The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-24 00:00:00

THE DESTRUCTION OF GIIUZNEE.

FROM MAJOR•GENERAL: NOTT, COMMANDING FIELD
FORCE, AFFGHANISTAN, TO T. 11. MADDOCIC, ESQ.,
SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, WITH
THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL.
Ilead-quarters, Camp, Ghuznee, Sept. 8.
Sir,—My dispatch of the 31st ult. will have informed
you of my havingdefeated the Affghan army commanded
by Shumshoodeen.
On the morning of the Zdi inst. I moved on Ghuznee.

I found the city full of men, and a range of mountains
running north-east of the fortress covered by heavy
bodies of cavalry and infantry ; the gardens and ravines
near the town were also occupied. The enemy had re-
ceived a considerable reinforcement from C.iubul, under
Sultan Jan. _ _ _

I directed Major Sanders, of the Bengal Engineers, to
reconnoitre the is orks, under escort of the 16th Regi-
ment of Native Infantry and a party of irregular caralry.
This brought on some smart skirmishing, in which our
Sepoys ;behaved to admiration. Captain White, of her
Majesty's 40th Regiment, commanding the light com-
panies of the army, was pushed forward, accompanied by
Anderson's troop of horse artillery, to support the recon-
noitring party, and I at one.: determined on carrying the
enemy's mountain positions before encamping my force.
The troops ascended the heights in gallant style, driving
the enemy before them until every point was gained.
The village of Bullal is situated about 600 yards from
the walls of Ghuznee, urea the spur of the mountains to
therepnorth-east,
eaavn3d,
battery to
it to
placed 300 paces in to be a desirable spot for
p
ad-
vance, I ordered it to he oeclPied by two regiments of
infantry and some light gnus; and retired the columns
into camp.
The engineer officers, Sappers and Miners, and in-
fantry working parties, were employed under the direc-
tions of Major Sanders, during the night of the sth, in
erecting a battery for four 18-pounders ; these guns were
moved ltom camp before day-light in the morning of the
Gth, but before they had reached the position assigned to
them, it was ascertained that the enemy had evacuated the
fortress.
I directed the city of Gliuznee, with its citadel and the
whole of its works, to be destroyed. I forward the En-
gineer's Repizt.
In these operations our loss has been much less than
might have been expected from the numbers and position
of the enemy, and the fact of the troops having been ne-
cessitated to move under range of the guns of the fortress.
I inclose a list of killed and wounded.
The exertions of Major Sanders, f the Engineers,
were as usual, most zealous, and hem,. t o
hanks are due to
him and the department under his charge.
I beg to notice the following officers :—Brigadier
Wymer, Major Hibbert, commanding her Majesty's 40th
Regiment ; Captain Evans, in temporary charge of the
16th Regiment of Native Infantry ; Captain 'White, her
Majesty's 40th Regiment, commanding. the light com-
panies of the furce ; and Major Sotheby and officers of
the artillery. •
eral,
Captain Water field, Aide-de-Can-JP •
en eri tl.
I continue to receive the
from
I have every reason to be satisfied with my st4fT,
Captain Ripley,
and Lieutenant Kay, Deputy Judge
Captain Polwhele, Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-General ;
greatestl assistance Advocate-General.
Major Leech. I have., &c•'
W. Major-Gen
P.S.
Commanding Field Force, .Affghanistan.
te
.S. I have recevered about 327 of the Sepoys of the
27th Regiment Bengal Native Infantry, who had been
sold into elavery and dispersedvillage 30 and 40
miles round Ghuznee. in
vW. NOTT. •

