Private Journal of Henry Francis Brooke: Late Brigadier-General Commanding 2nd Infantry Brigade, Kandahar Field Force, Southern Afghanistan, from April 22nd to August 16th, 1880Brooke, Henry Francis
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Private Journal of Henry Francis Brooke: Late Brigadier-General Commanding 2nd Infantry Brigade, Kandahar Field Force, Southern Afghanistan, from April 22nd to August 16th, 1880
Brooke, Henry Francis
Afghan Wars; Brooke, Henry Francis, 1836-1880
from a military point of view, bad in all respects, and that even all
the advantage which might have been taken of it has not been availed
of. I have urged my view of the case, and can do more. As far as one
can judge from the appearance of things, and the reports we get, it is
extremely unlikely we should ever be attacked here, but I don't think
that is any reason why we should not take every precaution. At the same
time I must confess that the weakness of the position has one great
advantage, and that is, we should operate in the open, a much better
place for our soldiers than behind walls. I only wish the enemy would
be so badly advised as to attack us, as, with all disadvantages, I have
no doubt of the results.
[Sidenote: Rode out to General Burrows' brigade.]
JULY 6th.--I was up at 4 a.m. and out at ½ past 4, and set off across
country to catch up the Brigade and ride a few miles with them, and
then come home. They, however, had started at 4 o'clock also, and so I
did not come up with them till they were 12 miles from Kandahar, which
was not to be wondered at, as they had 6 miles start of me, and got
off half an hour earlier than I did. I could not, therefore (as I had
to be back for breakfast and work), go very much further with them,
so, after seeing them on their way a mile or so further, I struck off
through new country and went straight for Camp, which I reached at
nine o'clock. I rode Rufus, who did his 27 miles in first-class style,
and could have done half as many more without any trouble. The morning
was cool, almost cold, and a good deal of the country very pretty. The
climate just now, and the excellent forage we get, suits the horses
very well, and they are all, both public and private, in first-class
order.
JULY 7th.--Nothing of interest, except that we had news from
Kelat-i-Ghilzi that they had a small skirmish there on the 1st July.
The news made me more than ever disappointed that I did not get off to
visit that place as was originally intended, as I should then have been
in for this affair.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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