For services in Afghanistan from the year 1839 to 1880 ten medals
altogether have been granted, including those given for the storming of
Ghuznee, and the defence of Jellalabad and Kelat-i-Ghilzie. The Ghuznee
medal[82] was given by Shah Soojah, the restored King of Afghanistan, to
the British troops present at the storming of that place, under Sir John
Keane, July 22nd. and 23rd., 1839. This medal is silver, having on the
obverse a view of the fortress, with the name “Ghuznee” underneath.
Reverse: A laurel wreath, encircling a mural crown, with the date,
“23rd. July,” above, and “1839” below. Ribbon, half crimson and half
green; no clasp. Permission was granted by the Queen in 1841 to wear
this medal. For the successful defence of Jellalabad two medals were
given. The first was granted by Lord Ellenborough, Governor-General of
India—silver. Obverse: A mural crown, with “Jellalabad” inscribed above,
on the reverse the date of the victorious sortie, “VII. April, 1842.”
The second Jellalabad medal, designed by Wyon, was issued by the English
Government, and was intended to be worn in place of the first[83], but
from its rarity it seems that but few men took advantage of the offered
exchange. Obverse: Head of the Queen, crowned, with the inscription,
“Victoria Vindex.” Reverse: Victory, with the Union Jack in her left
hand, and laurel wreaths in her right, flying over the fortress of
Jellalabad; above the figure are the words, “Jellalabad, VII. April,”
and in the exergue, “MDCCCXLII.” Ribbon: Rainbow pattern for both
medals; no clasp. The Kelat-i-Ghilzie medal was also granted by Lord
Ellenborough to the defenders of that place—silver. Obverse: A laurel
wreath, encircling a shield, inscribed, “Kelat-i-Ghilzie,” surmounted by
a mural crown. Reverse: A trophy of arms, inscribed “Invicta,” with the
date MDCCCXLII. underneath. Ribbon, rainbow pattern. For services at
Ghuznee, Cabul, and Candahar, five distinct medals were distributed, all
having on the obverse the head of the Queen, with the legend, “Victoria
Vindex,” but the inscription on the reverse varying as follows:—
(1.) “Candahar,” “Ghuznee,” and “Cabul,” 1842, under each other, given
to those men who served during the whole campaign.
(2.) “Candahar,” 1842, given to men who were engaged with the enemy from
January 1st. to August 10th., 1842.
(3.) “Candahar” and “Ghuznee,” given to men present at both places only.
(4.) “Ghuznee” and “Cabul,” given to the troops who went with General
Nott from Ghuznee to Cabul, 6th to 17th of September, 1842.
(5.) “Cabul,” given to those who reached Cabul after September 16th,
1842; no clasps; ribbon, rainbow pattern. The reverse of these medals,
excepting that for Ghuznee and Cabul, are alike in design, the names
“Candahar,” &c., being inscribed within a laurel wreath, surmounted by a
crown, with the date 1842 below. The medal for Ghuznee and Cabul has the
names inscribed within a double wreath of laurel, with the crown over,
and in the exergue “1842.” The obverse of this medal, and of that given
for Cabul, has a laurel wreath surrounding the Queen’s head. The
authority for these medals to be worn by the Queen’s troops was notified
to the army in India, January 25th, 1843. The medal given for the
campaigns of 1878, 1879, and 1880 is of silver. Obverse: Head of the
Queen, veiled and crowned, with the inscription, “Victoria Regina et
Imperatrix.” Reverse: An elephant bearing a mountain gun; in foreground
a mounted British officer, cavalry with lances, following on the march;
in the background, mountains; above, the word, “Afghanistan,” and the
dates 1878, 1879, and 1880 in the exergue. Clasps inscribed “Ali
Musjid,” “Peiwar Kotal,” “Charasia,” “Kabul,” “Ahmed Khel,” and
“Kandahar,” were also granted, the greatest number worn with the medal
being four. Ribbon, green centre with crimson borders.
For the march of General Roberts from Kabul to Candahar a bronze star
was given, made from guns captured at Cabul. The star is of five points,
suspended from an Imperial crown; in the centre a monogram, composed of
the letters “V. R. I.,” surrounded by the words “Kabul to Kandahar,”
with the date 1880 underneath. Ribbon, rainbow pattern. On the reverse
of the star is engraved the rank, name, and corps of the recipient.
THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR.
1839.
