The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-03-15 00:00:00

INDIA

We gave in our last very ample details of the intelligence
from India, received by the overland. mail. We stated then
that some doubt existed as to the rumour, to which credence
was given in several of the metropolitan journals, about the
deStruction of our troops at Cabul. It would appear that
there are good grounds for this doubt, as the subjoined letter,
addressed by Captain Tuckett to the editor of the Times,
will testify. That officer was for. many .years is India, and
the statements which he makes,.in contradiction to the sinis-
ter reports of the natives, are strong and very consolatory.
We hope most fervently that the gallant captain's surmises
Will turn out to be correct.

Sir,—lt is with extreme regret I pfrceive, in a leading ar-
tielp in the Times of this day, that credence is given to a let-
ter containing an account of the destruction-of our troops in
Cabul. The letter in question is supposed to bedated Jella-
latmd, the 18th of January, and as the steamer left Bombay
on the Ist of February, there is only 13 days allowed for the
transmission of the news from Jellalabad to Bombay. •
I have no hesitation in denying the possibility of news be-
conveyed from Jellalabad to Bombay in that time. From
Jellalabacl tp Loodianab, under the most favourable circum-
stances, would occupy eight days, and from our frontier post
at Loodianah to Bombay 16 days by the mail, being through
our own territories; thus making 21 days for news which is
said to have arrived in 13 days. By any other route the pe-
riod would be longer. _ _

As Dr. Brydoes statement. quoted by The Times, is dia-
metrically opposed to that made by me at the Seamen's Hos-
pital Charity, I have to request the actual date of the letter;
on which such reliance is placed, may be given; the name of
the place from which it is written ; the post-mark of whence
despatched, and the date of the post-mark. These are points
by which persons conversant with Upper India will be ena-
bled to'judge of the authenticity of the intelligence given in
to-day's. Times. Where so many persons are deeply inte-
rested in the safety of their friends, it is only just the fullest
examination should be accorded. I can see no reason to
withdraw my assertion, that the troops at Cabul are perfectly
safe.

Reports were prevalent in India, previous to the date fixed
in Dr. Brydon's letter for the troops having left Cabul, that
Colonel Shelton and some officers of his brigade were made
prisoners. In Dr. Brydon's letter Walsh is mentioned as
one of the hostages left with the chiefs at Cabul, whilst letters
were received from Walsh a month since mentioning that h 9
had left Cabul, and was safe with General Sale's, brigade.
Also the death of Captain Trevor, who was assassinated with
Sir W. Macnaghten, was announced in the English papers,
giving the Indian news, last February. This shows how
completely dates have been disregarded; and I feel confident,
when this intelligence is sifted to the bottom, no good
grounds will be found for the statement attributed to Dr.
Brydon, and that it is merely a tissue of bazaar reports inju-
diciously forwarded to England. I would further call your
attention at all times to a comparison of dates with the geo-
graphical position from which reports are received ; the usual
rate at which intelligence is conveyed being four miles an
hour, and less on cross roads.

Had the troops been forced to leave Cabul, Which I still
maintain they had not, they never would have retired on
Jellalabad. They were aware of the difficulties General Sale
had experienced in the mountain passes from the sudden
hostility of the people. Therefore Colonel Shelton would
not have attempted those passes, incommoded with 1,100
cavalry and horse artillery, when he could, by returning
through the open plains to Ghuznee and Candahar, derive
the greatest advantage and protection from those arms of hii
force, beside being strengthened by the troops at Ghuznee
and Candahar, the latter amounting to 3,000 men.
The report quoted in The Times to day is stated as re-
ceived at Jellalabad on the 18th January, 1842.
The Agra Ukbar, 700 miles distant from Jellalabad,
quoting.news received from Cabul up to the 28th December,
1841, in the paper of the 22d Jan. mentions, " as a report.
not to be believed," that the ladies of the camp had fallen
into the hands of the enemy, and that Colonel Shelton and
some officers of his brigade had become prisoners. The de-
ptruction of the English was an easy addition to a bazaar re-
port, and completes whole of what is now -published as
autheiitie. and occurring after the sth of January, and first
made known at Jellalabad on the 18th of January.
I trust the party in possesion of Dr. Brydon's letter will
give the date, place, and post-mark, and thus enable a pro-
per estimate to be made of the value of the intelligence. "

1 have the honour to be, Sir,
,Your, obedient servant,
HARVEY TUCKETT.

29, Poultry, March 11

The following observations on Captain Tuckett's letter
appear in the Times of yesterday, and as so much interest
is attached to every particular connected with the fall of our
troops, we are anxious to give our readers all the information
in our power :