History of the war in Affghanistan, from its commencement to its close; including a general sketch of the policy, and the various circumstances which induced the British government to interfere in the affairs of Affghanistan. From the journal and letters of an officer high in rank, and who has served many years in the Indian army. Edited by Charles Nash, esq., with an introductory description of the country, and its political state previous to the war

Nash, Charles Barnes

English

The University of Nebraska, Omaha

University of Nebraska OmahaDigitalCommons@UNOBooks in English Digitized Books1-1-1843History of the war in Affghanistan, from itscommencement to its close; including a general sketch ofthe policy, and the various circumstances which inducedthe British government to interfere in the affairs ofAffghanistan. From the journal and letters of an officerhigh in rank, and who has served many years in theIndian army. Edited by Charles Nash, esq., with anintroductory description of the country, and its politicalstate previous to the warCharles Barnes NasheditorFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/afghanunoPart of the International and Area Studies CommonsThis Monograph is brought to you for free and open access by the DigitizedBooks at DigitalCommons@UNO. It has been accepted for inclusion inBooks in English by an authorized administrator ofDigitalCommons@UNO. For more information, please contactunodigitalcommons@unomaha.edu.Recommended CitationNash, Charles Barnes, "History of the war in Affghanistan, from its commencement to its close; including a general sketch of the policy, and thevarious circumstances which induced the British government to interfere in the affairs of Affghanistan. From the journal and letters of an officerhigh in rank, and who has served many years in the Indian army. Edited by Charles Nash, esq., with an introductory description of the country,and its political state previous to the war " (1843). Books in English. Paper 40.http://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/afghanuno/40HISTORY r OF THE - - -* WAR IN, AFFGHANISTAN? L INCLUDINO A GENERAL SKETCH OF THE POLICY, AND THE VARIOUS ?%CUMSTAqCES .WHICH INDUCED THE BRITISH GOVERNRIENT TO . INTERFERE I N  THE AFFAIRS OF AFFGHANISTAN. 0 \ FROM THE JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF AN OFFICER HIGH IN RANK, AND WHO HAS SERVED MANY PEARS I N  THE INDIAN ARIIGY. r EDITED BY CHARLES NASH, ESQ. WITE AN - INTRODUCTORY DE$CRIPTION OF THE COUN'Z'V, AND ITS POLITICAL. STATE PREVIOUS TO THE WAR. ' i' .?. -bJ , .. . - . .-.- .- L O N D O N :  THOMAS BROOKS, PUBLISHER, 8, BAKER STREET, PORTMAN SQUARE. ,/-;s43., * .  * r .c P R E F A C E .  THE Letters and Journal, on which is based the following history of the War in Affghan- istan, were sent from India, and placed in the Editor's hands, with a discretionary power of curtailment or addition, as well as of the form of publication. In the exercise of this, he has ampli- fied the original MS., where he deemed it essen- tial to the completeness of the narrative. With a similar view, and to render the subsequent inte- - resting matter more easily understood, he has , ' prefixed an introductory account of the country . and its inhabitants, and a rapid sketch of the Dooraunee kingdom and the revolutions which F' preceded the British invasion of Affghanistan; and furthermore, for the convenience of the reader, the whole has been woven into one conti- nuous history. In doing this, it has been deemed iv PREFACE. . better to correct, in the body of the work, such - errors as had crept in from imperfect information, in consequence of a great portion of it, having ' been written during the progress of events, tban to leave them standing and s u p ~ l y  the deficiency by a note. To avoid also the necessity of a g h -  sary, which at best is but a tiresome distraction , of the reader's attention, the Indian terms used * in the MS. have been accompanied by their * meanings, or discarded altogether, where it coul~?' be done safely, for English phrases of the sane import. No narrative of the whole of the war in Aff- ghanistan has hitherto appeared, those works upon the subject which have already been written, although