Shah Soojah-ool-Moolk had been driven from the throne of Afghanistan,
and his kingdom divided among several chiefs. A Persian army besieged
Herat, on the Afghan frontier, and the court of Persia claimed an
extensive portion of territory, which, lying between India and Persia,
appeared to menace the safety of the British dominions in the East
Indies. These circumstances, and the unprovoked attack made on a British
ally, Runjeet Singh, by Dost Mahomed Khan, occasioned a tripartite
treaty to be concluded between the British, Runjeet Singh, and Shah
Soojah, for the purpose of effecting the restoration of the dethroned
monarch, and a British force designated the “ARMY OF THE INDUS,” was
assembled to effect this object. In addition to the native corps, it
comprised the 4th. and 16th. Dragoons, (the cavalry being commanded by
Lieutenant-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, G.C.B., then Major-General,)
and the 2nd., 13th., and 17th. regiments of the regular army. The Bengal
column was placed under Major-General Sir Willoughby Cotton, K.C.B., and
the Bombay one under Major-General Willshire. General Sir Henry Fane was
to have commanded the whole, but on information being received in
October, 1838, that the siege of Herat had been raised by the Persian
monarch, who had marched therefrom towards his capital, the force was
reduced, and the second Bengal division was left at Ferozepore.
Lieutenant-General Sir John (afterwards Lord) Keane, was consequently
appointed to the command.
The plan of operations was thus arranged:—Major-General Sir Willoughby
Cotton was to march near Scinde, through the Bolan Pass to Candahar, and
proceed thence to Ghuznee and Cabool. The Bombay division of the army
commenced its march from the mouth of the Indus, through the country
occupied by the Ameers of Scinde, who, refusing permission for the
troops to pass through their territory, a passage had to be effected by
force. Hyderabad, the capital, was captured; Kurrachee was occupied; and
the Ameers were brought to submission early in February, 1839. The army
then continued its march, passed the Indus on a bridge of boats near the
fortress of Bukkur, which had been delivered up as a place of arms
during the war in Afghanistan, and entered upon regions never before
traversed by British troops, but which are interesting from their
association with the operations and reverses of Alexander the Great.
Advancing from Shikarpore the troops arrived in the middle of March, at
Dadur, situated a few miles from the Bolan Pass, through which they
marched between mountains covered with snow. In these wild regions bands
of Beloochees lurked to avail themselves of every opportunity to follow
their predatory habits, and they murdered several camp followers, and
plundered some baggage. Issuing from this gloomy defile of more than
fifty miles in length, the army entered the Dushi-be-doulut, or the
unhappy desert, and halted a short time at Quettah, situated in the
centre of the valley of Shawl, of which it is the capital. Supplies of
provisions could not be procured in these sterile regions; the issue of
grain for the horses ceased, the soldiers were placed upon half rations,
the native followers upon quarter, and several men, who were searching
for forage at a distance from the camp, were sacrificed by the natives,
who availed themselves of every opportunity of destroying small parties.
All these hardships were borne with fortitude, and in the early part of
April the army commenced its march through the vale of Shawl; it
descended the picturesque height of Kotul into the valley of Koochlak;
forded rivers; and passed the height of Kozak, where the men had to drag
the artillery over the precipice with ropes. Surmounting every obstacle
with patient perseverance, the troops continued to press forward; the
rulers of Afghanistan, struck with dismay, fled from the capital,
leaving the country to the Sovereign whom the British were advancing to
restore. As the army proceeded on its way, various classes of
individuals tendered their submission, and on the 27th. of April it
arrived at Candahar, the capital of western Afghanistan, where
provisions and repose were obtained. The tents were pitched in the
grassy meadows, among enclosures covered with crops of grain. The watery
exhalations from the low grounds however proved injurious to the health
of the men, and the great heat experienced in the tents, with a saline
impregnation in the water, augmented the number of the sick.
CAPTURE OF GHUZNEE.
23RD. JULY, 1839.
Breaking up from Candahar on the 27th. of June, to reduce the remainder
of the Shah’s dominions to obedience, the army advanced along a valley
of dismal sterility to the Turnuk river; then proceeding up the right
bank, traversed the country of the Western Ghilzees, and arrived on the
21st. of July before Ghuznee, a strong fortress garrisoned by three
thousand Afghans under Prince Mahomed Hyder Khan, who were well provided
with stores and had determined on a desperate defence, having blocked up
every gate with masonry excepting one.
Not having a battering train of sufficient power to proceed by the
regular method of breaching the walls, Lieutenant-General Sir John Keane
resolved to storm the place without delay, and a reconnoissance was made
on the 21st. of July, when it was determined to blow open the gate, and
accordingly during the night of the 22nd. of July a quantity of
gunpowder was secretly brought to the one not blocked up with masonry,
which was to be destroyed by an explosion before daylight on the
following morning.
