The Afghan Wars 1839-42 and 1878-80Forbes, Archibald
History
The Afghan Wars 1839-42 and 1878-80
Forbes, Archibald
Afghan Wars
by Baker, and by Massy, who on his way to camp led his wearied troopers
through the city of Cabul without mishap or insult. The Goorkha regiment
was detached to hold the ridge commanding the Balla Hissar, and a
cavalry regiment was quartered in the Sherpur cantonment to protect it
from the ravages of the villagers.
A melancholy interest attaches to the visit paid by Sir Frederick
Roberts to the Balla Hissar on the 11th. Through the dirt and squalor of
the lower portion he ascended the narrow lane leading to the ruin which
a few weeks earlier had been the British Residency. The commander of the
avenging army looked with sorrowful eyes on the scene of heroism and
slaughter, on the smoke-blackened walls, the blood splashes on the
whitewashed walls, the still smouldering debris, the half-burned skulls
and bones in the blood-dabbled chamber where apparently the final
struggle had been fought out. He stood in the great breach in the
quarters of the Guides where the gate had been blown in after the last
of the sorties made by the gallant Hamilton, and lingered in the
tattered wreck of poor Cavagnari's drawing-room, its walls dinted with
bullet-pits, its floor and walls brutally defiled. Next day he made a
formal entry into the Balla Hissar, his road lined with his staunch
troops, a royal salute greeting the banner of Britain as it rose on the
tall flagstaff above the gateway. He held a Durbar in the 'Audience
Chamber' in the garden of the Ameer's palace; in front and in flank of
him the pushing throng of obsequious Sirdars of Cabul arrayed in all the
colours of the rainbow; behind them, standing immobile at attention, the
guard of British infantry with fixed bayonets which the soldiers longed
to use. The General read the mild proclamation announcing the
disarmament of the Cabulese and the punishment of fine which was laid
upon the city, but which never was exacted. And then he summarily
dismissed the Sirdars, three only, the Mustaphi, Yahuja Khan the Ameer's
father-in-law, and Zakariah Khan his brother, being desired to remain.
Their smug complacency was suddenly changed into dismay when they were
abruptly told that they were prisoners.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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