In the northern part of Beloochistan stands the strong mountain fortress
of Khelat. The chief, Mehrab Khan, had offended the British, and it was
resolved to annex his territories to the kingdom of Shah Soojah. Khelat
is a place of commanding strength. The citadel rises high above the
buildings of the town, and frowns down menacingly on its assailants. On
the north-west of the fort are three heights. On these the Khan had
posted his infantry, supported by five guns in position. General
Willshire was sent to capture it, with the 2nd and 17th Queen's
Regiments, the 31st Bengal Native Infantry, with two howitzers, four of
the Shah's 6-pounder guns, and a detachment of local horse. On the
morning of the 13th of November he found himself before the place. The
Engineer officers reported that until the heights were carried it would
be impossible to proceed against the fortress; accordingly orders were
issued for the attack. It was Willshire's hope that the enemy might be
driven down to the gate of the fortress, and that the stormers might
rush in with them. Gallantly our brave soldiers made their way up the
heights--gallantly they were carried, and right nobly the guns were
captured.
The shrapnel shot from Stephenson's batteries fell with too deadly an
aim among the Beloochee footmen for them to hold their position on the
hills. They fled towards the walls of their fortress, and the British
infantry pushed hotly after them; but, in spite of all their exertions,
our brave soldiers were not in time to secure an entrance--the gates
were closed against their advance. The enemy's artillery, planted on
the walls, was now brought into play. The British infantry were
compelled to find shelter behind some ruined buildings, while our
batteries, planted on the heights, opened upon the gate and the
neighbouring defences. Two of Cooper's guns were brought within 200
yards of the walls. The gunners suffered much from the matchlocks of
the enemy, but undauntedly continued to fire full upon the gate. At
length it gave way. Pointing his hand towards the gateway, Willshire
boldly rode down to show the infantry that an entrance was ready for
them. Rising at once from their cover, with a loud hurrah they rushed
on. Pennycuick and his men were the first to enter. The other
companies eagerly followed, till the whole of the storming column were
within the walls of Khelat.
Onward they struggled manfully towards the citadel. Every inch of
ground was obstinately disputed. The citadel was reached, but there was
here a desperate resistance. Sword in hand, Mehrab Khan and some of his
principal chiefs stood to give battle to their enemies. The Khan
himself fell dead with a musket-ball through his breast. Eight of his
principal sirdars fell beside him. Heaps of dead lay around,--many
fine-looking men,--their shields shot through and broken, swords and
matchlocks scattered about in every direction, telling of the fierce
fight. A small party held out in an inner apartment; there was no
reaching them, except by a narrow passage which admitted but of one at a
time. Three or four attempted it, and were instantly shot dead. The
little band of Beloochees would not trust the British. At length
Lieutenant Loveday was sent up to them alone. It was a critical moment
for him; but they listened to his proposals, and surrendered. And
Khelat was won, the British loss being 138 killed and wounded.
These defeats had a very depressing effect upon the followers of Dost
Mahomed, who, although still at the head of an army of 14,000 men, found
that there was no courage in his faint-hearted followers, and that they
could not be trusted even to be true to himself. His position being
thus hopeless, Dost Mahomed fled from Cabul on the 2nd of August, and
that city was entered in state by Shah Soojah, who then, though for a
short time, was restored to the throne which he had lost thirty years
before.
The army now ceased to be an expeditionary force, and became settled as
an army of occupation. The officers sent for their wives and families,
and for a time English society and English amusements may be said to
have been established in Cabul. Still Shah Soojah was not accepted by
the people, his rule was exacting and cruel, and disaffection was rife
in the country, which was rapidly preparing to rise.
In the meantime, Dost Mahomed was still to be reckoned with. After his
flight from Cabul he and his son Akbar had gone to Bokhara, where for a
time they were in captivity. Escaping thence, they reached Khartoum,
where the Dost's family were under the protection of his brother Jubbar
Khan. Here he found the tribes strongly in his favour, and soon
gathered force wherewith to oppose the British who were concentrating at
Bamian, where a small force under Colonel Dennie arrived on the 14th of
September 1840.