The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-03-11 00:00:00

ping of the mountain passes uy
f the country around

, had prevented the arri

,1 of accurate

acts on which reliance can be placed

Sir Alexander Burns and several other

officers, the insurgents, who are said to consist chiefly of the
Gbiizie tribes, and whose numbers have been magnified most
extravagantly, made attempts to destroy the G,OOO British
soldiers in the Bala Hissar and the entrenched camp, but,Up
to the end of December.they, although stated to be ten•times
their number, had not succeeded. One day fighting and four
days looking on, together with various attempts at negocia-
tions, had brought the matters down to the end of the year.
They ),ad conspired, they had chosen their own time for the
attack, they had taken their enemy with surprise,
two months, they had not even gained t.
forts

after

possession of the

There_.weres several engagement;
ing, in which Biitish officers were
the 19th of I\'oven3her, when au attempt was made to send
ammunition from the camp to the Bala Ilisiar, and on the
22d, wlien the enemy showed themselves ou the heights, on
the 29th. and the Ist and 4th of December, and alsoon the
13th and 23d of the latter month. The enemy did not, how-

rided on

ever, succeed in their attemptiioovWcoMe the British. The
great want in both the stations of the British troops is stated
to be food and clothing; for it appears that, by some unac-
countable mismanagement, the commissariat stores were so
placed as to be seized by the enemy on the first attack.
There was abundant ammunition in the entrenched camp,
and but little in the citadel, and so careless had been the ar-
rangements, that a sate mode of communication had not been
established between 'those two places. The ►esults were that
many lives were lost in endeavouring to send the necessaries
from one place to another.

Mahortimed Akhbar Khan, the son of Post l'ilahOrnmed,
25th of November,, and his pre-

joinedthe insur

'lts on th

sence is stated to have contributed to extinguish some dis-
sension amongst the chiefs, as well as to inspirit their troops.
He pretended also to endeavour to make terms with the
British envoy and commander-in-chief ; but he has perpe-
trated an enormity which will render his name for ever
infamous., On pretence of making arrangements with Sir
William Hay M`Naghten, he invited him to - -
near a bridge. Sir W. H. M`Naghten went there,
panied by four officers and a small escort. He ana
hemmed Akhbar had some conversation, when the traitor
Mahommed Akhbar abused the British ambassador, drew a
pistol, and when the shot missed, drove another, and firing
into the breast of the ambassador, killed him on the spot.
Captain Trevor, 3d Bengal Infantry, one of the. escort, who,
on seeing the first pistol fired, rushed to the rescue of Sir W.
H. WlNTagtiten, was cut down, and the • three other officers
made prisoners. It appears, that Mahommed Akhbar had
arranged an ambuscade near the spot. The head of Sir W.
H. MeNaghten was subsequently cut off, and the mouth
being filled with a portion' of the mutilated body, it was de-
corated with the green sPeetacles which Sir William used to
wear, and in that state paraded through the town by order of
Dost Mahommed.

conference

Thus fell, in the discharge of a great public duty, *an
amiable man, a gentleman, and a scholar, whose loss as a
public servant is sincerely deplored, and for whose death, by
the hands of an assassin and a traitor, the whole British em-
` pire will demand, as India has already done, the most decided
vengeance. The care of the Cabal mission has been taken
by Major Eldred Pottinger, whose reputation has been esta-
blished since the gallant defence of Herat. Hopes are even
entertained of his being enabled either to defend his position
` until succour arrives, or else to make terms for the with-
drawal of his brave companions. Among the deaths are
those of General Elphinstone, it is said of an attack of gout,
caused by fatigue; Colonel Mackerell, her Majesty's 1-Ith
Regiment ; Colonel Oliver, sth Bengal Native Infantry ;
Captains Mackintosh, Laing, and Walker, of the same regi-
ment ; and Captain Westmacott, 37th Bengal Native
Infantry.
In'the meantime, the utmost exertions are made by the
government of Bengal and Bombay, to send troops towards
the scenes of conflict. Sir Robert Sale, the departure of
whose brigadb from Cabal, in October, was the signal for the
insurrection, has established a strong position at Jellalabad,
whither two convoys and two brigades are marching from
Peshawar. The spirited conduct of this officer and of his
brigade has obtained the highest praise. If the forces in
Cabal, which is ninety miles distant from Jellalabud, could
hold out for some time longer, it was supposed in Bombay
that the speedy defeat of the Affghans who were still dis-
united as much as ever, would be easily effected. Great
anxiety continues to prevail for correct intelligence from Ca-
bal, for there is a party desirous of distorting all the facts in
order to serve their own purposes.

There is a large corps of British troops at Candahar and
its neighbourhood. Ghuznee is also well garrisoned, so that,
however desirous. the Affghans there might be of revolting,
they will not probably attempt it until the fate of. Cabul is
known. Scinde is also tranquil.
In the interior of India, tranquility prevails generally.
There have been some slight disturbances caused in, the
Nizam's country, hy some small disaffected chieftains, and at
different stations of the military, by some of the regiments
discussing their rights to.batta, or additional pay ; but they
are not of any moment.