ut
e:rit the Hills
stnorth9
pCpraomapchßoofzethh,
DIEMORANDM
Not t
On the morning of the sth of September Generalh
moved his camp to take up a position before G unziT,.
An advanced party was ordered to protect a reco nan-
awe of the works undertaken by the engineer depart-
ment. On the a
of the city, it was opposed in force, but was immediately
supported by the General, and thus reinforced cleared
the hills of the enemy, and took possession of the village
of Bullal, within 400 yards of the city.
isneparar:
The General immediately. irected this important point,
with the heights near the village, to be maintained, and
they were occupied by two regiments of Native Infantry
and two nine-pounder guns.
While these operations were going on the camp was
established at Rozeh, two miles
and a half from the city.
The guards required for the protection and general duties
of the camp absorbed so
many men, that but few were
available for the duties of ft si,,_.e. :
g The General there-
fore determined not to invest the place in form, and di-
recta. the engineer to concentrate the forces at his dis-
posal in one spot, where
protection might be most conve-
niently afforded to the siege operations.
With advertence to thse instructions, the engineer
proposed to establish a battery on the ridge of the hill
north of the town, in advance of the village of Bullal,
and distant about 350 yards from the nearest point of the
walls. From this f i
battery - was expected that the four
18-pounder guns would lay open the thin flank-wall con-
necting the citadel on the west with the town wall in a
few hours. The defences of the citadel could be swept
from the same point by the Light Artillery, and the lines
of loopholed wall which would bear on the advance of the
storming party were all viewed in enfilade from the site
selected for the battery. 'The advance of the party to the
assault woull have been greatly facilitated by the exist-
ence of a thick dam of earth across the ditch immediately
opposite the point marked out for the breach.
It was further proposed that the principal assault
should be supported by two other attacks ; one an
attempt to blow in the water-gate (both the others hav-
ing been strongly built up, and the causeways in front of
them cut through), another to escalade a weak point
near the Caubul gate, which would have been greatly
aided by the fire of the artillery from the 11111.
This project met the General's approval, and at dusk
on the evening of the sth of
—opternber a worhin,,,, party,
composed of the Sappers and 160 men from the regi-
ments occupying the hill,
, ,- e
°,nmeneed work on the bat
tery. By 4 s..m. on tne 6th of September cover for the
party had been secured across the ridge of the hill, and
so much progress made in the execution of the work as
to lead to reasonable expectations that the four 18-
pounder guns and two 24-pounder howitzers would be
established in position, and ready to open their fire
during the day.
Early on the evening of the sth a brislt matchlock fire
was kept up from the citadel on the hill, but this gra-
dually slackened, and at 10 P. 31. had entirely ceased.
The enemy's infantry had been observed at dusk crossing
the river near the water gate, with the intention, it was
supposed, of attacking the working Party during the
night ; but towards the morning of the 6th there were
grounds for believing the fort was evacuated. At day-
light this was ascertained to be the case by Lieut. North,
of the Engineers, who took possession, at that hour, of
the water-gate without opposition, leaving Ensicrn New-
ton and twenty sepoys of the 16th I..Tative Infa6ntry, in
charge of the gateway, and returning to the battery for
further assistance. The whole of the working party was
immediately moved into the town, of which and of the
citadel of Ghuznee they were in possession before sun-
. EDWARD SANDERS, Ar
"Aior, Engineers.

rise.

A,-,„E
FROM MAJOR E. SANDERS, ENGINEERS, To MAJDR-GENE-
RAI. W. NOTT, COMMANDING FIELD F
- - ••,, GIWZNEE.
Ccaimpaptißor of elit near Ghuznee, Sept. 9.
Sir,--On the occupation
he fortress of Ghuznee by
the troops under your command,
.I received orders from
perinit.
you to take measures for the destruction of the citadel,
to as great an extent as the means at command and the
, that the engineer
would
department
call:
mffbiaennvdeteillitotbvlllyc
attached
eci haltto honourof,
ot
your
:.toodfraseo
has
' I been employed
rseriously mines, the walls,
shaken by
during the 7th and Bth instant on the work of demoli-
tion, and to state the progress effected.
the citadel, all with good effect. ' 1,
e upper fort has
been completely destroyed ; the second line of works ex-
3. Fourteen mines have been sprung in
the walls of
tensively breached in two places ; and the outer and
lower walls have their revetments blown down and greatly
injured in three places.
though 4 . ln
theyseveral
have n
spotsot
the explosions that unless immediate and energetic mea-
sures are adopted, on the departure of your force, for
their repair and security, they must crumb!e down during
the ensuing winter. remote
fallen,
so
the
5. The gateways of the town and citadel and the roofs
of the principal buildings have been fired and are still
burning. I have. &c..
E. SANDERS, Major, Engineers.

Return of the Killed, Wounded, and Missing of the
Field Force, under the command of Major-General
William Nott, in the engagement with the enemy be-
fore Ghuznee, on the sth of September.