The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-04-17

hey attacked the Balla Hissar, but were repulsed
On the 4th, having PIansfa some guns Oh con,,nana,
all d ~. AT nightfall they made a rush Tor a tort,
which we had captured early in the month, where
Lieutenant Cumberland, Of the 4ith, with 100 men,
were stationed, and exploded a powder bag at the
| wicket, but with no effect. On the 9th the enemy
| burnt the bridge across the Milan, between the can
,snments and the rown, and on the 9th they sue
ceeded in recaPturing the fort, wounding Ensign
Gray, OF the 4fth, and the garrison Offering no re-
sistance, On the sh a convoy of ammunition was
attac ked on It's way TO the Bala Hissar, and forty
households fell into the enemy's hands. On the 5 h
December an attempt to throw supplies into the
citadel was unsuccessful, a large portion OF the am
munltlon having fallen into the enemy's hands. On
the 9h there were only three days provisions IN
camp at halt ratlons. At this time we were once
more on treaty with the insurgents-the terms pro-
posed by them abaliag nothing in extravaganza
The %lnsnrgent chiefs seemed to have had throughout
a regular army IN pay. There were nc fewer than
hve thousand horsemen in the field, well mounted
and armed. The infantry, though about double this
In number, were indlfferently appointed, and not Tor
mldable as enemies. The troops, especially in the
balIa Hlssar, began now to be pressed exceedingly
for food.
The particulars of their sufferings have reached
us IN scanty measure and imperfect form. The
chief part OF the commissariat fell into the hands OF
Ghilzies at the beginning, and the make'shht sys-
TEN OF subsistence thus necessarily resorted to tor
more than four weeksto supply a force amounting at
INC OutSct 10 HchIly O,OVV iI5UtlHS men, u
Of followers and attendants, must have so pipched
them with hunger, that there is at least nothing i'm
probable in the rumor, that by the end Of November
they were supported chic fly by the slaughter OF the
beasts of burden, and were living on horse flesh. SO
extreme were their necessities that treaties began 10
be discussed, the issue Of which, under the most Ia
vorable circumstances, must have been no better Tor
them than this, that they should be suffered 10 march
out with their baggage and arms, to seek their way
unprovlded for 1.-THE Ahghans themselves were
pressed for support and could have afforded hem
none) through an uninterrupted series OF ninety
miles, OF passes, the most difficult perhaps in the
world, to fall back on the post of Jehalabad, at that
time but ia shade hotter off than themselves, and
whose next point OF retreat was through the Khy-
hurpass to Peseawur. some lO3 miles in their rear.
The terms actually proposed by the insurgents, If
correctly reported to us. indicate how conscious
they were that we were utterly at their mercy.
These were, in fact, that we should surrender our
arms and agree 10 evacuate the country altogether.
The married Office rs and their wives were to be re.
tanned as hostages, and returned to US only when we
We had got beyond Peshawur, and Dost Mahc-
med been restored to them. The ENJOYS
answer to this was. that death was preferable TO
dishoner, that we trusted to the God of battles, land
that in bis name we detied them 10 come on" There
is once more a blank Of three weeks duration in
our information. The fighting appears TO have con-
tlnued with little lntermlssioo: On the l3Ihsof Ne.
cember d severe action is said to have occurred, IN
which we were more than usually SUCCESSFUL, haAing
not only detected the enemy, but managed to secure
a small supply of provisions. Ga the 22d again q
bloddy conflict took place, when we were worsted
and suffered very severely. Further treaties seem
the despatch Of the 18th to terms which had before
this been discussed. On Christmas day the envoy,
attended by Captains Connolly, Lawrence. Trevor,
and MKenzle, having gone out, apparently at the
request OF the insurgent chiefs, to discuss the Terms
OF capitalization, an angry interview ensued; 1t ap.
pears probable that the same insolent terms previ-
oasly rejected by the envoy had been pressed upon
him IN a manner more intolerably offensive than
those fNYmQrIV q mplnved 7 onoao - IN ho 10 tyo. .
