On the 21st of July the army arrived before the famous fortress of
Ghuznee, which was considered impregnable by the Afghans.
The city of Ghuznee lies between Candahar and Cabul, about 230 miles
distant from the former, and 90 from the latter place. It stands on the
extreme points of a range of hills, which slope upwards and command the
north-east angle of the Balla Hissar. As the British advanced on it,
and observed its strong fortifications rising up before them on the side
of a hill, they saw that the place could not be reduced by artillery for
want of the siege-guns left at Candahar, and at the same time a high
wall with a wet ditch in front made operations with scaling-ladders or
mining equally impossible.
It was discovered, however, by Captain Thomson, who made an inspection
under heavy fire from the walls, that though the gates had been built up
the Cabul gate still existed, and he reported that this one, though at
great risk, could be blown up, and so an attempt to take the place by
storm could be made. The want of supplies made it absolutely necessary
to take the place, and therefore Sir John Keane gladly accepted Captain
Thomson's proposal.
The morning of the 23rd of July, just before daybreak, was the time
fixed for the assault. The regiments told off for the service were the
2nd, 13th, and 17th (Queen's), and the Company's European regiment,
under Major Carruthers, Lieutenant-Colonel Orchard, Colonel Croker, and
Major Tronson. The advance consisted of the light companies of these
four regiments. The night and morning were unusually stormy. The
advance was placed under the command of Colonel Dennie of the 13th Light
Infantry, and the main column under Brigadier Sale. The explosion party
was directed by Captain Thomson, who had under him Lieutenants Durand
and Macleod of the Bengal, and Captain Peat of the Bombay corps. Under
cover of the darkness, the noise the men might make being overpowered by
the roaring of the wind, the storming column advanced along the Cabul
road, while the engineers carried up their powder-bags to the gate.
Meantime the General filled the gardens near the city walls with the
sepoys, who kept up a sharp fire on the wall, while the light batteries
opened hotly upon the works.
This demonstration fixed the attention of the enemy, and called forth a
responsive fire. Suddenly a row of blue lights appeared along the
walls, illuminating the place, and showing that the Afghans were manning
them in expectation of an escalade. All this time the British engineers
were quietly piling their powder-bags at the Cabul gate. It was a work
that required great courage, and it was done well; but at first the
powder failed to ignite, and Lieutenant Durand was obliged to scrape the
hose with his finger-nails. Again the port-fire was applied. The
powder exploded. The noise of the explosion was almost overpowered by
the roaring of the guns and the rushing of the wind. Still, many an
Afghan trembled at the ominous sound. Mighty indeed was the effect.
Down with a crash came heavy masses of masonry and shivered beams in
awful ruin and confusion. Now occurred a slight delay. It had been
agreed that the signal for the storming party should be the bugle-call
"Advance," but the bugler had fallen, and so Durand had to rush back to
the nearest party he could find. At length the signal was given. The
advance was sounded. Colonel Dennie at the head of his brave band
rushed forward through the breach, amid clouds of smoke and dust, and
soon the bayonets of his light companies were crossing the swords of the
enemy, who had rushed down to the point of attack. A few moments of
darkness and confusion, and then the foremost soldiers caught a glimpse
of the morning sky, and pushing gallantly on, were soon established in
the fortress.
Three hearty, animating cheers, so loud and clear that they were heard
throughout the general camp, announced to their excited comrades below
that Dennie and his stormers had entered Ghuznee.
Colonel Sale was pressing on to support Dennie, when, deceived by a
false report that the latter had failed to enter the breach, he halted
his column. There was a pause of painful doubt; but the true state of
affairs was soon ascertained. Again the cheering notes of the bugle
sounded the advance, and the British troops pushed on. But the enemy
had profited by the pause, and numbers crowded to the breach. One of
their number, rushing over the ruins, brought down the gallant Sale by a
cut on the face with his sharp sabre. The Afghan repeated his blow as
his opponent was falling; but the pommel, not the edge of his sword,
this time took effect, though with stunning violence. He lost his
footing, however, in the effort, and both rolled down together amid the
fractured timbers of the gate. Sale now made an effort to master the
weapon of his opponent. He snatched at it, but one of his fingers met
the edge of the sharp blade. He quickly withdrew his wounded hand, and
placed it over that of his adversary, so as to keep fast hold of the
hilt; but the Afghan was active and powerful, and he was himself faint
from loss of blood. Happily, at that moment Captain Kershaw, of the
13th, approached the scene of conflict. The wounded leader called to
him by name for aid. He gave it effectually by passing his sabre
through the body of the Afghan; who, however, continued to struggle
gallantly. At length the Brigadier for a moment got the uppermost.
Still retaining in his left hand the weapon of his enemy, he dealt him
with his right a cut from his own sabre, which cleft his skull from his
crown to the eyebrows. The Mohammedan once shouted "Ne Ullah!" (O
God!) and never moved or spoke again.
At length the enemy gave way. The British pushed on. The support,
under Colonel Croker, advanced, and the reserve speedily followed; and
soon the colours of the 13th Regiment, planted by the brave young Ensign
Frere, as well as those of the 17th, were flying out in the morning
breeze from the ramparts of Ghuznee.
The struggle within the fort, for a considerable time, was most
desperate. In addition to a heavy fire kept up on them, the British
troops were assailed by the enemy sword in hand, as well as with
daggers, pistols, and other arms; but British courage, perseverance, and
fortitude overcame all opposition, and the enemy were soon to be seen
abandoning their guns, running in all directions, throwing themselves
down from immense heights, and endeavouring to make their escape over
the walls. By five o'clock the capture of the Afghans' last stronghold
was complete. But there was much hard fighting within the walls. In
the frenzy of despair the Afghans rushed out from their hiding-places,
plying their sabres with terrible effect, though only to meet with an
awful retribution from the musketry or bayonets of the British infantry.
Some, in their frantic efforts to escape by the gateway, stumbled over
the burning timbers, wounded and exhausted, and were slowly burnt to
death. Some were bayoneted on the ground, and others hunted into
corners and shot down like dogs; but though many an Afghan sold his life
dearly, and cut to the last at his hated enemy, the appeals of the
helpless for mercy were never made in vain. And when resistance ceased,
not a conquered enemy was injured.
So Ghuznee fell to the British army, and was made over to Shah Soojah.
It cost the victors only 17 killed, and 165 wounded; of these last, 18
were officers.
Upwards of 500 of the garrison were buried by the victors; many more
fell beyond the walls under the sabres of the British horsemen. Sixteen
hundred prisoners were taken, and large stores of grain and flour fell
into the hands of the conquerors.
The fall of Ghuznee--a fortress hitherto deemed by the Afghans
impregnable--astonished Dost Mahomed, and was the cause of the ruin
which soon afterwards overtook him.