XL. 1840. were brought to bear upon them, they broke and fled, CHAP. and were cut down in great numbers by the cavalry in pursuit. Dost Mahommed and his sons owed their escape to the fleetness of their horses; and soon after, Colonel Dennie, who had been advanced in support, had the satisfaction of concluding a treaty with the Wullee of Khooloom, on the summit of the lofty Dundun-iShykun, by which all the country to the south of Syghan Manag was yielded to Shah Soojah, that to the north being inson, reserved to the Wullee; and the latter agreed no longer 1840; to harbour Dost Mahommed, or give any support to his 553, 556. cause.1 1 Sept. 21, Kaye, i. 90. forts of hommed. "I am like a wooden spoon," said Dost Mahommed after this defeat; "you may throw me hither and Fresh efthither, but I shall not be hurt." His deeds soon proved Dost Mathe truth of his words. Defeated on the Hindoo Coosh, he reappeared in the Kohistan, and again raised his standard. Macnaghten and the British officers in Cabul were in the middle of their rejoicings for his signal defeat in the Bamian Pass, when intelligence was received of his arrival, and the rapid progress of insurrection in that province. A force under Sir Robert Sale was despatched to the spot, to make head against the insurgents. He Sept. 29. came up with them at a fortified post, called Tootumdurrah, which was speedily forced, and the Affghans put to flight, though with the loss of Edward Conolly, a lieutenant of cavalry, a noble youth, who had volunteered for the assault. Another fortified post, named Joolgah, was next attacked by Sale, of greater strength than the Oct. 23. former; but though the stormers assaulted in the most gallant manner, led by Colonel Tronson of the 13th, the defences were too strong to be overcome, and the column of attack was withdrawn. The place was evacuated next day, and the works destroyed by the British; but this did by no means compensate the previous repulse, in a vi. 222, 223'; Kaye, i. country where they were surrounded by an insurgent 554, 559. population so much their superiors in numbers, and VOL, VI. 2 R 2 2 Thornton, CHAP. everything depended on their keeping up their character for invincibility. XL. 1840. 91. advance of Dost Ma hommed. But the career of Dost Mahommed, in active warfare Threatening at least, was drawing to a close, and that too in a way so strange and unaccountable, that it savours rather of the colours of romance than the sober tints of reality. Sale, with two thousand men, advanced farther into Kohistan, and came up with the Dost on the 18th at a fortified place of great strength, occupied by him with five thousand Affghans. The terror was very great in Cabul, from which he was only fifty miles distant, and preparations for a siege were already making in the Bala-Hissar. Macnaghten, therefore, urged upon Sale an immediate attack; but before the guns could be got up to breach the works, Dost Mahommed abandoned the position, which was taken possession of by the British. His cause, however, seemed to be daily gaining strength; volunteers flocked to him from all quarters, and some of Shah Soojah's soldiers deserted their British officers and joined the enemy. Encouraged by these favourable circumstances, Dost Mahommed again moved forward, and marched straight towards the capital. Having received intelligence of his movements, Sale advanced to meet him; and on the 2d November they came unexpectedly upon his force in the valley of Purwandurrah, occupying vi. 225, 226. in strength the hills on one side, while the British were posted on the other.1 Oct. 27. 1 Kaye, i. 562, 563; Thornton, 92. Nov. 2. Dost Mahommed had no intention at that time of givHis victory. ing battle, but an accidental circumstance precipitated a collision, attended with the most important consequences. He was withdrawing his troops up the hills, when a body of sepoy horse approached to turn his flank and disquiet his retreat. At the head of a small but determined band of Affghan horsemen, Dost Mahommed advanced to meet them. "Follow me," he cried, as he moved forward, "or I am a lost man." The Affghans followed in a manner worthy of such a leader, and the XL. 1840. British officers gallantly pressed on to the encounter. CHAP. Already they had broken through the first troopers of the enemy, when, on looking round, they perceived that, so far from being followed, they had been deserted by their men. Either from disaffection or cowardice, the Hindoo horsemen had turned about and fled, without so much as crossing sabres with the enemy. Nothing remained to the officers but to cut their way back, which they did with heroic courage, though a very heavy loss. Lieutenants Crispin and Broadfoot were slain, after a desperate fight; a treacherous shot and the dagger of an assassin despatched Dr Lord, and Captains Fraser and Ponsonby only extricated themselves severely wounded from the fight. The swords of the Affghans were soon reeking with the blood of the recreant troopers who had occasioned the disaster, and they stood for some time waving their standards in front of the British line, with-1 Sir A. out any one venturing to attack them. So disconcerted sir W. was Sir Alexander Burnes, who was with the detachment, ten, Nov. at this disaster, that he wrote to Sir William Macnaghten 4, 1840; that nothing remained