A small garrison, with which was one-half the 3rd company 2nd battalion artillery, under Lieutenant Walker, had been left in Khelat-i-Ghilzie in November, 1841; the insurrection isolated them from the Candahar force, and for several months they underwent very great hardships; an insufficient supply of firewood exposed them to cold, barracks without doors, and piercing cold winds, bread and water for rations for days together, and an enemy at the gates; under these privations the artillerymen never grumbled nor lost their good temper, but continued to work as if they had been highly fed. The enemy gradually closed in round the fort, and on the night of the 21st May commenced a simultaneous attack on two points; at one point, there were two 6–pounders, under Lieutenant Walker, at the other only one. The enemy came on in a determined manner, crossing the ditch by means of scaling-ladders, and some even reached the parapets; so closely were the artillery assailed, that at one time they were forced to turn to their small-arms to assist in driving them off; towards morning the attack ceased, and the little garrison was left in quiet possession of their fort, and in the course of a few days Colonel Wymer arrived from Candahar with a force to relieve them.
This service was rewarded by a medal to all engaged, the handsomest of any by which the campaigns in Afghanistan are marked.
Brigadier Sale’s force, on reaching Jellalabad, immediately occupied themselves in rendering its defences tenable, collecting provisions, preparing ammunition, and mounting their guns on the most advantageous positions. In availing himself of the resources of the country, and keeping up our communications, Captain MacGregor’s services were most conspicuous and successful, and perhaps to his exertions it may mainly be attributed that the “illustrious garrison” were enabled to hold out, and earn for themselves the undying honour they have gained. The exertions also of Captain Abbott, Captain Backhouse, and Lieutenant Dawes, are honourably recorded in the records of that siege, records which have been so fully published that little is left to us beyond extracting a few passages; and we shall first refer to the report of the construction of the works. “With the exception of a few of the larger bastions, all the batteries were prepared by the artillerymen themselves, both Captain Abbott’s company and Captain Backhouse’s mountain-train, under the superintendence of their own officers; besides this, a party of Captain Abbott’s artillerymen was always ready to assist in the works generally, and they were most ably superintended by Lieutenant Dawes, to whom I am indebted for aid as constant as it was valuable, and willingly given. Captain Backhouse, with his own men and detachment of the 6th infantry Shah Soojah’s force, not only prepared the parapets and embrasures for his own guns, and repaired the damages done to them by the earthquake, but he undertook and completed several of the most useful and laborious operations executed.” * * *
“Captain MacGregor, political agent, gave me,” writes Brigadier Sale, “the aid of his local experience, and through his influence and measures our dâk communication with India was restored, and a great quantity of grain collected. * * * Captain Abbott made the artillery dispositions in the ablest manner, and used every exertion to add to and economize our resources, in the way of gun and musket ammunition.”
“The artillery practice of No. 6 light field battery has ever been excellent, and has been equalled by that of the mountain-train. Captains Abbott and Backhouse and Lieutenant Dawes have proved themselves excellent ordnance officers.”
The siege, or rather blockade, continued from November to April. The greatest want at times prevailed of everything but grain; but the men preserved their cheerfulness under all privations, the native artillerymen of the 2nd company 6th battalion vying with the Europeans of H. M.’s light infantry in setting an example of good discipline and patient and cheerful endurance of hardship and danger. In April, Akbar Khan collected a large body of troops in the neighbourhood, both to overwhelm the garrison and meet the army advancing to its succour through the Khyber. This body the garrison attacked on the morning of the 6th April, and completely overthrew, capturing standards and baggage, and four of the guns lost by the Cabul force. In the action, No. 6 battery, with which, in addition to Captain Abbott and Lieutenant Dawes, were Captains Backhouse and MacGregor, as volunteers, was most effective; moving rapidly to the front, it covered the advance of the infantry, and held in check a large body of cavalry which threatened the flank. This success was most complete, and the garrison achieved its safety by its own prowess. Its gallantry was rewarded by a medal to all engaged; the corps were permitted to wear a “mural crown,” with the word “Jellalabad” on their appointments, and a donation of six months’ batta was granted as a compensation for the various losses suffered, and at the close of the campaign the rank of major, with the companionship of the Bath, was bestowed on Captains Abbott, Backhouse, and MacGregor.
On the news of the insurrection reaching India, steps were taken for despatching a force to aid the troops in Affghanistan. Major-General Pollock, C.B., of the artillery, was selected for its command, and joined it at Peshawur in February. The artillery with it was very insufficient. A troop of horse-artillery and half a light field battery, a second troop (Captain Delafosse’s), and the remainder of the field battery, did not join until after the entrance to the Khyber was won.
| Troop. | Brigade. | Company. | Battalion. | Captains. | Lieutenants. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | Delafosse | Richardson, Money, Abercrombie. | ||
| 3 | 2 | Alexander | A. Fitzgerald, Larkins. | ||
| 2 | 2 | L. Smith, Douglas. | |||
| 4 | 6 | A. Christie, Robertson. |