -very qualities of energy and foresight which were peculiarly necessary -to his position. His appointment was made against his own personal -inclinations, nor was it precisely clear on what grounds it had been -made, save on the grounds that he was a relation of Lord Elphinstone, -at that time Governor of Bombay. But he was ordered to assume the -command, and, as a soldier, he obeyed his orders. Cotton handed over -his charge, and took his leave with these words, "You will have nothing -to do here; all is peace." Never was there made a more unfortunate -remark. - -The winter passed in tolerable quiet, but with the return of spring -came back the old troubles. The first symptoms of disquiet appeared -again in the neighbourhood of Candahar. Two admirable officers were -in charge there, Nott and Rawlinson, the former holding the military, -the latter the political command. The irrepressible Ghilzyes were -again in revolt, and the Douranees had risen to join them. Soojah was -particularly eager to conciliate the latter tribe, and had, when at -Candahar, remitted many of the impositions which had rendered the -Barukzye rule so odious; but he had also, as has been already said, -retained in office the equally odious tax-collectors who had been -employed under the latter dynasty, and the Douranees, anticipating -complete redress, and probably substantial rewards, were irritated -past endurance to find their state no better under their own king -than it had been under the usurper. Long ripe for revolt, their -disaffection had been secretly fomented by that indefatigable traitor -the Herat Vizier, Yar Mahomed, whose intrigues found a willing tool -in Aktur Khan, a chief of the Zemindawer country. Rawlinson, anxious -to try the effect of conciliatory measures, and believing with Burnes -that Afghanistan was not to be settled at the point of the bayonet, -despatched his assistant Elliot to confer with the insurgents. The -mission was successful for the time; Aktur Khan "came in;" certain -concessions were made, and certain honours conferred upon him, in -return for which he promised to disband his followers. But the peace, -as Rawlinson anticipated, was short-lived. The gallant but imprudent -conduct of Lynch, our political agent among the Ghilzye tribes, in -storming a small fort near Khelat-i-Ghilzye, to avenge an insult -offered him by the garrison, had set that turbulent country in a -flame. Wymer was sent out by Nott to settle matters, which he did -effectively enough. The Ghilzyes, under a famous leader known as the -"Gooroo," fought like madmen, holding our troops in check for five -fierce hours; but they gave way at last, and fled, leaving the greater -part of their number dead or dying on the field. Aktur Khan, fired -by the example, scattered his promises to the winds, and instead of -disbanding, collected anew his forces for another struggle. Woodburn, a -dashing officer, met him on the banks of the Helmund, and defeated him -after a smart engagement, but the British forces were insufficient to -follow up the victory, and on reaching Ghiresk Woodburn was compelled -to await the arrival of more troops from Candahar. Thence, strongly -reinforced, he moved out on August 17th, and after a short but sharp -struggle, in which the Janbaz, or Afghan Horse, for once in a way -behaved with great gallantry, Aktur Khan fled, completely routed, and -for a time again there was peace among the Douranees. The Ghilzyes, -too, at the same time had received so severe a repulse from Chambers, -that even they were forced to abstain from action for a while, and the -dreaded "Gooroo" was at last prevailed on to "come in" to the English -camp. On the north-western frontier our troops had been equally -successful under Nott and Wymer. Akrum Khan, a close ally of Aktur -Khan, was in arms in the Dehrawut country, and would submit neither -to promises, threats, nor force. Treachery, however, did its work at -last. One of his own countrymen offered to betray him, and by a rapid -night march the rebel was seized, and carried down a close prisoner to -Candahar. Macnaghten, at times humane almost to a fault, had at length -resolved to give a terrible example to these continued disturbers of -the public peace. Orders were sent down to Prince Timour, who governed -for his father at Candahar, and who would have obeyed any orders -emanating from his English allies, and Akrum Khan was blown from a gun. -By the end of October, 1841, there at last seemed really a prospect of -peace in Western Afghanistan. - -Despite the warnings of Rawlinson, who could see farther below the -surface than most of his comrades, and who knew well that there was -something more than mere discontent at an obnoxious tax lurking in -the hearts of the western tribes--despite, too, the shadow of Akbar -Khan, Dost Mahomed's favourite son, who was still hovering about our -northern frontier--Macnaghten's spirits rose higher than they had -ever risen before. Of a temperament peculiarly susceptible to the -influence of the hour, he was alternately depressed and exalted beyond -reason, as the varying fortunes of our arms favoured or threatened -the ultimate success of his plans. After the disaster of Purwandurrah -he was convinced that the game was lost; after the discomfiture of -the Ghilzyes and the death of Akrum Khan he was equally convinced -that the game was won, and in one of his letters, written about this -time to a private friend, he boasted that the country was quiet "from -Dan to Beersheba." The well-earned reward of his labours had come at -last in the shape of the Government of Bombay; within a few weeks he -hoped to turn his back on the scene of so many anxieties and so many -disappointments, leaving to his successor the legacy of an accomplished -task. That successor would of course be Burnes; Burnes, who had -a clearer eye for the future than his chief, and who felt in his -inmost heart that the end of such a system as had been established in -Afghanistan could not be far off, yet who, impatient for Macnaghten's -departure, was willing to dare all risks, so that he might at last -touch the goal of his ambition. And at this very time, in that serene -sky, the cloud was gathering that was to break when least expected, -and overwhelm Macnaghten and Burnes and the whole English cause in -utter ruin. - -Elphinstone, as has been said, was now in command of the British -forces. Next in rank to him were Sir Robert Sale, of the 13th Light -Infantry, and Brigadier Shelton, who had come up in the spring of the -year with his regiment, the 44th of the Line. Soojah's own troops -were under Brigadier Anquetil, who had superseded Roberts, much to -Macnaghten's satisfaction, for Roberts was too much of an "alarmist" -to please the sanguine Envoy. The main body of the garrison lay in -the new cantonments. These remarkable works had been erected in the -previous year. Situated in low, swampy ground about two miles from the -citadel, they were defended only by a low mud rampart and ditch, over -which a pony had been ridden for a wager by one of our own officers; -they were commanded on every side by hills and villages, while, to make -matters still worse, the Commissariat supplies were stored in a small -fort without the wall. The authority for this unfortunate arrangement -has been the subject of much discussion, into which it would be neither -profitable nor pleasant to enter here; but it should not, at least, be -forgotten that our engineer officers had always urged most strongly -the expediency of posting the troops in the Bala Hissar, or citadel, -a strong position on a hill commanding the entire city and suburbs. At -first, indeed, this had been done, but the soldiers were soon required -to give way to the ladies of Soojah's harem, and it was then deemed -necessary, by some person or persons, to build what Kaye aptly calls -"the sheep-folds on the plain." Elphinstone, at any rate, was not to -blame, whoever was, for the folly had been committed before Elphinstone -had assumed the command. - -But familiarity, as usual, soon begot security, and in this dangerous -position our officers and men soon learned to live as tranquilly -and easily as in the strongest fortress in the world, or as in the -luxurious quarters they had left in peaceful Hindostan. The time passed -pleasantly enough. Lady Macnaghten and Lady Sale had joined their -husbands, and nearly all the married officers had followed the example -of their chiefs. The climate was fine and bracing, nor was there any -lack either of amusement or society. Englishmen carry their sports with -them into every quarter of the globe, and the stolid Afghans looked in -amazement and admiration on the races, the cricket, and the skating -with which the white-faced infidels beguiled the idle days. But there -were unfortunately other habits in which some of the English chose -to indulge which stirred up in the native heart feelings of a very -different nature, habits which have already been briefly touched upon, -and which were growing fast into an open and notorious scandal. "There -are many," wrote Kaye in 1851, "who can fill in with vivid personality -all the melancholy details of this chapter of human weakness, and -supply a catalogue of the wrongs which were soon to be so fearfully -redressed." - -Macnaghten proposed to set his face towards home in November. His last -days, as ill-fortune would have it, had been again embittered with -revolt, arising from an unpopular measure which he had felt himself -obliged to sanction. Our sojourn in Afghanistan had been a fearful -drain on the resources of the Indian Government, and the need for -economy had been urgently pressed upon Lord Auckland by the authorities -at home. Macnaghten, casting about for the means of obeying his -chief's instructions, unluckily hit upon the most unfortunate means -he could have chosen. He determined to inaugurate a general system -of retrenchment in the stipends, or subsidies, paid to the chiefs, -and as a beginning, the sum of £3000, which had been yearly paid to -the Eastern Ghilzyes to secure our communications with Hindostan, was -forthwith stopped. As a natural result they at once flew to arms, -occupied the passes on the road to Jellalabad, commenced an organised -system of plundering, and entirely cut off the communications it -was our greatest interest to keep open. But the Envoy was not very -seriously disturbed. Sale's brigade, which was under orders for -India, could "thresh the rascals" on its homeward journey, and clear -the passes easily enough. Monteith was accordingly sent out with the -35th Native Infantry, a squadron of cavalry, and some guns, and Sale -followed with his own regiment, the 13th Light Infantry. The task was -not so easy as the Envoy had anticipated. Sale himself was wounded and -Wyndham, of the 35th, killed. It was found necessary to despatch more -troops before the work could be done. It was done, however, partly by -force and partly by diplomacy; the Khoord-Cabul defile was once more -cleared; detachments of troops were posted at intervals along the pass, -while Sale himself, halting at Gundamuck, put away his ideas of home -for a time. - -November 1st was the day fixed for Macnaghten's departure. He was not -without warnings that for some days past there had existed strong -symptoms of disaffection in the city, where the shopkeepers were -closing their shutters, and refusing to sell their wares to the -English. John Conolly, a relative of the Envoy's, had got an inkling -of what was meditated, while Mohun Lal, an interpreter, who had served -us faithfully from the time of our first entry into the country, had -directly warned Burnes of a conspiracy of which Abdoolah Khan, one of -our most uncompromising opponents, was the prime instigator, and in -which the chiefs of all the tribes then assembled in Cabul were alike -implicated. But Burnes was still under the orders of Macnaghten, and -Macnaghten still refused to listen to the "croakers." On that very -evening the conspirators met for the last time, and on the morning of -the 2nd the city rose in insurrection. - -Burnes himself was the first victim. His house was within the city -walls, next to that of Captain Johnson, the paymaster of Soojah's -troops. On the previous night Johnson had slept in the cantonments, -but Burnes was at home, and with him his brother Charles, and William -Broadfoot, an able officer, who had been selected by the expectant -Envoy for the post of military secretary. Before daybreak he had again -been warned of his danger by a friendly native, and at a later hour -came Osman Khan, the Vizier himself, with the same tale, imploring him -to seek safety either in the citadel or the cantonments. Burnes could -no longer disbelieve, for already an angry crowd was gathering under -his windows, and angry voices were raised in clamour for the lives of -the Englishmen. He consented to write to the Envoy for aid, and to send -messengers to Abdoolah Khan, promising him that if he would restrain -the citizens his grievances should receive prompt redress. Why no -immediate answer was returned to the first of these messages has never -been made perfectly clear; the latter resulted only in the death of -the messenger. Meanwhile Burnes himself was haranguing the mob from an -upper gallery, while his brother and the guard were firing on them from -below. In vain he appealed to their avarice; the only answer was that -he should "come down into the garden." A Cashmerian, who had found his -way into the house, swore to pass him and his brother out in safety -to the cantonments, if the latter would bid the firing cease. Hastily -disguising themselves, the brothers followed the man to the door, but -scarcely had they set foot beyond it, when the traitor shouted with -a loud voice, "This is Sekunder Burnes!" In a moment the mob were on -them, and, hacked to pieces by the cruel Afghan knives, then fell the -first, but not the last victims of a long series of mistakes. - -The paymaster's house was next sacked; upwards of £17,000 of the public -money and £1000 of Johnson's private fortune fell to the share of -the murderers. No force came from the cantonments to check them, and -the only effort made in the early part of the day was made by Soojah -himself, who sent one of his own regiments down from the Bala Hissar -into the city. Entangled in a network of narrow lanes and bazaars, -they could do no good, and Shelton, coming up later with a small body -of infantry and artillery, was in time only to cover a disorderly -flight. It is difficult to decide on the true cause of the lateness -of Shelton's arrival, but it is certain that had Burnes's message -received prompt attention, the insurrection, for that time at least, -would have been nipped in the bud. That such was the opinion of the -Afghans themselves many of our officers were subsequently assured, and -the fact that none of the chief conspirators took any part in the first -outbreak seems to give colour to the supposition that it was not the -original design to proceed to such extremities as followed, but rather -to convey to the British such a warning as might convince them of the -hopelessness of their cause, and induce them at last to take measures -to leave the country to its own devices. Be this, however, as it may, -nothing was done till the time had passed for anything to be of use, -and a riot which 300 resolute men could have quelled with ease in the -morning, would in the afternoon have taxed, if not defied, the best -energies of 3000. - -The history of the days which followed between the first rising and -the opening of negotiations is as difficult to write as it is painful -to read. So many and so conflicting are the accounts that have been -received, that it is impossible within a limited space to present a -distinct and coherent narrative of events, or, without the risk of a -hasty conclusion, to apportion, even were it desirable to do so, the -precise share of responsibility to each actor in that dismal tragedy -of errors. It is certain, at least, that from the 2nd to the 25th -November the utmost confusion and dismay prevailed within the British -cantonments. No two of the authorities seem ever to have counselled -alike; there was disunion between Elphinstone and Macnaghten, and -disunion even between Elphinstone and Shelton. Orders were issued one -hour to be countermanded the next, and then re-issued. There was no -lack of individual boldness in council, and, among the officers, no -lack of individual bravery in action, but want of co-operation rendered -both alike useless. Our strength was frittered away in a series of -petty sorties, conducted by insufficient numbers, and generally ordered -when the time for immediate action was past. Our soldiers, even our own -English soldiers, disheartened and demoralized by repeated defeats, -for which they felt that they themselves were not to blame, lost -confidence alike in their commanders and in themselves. It is said that -it was actually found necessary to employ a Sepoy guard to prevent the -soldiers of an English regiment leaving their post, and it is certain -that on one, if not on more than one occasion, our men fairly turned -their backs and ran before the Afghan hordes. At an early day, as -might well have been foreseen, the forts containing the Commissariat -supplies and stores fell into the enemy's hands, and though this -disaster was for a time remedied by the energies of our Commissariat -officers, who had fortunately not been lost with the stores, and who -managed to collect supplies from some of the neighbouring villages, -there soon arose a new danger in the doubt whether the the siege would -not outlast the ammunition. Urgent and frequent messages had been sent -to bring up Sale's brigade, which was supposed to be still among the -Khoord-Cabul hills, and to Eldred Pottinger to join the garrison with -his detachment from Charekur, a place about 60 miles north of Cabul. -But Sale's brigade was already on its march to Jellalabad, and of -Pottinger's detachment only he and another officer reached Cabul alive. -To crown all, it was known that Akbar Khan was moving down from Bamean. -On the 23rd a strong force of cavalry and infantry, but accompanied, -through what strange process of reasoning it is impossible to say, by -only one gun, moved out under Shelton to occupy a hill commanding the -sources of our supplies, which had been recently threatened by the -enemy. The expedition was a total failure. Shelton himself behaved with -conspicuous gallantry, and his officers nobly followed his example; -but the men, discouraged by frequent defeat, and finding their muskets -no match for the Afghan jezails, were mown down like grass, till, -having lost their solitary piece of artillery, they fled in disgraceful -panic back to the cantonments. With this disastrous attempt concluded -all exterior operations, and on the same day Macnaghten received -instructions from Elphinstone to open negotiations for surrender. - -At the first meeting the terms offered were so insulting that -Macnaghten refused to continue the conference. His hopes, too, had -somewhat revived of late by a communication from Mohun Lal, whom he -had secretly employed to sow, with offers of large bribes, dissensions -among the hostile chiefs, and by the news of the death of two of our -bitterest foes, Abdoolah Khan and Meer Musjedee. Whether these men -died from wounds received in battle, or by assassins set on by Mohun -Lal, is not certain, but it seems tolerably clear that the interpreter -was instigated by some one in the British camp to offer large sums -of money for the heads of the principal insurgents. As a set-off to -this, however, came grave reports from the Commissariat department, -and the news that there was little prospect of Maclaren's brigade, -which had set out from Candahar to their relief, being able to win -its way to Cabul. On December 11th, therefore, negotiations were -renewed. Akbar Khan, who had by this time joined his countrymen amid -uproarious expressions of delight, with the chiefs of all the principal -tribes, met the Envoy on the banks of the Cabul river, about a mile -from the cantonments. Macnaghten read in Persian the draft treaty he -had prepared, of which the main stipulations were to the following -effect:--That the British troops in Afghanistan should be withdrawn -to India as speedily as possible, accompanied by two Sirdars of rank -as guarantees of safe conduct; that on their arrival at Peshawur -arrangements should at once be made for the return of Dost Mahomed -and all others of his countrymen at that time detained in India; that -Soojah should be allowed to depart with the troops, or to remain where -he was on a suitable provision, as he might prefer; and that four -"respectable" British officers were to be left at Cabul as hostages for -the due fulfilment of the treaty until the return of Dost Mahomed and -his family. After a discussion of two hours the terms were accepted, -and it was agreed that the evacuation of our position should commence -in three days' time. Such a treaty is not to be read with pleasure, -but it was possibly the best that could have been concluded under the -circumstances that had arisen; for which Macnaghten himself appears, at -least, to have been less responsible than his military colleagues, at -whose urgent and repeated instigations he had undertaken the work. - -It became soon apparent how little dependence was to be placed on -the Afghan word. On the 13th, according to the stipulation, the -British troops stationed in the citadel left their quarters, about -six o'clock on a winter's evening. Scarcely had they cleared the -gates, when an ugly rush was made for them by the crowd outside. The -gates were immediately closed, and the guns of the citadel opened an -indiscriminate fire on friends and foes alike. Akbar Khan declared -that at that late hour he could not undertake their safe conduct to -the cantonments, and the men were therefore obliged to pass the night -on the frosty ground, without tents, without food, and without fuel. -On the following morning they reached the cantonments in safety, but -half-dead with hunger and exposure. It had been agreed that the Afghans -should supply the necessary provisions and carriage for the march; but -it had also been agreed that the British forts in the neighbourhood of -their position should be given up. The Afghans refused to play their -part till we had played ours, and the forts were accordingly placed in -their hands. Still, provisions came in but slowly, and carriage not -at all. A horde of robbers and fanatics swarmed between the city and -the cantonments, plundering under our very eyes the few supplies that -were sent in, but as they were now to be considered "as our allies" not -a shot was permitted to be fired. Yet even then Macnaghten continued -to hope against hope, that "something might turn up" to spare the -humiliation of an enforced retreat, and on the evening of the 22nd it -seemed to him that such a chance had arrived. It came in the shape of -a proposal from Akbar Khan that he and the Ghilzyes should, in the -face of the concluded treaty, unite with the English to re-occupy the -citadel and the abandoned forts; that our forces should be allowed to -remain in Afghanistan till the spring, and then withdraw as though of -their own free-will; that the head of the formidable Ameen-oolah Khan -should be sent to the Envoy, and that in consideration of all these -good offices Akbar Khan himself should receive an annuity of four -lakhs of rupees from the British Government, together with a bonus of -thirty lakhs. The offer of murder was indignantly rejected, but with -the others Macnaghten closed at once, and on the following morning, -having requested that two regiments with some guns might be held ready -for instant service, he rode out to the proposed place of conference, -accompanied by Lawrence, Trevor and Mackenzie. The latter, indeed, -learning the new design, ventured to expostulate with his chief on the -risk he was about to run, while Elphinstone earnestly implored him -to pause before he committed himself to so