1842 retreat from Kabul The 1842 Kabul Retreat ( or Massacre of Elphinstone ' s Army ) was the total loss of a combined force of British and Indian troops from the British East India Company and the deaths of thousands of civilians in Afghanistan between 6 – 13 January 1842 . The massacre , which happened during the First Anglo - Afghan War , occurred when Major General Sir William Elphinstone attempted to lead a military and civilian column of Europeans and Indians from Kabul back to the British garrison at Jalalabad more than away . They were forced to leave because of an uprising led by Akbar Khan , the son of the deposed Afghan leader , Dost Mohammad Khan . The Afghans launched numerous attacks against the column as it made slow progress through the winter snows of the Hindu Kush . In total the British army lost 4 , 500 troops , along with 12 , 000 mainly Indian camp - follower s . The final stand was made just outside a village called Gandamak on 13 January . Out of more than 16 , 000 people from the column commanded by Elphinstone , only one European , an Assistant Surgeon named William Brydon , and a few sepoys would eventually reach Jalalabad . The Afghans subsequently released a number of British prisoners and civilian hostages . Most of the Indian soldiers and civilians died of exposure , frostbite or starvation or were killed or sold into slavery by the tribesmen . The retreat has been described as " the worst British military disaster until the fall of Singapore exactly a century later . " Background . In 1838 the British East India Company feared an increased Russia n influence in Afghanistan after Dost Mohammad Khan had seized power from former ruler Shuja Shah Durrani in 1834 . Dost Mohammad had rejected earlier overtures from Russia , but after Lord Auckland , the Governor - General of India , tried to force Afghan foreign policy under British guidance , he renewed his relationship with the Russians . Lord Auckland followed the counsel of his adviser William Hay Macnaghten to support Shuja Shah , dismissing the advice of Alexander Burnes that Dost Mohammad should be supported , and resolved to seek a military solution . He began to assemble his forces in late 1838 . The army , under the command of General Sir Willoughby Cotton , with Macnaghten as his chief adviser , consisted of 20 , 000 soldiers and were accompanied by 38 , 000 civilian camp followers ( craftsmen , stretcher bearers , cooks , servants , barbers , tailors , armourers , cameleers , etc . , as well as families of both Indian and British soldiers ) . In March 1839 they crossed the Bolan Pass and began their march to Kabul . They advanced through rough terrain , crossing deserts and mountain passes at a height of but made good progress and took Kandahar on 25 April . They also captured the until - then impregnable fortress of Ghazni on 22 July in a surprise attack , losing 200 men killed and wounded while the Afghans lost nearly 500 men killed and 1 , 600 taken prisoner , with an unknown number wounded . An Afghan had betrayed his sovereign and the British troops managed to blow one city gate and marched into the city in a euphoric mood . The ample supplies acquired in Ghazni considerably aided the further advance , which otherwise would have been difficult . Dost Mohammed fled and sought refuge in the wilds of the Hindu Kush . Kabul fell without a fight on 6 August 1839 . Shuja Shah returned and was proclaimed emir by the British . He established a court in the fortress of Bala Hissar above Kabul . More than a year later , Dost Mohammed surrendered to Macnaghten on 4 November 1840 and was exiled to India . Occupation . In August 1839 , the British refrained from occupying Kabul ' s citadel , instead establishing their military cantonments outside Kabul . This decision , made on diplomatic grounds , would prove to be a grave military error , as the garrison was sited in a defensively weak position . As political agent and envoy at the court of Shuja Shah , Macnaghten became a leader of British society in Kabul . The city was described at the time as clean and pleasant with many spacious wooden houses surrounded by well - kept gardens . The occupiers enjoyed themselves arranging cricket matches , horse races and hunting parties . In the evenings amateur dramatics were staged by East India Company officers and their wives . Performances included Shakespeare ' s " A Midsummer Night ' s Dream " . It was considered a special honour to be invited to evening soirées hosted by Lady Florentia Sale , the wife of Brigadier Robert Henry Sale . Such social gatherings often saw the serving of salmon and stew with madeira wine , port wine and champagne . Under these conditions , many of the East India Company troops