THE SECOND WAR: THE AFGHAN WAR. 



Whilst these negotiations were going on, Akbar Khan made a new 

 proposal — to keep Shah Soojah on the Throne, and make himself 

 Grand Vizier, which was agreed to by our envoy, Sir Wm. McNaghten ; 

 an error of policy which was dearly bought, for he was basely assassi- 

 nated at a Conference soon afterwards, with his body-guard and 

 ofificers, and their mangled bodies exhibited in the streets of Cabul. 



In such a crisis the British garrison in Cabul determined to make 

 the best terms possible to secure their safe evacuation of the city ; 

 and to do this they were obliged to surrender their guns and war 

 material, and treasure, and to leave a hostage in the persons of 

 General Elphinstone, Lady Sale, and many other ladies of distinction. 



The withdrawal from Cabul began in the depth of winter, and the 

 army marched through gorges and over precipitous mountains every- 

 where blocked by snow and crevasses. 



The retreating army numbered 4,000 men and some 12,000 camp 

 followers besides women and children, including poor Lady McNaghten 

 and other ladies whose husbands had perished in the recent massacres. 



At every step of the road, at every cleft in the rocks, this little 

 army was assailed by the savage Afghans, and, it may be said, all 

 along their line of retreat was a succession of murderous conflicts. 



In the terrible Koord Cabul Pass 3,000 men and women fell, slain 

 by the Afghans or exhausted by the hardships of the retreat. 



The straggling remnant of the British army entered Jugdulluk 

 Pass, which was blocked by the fanatical enemy. All was now over ! 

 The brave army of Cabul was finally annihilated. A few only 

 escaped ; and when sixteen miles from Jellalabad, where General 

 Sale and an army were entrenched, the number was reduced 

 to six ; and of these five were killed by hovering Afghans, and only 

 one man, Dr. Brydon, reached Jellalabad to tell the mournful tale, 

 out of a host of 16,000 who set out on its retreat. 



History does not record a more awful catastrophe, or a more affect- 

 ing incident, than this emaciated survivor on horseback, " wearied 

 and worn and sad," bearing to a beleaguered garrison the sad tidings 

 of defeat, disaster and death to 80,000 men and women. 



This disaster to the British army encouraged Akbar Khan to 

 besiege Jellalabad, but the garrison held out fearlessly until the 

 arrival by the Khyber Pass of General Pollock, when they attacked 

 the Afghan forces, and completely defeated them ; and Lord Ellen- 

 borough having succeeded Lord Auckland as Governor-General of 

 India, a forward movement was made by the British forces to inflict 

 a signal chastisement. They encountered and defeated the Afghans, 



