An Affghan Heroine.--Capture of Hyder Khan the Commandant of
Ghuznee.--Escape of Ghool Mahommed Khan.--Discovery of a Map on the
person of an Affghan Chief.--Description of the Affghan Women.--The
Ruling Passion.--Treasuretrove.--The Golden Shield.--Chase of the
Enemy.--Just Retribution.
The Cavalry taking no part in these operations I was an idle, but not
the less an anxious spectator of the scene. I had never before witnessed
effects so awfully grand, or so intensely exciting in their nature as
those which immediately preceded and followed the explosion at the
gates. The atmosphere was illuminated by sudden and powerful flashes of
various coloured light which exposed the walls and bastions of the
fortress to view, and revealed the dusky figures of the garrison, in the
act of pointing their guns, or endeavouring to penetrate the denseness
of the obscurity beneath, in order to assure themselves of the position
of their assailants. Then followed the din and roar of artillery--the
terrific explosion of the gates--the crash of woodwork and masonry--the
hollow rumbling of the old towers as they came in huge masses to the
ground--the rush of the storming party through the breach, and the
deafening cheers and shouts of besiegers and besieged. It seemed as if
all the elements of destruction had been let loose at once, and yet I
panted to be in the midst of them. I hardly dared to breathe from the
very intenseness of my anxiety, and it was not till I saw the British
flag floating from the citadel, that I could respire freely. To the
soldier there is nothing more trying or chafing than to be condemned to
a state of inaction during the progress of such spirit-stirring events
as these.
While the Affghans were disputing our entrance into the citadel an
incident occurred, which for a moment diverted the attention of the
combatants and turned their fury into pity. Amongst the foremost of the
party who signalised themselves by their desperate gallantry was an aged
Chieftain, the richness of whose costume excited general attention, his
turban and weapons being resplendent with jewels. The hope of plunder
immediately marked him out as an object of attack, and numbers at once
assailed him. He defended himself like a man who knew there was no
chance of life, but who was resolved to sell it as dearly as he could.
He had killed several of the Queen's Royals and severely wounded Captain
Robinson, when a grenadier of the company to which the latter belonged,
seeing his officer in danger, rushed to his assistance, and with a
thrust of his bayonet brought the gallant old Chieftain to the ground.
The grenadier was about to despatch him, when a beautiful girl, about
seventeen, threw herself into the _melee_ and plunged a dagger in his
breast. She then cast herself on the body of the Chieftain, for the
purpose of protecting it, and the Affghans, forming a sort of rampart
before them, maintained their ground until the heroic girl succeeded in
getting it conveyed into the interior of the citadel. Shortly after the
place was taken she was found weeping over the remains of the brave old
man, who, on enquiry, we learned was her father. She was treated with
the utmost respect and tenderness by our men, who neither obtruded
themselves on her grief nor offered any interruption to the preparations
which she made for his interment.
Amongst the prisoners who fell into our hands was Hyder Khan, a son of
Dost Mahommed, and late commandant of the fortress. This Chief was
discovered hiding in a privy by a soldier of the Queen's Royals, who
would have bayonetted him but for the timely interference of one of his
officers, who chanced to be near the spot. The Affghan leader was
immediately brought before Sir John Keane, and the Shah being present
rated him soundly for his treachery. He replied only by a haughty look
of defiance, and was consigned to a tent closely guarded by Sepoys. The
sword found upon this Chief, and which is at present in the possession
of Sir John Keane, was valued at 14,000 rupees.
Of the many prisoners we had taken, the capture of none afforded such
gratification as that of Ghool Mahommed Khan, to whose bad faith some of
our past privations had been owing. This Chief had entered into a
contract with Sir Alexander Burnes, to establish magazines of provisions
and corn at Quettah, for the use of the British troops, and five
thousand rupees were paid over to him for the purpose. He purchased up
all the corn of the surrounding districts, but instead of fulfilling his
agreement he forwarded it to Ghuznee for the use of the garrison, and
was amongst the most conspicuous defenders of the fortress. On being
brought before the Shah his Majesty ordered him to be bowstringed, but
before the sentence could be carried into effect he managed to escape.
His treachery failed in its object, for the greater portion of the flour
and grain which he had supplied now fell into our hands. We also found
from five to six hundred horses in the stables of the fortress, all of
which were in excellent condition, and ranging in value from seventy to
a hundred pounds each.
I entered the fort shortly after it surrendered and at every step
spectacles of the most shocking and revolting nature met the eye. Round
a long twenty pounder, which was planted to the right of the entrance,
lay heaps of dead Affghans, who appeared to have attached the greatest
importance to the service of this piece from the numbers who crowded to
perform the duty whenever our fire killed those engaged in it. The
agonising cries and groans of the wounded wretches who lay stretched at
every side, and who craved drink to sate their burning thirst, struck
those who had not been engaged in the fearful excitement of the scene
with horror and pity, whilst at every turning a horse, wild with the
injuries he had received, was to be met galloping furiously along the
narrow streets, and treading the bodies of the dying and dead under
foot. Advancing through the bazaar, my attention was drawn towards a
venerable looking Affghan, who was seated on the ground with his back
propped against a wall, and whose richly ornamented muslin robes were
stained with blood, which flowed profusely from a wound in his breast. A
fine looking youth of about fourteen years of age was attempting to
stanch it, and I hastened to proffer my assistance. The old man,
however, pushed me back, and would not let me approach him, plainly
indicating by his gestures that he held me and my countrymen in
abhorrence. Whilst standing at a short distance from him, a straggling
ball came whizzing past me, whether intentionally or accidentally I
cannot say, and put an end to his sufferings. Some soldiers, who
afterwards examined the person of this old chief, for such from his
attire I took him to be, discovered amongst other things an extremely
well executed map, on which the whole of the route of our troops from
the point at which we had disembarked to our arrival at Ghuznee was
plainly indicated.