valuable as far as they go, merely relat- ing to detached portions of it. A complete account, therefore, from their commencement, of the military operations undertaken by the British Government West of the Indus, has become a great desideratum. To supdy this, is one object " of the following pages. Anot3er may be gathered ' from a passage in one of the writer's letters, , wherein he says, " In transmitting you my disjecta membra of the Mghan War, my reasons for not putting my name to which, you are aware ofj- i may observe that I lay no claim to any striking novelty either of incident or style, but so many a - % PREFACE. T -- - --- 4. misrepresentations *have been scattered abroad - + and so mucb misconception exists upon the sub- *- 'ject, that I ceitainly have endeavoured, regard- less whom it may offend, so that I be not unjust, to place the blase of our ill-success in the main objects of the war, and of our disasters at Cabool, upon the right shoulders. At the same time I - have stated nothing which I do not believe to be true, and which I have not had confirmed by the lestimony of others, in cases where I have not be- present myself." CHAPTER I. Page iption of the Country . . . 1 CHAPTER 11. md Progress of the Dooraunee Monarchy . 21 a CHAPTER 111. ry of the Shah Shoojah, and Fall of the Doo- neeMonarchy.  . . . . 47 CHAPTER IV. Remarks upon the Policy of the War . . . 7 0  CHAPTER V. The Simla Declaration-Advance of the British Army-Operations in Scinde and Beloochistan- Anival at Candahar . *. . . . 99 CHAPTER VI. Storm and Capture of Ghuznee-Pursuit of Dost Mahorned-Arrival a t  Cabool. . . . 149 CHAPTER VII. Instiktion of the Dooraunee Order-Fall of Khe- lat-Return of Sir John Keane to India, and breaking up of the Army of the Indus . . 201 ... Vlll CONTENTS. 7 I CHAPTER *VIII. F '  Dost Mahomed's imprisonment at Bopara, and : . Escape-Insurrectionary state of $he County- Surrender of Dost Mahomed to the British C Envoy. . - . . . . . 221 CHAPTER IX. Shah Shoojah's Government-British Policy-Ge- nerd Sale's retreat to Jellalabad-Breaking out . of the Rebellion at Cabool . . . . 25e CHAPTER X. ? I  Loss of Charekar-Flight of Major Pottinger-17 capacity of the British Authorities at Cabool- Murder of the Envoy-Remarks . . . 292 CHAPTER XI. Retreat from Cabool-Destruction of the British Army-Observations . . . . 3 1 1 .  CHAPTER XII. 1 Defence of Jelldabad-Brigadier Wild's repulse in the Khyber Pass-Death of Colonel Dennie 340 CHAPTER XIII. Forcing of the Khyber Pass-Defence of Candahar -Recapture of ~huzne-Advance of Generals Pollock and Nott to Cabool -. . . , 362 ' CHAPTER XIV. State of Cabool-Condition of the Prisoners-Ne- gotiations concerning them-Their Escape- Operations in Kohistan-Destruction of the Aff-" ghan cities-Return of the Armies to India- Reception of Ferozepore-Conclusion . . 393 . HISTORY r OF THE - - -* WAR IN, AFFGHANISTAN? L INCLUDINO A GENERAL SKETCH OF THE POLICY, AND THE VARIOUS ?%CUMSTAqCES .WHICH INDUCED THE BRITISH GOVERNRIENT TO . INTERFERE I N  THE AFFAIRS OF AFFGHANISTAN. 0 \ FROM THE JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF AN OFFICER HIGH IN RANK, AND WHO HAS SERVED MANY PEARS I N  THE INDIAN ARIIGY. r EDITED BY CHARLES NASH, ESQ. WITE AN - INTRODUCTORY DE$CRIPTION OF THE COUN'Z'V, AND ITS POLITICAL. STATE PREVIOUS TO THE WAR. ' i' .?. -bJ , .. . - . .-.- .- L O N D O N :  THOMAS BROOKS, PUBLISHER, 8, BAKER STREET, PORTMAN SQUARE. ,/-;s43., * .  * r .c P R E F A C E .  THE Letters and Journal, on which is based the following history of the War in Affghan- istan, were sent from India, and placed in the Editor's hands, with a discretionary power of curtailment or addition, as well as of the form of publication. In the exercise of this, he has ampli- fied the original MS., where he deemed it essen- tial to the completeness of the narrative. With a similar view, and to render the subsequent inte- - resting matter more easily understood, he has , ' prefixed an introductory account of the country . and its inhabitants, and a rapid sketch of the Dooraunee kingdom and the revolutions which F' preceded the British invasion of Affghanistan; and furthermore, for the convenience of the reader, the whole has been woven into one