Chapter XXVIII: Part IV: AIR.—The Atmosphere. Winds and Storms.—Dew, Clouds, and (5)

[325] Captain G. St. P. Lawrence, Sir W. Macnaghten’s Military Secretary, who had been present at his murder, and had subsequently shared the perils of the captivity.

[326] “Futteh Jung had urged his people to set fire to the palace as he came out, observing that Shahpoor’s rule would be a brief one, and that his own feelings revolted at the idea of the Suddozye seraglio falling to the lot of either Mahomed Akbar or the Ghilzyes. Some attempts were in consequence made at incendiarism, but the flames did not spread.”—[_Major Rawlinson’s MS. Journal._]

[327] They seem to have been admitted by Pollock, but to have been expelled by Nott. “General Pollock’s camp,” wrote Rawlinson in his journal, “is crowded with hangers-on, imperfectly provided with carriage or supplies, and he necessarily experiences much inconvenience in consequence. General Nott has positively refused to permit his force to be encumbered in the same way, and yesterday evening a general clearance of our camp took place, preparatory to the march. About 500 men were expelled from the Bazaar of the 16th Regiment alone, where they had taken refuge. Most of these people were the destitute Hindoos of Caubul and Ghuznee. They had hoped to have found means of returning to Hindostan with our column; but have been now obliged to go back to Caubul and bide their fate among the Afghans.”—[_Major Rawlinson’s MS. Journal._]

[328] Pollock took forty-four guns and a large quantity of ordnance stores; but not the least of his trophies were a large number of miserable mutilated natives of India, crippled by wounds or by the frost, who had escaped with their lives from the great wreck of Elphinstone’s army. Pollock now provided them with carriage, appointed two officers to the charge of them, and conveyed them to Hindostan.

[329] Major Rawlinson says: “It is whispered that the recognition of Shahpoor on the part of the Gholam-Khana has been a mere _ruse_ to save the Balla Hissar, and that the chiefs hope to make use of this successful manœuvre to propitiate Mahomed Akbar. The Kuzzilbash, however, if they do meditate anything of this sort, will assuredly overreach themselves, for if any _bonâ fide_ Afghan Government succeeds in establishing itself at Caubul, the Gholam-Khana, after what has happened, will certainly be extirpated, root and branch.”—[_Major Rawlinson’s MS. Journal._]

[330] The late Colonel Sutherland. “It is, indeed,” he wrote, “a comfort to be able to look a native in the face again with confidence; for although there was in reality no change that one could see in their bearing towards us in this region, yet one could not help feeling that we had fallen from our high position; and they would have felt this too, and in the end, perhaps, shown that they did, had not the noble resolution been taken of moving forward to retrieve our tarnished reputation. Now all is right. How easily achieved! And we stand on surer ground now in all quarters than we ever did at any former period of our Indian history.”—[_MS. Correspondence._]

[331] See letter, _ante_, page 284, _note_.

[332] “_October 1._—The Governor-General brought me some papers to consult me upon. Among others, a proclamation announcing that we retire from Afghanistan, leaving to the Afghans the choice of their sovereign. It was on this day, four years ago, that Lord Auckland issued the proclamation announcing the grounds of his interference; and on the same day, _in the same room_, Lord Ellenborough signed his notification of altered intentions, in a clear, short, decided paper, which I much approve. He could not avoid avowing some of his predecessor’s military errors; but he has not touched at any length on the political, further than that we lost our name and an army by neglect on the part of our agents.”—[_Sir Jasper Nicholls’s MS. Journal._]

[333] Lord Ellenborough’s explanations on this subject are to be found in the following letter to General Pollock, which calls for no comment:

“Simlah, Oct. 12, 1842.

“GENERAL,—I enclose for your information a copy of a proclamation, signed by me here on the 1st of this month, but withheld from immediate publication, with the view to the having previously made and circulated to the Native Courts, and amongst the natives generally, a correct translation which might be the official document in the native language, and prevent any misrepresentation, or misapprehension of the intentions of the government. I further wished not to make known here the intention of withdrawing the army, until I knew that you had actually the prisoners in your hands, and had made arrangements for leaving Caubul. Your letter received here on the 5th removed every ground for withholding the publication of the proclamation, had the translation been prepared; but in consequence of the absence of Mr. Clerk on duty in the plains, no such translation had been made as I could fully rely upon.

“In the mean time, by a combination of accidents, and some irregularity in the transaction of business in the Secretary’s office, the printed copies of the proclamation were, without my knowledge, or that of the Secretary himself, transmitted to the presidencies and the political officers generally. There is no object in your publishing the proclamation in your camp. Mr. Clerk returned last night, and the translation will hardly be ready for transmission before to-morrow.