To the 13th. Foot was assigned the duty of covering the operations, in
blowing open the gate, and they paraded at two o’clock, a.m. Three
hundred pounds of gunpowder (in twelve sandbags) were used for this
purpose. The regiment proceeded in advance of the storming party to the
causeway of the gate under cover of the darkness of the night, and the
fire of the batteries of the assailants, six men of the leading company
being told off to assist in carrying the powder-bags. On reaching the
causeway, the 13th. extended in light order along the ditch, and by
their fire distracted the enemy’s attention from the gate. After the
explosion a company of the regiment, under Lieutenant Jennings, moved up
with the engineer officer to ascertain if the operation had been
attended with success; on which the light company of the 2nd. (or
Queen’s Royal,) No. 9 company of the 13th., under Captain Vigors, the
light companies of the 17th., and of the Bengal European Regiment, which
had been named to form the advance of the storming column, immediately
pressed forward under the command of Brigadier Dennie, and despite a
heavy fire gained an entrance into the fort. These were quickly followed
by the main storming column under Brigadier Sale, (who was severely
wounded on this occasion,) which consisted of the 2nd. Queens, under
Major Carruthers, and the Bengal European Regiment, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Orchard; to these succeeded the 13th. Light Infantry,
under Major Fraser, as they collected from the duty of skirmishing, with
which they were directed to commence, and the 17th., under
Lieutenant-Colonel Croker. The whole were soon established in possession
of the fort.
After this the garrison rushed some to the citadel and others to the
houses, from which they kept up an annoying fire, when the 13th. and
17th. regiments were directed against the former, which unexpectedly was
found evacuated. Large supplies of grain, ammunition of all kinds, and
several guns with about two thousand horses, fell into the hands of the
victors. A company of the 13th., under Lieutenant Arthur Wilkinson,
succeeded in capturing the redoubt, (or outwork,) and took two standards
and about sixty prisoners. A standard was captured by the 17th., but was
afterwards lost by the wreck of a transport, in which a part of the
regiment was embarked.
The loss sustained in the assault of Ghuznee by the Queen’s regiments,
(the 2nd., 13th., and 17th. Foot,) was limited to five men killed, and
six officers and sixty-three men wounded.
When the Afghan horsemen, who had assembled in the neighbourhood, learnt
the fate of the fortress, they abandoned their camp equipage and
baggage, and fled towards Cabool, the capital of Eastern Afghanistan, in
the direction of which city the British forces immediately advanced.
Dost Mahomed Khan, the ruler of the country, assembled a formidable host
in position near Ughundee; but ascertaining that his soldiers had
resolved to abandon him, he fled with a body of select cavalry, leaving
his artillery in position; and the British army advancing to the
capital, replaced Shah Soojah-ool-Moolk, on the 7th. of August, in the
possession of the palace of his forefathers, from which he had been an
exile many years. The conquest of a kingdom was thus achieved with
trifling loss, and the troops pitched their tents in a rich valley near
Cabool.
An order of merit was instituted by the Shah, called the Order of the
Dooranée Empire, the decorations[84] of which were conferred on the
general and field officers. The following regiments of the Queen’s army
were engaged in this service:—the 2nd. Queen’s, the 13th. and 17th.
Foot, and the Bengal European Regiment, (now the 101st.,) the 4th. Light
Dragoons, and the 16th. Lancers.
Shah Soojah’s government became so unpopular, that the Afghans
determined to expel the British, by whose aid he had been reinstated,
and whose presence in Cabool was rendered necessary to support him on
the throne. The crisis arrived in 1841. In October the Afghans broke out
into open insurrection; the British envoy, Sir William Macnaughten, and
Sir Alexander Burnes, were treacherously murdered, and the troops,
including the 44th. regiment,[85] which occupied Cabool, being compelled
to evacuate that place, and retreat towards Jellalabad, were cut to
pieces on the march, Dr. Brydon of the Shah’s forces, being the only
officer who succeeded in reaching that place. It is remarkable that this
officer was one of the heroes of Lucknow.
The 13th. regiment was more fortunate; under its gallant
Lieutenant-Colonel, Sir Robert Sale, (serving with the local rank of
Major-General), it reached Jellalabad, having at the breaking out of the
insurrection been detached from Cabool with a force in order to reduce
the insurgents, and after much hard fighting in the passes, had taken
possession of Jellalabad, the successful defence of which by his small
garrison, forms so bright a feature in this terrible and gloomy history.