were sent back to their garrisons in India . While the British enjoyed this lifestyle , some Afghans chafed under occupation by a foreign power . Britain had replaced Dost Mohammed , a ( relatively ) popular ruler , with Shuja Shah , a weak puppet , who was seen as much more cruel and vindictive to his enemies than his predecessor . In 1840 , the son of Dost Mohammed , Akbar Khan , began assembling allies amongst the tribesmen in the rural areas where British influence was weakest . He initiated a guerrilla war that kept the East India Company troops permanently on the move . The efforts to control Afghanistan were further weakened by the British government in India . Dismayed at the costs of maintaining the large garrison in Kabul , it discontinued the periodic subsidies ( essentially bribes ) that had been paid to the various tribes in the region around Kabul and the Khyber Pass to keep the peace . Once these ended , the tribes saw no more reason to remain loyal to the British - supported regime . Macnaghten dismissed warnings from his officers , writing to his superiors in India that " this is the usual state of Afghan society " . As the spring and summer of 1841 progressed , British freedom of movement around Kabul became increasingly restricted . Despite this ominous turn of events , Sir Willoughby Cotton was replaced as commander of the remaining British troops by Sir William Elphinstone , who was ill at the time and initially unwilling to accept the appointment . The 59 - year - old Elphinstone had entered the British army in 1804 . He was made a Companion of the Bath for leading the 33rd Regiment of Foot at the Battle of Waterloo . By 1825 he had been promoted to colonel and made a major - general in 1837 . Although Elphinstone was a man of high birth and perfect manners , his colleague and contemporary General William Nott regarded him as " the most incompetent soldier who ever became general " . In the autumn of 1841 Brigadier Robert Henry Sale and his brigade was recalled to Jalalabad , which was on the military line of communication between Kabul and Peshawar . He left his wife , Lady Sale , behind in the British cantonments in Kabul . Afghan uprising . On 2 November 1841 , Akbar Khan proclaimed a general revolt and the citizens of Kabul quickly followed suit . They stormed the house of Sir Alexander Burnes , one of the senior British political officers , and murdered him and his staff . Both Elphinstone and Macnaghten were caught by surprise . By now the East India Company only had 4 , 500 men in and around Kabul , of which 690 were Europeans . But as Elphinstone took no action in response to the murder of Burnes , it only encouraged further revolt . On 9 November the emboldened Afghans stormed a poorly defended supply fort inside Kabul . On 23 November , Afghan forces occupied a hill overlooking the British cantonments and began bombarding the camp with two guns . A British force sallied out to drive them away but the Afghans inflicted heavy casualties firing jezail s at long range from the high ground . The East India troops fled leaving behind 300 wounded to be killed . Morale was now a serious issue for the British force in Kabul . Elphinstone called for reinforcements from Major General Nott in Kandahar but they turned back when they found the mountain passes blocked by heavy snow . Macnaghten , realising their desperate situation , tried to negotiate an agreement with Akbar Khan for the withdrawal of the troops and the 12 , 000 British and Indian civilians still at Kabul . On 23 December , Afghan leaders invited Macnaghten for tea to discuss the situation . However , at the moment the British delegation dismounted from their horses they were seized and Macnaghten and an aide were slain by armed men . Later Macnaghten ' s body was mutilated and dragged through the streets of Kabul . The cavalry escort which was supposed to protect the British diplomats had been delayed and had not joined them . Two other British officers who had been part of Macnaghten ' s party were subsequently released . Elphinstone had already partly lost command of his troops as his authority continued to diminish . To the dismay of his officers , Elphinstone ignored the murder of a British representative and took no punitive action . Major Eldred Pottinger succeeded Macnaghten as envoy to the Afghan court . On 1 January 1842 , Elphinstone agreed to Akbar Khan ' s terms which contained some unfavourable conditions . For example , all gunpowder reserves had to be handed over , along with the newest muskets and most of the cannon . However , in return Akbar Khan promised a safe passage from Kabul for all foreign troops and civilians , amongst them children , women and the elderly . The