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
The Right Hon. the Governor-General of India has great gratification in
publishing, for general information, a copy of a report this day
received from his Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir John Keane, K.C.B,
Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the Indus, announcing the capture, by
storm, on the 23d ult., of the important fortress of Ghuzni.
A salute of twenty-one guns will be fired on the receipt of this
intelligence at all the principal stations of the army in the three
Presidencies. By order of the Right Hon. the Governor-General of India,
(Signed) T.H. MADDOCK,
Officiating Secretary to the Government of
India, with the Governor-General.
* * * * *
TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD AUCKLAND, G.C.B., ETC.
MY LORD,--I have the satisfaction to acquaint your Lordship that the
army under my command have succeeded in performing one of the most
brilliant acts it has ever been my lot to witness during my service of
forty-five years in the four quarters of the globe, in the capture, by
storm, of the strong and important fortress and citadel of Ghuzni
yesterday.
It is not only that the Afghan nation, and, I understand, Asia generally
have looked upon it as impregnable; but it is in reality a place of
great strength, both by nature and art, far more so than I had reason to
suppose from any description that I had received of it, although some
are from others in our own service who had seen it in their travels.
I was surprised to find a high rampart in good repair, built on a
scarped mound about thirty-five feet high, flanked by numerous towers,
and surrounded by a fausse brayze and a wet ditch, whilst the height of
the citadel covered the interior from the commanding fire of the hills
from the north, rendering it nugatory. In addition to this, screen walls
had been built before the gates, the ditch was filled with water, and
unfordable, and an outwork built on the right bank of the river so as to
command the bed of it.
It is therefore the more honourable to the troops, and must appear to
the enemy out of all calculation extraordinary, that a fortress and
citadel to the strength of which, for the last thirty years, they had
been adding something each year, and which had a garrison of 3500 Afghan
soldiers, commanded by Prince Mahomed Hyder, the son of Dost Mahomed
Khan, the ruler of the country, with a commanding number of guns, and
abundance of ammunition, and other stores, provisions, &c., for regular
siege, should have been taken by British science and British valour in
less than two hours from the time the attack was made, and the whole,
including the governor and garrison, should fall into our hands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account