Before describing this heroic defence, only equalled by that of Lucknow,
it is necessary to show the manner in which the gallant band reached the
place of safety. The 13th. and other troops left Cabool on the 11th. of
October, in consequence of a body of insurgents having possessed
themselves of the Khoord Cabool pass,[86] about ten miles from the
capital, with a view to expel the rebels, and re-open the communication
with India. On the 12th. of October the pass was forced, the troops
under Sir Robert penetrating to Khoord (Little) Cabool.
Major-General Sir Robert Sale, Captain Hamlet C. Wade, (Major of
Brigade,) Lieutenant George Mein, and Ensign Oakes were wounded.
Lieutenant Mein being dangerously wounded, was obliged to be sent back
in a litter to Cabool. Upon Sir Robert Sale being compelled to quit the
field from the severity of his wound, the command of the troops devolved
upon Lieutenant-Colonel Dennie, C.B., also of the 13th. The regiment
then faced about, to return through the pass according to the plan for
executing the operation, leaving the other corps at Khoord Cabool.
Possession was then taken of Bootkhak, where the regiment was stationed
until the 18th. of October. During this delay, incessant night attacks
were made by the enemy, called by them Shub Khoon, (night slaughter;)
Sir Robert Sale’s precaution in ordering the men to lie down on their
alarm posts, as soon as the fire was opened on the camp, prevented much
loss: his orders prohibiting any return-fire likewise saved many, and
all the enemy’s attempts to force an entrance therein were successfully
resisted by the bayonet alone. Meanwhile the rebellion continued of a
formidable character, and the 13th. were ordered to march to Tezeen,
where they arrived on the 22nd. of October, and were engaged with a body
of insurgents, whom they drove from some heights and strong positions.
In consequence of orders from Cabool, the force under Major-General Sir
Robert Sale marched for Gundamuck, and were continually pressed day and
night, by insurgent bands hovering on their flanks and rear, which
occasioned the fatigues and duties of the troops to be particularly
harassing; the way led along defiles and over mountains, and when the
soldiers halted, breastworks had to be thrown up to defend the bivouac
ground from sudden attacks of the Afghan cavalry.
On the 29th. of October the rebels were found in force at the Jugdulluck
Pass, and for some time they checked the advance of the column; but the
skirmishers of the 13th. sprang forward, and driving the Afghans from
almost inaccessible heights protected by breastworks, enabled the
British force to surmount every obstacle in the defile, and to arrive at
Gundamuck on the following day.
Sir Robert Sale remained at Gundamuck with his troops until the 5th. of
November, when they proceeded and captured the fort of Mamoo Khail in
the neighbourhood, and returned on the 6th. to Gundamuck. There
intelligence was received of the breaking out of a violent insurrection
at Cabool, on the 2nd. of November, and of the probability that the
rebellion would become general. Under these circumstances, two forced
marches on Jellalabad were made, with a numerous enemy pressing on the
flanks and rear; a body of insurgents were beaten at Futtehabad by the
rear-guard under Lieutenant-Colonel Dennie; and Jellalabad, the chief
town in the valley of Ningrahar, was seized by the British troops on the
12th. of November, to establish a post upon which the corps at Cabool
might retire, if necessary, and thus restore a link in the chain of
communication with India.
[Illustration:
MEDAL FOR THE CAPTURE OF GHUZNEE.
]
DEFENCE OF JELLALABAD.
12TH. NOVEMBER, 1841, TO 7TH. APRIL, 1842.
The fortress of Jellalabad was found to be in a very dilapidated state,
and the inhabitants disaffected to the government of the Shah. The
Afghans collected to about ten thousand, and the walls of the fort being
without parapets, and the garrison having only one day and a half
supplies, on half rations, a sally was made on the 14th. of November,
which routed the enemy, and enabled the troops to collect provisions,
and erect works for the defence of the fortress, which called forth the
efforts of all. While thus employed, the Afghans in great force again
invested the place on the 27th. of November, but they were completely
routed and dispersed by a sally of the garrison on the 1st. of December.
On the 9th. of January, 1842, the garrison was summoned to give up the
fortress by the leader of the Afghan rebellion, in fulfilment of a
convention entered into at Cabool with Major-General Elphinstone, who
was taken prisoner at a conference, and died shortly afterwards; but Sir
Robert Sale being fully assured of the bad faith of the insurgents,
refused.
