History of the War in Afghanistan, Vol. 2 (of 3): Third EditionKaye, John William, Sir
History
History of the War in Afghanistan, Vol. 2 (of 3): Third Edition
Kaye, John William, Sir
Afghan Wars
Rattray was soon despatched. A party of the enemy, crossing the plain
and seeing the wounded officer at their mercy, discharged their pieces
into his head and body. They then invested Pottinger’s position, firing
upon him from the shelter of the numerous water-courses and walls. But
assistance was now at hand. Lieutenant Haughton, the adjutant of the
Goorkha corps, was moving down from Charekur. As soon as he appeared
in the vicinity of the garden. Captain Codrington made a sortie, and
united himself with the relieving force. The enemy were driven out
of the garden with severe loss. Evening was by this time closing in.
The enemy had got possession of the Charekur road, and before any
measures of future defence could be concerted between the two officers,
Codrington was obliged, after leaving some details with Pottinger, to
move off his Goorkhas to his own fortified barracks. On the following
day, with four companies of Goorkhas, and a six-pounder gun, Codrington
moved down from Charekur, to relieve Pottinger’s guard, and to supply
his little garrison with ammunition. Owing mainly, however, to the
impetuosity of a company of young soldiers,[153] the column met with
a check, and was compelled to fall back on Charekur. Ensign Salisbury
was mortally wounded, and many men of the Goorkha regiment fell on the
retreat.
Seeing little prospect now of being relieved, and finding his
ammunition reduced to a few rounds in the pouches of his men, Pottinger
determined, after nightfall, to attempt a retreat on Charekur.
Disguising his intentions by collecting grain during the day, as
for a protracted defence, he eluded the vigilance of the enemy, and
disencumbering himself of his Afghan followers, and all whose fidelity
there was any reason to suspect, he mustered the Hindostanees outside
the postern, upon the pretext of making a sortie upon the enemy, and
then marched for the barracks. Avoiding the main road, and skirting the
edge of the mountain, the little party, under cover of the night, made
good its retreat, and united itself with the main body of the Goorkha
regiment at Charekur.[154]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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