“I have, &c. “ELLENBOROUGH.”

—[_MS. Correspondence._]

[334] “_October 5._—His Lordship sent me the draft of his letter to the Hindoo chiefs, relating to the gates of the Somnauth temple; and invited remarks on it, which I freely gave; and he took them in good part, adopting some of them.”—[_Sir Jasper Nicholls’s MS. Journal._]

[335] The Governor-General, when he first drafted the proclamation, only knew that Nott had reached Caubul with the gates. He may have thought it expedient to withhold the issue of it, lest by some untoward accident the gates might be lost on their journey through the passes of Afghanistan.

[336] We have no word very fitly to represent the character of the affair. The French would have called it a _bêtise_. It was a _bêtise_ of the first magnitude.

[337] _Memorandum, by Captain Peter Nicolson, of a Conversation with Dost Mahomed Khan: February 13, 1842. MS. Records._

[338] He was candid enough, too, at one time, to acknowledge that, after the expulsion of the British from Caubul, the only chance of establishing a settled government was through the agency of Shah Soojah. “The Ameer concluded,” says Captain Nicolson, in the memorandum cited above, “by using an expression exactly the same as one Shah Soojah uses in his letter to Captain Macgregor.” He said: “The people cannot now do without the King, for there is no one else who could carry on the government.”—[_MS. Records._]

[339] Mr. Clerk was despatched to Lahore with an invitation from the Governor-General; and Shere Singh was inclined to accept it, but he was overruled in Durbar. The Crown Prince, Pertab Singh, and Dhyan Singh, the minister, were sent to represent the Maharajah at for Governor-General’s Court.

[340] A smart skirmish between Nott’s division and the enemy, on the Huft-Kotul, may, perhaps, be considered as an exception. Colonel Stacy describes it as “a severe affair;” and Nott, who was not inclined to write lengthy despatches, or to exaggerate the importance of his engagements, thought it worthy of a brief despatch. In _Colonel Stacy’s Narrative_ and _Captain Neill’s Recollections of Service_, the reader will find ample details of all the operations of the rear division. _Lieutenant Greenwood’s Narrative_ may also be consulted for some particulars of the movements of M’Caskill’s division.

[341] Lieut. Christie, of the Artillery; and Ensign Nicholson, of the 30th Native Infantry.

[342] “It was a night attack of some plunderers to obtain baggage. There appears to have been sad confusion. The two officers were about that time killed. But the guns were not, I believe, even attempted to be carried off; otherwise we certainly never should have seen anything of them again, whereas, the next day, the mountain howitzer and carriage were found in _statu quo_, and the carriage of the three-pounder; and were brought in. I dare say the three-pounder was not far. It in all probability upset, and parted from the carriage; but if an enemy (so usually termed) had made the attack, it is very improbable that either guns or carriage would have been left, for a very few men could carry gun, carriage, and all.”—[_MS. Correspondence of General Pollock: Camp near Ali-Musjid, Nov. 1, 1842._] Of this unfortunate business, another officer writes: “Night overtook our unfortunate 3rd Brigade. The enemy, emboldened by the darkness, came down upon them in strength. Some of our men were _cut off in the column_. Numbers of them were hit by stones, which were flying in all directions. The confusion must have been great. The Irregular Cavalry rode right over the infantry, knocking down several of the officers. Christie and his two mountain-guns were lost sight of in the dark, and are lost, himself killed. Young Nicholson, of the 30th, is killed. As to the number of men killed, nothing is yet known; but the whole of the Gholundauz that were with Christie are missing.”—[_MS. Correspondence._]

[343] Pollock, determined to give the robber tribes as little opportunity as possible of plundering his baggage, ordered that every camel that could not come on should be shot, and that his load, if it could not be brought on, should be immediately burnt.

