The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-11-18 00:00:00

their lives to the presence of their wives. On the late dis-
astrous retreat from Cabal, Providence, indeed, has been
kind towards me, protected as I have been by Him through
the perils and dangers of one of the most harassing, bloody,
and disastrous succession of fights in the annals of military
history. At the commencement of the insurrection of the
2d of November last, I was ordered into the Balla Hissar
(which is above the city) with 100 men of the 44th ; there for
a succession of days and nights we were engaged in defend-
ing our po •

ion, and in -firing upon the city: then 1 was

into cantonment

small forts co

and barracks, vi
underta'

became

necessary

capture ; in tlit._ we lost a number of men and
several officers. Svgb, ..id Robinson
Robinson fell on the same day,
the 4th of November, Eaban on the 6th, and Mackrell and
M'Crea on the 10th. Mackrell died during the night, after
suffering amputation of one of his arms, one of his legs also
broken. M'Crea was cut down and killed on the spot.
Though we generally defeated the enemy, and gained our
points, yet the numbers opposed to us were so great that the
loss of life was always great, and victory dearly gained. At
length, cut off from all supplies, our draught bullocks con-
sumed, and our grain stores empty, nothing was left for us
but to capitulate, and enter into a treaty to evacuate the
country. All fighting ceased, and then supplies came in to
us though at a dear rate. The weather was incessantly and
intensely cold, and the snow fell to a great depth. Well,
after it was agreed that these refractory chiefs were to re-
ceive lacs of rupees, provided they allowed us to march out
of their country unmolested, in spite of this agreement, they
commenced an attack upon our rear as soon as we were out
of cantonments at Cabur. Our halting ground for four or
five days was upon a great depth of snow. The Sepoys
be-
came paralysed from cold, most of them suffered their arm'
accoutrements, and clothes to be

n from their persons
dreds of them were cut

enemy,

11 as camp followers and servants :
id there perished. After the third day

many took to the hill

not an armed Sepoy was to be seen out of four regiments,
consequently the whole brunt of defending the column in its
retreat fell upon the remaining handful of the 44th and Euro-
pean Artillery, whose cannon were abandoned owing to the
wretched condition of their horses. The native cavalry refused
to follow their officers against the enemy, fell back on the in-
fantry, and embarrassed their movements ; in like manner
camp followers and others rushed in upon us for protection,
when attacked by the Affghans, so much so that we were at
times powerless. The surrounding hills were generally co-
vered with people that poured deadly discharges of musketry
upon us; even during night marches we were equally assailed,
and hourly the column became diminished in numbers. At
Jugdulluck, General Elphinstone and Colonel Shelton went
over to Ukhbar Khan and other chiefs to offer terms, which
they agreed to accede to ; and while this was going on, we
were suddenly attacked, our men falling very fast, and fight-
ing bravely at the time ; when, seeing the perilous situation
of our colours, I tore one colour from its staff and wrapped
it about my person. Cumberland took the other, but was
unable to button his great coat over it; he then handed it to
Sergeant Carey, who secured it about him, but he fell during
the night of our last march. The enemy closing and strongly
pressing prevented our disengaging the colour, and it was
unavoidably lost. Elphinstone and Shelton were not al-
lowed to return to us, but were detained prisoner's. In this
state of affairs, a night march was determined upon : the
44th reduced to between seventy or eighty men capable of
carrying arms, a few Artillerymen, and sth Cavalry, and still

an inctiMbrance of camp followers, &c., started at eight
o'clock at night. We soon came upon an encampment of
the enemy, who commenced following up our march, shooting
and cutting up stragglers in the rear, until we came to a
gorge between two low ranges of hills—here the road was
barricaded in two places with bushes, the progress of the
column was stopped, and a hand-in-hand fight took place
with the enemy, who bad been in wait for us. Here my
hone fell with me, or rather a trooper of the sth Cavalry