Captain Broadfoot, garrison engineer, and Captain Abbott, commissary of
ordnance, aided by the indefatigable exertions of the troops, put the
works into a state of defence to resist any Asiatic enemy not provided
with siege-artillery; but the place was kept in a continual state of
alarm by the occurrence of one hundred shocks of an earthquake in the
course of a month, one of which, on the 19th. of February, occasioned
the parapets to fall, injured the bastions, made a breach in the
rampart, destroyed the guard-houses, reduced other portions of the works
to ruins, and demolished one third of the town. With that unconquerable
spirit of perseverance for which the troops had already been
distinguished, they instantly turned to the repair of the works. Sirdar
Mahomed Akbar Khan, Barukzye, the assassin of the late Envoy, and the
treacherous destroyer of the Cabool force, flushed with success,
approached with a numerous army to overwhelm the little garrison; he
attacked the foraging parties on the 21st. and 22nd. of February; but
was astonished at finding the works in a state of defence, whereupon he
established a rigorous blockade. From that time to the 7th. of April,
the reduced garrison was engaged in a succession of skirmishes, in which
the 13th. had opportunities of distinguishing themselves; particularly
detachments under Captains Pattisson and Fenwick, Lieutenants George
Wade and W. Cox.
Information was received on the 5th. of April, that the force under
Major-General, now General Sir George Pollock, G.C.B., had experienced
reverses in the Khyber, and had retraced its steps towards Peshawur; and
on the 6th. a _feu-de-joie_ and salute of artillery were fired by
Mahomed Akbar, in honour of the event. It was also reported that the
Ghazees had been defeated, and that the Sirdar had retreated into
Lughman. Sir Robert Sale resolved to anticipate the last-mentioned
event, by a general attack on the Afghan camp, with the hope of
relieving Jellalabad from blockade, and facilitating Major-General
Pollock’s advance. Directions were accordingly given to form three
columns of infantry, the central one consisting of the 13th., (mustering
five hundred bayonets,) under Colonel Dennie, C.B.; the left comprising
a similar number of the 35th. Native Infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel
Monteath, C.B.; and the right composed of one company of the 13th., one
of the 35th. Native Infantry, and the detachment of Sappers, under the
command of Lieutenant Orr, amounting to three hundred and sixty men, was
commanded by Captain (afterwards the celebrated Sir Henry) Havelock, of
the 13th.: these were supported by the fire of the guns of No. 6 field
battery under Captain Abbott, the whole of the small cavalry force being
under Captain Oldfield and Lieutenant Mayne.
At daylight on the morning of the 7th. of April, the troops issued from
the Cabool and Peshawur gates. Mahomed Akbar Khan, had formed his force
of about six thousand men in order of battle for the defence of his
camp; its right resting on a fort, and its left on the Cabool river. The
attack was led by the skirmishers and column under Captain Havelock;
this drove the enemy from the extreme left of his advanced line of
works, which it pierced at once, and proceeded to advance into the
plain; the central column at the same time directed its efforts against
a square fort, upon the same base, the defence of which was obstinately
maintained. Colonel Dennie, while nobly leading his regiment to the
assault, received a shot through his body, which, to the deep regret of
officers and men, shortly after proved fatal.
The rear of the work having been finally gained by passing to its left,
orders were given for a combined attack upon the enemy’s camp; this was
brilliant and successful. The artillery, advanced at the gallop, and
directed a heavy fire upon the Afghan centre, while two columns of
infantry penetrated his line near the same point, and the third forced
back his left from its support on the river, into which some of his
horse and foot were driven. The Afghans repeatedly attempted to check
the advance by a smart fire of musketry—by throwing forward heavy bodies
of horse, which twice threatened in force the detachments of infantry
under Captain Havelock, and by opening three guns, screened by a garden
wall; but in a short time they were dislodged from every point of their
positions, their cannon taken, and their camp involved in a general
conflagration.
By about seven o’clock in the morning the battle was over and the enemy
in full retreat in the direction of Lughman. Two Afghan cavalry
standards were taken, besides four guns which had been lost by the
Cabool army and Gundamuck forces. Great quantities of _matériel_ and
stores were, together with the enemy’s tents, destroyed, and the defeat
of Mahomed Akbar, in open field, by the troops he had boasted of
blockading, was complete.
Armourer Sergeant Henry Uylett, of the 13th., captured Mahomed Akbar’s
standard, which he took from a cavalry soldier, whom he killed. The
standard is of scarlet cloth, with a green border, and crimson and
yellow fringe. It is triangular in shape and swallow-tailed. About the
centre a patch of light blue cloth is introduced, on which are neatly
sewn some characters in yellow cloth, being an extract from the Koran,
signifying “The Omnipotent God! In the name of God, the clement and the
merciful! With God as a helper, victory is nigh.” This and two other
flags, captured by the 13th. on the same day, were deposited in Chelsea
Hospital.
The enemy’s loss was very severe; the field of battle was strewed with
the bodies of men and horses, and the richness of the trappings of some
of the latter denoted that chiefs of rank (several being present and
taking part in the action) had fallen.