[344] One more glimpse at Afghan politics from Major Rawlinson’s interesting journal, may be afforded before we finally close it: “A messenger arrived to-day from Caubul with letters from the Kuzzilbash party, inviting the Nizam-ood-Dowlah to return, as Gholam Mahomed Khan had already given offence by endeavouring to re-establish an exclusive Douranee influence round the puppet King. At present, Khan Shereen is, as far as real power is concerned, paramount, and he seems determined to carry things with a high hand, having given out that if Shapoor lends himself to Douranee intrigue he will force him to abdicate in favour of another Prince. A strong Kuzzilbash detachment has at the same time been sent to Ghuznee under Mahomed Hussein Khan, to occupy that place, and in conjunction with the Hazarehs to hold in check any possible movement of Ghilzyes or Douranees from the westward. Prince Hyder, with another party of the Gholam Khana, has gone to Bameean, and expects to secure the passes during the winter against the return of the Barukzyes. Mahomed Akbar’s force, which remained for some time at Khanjan, is said to have completely dispersed, the Sirdar himself, with Ameen-oollah, having gone to Tash Noorghan, and the men having all returned to their homes at Caubul. Newab Zemaun Khan, Jubbar Khan, Oosman Khan, and Meer Hadjee, are said to be at Khooloom. The people of Caubul have nearly all returned to the city, and are busy re-opening their houses against the winter. Many of the Kohistan chiefs, Gool Mahomed and Khoda Buksh, Ghilzyes, have also paid their respects to Shahpoor, and Ameen-oollah was expected shortly to return. Mahomed Akbar either really fears for his personal safety, now that a party with which accommodation is impossible has come into power, or he thinks it better policy to allow dissension to fructify in the capital before he makes his reappearance on the scene. The Douranees are in a large minority at Caubul, and must necessarily give way before the Gholam Khana, if Khan Shereen acts with any energy. I look to Candahar as their natural and necessary retreat, and no doubt at that place Suddozye royalty, supported by their influence, will continue to glimmer on, until Persia turns her attention to her eastern frontier, and pushes forward the Barukzye Sirdars to play a game for her. The Kuzzilbashes at the same time, cannot expect to hold their ground at Caubul for any length of time.”—[_Major Rawlinson’s MS. Journal._]

[345] Lord Ellenborough had determined to bestow exclusive honours upon Sale’s brigade; but Sir Jasper Nicolls desired to receive both Pollock and Nott with the same military distinctions. “I wished,” he wrote in his journal, “to have one of the reserve divisions to receive each of the divisions as it came, but he (Lord Ellenborough) did not desire that the honours paid to the garrison should be extended to any other part of the army. This I regret, for they have all seen hard work, great exposure, and some arduous days of service.”—[_Sir Jasper Nicolls’s MS. Journal._]

[346] The rejoicings, in the opinions of many, were very much marred by the prejudiced exclusiveness of the Governor-General, who seems to have set his face very strenuously against the political officers, no matter what their services. With all his admiration of the illustrious garrison, Lord Ellenborough slighted Macgregor, who was its very life and soul; and with all his appreciation of gallantry, he seemed unable to appreciate the services of Eldred Pottinger.

[347] I wish it to be distinctly understood, that I have neither censured nor ridiculed the assembling of the army of reserve at Ferozepore. I believe it to have been a very politic movement.

[348] Pollock and Nott received most deservedly the distinction of the Grand Cross of the Bath; and Lord Ellenborough, who was created an Earl, formally invested them at Agra, and delivered some flowery speeches upon the occasion. It may be mentioned here that the gates of Somnauth, which had been brought up from Ferozepore on a triumphal car, were deposited in the magazine of Agra.

[349] In confirming the acquittal of Colonel Palmer, Sir Jasper Nicolls wrote that “the circumstances under which Colonel Palmer surrendered Ghuznee to the Afghans, were such as he could neither control, alter, nor alleviate.”

[350] And afterwards became again pensioners at Loodhianah, where several members of the family have died since the original edition of this work was published.

[351] It has now, however (1858), become a fact of some historical importance. The Captain Havelock to whom allusion is here made, is the late Sir Henry Havelock of Lucknow.

[352] _MS. Correspondence._

[353] _MS. Correspondence._

[354] _MS. Records._

[355] _MS. Records._

[356] Alluding to his Majesty’s dismissing the troops at Sir William Macnaghten’s request from the Balla Hissar.

[357] Mahomed Akbar.

[358] _MS. Correspondence._

[359] _MS. Correspondence._

[360] H.M. 1st Cavalry:—captain, 1; lieutenant, 1; resaldars, 2; rescudars, 2; naibs, 4; duffadars, 20; sowars, 220; trumpeters, 2; nishan burdurs, 5; and about 150 of the 2nd Jan Baz.

[361] _MS. Records._

[362] Extract letter from the Governor-General to the Secret Committee, No 26, dated 6th April, 1843.

Letter from Major-General M’Caskill to Military Secretary to Government, 2nd April, 1843.

Letter to Adjutant-General Lumley, 2nd April, 1843, with enclosure.

Major-General Pollock to Lord Ellenborough, 2nd April, 1843.

Major-General Pollock to Lord Ellenborough, 16th April, 1843.

Major-General Nott to Military Secretary to Government of India, 4th April, 1843.

Major-General Nott to Adjutant-General Lumley, 4th April, 1843.

[363] Sir W. Nott’s letter is to be found in Captain M’Neill’s narrative, in the _Quarterly Review_ (July, 1845), and elsewhere.

* * * * * *

Transcriber’s note:

—Obvious errors were corrected.