perilous and so crooked -a course; but despising warnings and advice alike, Macnaghten rode -hopefully out to his death. - -Among some small hillocks about 600 yards from the cantonments -the meeting was appointed; salutations were exchanged, the party -dismounted, and the Envoy and the Khan seated themselves on the -ground. Scarcely had the conversation been opened, when the chiefs -began to close in on the little group. It was pointed out to Akbar that -as the conference was a secret one, they should be advised to withdraw; -he answered that it was of no matter, as they were all in the plot -with him. The words had not left his lips when the Englishmen were -seized. Trevor, Lawrence and Mackenzie were flung each behind a mounted -Afghan and galloped off to one of the forts, through a crowd of armed -fanatics, who cut and struck at them as they passed. On the way Trevor -slipped from his seat and was instantly hacked to pieces, but the -others got safely through. As they were hurried away, Lawrence turned -his head and saw the Envoy struggling in the grasp of Akbar Khan, "with -an awful look of horror and consternation on his face;" a pistol shot -was heard soon after, and no English eye ever saw Macnaghten alive or -dead again. Such was the end of the attempt of an honest Englishman to -outwit the most treacherous people in the world. - -On the following day new terms were sent to Elphinstone to be added to -the existing treaty--that first treaty which Macnaghten had lost his -life in attempting to evade. These required that the guns with the -exception of six, and all the muskets, save those in actual use, should -be given up, and that the numbers of hostages should be increased. -Eldred Pottinger, who had succeeded to the Envoy's place, strongly -combated this additional insult, giving his undaunted voice for the -immediate seizure of the citadel, or at least for one last attempt to -fight their way sword in hand down to Jellalabad. His brave counsel was -overruled; the guns and muskets were given up, a few at a time, in the -vain hope that in some way the treaty might yet be averted, or perhaps -to alleviate, if possible, the humiliation of the surrender; Captains -Walsh and Drummond, with Lieutenants Warburton and Webb were sent to -join Lieutenants Conolly and Airy, who were already in the hands of the -chiefs, and such of the sick and wounded as were unable to bear the -fatigues of the march were conveyed into the city under Doctors Berwick -and Campbell. On the 6th of January, 1842, before the promised escorts -had arrived, the British army, contrary again to Pottinger's advice, -moved out from the cantonments, and the fatal march began. - -The British troops that marched out on that 6th January numbered -4500 fighting men, of whom 700 were Europeans, and about 12,000 camp -followers. Of this force two men reached Jellalabad alive, one of -whom died on the following day. The married officers and their wives, -with all the women and children, and a few of the wounded, were on -the third day of the retreat placed in the care of Akbar Khan, who, -to give him such credit as is his due, for once kept his word when -he promised to treat them honourably and well; six more officers, -including the General himself and Shelton, at a later period fell or -were surrendered as hostages, into the same hands, and were carried -back up country, though Elphinstone, sick in body as in heart, prayed -hard to be allowed to die with his men; Captain Souter, of the 44th, -who had wrapped the regimental colours round his waist, was taken -prisoner with a few private soldiers at Gundamuck, where the last -stand was made by the gallant handful who had survived the horrors -of the pass. The rest of the Europeans perished to a man beneath the -knives and bullets of their "allies." Among the Native troops and camp -followers the loss was probably less than was at the time, and has -been generally since, supposed. Some of the former deserted in sheer -terror to the Afghans, and some of the latter it is possible found -hiding-places among the mountains, whence, when the noise of battle had -passed on, they contrived to make good their escape; yet thousands -fell beneath the murderous rain that poured down night and day upon the -defenceless rabble, and thousands, untouched by shot or steel, from -utter weariness sank down into the snow to rise no more. Had the march -been pushed on from the first with more expedition, it is probable -that at least a far larger number would have been saved; but that, -owing to the general demoralisation that had set in, inspired by the -irresolution of the commander, and aggravated by the disorderly crowd -of camp-followers, whose terror quenched all notions of discipline, -was precisely what could not be done. From dawn vast hordes of Ghazee -fanatics had hung on the rear, cutting off stragglers, plundering the -baggage, and from every coign of vantage firing indiscriminately into -the struggling line. The roads were slippery with ice, and on the -evening of the first day the snow began to fall; on the second day -the march became but "a rabble in chaotic rout." The European troops -indeed, set a glorious example. The officers did all that mortals -could do to preserve discipline, and the men, obeying so far as it was -possible to obey, nobly redeemed their former errors; but hampered by -a helpless crowd whose one thought of safety was not to fight but to -fly, it was but little that they could do. Here and there a stand -was made by gallant handfuls of our men, and where the English stood, -there the Afghans fled, but these momentary triumphs served rather to -increase than to check the fury of our foes. Enough of a melancholy and -shameful tale--let it be sufficient to say that when Brydon reached -Jellalabad on the 13th the army of Cabul had for all practical purposes -disappeared from off the face of the earth. - -The news came upon the Government like a thunder-stroke. The last -days of Lord Auckland's administration were drawing near, and as he -read Macnaghten's sanguine despatches he fondly hoped that it would -be his fortune to return to England, not only the conqueror, but the -tranquilizer of Afghanistan. Towards the close of the year, indeed, -rumours of a disquieting nature had found their way down to Calcutta, -and when all rumours ceased it became evident that our communications -were interrupted, and that something serious had happened; but not even -the gloomiest dared to anticipate the worst: on January 30th the worst -was known. - -Though there was anything but unanimity in the Calcutta Council, some -preparations, chiefly through the energetic representations of George -Clerk, our agent on the north-western frontier, had been made before -the full tidings of the disaster came down. It had appeared to some, -of whom was Sir Jasper Nicolls, then Commander-in-chief in India, -that it was better to accept the blow, and withdraw altogether behind -the Indus, than by attempting to retrieve still further to deepen our -disgrace. Sale still held Jellalabad in the teeth of overwhelming -numbers; Nott was still master of Candahar;--let them yield up the -charge they had so nobly kept, and if too weak to find their own way -down to India, let troops sufficient for their help advance, but for -no other purpose. Lord Auckland, unwilling to commit his successor to -a task which had already proved too strong for his own energies, was -inclined to listen to the advocates of retreat, and though the news -of the annihilation of the army of Cabul roused him for the moment -into a proclamation that the awful calamity was but "a new occasion -for displaying the stability and vigour of the British power, and the -admirable spirit and valour of the British-Indian army," he quickly -followed it by an intimation that when Sale and Nott had been relieved, -it were better that the British troops should withdraw to Peshawur. -Still, fresh forces were to be raised, and a fine soldier was to -head them. The offer had been first made to Major-General Lumley, -Adjutant-General in India, but Lumley's health forbade him to accept so -important a post, and Lord Auckland's choice--a choice as popular as it -was judicious--finally fell upon Pollock, a distinguished officer of -the Company's service, who had seen fighting under Lake and Wellington, -and wherever, indeed, it was to be seen since the year 1803, when he -had first landed in India, a young lieutenant of artillery. Pollock -hastened up to his command without a moment's delay, but before he -could reach Peshawur our troops had suffered yet another repulse. - -Mr. Robertson, Lieutenant-Governor of the north western frontier, and -George Clerk, already mentioned, had counselled from the first prompt -measures, not of retreat, but reprisal. At their earnest request -Colonel Wild had been moved up to Peshawur with four native infantry -regiments, the 30th, 53rd, 60th and 64th, but without guns. It was -supposed he could procure them from the Sikhs, and with a great deal -of trouble he did manage to procure four ricketty guns, which seemed -likely to do as much harm to his own men as to the enemy, and one of -which broke down the next day on trial. Reinforcements were coming up, -which it was probable would contain artillery, but Wild did not dare -to wait. His Sepoys were anxious to advance; the loyalty of the Sikhs -was doubtful, and he feared the contamination might spread. On January -15th he commenced operations. - -The key of the Khyber Pass, as we have all heard more than once within -the last few weeks, is the fortress of Ali Musjid, occupying a strong -position some five miles down the pass, and about twenty-five from -Peshawur. It had been recently garrisoned by some loyal natives under -an English officer, Mackeson; but, straitened for provisions, and hard -pressed by the Khyberees, it was doubtful whether the brave little -garrison could hold out much longer, and on the night of the 15th the -53rd and 64th Regiments, under Colonel Moseley, were despatched with a -goodly supply of bullocks to its relief. The fort was occupied without -loss, but the bullocks, save some 50 or 60, had meanwhile disappeared, -and there were now more mouths to feed in Ali Musjid and less wherewith -to feed them. Wild was to have followed with the other two regiments, -his Sikh guns and Sikh allies, on the 19th, but when the time came the -latter turned their backs on the Khyber and marched to a man back to -Peshawur. The Sepoys met the enemy at the mouth of the pass, but the -spirit of disaffection seemed to have spread. After an irresolute and -aimless volley they halted in confusion: in vain Wild and his officers -called on them to advance; not a man moved; the guns broke down, and -one of them, despite the gallant efforts of Henry Lawrence, had to -be abandoned. One of our officers was killed, and Wild himself, with -several more, was wounded; the retreat was sounded, and the column -fell back on Jumrood. The two regiments which held the fort had soon -to follow their example. They could have held the post for any time -indeed, so far as mere fighting went, but they had no provisions, -and the water was poisonous. On the 23rd, then, they evacuated their -position, and after a sharp struggle, in which two English officers -fell, and some sick and baggage had to be abandoned, made good their -way back to their comrades. Such was the state of affairs Pollock found -on his arrival at Peshawur. - -Despite urgent letters received from Jellalabad the General saw that -an immediate advance was impossible. The morale of the defeated Sepoys -had fallen very low; the hospitals were crowded with sick and wounded, -and there was still an insufficiency of guns. Reinforcements of British -dragoons and British artillery were pressing up from the Punjab, -and Pollock decided to wait till he could make certain of success. -He decided well; nor was the time of waiting lost. He visited the -hospitals daily, cheering the sick, and reanimating by his kindness -and decision the wavering and disheartened Sepoys. On March 30th the -long-desired reinforcements arrived, and orders were at once issued for -the advance. - -At three o'clock on the morning of April 5th the army moved off from -Jumrood to the mouth of the pass. It was divided into three columns; -two of these were to crown the heights on either side, while the third, -when the hills had been sufficiently cleared, was to advance through -the gorge; each column was composed of a mixed force of Europeans -and Sepoys; four squadrons of the 3rd Dragoons and eleven pieces of -artillery accompanied the centre column. The attack was as successful -as it was ingenious. A huge barricade of mud and stones and trunks -of trees had been thrown across the mouth of the pass, while the -heights on either side swarmed with the wild hill-tribes. So quietly, -however, did our flanking columns advance, that they were half-way up -the heights before the enemy became aware of the movement. From peak -to peak our men, English as well as Sepoys, clambered as agile as the -mountaineers themselves, pouring from every spot of vantage a steady -and well-directed fire on the disconcerted Khyberees, who had never -dreamed that the white-faced infidels could prove more than a match -for them in their own fastnesses. Then Pollock with the main column -advanced. The Afghans, finding themselves out-flanked on either side, -gradually withdrew; the barricade was removed without loss; and the -huge line of soldiers, camp-followers, and baggage-waggons passed -unopposed on its victorious way to Jellalabad. The dreaded Khyber Pass -had been forced with the slightest possible loss of life, and the -boastful Afghans beaten at their own tactics. On the 16th Jellalabad -was reached. With what intense delight Sale's noble brigade saw once -more from their walls the colours of a friendly force may well be -imagined. For five weary months the little band had resisted every -offer of surrender, and beaten back every assault. In February the -fortifications that had been raised and strengthened by Broadfoot with -infinite labour were destroyed by an earthquake; and at that very -time they learnt that Akbar Khan was advancing on them. The works, -however, were restored, and in a dashing sortie, commanded by Dennie, -the Afghan chief, with the flower of the Barukzye Horse, was driven -from his position without the loss of a single man to the garrison. -A few days before Pollock arrived a still more daring enterprise had -been attempted. On April 5th another sortie in force was sent out under -Dennie, Monteith, and Havelock, which bore down on the Afghan camp, -and sent Akbar Khan flying with his 6000 men far away in the direction -of Lughman--a dashing exploit, and a complete victory, but dearly won, -for it was won at the cost of the gallant Dennie. The meeting between -the two armies was, wrote Pollock to a friend, "a sight worth seeing;" -according to Mr. Gleig the band of the 13th went out to play the -relieving force in, and the entry was performed to the tune of "Oh, but -ye've been lang o' coming." - -Still there was plenty yet to be done, if only the English soldiers -might be allowed to do it. At first it seemed doubtful whether Lord -Ellenborough, who had succeeded Lord Auckland in February, would be -more willing to sanction a forward movement than was his predecessor. -On his first landing, no one could have been more eager than he to -avenge the humiliation of Cabul, but as he went up the country his -opinions began to suffer a change. Soojah had been murdered about the -very time that the Khyber Pass was forced, by the treachery of a -son of Zemaun Khan (a faithful friend to the English, by whose good -offices the English captives were still living in safety, if not in -comfort); his son Futteh Jung had been nominally appointed to succeed -him, but his government was no more than a farce. Jealous of each -other, and jealous particularly of the rising power of Akbar Khan, it -was plain that the Afghan Sirdars would never rest till the strength -and popularity of Dost Mahomed was once more among them to restore and -maintain order. Was it not better to accept the inevitable, to withdraw -our troops, now that it could be done with comparative honour, and to -leave the country to its own king and its own devices? It was doubtful -how much longer the brave Nott could maintain himself in Candahar, and -the force that had been sent out from Sindh under England to relieve -him had been beaten back at the Kojuck Pass; Ghuznee, after a stubborn -resistance, had fallen, and the British officers sent prisoners to -Cabul. Lord Ellenborough cannot be blamed for hesitating at such a -crisis; but the urgent prayers of Pollock, Nott, and Outram at last -prevailed, and orders were given that the military commanders might -use their own discretion, while they were at the same time warned that -failure meant the inevitable fall of the British Empire in the East. -The responsibility was gladly taken, and the advance commenced which -was to retrieve, as far as it was possible to retrieve, the shame of -all former failure. - -The advance was an unbroken series of victories. England, reinforced -with some British troops, had moved out again from Quettah, cleared -the Kojuck Pass, and joined Nott at Candahar. With a force now raised -to a strength equal to that which lay at Jellalabad, Nott, resolute -to "retire to India" by way of Ghuznee and Cabul, lost no time in -setting to work. Dividing his troops, he took with him the 40th and -41st Regiments of the Line, and the "beautiful Sepoy" Regiments that -had stood by him so well, and despatched the rest back to India in -charge of England, in whose hands also he placed Prince Timour, whom, -after his father's death it was alike dangerous to take to Cabul or to -leave at Candahar. About the same time Pollock, with 8000 men of all -arms, including the 31st Regiment of the Line and the 3rd Dragoons, -moved out from Jellalabad on the Khoord-Cabul Pass, that blood-stained -theatre of an awful tragedy. The enemy were in force at Jugdulluck, -but Pollock, employing the same tactics that had been so efficacious -among the Khyber hills, sent out flanking parties to clear the -heights, while from below his guns kept up a hot fire of shells on -their position. The Ghilzyes fought bravely, but they could not stand -against the English troops in open fight, and with as little loss as -in his first engagement Pollock led his men into the pass. Seven miles -within, in the little valley of Tezeen, Akbar Khan, with 16,000 of his -best troops, resolved to make one last throw for victory. He threw and -lost. While the English Dragoons met and broke the charge of the Afghan -horse, the English infantry, gallantly seconded by the Sepoys and -Ghoorkahs, pressed up the heights under a heavy fire. Sale himself led -the advanced column; Monteith and Broadfoot and McCaskill followed. Not -a shot was fired by the stormers; thick and fast flew the bullets among -them from the long Afghan jazails, but not an English musket answered. -The work was done with the bayonet, and driven from crag to crag by -that "beautiful weapon" alone, the enemy fled in confusion, till -amid the ringing cheers of the whole British force the British flag -waved on the highest pinnacle of the pass. This was Akbar Khan's last -attempt; leaving his troops to shift for themselves, he fled northward -to the Ghoreebund Valley; Pollock, over the crumbling skeletons of the -comrades whom he had so worthily avenged, led his men in triumph to -Cabul, and the British ensign once more flew from the heights of the -Bala Hissar. - -On September 15th Pollock reached Cabul, and on the 17th he was joined -by Nott. After a slight check to the cavalry of his advanced guard, at -an early period of his march, the latter's success had been as complete -as Pollock's. At Ghoaine he had utterly routed a superior force of -the enemy under Shumshoodeen Khan. Ghuznee had been evacuated before -even our preparations for the assault were completed; the works were -dismantled and blown up, the town and citadel fired, and the famous -sandal-wood "gates of Somnauth," which, according to Afghan tradition, -had adorned their famous Sultan's tomb for upwards of eight centuries, -carried off in accordance with Lord Ellenborough's expressed desire. -At Syderabad, where in the previous November Woodburn and his men had -been treacherously massacred, Shumshoodeen turned again; the stand was -stubborn and for a while the issue seemed doubtful; but the news of the -defeat at Tezeen had spread, the Afghans lost heart, and abandoning -their position left the way for Nott clear into Cabul. - -The honour of the British arms was at last complete; 15,000 British -troops were encamped in the Afghan capital, and from every quarter -round submission was pouring in. Ameen-oollah Khan, who held out to -the last, had been utterly routed in the Kohistan by a force under -McCaskill, and Akbar Khan had also intimated his wish to treat for -terms. The miserable Futteh Jung, who had already once been forced to -fly for his life, was formally installed on his throne, but as formally -warned that he was to expect no further aid or protection. The prospect -before him was too much for his weak and timorous mind, and, in truth, -it was far from a pleasant one; after a few days' nominal rule, he -voluntarily resigned a crown which he would never have been able to -keep, and Shahpoor, a high-spirited young boy of the Suddozye House, -was seated in his stead. - -Two things had yet to be done. The captives were to be recovered, and -some unmistakeable mark of British retribution was to be stamped on -Cabul. - -Before Akbar Khan took the field for the last time he had despatched -all the English hostages, together with the prisoners from Ghuznee, -towards the Bamean frontier, under Saleh Mohamed. Pollock immediately -on reaching Cabul had sent Sir Richmond Shakespeare, with a party of -horse in hot haste after them, and subsequently a stronger force under -Sale. Before, however, the rescue arrived the prisoners had effected -their own deliverance through the medium of Saleh Mohamed's cupidity. -On a promise, duly drawn up and signed by Pottinger, Lawrence and three -others, of a heavy bribe, the Afghan had consented to escort them -not to Turkestan and slavery, as had been intended, but back to the -English camp, and it was at Kaloo, on their way down to Cabul, that, -after more than eight months' daily expectation of death, they once -more found themselves among English friends and safe under the English -flag. Despite the many hardships and anxieties they had undergone, -their health, even of the women and children, had been marvellously -preserved, and their condition had, on the whole, been far better than -any they could have hoped for when they exchanged the certain dangers -of the retreat for the uncertain security of Akbar Khan's word. Two -only of the little band that had turned their backs on the miseries of -the Khoord-Cabul Pass were missing when they rode into Sale's camp, -amid the cheers of the men and a salute of welcome from the guns. -John Conolly, mourned by all who knew him, had died at Cabul a few -days before the march for Bamean began, and in the previous April, -after Pollock's victory had heralded the triumph which was to atone -for the disasters that the British arms had experienced under his -command, poor Elphinstone, after days of intense suffering in body -and mind, and bewailing to the last that he had not been permitted -to die with his men, passed away amid the affectionate sympathy of -all his fellow-prisoners. His body was sent down to Jellalabad, and -there interred with military honours in the presence of his victorious -successor. - -To set the seal of our triumph on Cabul it was determined to destroy -the great Bazaar, where the mutilated body of Macnaghten had been -exposed to the insults of his murderers. It had been first intended to -demolish the citadel, but the Suddozye chiefs pleaded so earnestly for -this last remnant of their royalty, that Pollock consented to spare -it. During two days, October 9th and 10th, the work of destruction -went on, and though every precaution was taken to prevent any farther -loss beyond that ordered, and particularly any excess on the part of -our soldiers, many suffered, and there was much excess. On the 11th -the homeward march began. Futteh Jung had implored the safe conduct -of the British from a kingdom where he was no king, and from subjects -with whom his life was not worth an hour's purchase, and with him went -for the second time into exile his blind old grandfather Zemaun Shah. -By the Khoord-Cabul and Khyber Passes, the scenes of so much misery -and such grievous humiliation, the victorious army returned in triumph -to Hindostan, and ere Ferozepore was reached they heard that the last -of the Suddozye line had fled, that Akbar Khan had seized the throne -in trust for his father, and that Dost Mahomed himself was even then -on his way through the Punjab to resume his old dominion. And so the -English army left secure on the throne of Afghanistan the dynasty they -had spent so many millions of treasure and so many thousands of lives -to overthrow. - - - - - LONDON: - GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS, - ST. JOHN'S SQUARE, E.C. - - - - -Transcriber's Notes - - -Obvious punctuation errors repaired. - -Inconsistent hyphenation fixed. - -P. 22: He proceded to Teheran -> He proceeded to Teheran. - -Pp. 19 (twice), 57: Dost Mohamed -> Dost Mahomed. - -P. 30: to be be applied -> to be applied. - -P. 32: five brigades of of infantry -> five brigades of infantry. - -P. 33: Burnes with with him -> Burnes with him. - -P. 51: you own terms -> your own terms. - -P. 85: salutatations were exchanged -> salutations were exchanged. