Campaign of the Indus: In a Series of Letters from an Officer of the Bombay DivisionHoldsworth, T. W. E.
History
Campaign of the Indus: In a Series of Letters from an Officer of the Bombay Division
Holdsworth, T. W. E.
Afghan Wars
MY LORD,--We have the honour to acquaint your Lordship that the army
marched from Ghuzni, _en route_ to Cabool, in two columns, on the 30th
and 31st ult., his Majesty Shah Shooja-ool-Moolk, with his own troops,
forming part of the second column.
On the arrival of the Commander-in-Chief with the first column, at Hyde
Khail, on the 1st inst., information reached him, and the same reached
the Envoy and Minister at Huft Assaya, that Dost Mahomed, with his army
and artillery, were advancing from Cabool, and would probably take up a
position at Urghundee or Midan, (the former twenty-four, the latter
thirty-six miles from Cabool.) Upon this it was arranged that his
Majesty, with the second column, under Major General Willshire, should
join the first column here, and advance together to attack Dost Mahomed,
whose son, Mahomed Akhbar, had been recalled from Jellahabad, with the
troops guarding the Khyber Pass, and had formed a junction with his
father; their joint forces, according to our information, amounting to
about 13,000 men.
Every arrangement was made for the King and the army marching in a body
from here to-morrow; but in the course of the night, messengers arrived,
and since (this morning) a great many chiefs and their followers,
announcing the dissolution of Dost Mahomed's army, by the refusal of a
great part to advance against us with him, and that he had in
consequence fled, with a party of 300 horsemen, in the direction of
Bamian, leaving his guns behind him, in position, as they were placed at
Urghundee.
His Majesty Shah Shooja has sent forward a confidential officer, with
whom has been associated Major Cureton, of her Majesty's 16th Lancers,
taking with him a party of 200 men and an officer of artillery, to
proceed direct to take possession of those guns, and afterwards such
other guns and public stores as may be found in Cabool and the Balla
Hissar, in the name of, and for his Majesty Shah Shooja-ool-Moolk, and
the King's order will be carried by his own officer with this party, for
preserving the tranquillity of the city of Cabool.
A strong party has been detached in pursuit of Dost Mahomed, under some
of our most active officers. We continue our march upon Cabool
to-morrow, and will reach it on the third day.
We have, &c.,
(Signed) JOHN KEANE, Lieut.-General,
Commander-in-Chief.
(Signed) W.H. MACNAGHTEN,
Envoy and Minister.
* * * * *
_Extract from a Letter from his Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir John
Keane, K.C.B. and G.C.H., dated Head-Quarters, Camp, Cabool, August 8th,
1839_:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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