The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-12-06 00:00:00

THE INDIAN CAPTIVES.

(From a correspondent of the Times.)
The Delhi paper has just reached me, and I am thankful
to see the fullest confirmation of the escape of the prisoners,
and with many most interesting particulars regarding their
release, which cannot but be acceptable to you. A narrow
escape they bad, poor souls, from the perfidy of Akhbar Khan,
and from the force under Sultan Jan, which, after having
been beaten by General Nott, pressed on to secure them, and
failed only by two hours. Honour to Sir Richmond Shake-
speare ! with the devotion of a true knight he has rendered
himself well deserving of his spurs, for had he not made a
march of 90 miles at a stretch, there is too much reason to
believe that the attempt at escape made by the prisoners
would have failed, and their lives have paid the forfeit of their
almost desperate effort. The particulars which follow I have
from a letter from one of the officers delivered, who appears
to have taken a very active part in the proceedings, and there
can be no doubt therefore of their authenticity and correct-
ness.

On the 25th of August, or when General Pollock's advance
was made known at Cabul, the whole of the prisoners, sol-
diers as well as officers and ladies, with the exception of those
I have before mentioned as having remained at Cabul, were
despatched to Bameean, under an escort of infantry. By the
way, offers of a lac of rupees were made to the commander of
the party to desert with them to General Nott's force, which
was known to be near Ghuznee. The danger was, however,
apparently too great, or the chance of success too small, for
the Affghan to listen to the proposal, and the party reached
Bameean in safety, but in dreadful anxieili as to their even-
tual fate, Akhbar Khan having openly threatened all with
slavery in Turkistan in the event of the British troops mov-
ing on the capital. The news of the fall of Ghuknee reached
the sufferers on the 10th of September, and must have had a
great effect on the chief with whom they were.
The commandant who had accompanied them from Cahill
requested a conference, and laying before them an order from
Akhbar Khan for their instant march to Kooloom, informed
them that he had been assured of 20,000 rupees and 1,000
rupees per month as a pension by Mooushee Mohnnhall, if
he would take them to Cabul. This was instantly guaranteed
by the officers acting as a committee for all the ladies and
officers there ; and a paper was signed by all, pledging them-
selves to the payment. It seems to have been a matter in-
volving life and death—hut, thank God, a successful
alternative, to which there providentially occurred no hin-
drance. Having committed himself irretrievably with
Akhbar Khan, the commandant Schah Mahomed hoisted his
own flag an the fort, levied a contribution in a cafila
from Turkistan to pay his men, deposed the Governor
of the place, who was lukewarm in his cause, and
set abbut preparations for defence of the post, in case Akhbar
Khan, defeated at Cabul, should come to Bameean. The
officers and ladies were in one fort, and the soldiers in ano-
ther, and on the 15th, the chiefs in the neighbourhood hav-
ing given every assistance and tendered allegiance, mean-
while, some of the officers went into the soldier's fort, and
commenced its repair for defence. That day, however, came
the joyful news of Akhbar Khan's defeat at Tezeen, and with
one accord the whole party determined on taking advantage
of the panic, and forcing their way to Cabul. On the next
day Bameean was 10 miles behind, all beins well and in high
spirits; the next, a mountain ridge 13,000 feet high was
crossed, and near the village of Karzar the gallant party was
met by Sir Richmond Shakespeare and his cavalry, and were
safe. What a meeting of joy must that have been ! What a
flinging off for ever of weary despair, and hopelessness of de-
livtiraucel

Two days after that their glad eyes rested once more on
the British uniform and colours, and Sir Robert Sale, with
a thousand cavalry and a thousand infantry and two guns,
had insured their freedom. Though Sultan Jan's force had
hovered near Sir Richmond and his party, they had not dared
to attack it, and Sir Robert Sale's advance precluded any
possibilty of an attempt on it. On the 21st, therefore, under
welcome of one of the most joyous royal salutes that ever
was fired, the captives entered General Pollock's camp, and
once more breathed the air of freedom.