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The First Afghan War, by Mowbray Morris - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR *** - -***** This file should be named 50145-8.txt or 50145-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/1/4/50145/ - -Produced by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The First Afghan War - -Author: Mowbray Morris - -Release Date: October 6, 2015 [EBook #50145] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR *** - - - - -Produced by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<h1><small>THE</small><br />FIRST AFGHAN WAR.</h1> - -<p class="center spaced space-above"> -<small>BY</small><br /> -MOWBRAY MORRIS.</p> - -<p class="center spaced space-above"> -London:<br /> -SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON,<br /> -CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.<br /> -1878.<br /> -[<i>All rights reserved.</i>] -</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<h2>PREFACE.</h2> - - -<p>The following pages pretend to give nothing more -than a short summary of events already recorded -by recognised authorities.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> - -<div class="center"> -THE<br /> -<big> -FIRST AFGHAN WAR. -</big></div> - - -<p>It was in the year 1808, when the power of Napoleon -was at its height, that diplomatic relations were -first opened between the Courts of Calcutta and -Cabul. Napoleon, when in Egypt, had meditated -on the chances of striking a fatal blow at England -through her Indian dependencies; some correspondence -had actually passed between him and Tippoo -Saib on the subject, and subsequently, in 1801, he -had concluded a treaty with the Russian Emperor -Paul for an invasion of India by a force of 70,000 -men, to be composed of equal parts of French and -Russian troops. The proposed line of march was -to lie through Astrakhan and Afghanistan to the -Indus, and was to be heralded by Zemaun Shah, -who then ruled at Cabul, at the head of 100,000 -Afghans. There was but little danger indeed to be -apprehended from Afghanistan alone, but Afghanistan -with Russia and France in the background was -capable of proving a very troublesome enemy. In -such circumstances the attitude of Persia was of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span> -last importance, and Marquess Wellesley, then Viceroy -of India, at once proceeded to convert a possible -enemy into a certain and valuable ally. A young -officer who had distinguished himself under Harris at -Seringapatam was selected for this delicate service. -How the young captain, whom Englishmen remember -as Sir John Malcolm, fulfilled his mission is -matter of history. A thorough master of all Oriental -languages, and as skilful in council as he was brave -in the field, Malcolm soon pledged the Court of -Persia to the interests of England, and not only was -it agreed that the two contracting parties should -unite to expel any French force that might seek to -gain a footing on any of the islands or shores of -Persia, but the latter Government bound itself to -"slay and disgrace" any Frenchman found in the -country. This treaty, which may be thought to -have somewhat dangerously stretched the bounds of -diplomatic hostility, was, however, never formally -ratified, and internal dissensions, culminating in the -deposition of Zemaun Shah by his brother Mahmoud, -removed all danger from our frontier for a time.</p> - -<p>But the idea still lived in Napoleon's restless -heart. The original treaty with Paul was discussed -with his successor Alexander, and in 1808 a French -mission, with the avowed design of organizing the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span> -proposed invasion, was despatched, not to Cabul, -but to Teheran. The magic of Napoleon's name -was stronger even than British eloquence and British -gold, and Malcolm, once all-powerful in Iran, when -he sought to renew the former pledges of amity, was -turned back with insult from the Persian capital. -A second mission, however, despatched direct from -London under the guidance of Sir Harford Jones, -was more fortunate. Napoleon had been defeated -in Spain, and the news of his defeat had spread. -Russia was something less eager for the French -alliance than she had been in 1801, while between -the Muscovites and the Persians there had long -existed a hereditary feud, which the proposed league -had by no means served to extinguish. The English -envoy, skilfully piecing together these broken threads -to his own ends, was enabled with little loss of time -to conclude an offensive and defensive alliance between -Great Britain and Persia, the earliest result -of which was the immediate dismissal of the French -mission. By this treaty the Persian King bound -himself not to permit the passage through his dominions -of any force hostile to India, and, in the event -of war arising between England and Afghanistan, to -invade the latter at the cost of the former; furthermore, -he declared null all treaties previously concluded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> -by him with any other European power. -The English, in their turn, pledged themselves to -assist him, should his kingdom be invaded, either -with men or money and arms, but should the war -be one only with Afghanistan, they were not to -interfere unless their interference was sought by -both parties. Though this treaty was concluded in -1808-9, it was not formally ratified till November 15, -1814.</p> - -<p>Not on Persia alone, however, was the English -Government content to rely. In a friendly Afghanistan -was a second most serviceable string which it -had been the height of imprudence to let another fit -to his bow. The two countries stood in almost precisely -similar relations to English India; each as an -enemy contemptible single-handed, but a dangerous -item in an invading force; each a useful ally, and -each a salutary check upon the other. At the same -time, then, as Sir Harford Jones was neutralizing -the French influence at Teheran, the Honourable -Mountstuart Elphinstone was despatched by Lord -Minto, who had succeeded Lord Wellesley at Calcutta, -to the Court of Cabul.</p> - -<p>Previous to the year 1808 Afghanistan was practically -a <i>terra incognita</i> to Englishmen. Zemaun -Shah, the once terrible Ameer whose threatened<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> -invasion had disturbed even the strong mind of Lord -Wellesley, was, indeed, in their hands, living, dethroned -and blinded, a pensioner on their bounty at -Loodhianah, but of the country he had once ruled over -and of the subjects who had driven him into exile -but little was known in Calcutta and still less in -London. Before the close of the eighteenth century -but one Englishman had ever penetrated into that -unknown land. Forster, a member of the Bengal -Civil Service, in 1783-84 had crossed the Punjab -to Cashmere, and thence had descended through the -great Khyber and Koord-Cabul passes to the Afghan -stronghold, whence journeying on by Ghuznee, Candahar, -and Herat he had won his way to the borders -of the Caspian Sea. His book was not published till -some fifteen years after, and shows chiefly, to use -Kaye's words, "how much during the last seventy -years the Afghan Empire and how little the Afghan -character is changed." But the labour and intelligence -of one man, however much they may profit -himself, have rarely by themselves added much to -the knowledge of a nation. Many well-read Englishmen -could still own to little more than a vague -idea of Afghanistan; that it was a bare and rocky -country, which the heat of summer and the cold of -winter alike rendered impervious to travellers, happily<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> -shut out from more civilised regions by a mighty -barrier of mountains, topped with eternal snow, -through which, by passes inaccessible to all save the -mountaineers themselves, hordes of savage warriors -had in earlier days poured down in irresistible flood -on the fertile valleys of the Indus. Elphinstone let -in more light on the gloomy and mysterious scene. -Though with his own eyes he saw but little of the -country and the people, as his journey was stayed at -Peshawur, he acquired from various sources a vast -amount of information, which he reproduced with -extraordinary distinctness. His book rapidly became -the acknowledged text-book of the history and geography -of the country, and may still be read with -pleasure and studied with profit. It would have -been well if one of the lessons he taught had been -better laid to heart; and thirty years later his unfortunate -namesake must have recalled with peculiar -bitterness all he had once read of the ingrained -treachery of the Afghan character. The mission was -in itself entirely successful, though the rapid march -of events soon neutralised, and eventually wholly -destroyed its work. Shah Soojah, a name to be -before many years but too familiar to English ears, -received the envoys at Peshawur, then one of the -chief cities of his kingdom. He appeared to them<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> -in royal state, seated on a golden throne, and blazing -with jewels, chief among which shone forth in a -gorgeous bracelet the mighty Koh-i-noor. Nor were -the English outdone in magnificence. The entire -mission was on a scale of profuse splendour, and the -presents they brought with them so numerous and -so costly that when, thirty years later, Burnes arrived -in Cabul the courtiers turned in disgust from what -Kaye contemptuously calls "his pins and needles, -and little articles of hardware, such as would have -disgraced the wallet of a pedlar of low repute." -The envoys were most hospitably received, and Elphinstone -formed a very favourable opinion of the -character of Soojah, whom he described as both -affable and dignified and bearing the "manners of a -gentleman." He listened attentively to the envoys' -proposals, and declared that "England and Cabul -were designed by the Creator to be united by bonds -of everlasting friendship," but at the same time he -confessed his country to be in such an unsettled condition, -and his own throne so insecure, that, for the -present, the best advice he could give the English -gentlemen was that they should retire beyond the -frontier. On June 14th, 1809, therefore, the mission -set out on its homeward journey, having, however, -arranged a treaty, which was shortly after formally<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> -ratified by Lord Minto at Calcutta, by which Soojah -bound himself to treat the French, if allied with the -Persians, much as the Persian monarch had pledged -himself to behave to them if allied with the Afghans. -But even at the very time of ratification this treaty -had been practically rendered null by the success of -Sir Harford Jones's mission to Teheran, and within -a year Soojah had been deposed by his brother -Mahmoud, from whom he had himself wrested the -crown, and was a captive in the hands of Runjeet -Singh.</p> - -<p>The final overthrow of Napoleon in 1815 removed -all fears of a French advance on India, but in its -stead arose the still more imminent shadow of -Russia. For many years past that shadow had been -looming larger and larger to the eyes of the kings -of Teheran, till the annexation of Georgia brought -the eagles of the Czar over the Caucasus up to -the very frontier of their northern provinces. The -English alliance, and an army drilled under -the supervision of English officers, had, however, -turned the head of the Persian king, and his heir, -Abbas Mirza, at the head of 40,000 troops, of -whom half were drilled and equipped after the -English fashion, dared, in 1826, to throw down the -gauntlet to the Czar. He paid dearly for his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> -daring. English drill and English arms availed -him little without English officers. His son, Mahomed -Mirza, was utterly routed with the division -under his command, and soon after he himself was -defeated in open battle by the Russian Paskewitch -with a loss of 1200 men. The English help, -promised by the treaty of 1814 in the event of -Persia becoming involved in war with any European -power, was not forthcoming. Mediation took the -place of armed men, and with the help of Great -Britain a peace was concluded in 1828 between the -two powers, humiliating to Persia, and ultimately -disastrous to England. By this treaty Persia lost -the Khanates of Erivan and Nakhichevan, and -practically her whole defensive frontier to the north. -In Sir Harford Jones's words, "Persia was delivered, -bound hand and foot, to the Court of St. Petersburg." -The territory acquired by Russia was nearly equal -in extent to the whole of England, and her outposts -were brought within a few days' march of the -Persian capital. From that time, up to Lord -Auckland's arrival at Calcutta in 1836, Persia was -little more than a minion of the Czar, used by him -to cover the steady advance of his battalions eastward. -The death of Futteh Ali Shah, at Ispahan in -1834, snapped the last link that bound Persia to our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -interests. Futteh Ali, as far as lay in his power, -had ever striven to remain faithful to his English -allies, and to resist, as far as he dared, Russian -intrigue and Russian influence within his kingdom. -But his son and grandson had welcomed the Muscovite -alliance with open arms, and when the latter -ascended the throne on his grandfather's death, it -was evident that the Czar would be paramount at -the Persian Court. Mahomed Mirza Shah, the new -king, had long dreamed of the conquest of Herat -and the extension of his eastern frontier, and had -more than once, in his grandfather's lifetime, striven -to turn his dreams to facts. Nothing could have -been more favourable to the Russian plans, and no -sooner was Mahomed secure upon the throne than -he was urged to the immediate execution of his -long-cherished designs. Such was the state of -affairs when Lord Auckland was despatched by -Lord Melbourne in 1836 to take the reins of Indian -Government from the hands of Sir Charles Metcalfe.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile many changes had taken place at -Cabul. The weak and dissolute Mahmoud, the -deposer of Soojah, proved no more than a puppet in -the hands of his Vizier, Futteh Khan, the head of -the great Barukzye tribe. The youngest of the -twenty brothers of this able and powerful chief was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -the celebrated Dost Mahomed. Born of a woman -of an inferior tribe, he had entered life as a sweeper -of the sacred tomb of Lamech. From thence he -was promoted to hold a menial office about the -person of his great brother, into whose favour he at -length rose by the murder, when only a boy of -fourteen, of one of the Vizier's enemies. From -that time his rise was steady, and as he rose so did -he discard the follies and excesses of his youth, -displaying a daring and heroic spirit, great military -address, and a power of self-discipline and self-control -unparalleled among the chiefs of Central -Asia. To his hands was entrusted the execution of -the Vizier's project for establishing the Barukzyes -in Herat, then held by a brother of the reigning -king. The design was completely successful for the -moment, owing to the daring and also to the -treachery of Dost Mahomed, but the blow recoiled -with fearful force on the person of the Vizier. -Returning from his raid against the Persians, which -had been the ostensible pretext for his march to -Herat, Futteh Khan was seized by Prince Kamran, -son of Mahmoud; his eyes were put out, and -persisting in his refusal to give up his brother to -the Prince's vengeance, he was hacked to pieces -before the whole court. This brutal act finally<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -overthrew the long tottering dynasty of the Suddozyes, -who had been kings in Cabul since Ahmed -Shah founded the Afghan Empire in 1747. Dost -Mahomed's vengeance was sudden and no less brutal. -But it is impossible in this limited space to enter -into all the details of his rise to the chief seat -of power. It must suffice to say that when Lord -Auckland entered on his government Dost Mahomed -was firmly seated on the throne of Cabul, and the -whole of the country in the hands of the Barukzye -Sirdars, with the exception of Herat, where Kamran -still reigned, the last remnant, save the exiled -Soojah, of the legitimate line.</p> - -<p>Shortly after Lord Auckland's arrival at Calcutta -Dost Mahomed addressed to him a letter of congratulation -on his assumption of office. Adverting -to his quarrel with the Sikhs, who, under Runjeet -Singh, the old one-eyed "Lion of the Punjab," -had wrested the rich valley of Peshawur from the -Afghan Empire, he said, "the late transactions in -this quarter, the conduct of the reckless and misguided -Sikhs, and their breach of treaty, are well -known to your Lordship. Communicate to me -whatever may suggest itself to your wisdom for the -settlement of the affairs of this country, that it may -serve as a rule for my guidance." And he concluded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -with a hope that "your Lordship will consider me -and my country as your own." To this complimentary -effusion the Viceroy returned a suitable reply, -assuring the Ameer of his wish that the Afghans -should become a "flourishing and united nation," -but declining to interfere in the Sikh quarrel, on -the plea that it was not "the practice of the British -Government to interfere with the affairs of other -independent states." It was hinted, too, that "some -gentleman" would probably be deputed to the Ameer's -Court to discuss certain "commercial topics." This -plan, which had originally commended itself to Lord -William Bentinck, shortly after took effect in the -despatch of Captain Alexander Burnes to Cabul.</p> - -<p>But by this time affairs in Persia had reached -a crisis. Though Mahomed Shah, breathing fire -and sword against Herat, had ascended the throne -in 1834, it was not till 1837 that his threats -took practical shape. Despite the ceaseless promptings -of the Russian minister at Teheran (who, it -is perhaps needless to say, had, according to his -own Government, done his best to dissuade Mahomed -from any advance on the Afghan frontier), the Shah -still hung back. If Kamran would send hostages -and a large present, would own the Persian king as -sovereign, coin money, and have prayers read in his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -name, all should be well. The hostages and the -present Kamran was content to allow, but the rest -he could not stomach. The Barukzye chief who -ruled at Candahar viewed the proposed invasion -with complaisance, hoping to secure Herat for himself, -and being perfectly willing to hold it as a fief -of Persia. He even went so far as to propose to -send one of his sons to the Persian camp as hostage -for his fidelity, and to secure the best terms for -himself and his brothers. Dost Mahomed warned -him that if he did so he would be made "to bite -the finger of repentance," but the warning was disregarded. -Egged on by the flattering assurances of -the inestimable advantages to be derived from a -Persian alliance, that the Russian agent did not -cease to lay before him, Kohun Dil Khan disobeyed -the commands of his chief; the boy was to be sent, -and the alliance was to be completed. Mahomed -Shah then commenced his march against Herat, -and at the same time Burnes appeared at Cabul. -"Thus," says Kaye, "the seeds of the Afghan war -were sown."</p> - -<p>Burnes had been at Cabul before. He had gone -there in 1832, with the sanction of Lord William -Bentinck, and had been courteously received by Dost -Mahomed, of whom he had formed a very favourable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -opinion, in contrast with that which he entertained -of the weak and vacillating Soojah. His -opinion of the Ameer was, probably, in the main a -correct one, but he scarcely seems to have exercised -his usual judgment when he declared the Afghans -to be "a simple-minded, sober people, of frank and -open manners." Returning in the following year, -Burnes was sent to England to impart to the authorities -at home the results of his travels and observations. -In London he was received with the -greatest enthusiasm. His book was published, and -read by every one. He became the "lion" of the -season, and the name of "Bokhara Burnes" was to -be seen in every list of fashionable entertainments. -Returning to India in 1835, he was soon removed -from Cutch, where he had acted as Assistant to the -Resident, on a mission to the Ameers of Sindh. -While still engaged in that duty he received notice -to hold himself in readiness to proceed to Cabul, -and on November 26, 1836, he sailed from Bombay -"to work out the policy of opening the river Indus -to commerce." That Lord Auckland had at that -time any idea, much less any definite plan, of interfering -in Afghan politics is most unlikely, as it is -certain Lord William Bentinck had not when he -first thought of this "commercial" mission. It is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> -worthy of note, however, that when Burnes first -broached the plan to the Court of Directors at home -they refused to countenance it, feeling, in the words -of the chairman, Mr. Tucker, "perfectly assured -that it must soon degenerate into a political agency, -and that we should, as a necessary consequence, be -involved in all the entanglements of Afghan politics." -Mr. Grant, of the Board of Control, held -similar views, and Sir Charles Metcalfe in an emphatic -minute pointed out the evils of this "commercial -agency." The die, however, was cast, and -on September 20, 1837, Burnes for the second time -entered Cabul.