The Afghan Wars 1839-42 and 1878-80Forbes, Archibald
History
The Afghan Wars 1839-42 and 1878-80
Forbes, Archibald
Afghan Wars
Baker directed his artillery fire, at the same time sending down two
infantry regiments to clear away the remnants of the Afghan army still
lingering in the pass. This accomplished, the fighting ceased. It had
been a satisfactory day. Less than half of Roberts' force had been
engaged, and this mere brigade had routed the army of Cabul and captured
the whole of the artillery it had brought into the field. The Afghan
loss was estimated at about 300 killed. The British loss was twenty
killed and sixty-seven wounded. On the night of the combat part of
Baker's troops bivouacked beyond the Sung-i-Nawishta, and on the
following day the whole division passed the defile and camped at Beni
Hissar, within sight of the Balla Hissar and the lofty ridge overhanging
Cabul.
On the afternoon of the 7th a violent explosion was heard in the Beni
Hissar camp from the direction of the Sherpur cantonment north of Cabul,
near the site of the British cantonments of 1839-41. Next morning
information came in that the Sherpur magazine had been blown up, and
that the cantonment had been abandoned by the Afghan regiments which had
garrisoned that vast unfinished structure. General Massy led out part of
his brigade on a reconnaissance, and took possession of the deserted
Sherpur cantonment, and of the seventy-five pieces of ordnance parked
within the walls. Massy had observed from the Siah Sung heights that the
Asmai heights, overhanging the Cabul suburb of Deh Afghan, were held by
a large body of Afghan soldiery, a force, it was afterwards learned,
composed of the remnants of the regiments defeated at Charasiah, three
fresh regiments from the Kohistan, and the rabble of the city and
adjacent villages, having a total strength of nearly 3000 men, with
twelve guns, under the leadership of Mahomed Jan, who later was to
figure prominently as the ablest of our Afghan enemies. Massy
heliographed his information to General Roberts, who sent Baker with a
force to drive the enemy from the heights; and Massy was instructed to
pass through a gap in the ridge and gain the Chardeh valley, where he
might find opportunity to intercept the Afghan retreat toward the west.
Massy pierced the ridge at the village of Aushar, and disposed his
troops on the roads crossing the Chardeh valley. Meanwhile Baker found
the ascent of the Sher Derwaza heights so steep that the afternoon was
far spent before his guns came into action, and it was still later
before part of his infantry effected their descent into the Chardeh
valley. Reinforcements necessary to enable him to act did not reach him
until dusk, when it would have been folly to commit himself to an
attack. A night patrol ascertained that the Afghans had evacuated the
position under cover of darkness, leaving behind their guns and camp
equipage. On the 9th the divisional camp moved forward to the Siah Sung
heights, a mile eastward from the Balla Hissar, and there it was joined
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