In February following, the thanks of Parliament were accorded to the
Governor-General of India, and to the officers and troops employed in
Afghanistan, the resolutions being moved in the House of Lords by the
Duke of Wellington, and in the House of Commons by Sir Robert Peel, who,
after eulogizing the gallant conduct of Sir Robert Sale and the garrison
of Jellalabad, (appropriately designated “ILLUSTRIOUS,”) specially
deplored the death of Colonel Dennie, justly described as “one of the
most noble and gallant spirits, whose actions have ever added brilliance
to their country’s military renown.”
[Illustration:
FIRST JELLALABAD MEDAL.
]
On the 26th. of August, 1842, it was officially announced in the “London
Gazette,” that “In consideration of the distinguished gallantry
displayed by the 13th. Light Infantry, during the campaigns in the
Burmese empire and in Afghanistan, Her Majesty has been graciously
pleased to approve of that regiment assuming the title of the ‘13th., or
Prince Albert’s Light Infantry;’ and of its facings being changed from
yellow to blue.
“Her Majesty has also been pleased to authorize the 13th. Regiment of
Light Infantry to bear on its colours and appointments a ‘Mural Crown,’
superscribed ‘Jellalabad,’ as a memorial of the fortitude, perseverance,
and enterprise, evinced by that regiment, and the several corps which
served during the blockade of Jellalabad.”
SECOND AFGHAN CAMPAIGN.
1842.
When the news of the Afghan tragedy reached India, it was resolved to
rescue the gallant garrison, and to restore British Supremacy beyond the
Indus. Accordingly a force was collected at Peshawur, in the north of
the Punjaub, under Major-General Pollock, early in 1842. Of this army,
the Queen’s regiments consisted of the 3rd. Light Dragoons, and the 9th.
and 31st. Foot. On the 5th. of April the Khyber Pass was forced,
although strongly occupied, and its mouth having a breastwork of stones
and bushes.
Precipitous and rocky hills, on the right and left, presented great
natural obstacles to the ascent of troops, and it was an undertaking of
no ordinary difficulty to gain the summit of such heights, defended as
they were by a numerous body of the enemy; the columns destined to
accomplish this most important object, moved off simultaneously with the
main one intended to assault the entrance, but were compelled to make a
considerable detour to the right and left, to enable them to commence
the ascent. The right column, consisting of four companies of the 9th.
Foot, and the same number of companies of the 26th. and 64th. Native
Infantry, were under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor, of the
9th. regiment, and Major Anderson, of the 64th. Native Infantry. The
left column, consisting of four companies of the 9th. Foot, a similar
number of companies of the 26th. and 64th. Native Infantry, together
with four hundred Jezailchees, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Moseley
and Major Huish, commenced the ascent, led by Captain Ferris, of the
regiment of Jezailchees.
Both columns, after considerable opposition, succeeded in routing the
enemy, and gaining possession of the crest of the hills on either side.
While the flanking columns were in progress on the heights, Captain
Alexander, in command of the artillery, placed the guns in position, and
threw shrapnel among the enemy when opportunity offered, which assisted
much in their discomfiture. Upon the heights being gained, the main
column was advanced to the mouth of the Pass, and commenced destroying
the barrier, which the enemy had evacuated on perceiving their position
was turned; portions of the right and left columns were left to keep the
heights, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Moseley and Major
Anderson, and Major Huish and Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor continued their
advance to crown the hills in front, and on each side, which were
covered with the foe, who appeared determined to contest every inch of
ground; but the gallantry of the troops carried everything before them.
Thus was accomplished without the payment of any tribute, the passage of
the Khyber Pass,[87] and the road to Jellalabad was gained. The siege of
that place (as already shewn) had been abandoned, when Major-General
Pollock arrived on the 16th. of April, and found the garrison, after a
siege which had lasted upwards of five months, in excellent health, with
a plentiful supply of ammunition, and all most anxious to march on
Cabool.
ADVANCE ON CABOOL.
1842.
Major-General Pollock urged upon Lord Ellenborough, the new
Governor-General of India, the advance upon Cabool; the 31st. regiment,
which had followed by forced marches, joined at Jellalabad on the 5th.
of May, having undergone much privation on the way, and the loss of
several men from famine and fatigue; while at Jellalabad the army was
halted in wretched tents, the climate being so unhealthy during the
summer, that the natives use it only as a winter residence. Soon the
effect of this displayed itself; the days became so oppressive, that
both officers and men were obliged to dig deep holes underground in
which to shield themselves, in some slight measure, from the burning
heat of the sun, the thermometer rising in the tents as high as 126°.