</p> - -<p>As before, Dost Mahomed received him with all -courtesy, and with "great pomp and splendour." -The navigation of the Indus soon disappeared into -the background. From Burnes's own letters to Macnaghten, -the Political Secretary at Calcutta, it may -be seen how much of importance he himself attached -to his commercial character. Nevertheless, at a -private interview, "which lasted till midnight," -with the Ameer, he talked a good deal about the -Indus, and about trade, and other such harmless -topics. The Ameer listened with the greatest attention, -but when it came to his turn to speak, he -substituted for the Indus the word Peshawur, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -for commerce, the ability and resources of Runjeet -Singh. If only he could regain Peshawur it was -very evident that whoso would might hold the trade -of the Indus. On this head Burnes was cautious. -He suggested that possibly some arrangement might -be concluded with Runjeet Singh by which Peshawur -might be restored to the Ameer's brother -Mahomed, from whose government the Sikhs had -originally won it. But the Ameer wanted it for -himself, and by no manner of means for his brother. -Further than this, however, Burnes would not commit -himself. He distinctly stated, moreover, that -neither Dost Mahomed nor his brothers (should -they decline the Persian alliance, of which the -Ameer, and probably with sincerity, declared himself -in no way desirous) must found any hopes on -British aid. Sympathy he promised largely, should -they behave themselves well, but not a single rupee -nor a single musket. Still, even after this, the -Ameer persisted in his professions of friendship to -the English, nor is there any reason to doubt that -he, at that time, meant what he said. Nay, he -even offered himself to compel his brothers at Candahar -to break once and for all with the Shah; but -this Burnes declined, exhorting him, however, to -use all pacific means to influence them, and himself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -writing to Kohun Dil to threaten him with the displeasure -of England if he continued his intrigues -with the Persian and Russian Courts. At that particular -time the Candahar chiefs had rather cooled -in their desire for the Persian alliance, and began -to have suspicions that instead of obtaining Herat -they were not unlikely to lose Candahar. Burnes -thereupon despatched Lieutenant Leech, an officer -of his mission, to them, promising them that should -the Persian army after the fall of Herat advance on -Candahar, he would himself march with Dost Mahomed -to their defence, which he would further with -all the means in his power. It was a bold step, -but as many thought at the time, and as nearly all -were agreed afterwards, it was by far the best that -could have been taken. Lord Auckland, however, -thought, or was advised to think otherwise. Burnes -was severely censured for having so far exceeded his -instructions—though he might well have pleaded in -excuse that he knew not what were the instructions -he had exceeded—and ordered at once to "set himself -right with the chiefs." There was nothing left -for him but to obey, and the result of his obedience -was a treaty concluded between the chiefs and the -Shah under a Russian guarantee.</p> - -<p>Such a risk was not to be run again, nor was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -Burnes for the future to be able to plead any want -of definite instructions. From this time forward -his instructions were, indeed, explicit enough. -Briefly they may be defined as to ask for everything -and to give nothing. In vain did Dost Mahomed -point out that in desiring to regain Peshawur from -the Sikhs, he was doing practically no more than -England was avowedly bent on doing, on guarding -his frontier from danger, and that to exchange -Runjeet Singh for his brother Mahomed was but to -make his last state worse than his first. Burnes -himself fully recognized the justice of his arguments, -but Burnes's masters remained obstinately deaf. All -they would promise was to restrain Runjeet Singh -from attacking Dost Mahomed, provided Dost Mahomed -in return bound himself to abstain from an -alliance with any other state. At this, says Burnes, -the Sirdars only laughed. "Such a promise," said -Jubbar Khan, the Ameer's brother, and a staunch -champion of the English cause, "such a promise -amounts to nothing, for we are not under the apprehension -of any aggressions from Lahore; they -have hitherto been on the side of the Ameer, not of -Runjeet Singh, and yet for such a promise you -expect us to desist from all intercourse with Russia, -with Persia, with Toorkistan, with every nation but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> -England." To make matters still worse, at this -crisis a new actor appeared on the scene, the Russian -Vickovitch, bearing letters from Count Simonich and -from the Czar himself, though the latter was unsigned, -so as to be repudiated or acknowledged as -events might require. The Ameer, still willing to -please the British, offered to turn the Russian back -from his gates, but that, Burnes pointed out, would -be contrary to the rule of civilised nations, and -Vickovitch was therefore allowed to enter Cabul and -to present his letters, which were ostensibly, as those -of Burnes had been, of a purely commercial bearing. -What Burnes, however, thought of the arrival, he -showed plainly enough in a letter written a few days -after to a private friend. "We are in a mess here," -he writes. "The Emperor of Russia has sent an -envoy to Cabul with a blazing letter three feet long, -offering Dost Mahomed money to fight Runjeet Singh.... -It is now a neck-and-neck race between -Russia and ourselves, and if his Lordship would hear -reason he would forthwith send agents to Bokhara, -Herat, Candahar, and Koondooz, not forgetting -Sindh." His Lordship, however, would not hear -such reason as Burnes had to offer, and when on -March 5th, 1838, certain specific demands were -presented by the Ameer, that the English should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -protect Cabul and Candahar from Persia, that -Runjeet Singh should be compelled to restore -Peshawur, and various others of the same tendency, -Burnes could only, in the name of the British -Government, refuse his assent to any and all of -them, and then sit down to write a formal request -for his dismissal. One more attempt was made by -Dost Mahomed to come to terms, but it was of no -use. The old ground was traversed again, and only -with the old result. As a last resource the Ameer -wrote to Lord Auckland in terms almost of humility, -imploring him "to remedy the grievances of the -Afghans," and to "give them a little encouragement -and power." This was the last effort, and it failed. -Then the game was up indeed. Vickovitch was sent -for and received with every mark of honour; one of -the Candahar chiefs came up in haste to Cabul, and -on April 26th, 1838, Burnes turned his back on the -Afghan capital.</p> - -<p>As the Russian here disappears from our story a -a few words as to his subsequent career and end -may not be out of place. After the departure of -the English envoy he flung himself heart and soul -into his business; promising men, promising money, -promising everything that the Ameer asked. He -even proposed to visit Lahore and use his good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -offices with Runjeet Singh, but that plea failed, owing -chiefly to the address of Mackeson, our agent at -Lahore. For a time the Russian was all-powerful -throughout Afghanistan, but after the repulse of the -Persians from Herat and the entry of the English -into Cabul his star paled. He proceeded to Teheran -to give a full report of his doings to the Russian -Minister there, and by him was ordered to proceed -direct to St. Petersburg. Arrived there, flattered -with hope, for he felt he had done all man -could do, he reported himself to Count Nesselrode. -The minister refused to see him. "I know no -Captain Vickovitch," was the answer, "except an -adventurer of that name who is reported to have -been lately engaged in some unauthorised intrigues -at Cabul and Candahar." Vickovitch understood -the answer thoroughly. He knew that severe remonstrance -had been sent from London to St. Petersburg; -he knew his own Government only too well. -He went home, burnt his papers, wrote a few lines -of reproach, and blew his brains out.</p> - -<p>To return to Cabul. Notwithstanding the Russian -promises, and the exultation of his brothers at -Candahar, the Ameer felt that he had acted unwisely. -Very soon he saw that Russia could do little more -than promise, and that England had made up her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -mind to perform. Despite Russian money and -Russian men, the Shah could not force his way into -Herat while Eldred Pottinger stood behind the -crumbling walls, and a vast army was assembling -on the banks of the Indus to drive Dost Mahomed -and the whole Barukzye clan from power.</p> - -<p>To keep friends with the Afghan ruler and to -preserve the independence of his Empire was the -obvious policy of the British Government. But the -authorities at Simlah, Lord Auckland, Mr. Macnaghten, -Mr. Henry Torrens and Mr. John Colvin, -had determined that that ruler should be, not the -Barukzye Dost Mahomed, a man of proved energy -and ability, who had shown himself anxious to -cultivate the friendship of England, and who possessed -the confidence and the favour of his subjects, -but the Suddozye Shah Soojah, who, though born of -the legitimate line, was no less a usurper than Dost -Mahomed himself, who was regarded by the majority -of his countrymen with indifference and contempt, and -who more than once had proved alike his inability -to administer and to maintain dominion. By what -process of reasoning the Viceroy arrived at this remarkable -conclusion has never been made perfectly -clear, but though he alone, notwithstanding Sir John -Hobhouse's generous declaration from the Board of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -Control, will be, rightly or wrongly, held by posterity -responsible for the disastrous events which followed, -it is at least to his credit that he left no stone -unturned to arrive at the opinions of all competent -advisers before deciding on his own. Prominent -among these was Mr. McNeill, then our envoy at -the Court of Teheran, a man of keen powers of -observation and undoubted ability, who may be said to -share with Pottinger the glory of the Persian repulse -from Herat. His plan, as he impressed more than -once on Burnes, was to consolidate the Afghan -Empire under Dost Mahomed. Placing no reliance -on the sincerity of the Candahar chiefs, he yet -entertained a high opinion of the Ameer himself, -whom he would have been well pleased to see -established in Herat and Candahar as well as in -Cabul. McNeill's correspondence, however, had -to pass through the hands of Captain, afterwards -Sir Claudius, Wade, himself also well versed in the -politics of Central Asia, and at that time holding -the responsible post of Governor-General's Agent on -the North-Western Frontier. Wade forwarded a -copy of McNeill's letter to the Governor, and -forwarded with it one from himself in which he -strongly deprecated the policy of consolidation. To -him it seemed better that the Afghan Empire should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -remain, as it then was, sub-divided into practically -independent states, each of whom, as he conceived, -would be more likely in their own interests to court -our friendship and to meet our views, than if -brought under the yoke of one ruler, to whom they -could never be expected to yield a passive obedience. -"Supposing," he continued, "we were to aid Dost -Mahomed to overthrow in the first place his brother -at Candahar, and then his Suddozye rival at Herat, -what would be the consequence? As the system of -which it is intended to be a part would go to -gratify the longing wish of Mahomed Shah for the -annexation of Herat to his dominions, the first -results would be that the Shah-Zadah Kamran would -apply to Persia, and offer, on the condition of her -assistance to save him from the fate which impended -over his head, to submit to all the demands of that -General, which Kamran has hitherto so resolutely -and successfully resisted, and between his fears and -the attempts of Dost Mahomed to take it, Herat, -which is regarded by everyone who has studied its -situation as the key to Afghanistan, would inevitably -fall prostrate before the arms of Persia, by the effect -of the very measures which we had designed for its -security from Persian thraldom." That it was our -interest to maintain the independence of Herat was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -obvious, so long as Herat was able to remain in the -position it was then assuming, that of a barrier -against Russo-Persian invasion. Prince Kamran -was, in fact, then playing our game as well as we -could have played it ourselves. But the question -was, how long would Herat be able to retain its -independence? The fall of Herat meant the fall of -Candahar, and the absorption of all Southern and -Western Afghanistan into a Persian province, and a -Persian province was then but another name for a -Russian province. Could it have been possible, and -that McNeill thought it possible was a strong -argument in its favour, to consolidate the various -states under one ruler strong enough to retain the -reins when once placed in his hands, Herat and -Candahar would have been secured for ever, and -there would have arisen in a united Afghanistan a -perpetual barrier to Russian ambition. Had we -come to terms with Dost Mahomed, in all human -probability we should not have had to chastise the -insolence of his son. Burnes for his part still -championed the cause of the Ameer, urging that -it was not yet too late to secure his friendship, that, -despite all that had taken place, he still wanted -only the smallest encouragement to range himself -on our side, and that as whatever action was taken<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> -could not be taken save at some cost, the money -could not be better spent than on Dost Mahomed. -But when Burnes's opinion was asked, the Government -had already decided on their policy, and as -Dost Mahomed was to go, he was only asked to -pronounce on the expediency of choosing Soojah as -his successor. It seemed to him that McNeill's -plan, of which he was a staunch advocate, would be -better served by restoring Soojah to his crown than -by giving it to Sultan Mahomed or any other of the -chiefs, who would probably be but a tool in the -hands of the Sikhs, themselves objects of bitter -hatred to the Afghans. As the Government, then, -were committed to one of two evils, Burnes gave -his vote in favour of that which seemed to him -the least, and which he, in common with the rest of -the Council, believed could be accomplished with -little danger and at comparatively little expense.</p> - -<p>Lord Auckland's first idea was that the deposition -of Dost Mahomed should be effected by the combined -forces of Runjeet Singh and Soojah, raised -and drilled under British supervision, and assisted -by British gold—in Kaye's words, "England was to -remain in the background, jingling the money-bag." -Such were the first instructions issued to the Mission -sent in May, 1838, to sound Runjeet Singh on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -design, but scarcely had they been written when the -thought of employing British troops seems first to -have dawned in, or been introduced into Lord Auckland's -mind. He would have preferred that the two -Princes should undertake the work on their own -account, while he contributed merely his countenance -and perhaps some money, but he was very -doubtful whether the Princes would see the matter -in the same light. Macnaghten, the leader of the -mission, was instructed therefore to suggest the -first course to Runjeet Singh, and should he view -that with disfavour, to hold out the possibility of -some sort of "demonstration" being undertaken by -British troops from some convenient point. The -event proved that Lord Auckland's doubts were -just. The Sikh Prince heard the proposal for restoring -Soojah with pleasure, and at once gave his -consent to the plan; but when Macnaghten, cautiously -feeling his way, hinted that an army of -Sikhs, together with such a force as Soojah could -raise with British help, would be amply sufficient, -the crafty old man stopped him with an emphatic -refusal. That England should become a third -party to the treaty already existing between him -and Soojah was, in his own phrase "adding sugar -to milk;" he was willing, moreover, himself to play<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> -such a part as England might deem necessary; but -with the independent expedition he would have nothing -to do. Macnaghten therefore at once returned -to his original proposal, and after a good deal of -fencing and delay on Bunjeet Singh's part, the treaty -was concluded. From Soojah, of course, little -difficulty was to be anticipated, but he, unlike -Runjeet Singh, though willing to employ British gold -and British skill in equipping and disciplining the -forces he declared his ability at once to bring to his -standard, was by no means anxious to see a British -force in the field with him. He was doubtful what -effect such an apparition in their strongholds might -have upon his countrymen, nor was he at all desirous -to appear as owing his throne to British -bayonets. He proposed that his own force should -proceed by way of the Bolan Pass on Candahar and -Ghuznee, while the Sikhs, with whom should go -his son Timour, should march on the capital through -the Khyber and Koord-Cabul defiles. Already, he -said, had he received offers of allegiance from numerous -chiefs discontented with the Barukzye rule, and -offended at Dost Mahomed's alliance with the Persians, -prominent among whom appeared, strangely -enough, the name of Abdoolah Khan, destined to -become the prime mover in the insurrection which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> -ultimately cost Soojah his life, and restored the -Barukzye dynasty. "The faggots," they wrote, -"are ready; it only requires the lighted torch to be -applied." Soojah therefore was urgent with -Macnaghten that he should be allowed to accomplish -his restoration with his own troops, as he -expressed himself confident of doing; a feat which -would greatly tend to raise his character among his -countrymen, while the fact of his being "upheld by -foreign force alone could not fail to detract in a -great measure from his dignity and consequence." -Soojah's wishes, in fact, tallied precisely with Lord -Auckland's original design, but every day brought -fresh complications, with fresh confirmation of the -impracticability of that design. First Soojah and -Runjeet Singh alone were to be the agents; then a -British force was to "demonstrate" in reserve at -Shikarpoor; next a few British regiments were to -be added to Soojah's levies. Finally, all these plans -were dismissed, and one wholly different to any -Lord Auckland had hitherto dreamed of was substituted -in their stead.</p> - -<p>Sir Henry Fane, Commander-in-chief of the -British army in India, was then at Simlah, with -Lord Auckland. That he had from the first disapproved -of English interference with Afghan politics<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> -the following passage from his correspondence -with Sir Charles Metcalfe, written in 1837, sufficiently -proves. "Every advance you might make -beyond the Sutlej to the westward, in my opinion, -adds to your military weakness ... if you want -your empire to expand, expand it over Oude or over -Gwalior and the remains of the Mahratta Empire. -Make yourselves complete sovereigns of all within -your bounds, <i>but let alone the far West</i>." But as it -had been decided that the work was to be done, he -was vehement in his opinion that it should be done -as thoroughly as possible. With a "fine old Tory" -contempt of anything approaching to economy, he -advised the employment of a regular British force, -horse, foot, and artillery, with which there could be -no possibility of a reverse, a contingency in the -peculiar circumstances of the case to be guarded -against with more than common care. There were, -still nearer to the Viceroy's person, other and even -warmer advocates of the same policy; so after some -weeks of suspense and oscillation Lord Auckland -yielded, and the fiat for the "Army of the Indus" -went forth.</p> - -<p>In August the regiments selected were warned -for field service, and in September a General Order -published the constitution of the force. It was to be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -divided into two columns, the Bengal column and the -Bombay column. The former was to consist of a brigade -of artillery under Colonel Graham; a brigade of -cavalry under Colonel Arnold; and five brigades -of infantry under Colonels Sale and Bennie, of Her -Majesty's, and Colonels Nott, Roberts, and Worseley, -of the Company's service. The latter were told -off into two divisions under Sir Willoughby Cotton, -an officer of Her Majesty's army, who had seen service -in the Burmese war, and Major-General Duncan, of -the Company's army. The whole was to be under -the personal command of Sir Henry Fane himself. -The Bombay column was to consist of a brigade of -artillery under Colonel Stevenson; a brigade of -cavalry under Major-General Thackwell; a brigade -of infantry under Major-General Wiltshire; the -whole to be under the command of Sir John Keane, -Commander-in-chief of the Bombay army. The -English regiments selected were, besides the artillery, -in the Bengal column, the 16th Lancers and the 3rd -and 13th Regiments of the Line; in the Bombay -column, the 4th Dragoons and the 2nd and 17th -Regiments of the Line. Besides these troops, Soojah's -own levies were being actively raised on the -other side of the Indus, under the supervision of -Captain Wade, who found it no easy matter to quiet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -the Afghan's not unfounded fears lest he should come -to be no more than a puppet in the hands of the -English officers, and his restoration finally effected, not -by his own arms, but by the English bayonets. Though -the sympathies of the majority of our army were rather -with Dost Mahomed than with Soojah, and it was far -from clear to them on what pretext they were to invade -the former's kingdom, the prospect of active employment -after so many years of repose was popular with -all classes of military men, and from every quarter -of India officers, leaving without a murmur the luxurious -ease of well-paid staff appointments, made -haste to rejoin their regiments. Scarcely less important -than the selection of the military commands -was the selection of the envoys who were to accompany -the different columns in a political capacity. -Wade of course was to march with the Sikh force -destined to escort Prince Timour through the Khyber -Pass to his father's capital, but it was not so easy -to determine on whom should devolve the delicate -duty of directing the mind of Soojah himself, and -shaping the political course of his operations. Sir -Henry Fane not unreasonably wished that the entire -control, political as well as military, should be vested -in his own hands, and proposed to take Burnes with -him as his confidential adviser. But Lord<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -Auckland had other views, and, contrary to general -expectation, his choice fell on Macnaghten, under -whom Burnes, after a momentary, and not unnatural, -fit of disgust, agreed to serve in a subordinate -capacity, believing, in common with others, -that Soojah once firmly seated on the throne, Macnaghten -would return, and the chief control of affairs -would then devolve upon him.