The news from China extends to the I3th of December,
from which it appears that Sir H. Pottinger had returned
from Chusan to Amoy and Hong Kong, where it was said
that he purposed waiting until the reinforcements from
Europe and India reached tie expedition. It was said that
he was dissatisfied with the Chinese fulfilment of the con-
vention entered into with Captain Elliot, relative to the river
of Canton, and that he was about to attack their forts in the
middle of December; but this was looked upon in India as
a tea-jobbing report.

Tharawaddie is tranquil, and engaged in destroying the
city of Rangoon and building another, which he calls Voh-a-
-lal;-ban.

The Nepaulese are also inactive. The news of the Sikhs
in Thibet under Zorawar Singh is still unfavourable to them,
but nothing is said of their total defeat.
In Bombay there is a general mourning ordered by the
government for three weeks, in, consequence of the death of
Sir W. H. M`Naghten, the late governor elect.
Ani itinerant diplomatic agent is said to be travelling in
the east on behalf of the French government. His name is
Colonel Dubois de Jansigny. On arriving lately at Macao,
in the frigate Erigone, he called hi.nself envoy to the court
of Pekin, but the real nature of his employment is that of
an observer merely.
Just before the departure of the mail the most alarming
rumours were circulated at Bombay respecting Cabul, but
nothing official was published, and, as it had become the
fashion to sppak of massacres and their most frightful details
at the last moment, they met with little credit.
The following is the official dispatch of Major General Sir
R. Sale, dated Jellalabad, November 18th, 1841. The
troops under/13y command reached this city on the 12th inst.
It illustrates, in a painful manner' the excitement of the
mind or the people against us at this period, to relate that
my decamping from Gundamuck on the 11th was the signal
for the :commencement of a scene of shameful defection
amongst the ieregular troops, and a general insurrection of
the surrounding Kheils, which hadbefore remained quiescent;
Brevet Captain Gerrard, of Captain Ferris's corps of Jazail-
chees, had been intrusted with the duty of holding the Fort
of the Urz Begee. The engineers blew up, under my in-
struction two of its bastions, and though an accidental fire
prevented the demolition of the other two, the ruin of the
place was nearly effected by the conflagration. But as the
irregulars retired towards the cantonment of Gundamuck,
they were attacted by the Ooloose of the Mamoo Kheil,
who had before been so submissive. •
In this moment of need the Jezailchees behaved admira-
bly, but Captain Gerrard found himself deserted by the
whole of the Janbazes, who, secured by their native com-
mandant, Noorood-deen, a traitor fostered in the Shah's
family at Loodinah, went over to the enemy almost at the
same moment. Captain Burn S's corps of Khyberees showed
symptoms of disaffection, and though -a portion of them

were kept around their colours, it was .soon seen that a re-
treat from Gundamuck, which the Ooloose of the whole
country were attacking, had become inevitable. The can-
tonment was plundered by the .mutineersr who in their
breathless haste to destroy it, blew up its magazine and many
of themselves with it. Captain Burns's two field pieces were
spiked and abandoned near Alee Murdan Khan's bridge,
and three hours after nightfall the, debris of the irregulars
came in full and disorderly retreat into my camp at Futtiha-
dad.

MY own line of march on the llth was no otherwise inter-
rupted thwanhoby the attacks of bodies of plunderers on the
baggage,
received signal punishment. from our precau-
tionary2,ooo toparties3,; but as the camp broke up on the 12th, from
and loaded animals
armed men began to close round our tiotips
pulation successively and these were joined by the whole
,po-
lonel Dennie corny on the line of march; Lieutenant4co-
slowly before the enemy; tided the rear-guard. He -r9tired
cannon as long as the r, repelling Lam by. skirmishers and
ground continued abrupt. and rugged.
But on approaching the
with the view of drawing them he commenced to m.anceuvre,
their boldness favoured his esint into an action on the level ;
sult, I had despatched the. Rri:staagem, and foreseeing this re-
rein of the Shah's horse to
reinforce him. At length-the
the lieutenant-colonel directed desired
moment arrived, and
Oldfield of the sth
Light Cavalry, and Lieutenant Nl:t4inof thp: Shaw's' 2d, to
make a combined charge against thlenP
ecuted with great rapidity and resolution, and in very corn-
This,Was ex-
, and theorfesthtednA,ff.egohaion
pact order ; in a few minutes upwards of
It was ascertained on
matchlockmen were sabred and shot
Irremediable confusion to the heights.
the spot that the OolooSe had left inthe cowseaffair 150 dead on the field, and' the proportoironthoefwtteelier.
wounded must have been heavy. After this salutary lesson
their efforts to annoy our column on their route up to the
walls of this place were cautious and feeble.
The defences of Jellalabad consist of a mud encientcr of up-
wards of 2,000 ' yards 'of weak curtains • and round towers
which have a nartoW rampart, of no sufficient' parapet. On
the northern face the profile is legs bold than elsewhere, and
there was excellent cover for an enemy within pistol shot. On
the evening of the 12th Otir infantry occupied thegatesandthe
ill-constructed citadel, whilst the artillery an cavalry were
dispersed in the enclosures adjacent to the redsidence of the
king, and envoy, and minister, without the walls. On the
morning of the 13th 'some regular occupation was taken of
the place. Troops were posted in the whole of its bastions.
The two infantry corps were established in the citadel, the
artillery on an o en s ace in front of it, and the cavalry in
the shah's..-- ace
ttwo hundred and fifty of the
"ee. the

