Captain Lane, commissary of ordnance, Lieutenant Pollock, aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Sir R. Shakespear, military secretary, Captain H. M. Lawrence, political agent.
On the 5th April, the attack was made on the Pass; the guns were directed on the barriers raised to defend the entrance; two columns attacked the heights on either side, and the main body carried the Pass when the way had been opened by the fire of the guns. The arrangements of General Pollock were admirable. The attack was completely successful; and the enemy evacuated Ali-Musjid at our approach. Captains Alexander and Lawrence, Lieutenants Shakespear and Pollock, are mentioned in the despatches.
Jellalabad was reached, but the enemy had disappeared, and here the force halted, pending the receipt of orders for an advance on Cabul, and till arrangements for carriage could be made to enable them to carry out the order. This halt was not altogether inactive; in July, No. 6 battery, with Captains Abbott and Dawes, was engaged with Brigadier Monteith’s force in the Shinwaree valley with much credit. Captain MacGregor accompanied the brigade, and “when opportunity offered itself, served with the guns.”
While the force remained halted, a supply of rockets reached the artillery, which had been forwarded by dâk banghy from Allahabad, under the impression that the weapon was particularly calculated to be serviceable in the passes at points where artillery could not be used at all, or without the greatest difficulty. The expectation was not realized,—the rockets being too delicate to bear the shaking they underwent; this, together with the expansion of the iron case and the contraction of the composition from the heat to which they were exposed, rendered them nearly useless on reaching their destination.
Towards the end of August the arrangements were completed, and the force moved on; the artillery strengthened by No. 6 battery and the mountain-train, which had formed part of the “illustrious garrison.” On the 24th, the enemy were driven by General Pollock from Mammoo Khel, in which action the services of Captains Abbott and MacGregor, and Lieutenant Pollock are mentioned. On the 8th September, some fighting occurred near Jugdulluck, and on the 10th, the enemy assaulted the rear-guard on all sides, but “were checked by the very effective fire of the guns, ably directed by Captain Lawrence (political agent), who volunteered his services, and by Lieutenant Abercrombie.” The brigades were collected in the Tezeen valley, for which purpose Major-General Pollock halted on the 12th, and on the 13th were attacked by the whole of Akbar Khan’s troops, who were defeated with much loss. Two of the guns, a 24 and 12–pounder howitzer, lost on the retreat, were here recaptured. The rear-guard was hard pressed in defending the entrance to the pass as the troops moved on, and the effective services of Captains Alexander and Lawrence, and Lieutenant Douglas, in the use of the guns at this period, are acknowledged. In the despatches of Major-General Pollock, the names of Major Delafosse, Captains Abbott, Backhouse, Alexander, MacGregor, Lieutenants Fitzgerald, Shakespear, and Pollock, are mentioned with applause.
On the 15th, the force reached Cabul, and on the 16th possession was taken of the Bala Hissar, under a salute from Major Delafosse’s troop.
Major-General Nott, after being joined by Major-General England’s force, as related in a previous page, continued to hold Candahar, pending final instructions. Towards the end of May the enemy, collecting in numbers, endeavoured to carry the town, when Major-General Nott moved out against them. Both Captain Anderson’s troops were engaged in this affair with credit. Early in August, Candahar was evacuated: one column with the baggage retired by the Kojuck pass; with this was Lieutenant Cooper’s troop of horse-artillery and the 3rd company 2nd battalion artillery under Lieutenant Walker. In its route to Sukkur this force met with little or no opposition.
The main force marched on the 8th August. The artillery consisted of Major Sotheby, commandant; Lieutenant Brougham, adjutant, S. S. Horse Artillery, Captain W. Anderson, Lieutenants Turner and Hawkins; 3rd company, 2nd battalion, Lieutenant Cornish, four 18–pounder guns attached.
On the 31st August, within forty miles of Ghuznee, the governor, with about 12,000 men, moved out to meet the British, but he was defeated with the loss of guns, tents, &c. Major Sotheby was mentioned in the despatch, which concluded by saying, “I cannot close this despatch without expressing my admiration of the dashing and gallant conduct, rapid movements, and correct practice, of Captain Anderson’s troop of horse-artillery; nothing could exceed it, and I beg to bring this officer and Lieutenant Turner, attached to the same troop, to the particular notice of his Lordship, as officers who have on many occasions rendered me most essential service.”
Ghuznee yielded without opposition; its walls and bastions were destroyed—the gates of Somnath and the Zubber Jung rewarded the conquerors and graced their triumphant march to Cabul, which they reached on the 17th, after defeating the enemy at Beni Badam and Mydam on the 14th and 15th, in which actions “the artillery” are reported as having “distinguished themselves,” and the names of Captain Anderson and Lieutenant Turner are particularly mentioned.