</p> - -<p>On October 1st the Declaration of War was issued. -If our officers were doubtful before as to the right of -their cause this document certainly tended but little -to solve their doubts. Hardly, moreover, had the -Simlah manifesto had time to penetrate through -India when news arrived of the raising of the siege -of Herat. As the deliverance of Herat, and Western -Afghanistan generally, from Persian rule had formed, -according to the proclamation, the principal object -of the expedition, it was supposed that the English -army would now be disbanded, and Soojah and -Runjeet Singh left to their own devices. Even -those of the authorities at home who had allowed -that, while a Persian force was still at the gates of -Herat, Lord Auckland could not do otherwise than -prepare for its defence, were unanimously of opinion -that the motive for the expedition had now ceased to -exist. Among such authorities conspicuously appear<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -the names of the Duke of Wellington, Lord Wellesley, -Sir Charles Metcalfe, Mountstuart Elphinstone, and -others of scarce less weight and experience. Lord -Auckland and his advisers were not, however, of this -number. The army was to be reduced in strength, -it is true, since there was no longer any prospect of -an encounter with Persia, or possibly with Russia, -but the expedition was in no way to be abandoned. -Instead of two divisions the Bengal column was to -consist only of one; two brigades of infantry were -to be left behind; and the cavalry and artillery were -to be proportionately reduced. Nor was Sir Henry -Fane inclined to retain the command of a force whose -numbers were so diminished, and whose probabilities -of action were so limited. The Bengal column was -therefore placed in the hands of Sir Willoughby -Cotton, and on its junction with the column from -Bombay the chief command was to fall to Sir John -Keane, who led the latter force.</p> - -<p>All things were now ready, but before the army -broke ground a grand ceremony was to take place, a -ceremony which had indeed been arranged before -any note of war had been sounded. On November -29th Lord Auckland and Runjeet Singh met at -Ferozepore. It was a magnificent pageant. The -Viceroy's camp was pitched about four miles from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -the river Gharra. The English army lay on the -plain, a noble force, in perfect order and condition, and -brought together, according to Havelock, in a manner -that had never before been equalled. Escorted by the -principal military and political English officers, Runjeet -Singh rode up on his elephant through a splendid -guard of honour, amid the thunder of artillery and -the clash of innumerable bands, to the Durbar tent. -Lord Auckland and Sir Henry Fane rode out to -meet him, and as the two cavalcades joined such was -the crush and uproar that many of the Sikh chiefs, -thinking there was some design afoot on their -prince, began "to blow their matches and grasp -their weapons with a mingled air of distrust and -ferocity." With some difficulty a passage was -cleared, and the little decrepit old man, supported -by the Viceroy and the Commander-in-chief, entered -the tent where the costly presents prepared for him -were laid out. Ordnance of British make, horses -and elephants magnificently caparisoned, were all -inspected and admired, and, while a royal salute -thundered without, the prince bowed low before a -picture of Queen Victoria, borne into his presence -by Sir Willoughby Cotton. As the infirm old chief -was being conducted round the tent he stumbled -and fell to the ground at the very muzzle of one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> -of the British guns. A murmur of horror arose -from his Sirdars at so dire an omen, but as the -Viceroy and Sir Henry Fane hastened to raise him -to his feet, their hearts were comforted by the -reflection that though their chief had fallen before -the British guns, the highest representatives of the -British Queen had raised him again to his feet.</p> - -<p>On the following day the visit was returned amid -a scene of still greater splendour and variety. -According to an eye-witness "the Sikhs shone down -the English." All the great Sirdars were present -in their most gorgeous trappings and mounted on -their finest steeds, while from a Sikh band the -strains of our own national anthem rose upon the -air, and from the Sikh guns pealed forth the salute -ordained for royalty alone. It must be confessed, -however, that Runjeet Singh's ideas of ceremony -were not all of the same exalted nature. At a later -period of the day, after all the due formalities were -over, the Viceroy was required to be present at "an -unseemly display of dancing girls, and the antics of -some male buffoons." The two following days were -devoted to military exercises. On the first Sir -Henry Fane manœuvred the British force with -elaborate skill and display; and on the second the -Sikh cavalry executed some less intricate movements<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -with the unqualified approval of their experienced -critics.</p> - -<p>With this the ceremony was at an end. Runjeet -Singh returned to Lahore, and the Viceroy followed -him on his first visit to the Sikh principality. The -final dispositions and selections were made by the -Commander-in-chief. A few weeks previously Soojah's -levies, about 6000 strong, horse, foot, and -artillery, under the command of Major-General -Simpson, had left Loodhianah on their way to the -front, and on December 10th, 1838, the British -troops marched out from Ferozepore on their first -stage to the Afghan capital.</p> - -<p>A glance at the map will suffice to show that a -more direct route might have been found from -Ferozepore to Cabul than down the bank of the -Indus to Bukkur, thence, across the river, by Shikarpoor -and Dadur, through the Bolan Pass, to -Quettah, and from Quettah, through the Kojuck, by -Candahar and Ghuznee to Cabul. In short, as -Kaye points out, the army was about to traverse -two sides of a triangle, instead of shaping its course -along a third. But there were two important reasons -for the choice of the longer route. In the first -place, Runjeet Singh had strong objections to -opening the Punjab to our troops; and in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -second place the Ameers of Sindh were to be -"coerced."</p> - -<p>Shikarpoor, on the northern bank of the Indus, -had originally formed a part of the great Douranee -Empire, handed down by Timour to Zemaun Shah -and his brothers, intact as it had been received -from the founder, Ahmed. But piece by piece the -kingdom had been dismembered through the quarrels -and weaknesses of its rulers. Cashmere, and Mooltan, -and Peshawur had been won by the Sikhs; -Herat had risen to independence; while Shikarpoor -with a fair slice of the southern frontier had passed -to the Ameers of Sindh. But though Shikarpoor -was theirs, they held, or had held it, in consideration -only of a yearly tribute, which tribute, unpaid -through many years, had now swelled, as Soojah -maintained, to no less a sum than twenty lakhs of -rupees, a sum gratuitously increased by the English -Government to twenty-five lakhs, that the terms of -Runjeet Singh (who was to have received half, but -had lately increased his wants) might be granted -without Soojah being the sufferer. The Ameers -themselves, however, told a different tale. Independently -of their not unreasonable objections to -the validity of a claim that had been suffered to -slumber for upwards of thirty years, they were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -enabled triumphantly, as they supposed, to point to -two releases of the debt, written in Korans, and -signed and sealed by Soojah. Thus fortified, they -declared to Colonel Pottinger, our agent at Hyderabad, -that "they were sure the Governor-General -did not intend to make them pay again for what -they had already bought and obtained, in the most -binding way, a receipt in full"—a mark of confidence -which Pottinger was instructed to demolish -without delay. Nor was this the only difficulty -that the passage through Sindh promised to present. -In the treaty which had opened the Indus to -navigation, it had been expressly stipulated that the -river should be free to commerce only, and it -became therefore necessary, for the transport of our -army, that this treaty should be broken. Pottinger, -sorely against his will, was ordered to point out to -the Ameers that if they placed any obstacles in the -way of the "first and necessary" undertaking on -which their English friends had embarked, it would -be the painful duty of those friends to take steps to -ensure a more ready and hearty co-operation. In -other words, the Ameers were told that if they did -not do what was wanted of them, they would be -turned out to make room for those who would. -They must pay the twenty-five lakhs of rupees,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -the greater part of which would go into the -pockets of a man to whom they were indebted -not one single anna; they must consent to the -violation of the treaty of the Indus, and they -must further the advance of our army through their -territory in every possible way. If they did not -agree to these demands, they would find the consequences -disagreeable. It did not at first appear -that they were likely to agree. Burnes had, indeed, -managed to settle the difficulty of the Indus, and -the Ameers of Khyrpore, more tractable than the -Hyderabad princes, had agreed temporarily to cede -to the British the fortress of Bukkur, the point -selected for the passage. Soojah with his levies, -who were some days' march in advance of the -Bengal column, had already crossed, and was waiting -our arrival at Shikarpoor, but for a while it -seemed extremely doubtful when we should be able -to join him. The Ameers were waxing turbulent. -They had grossly insulted Pottinger, and were -openly collecting forces for the defence of their -capital. It was feared that the "painful duty" -would be found necessary, and orders were despatched -to Keane (who had landed with the Bombay army -at Vikkur in the end of November, but had been -temporarily delayed at Tattah for want of carriage)<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -to prepare to co-operate with Cotton against Hyderabad. -As the Bombay column moved up the right -bank of the river, the Bengal column, against the -urgent remonstrances of Macnaghten, moved down -the left bank to meet it. Both forces were in the -highest spirits. The defences of Hyderabad were -known to be weak; its treasures were believed to -be immense, and a prospect of unbounded loot -danced before the eyes of a soldiery who had almost -forgotten what the word meant. At the eleventh -hour, however, the enchanting prospect faded. The -Ameers consented to our demands; a part of the -tribute was paid, and Hyderabad was saved for a -time; while, what was then of still more importance, -a collision between the military and political authorities -was avoided.</p> - -<p>On February 20th, 1839, Cotton was at Shikarpoor, -and again differences between him and Macnaghten -seemed imminent. Soojah had found himself short -of carriage, and Macnaghten had asked Cotton to -supply him with 1000 camels from his own train. -But the General expressed himself strongly to the -effect that if Soojah was unable to advance his men, -it were far better that Soojah and his men should be -left behind than that their wants should be relieved -at the expense of the English troops. It was but too<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -apparent, even at that early stage, that the English -military officers were inclined to look upon Soojah -and his 6000 soldiers as altogether superfluous. -He was, indeed, a king who was to be restored to -his throne, but until the throne was ready for him -it would be better for all parties that he should -remain in the background. Macnaghten, keenly -alive to the danger of such sentiments, and feeling -himself especially bound, both in honour and interest, -to uphold the cause of our ally, combated -the military policy resolutely. A collision was -happily averted by the timely arrival of despatches -from the Viceroy, strongly tending to confirm -Macnaghten's views; nevertheless, when the English -force advanced, three days afterwards, the carriage -difficulty had not been solved, and Soojah with his -levies remained at Shikarpoor. Keane, who came -up with the Bombay army some days later, though -little less willing, was more able to help; but the -king, who had fondly hoped to head the advance -into his own kingdom, was, for the time, compelled -to content himself with a second place. Cotton's -march through the Bolan Pass to Quettah, though -arduous and painful, was unopposed. Many of -the camels and other beasts of burden dropped -dead on the route from want of water; there was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -considerable desertion among the camp followers, -and some plundering on the part of the Beloochees, -but progress was steadily made, and on March 26th -the column reached Quettah, "a most miserable -mud town, with a small castle on a mound, on -which there was a small gun on a ricketty carriage." -Here there seemed a fair prospect of sheer starvation. -Stores, as well as baggage, had been -abandoned among the rugged defiles of the Bolan -Pass, and Mehrab Khan, the Beloochee Prince of -Khelat, with whom Burnes had concluded a treaty -in our favour, either could not, or would not, help. -He declared that there was very little grain in his -country, and Burnes could not prove that he did -not speak truth, while he was bound to allow the -Khan's plea that much of the alleged scarcity was -owing, though unavoidably owing, to our own -presence. He could not, therefore, conscientiously -recommend Macnaghten to sanction Cotton's proposal -for a movement on Khelat, though convinced -in his own mind of our ally's treachery, and when -Keane, arriving at Quettah on April 6th, assumed -the chief command, it was decided to push on for -Candahar with all possible speed. Save for the -heat, and the scarcity of water, the advance proceeded -uneventfully enough. Our soldiers behaved<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -admirably under circumstances peculiarly trying to -Europeans, and experienced by many of them for -the first time. George Lawrence (one of the three -owners of a name which is a household word -throughout India, at that time a captain of the 2nd -Bengal Light Cavalry) relates how he saw a trooper -of the 16th Lancers pour the contents of a soda-water -bottle half full of water, a treasure then -worth its weight in gold, down the throat of a native -child on the point of perishing from thirst. As the -army neared Candahar, Soojah was moved up again -to the front, and many of the chiefs and people of -Western Afghanistan hastened to his standard. It -was known that Kohun Dil Khan had fled, that there -was open dissension among the Barukzye brotherhood, -and it soon became clear that if a stand was -to be made it would be made at a point nearer -Cabul. On April 25th, Shah Soojah-ool-Moolk, -after more than thirty years of exile, re-entered in -bloodless triumph the southern capital of his -kingdom.</p> - -<p>Till June 27th the army lay at Candahar, waiting -the ripening of the crops. So long a period of -forced inactivity was distasteful to the troops, while -daily the conviction forced itself on the more observant -of the officers that the popularity which Soojah<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -had claimed for himself existed only in his own -imagination. The Douranee tribes had, indeed, long -yearned to shake off the hateful yoke of the Barukzye -Sirdars, by whom they had been systematically -plundered and oppressed; but they lacked both -spirit and strength to make common cause with -their promised deliverer, while both their national -and religious feelings were alike stirred by the -appearance within their gates of the accursed infidels. -When the first cravings of curiosity had been -gratified, their attitude to their king was one rather -of indifference than devotion, and to us one of undisguised -if not active enmity. It needed not the -warning of Soojah to remind the English that they -were no longer in Hindostan. Two young officers, -Inverarity, of the 16th Lancers, and Wilmer, were -attacked at a short distance from camp; Inverarity -was murdered, and his companion escaped with -difficulty. The Ghilzyes, a fierce and lawless tribe, -the original lords of the soil, alike rejecting British -gold and British promises, began, too, to give early -promise of the stern opposition that was hereafter -to be experienced from them. When, a fortnight -after his arrival, Soojah held a grand state reception, -scarcely one of his subjects appeared to do homage -to their king. A royal salute of 101 guns was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -fired in his honour; the British troops marched past -his throne in imposing array, and Soojah, highly -elated, declared that the moral influence of the -ceremony would be felt "from Pekin to Constantinople." -But in reality, the whole affair, so far as -what should have been its most important features -were concerned, was a miserable failure. Lawrence -relates a significant speech made to him by an -Afghan of distinction, whom he fell in with while on -reconnoitering service to the front. "What could -induce you," said the man, "to squander crores of -rupees in coming to a poor rocky country like ours, -without wood or water, in order to force upon us an -unlucky person as a king, who, the moment you turn -your backs, will be upset by Dost Mahomed, our own -king?" The order to advance given on June 27th -was heard therefore with pleasure by all; and on -July 21st the army was encamped before the famous -citadel of Ghuznee.</p> - -<p>It became soon evident that a serious mistake had -been committed. Ghuznee was deservedly considered -the strongest fortress in the country, and its -defences were the boast of all Afghanistan. Keane -had, indeed, been advised to the contrary, but he -knew at least that it was garrisoned by about 3000 -of the enemy under Hyder Khan, one of the Ameer's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -sons, while another was reported to be in the neighbourhood -with a strong body of horse. Nevertheless, -discarding the battering train, which had been -tugged up to Candahar with immense labour and -expense, he resumed his march with light field-pieces -only, and found himself accordingly before a -place subsequently described by himself as one "of -great strength, both by nature and art," without the -means of effecting a breach in its walls.</p> - -<p>Our light companies soon cleared the villages and -gardens surrounding the fort, not, however, without -some loss, and at daybreak on the 22nd Keane and -Cotton, with a party of engineers, reconnoitred the -place from the heights commanding the eastern face. -It was perfectly evident that the field-pieces might -for all practical purposes have been left behind with -the siege train at Candahar, but treachery was to -show us a way in, which we could have found for -ourselves only at immense loss. One of the garrison, -a Barukzye of rank, nephew to the Ameer himself, -had deserted to our camp; the gates, he assured -us, had all been built up with the exception of the -Cabul gate, and by the Cabul gate therefore it was -decided that the entrance should be made. That -very night was chosen for the attack. Four English -regiments were detailed for service; the 2nd, 13th,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -and 17th of the Line, and the Company's European -Regiment. Colonel Dennie, of the 13th, was to lead -the advance, consisting of the light companies of -the four regiments, and the main column was placed -under Brigadier Sale. Captain Thomson, of the -Bengal Engineers, was to superintend the explosion -party, with his two subalterns, Durand (afterwards -Sir Henry Durand) and Macleod, and Captain Peat, -of the Bombay corps. The night was dark and -stormy. The light guns were ordered to open fire, -to distract the attention of the garrison, while the -powder-bags were piled at the gate. The work was -done quickly, quietly and well. Durand, according -to one account, finding the first application of the -port-fire of no effect, was obliged to scrape the hose -with his finger-nails; then the powder exploded, -and with a mighty crash, heard above the roaring of -the guns and the noise of the storm, down, amid a -column of black smoke, came huge masses of timber -and masonry in dire confusion. In rushed Dennie -at the head of the stormers, and after him pressed -Sale with the main column. The resistance, though -short, was stubborn. The breach was still so narrow -that entrance was difficult and slow. Dennie had -won his way inside, but between him and Sale a -strong party of the garrison had made their way to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -the gate. The Brigadier himself was cut down, but -after a desperate struggle regained his feet, cleaving -his opponent to the chin. The supports, under -Colonel Croker, pushed forward manfully, and as the -day broke the colours of the 13th and 17th Regiments -were flung out to the morning breeze on the -ramparts of the Afghans' strongest fort. Ghuznee -was ours, with a loss of 17 killed and 165 wounded, -of whom 18 were officers. The loss of the garrison -was never accurately known. Upwards of -500 were buried by our men, and many more were -supposed to have fallen beyond the walls under the -sabres of our cavalry; 1600 prisoners were taken, -and large stores of grain and flour proved a welcome -addition to the value of the prize.</p> - -<p>With the fall of Ghuznee fell the hopes of Dost -Mahomed. Within little more than twenty-four -hours the news had reached him, and his brother, -Jubbar Khan, was forthwith despatched to the English -camp, proffering submission to Soojah, but claiming -for his brother the office of Vizier, which had come -to be considered a sort of hereditary appanage of the -Barukzye clan. The offer was declined, and what -Kaye calls the "mockery" of an honourable asylum -in the British dominions suggested in its stead. -With an indignant refusal the envoy returned to his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -brother, and Dost Mahomed then resolved on one last -attempt. He moved out from the capital, designing -to take up his ground at Maidan, a well-chosen spot -on the Cabul river. But when he had reached Urgundeh, -he saw too clearly that the game was up. -Hadji Khan, a man in whom he had placed peculiar -reliance, had gone over to the enemy; the Kuzzilbashes -were leaving him fast. With the Koran in -his hand, he rode among his troops. "You have -eaten my salt," he said, "these thirteen years. If, -as is too plain, you are resolved to seek a new master, -grant me but one favour in requital for that long -period of maintenance and kindness—enable me to -die with honour. Stand by the brother of Futteh -Khan while he executes one last charge against the -cavalry of these Feringhee dogs; in that onset he -will fall; then go and make your own terms with -Shah Soojah." The appeal was in vain. Dismissing -all of his followers who were minded to purchase -safety by bowing to the new allegiance, he turned -his horse's head, and rode towards the Hindoo-Koosh.</p> - -<p>A party of horse under the gallant Outram was -despatched in hot pursuit. Twelve English officers -rode with him, Lawrence among the number, and -about 200 of our own men. Had the party been no -larger it is probable that it would not have been left<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -to Dost Mahomed to surrender at his own discretion. -But in an evil hour it was decided that Hadji Khan -with 500 Afghans should be added, and the dilatoriness -of our "allies" wholly neutralised the energies -of our own men. Hadji, a traitor once, remained a -traitor still, and though quick to leave his master in -the hour of his misfortunes, he had no intention, with -an eye to future contingencies, to commit himself beyond -hope of recall. The harder, then, Outram and -his troops rode, the slower rode the Khan and his following; -every pretext that the ingenious Eastern mind -could devise for delay was turned to account, and as -the country was wholly unknown to the English leader -he could not leave Hadji to his devices and push -on alone after the fugitive. His orders were not to -continue the chase beyond the Afghan frontier. On -August 9th he reached Bamean, to find that his game -was but a day's march before him; but that one day's -march had sounded the recall. Dost Mahomed was -over the frontier, and there was nothing left for -Outram but to return, to be laughed at for his "wild-goose -chase," and to hear from the Commander-in-chief -that "he had not supposed there were thirteen -such asses in his whole force!" It is satisfactory, -however, to know that the traitor Hadji had this -time over-reached himself. Outram reported his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -conduct on his return; other proofs of his treason -were forthcoming; he was arrested by order of the -king, and spent the remainder of his life a state -prisoner in Hindostan.