The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-06 00:00:00

GENERAL ORDERS.

BY THE RIGHT 11031. THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA
Secret Department, Simla, Oct. 15, 1842.
The Governor-General is pleased to publish, for gene
ral informatioa, the following copy of a dispatch from
Major-General Pollock, C. 8., transmitting Major-Ge-
neral M`Caskill, K. H.'s, report of the operations of the
force under his command against the enemy at Istalif.
By order of the Right Hon. the Governor-Gen. of India,
T. li. MADDOCK, Secretary to the Government of
India, with the Governor-General.
FROM MAJOR-GENERAL BI`CASKILL, K. H., COMMANDING
DETACHMENT IN KOHISTAN, TO CAPTAIN PONSONBY,
ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL.
Camp Istalif, Sept. 30, 1842.
Sir,—l have the satisfaction to acquaint you, for the
information of Major-Gen. Pollock, C. 8., that the troops
under my command yesterday made themselves masters of
of Istaliff, totally defeat-
ingthe strong and populous town
the numerous levies collected for its defence, under
the infamous Ameen Oolla. Khan Loguree, Khaojie
Ameer Kotwal, Hazin Khan (an assassin of Sir Alex-
ander Burnes), Hazir Alee Khan, Kliuleefa Ibrahim, and
many other chiefs of Caubul and Kohistan.
The Major-General is aware that the force detailed
below* was placed at my disposal for operations in these
valleys on the 25th ; the two brigades formed a junction
near Khowja Rawash on the 26th, moved to an encamp-
ment near Zimuree on the 27th, and pitched their tents
within four miles of this place on the .28th. The same
evening I reconnoitred the enemy s position ; it is impos-
sible to conceive ground naturally stronger. The town
of Istalif, consisting of masses of houses and forts,-is
built on the slope the mountain, in the rear of which
are yet loftier eminences, shutting in a defile which leads
to Turkistan, and in nn way can this place of abode of
15,000 people be approached but by surmounting ranges
of hills, separated by deep ravines, or traversing by
narrow roads its gardens, vineyards, and orchards, fenced
in with strong enclosure walls ; the whole of them, with
the mountain side and tops of the houses, were occupied
by Jezailchees, and the strongest proof is afforded that
the enemy after this disrosition considered this place un-
assailable, by their having retained within the town the
wives and children not only of the inhabitants, but of
thousands of refugees from Caubul.
The observations which I was enabled to make under
a sharp Jezail fire and the report of Major Pottinger in-
duced me to determine to assault the next morning the
right;of the enemy's extensiveposition, as it was there that
I could hope to bring the artillery most effectively into
battery ; arrangements were made with this view. The
troops were formed into two columns of attack and re-
serve ; Brigadier Tulloch's brigade and the mountain
train composed the right ; Brigadier Stacey's and Capt.
Blood's battery and the 18-pounders the left ; these
were supported by the third column under Major Si-
monds, her Majesty's 41st, consisting of a wing of this
regiment and the Cavalry under Major Lockwood; Capt.
Christie's corps protected the baggage.
The troops moved soon after daylight, and, traversing