|
British Advance into Afghanistan 1839
In his book ‘Reminiscences’ Sir George Lawrence relates that he joined the 2nd Bengal Light Cavalry on 15 Jan 1822 when they were stationed at Keitah in Bundlekind. He was adjutant from 1824 to 1834. On 30 Oct 1838 they marched from their cantonment in Meerut and reached Ferozepore on 28 November where they joined the army under Sir Henry Fane. When the news came of the raising of the siege at Herat, and the retreat of the Persian forces, the size of the British column was reduced and Fane was replaced by Mr Macnaghten, Political Agent. George Lawrence subsequently was appointed to Macnaghten’s staff. The army marched down the banks of the Sutlej to Bukkur which they reached on 20 Jan 1839. There they took possession of the fortress of Roree Bukkur, the ancient stronghold of the Ameers of Scinde. They then crossed the Indus on a bridge of boats. Sukkur was reached, then Shikarpore where they were joined by Shah Soojah. They then crossed a 23 mile swampy desert at Rajghan, and then to Dadur at the entrance to the Bolan Pass. They entered this formidable pass on 15 March with the 2nd BLC in the advance guard. Throughout this part of the journey they were subjected to attacks by Baluchi marauders. One officer of the 16th Lancers who had 40 servants in contravention of orders had his cook killed and his baggage plundered.
The Arduous March to Kandahar
After a storm at Abeyjoon which flattened their tents, and a difficult march in which they were forced to abandon much of their baggage, they reached the top of the 66-mile long Bolan Pass, at 5,000 feet above sea level, on 20 March. Beyond this was a miserable ‘unlucky plain’ but on 22 March they went through a pleasant grassy valley which was a relief to the horses and animals. They halted at Quetta and assembled the army on 4 April, but food was scarce and the men were put on half rations. The next stage was Hykalzie which was reached after a chaotic river crossing. A wheat field provided good forage for the horses but the journey later took its toll and some horses had to be destroyed. The gunners had to unyoke horses and pull the guns themselves. The next obstacle was the Kojuk Pass, four miles long and in some places so narrow that men and animals had to go single file, thus slowing the advance. Finally the force assembled at Dandee Goolaiee where the heat caused much sickness. The march to Killa Adbullah and then Killa Quazee was the worst part of the journey because of the intense heat and lack of water. Many camp followers, women and children, died of thirst. Kandahar was reached on 27 April, and Shah Soojah was installed as ruler, although none of the Afghan inhabitants acknowledged his authority.
Reconnaissance to Ghazni, June 1839
On 27June the army marched to Kabul, and on 20 July the commander, Sir John Keane was warned of an impending attack on their camp. George Lawrence commanded 30 men of the 2nd BLC to escort the QMG, Major Garden, on a reconnaissance. They were within half a mile of Ghazni when they saw enemy horsemen on the distant hills. It was here that they met a well-dressed mounted Afghan who told them that he had seen the army in their camp and was not impressed:
‘You are an army of tents and camels: our army is one of men and horses. What could induce you to squander crores of rupees in coming to a rocky country like ours, without food or water, and all in order to force upon us a kumbukht (unlucky person) as a king, who, the moment you turn your backs, will be upset by Dost Mahomed, our own king?’
The Siege of Gazni, July 1839
At the siege of Ghazni the cavalry dismounted and stood by their horses at what they thought was a safe distance, but the defenders of the fort used a great gun called Zubbur Jung - ‘the Lord of War’. A shot from this weapon killed one man and a horse. When the Kabul Gate of the fortress was blown up and the infantry stormed in on 23 July, the 2nd BLC and the rest of the cavalry remained on duty all night. They succeeded in killing and capturing many of the defenders who attempted to escape. When they entered the city they saw dead and dying Afghans everywhere. Around 600 defenders had been killed and 1,600 taken prisoner. George Lawrence was relieved to note that the women had been spared. The army remained at this well-stocked place until 4 August before proceeding to Kabul.
Pursuit of Dost Mahomed, August 1839
Dost Mahomed was reported to have fled from Ghazni and a party of volunteers was given the task of chasing him and bringing him back. George Lawrence was asked if ‘he felt inclined to form one of the party…which I could not refuse to share in, having been once invited.’ He asked for 50 volunteers from his regiment and the whole of the 2nd BLC turned out to accompany him. However he chose only 50 which formed part of the column with 25 men of the 4th Horse, 25 Poona Horse, and 125 of Christie’s Horse. Besides these units there were 500 Afghans, but many dropped out on the way. The column was commanded by Captain Outram, accompanied by a very reluctant Hadjee Khan Kakur representing Shah Soojah. Several days into the journey they were joined by 15 men of the 1st BLC and 15 of the 3rd BLC, as well as 300 Afghans. Dost was reported to be a few hours ahead crossing the Hindu Kush. After a strenuous climb the news came that Dost had escaped beyond the border and the expedition was brought to an end. George Lawrence wrote that with more reliable guides, and without the Afghans slowing their progress, they might well have succeeded. He praised the men of his regiment;
‘During this expedition, occupying 15 days going and returning, our Hindustanee troopers, Brahmin, Rajpoot, and Mussulman, behaved most admirably. Nothing could exceed the patience, fortitude, and good humour with which they underwent fatigue and exposure of no ordinary kind; without any cooking utensils for preparing their usual meals, and with no other covering than the clothes on their backs.’