in trying to pass me pushed me down the side of the hill;
the horse from weakness (having been hit by two balls,
and having eaten scarcely anything for four days) was
unable to rise, and I was unable to-rise either, until two
men raised the horse a little, dnd I extricated myself. I lost
the horse with my only remaining clothes that were on his
back, and I felt the effects of the fall for a considerable time
after. At this time and place fell Brigadier Anquetil, Major
Thain, Captain Dodgin, Dr. Harcourt, and poor Hallalian,
Captain Nicholls of the Artillery, and many other officers,
including Captains Butt; Blair, and Bassett, of the sth Ca-
valry. On clearing the gorge, we mustered but half of the

force we started with. At-eight o'cloe we continued our
march, the enomy fearing, to comeztar us, though we were
reduced to a handful of men, box kept up a fire upon us at a
distance.. I took a • troopey-by force from his saddle, and
mounted. his horse. We approached Gundamuck as day-
light appeared, which displayed to the enemy the smallness
of our force. The enemy increasing in numbers with the
daylight, we were compelled to leave the road, and take to a

ill, before ascending:. which the trooper's horse was shot
under the, staggered a few yards and fell. Some Affghan
horsemen appeared, to whom we made a sign to come to us',-
which they did ; tiring ceased. Major Griffiths and Mr.
131ewitt accompanied, the party to negotiate with a neigh-
bourin, chief for a certain sum of money, to. let us proceed
to Jellalabad : a great number of Affehans came up the hill,
red friendly with our people, until they commenced
swords and pistols from the officers : this we could
not stand, but drove, them from the hill, and the fight com-
menced again. After two hours, during which time we
drove the Affghans several, times down, the hill, our little
band (with the exeeption of about twenty men and a few offi-
cers of different regiments) being either killed or wounded, the
enemy suddenly rushed on us with their knives; an awful scene
took place, and ended in the massacre of all except myself, Ser-
jeant Fair (our mess serjeant), and seven men that the more
than usual humanity displayed by the Affghans was inclined
to spare in the conflict. My posteen flew open and exposed
the colour, they thought I was some great man looking so
flash. I was'seized by two fellows .after my sword dropped
from my hand by a severe cut in the shoulder, and my
pistols missed fire ; they hurried me from - the spot to a
distance, took my clothes from off me excepting my trousers
and cap, and led me away to a village by command of some
horsemen that were on the road, and 1 was made over to the
head man of the village, who treated me well, and had my
wound attended to. Here I remained a month, seeing
occasionally a couple of men of my regiment who were
detained in an adjoining village : at the end of a month 1
was handed over to Ukhbar Khan, and joined the ladies and
the other officers at Lughman. In the last struggle, Col-
lins, Hogg, Cumberland, Swinton, and Dr. Primrose were
killed, and about a dozen other officers ; Stewart, of the
Artillery, and Hamilton, of the sth Cavalry, amongst them.
In making through the Khoord Cabul Pass, Leighton was
shot in his thigh and fell from his horse ; afterwards, in
coming through the Tazeen Pass, he and White (who was
wounded in the head) were in Kujawahs. The enemy got
amongst the people, dragged away the camel with Leighton
and White upon it, and I fear they were deliberately killed.
Every inquiry concerning Leighton and White has been
made since we arrived here, which is close to Tazeen,
but no tidings have been heard of them, and had they
been taken into Cabul we should certainly have heard
before this. Wade was killed at Jugdulluck. Evans
is a lucky fellow in being left in Cahill in charge of sick
and wounded European soldiers, but for safety they have
been moved six merches beyond Cabul. I lost everything I
possessed, nay little tent, eatables, and kitmutghar's traps went
the first day; the pony took fright at the firing and got away
next night. I lost Master Jack, Thomas's pony ; he got off'
by pulling up his peg; his office was to carry grain and boo-