withdrawal , which would begin on 6 January , involved crossing the snow - covered mountains of the Hindu Kush to Jalalabad , away . Elphinstone commanded a column consisting of one British infantry battalion ( the 44th Regiment of Foot ) , three regiments of regular Bengal Native Infantry ( the 5th , 37th and 54th BNI ) , one regiment of Shah Shujah ' s Levy ( a British - subsidised force of Indian troops recruited for Afghan service ) , Anderson ' s Irregular Horse , the 5th Bengal Light Cavalry and six guns of the Bengal Horse Artillery ( with sapper s ) . In total , there were 700 British and 3 , 800 Indian troops . The camp followers comprising Indian and British families , their servants and civilian workers , numbered approximately 12 , 500 . Retreat and massacre . At first light on 6 January Elphinstone ' s column began to slowly move out of Kabul leaving Shuja Shah Durrani and his followers to their fate . As Akbar Khan had guaranteed safety to all concerned , the sick , wounded and infirm were also left behind . However once the rearguard finally left the cantonment s , Afghans quickly moved in firing at the retreating troops while setting fire to the garrison buildings killing all those left behind . On leaving the city , Elphinstone discovered that the escort promised by Akbar Khan had not materialised , neither had the food and fuel to help with the crossing of the Hindu Kush in winter . Major Eldred Pottinger pleaded with the sick British commander to turn back to Kabul as they still had time to take refuge in the fortress of Bala Hissar . But Elphinstone said there would be no turning back and they would proceed to Jalalabad . The column of 16 , 000 soldiers and civilians was now at the mercy of the Afghan tribes . By the second day , sniping from the surrounding hills was taking its toll on the slow - moving column . Despite being well armed , the troops ' progress was being hindered by the terrified civilians and camp followers . Small skirmishes were frequent . The Afghans succeeded in capturing some of the column ' s artillery while forcing the British to spike two of their three remaining pieces . In just 24 hours the column now had only one small gun and two heavier cannons left . Later that afternoon , Akbar Khan met Elphinstone , feigning ignorance to any treachery on his part . He told the British that he had been unable to provide the agreed escort because they had left their cantonments earlier than expected . Akbar Khan then asked Elphinstone to wait while he negotiated the column ' s safe passage with the Afghan chiefs who commanded Khord - Kabul pass from Kabul . Despite what had already occurred , the British commander agreed to the terms and waited . He also agreed to hand over three more European hostages to Akbar Khan . Instead of hurrying forward , Elphinstone had moved only from Kabul . By now efforts to maintain military cohesion had also began to fail . When the column entered the narrow 4 - mile pass the next day , they were shot at from all sides by Ghilzai s armed with captured British muskets and their traditional " jezails " . It was now apparent Akbar Khan had not been negotiating their safe passage ; it was actually a ruse to give the Afghans more time to get into position for an ambush . Throughout the third day , the column laboured through the pass . Once the main body had moved through , the Afghans left their positions to massacre the stragglers and the wounded . By the evening of 9 January , the column had only moved but already 3 , 000 people had died . Most had been killed in the fighting , but some had frozen to death or taken their own lives . By the fourth day , a few hundred soldiers deserted and tried to return to Kabul but they were all killed . By now Elphinstone , who had ceased giving orders , sat silently on his horse . On the evening of 11 January , Lady Sale , along with the wives and children of both British and Indian officers , and their retinues , accepted Akbar Khan ' s assurances of protection . Despite deep mistrust , the group was taken into the custody of Akbar ' s men . However once they were hostages , all the Indian servants and sepoy wives were murdered . Akbar Khan ' s envoys then returned and persuaded Elphinstone and his second in command , Brigadier Shelton , to become hostages , too . Both senior officers agreed to surrender , abandoning their men to their fate . Elphinstone died on 23 April as a captive . By 12 January , the column had been reduced to 200 soldiers and 2 , 000 camp followers . The remaining troops , now led by Brigadier Thomas John Anquetil , reached the Jugdulluk crest only to find it blocked by tribesmen . A desperate attack was mounted but only two groups of soldiers eventually broke