</p> - -<p>So Soojah was once more seated on the throne of -Cabul. He had entered the city on August 6th in -royal pomp, resplendent with jewels (among which -the mighty Koh-i-noor was this time conspicuous by -its absence), mounted on a white charger, half -smothered in golden trappings; Macnaghten and -Burnes, in diplomatic costume, rode with him, and -all the chief officers of the English army swelled -his train. But there was no popular enthusiasm; -there were no loyal cries of welcome. The people -flocked to stare at the show, but it was at the white-faced -strangers they stared, not at their restored -king. Still, the work had been done. The English -flag had waved over Candahar and Ghuznee; an -English army was encamped before Cabul. The -usurpers were in flight, and the "rightful" king had -returned again to his own.</p> - -<p>According to the original terms of the proclamation, -the British troops, their mission accomplished, -were at once to withdraw from the country. -Soojah himself was anxious to be rid of allies in -whose hands he was conscious he was and could be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -no more than a puppet, and whose presence in the -kingdom was a standing testimony to the absence -of that loyalty which he had so loudly vaunted. -Nothing would have better pleased the English -themselves than to have acquiesced in the king's -wishes; nothing would have pleased Lord Auckland -better than that they should do so. But it could -not be. Unprotected by British bayonets the throne -of the new king would not have stood for a day, -and with it would have fallen the feeble fabric on -which the "justice" of the expedition rested. -The Simlah manifesto had declared that Soojah's -"popularity throughout Afghanistan had been -proved to his lordship by the strong and unanimous -testimony of the best authorities;" how then could -his lordship leave Soojah alone to give the lie to -his own manifesto? But though it was expedient -that an English force should still, at least for a -time, continue at the king's right hand, it was -neither expedient, nor, as it was thought, necessary -that the entire army should remain. A garrison at -Cabul and Candahar, and others at the principal -posts on the main roads to Hindostan, Ghuznee -and Quettah on the west, and Jellalabad and Ali-Musjid -on the east, would be amply sufficient. -These could be furnished by a portion of the Bengal<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -army, and the remainder could be withdrawn by -way of Jellalabad and the Khyber Pass, while the -Bombay column could return <i>en masse</i> through the -Bolan Pass. Such was the advice of the Commander-in-chief, -and such, as it soon appeared, was -the opinion of the Viceroy himself. Before, however, -the homeward march began, Wade had brought -Prince Timour to his father's court. Wade's share -in the expedition, though dwarfed by the more -brilliant exploits of Keane, had, notwithstanding -the disaffection of the Sikhs (who, after Runjeet -Singh's death, had not cared to conceal their dislike -of their English allies), been performed with complete -success, and had moreover materially assisted -the march of the larger force. For a long time -Dost Mahomed had regarded the advance through -the Khyber with far greater anxiety than that along -the Western route, and though his troops had never -actually encountered Wade in the field, a considerable -detachment had been withdrawn for that purpose -from the main army at a very critical moment.</p> - -<p>The official order for the departure of the troops -appeared on October 2nd. It was at once seen that -the first plan had been considerably altered. Nearly -the whole of the Bengal division was to remain behind -under Cotton, and only a comparatively small<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -detachment was to return home with Keane and the -Bombay army. Though Dost Mahomed had fled -the kingdom, he was known to be still near at hand, -a guest among the fiery and hostile Oosbegs, with -whom he might at any rate seriously harass the -frontier, if not, indeed, find himself strong enough -to hazard an advance upon the capital. A detachment -had therefore been sent up in September to -the Hindoo-Koosh, and it became necessary to -supply their place at Cabul. The 13th, 40th, and -41st were the English regiments that remained. -Of these, the first named, with the 35th Bengal -Native Infantry and three light field guns, was stationed -at Cabul, under Dennie. Jellalabad was -garrisoned by the 48th Bengal Native Infantry, the -3rd Bengal Light Cavalry, some Sappers and Miners, -three light guns, and a detachment of Skinner's -Horse. At Candahar, under Nott, were the 40th -and 41st Regiments of the Line, the 42nd and 43rd -Regiments of Bengal Native Infantry, a company of -the European Bengal Artillery, two regiments of -Soojah's Irregular Infantry, one of his Cavalry, and -a troop of his Horse Artillery. MacLaren held -Ghuznee with the 16th Bengal Native Infantry, -some of Skinner's Horse, and certain details of Soojah's -levies. At Quettah was a small force composed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -of Soojah's troops only, while the Kojuck Pass was -watched by a body of Afghan horse, under Bosanquet, -of the Bengal Infantry. At each of these -posts was also stationed a political officer.</p> - -<p>Shortly after the departure of Keane with the -homeward-bound column, Soojah left the cold of the -capital for the milder air of Jellalabad, and with -him went Macnaghten, leaving Burnes in charge at -Cabul. The winter months were passed in comparative -quiet. Macnaghten busied himself with an -attempt to win the favour of the turbulent Khyber -tribes, and by lavish payments did succeed in lulling -them to temporary quiet. There, too, was received -news of the fall of Khelat, which had been determined -on during the upward march as punishment -for Mehrab Khan's treachery, and still more important -news from the Bamean of the further flight of -Dost Mahomed to the court of the Ameer of Bokhara, -where our own envoy Stoddart was then a -close prisoner in imminent danger of death. But -as a set-off against so much that was good to -hear there came from Burnes the disquieting intelligence -of the advance of a large Russian force from -Orenberg on Khiva, ostensibly to release certain -Russian merchants from captivity, and to punish the -Khan, not too severely, for general misconduct—a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> -pretext which, it will probably be remembered, was -used with great effect on a subsequent occasion. -Macnaghten was inclined at first to make light of -the news, on which Burnes had, on the contrary, -laid the greatest stress; but as rumour grew he consented -at last to despatch a mission to the Russian -camp. Conolly and Rawlinson were selected—Burnes, -when the post was offered to him, having only -replied "that he would willingly go if he was -ordered"—when, on the eve of their departure, the -welcome news arrived that there was no longer a -Russian camp for them to visit. Snow, pestilence and -famine had done the work that neither Tartar sabres -nor English diplomacy would have probably availed to -do then, any more than they have availed since, and -of Peroffski's 6000 men scarcely a man found his -way back to Orenberg.</p> - -<p>Towards the end of April the court returned to -Cabul. Affairs were far from satisfactory. The -unpopularity of the English, and even of Soojah -himself, became daily more and more obvious to all -observant people. The dual Government was a -failure. The English, pledged not to interfere with -Soojah, were obliged to permit much of which they -strongly disapproved to pass unchallenged, and were -only called upon to intervene to pass measures which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -Soojah himself was not strong enough to enforce. -Whenever therefore their presence did make itself -conspicuously felt it had the natural result of only -increasing their unpopularity. The expense had -already been enormous, and showed no signs of -decreasing. The wealth and liberality of the English -had been a tradition in Afghanistan since the days -of Elphinstone, and the Afghans, though they hated -the infidel soldiers much, loved the infidel gold still -more. Unfortunately, too, the dislike borne to the -English by the Afghan men was not shared by the -Afghan women, and the passion of jealousy, with but -too good cause, was thus added to the passions of -distrust and hate. Evil news, too, came from every -quarter; from the Bamean frontier on the north, -from Herat on the west, from Candahar on the -south, from Peshawur on the east. Macnaghten had -never ceased importuning the Viceroy to sanction the -restoration of Herat and Peshawur to the Afghan -dominions. The Sikhs were now open in their -declarations of enmity to the English, though they -had refrained as yet from any actual hostilities, and -Macnaghten, with considerable reason, declared there -could be no safety in Afghanistan till, to use his own -words, "the road through the Punjab was macadamised." -At Herat, too, Yar Mahomed, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -Vizier, a man of boundless avarice and treachery, -though living on British bounty, was openly intriguing -with Persia, and had behaved with such -gross and repeated insolence to our Envoy that the -latter had at last left his court in disgust. But -Lord Auckland, though not insensible to Macnaghten's -arguments, did not dare at that time to increase -either his responsibilities or his expenses, both of -which were already sufficiently heavy. Grave complaints -were heard from Candahar, where the old -system of taxation that had made the Barukzye rule -so irksome was still in force, and still in the hands -of the same hated collectors. The Ghilzyes, who -had already received severe punishment from Outram, -were again in the field, and further still to the south -the whole country was in revolt. Khelat had been -won back from us by Mehrab Khan's son, and -Loveday, the English officer in charge, barbarously -murdered. In the far north our outposts had pushed -on over the Bamean range, and were in frequent -collision with the Oosbegs, and other supporters of -the Barukzye cause. It is true that wherever our -troops met the enemy in the open field the victory -remained with the former, but that such meetings -were as frequent as they were showed the angry -temper of the country but too plainly to all who had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> -eyes to see and ears to hear. Still the sanguine -temperament of Macnaghten refused to recognise -the impracticability of the game. Still he persisted -in believing in the popularity of Soojal, and in the -ultimate settlement of his kingdom, and as a proof -of his confidence he about this time sent down to -Bengal for his wife, an example which was followed -by most of the other married officers.</p> - -<p>The news from the north soon became still more -alarming. Jubbar Khan was at Khooloom with the -Ameer's family, living on the bounty of the Wullee, -or chief of that place, who still upheld with fidelity -rare for an Afghan the cause of the fugitive king. -Other once staunch supporters, however, had "come -in," as the phrase went, among them Azim Khan, -one of the Ameer's sons, and it was reported that -Jubbar himself was vacillating. A forward movement -of our troops would, it was believed, soon -bring him to his senses. A forward movement was -accordingly made and the Khan did "come in." -On July 3rd he arrived at Bamean with his brother's -family, and a large party of retainers.</p> - -<p>But now the Ameer himself was once more in -the field. At first a guest in the court of Bokhara, -he had afterwards become the prisoner of that -treacherous chief, who, had he dared, would have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -murdered his captive, and his sons with him, -as he would have murdered the English Envoy. -But Dost Mahomed, who as he said of himself, -"was a wooden spoon, to be thrown hither and -thither without hurt," contrived in some way to -effect his escape, and, after infinite hardships, to -make his way to his old ally of Khooloom, who -welcomed him with open arms. The Oosbegs -gathered to the popular standard. The Ameer was -reminded that his wives and children were in our -power; "I have no family," was his answer, "I -have buried my wives and children," and at the -head of 8000 men he advanced on Bamean early in -September. Our troops had been compelled to -abandon the outposts they had established beyond -the frontier. They had never failed indeed to repel -the frequent attacks that had been made on them, -but it had become at last painfully evident that such -isolated posts were no longer tenable. They fell -back therefore to Bamean, losing everything on -the retreat, and to make matters still worse a -regiment of Afghan infantry that had been lately -raised went over in a body to the enemy. Meanwhile, -however, Dennie had come up with strong -reinforcements, and on September 18th a decisive -battle was fought. The enemy were immeasurably<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> -the stronger both in numbers and position, but the -victory was ours, and for the second time Dost -Mahomed only escaped death by the speed of his -horse. But though he saved his life, he lost a -valuable friend. Dennie's guns had a salutary -effect on the Wullee, and within a few days of the -battle the old man prudently came to terms with -the English, pledging himself no longer to harbour -or assist Dost Mahomed or any of his family. -Great was the delight in the camp at Cabul, where -affairs had begun to look very black indeed, and -serious apprehensions at one time entertained of an -insurrection;—but they had not yet done with the -Ameer.</p> - -<p>Driven out of the Hindoo Koosh, our gallant -enemy next re-appeared in Kohistan, a district only -too ripe for revolt. Sale was ordered out to meet -him and Burnes went with him, while Wade was -despatched from Jellalabad to act against the -refractory Wuzzeerees. After a series of small -successes, in one of which Edward Conolly, a young -cavalry officer of great bravery and promise, was -killed, and one repulse at Joolgah, Sale, on November -2nd, met the Ameer at Purwandurrah, in the -Nijrow country, a name disastrous among many -other disastrous names in the annals of the Afghan<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> -war. The latter had no original intention of giving -battle, but a chance movement of our horse changed -his mind. Lord, one of our political agents, had -proposed that our cavalry, the 2nd Bengal Light -Cavalry, should take up new ground on the Afghan -flank. The order had been given, and the two -squadrons, numbering something over two hundred -sabres, had already gone "threes about," when Dost -Mahomed, seeing, as he supposed, the British in -retreat, rode straight down on them at the head of -about 400 horsemen. Fraser, who was in command, -at once facing his men about, gave the order to -charge, and dashed, with his officers behind him, -full at the advancing squadrons. Not a trooper -followed. At an irresolute walk they met the onset, -and scarcely even waiting to cross swords, fled in -every direction, leaving their officers to their fate. -Of these, two, Crispin and Broadfoot, were instantly -cut down; Lord managed to win his way through -the sabres, only to fall immediately afterwards by -a shot from one of the forts; Fraser, severely -wounded, was saved only by the strength and speed -of his horse; how the others escaped no man could -say. Our infantry managed in a measure to retrieve -the fortunes of the day. The Afghans were driven -from their position, but their leader once again<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -escaped from out our very grasp. Lawrence has -generously tried to find excuses for the conduct of -his men (he was not himself with them, for at that -time he was acting as assistant agent to Macnaghten), -but the fact remains that a native regiment, hitherto -famous for its bravery and fidelity, refused to follow -its English officers on the field of battle, and fled like -sheep before a horde of irregular horsemen not twice -their number. Burnes wrote off to Cabul forthwith -to announce, perhaps somewhat to magnify, the -disaster, and implored Macnaghten to concentrate -all our troops at once on the capital, in anticipation, -which all then believed to be certain, of the Ameer's -instant advance. Far other, however, were at that -time the plans of Dost Mahomed. He did, indeed, -advance on the capital, but attended only by a -single attendant, and within twenty-four hours after -his victory he had placed his sword in Macnaghten's -hands.</p> - -<p>Force would never have driven him to such a -step, but he was weary of fighting in a cause which, -so far as he then could foresee, could but be hopeless, -and he felt that after his brilliant triumph of -the previous day he could lay down his arms without -disgrace. Macnaghten and the other English -officers received him with the utmost courtesy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -Nicholson, an officer of great bravery and intelligence, -was appointed to take charge of him, but the -indignity of a guard was spared him. Soojah refused -to see him, on the ground that he should be -"unable to show common civility to such a villain." -Many, however, who had held persistently aloof -from Soojah, came to pay their respects to one -whom they still regarded as their lawful ruler; one -of them, Shere Mahomed, known as the swiftest -mounted messenger in all Afghanistan, exclaiming, -as he grasped his chief cordially by the hand, "Ah, -Ameer, you have done right at last; why did you -delay so long putting an end to all your miseries?" -Within a few days the Ameer's son, Afzul Khan, -followed his father's example, and on November 13th -the two illustrious prisoners set out for India, under -the charge of Nicholson and a strong escort of -British troops.</p> - -<p>As in the previous year the court passed the -winter months at Jellalabad. Cotton was already -there on his way down to India, "anxious to get -away," and only waiting the arrival of his successor, -General Elphinstone. Elphinstone was a -brave, kindly, and courteous old gentleman; he -had seen service in the Peninsular, and bore the -Waterloo medal, but he was entirely without experience<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -of Indian warfare; was, moreover, sadly -crippled in health, and unfortunately destitute of -the very qualities of energy and foresight which -were peculiarly necessary to his position. His -appointment was made against his own personal -inclinations, nor was it precisely clear on what -grounds it had been made, save on the grounds -that he was a relation of Lord Elphinstone, at -that time Governor of Bombay. But he was -ordered to assume the command, and, as a -soldier, he obeyed his orders. Cotton handed -over his charge, and took his leave with these -words, "You will have nothing to do here; all is -peace." Never was there made a more unfortunate -remark.</p> - -<p>The winter passed in tolerable quiet, but with -the return of spring came back the old troubles. -The first symptoms of disquiet appeared again in -the neighbourhood of Candahar. Two admirable -officers were in charge there, Nott and Rawlinson, -the former holding the military, the latter the -political command. The irrepressible Ghilzyes -were again in revolt, and the Douranees had risen -to join them. Soojah was particularly eager to -conciliate the latter tribe, and had, when at Candahar, -remitted many of the impositions which had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> -rendered the Barukzye rule so odious; but he had -also, as has been already said, retained in office the -equally odious tax-collectors who had been employed -under the latter dynasty, and the Douranees, -anticipating complete redress, and probably -substantial rewards, were irritated past endurance -to find their state no better under their own king -than it had been under the usurper. Long ripe for -revolt, their disaffection had been secretly fomented -by that indefatigable traitor the Herat Vizier, Yar -Mahomed, whose intrigues found a willing tool in -Aktur Khan, a chief of the Zemindawer country. -Rawlinson, anxious to try the effect of conciliatory -measures, and believing with Burnes that Afghanistan -was not to be settled at the point of the -bayonet, despatched his assistant Elliot to confer -with the insurgents. The mission was successful -for the time; Aktur Khan "came in;" certain concessions -were made, and certain honours conferred -upon him, in return for which he promised to disband -his followers. But the peace, as Rawlinson -anticipated, was short-lived. The gallant but imprudent -conduct of Lynch, our political agent -among the Ghilzye tribes, in storming a small fort -near Khelat-i-Ghilzye, to avenge an insult offered -him by the garrison, had set that turbulent country<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -in a flame. Wymer was sent out by Nott to settle -matters, which he did effectively enough. The -Ghilzyes, under a famous leader known as the -"Gooroo," fought like madmen, holding our troops -in check for five fierce hours; but they gave way at -last, and fled, leaving the greater part of their number -dead or dying on the field. Aktur Khan, fired -by the example, scattered his promises to the -winds, and instead of disbanding, collected anew -his forces for another struggle. Woodburn, a dashing -officer, met him on the banks of the Helmund, -and defeated him after a smart engagement, but the -British forces were insufficient to follow up the -victory, and on reaching Ghiresk Woodburn was -compelled to await the arrival of more troops from -Candahar. Thence, strongly reinforced, he moved -out on August 17th, and after a short but sharp -struggle, in which the Janbaz, or Afghan Horse, -for once in a way behaved with great gallantry, -Aktur Khan fled, completely routed, and for a time -again there was peace among the Douranees. The -Ghilzyes, too, at the same time had received so -severe a repulse from Chambers, that even they -were forced to abstain from action for a while, and -the dreaded "Gooroo" was at last prevailed on to -"come in" to the English camp. On the north-western<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -frontier our troops had been equally successful -under Nott and Wymer. Akrum Khan, a -close ally of Aktur Khan, was in arms in the -Dehrawut country, and would submit neither to -promises, threats, nor force. Treachery, however, -did its work at last. One of his own countrymen -offered to betray him, and by a rapid night march -the rebel was seized, and carried down a close -prisoner to Candahar. Macnaghten, at times humane -almost to a fault, had at length resolved -to give a terrible example to these continued disturbers -of the public peace. Orders were sent down -to Prince Timour, who governed for his father at -Candahar, and who would have obeyed any orders -emanating from his English allies, and Akrum -Khan was blown from a gun. By the end of -October, 1841, there at last seemed really a prospect -of peace in Western Afghanistan.