and ar

st;h". The horse I bought for Tom carried my trunks and
bedding, I lost him and my traps in the 'r azeen Pass near to
this ; my riding horse cost 150 rupees, be was shot in the
jaws and in the ribs ; as I said before, he fell, and I was
obliged to leave him. My bearer, Syce and Kitmurgar, got
as far as Jugdulluck, but very foot-sore from frosts. I never
saw them afterwards, nor have I been able to learn that
either of them has reatthedJellalabad. Though a great many
of the officers and men were severe sufferers from the frost,
and lying on the snow, I escaped by always taking theitire-
caution to wrap the plig4',B skin 1,,,iia4 upon the saddle around
my feet when I laid down, kAtl,4VerSuffered frornrrheuma-
tism,. and have it
4ill about yil9-', AltrgOMAl, vvbirb is from
my right shoulder' a long,U-Ei. wninq blade-bone, is an
ugly one, but it is quite.ll4jeßiri. .Ig,erm was made through
a sheepskin Posteenr,wder 40/.6 i 4MSOLoun,was concealed,
laying over my right sh,q4dkr,tzt94litticlt:,Petersharn coat i
used to ,wear at Kurna,l4.,,,q,ll:3Rnelbn_pd:Vhirt. My sword
fell from my hap,4,7444,Afflphstßr I /04 , in ,my 'eft hand
ground, and nave toy-

together with

whose namcs arc Meer Jaum, came

whp:94, was with my, telescope to

them how to us

AfßeoFfirds t 4 son-in-law and I
became
I titick,il4.4ilO4l)(me back tho colour, Waugh
vested of tbe tsw*sjuind,tapst of its tinsel, one dap to my

able surpriseit botli the colours have been tiothing but
a-mere butane 4,ribbous for some years. Thelitihilamuellt
people assailetl,llm Qp the €4.0 of the hill I haPrietiedlo be,
and by these peoplex.eyscll/40. the few men xverri stiftred.

was to have beeu rauSomert, ,for 1000 rupees; and all was set-
tled, but the old MeliCkof.the village persuaded ine to write
to Captain I'Gregor of Jellalabad to give him more money ;
in, the meantime Ukhbar Khan. ame into the neighbourhood,
and the old .rascal
,was obliged to hard me over to' him—how-
ever, I laughed at him for losing his 1000 rupees, and told

. _ .
him I would learn no more prayers. It is a miracle how I
should have escaped with a whole skin through all our tights

'etreat the

total annihilation of the 44th regiment. I regret that lam
the only officer surviving wbo
.witnessed the last conflict.
It is gratifying to know that the Commander-in-Chief in
India has express,edhimselfibapproval of my conduct; and

that prombte me ; but there are six com-
panies
tieed to.44th Regiment, and Young and Evans,
h e ila
vacants pro
in niti
now only senior to me, to fill two of thetii I intend writing
to him by the first opportunity on the subject. I have're-
ceived a letter, from the Horse Guards, informing me that
Torn is noted for a commission. bly mind is greatly relieved
to think that arrangements have been made to give you a
monthly allowance from my pay ; I also hope you receive
something, from the Cabul relief fund. Negociations 1 be-
lieve are going on to obtain our release, but in the present
state of affairs it is impossible to say when that will occur.

waited patiently upwards of four months, and we must await
until the time arrives for our release. We

with p
all wear Afighan dr

sses of one sort or the other, except
He looks the picture of misery,
noustachios. He meets with
_; himself on an equality with
shaved since we left Cabal. A

Shelton, who has not yet

beard and

with a gr
little cou

young lad of my own_ r

sinner of the men wexe left at

Juddeatibad, in Luglimn, but we hear they are to be given
up and. sent into Jellalabad immediately. In mentioning
that Dr. Balfour and young Grey were killed during our last
march, I should have told you that they left the column
—ing the night in company with some other officers to try
Jellalabad, a distance of thirty miles, but only one
_ lucky enough to get in; it was Dr. l3rydon—the
rest met with their deaths on the road. Having written a
tolerably lengthy account of our disasters, with the cover of
instead of a table, and squatted upon the ground, to
of a rheumatic wrist, I may now come to aeon-

and r
of them v

elusion. By the way, lam glad you have written to my
brother—his regiment is in Ireland. A great many news.
papers have been sent to us from Jellalabad, and a little
money. I received seven Derby newspapers, but no letters
from home ; I see my niece Harriot is married. Genera
Elphinstone, you will have heard before this, died a short I