but to fall back to Cabul, and 568, 564; that he would do well immediately to concentrate all the vi. 226, 227. available troops there.1 Macnaghten was making arrangements to carry into effect this disheartening advice, when it was announced to him, as he returned from his evening ride, that an Ameer requested to speak to him. "What Ameer?" asked Sir William. "Dost Mahommed Khan,” replied the trooper who brought the message; and at the same instant Dost Mahommed appeared. Throwing himself from his horse, he surrendered his sword to the envoy, saying he was come to claim his protection. Sir William courteously returned the sword, and desired the Ameer to remount, which he accordingly did. He had been twenty-four hours in the saddle, and ridden above sixty miles, but he exhibited no symptoms of fatigue. A tent was pitched for him, in which he was indulged with every luxury, and Burnes to Macnagh Kaye, i. Thornton, 93. His sur render. Nov. 4. CHAP. scarcely guarded. XL. 1841. He declared that he had no desire to escape, and that, having chosen an asylum, he would keep it. He wrote the same evening to his sons and his family, who were already in the hands of the British, whom he eagerly inquired after. The only anxiety he evinced was when a report got up in the camp that it was the intention of the British Government to banish him to London; but he was soon appeased on being assured that this was not the case. It would appear that, since the storming of Ghuznee and the defeat in the Bamian, he despaired of the ability of Affghanistan to contend in the long-run with Great Britain; and that he purposely chose the day succeeding a brilliant exploit to withdraw from a contest become hopeless, but from which he could now retire with unstained personal honour. He had no reason to complain of his reception, for he was treated in the camp with the very highest distinction, and waited upon by all 1 Kaye, i. the principal officers in the army. On the 12th NovemThornton, ber he set out from Cabul, under a strong escort, for vi. 228,229; Hindostan. Sir W. Hindostan. "I hope," said Macnaghten to the Goverten to Mr nor-general soon after, "that the Dost will be treated Robertson, with liberality. The case of Shah Soojah is not parallel. 1841, Ms. The Shah had no claim upon us. We had no hand in spondence; depriving him of his dominion; whereas we ejected the 568. Dost, who never offended us, in support of our policy, of which he was the victim." 1 566, 567;, Macnagh Jan. 12, Corre Kaye, i. 94. Increased tranquillity of the country. The surrender of Dost Mahommed was an event of immense importance to Affghanistan. Though it did not remove the causes of discontent, nor abate the animosity of the natives at the hated Feringhees, yet it deprived them of a head, and took from their combination its most formidable character-that of unity of direction. The insurgents, generally defeated and universally dispirited, returned to their homes, leaving the British posts unassailed. Sir William Macnaghten, deeming the insurrection at an end, wrote to the Governor-general that now was the time to secure a safe passage for the troops through the Punjaub; XL. 1841. and the officers of the army, who had so recently complained CHAP. of being overworked, now declared that they were dying of ennui. Two events, which occurred at the same time as the surrender of Dost Mahommed, contributed eminently to tranquillise the country. On the 3d November, Gene- Nov. 3. ral Nott reoccupied Khelat, which had been abandoned by its garrison, and on the same day Major Boscawen defeated a considerable body of insurgents, under the son of the ex-chief of that fortress. On the 1st December Dec. 1. a still more important action took place near Kotree, where the same chief was attacked by Colonel Marshall, with nine hundred sepoys, sixty horse, and two guns, Macnaghand, after a gallant action, totally defeated, with the loss ten to Govof five hundred men slain on the spot, including all the ral, Dec. 9, chiefs, and their whole guns and baggage. This signal i 570; defeat, and the severity of the weather, closed all efforts vi. 229, 230; on the part of the enemy in that quarter for the remainder 568-572. of the year.1 1 Sir W. ernor-gene 1840; Kaye, Thornton, Kaye, i. 95. insurrec victory of While the snow lay on the ground, which it did for four months, this state of compulsory quiescence con- Renewed tinued without interruption. The first symptoms of a tion, and renewed insurrection occurred in the end of the in year, Nott. the neighbourhood of Candahar. The political direction Jan. 3. of that province was in the hands of Major Rawlinson,* an officer of equal talent, judgment, and address, intimately acquainted with Eastern customs and feelings; and the military under the direction of General Nott, a noble veteran of the Indian army, deservedly beloved by the soldiery, but blunt in manners, free of speech, and somewhat difficult to act with in a subordinate situation. Unfortunately, a coldness existed between him and Sir John Keane, owing to his having been superseded by the latter in command, in favour of General Williams, from a narrow-minded prejudice, of long standing in the Queen's army, against the Company's service. It was not long * Now Sir Henry Rawlinson, the celebrated Assyrian traveller and antiquarian. |