</p> - -<p>Despite the warnings of Rawlinson, who could see -farther below the surface than most of his comrades, -and who knew well that there was something more -than mere discontent at an obnoxious tax lurking in -the hearts of the western tribes—despite, too, the -shadow of Akbar Khan, Dost Mahomed's favourite -son, who was still hovering about our northern -frontier—Macnaghten's spirits rose higher than they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> -had ever risen before. Of a temperament peculiarly -susceptible to the influence of the hour, he was -alternately depressed and exalted beyond reason, as -the varying fortunes of our arms favoured or -threatened the ultimate success of his plans. After -the disaster of Purwandurrah he was convinced that -the game was lost; after the discomfiture of the -Ghilzyes and the death of Akrum Khan he was -equally convinced that the game was won, and in -one of his letters, written about this time to a private -friend, he boasted that the country was quiet "from -Dan to Beersheba." The well-earned reward of his -labours had come at last in the shape of the Government -of Bombay; within a few weeks he hoped to -turn his back on the scene of so many anxieties and -so many disappointments, leaving to his successor -the legacy of an accomplished task. That successor -would of course be Burnes; Burnes, who -had a clearer eye for the future than his chief, and -who felt in his inmost heart that the end of such a -system as had been established in Afghanistan could -not be far off, yet who, impatient for Macnaghten's -departure, was willing to dare all risks, so that he -might at last touch the goal of his ambition. And -at this very time, in that serene sky, the cloud was -gathering that was to break when least expected, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> -overwhelm Macnaghten and Burnes and the whole -English cause in utter ruin.</p> - -<p>Elphinstone, as has been said, was now in command -of the British forces. Next in rank to him were -Sir Robert Sale, of the 13th Light Infantry, and -Brigadier Shelton, who had come up in the spring -of the year with his regiment, the 44th of the Line. -Soojah's own troops were under Brigadier Anquetil, -who had superseded Roberts, much to Macnaghten's -satisfaction, for Roberts was too much of an -"alarmist" to please the sanguine Envoy. The -main body of the garrison lay in the new cantonments. -These remarkable works had been erected -in the previous year. Situated in low, swampy -ground about two miles from the citadel, they were -defended only by a low mud rampart and ditch, over -which a pony had been ridden for a wager by one of -our own officers; they were commanded on every -side by hills and villages, while, to make matters -still worse, the Commissariat supplies were stored in -a small fort without the wall. The authority for -this unfortunate arrangement has been the subject -of much discussion, into which it would be neither -profitable nor pleasant to enter here; but it should -not, at least, be forgotten that our engineer officers -had always urged most strongly the expediency of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -posting the troops in the Bala Hissar, or citadel, a -strong position on a hill commanding the entire city -and suburbs. At first, indeed, this had been done, -but the soldiers were soon required to give way to -the ladies of Soojah's harem, and it was then deemed -necessary, by some person or persons, to build what -Kaye aptly calls "the sheep-folds on the plain." -Elphinstone, at any rate, was not to blame, whoever -was, for the folly had been committed before Elphinstone -had assumed the command.</p> - -<p>But familiarity, as usual, soon begot security, and -in this dangerous position our officers and men soon -learned to live as tranquilly and easily as in the -strongest fortress in the world, or as in the luxurious -quarters they had left in peaceful Hindostan. The -time passed pleasantly enough. Lady Macnaghten -and Lady Sale had joined their husbands, and -nearly all the married officers had followed the -example of their chiefs. The climate was fine and -bracing, nor was there any lack either of amusement -or society. Englishmen carry their sports -with them into every quarter of the globe, and the -stolid Afghans looked in amazement and admiration -on the races, the cricket, and the skating with which -the white-faced infidels beguiled the idle days. But -there were unfortunately other habits in which some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> -of the English chose to indulge which stirred up in -the native heart feelings of a very different nature, -habits which have already been briefly touched upon, -and which were growing fast into an open and -notorious scandal. "There are many," wrote Kaye -in 1851, "who can fill in with vivid personality all -the melancholy details of this chapter of human -weakness, and supply a catalogue of the wrongs -which were soon to be so fearfully redressed."</p> - -<p>Macnaghten proposed to set his face towards -home in November. His last days, as ill-fortune -would have it, had been again embittered with -revolt, arising from an unpopular measure which he -had felt himself obliged to sanction. Our sojourn -in Afghanistan had been a fearful drain on the -resources of the Indian Government, and the need -for economy had been urgently pressed upon Lord -Auckland by the authorities at home. Macnaghten, -casting about for the means of obeying his chief's -instructions, unluckily hit upon the most unfortunate -means he could have chosen. He determined to -inaugurate a general system of retrenchment in the -stipends, or subsidies, paid to the chiefs, and as a -beginning, the sum of £3000, which had been yearly -paid to the Eastern Ghilzyes to secure our communications -with Hindostan, was forthwith stopped. As<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> -a natural result they at once flew to arms, occupied -the passes on the road to Jellalabad, commenced an -organised system of plundering, and entirely cut off -the communications it was our greatest interest to -keep open. But the Envoy was not very seriously -disturbed. Sale's brigade, which was under orders -for India, could "thresh the rascals" on its homeward -journey, and clear the passes easily enough. -Monteith was accordingly sent out with the 35th -Native Infantry, a squadron of cavalry, and some -guns, and Sale followed with his own regiment, the -13th Light Infantry. The task was not so easy -as the Envoy had anticipated. Sale himself was -wounded and Wyndham, of the 35th, killed. It was -found necessary to despatch more troops before the -work could be done. It was done, however, partly -by force and partly by diplomacy; the Khoord-Cabul -defile was once more cleared; detachments of troops -were posted at intervals along the pass, while Sale -himself, halting at Gundamuck, put away his ideas -of home for a time.</p> - -<p>November 1st was the day fixed for Macnaghten's -departure. He was not without warnings that for -some days past there had existed strong symptoms -of disaffection in the city, where the shopkeepers -were closing their shutters, and refusing to sell their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> -wares to the English. John Conolly, a relative of -the Envoy's, had got an inkling of what was meditated, -while Mohun Lal, an interpreter, who had -served us faithfully from the time of our first entry -into the country, had directly warned Burnes of a -conspiracy of which Abdoolah Khan, one of our -most uncompromising opponents, was the prime -instigator, and in which the chiefs of all the tribes -then assembled in Cabul were alike implicated. But -Burnes was still under the orders of Macnaghten, -and Macnaghten still refused to listen to the -"croakers." On that very evening the conspirators -met for the last time, and on the morning of the -2nd the city rose in insurrection.</p> - -<p>Burnes himself was the first victim. His house -was within the city walls, next to that of Captain -Johnson, the paymaster of Soojah's troops. On -the previous night Johnson had slept in the cantonments, -but Burnes was at home, and with him his -brother Charles, and William Broadfoot, an able -officer, who had been selected by the expectant -Envoy for the post of military secretary. Before -daybreak he had again been warned of his danger -by a friendly native, and at a later hour came -Osman Khan, the Vizier himself, with the same -tale, imploring him to seek safety either in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> -citadel or the cantonments. Burnes could no longer -disbelieve, for already an angry crowd was gathering -under his windows, and angry voices were raised in -clamour for the lives of the Englishmen. He consented -to write to the Envoy for aid, and to send -messengers to Abdoolah Khan, promising him that -if he would restrain the citizens his grievances -should receive prompt redress. Why no immediate -answer was returned to the first of these messages -has never been made perfectly clear; the latter -resulted only in the death of the messenger. Meanwhile -Burnes himself was haranguing the mob from -an upper gallery, while his brother and the guard -were firing on them from below. In vain he -appealed to their avarice; the only answer was that -he should "come down into the garden." A Cashmerian, -who had found his way into the house, swore -to pass him and his brother out in safety to the -cantonments, if the latter would bid the firing cease. -Hastily disguising themselves, the brothers followed -the man to the door, but scarcely had they set foot -beyond it, when the traitor shouted with a loud -voice, "This is Sekunder Burnes!" In a moment -the mob were on them, and, hacked to pieces by the -cruel Afghan knives, then fell the first, but not the -last victims of a long series of mistakes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span></p> - -<p>The paymaster's house was next sacked; upwards -of £17,000 of the public money and £1000 of -Johnson's private fortune fell to the share of the -murderers. No force came from the cantonments -to check them, and the only effort made in the -early part of the day was made by Soojah himself, -who sent one of his own regiments down from the -Bala Hissar into the city. Entangled in a network -of narrow lanes and bazaars, they could do no good, -and Shelton, coming up later with a small body of -infantry and artillery, was in time only to cover a -disorderly flight. It is difficult to decide on the -true cause of the lateness of Shelton's arrival, but -it is certain that had Burnes's message received -prompt attention, the insurrection, for that time at -least, would have been nipped in the bud. That -such was the opinion of the Afghans themselves -many of our officers were subsequently assured, and -the fact that none of the chief conspirators took any -part in the first outbreak seems to give colour to -the supposition that it was not the original design -to proceed to such extremities as followed, but -rather to convey to the British such a warning as -might convince them of the hopelessness of their -cause, and induce them at last to take measures -to leave the country to its own devices. Be this,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -however, as it may, nothing was done till the time -had passed for anything to be of use, and a riot -which 300 resolute men could have quelled with -ease in the morning, would in the afternoon have -taxed, if not defied, the best energies of 3000.</p> - -<p>The history of the days which followed between -the first rising and the opening of negotiations is as -difficult to write as it is painful to read. So many -and so conflicting are the accounts that have been -received, that it is impossible within a limited space -to present a distinct and coherent narrative of events, -or, without the risk of a hasty conclusion, to apportion, -even were it desirable to do so, the precise -share of responsibility to each actor in that -dismal tragedy of errors. It is certain, at least, -that from the 2nd to the 25th November the utmost -confusion and dismay prevailed within the British -cantonments. No two of the authorities seem ever -to have counselled alike; there was disunion between -Elphinstone and Macnaghten, and disunion -even between Elphinstone and Shelton. Orders were -issued one hour to be countermanded the next, and -then re-issued. There was no lack of individual -boldness in council, and, among the officers, no -lack of individual bravery in action, but want of -co-operation rendered both alike useless. Our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> -strength was frittered away in a series of petty -sorties, conducted by insufficient numbers, and generally -ordered when the time for immediate action -was past. Our soldiers, even our own English -soldiers, disheartened and demoralized by repeated -defeats, for which they felt that they themselves were -not to blame, lost confidence alike in their commanders -and in themselves. It is said that it was -actually found necessary to employ a Sepoy guard -to prevent the soldiers of an English regiment -leaving their post, and it is certain that on one, if -not on more than one occasion, our men fairly -turned their backs and ran before the Afghan hordes. -At an early day, as might well have been foreseen, -the forts containing the Commissariat supplies and -stores fell into the enemy's hands, and though this -disaster was for a time remedied by the energies of -our Commissariat officers, who had fortunately not -been lost with the stores, and who managed to collect -supplies from some of the neighbouring villages, there -soon arose a new danger in the doubt whether the -the siege would not outlast the ammunition. Urgent -and frequent messages had been sent to bring up -Sale's brigade, which was supposed to be still among -the Khoord-Cabul hills, and to Eldred Pottinger to -join the garrison with his detachment from Charekur,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -a place about 60 miles north of Cabul. But Sale's -brigade was already on its march to Jellalabad, -and of Pottinger's detachment only he and another -officer reached Cabul alive. To crown all, it was -known that Akbar Khan was moving down from -Bamean. On the 23rd a strong force of cavalry -and infantry, but accompanied, through what strange -process of reasoning it is impossible to say, by only -one gun, moved out under Shelton to occupy a hill -commanding the sources of our supplies, which had -been recently threatened by the enemy. The -expedition was a total failure. Shelton himself -behaved with conspicuous gallantry, and his officers -nobly followed his example; but the men, discouraged -by frequent defeat, and finding their -muskets no match for the Afghan jezails, were -mown down like grass, till, having lost their solitary -piece of artillery, they fled in disgraceful panic back -to the cantonments. With this disastrous attempt -concluded all exterior operations, and on the same -day Macnaghten received instructions from Elphinstone -to open negotiations for surrender.</p> - -<p>At the first meeting the terms offered were so -insulting that Macnaghten refused to continue the -conference. His hopes, too, had somewhat revived -of late by a communication from Mohun Lal, whom<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -he had secretly employed to sow, with offers of large -bribes, dissensions among the hostile chiefs, and by -the news of the death of two of our bitterest foes, -Abdoolah Khan and Meer Musjedee. Whether these -men died from wounds received in battle, or by -assassins set on by Mohun Lal, is not certain, but -it seems tolerably clear that the interpreter was instigated -by some one in the British camp to offer -large sums of money for the heads of the principal -insurgents. As a set-off to this, however, came -grave reports from the Commissariat department, -and the news that there was little prospect of Maclaren's -brigade, which had set out from Candahar to -their relief, being able to win its way to Cabul. On -December 11th, therefore, negotiations were renewed. -Akbar Khan, who had by this time joined -his countrymen amid uproarious expressions of delight, -with the chiefs of all the principal tribes, met -the Envoy on the banks of the Cabul river, about a -mile from the cantonments. Macnaghten read in -Persian the draft treaty he had prepared, of which -the main stipulations were to the following effect:—That -the British troops in Afghanistan should be -withdrawn to India as speedily as possible, accompanied -by two Sirdars of rank as guarantees of safe -conduct; that on their arrival at Peshawur arrangements<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -should at once be made for the return of -Dost Mahomed and all others of his countrymen at -that time detained in India; that Soojah should be -allowed to depart with the troops, or to remain -where he was on a suitable provision, as he might -prefer; and that four "respectable" British officers -were to be left at Cabul as hostages for the due fulfilment -of the treaty until the return of Dost Mahomed -and his family. After a discussion of two -hours the terms were accepted, and it was agreed -that the evacuation of our position should commence -in three days' time. Such a treaty is not to be -read with pleasure, but it was possibly the best that -could have been concluded under the circumstances -that had arisen; for which Macnaghten himself appears, -at least, to have been less responsible than his -military colleagues, at whose urgent and repeated -instigations he had undertaken the work.</p> - -<p>It became soon apparent how little dependence -was to be placed on the Afghan word. On the 13th, -according to the stipulation, the British troops -stationed in the citadel left their quarters, about six -o'clock on a winter's evening. Scarcely had they -cleared the gates, when an ugly rush was made for -them by the crowd outside. The gates were immediately -closed, and the guns of the citadel opened an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -indiscriminate fire on friends and foes alike. Akbar -Khan declared that at that late hour he could not -undertake their safe conduct to the cantonments, -and the men were therefore obliged to pass the night -on the frosty ground, without tents, without food, -and without fuel. On the following morning they -reached the cantonments in safety, but half-dead with -hunger and exposure. It had been agreed that the -Afghans should supply the necessary provisions and -carriage for the march; but it had also been agreed -that the British forts in the neighbourhood of their -position should be given up. The Afghans refused -to play their part till we had played ours, and the -forts were accordingly placed in their hands. Still, -provisions came in but slowly, and carriage not at -all. A horde of robbers and fanatics swarmed between -the city and the cantonments, plundering under -our very eyes the few supplies that were sent in, -but as they were now to be considered "as our allies" -not a shot was permitted to be fired. Yet even -then Macnaghten continued to hope against hope, -that "something might turn up" to spare the -humiliation of an enforced retreat, and on the -evening of the 22nd it seemed to him that such a -chance had arrived. It came in the shape of a -proposal from Akbar Khan that he and the Ghilzyes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -should, in the face of the concluded treaty, -unite with the English to re-occupy the citadel and -the abandoned forts; that our forces should be -allowed to remain in Afghanistan till the spring, and -then withdraw as though of their own free-will; that -the head of the formidable Ameen-oolah Khan should -be sent to the Envoy, and that in consideration of all -these good offices Akbar Khan himself should receive -an annuity of four lakhs of rupees from the British -Government, together with a bonus of thirty lakhs. -The offer of murder was indignantly rejected, but -with the others Macnaghten closed at once, and on -the following morning, having requested that two -regiments with some guns might be held ready for -instant service, he rode out to the proposed place of -conference, accompanied by Lawrence, Trevor and -Mackenzie. The latter, indeed, learning the new -design, ventured to expostulate with his chief on -the risk he was about to run, while Elphinstone -earnestly implored him to pause before he committed -himself to so perilous and so crooked a course; but -despising warnings and advice alike, Macnaghten -rode hopefully out to his death.</p> - -<p>Among some small hillocks about 600 yards from -the cantonments the meeting was appointed; salutations -were exchanged, the party dismounted, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -the Envoy and the Khan seated themselves on the -ground. Scarcely had the conversation been opened, -when the chiefs began to close in on the little group. -It was pointed out to Akbar that as the conference -was a secret one, they should be advised to withdraw; -he answered that it was of no matter, as -they were all in the plot with him. The words had -not left his lips when the Englishmen were seized. -Trevor, Lawrence and Mackenzie were flung each behind -a mounted Afghan and galloped off to one of the -forts, through a crowd of armed fanatics, who cut and -struck at them as they passed. On the way Trevor -slipped from his seat and was instantly hacked to -pieces, but the others got safely through. As they -were hurried away, Lawrence turned his head and -saw the Envoy struggling in the grasp of Akbar -Khan, "with an awful look of horror and consternation -on his face;" a pistol shot was heard soon -after, and no English eye ever saw Macnaghten -alive or dead again. Such was the end of the -attempt of an honest Englishman to outwit the most -treacherous people in the world.</p> - -<p>On the following day new terms were sent to -Elphinstone to be added to the existing treaty—that -first treaty which Macnaghten had lost his life in -attempting to evade. These required that the guns<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> -with the exception of six, and all the muskets, save -those in actual use, should be given up, and that the -numbers of hostages should be increased. Eldred -Pottinger, who had succeeded to the Envoy's place, -strongly combated this additional insult, giving -his undaunted voice for the immediate seizure of -the citadel, or at least for one last attempt to fight -their way sword in hand down to Jellalabad. His -brave counsel was overruled; the guns and muskets -were given up, a few at a time, in the vain hope that -in some way the treaty might yet be averted, or perhaps -to alleviate, if possible, the humiliation of the -surrender; Captains Walsh and Drummond, with -Lieutenants Warburton and Webb were sent to join -Lieutenants Conolly and Airy, who were already in -the hands of the chiefs, and such of the sick and -wounded as were unable to bear the fatigues of the -march were conveyed into the city under Doctors -Berwick and Campbell. On the 6th of January, -1842, before the promised escorts had arrived, the -British army, contrary again to Pottinger's advice, -moved out from the cantonments, and the fatal -march began.</p> - -<p>The British troops that marched out on that 6th -January numbered 4500 fighting men, of whom 700 -were Europeans, and about 12,000 camp followers.