Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-05-21
AFGHANISTAN.
Memories of Disaster to the English
Arms in Central Asia.

les Of Afghanlstan, some OF them as
disastrous as any in the records of her
Indian empire. Her first campaign,
directed to the destruction of the pow
er of it's then ruler, Dost Mohammed,
took place in 1888, resulting in the
prompt occupation of Cabul, although,
writes a correspondent to The Brook
lyn Eagle, throughout the rest of the
country insurrection followed insur-
rectioR, and the British In vaders were
only masters OF the ground dominat-
ed by their guns and patrOlled by the
warlike Ghilzais chiefs whom they
dislUdged. The British envoy of that
eri0d was Sir W. McNaughten, and
the enormous expenses of the cam
paign, exceeding FL, 100000 per an
mum, all drawn from the already
overburdened Indian exchequer, in
duced or rather forced him to cut
down these subsidies to about one
fourth their original amount. These
valiant emirs, commanding the
strongest mountain passes IN the
world, the gateways between Cabul
and Peshawur, were summoned to
council at the former place, and ir
formed of the curtailment of their
allowances. They made their salaam
to the envoy inapparent resignation,
returned to the mountains, plundered
q caravan, blOckaded the passes, and
locked up the English troops IN their
intrenchments. On Nov. 2 the mob
attacked the house of the resident of
the East India company, Sir Alex~
der Burns, and cut him to pieces.
Mai Gen. Ephinstone, an imbecile
and equity old general, was In COM
mand of the cantonments, and owing
to his incapacity what was at first a
simple emeute ripened swiftly into a
revolt and within three days the can
thousand men was IN a state of siege,
which continued for forty days. At
the expiration Of that time, on Dec.
90, Sir w. McNaughten, the envoy,
was inveigled into a conference be-
yond the limits of the British lines.
and was there treacherously slain
by the hand of Akbar Khan,
successor of the deposed ruler,
DoSt Mohammdc. The garrison
9 was now reduced to state
of starvation, and under the dlctatioD
of the Afghan chiefs was obliged to
commence a retrea through the great
mountain defiles in the depths of
winter. They marched forth number
ing 5000 men at arms, with IL, 900
camp-followers- and woraen-of
whom but a single individual, Dr.
Brydon, succeeded in reaching the
refuge OF the British lines at Jellala-
bad In their retreat, without food
or shelter, 5enumbed with cold and
staggering through the heavy drifts Of
the mountain passes, they were
slaughtered without mercy by the in
furiated highlanders at every turn.
No such ah0ck has ever been given to
the military power of England since
her occupation of India, and it awak
ened an instant emotion OF terror and
rage throughout the entire peninsula,
which was felt with equal bitterness
by the entire British people as soon as
the disastrous news could be convey
ed to them. Lord Auckland was then
at the head of the Indian government,
but he was quickly succeeded by Lord
Elienborough, son of the iIlustrIous
lord chancellor, and on his arrival he
took up with energy the duty Of re-
storing British prestige among the
savage mountaineers, and infiicting
upon them punishment correspond
ing in severity with that which they
had inflicted upon their invaders
Gen. Sale was at Jellalabad with 81
mixed force of English and Sepoys
numbering about 5000 men, Gen
Knott at Candahar, and Gen. Pollock
at the Khyber pass, commanding all
told force of between 25, 900 and 80
900 efficient troops. On Sept 18th of
the sanae year in which the fated gar
rison mad left its cantonments upon a
retreat as appalling and tragical as
thai of Napoleon's army from the
blackened ruins of Moscow, the Brit
ish colors were again lifted above the
walls of the Bala HisSar, or central
fortifcation of C4bul. The narrative
of the liberation of the captives, one
of the NEST romantic episodes In the
history of British India, is too we'll
known TO need recital here. They
speedily rejoined their eountrymen at
Cabul and witnessed there the act of
retribution which the coneuerers de-
termined to inflict upon the city In the
destruction of the magnificent bazaar,
the noblest structure OF It's kind IN
central Asia, and ia which the mutt
lated remains of the murdered envoy
had been exposed for days to the in
dignities and insults of the populace.
a part af the city was likewise pillag-
ed, and on Oct. 18th the armies re
turned III triumph to India, having
successfully re established from the
HIndoe Koosh to the Parapamisan
mountains, and from the terrace gar
dens Of Herat to the sand wastes of
Seistan, the terror of the British name
and the prestige OF its arms.
The fate Of Sir Alexander Burns
and Sir w. McNaughten had nearly
befallen also May. Outram, the Bay
ard of the east, at the hands of an in
surrectionary band of Belooches, at
Khyrpan, ia the following year, lead.
ing among other important events to
to the Intervention of Sir Charles