Khyberees had returned steadily to their a
Jezailehees were emulatin

Torts were made by plying

courage, and unrernitting,
trenching tools, and the sub!

sand bags, to put the town in a

meantime the enemy in great for
walls to the southward and

had assembled 'under the

r masses

down from the directionoi
lsted its closely to: the nor
to the cantonment raise(

n' an, crossed the river,

ard,' detaching parties

cis so great an expense in
It had been in part burnt dawn the night before, and
w involved in a general conflagration. The enemy,
masked by trees and old buildings, kept up en ineessant fire
—iisketry against the walls, at a' very short range, for
twenty-four hours, tromiwhich our men sustained'.
,ss behind their growing defences; and, as it was de
.sole to diminish the consumptied of provisions within the
city, and there was reason -to aPPrebend that the, armed in-
habitant would join in-any 'Attack made on us from without,
I adopted the measures, first of pe
all strangers andmittilig 'the women and
children to withdraw, next of excluding
auspicious persons, and finally of getting Aid, as far as it was

lge the enemy from a p i;t of their position.-
he purpose a force •consiWng of 300 men of
h, 100 sapjers, three guns of Capt.
hole of the cavalry, and 200 Khybe-
)f Lieut.-Colonel Monteath, C. 8., and
a the town and assail that part of
ch I was most desirous -of expel-
t of the very gallant

) of the 33

to forwar

Ic walls

AS rei
ich I had t

This spirited attac

wholly broken up the enemy's

Lye from that hou

ban in our neighbourhood

scarcely

We have availed

yes of this pause to put the walls into a state of de-
which will, I trust, enable us to defy the efforts of any

exertion to store our magazines with grain from the adjacent
villages. I enclose reports from Lieut.-Colonel Dennie and
Captain Oldfield, and casualty returns from the 11th to the

14th instant inc

We extract the following paragraph from the official an-
nincement of the murder of Sir William M`Naghten, issued
the hon. the governor in council, dated Bombay Castle,

January 21st, 18-42

" lligher authority will pronounce the eulogium so justly
he to the eminent talents and distinguished services of this

ted public functionary. But whilst this government
abstains from trespassing on this ground, it cannot refrain,
amidst the most unfeigned grief, from recording almost the
last public act of Sir William Hay M`Naghten's life. When

terms dishonourable to the British arms were proposed by
the leaders of the insurrection at Cahill, his excellency heroi-
cally replied,—` That death is preferable to dishonour ; that
we put our trust in the God of battles, and in his name we
defy our enemies.' "

KILLED AND WOONDED

Casualties between the 2th and 28th October, of the force
under Sir R. Sale, on their march through the Khoord Cabul
Pass to Gundamuck. _ _ - .

Killed—Captain Wyndham, 35th B. N. I. ; Lieutenant
Jenkins, ditto; Ensign King, H. M. 13th L. I.
Wounded—Major-General Sir R. Sale, commanding;
Captain Wade, staff; Lieutenant. Mein, H. M. 13th L. I.;
Lieutenant Oakes, ditto ; Lieutenant Frere, ditto; Lieute-
nant Jennings, ditto ; Lieutenant Holcombe, ditto ; Lieute-
nant Rattray, ditto ; Captain Younghusband, 35th B. N. I. ;
Lieutenant Coombs, ditto ; Lieutenant Orr, Sappers and
Miners.
Captain J: G: Gerard, Ist •B. E. L. 1., wounded on retreat
from Gundarnuek- to Jellalabad.
Wnndburn, 41th B. N. 1., S. S.F., killed near

—aptain J.
Ghuznee, 3d November.
Between the 3d and 17th November, at Cabul

Killed—Sir Afßilrnes, Bombay N.A., political resident ;
Lieutenant Burnes, ditto, political agent, Ghuznee ; Captain
Swayne, H. IT. 44th regiment; Captain Robinson' ditto;
Lieutenant Raban, .ditto ; Captain Maule, artillery ; Lieute-
nants H. M. Wheeler, 48th B. N. 1., E. W. Salisbury, Ist
B. E. L. 1., W. Broadfoot, ditto, Shaw's force ; Ensign. T.
W. Gardon, 37th B. N. I. ; Lieutenant C. Codrington, 49th
B. N. I. •, Lieutenant C. Rattray, 20th B. N. I.
Wounded.—Captain Bott, sth Bengal cavalry; Lieut.
Eyre, B. artillery ; Lieut. Evans, her Majesty's 44th foot ;
Captain Makenzie, pay department ; Lieut. Sturt, B. engi-
neers ;
.Lieut. Waller, B. artillery ; Lieut. Wartburton, B.
artillery.