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> -Of this force two men reached Jellalabad alive, -one of whom died on the following day. The -married officers and their wives, with all the women -and children, and a few of the wounded, were on the -third day of the retreat placed in the care of Akbar -Khan, who, to give him such credit as is his due, for -once kept his word when he promised to treat them -honourably and well; six more officers, including the -General himself and Shelton, at a later period fell -or were surrendered as hostages, into the same -hands, and were carried back up country, though -Elphinstone, sick in body as in heart, prayed hard -to be allowed to die with his men; Captain Souter, -of the 44th, who had wrapped the regimental colours -round his waist, was taken prisoner with a few private -soldiers at Gundamuck, where the last stand was -made by the gallant handful who had survived the -horrors of the pass. The rest of the Europeans -perished to a man beneath the knives and bullets of -their "allies." Among the Native troops and camp -followers the loss was probably less than was at the -time, and has been generally since, supposed. Some -of the former deserted in sheer terror to the Afghans, -and some of the latter it is possible found hiding-places -among the mountains, whence, when the noise of -battle had passed on, they contrived to make good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -their escape; yet thousands fell beneath the murderous -rain that poured down night and day upon -the defenceless rabble, and thousands, untouched by -shot or steel, from utter weariness sank down into -the snow to rise no more. Had the march been -pushed on from the first with more expedition, it is -probable that at least a far larger number would -have been saved; but that, owing to the general -demoralisation that had set in, inspired by the -irresolution of the commander, and aggravated by -the disorderly crowd of camp-followers, whose terror -quenched all notions of discipline, was precisely -what could not be done. From dawn vast hordes -of Ghazee fanatics had hung on the rear, cutting off -stragglers, plundering the baggage, and from every -coign of vantage firing indiscriminately into the -struggling line. The roads were slippery with ice, -and on the evening of the first day the snow began -to fall; on the second day the march became but -"a rabble in chaotic rout." The European troops -indeed, set a glorious example. The officers did all -that mortals could do to preserve discipline, and the -men, obeying so far as it was possible to obey, nobly -redeemed their former errors; but hampered by a -helpless crowd whose one thought of safety was not -to fight but to fly, it was but little that they could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -do. Here and there a stand was made by gallant -handfuls of our men, and where the English stood, -there the Afghans fled, but these momentary triumphs -served rather to increase than to check the fury of -our foes. Enough of a melancholy and shameful -tale—let it be sufficient to say that when Brydon -reached Jellalabad on the 13th the army of Cabul -had for all practical purposes disappeared from off -the face of the earth.</p> - -<p>The news came upon the Government like a -thunder-stroke. The last days of Lord Auckland's -administration were drawing near, and as he read -Macnaghten's sanguine despatches he fondly hoped -that it would be his fortune to return to England, not -only the conqueror, but the tranquilizer of Afghanistan. -Towards the close of the year, indeed, rumours of a -disquieting nature had found their way down to -Calcutta, and when all rumours ceased it became -evident that our communications were interrupted, -and that something serious had happened; but not -even the gloomiest dared to anticipate the worst: -on January 30th the worst was known.</p> - -<p>Though there was anything but unanimity in the -Calcutta Council, some preparations, chiefly through -the energetic representations of George Clerk, our -agent on the north-western frontier, had been made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> -before the full tidings of the disaster came down. -It had appeared to some, of whom was Sir Jasper -Nicolls, then Commander-in-chief in India, that -it was better to accept the blow, and withdraw -altogether behind the Indus, than by attempting -to retrieve still further to deepen our disgrace. Sale -still held Jellalabad in the teeth of overwhelming -numbers; Nott was still master of Candahar;—let -them yield up the charge they had so nobly kept, -and if too weak to find their own way down to India, -let troops sufficient for their help advance, but for -no other purpose. Lord Auckland, unwilling to -commit his successor to a task which had already -proved too strong for his own energies, was -inclined to listen to the advocates of retreat, and -though the news of the annihilation of the army -of Cabul roused him for the moment into a proclamation -that the awful calamity was but "a -new occasion for displaying the stability and vigour -of the British power, and the admirable spirit and -valour of the British-Indian army," he quickly -followed it by an intimation that when Sale and -Nott had been relieved, it were better that the -British troops should withdraw to Peshawur. Still, -fresh forces were to be raised, and a fine soldier was -to head them. The offer had been first made to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> -Major-General Lumley, Adjutant-General in India, -but Lumley's health forbade him to accept so -important a post, and Lord Auckland's choice—a -choice as popular as it was judicious—finally fell -upon Pollock, a distinguished officer of the Company's -service, who had seen fighting under Lake -and Wellington, and wherever, indeed, it was to be -seen since the year 1803, when he had first landed -in India, a young lieutenant of artillery. Pollock -hastened up to his command without a moment's -delay, but before he could reach Peshawur our troops -had suffered yet another repulse.</p> - -<p>Mr. Robertson, Lieutenant-Governor of the north -western frontier, and George Clerk, already mentioned, -had counselled from the first prompt -measures, not of retreat, but reprisal. At their -earnest request Colonel Wild had been moved up to -Peshawur with four native infantry regiments, the -30th, 53rd, 60th and 64th, but without guns. It -was supposed he could procure them from the Sikhs, -and with a great deal of trouble he did manage to -procure four ricketty guns, which seemed likely to -do as much harm to his own men as to the enemy, -and one of which broke down the next day on trial. -Reinforcements were coming up, which it was -probable would contain artillery, but Wild did not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> -dare to wait. His Sepoys were anxious to advance; -the loyalty of the Sikhs was doubtful, and he feared -the contamination might spread. On January 15th -he commenced operations.</p> - -<p>The key of the Khyber Pass, as we have all -heard more than once within the last few weeks, is -the fortress of Ali Musjid, occupying a strong -position some five miles down the pass, and about -twenty-five from Peshawur. It had been recently -garrisoned by some loyal natives under an English -officer, Mackeson; but, straitened for provisions, and -hard pressed by the Khyberees, it was doubtful -whether the brave little garrison could hold out -much longer, and on the night of the 15th the 53rd -and 64th Regiments, under Colonel Moseley, were -despatched with a goodly supply of bullocks to its -relief. The fort was occupied without loss, but the -bullocks, save some 50 or 60, had meanwhile disappeared, -and there were now more mouths to feed in Ali -Musjid and less wherewith to feed them. Wild was -to have followed with the other two regiments, his -Sikh guns and Sikh allies, on the 19th, but when -the time came the latter turned their backs on the -Khyber and marched to a man back to Peshawur. -The Sepoys met the enemy at the mouth of the -pass, but the spirit of disaffection seemed to have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -spread. After an irresolute and aimless volley they -halted in confusion: in vain Wild and his officers -called on them to advance; not a man moved; the -guns broke down, and one of them, despite the -gallant efforts of Henry Lawrence, had to be abandoned. -One of our officers was killed, and Wild -himself, with several more, was wounded; the retreat -was sounded, and the column fell back on Jumrood. -The two regiments which held the fort had soon to -follow their example. They could have held the -post for any time indeed, so far as mere fighting -went, but they had no provisions, and the water was -poisonous. On the 23rd, then, they evacuated -their position, and after a sharp struggle, in which -two English officers fell, and some sick and baggage -had to be abandoned, made good their way back -to their comrades. Such was the state of affairs -Pollock found on his arrival at Peshawur.</p> - -<p>Despite urgent letters received from Jellalabad -the General saw that an immediate advance was -impossible. The morale of the defeated Sepoys had -fallen very low; the hospitals were crowded with -sick and wounded, and there was still an insufficiency -of guns. Reinforcements of British dragoons and -British artillery were pressing up from the Punjab, -and Pollock decided to wait till he could make<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -certain of success. He decided well; nor was the -time of waiting lost. He visited the hospitals -daily, cheering the sick, and reanimating by his -kindness and decision the wavering and disheartened -Sepoys. On March 30th the long-desired reinforcements -arrived, and orders were at once issued for the -advance.</p> - -<p>At three o'clock on the morning of April 5th the -army moved off from Jumrood to the mouth of the -pass. It was divided into three columns; two of -these were to crown the heights on either side, while -the third, when the hills had been sufficiently cleared, -was to advance through the gorge; each column was -composed of a mixed force of Europeans and Sepoys; -four squadrons of the 3rd Dragoons and eleven pieces -of artillery accompanied the centre column. The -attack was as successful as it was ingenious. A -huge barricade of mud and stones and trunks of -trees had been thrown across the mouth of the pass, -while the heights on either side swarmed with the -wild hill-tribes. So quietly, however, did our flanking -columns advance, that they were half-way up -the heights before the enemy became aware of the -movement. From peak to peak our men, English -as well as Sepoys, clambered as agile as the mountaineers -themselves, pouring from every spot of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -vantage a steady and well-directed fire on the disconcerted -Khyberees, who had never dreamed that -the white-faced infidels could prove more than a -match for them in their own fastnesses. Then -Pollock with the main column advanced. The -Afghans, finding themselves out-flanked on either -side, gradually withdrew; the barricade was removed -without loss; and the huge line of soldiers, -camp-followers, and baggage-waggons passed unopposed -on its victorious way to Jellalabad. The -dreaded Khyber Pass had been forced with the -slightest possible loss of life, and the boastful -Afghans beaten at their own tactics. On the -16th Jellalabad was reached. With what intense -delight Sale's noble brigade saw once more from -their walls the colours of a friendly force may -well be imagined. For five weary months the -little band had resisted every offer of surrender, -and beaten back every assault. In February the -fortifications that had been raised and strengthened -by Broadfoot with infinite labour were destroyed -by an earthquake; and at that very time they -learnt that Akbar Khan was advancing on them. -The works, however, were restored, and in a dashing -sortie, commanded by Dennie, the Afghan chief, -with the flower of the Barukzye Horse, was driven<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> -from his position without the loss of a single -man to the garrison. A few days before Pollock -arrived a still more daring enterprise had been -attempted. On April 5th another sortie in force -was sent out under Dennie, Monteith, and Havelock, -which bore down on the Afghan camp, and sent -Akbar Khan flying with his 6000 men far away in -the direction of Lughman—a dashing exploit, and -a complete victory, but dearly won, for it was won -at the cost of the gallant Dennie. The meeting -between the two armies was, wrote Pollock to a -friend, "a sight worth seeing;" according to Mr. -Gleig the band of the 13th went out to play the -relieving force in, and the entry was performed to -the tune of "Oh, but ye've been lang o' coming."</p> - -<p>Still there was plenty yet to be done, if only the -English soldiers might be allowed to do it. At first -it seemed doubtful whether Lord Ellenborough, who -had succeeded Lord Auckland in February, would -be more willing to sanction a forward movement -than was his predecessor. On his first landing, -no one could have been more eager than he to -avenge the humiliation of Cabul, but as he went -up the country his opinions began to suffer a change. -Soojah had been murdered about the very time that -the Khyber Pass was forced, by the treachery of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -son of Zemaun Khan (a faithful friend to the -English, by whose good offices the English captives -were still living in safety, if not in comfort); his -son Futteh Jung had been nominally appointed to -succeed him, but his government was no more than -a farce. Jealous of each other, and jealous particularly -of the rising power of Akbar Khan, it was -plain that the Afghan Sirdars would never rest till -the strength and popularity of Dost Mahomed was -once more among them to restore and maintain -order. Was it not better to accept the inevitable, -to withdraw our troops, now that it could be done -with comparative honour, and to leave the country -to its own king and its own devices? It was -doubtful how much longer the brave Nott could -maintain himself in Candahar, and the force that -had been sent out from Sindh under England to -relieve him had been beaten back at the Kojuck -Pass; Ghuznee, after a stubborn resistance, had -fallen, and the British officers sent prisoners to -Cabul. Lord Ellenborough cannot be blamed for -hesitating at such a crisis; but the urgent prayers -of Pollock, Nott, and Outram at last prevailed, and -orders were given that the military commanders -might use their own discretion, while they were at -the same time warned that failure meant the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -inevitable fall of the British Empire in the East. -The responsibility was gladly taken, and the advance -commenced which was to retrieve, as far as it was -possible to retrieve, the shame of all former failure.</p> - -<p>The advance was an unbroken series of victories. -England, reinforced with some British troops, had -moved out again from Quettah, cleared the Kojuck -Pass, and joined Nott at Candahar. With a force -now raised to a strength equal to that which lay at -Jellalabad, Nott, resolute to "retire to India" by -way of Ghuznee and Cabul, lost no time in setting -to work. Dividing his troops, he took with him the -40th and 41st Regiments of the Line, and the -"beautiful Sepoy" Regiments that had stood by -him so well, and despatched the rest back to India -in charge of England, in whose hands also he placed -Prince Timour, whom, after his father's death it was -alike dangerous to take to Cabul or to leave at Candahar. -About the same time Pollock, with 8000 -men of all arms, including the 31st Regiment of the -Line and the 3rd Dragoons, moved out from Jellalabad -on the Khoord-Cabul Pass, that blood-stained -theatre of an awful tragedy. The enemy were in -force at Jugdulluck, but Pollock, employing the same -tactics that had been so efficacious among the Khyber -hills, sent out flanking parties to clear the heights,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -while from below his guns kept up a hot fire of shells -on their position. The Ghilzyes fought bravely, but -they could not stand against the English troops in open -fight, and with as little loss as in his first engagement -Pollock led his men into the pass. Seven -miles within, in the little valley of Tezeen, Akbar -Khan, with 16,000 of his best troops, resolved to -make one last throw for victory. He threw and lost. -While the English Dragoons met and broke the charge -of the Afghan horse, the English infantry, gallantly -seconded by the Sepoys and Ghoorkahs, pressed up -the heights under a heavy fire. Sale himself led -the advanced column; Monteith and Broadfoot and -McCaskill followed. Not a shot was fired by the -stormers; thick and fast flew the bullets among -them from the long Afghan jazails, but not an -English musket answered. The work was done -with the bayonet, and driven from crag to crag by -that "beautiful weapon" alone, the enemy fled in -confusion, till amid the ringing cheers of the whole -British force the British flag waved on the highest -pinnacle of the pass. This was Akbar Khan's last -attempt; leaving his troops to shift for themselves, -he fled northward to the Ghoreebund Valley; Pollock, -over the crumbling skeletons of the comrades -whom he had so worthily avenged, led his men in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -triumph to Cabul, and the British ensign once more -flew from the heights of the Bala Hissar.</p> - -<p>On September 15th Pollock reached Cabul, and -on the 17th he was joined by Nott. After a slight -check to the cavalry of his advanced guard, at an -early period of his march, the latter's success -had been as complete as Pollock's. At Ghoaine -he had utterly routed a superior force of the -enemy under Shumshoodeen Khan. Ghuznee had -been evacuated before even our preparations for -the assault were completed; the works were dismantled -and blown up, the town and citadel fired, -and the famous sandal-wood "gates of Somnauth," -which, according to Afghan tradition, had adorned -their famous Sultan's tomb for upwards of eight -centuries, carried off in accordance with Lord -Ellenborough's expressed desire. At Syderabad, -where in the previous November Woodburn and -his men had been treacherously massacred, Shumshoodeen -turned again; the stand was stubborn -and for a while the issue seemed doubtful; but -the news of the defeat at Tezeen had spread, the -Afghans lost heart, and abandoning their position -left the way for Nott clear into Cabul.</p> - -<p>The honour of the British arms was at last complete; -15,000 British troops were encamped in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> -Afghan capital, and from every quarter round submission -was pouring in. Ameen-oollah Khan, who -held out to the last, had been utterly routed in the -Kohistan by a force under McCaskill, and Akbar Khan -had also intimated his wish to treat for terms. The -miserable Futteh Jung, who had already once been -forced to fly for his life, was formally installed on his -throne, but as formally warned that he was to expect -no further aid or protection. The prospect before -him was too much for his weak and timorous mind, -and, in truth, it was far from a pleasant one; after -a few days' nominal rule, he voluntarily resigned a -crown which he would never have been able to keep, -and Shahpoor, a high-spirited young boy of the -Suddozye House, was seated in his stead.</p> - -<p>Two things had yet to be done. The captives -were to be recovered, and some unmistakeable mark -of British retribution was to be stamped on Cabul.</p> - -<p>Before Akbar Khan took the field for the last -time he had despatched all the English hostages, -together with the prisoners from Ghuznee, towards -the Bamean frontier, under Saleh Mohamed. Pollock -immediately on reaching Cabul had sent Sir Richmond -Shakespeare, with a party of horse in hot -haste after them, and subsequently a stronger force -under Sale. Before, however, the rescue arrived<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> -the prisoners had effected their own deliverance -through the medium of Saleh Mohamed's cupidity. -On a promise, duly drawn up and signed by -Pottinger, Lawrence and three others, of a heavy bribe, -the Afghan had consented to escort them not to Turkestan -and slavery, as had been intended, but back to -the English camp, and it was at Kaloo, on their way -down to Cabul, that, after more than eight months' -daily expectation of death, they once more found -themselves among English friends and safe under -the English flag. Despite the many hardships and -anxieties they had undergone, their health, even of -the women and children, had been marvellously preserved, -and their condition had, on the whole, been -far better than any they could have hoped for when -they exchanged the certain dangers of the retreat -for the uncertain security of Akbar Khan's word. -Two only of the little band that had turned their -backs on the miseries of the Khoord-Cabul Pass -were missing when they rode into Sale's camp, amid -the cheers of the men and a salute of welcome from -the guns. John Conolly, mourned by all who knew -him, had died at Cabul a few days before the march -for Bamean began, and in the previous April, after -Pollock's victory had heralded the triumph which -was to atone for the disasters that the British arms<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -had experienced under his command, poor Elphinstone, -after days of intense suffering in body and -mind, and bewailing to the last that he had not been -permitted to die with his men, passed away amid -the affectionate sympathy of all his fellow-prisoners. -His body was sent down to Jellalabad, and there -interred with military honours in the presence of -his victorious successor.</p> - -<p>To set the seal of our triumph on Cabul it was -determined to destroy the great Bazaar, where the -mutilated body of Macnaghten had been exposed to -the insults of his murderers. It had been first -intended to demolish the citadel, but the Suddozye -chiefs pleaded so earnestly for this last remnant of -their royalty, that Pollock consented to spare it. -During two days, October 9th and 10th, the work -of destruction went on, and though every precaution -was taken to prevent any farther loss beyond that -ordered, and particularly any excess on the part of -our soldiers, many suffered, and there was much -excess. On the 11th the homeward march began. -Futteh Jung had implored the safe conduct of the -British from a kingdom where he was no king, and -from subjects with whom his life was not worth an -hour's purchase, and with him went for the second -time into exile his blind old grandfather Zemaun<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -Shah. By the Khoord-Cabul and Khyber Passes, -the scenes of so much misery and such grievous -humiliation, the victorious army returned in triumph -to Hindostan, and ere Ferozepore was reached they -heard that the last of the Suddozye line had fled, -that Akbar Khan had seized the throne in trust for -his father, and that Dost Mahomed himself was -even then on his way through the Punjab to -resume his old dominion. And so the English -army left secure on the throne of Afghanistan the -dynasty they had spent so many millions of treasure -and so many thousands of lives to overthrow.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="center"> -LONDON:<br /> -GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS,<br /> -ST. JOHN'S SQUARE, E.C.<br /> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="transnote"> -<h2>Transcriber's Notes</h2> - -<p>Obvious punctuation errors repaired.</p> - -<p>Inconsistent hyphenation fixed.</p> - -<p>Pp. 19 (twice), 57: Dost Mohamed -> Dost Mahomed.</p> - -<p>P. 22: He proceded to Teheran -> He proceeded to Teheran.</p> - -<p>P. 30: to be be applied -> to be applied.</p> - -<p>P. 32: five brigades of of infantry -> five brigades of infantry.</p> - -<p>P. 33: Burnes with with him -> Burnes with him.</p> - -<p>P. 51: you own terms -> your own terms.</p> - -<p>P. 85: salutatations were exchanged -> salutations were exchanged.</p> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The First Afghan War, by Mowbray Morris - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR *** - -***** This file should be named 50145-h.htm or 50145-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/1/4/50145/ - -Produced by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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