In consequence of the extreme heat the troops suffered a loss which the
most sanguinary encounter with the enemy could not have exceeded.
Neither was it in men alone that the army was daily losing its
efficiency. From the valley of Jellalabad having been so long the seat
of war, the fertile land had become a desert,—the wretched half-starved
camels could find no forage on the bare face on the sand, and they died
by hundreds; their dead bodies lying about in all directions, swollen
with the sun, and emitting the most pestilential exhalations, together
with the filth and dirt of a standing camp of fifty thousand men, added
to the disease which raged among the troops.
Eventually it was found necessary to divide the force, and the fourth
brigade, in which was the 31st. regiment, was ordered to march under
Brigadier Monteath into the Shinwaree country, to punish some refractory
tribes, who had attacked several convoys, and been guilty of many acts
of murder and plunder. The warlike and turbulent Shinwaree tribes
sheltered themselves in their strongholds, which were formed in a narrow
valley, strengthened by many forts and stockaded enclosures, while the
heights on either side were defended by numerous sunghas, or breastworks
of large stones, which were so constructed as to enable them to dispute
every inch of ground with an advancing force.
On the 26th. of July, Brigadier Monteath prepared to attack the enemy
near Mazeena with his whole force; and accordingly, leaving his camp
standing under an efficient guard, he moved towards the position
occupied by the Afghans, who were prepared, and nothing loath to meet
him. The engagement was commenced by the 31st. regiment, seconded by the
33rd. and 53rd. Native Infantry, ascending the heights, and driving the
Shinwarees from their breastworks, and along the ridges of the hills,
while the 10th. Light Cavalry, in the valley below, charged them
whenever they showed front on level ground. The camp followers and
pioneers had been furnished with combustibles to burn the forts, as the
Shinwarees were driven out of them, which service was very efficiently
performed. Meanwhile, on the heights, the enemy disputed every foot of
ground until taken at the point of the bayonet, and Lieutenant M‘Ilween,
of the 31st., was killed in leading one of the attacks.
The Afghans being driven from their defences, the artillery, under the
command of Captain Abbott, played upon them with great effect; and after
contesting the day until every fort and place of defence had been taken
and destroyed, they fled, dispersing themselves among the neighbouring
hills, where it was impossible to pursue them. Their loss was very
great, including most of their leaders.
After this action the brigade returned to Jellalabad, and on the 20th.
of August the army marched in two divisions _en route_ to Cabool. Three
days afterwards the troops arrived at Gundamuck, when information was
received that the enemy, under the Chiefs Hadji Ali and Khyroolah Khan,
occupied the village and fort of Mammoo Khail, about two miles distant,
and it was determined to attack them there on the following morning.
Accordingly on the 24th. of August, at four o’clock, a.m., the troops
advanced, and the attack on Mammoo Khail was attended with complete
success.
Major-General Pollock left Gundamuck on the 7th. of September, and on
the day after the troops were engaged with the forces of Mahomed Khan
and the Ghilzie chiefs at the Pass of Jugdulluck; in the valley were
seen the blackened remains of the unfortunate Cabool force. No further
opposition was shewn to the advance of the army until nearing the valley
of Tezeen;—the road from this place to Khoord Cabool was through a
succession of lofty hills, called the Huft Kotul, or Eight Hills.
On the 10th. of September, it having been ascertained that Akbar Khan,
with twenty thousand men, had established himself in the Khoord Cabool
Pass, in order to cover the capital and fight a pitched battle with the
British, the second division was ordered to join the first by a forced
march to Tezeen, where Major-General Pollock was encamped. This junction
was effected on the 11th. of September, with little loss, although a
running fight was kept up the greater part of the way.
Shortly after daybreak on the 13th. of September, the army moved off its
ground towards the Tezeen Pass, the advanced guard being commanded by
Sir Robert Sale. After moving carefully along the Pass for about two
miles, the Afghans were discovered, in great force, occupying strong
positions on the heights on either side, while their artillery and
cavalry were formed some distance farther on in the Pass itself. The
action commenced by a heavy fire on the advanced guard of the British;
and the distance being too great for musketry, from the effect of which
also the Afghans were covered by extensive sunghas, for the whole length
of their position, it was judged necessary for the troops to ascend the
heights and drive them from their posts at the point of the bayonet.
This service was most effectively performed on the left heights by the
9th. and 31st. regiments, and on the right by the 13th. Light Infantry.
The companies ascended the face of the mountain under a most galling
fire, from the effects of which many casualties occurred, and not
returning a shot until the ledge was gained: a combined volley within
ten yards of the enemy, followed by an immediate charge of bayonets,
drove him from his defences with great slaughter, and the heights were
gained.
