Historical Record of the Thirty-first, or, the Huntingdonshire Regiment of Foot;: containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1702, and of its subsequent services to 1850Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Thirty-first, or, the Huntingdonshire Regiment of Foot;: containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1702, and of its subsequent services to 1850
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Foot, 31st
On the British leaving Soorkhab, the Affghans showed themselves
in force, and the rear-guard, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel
Bolton, was so hard-pressed by thousands of the irregular troops
of the enemy, that Brigadier Monteath thought it necessary to halt
the brigade at the entrance of the Jugdulluck pass, to enable it to
form a junction with the main column, which it did after suffering
considerable loss. The Ghilzees hotly contested the passage of the
pass, but after a sharp engagement they were driven off with much
slaughter.
In this action Lieut.-Colonel Bolton had his horse shot under him
in two places, and Lieutenant Shaw, of the regiment, was wounded.
The next day (9th September) the Affghans were so much dispirited
by their defeat, that the division marched to Jugdulluck without
further opposition than a little skirmishing with the rear-guard,
and Lieutenant Brooke, of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, was wounded.
On the 10th of September, it having been ascertained that Akbar
Khan with 20,000 men had established himself in the Khoord Cabool
pass, in order to cover the capital and fight a pitched battle with
the British, the second division was ordered to join the first by a
forced march to Tezeen, where Major-General Pollock was encamped.
This junction was effected on the 11th of September, with little
loss, although a running fight was kept up the greater part of the
way. In fact, the advance to Cabool was a succession of skirmishes,
oftentimes by night as well as by day.
The camp was attacked on the night of the 12th of September, but
the enemy made no impression, and little loss occurred, although
all the piquets of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment were engaged until
daybreak.
Shortly after daybreak on the 13th of September the army moved off
its ground towards the _Tezeen Pass_, the advanced guard, commanded
by Sir Robert Sale, being composed of three companies of the ninth
regiment, three companies of the thirteenth or Prince Albert’s
Light Infantry, together with two companies of the THIRTY-FIRST
regiment, under Captain Baldwin and Lieutenant Greenwood.
After moving carefully along the pass for about two miles, the
Affghans were discovered, in great force, occupying strong
positions on the heights on either side, while their artillery
and cavalry were formed some distance farther on in the pass
itself. The action commenced by a heavy fire from the enemy on the
advanced guard of the British; and the distance being too great for
musketry, from the effect of which also the Affghans were covered
by extensive _sunghas_, or intrenchments formed of large blocks
of stone, for the whole length of their position, it was judged
necessary for the troops to ascend the heights, and drive them from
their posts at the point of the bayonet.
This service was most brilliantly performed on the left heights
by the ninth and THIRTY-FIRST regiments, and on the right by the
thirteenth light infantry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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