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
Some interesting particulars of the deaths of Lieutenant Rattray and
Captain Codrington are given in a narrative of the events at Charekur,
supplied by Major Pottinger’s Moonshee. It appears that some chiefs
had warned the former officer that if he left the fort he would be
killed by the people outside; but that Rattray had replied, “They
have eaten our salt, and could not be guilty of such an act.” The
Moonshee then goes on to say: “When Mr. Rattray came near them, all
the chiefs paid their respects to him, saying, ‘Inshallah! we shall
go to-morrow and fight with Meer Musjedee.’ Mr. R. said, ‘Very good!
If you will go, I shall give your people presents on their return;
and to-morrow they shall receive five rupees each for their expenses,
and I will also go with my sowars.’ Mr. R. then turned to go back to
the fort; but Jubbar Khan asked him to look at his men, to which he
agreed, and turned back again. When he had taken about six or seven
steps, one of the Kohistanees called him by name, and ran at him,
firing his gun at Mr. R., who turned and ran towards the fort. I, the
Meerza, and the Chuprassie, all ran towards the fort. When I had nearly
reached it I looked back, and saw Mr. R. lying down on the plain.
I ran again towards him, and when near him, he called me, and told
me to take hold of him and help him into the fort. Directly I took
hold of his hand about fifty Kohistanees fired, and Mr. R. received
a ball in his forehead. I then ran back and got into the fort, where
I found Major Pottinger looking towards the Kohistanees, and firing
at them.” The touching circumstances of Captain Codrington’s death
are thus related:—“When Captain Codrington saw that Major Pottinger
was wounded, he went out to the two companies; but was very severely
wounded by a shot in the back. All his Sepoys began to cry for him
... Captain Codrington was able to walk into cantonments; but fell
down before he reached his house, and asked for water. We carried him
and laid him on the same bed as Major Pottinger, whom he asked for
pen, ink, and paper, and wrote a letter to his wife, whose picture
he also gave to Major Pottinger. He lingered on until the night of
the 7th, when he died. We buried him and Lieutenant Salisbury in one
grave.”—[_MS. Records._]
SECRET WRITING.
[_Books IV. and V. passim._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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