Being reinforced by fresh troops, the British pushed on, and storming
one entrenchment after another, threw the Afghans into great confusion.
The artillery was now brought up, and played upon them with terrific
effect, while the British cavalry, having charged and overthrown their
horse, posted in the Pass, and taken their guns, together with the state
tent of their commander, Mahomed Akbar Khan, victory, even at this early
period was in favour of the British arms; but the warlike mountaineers
continued the struggle with desperate valour. Attack after attack was
made upon the troops occupying the posts from which the enemy had first
been driven. Reckless of life, the stern fanatics came on to be shot
down from the defences which they had themselves thrown up. In a series
of desultory attacks the day declined, and the British having obtained
possession of every height commanding the Pass, the remains of the
Afghan army made a _détour_ among the hills, and attacked the British
rear-guard, commanded by Colonel Richmond, but they were warmly
received, and entirely discomfited.
So complete was the defeat of the Afghan army on the 13th. of September,
that Akbar Khan escaped from the field accompanied only by a solitary
horseman. The enemy acknowledged to have lost fifty-three chiefs and
persons of consequence and seven hundred men. The casualties on the part
of the British amounted to one hundred and eighty-five.
No impediments now existed to the advance of the British on Cabool, at
which city the army arrived on the 15th. of September, and encamped on
the race-course. On the following morning the British colours were
hoisted on the highest pinnacles of the battlements of the Bala Hissar,
(upper fort,) on the spot most conspicuous from the city; the National
Anthem was played, and a royal salute fired from the guns of the horse
artillery, the whole of the troops present giving three cheers. The
colours were left in the Bala Hissar to be hoisted daily as long as the
troops should continue at Cabool.
All the objects of the campaign were thus gained, and the rescue of the
prisoners effected, amongst whom were several officers[88] and ladies,
(Lady Sale being of the number,) together with thirty-six
non-commissioned officers and men of the 44th. regiment—one hundred and
five in all.
CANDAHAR.
1842.
As the 13th. Light Infantry are so intimately connected with the defence
of Jellalabad, in like manner the 40th. regiment is associated with
Candahar. Major-General Sir William Nott, like Sir Robert Sale, refused
to obey the order from Major-General Elphinstone to surrender. After the
insurrection at Cabool, a general rising took place throughout
Afghanistan, and the insurgents in the neighbourhood of Candahar being
headed by Prince Sufter Jung, the son of Shah Soojah, and brother of
Prince Timour, (Governor of Candahar,) who had left on the 29th. of
November, 1841, to place himself at the head of those whom Mahomed Atta
Khan was assembling on the eastern frontier. The insurgents under these
two chiefs having approached within eight miles, Major-General Sir
William Nott, G.C.B., moved out to attack them on the morning of the
12th. of January, 1842, the 40th. forming the advance. This regiment,
during the previous year, had suffered severely from sickness, the
number of deaths amounting to one hundred and fifty-nine. A strong
position, with a morass in their front, had been taken up by the enemy,
which rendered the approach of the troops difficult. The Afghans were,
however, quickly routed. At this period, and until the 7th. of May, the
soldiers remained accoutred every night.
During the month of February considerable numbers of Afghans, under the
command of Prince Sufter Jung and other chiefs assembled in the vicinity
of Candahar, plundering the villages, and by every possible means urging
the inhabitants to join in an attack upon the British troops, especially
those occupying the cantonments; but owing to the severity of the
weather the Major-General was unable to move, and such a measure became
impracticable till the 7th. of March, when, the enemy having approached
closer, Sir William Nott marched with the remainder of his army against
them; they were followed, and dispersed in every direction. While the
force were thus absent, a strong detachment of the enemy made an attack
on the city, and succeeded in burning the Herat gate, but were repulsed
with great loss by the troops in garrison. On the 25th. of March, Sir
William moved out with a force (of which the 40th. formed a part,) to
the support of a brigade detached under the command of Colonel Wymer,
C.B., of the Bengal army, to forage and to afford protection to the
numerous villages, when the Afghans were driven across the Urghundaub in
the greatest confusion.
Major-General (now Lieutenant-General Sir Richard) England, who had at
first been unsuccessful in conveying stores to Candahar from Scinde,
having been reinforced at Quetta, again advanced, and accomplished his
object. On the 28th. of April he attacked the enemy’s strong position in
front of the village of Hykulzie. The 41st., which formed part of his
force, was the only Queen’s regiment that shared in this action; two out
of the three columns of attack were led by Majors Simmons and Cochran,
the reserve being under Major Browne, all of the 41st. Foot.