through the Afghan lines . While a 12 - man mounted group moved forward to reconnoitre the plains towards Jalalabad , the other group , consisting of 20 officers and 45 European soldiers , mostly infantry from the 44th Regiment of Foot , found themselves surrounded on a snowy hillock near the village of Gandamak . With only 20 working muskets and two shots per weapon , the troops refused to surrender . A British sergeant is said to have cried " not bloody likely ! " when the Afghans tried to persuade the soldiers they would spare their lives . Sniping then began , followed by a series of rushes ; soon the hillock was overrun by tribesmen . An officer named Captain Souter was mistaken by the Afghans as a high - ranking officer because they thought he was wearing a general ' s yellow waistcoat . In fact the officer had wrapped the regimental colours of the 44th Foot around his body . He was dragged into captivity along with a sergeant named Fair and seven privates . The remaining troops were killed . On 13 January , a British officer from the 16 , 000 strong column rode into Jalalabad on a wounded horse ( a few sepoys , who had hidden in the mountains , followed in the coming weeks ) . The sole survivor of the 12 - man cavalry group , assistant Surgeon William Brydon , was asked upon arrival what happened to the army , to which he answered " I am the army " . Although part of his skull had been sheared off by a sword , he ultimately survived because he had insulated his hat with a magazine which deflected the blow . Brydon later published a memoir of the death march . The pony he rode was said to have lain down in a stable and never got up . Aftermath . The annihilation of about 16 , 500 people left Britain and India in shock and the Governor General , Lord Auckland , suffered a stroke upon hearing the news . In the Autumn of 1842 an " Army of Retribution " led by Sir George Pollock , with William Nott and Robert Sale commanding divisions , levelled Kabul . Sale personally rescued his wife Lady Sale and some other hostages from the hands of Akbar Khan . However , the slaughter of an army by Afghan tribesmen was humiliating for the British authorities in India . Of the British prisoners , 32 officers , over 50 soldiers , 21 children and 12 women survived to be released in September 1842 . An unknown number of sepoys and other Indian prisoners were sold into slavery in Kabul or kept as captives in mountain villages . One sepoy , Havildar Sita Ram , escaped from Afghanistan after 21 months of slavery and rejoined his former regiment at Delhi Around 2 , 000 sepoys and camp followers were eventually found in Kabul and brought back to India by General Pottinger ' s army . The leadership of Elphinstone is seen as a notorious example of how the ineptitude and indecisiveness of a senior officer could compromise the morale and effectiveness of a whole army ( though already much depleted ) . Elphinstone completely failed to lead his soldiers , but fatally exerted enough authority to prevent any of his officers from exercising proper command in his place . Historians still debate whether Akbar Khan ordered the massacre , sanctioned it , or was simply unable to prevent it . Some of the British officers and families taken hostage later claimed that Akbar Khan had called out " Spare them ! " in Persian , but " Kill them ! " in Pushtu to the tribesmen . Either way , the British reaction to such an atrocity must have been clear to him . He died near the end of 1847 , possibly poisoned by his father Dost Mohammad , who may have feared his ambitions . Dost Mohammed remained a British prisoner till the end of 1841 when he was set free by the British authorities who , after they took their revenge on Kabul , had resolved to abandon any attempts to intervene in the internal affairs of Afghanistan . After Shuja Shah was assassinated in April 1842 , Dost Mohammed quickly reestablished his authority . He died on 9 June 1863 of natural causes , one of the few Afghan rulers in the past thousand years to do so . Interestingly , even after the two British invasions of his country , he did not intervene in any manner during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . The destruction of several regiments of Indian troops during the retreat inevitably impacted on the morale of the East India Company ' s Bengal Army from which these units had been drawn . The reputation for invincibility previously enjoyed by the Company was broken . " Men remembered Kabul " commented a British officer at the outbreak of the great Bengal mutiny fifteen years later . German novelist and poet Theodor Fontane in 1858 wrote the ballad " Das Trauerspiel von Afghanistan ( The Tragedy of Afghanistan ) " . ( English translation )