conti- nuous history. In doing this, it has been deemed iv PREFACE. . better to correct, in the body of the work, such - errors as had crept in from imperfect information, in consequence of a great portion of it, having ' been written during the progress of events, tban to leave them standing and s u p ~ l y  the deficiency by a note. To avoid also the necessity of a g h -  sary, which at best is but a tiresome distraction , of the reader's attention, the Indian terms used * in the MS. have been accompanied by their * meanings, or discarded altogether, where it coul~?' be done safely, for English phrases of the sane import. No narrative of the whole of the war in Aff- ghanistan has hitherto appeared, those works upon the subject which have already been written, although valuable as far as they go, merely relat- ing to detached portions of it. A complete account, therefore, from their commencement, of the military operations undertaken by the British Government West of the Indus, has become a great desideratum. To supdy this, is one object " of the following pages. Anot3er may be gathered ' from a passage in one of the writer's letters, , wherein he says, " In transmitting you my disjecta membra of the Mghan War, my reasons for not putting my name to which, you are aware ofj- i may observe that I lay no claim to any striking novelty either of incident or style, but so many a - % PREFACE. T -- - --- 4. misrepresentations *have been scattered abroad - + and so mucb misconception exists upon the sub- *- 'ject, that I ceitainly have endeavoured, regard- less whom it may offend, so that I be not unjust, to place the blase of our ill-success in the main objects of the war, and of our disasters at Cabool, upon the right shoulders. At the same time I - have stated nothing which I do not believe to be true, and which I have not had confirmed by the lestimony of others, in cases where I have not be- present myself." CHAPTER I. Page iption of the Country . . . 1 CHAPTER 11. md Progress of the Dooraunee Monarchy . 21 a CHAPTER 111. ry of the Shah Shoojah, and Fall of the Doo- neeMonarchy.  . . . . 47 CHAPTER IV. Remarks upon the Policy of the War . . . 7 0  CHAPTER V. The Simla Declaration-Advance of the British Army-Operations in Scinde and Beloochistan- Anival at Candahar . *. . . . 99 CHAPTER VI. Storm and Capture of Ghuznee-Pursuit of Dost Mahorned-Arrival a t  Cabool. . . . 149 CHAPTER VII. Instiktion of the Dooraunee Order-Fall of Khe- lat-Return of Sir John Keane to India, and breaking up of the Army of the Indus . . 201 ... Vlll CONTENTS. 7 I CHAPTER *VIII. F '  Dost Mahomed's imprisonment at Bopara, and : . Escape-Insurrectionary state of $he County- Surrender of Dost Mahomed to the British C Envoy. . - . . . . . 221 CHAPTER IX. Shah Shoojah's Government-British Policy-Ge- nerd Sale's retreat to Jellalabad-Breaking out . of the Rebellion at Cabool . . . . 25e CHAPTER X. ? I  Loss of Charekar-Flight of Major Pottinger-17 capacity of the British Authorities at Cabool- Murder of the Envoy-Remarks . . . 292 CHAPTER XI. Retreat from Cabool-Destruction of the British Army-Observations . . . . 3 1 1 .  CHAPTER XII. 1 Defence of Jelldabad-Brigadier Wild's repulse in the Khyber Pass-Death of Colonel Dennie 340 CHAPTER XIII. Forcing of the Khyber Pass-Defence of Candahar -Recapture of ~huzne-Advance of Generals Pollock and Nott to Cabool -. . . , 362 ' CHAPTER XIV. State of Cabool-Condition of the Prisoners-Ne- gotiations concerning them-Their Escape- Operations in Kohistan-Destruction of the Aff-" ghan cities-Return of the Armies to India- Reception of Ferozepore-Conclusion . . 393 . 

https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1039&amp;context=afghanuno

\u3ci\u3eHistory of the war in Affghanistan, from its commencement to its close; including a general sketch of the policy, and the various circumstances which induced the British government to interfere in the affairs of Affghanistan. From the journal and letters of an officer high in rank, and who has served many years in the Indian army. Edited by Charles Nash, esq., with an introductory description of the country, and its political state previous to the war \u3c/i\u3e

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