Kabul 1839
Shah Soojah entered Kabul and took up his place as ruler in the Bala Hissar citadel, ‘the inhabitants manifesting the most complete indifference to their new sovereign’. The British felt confident enough to bring their families into Afghanistan so a small force was sent back to India to escort them to Kabul. George Lawrence was appointed as military secretary to Mr Macnaughten and any spare time was spent learning Persian to be able to carry out his duties. In September and October a large part of the British military returned to India, starting with the Bombay column, then Sir John Keane took the 16th Lancers, the 3rd Bengal Cavalry (posted to Jellalabad), 4th Local Horse and 2nd Troop Horse Artillery. The remaining units in Kabul were then under the command of Sir Willoughby Cotton.
Some time after their departure it was reported that Dost Mahomed was back in the country, at Bamean, and calling for a Jihad against the infidels. This had the unfortunate effect of uniting the tribes that had previously been in a state of war with each other. The British had initially formed a favourable impression of the Afghan people causing them to relax their normal guard and be lulled into a false sense of security. Lawrence summed up the national character:
‘Possessing many noble natural qualities, such as individual courage, hospitality, and generosity, of fine and commanding appearance and presence, good horsemen, capable of enduring, without complaint, much exposure and fatigue, fond of all manly sports, and frank and social in their bearing and manners, there was much calculated to prepossess us in favour of the Afghans as a people on first acquaintance. Further experience, however, proved them to be destitute of all regard to truth, treacherous, revengeful, and bloodthirsty, sensual and avaricious, to a degree not to be comprehended by those who have not lived among them, and thus become intimately acquainted with their character.’
Purwan Durrah, 2 Nov 1840
The 2nd Bengal Light Cavalry was disbanded (and reformed) for dereliction of duty during the 1st Afghan War. The circumstances and reasons for this extraordinary occurrence are explained in George Lawrence’s book of Reminiscences. General Sir Robert Sale was put in charge of a force operating in Kohistan to quell the rising amongst supporters of Dost Mahomed. On 1 Nov, whilst camped at Bhag Alum, news came to him that Dost himself was at Purwan Durrah, a small valley near the camp. The next day Colonel H F Salter set out with a force that included two squadrons, 220 men, of the 2nd Bengal Cavalry. They were in advance of the force when they came across Dost Mahomed and 400 horsemen on higher ground. The squadrons prepared for action, and guns were brought forward. But the political agent, Dr Lord, proposed that they should take up a position on the enemy’s flank.
The change of position was in process after the order was given to retire, or ‘threes about’ an echo of the infamous order at Chillianwallah. At the same time, as they were carrying out this order, the enemy began to advance down on the cavalry. Captain James Fraser, commanding, ordered “Front! Draw swords!” He and other British officers set the example by leading the charge but found themselves without their men. The squadrons trotted forward, but slowed to a walk. Some of the enemy horsemen reached them and fighting took place, but the squadrons turned and fled, leaving the officers to their fate. Of these, two were killed in the charge, Crispin and Broadfoot. Dr Lord, who joined the charge got away but was shot dead by a sniper. Captain G C Ponsonby was saved by Riding Master Bolton. Captain James Fraser had his hand almost completely severed but returned to give a report in a calm manner.
Although the enemy had won this action the day was saved by the 37th Native Infantry and the bravery of Lieutenant Mayne of that regiment. George Lawrence attempted to find the cause of the apparent cowardice of the men in his own regiment. There were Moslems in the two squadrons who may have hesitated to attack an enemy bent on a holy war, but Lawrence felt that this was not the answer. He reasoned that the countermanding of the order to charge caused confusion, compounded by Afghan sharpshooters being brought forward and inflicting casualties. The officers had set off without first forming the men into line, thus the troopers hesitated and felt themselves cut off. As Lawrence wrote:
‘Hesitation with cavalry verges on, and soon produces fear, and then all is lost, for the charge, to be effective, requires the energy of body and soul of each individual trooper, to be conveyed again, by some occult influence, to his charger, so as to animate and inspire the animal with confidence while rushing into the battle. At such a moment, to be checked by even trivial causes is often disastrous, producing hesitation, ending in panic, among men who were the instant before full of high courage, ready and eager ‘to do or die’ in discharge of their duty. Thus it was, I believe, with my unhappy regiment, which was consequently disgraced forever.’
|