ted them with scorn; high words ensueJ, when Sir
William M'Naughten was shot dead on the spot,
it is believed BY the hand of Ukhbsr Khan:
The charge OF the mission now devolved on Md
]or Eidred Pottlngrr; the much coveted envoyshlp,
with a salary superior TO the income Of the Cover.
nors OF Madras or Bombay. with an amount of
power scarcely exceeded by the Governor General
OF India; fell to the lot Of a Lieutenant Of the Bonn
boy artillsry-major only by brevet-a circumstance
telling %fearfully of the slaughter of our po%liticals.
Nor did it lapse into unworty hands. Herdt had be.
fore been defended successfully by Pottinger single
handed, so far as British officers were concerned.
He now had a most responsible and much more diff
fcult duty to perform. The first act Of his auihorl'
ty was to forward the dispatch announcing that
" the comedy, or rather the tragedy OF errors was
at an end" The terms partially acceded to by Sir
William M'Naghten were yet to Se accepted, IT
conceded by an army perlshipg OF hunger. They
| were to move for Jsllalabad through the fearful
| passes of Khoord Cabool, with the determination
of desperate men standing by the consequs noes
to lave commenced before the dispatch was an
nounced to have commenced before the dispatch
was closed; an evil augury OF what waste follow.
A private letter of the 18th announces that the gar
rison had not at thattimelef' but were about to m ove
Immediately. This is the latest authentic date we
possess. The native rumors, which usually by seve-
raj days anticipate the arrival of regular intelli-
gence, state that the force has quilted, and been in
a great measure destroyed. Other accounts men.
ton that they have obtained fresh supplies, and can
stand out a month longer. The latter unfortunately
is improbable. In a month from the 18th of De-
oember, it would be possible Tor the Bengal brigade
to reach them were the passes clear Of snow. Their
only chance lies in this. How fearful then has been
the havoc during these miserable wars amongst the
very flower Of the intellectual men OF our service.
Eight political agents have persisted violently
| amongst those whose affairs they had been ap-
| pointed TO arrange. Young Edward Connolly, bro
ther of the traveller, was shot through the head by
the side of Sir Robert Sale, Sep! %, 1910 DIR, Lord
| fell at Purwan Durreh, No. 2; Ratray, his success
sor, aud DR.. Grant, his assistant and friend, were
| killed in Rohistan on the outbreak of the present
instruction Sir William M'Naghton, Sir Alexan.
Ter, he is at Khiva,) Captain Broadfoot, and Lieut..
Burnes, have become victims at Cabool.
From the Times of Friday1
The worst can no longer be doubted Of the un-
| ceived which can be implicitly relied u1oB, and
| from which the following is an extract:
"On thu 1lth Of January, DR.. Brydon staggered
into Jellalabad, wounded and confused from suffer
ing and fatigue lie rciates Thar our people quilted
Cabool, under the convention agreed upon by Ma.
jor Pottingeer, on the 9th instant. The cantonment
was Immediately occupied by the AFghans, and the
English were almost instantly attacked. The
march became and continued q constant fight.
cat tAe Khoord Cabool Pass, about ten miles
from CabooL the ladies were sent back, under an
escort of some Of Ukblr Khan's people, who pro-
missed to protect them.
"At Tezeen General Elphinstene and Colonel
Shelton were made prisoners. The native trooas
became disorganizcd and scattered At Jagda'uk
four hundred Of her Majsstys 4ith, who had before
kept well together, became disorganized also,
broke and scattered
"Beyond this the Doctor kaews nothing, HAVING
| with the greatest difficulty preserved his own life.
He gives the name of seven officers whom he knows
to have fallen. Brigadier Anguetil, Major Ewart,
and Lieut.. Sturt are among them.
"Some ~stragelers may have escaped, but there is
little hope that the main body have been any thing
but annihila:ed.
.'We gave up six hostages before leaving the can.