206 A FORCED MARCH. led it some distance away. A ball at last, however, struck the ground close by him, and he let the animal go, and ran off to a respectful distance, seemingly waiting until we should take our departure. When we were ordered to move off, in order to join the rear-guard, I have no doubt they had a fine fight among themselves for the prize. The rear-guard was under the command of the late talented and distinguished Major Skinner of the 31st regiment. When we joined it, we heard that an express had been received from General Pollock, ordering us to make a forced march of the next two regular marches, and join him in the valley of Tezeen. This was the most fatiguing and difficult march that we experienced; the artillery horses were knocked up, and our men had to drag the guns nearly the whole way. The enemy annoyed us very much on the road, disputing the ground inch by inch, and making several attacks on the baggage, in all of which, however, they were repulsed with loss. We arrived in camp long after dark, completely knocked up, and not till we had been obliged to shoot one elephant, sixty-five camels, and fifty-five bullocks, and CRUELTY OF THE AFFGHANS. 207 to destroy their loads, principally consisting of provisions for the army. The poor brutes had fallen down from exhaustion on the road. I saw a horrible sight, while we were on this march. It was a heap of above fifteen hundred dead bodies of sepoys and camp followers who had belonged to the army of General Elphinstone. These poor wretches, we heard, being unable to retreat farther, had huddled themselves together in a group for the purpose of affording mutual warmth to their frost-bitten limbs. When the cruel enemy discovered them, they barbarously stripped the poor unfortunates of their scanty clothing, and left them naked in the snow to die of cold, reviling them with bitter taunts, and refusing to put them to death at once, although the poor wretches prayed them to do so as the greatest charity they could shew them. Many of these bodies were those of women and children. We fired a few shells from a howitzer during the evening at a body of the enemy, who annoyed us considerably while we were dragging the guns up a hill, a short distance from the camp; and the sight of the shells spinning into the air, together with the glare of the lighted fuses had 208 SHELLS. a most beautiful effect in the darkness which had When the succeeded the brightness of the day. shells burst, they quite illuminated the sides of the hills, and we could see by their light the enemy tumbling about on all sides when one luckily alighted among them. ENCAMPMENT AT TEZEEN. 209 CHAPTER IX. Valley of Tezeen-Night attack-Battle of Tezeen-Storming the left heights-A charge of bayonets-A fat chief— Arrival at Koord Cabul-Scene within the pass-Arrival at Cabul-Rescue of the prisoners-Noble conduct of Akbar Khan-Capture of Cabul-British Flag hoisted in the Bala Hissar-Artillery taken-Extraordinary recovery of a Will-Arrival of General Nott-Battle of Istaliff-Destruction of Cabul. NOTHING was gained after all by this forced march. The cattle were so completely knocked up, that the whole army was obliged to halt the next day. Had we been allowed to perform the two marches in the regular manner, we should have effected our junction with the first division without one fifth the loss of stores, on the same day which we were thus obliged to waste by halting. 210 ENCAMPMENT AT TEZEEN. During this day, our piquets were constantly engaged with parties of the enemy on the hills; and in the afternoon the gallant Colonel Taylor of the 9th, took his regiment out, in order to recover the body of a sergeant of the corps, who had been killed in the morning, and left on a hill. It was a beautiful sight from below to see the brave 9th beating the fellows over the mountains. The enemy were in great force, and fought manfully; but were at last completely broken and dispersed, leaving many dead behind them. During the night, however, they made furious attacks on the piquets, and on the camp itself. I was sent with my company, accompanied by No. 4 company under Captain Baldwin, to retake a hill from which a body of sepoys had been driven. They had been attacked by the enemy in force; and after a heavy loss were obliged to give way, but the Affghans quickly retreated when reinforcements arrived from camp. Lieutenant Montgomery, who commanded the company of sepoys who were on piquet on this hill, behaved admirably. He was shot through the arm, while charging one of the assailants with a bayonet, but he never left his post, and refused |