Some of the Affghan women were occasionally to be met turning over the
bodies of the dead, in the hope of being able to discover their
relations or friends, and giving way to their grief in the most
heart-rending lamentations. They were the most superior class of women I
had as yet seen amongst the Asiatics, their features being regular, and
finely formed, and their eyes piercing, but at the same time soft in
their expression. Although nothing like violence was used towards them,
they did not escape some incivilities at the hands of our men, owing to
the fact that a number of Affghan soldiers had attempted to escape in
female disguise.
Various were the adventures related amongst us, as having occurred on
the first entrance of our troops into the fortress. A Scotchman,
belonging to my own regiment, named James Hamilton, who was known to be
an inveterate snuff-taker was discovered in a tobacconist's shop in the
bazaar literally covered from head to foot with the contents of the
_chatties_ or jars with which it was filled, and testing the qualities
of each with an air of the most exquisite relish, his nose having been
long a stranger to its favourite aliment. The ruling passion was
exemplified in different ways in others. Some sought for drink, of which
there was little to be obtained and others for gold, which we had every
reason to believe was plentiful, if we knew but where to find it. A
soldier of the 13th Light Infantry, more fortunate than his fellows, lit
unexpectedly on a jar which was filled to the brim with gold pieces to
the value it is said of L600 sterling, and conveyed it secretly to the
camp. Becoming apprehensive that this large sum would be discovered on
him, and that he would be obliged to give it up to the prize agent, he
distributed it amongst several of his comrades in order that they might
take care of it. The possession of so much wealth turning the heads of
his trustees they thought they might allow themselves a few indulgences
at his expence, but their excesses ultimately betrayed the secret and
they were compelled to hand over the money to the common fund.
As the soldiers severally left the fortress to return to the camp they
were stripped of the plunder which they had obtained, and a goodly heap
of armour and weapons of every kind was soon piled before the entrance.
Amongst the number of curious articles obtained in this way was an old
shield, which had belonged to one of the Affghan chiefs and which,
though remarkable for the oddness of its construction, presented little
else to attract the eye. Its material appeared to be a compound of
copper and some white metal, and it was thrown aside by the prize agent
amongst the most valueless of the objects which fell under his care. A
soldier of the Bengal European regiment, who had been a jeweller by
trade, happened to observe the circumstance, and carelessly taking up
the shield, as if to examine the devices with which it was ornamented,
scrutinized it for some time, and went away without making the slightest
observation. He immediately repaired to the Captain of his company, and
told him to bid for the shield at the prize sale which was to take place
a few days afterwards, advising him not to stop at any reasonable price
for it. The officer acted on the hint, and obtained the article for
about thirty or forty rupees. The shield turned out to be of the purest
and finest gold, and the fortunate possessor felt so grateful to his
informant that he made him a present sufficient to purchase his
discharge, and carry him home to England.
Amongst the different ensigns captured from the enemy on this occasion
were two banners of green and crimson silk, trimmed with gold lace and
inscribed with precepts from the Koran. They were desperately defended,
the Affghans appearing to attach great importance to their safety. They
are, I believe, at present in the possession of her Majesty's 17th Light
Infantry, and the Bengal European Regiment.
Shortly after the breach had been effected intelligence was brought to
the Commander-in-Chief, that numbers of the enemy were making their
escape through one of the back gates. He immediately dispatched the 1st
Bombay Light Cavalry in pursuit. The Affghans being daring horsemen,
and better mounted than our men, made at once for the hills, where they
knew our Cavalry could not follow. Aware of this our men put their
horses to their utmost speed, in order to intercept them before they got
entangled in the defiles. The chase soon assumed a character of lively
interest. An Affghan, worse mounted, or less skilled in horsemanship
than his fellows, was overtaken and cut down, and the pursuers pressed
hard on the heels of another. The cheers of his enemies, and the clatter
of their horses' hoofs sounding fearfully near in the ears of the
pursued he put the noble animal on which he was mounted to its utmost
speed, and cleared the space between him and his companions at a bound
rather than a gallop. Again he was almost within reach of the sabres of
our men, and again did the fleetness of his horse place him for a time
in safety. As he was about to plunge into a deep ravine after the other
fugitives a shot brought his horse upon its knees, and the rider was
flung upon his head. All now seemed over with him. Starting, however, to
his feet, he turned upon his pursuers, and single handed opposed a host
of them. Warding off the blows which rained on him from every side, he
kept rapidly retreating until he gained the brow of a steep declivity
over which he flung himself and was instantly lost to view. Disappointed
in their pursuit, our men took an unmanly revenge on some peasants who
were peaceably engaged in agricultural occupations near the spot. One of
these wanton acts of cruelty met with a just retribution. A havildar or
serjeant, seeing a young Affghan following the plough at a little
distance, galloped up, and made several cuts at him with his sabre. The
young man ran to the other side of the plough, and placed the serjeant
at bay. The latter drew a pistol from his holster, and was about to
shoot him, when his horse stumbled over the plough and fell on his
side, breaking the leg of the havildar and pinning him at the same time
firmly to the ground. The Affghan seized the sword which had fallen from
his grasp, and dealt him a blow on the head which instantly killed him.
The comrades of the dead man riding up surrounded and captured the
peasant, and he was brought into camp to abide the decision of the
Commander-in-Chief. A representation having been made to Sir John Keane
of the wanton and unprovoked attack which had been made upon the
prisoner, he immediately ordered him to be liberated. The havildar was
interred on the spot where he fell and there were few in the army who
pitied or regretted him.