MY LORD,--We have the honour to acquaint your Lordship that the army
marched from Ghuzni, _en route_ to Cabool, in two columns, on the 30th
and 31st ult., his Majesty Shah Shooja-ool-Moolk, with his own troops,
forming part of the second column.
On the arrival of the Commander-in-Chief with the first column, at Hyde
Khail, on the 1st inst., information reached him, and the same reached
the Envoy and Minister at Huft Assaya, that Dost Mahomed, with his army
and artillery, were advancing from Cabool, and would probably take up a
position at Urghundee or Midan, (the former twenty-four, the latter
thirty-six miles from Cabool.) Upon this it was arranged that his
Majesty, with the second column, under Major General Willshire, should
join the first column here, and advance together to attack Dost Mahomed,
whose son, Mahomed Akhbar, had been recalled from Jellahabad, with the
troops guarding the Khyber Pass, and had formed a junction with his
father; their joint forces, according to our information, amounting to
about 13,000 men.
Every arrangement was made for the King and the army marching in a body
from here to-morrow; but in the course of the night, messengers arrived,
and since (this morning) a great many chiefs and their followers,
announcing the dissolution of Dost Mahomed's army, by the refusal of a
great part to advance against us with him, and that he had in
consequence fled, with a party of 300 horsemen, in the direction of
Bamian, leaving his guns behind him, in position, as they were placed at
Urghundee.
His Majesty Shah Shooja has sent forward a confidential officer, with
whom has been associated Major Cureton, of her Majesty's 16th Lancers,
taking with him a party of 200 men and an officer of artillery, to
proceed direct to take possession of those guns, and afterwards such
other guns and public stores as may be found in Cabool and the Balla
Hissar, in the name of, and for his Majesty Shah Shooja-ool-Moolk, and
the King's order will be carried by his own officer with this party, for
preserving the tranquillity of the city of Cabool.
A strong party has been detached in pursuit of Dost Mahomed, under some
of our most active officers. We continue our march upon Cabool
to-morrow, and will reach it on the third day.
We have, &c.,
(Signed) JOHN KEANE, Lieut.-General,
Commander-in-Chief.
(Signed) W.H. MACNAGHTEN,
Envoy and Minister.
* * * * *
_Extract from a Letter from his Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir John
Keane, K.C.B. and G.C.H., dated Head-Quarters, Camp, Cabool, August 8th,
1839_:--
"It gives me infinite pleasure to be able to address my despatch to your
Lordship from this capital, the vicinity of which his Majesty Shah
Shooja-ool-Moolk and the army under my command reached the day before
yesterday. The King entered his capital yesterday afternoon, accompanied
by the British Envoy and Minister and the gentlemen of the mission, and
by myself, the general and staff officers of this army, and escorted by
a squadron of her Majesty's 4th Light Dragoons, and one of her Majesty's
16th Lancers, with Captain Martin's troop of Horse Artillery. His
Majesty had expressed a wish that British troops should be present on
the occasion, and a very small party only of his own Hindostanee and
Afghan troops. After the animating scene of traversing the streets, and
reaching the palace in the Bala Hissar, a royal salute was fired, and an
additional salvo in the Afghan style, from small guns, resembling
wall-pieces, named gingalls, and carried on camels. We heartily
congratulated his Majesty on being in possession of the throne and
kingdom of his ancestors, and upon the overthrow of his enemies; and
after taking leave of his Majesty, we returned to our camp.
"I trust we have thus accomplished all the objects which your Lordship
had in contemplation when you planned and formed the army of the Indus,
and the expedition into Afghanistan.
"The conduct of the army both European and native, which your Lordship
did me the honour to place under my orders, has been admirable
throughout, and, notwithstanding the severe marching and privations they
have gone through, their appearance and discipline have suffered
nothing, and the opportunity afforded them at Ghuzni of meeting and
conquering their enemy has added greatly to their good spirits.
"The joint despatch addressed by Mr Macnaghten and myself to your
Lordship, on the 3rd instant, from Shikarbad, will have informed you
that at the moment we had made every preparation to attack (on the
following day) Dost Mahomed Khan, in his position at Urghundee, where,
after his son, Mahomed Akhbar, had joined him from Jellahabad, he had an
army amounting to 13,000 men, well armed and appointed, and thirty
pieces of artillery, we suddenly learned that he abandoned them all, and
fled, with a party of horsemen, on the road to Bamian, leaving his guns
in position, as he had placed them to receive our attack.
"It appears that a great part of his army, which was hourly becoming
disorganized, refused to stand by him in the position to receive our
attack, and that it soon became in a state of dissolution. The great
bulk immediately came over to Shah Shooja, tendering their allegiance,
and I believe his Majesty will take most of them into his pay.
"It seems that the news of the quick and determined manner in which we
took their stronghold, Ghuzni, had such an effect upon the population of
Cabool, and perhaps also upon the enemy's army, that Dost Mahomed from
that moment began to lose hope of retaining his rule, for even a short
time longer, and sent off his family and valuable property towards
Bamian; but marched out of Cabool, with his army and artillery, keeping
a bold front towards us until the evening of the 2nd, when all his hopes
were at an end by a division in his own camp, and one part of his army
abandoning him. So precipitate was his flight, that be left in position
his guns, with their ammunition and wagons, and the greater part of the
cattle by which they were drawn. Major Cureton, of her Majesty's 16th
Lancers, with his party of 200 men, pushed forward, of the 3rd, and took
possession of those guns, &c. There were twenty-three brass guns in
position, and loaded; two more at a little distance, which they
attempted to take away; and since then, three more abandoned, still
further off on the Bamian road; thus leaving in our possession
twenty-eight pieces of cannon, with all the materiel belonging to them,
which are now handed over to Shah Shooja-ool-Moolk."
* * * * *
_Extract from a Letter from W.H. Macnaghten, Esq., Envoy and Minister to
the Court of Shah Shooja-ool-Moolk, dated Cabool, 9th of August,
1839_:--
"By a letter signed jointly by his Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir
John Keane and myself, dated the 3rd inst., the Right Hon. the
Governor-General was apprised of the flight of Dost Mahomed Khan.
"The ex-chief was not accompanied by any person of consequence, and his
followers are said to have been reduced to below the number of 100 on
the day of his departure. In the progress of Shah Shooja-ool-Moolk
towards Cabool, his Majesty was joined by every person of rank and
influence in the country, and he made his triumphal entry into the city
on the evening of the 7th instant. His Majesty has taken up his
residence in the Bala Hissar, where he has required the British mission
to remain for the present."
* * * * *
(_From the Bombay Government Gazette Extraordinary of August 29th._)
Simla, August 26th, 1839.