“My dear General,—You will have received a copy of a letter from the Governor-General under date the 4th instant, to my address, giving me the option of retiring a part of my force to India viâ Caubul and Jellalabad. I have determined to take that route, and will write to you fully on the subject as soon as I have arranged for carriage and supplies.—Yours truly, W. Nott.”—[MS. Correspondence.]
[258] The force consisted of the 3rd Dragoons; the 1st Native Cavalry; a squadron of the 5th and of the 10th ditto, with the head-quarters; 600 Sowars of the 3rd Irregular Cavalry; her Majesty’s 31st Regiment; the 33rd Regiment of Native Infantry; the whole of Sir Robert Sale’s and of Colonel Tulloch’s brigades; with seventeen guns, a company of Sappers and Miners, and a regiment of Bildars (Pioneers) under Mr. Mackeson. A small force was left (chiefly for want of carriage) at Gundamuck, and the rest remained in garrison at Jellalabad.
[259] In this affair we lost seven men killed, and about fifty wounded. Among the latter were four officers, Major Huish (26th Native Infantry), Captain Edwards (9th Foot), Captain Tait (Irregular Cavalry), Ensign Robertson (37th Native Infantry).
[260] With regard to the destruction committed at Mammoo Khail, see Appendix.
[261] “Hurrah!” he wrote; “this is good news. All here are prepared to meet your wishes to march as light as possible. I take no carriage from the Commissariat; and our officers are doubling up four in a small hill tent, and are sending all to the rear that they can dispense with.... I am so excited that I can scarce write.”—[General Sale to General Pollock: Futtehabad, August 16, 1842. MS. Correspondence.]
[262] General Sale to General Pollock: August 18, 1842. MS. Correspondence.
[263] Pollock had received no later intelligence from Nott’s camp than that contained in the brief letter of July 27, though he had despatched ten messengers to the westward. It was not until midnight of the 6th-7th of September that letters from Nott’s camp were received by Pollock at Gundamuck.
[264] To many of his letters to General Pollock, Futteh Jung signed his name in English characters.
[265] Akbar Khan compelled the Prince to write to Pollock: “I have given to Sirdar Mahomed Akbar the full and entire management of all my property and affairs of every description, and have resigned to him in perpetuity full power to judge and settle all questions on all points. Whatever arrangement he may make with the English Government I agree to confirm, and no alteration shall be made.” And again: “The arrangements which have been made with Captain Troup and Hadjee Buktear have been all approved of by me. I have delegated all powers over my country and wealth to the Wuzeer, Mahomed Akbar Khan, Barukzye!” But the Prince took the first opportunity to write privately to the General: “My friend, it will have been evident to you that in this matter I have been compelled to act thus. I did not even know that Captain Troup and Hadjee Buktear had been sent, and I had not the slightest knowledge of the proposals made by them. Captain Troup is well aware of this, since we had never met, nor had any of my confidential people been employed between us.”—[Futteh Jung to General Pollock: Translation. July 21, 1842. MS. Records.] This letter was evidently written in a state of painful alarm. It concludes with the words: “You must be very careful not to let it be known that I have written to you; since, should these villains hear of it, they would put me and my family to death.” In reply to this letter, Pollock expressed his surprise that, “notwithstanding his Majesty’s friendship, the good-will of the chiefs, and the unanimity of the people at Caubul, still they cannot prevent the treachery of one man from causing dissension between the two governments, and that they are unable to show their good-will to us by releasing our prisoners.” To this, on the 1st of August, Futteh Jung replied: “You express surprise at my many well-wishers not being able to find a remedy for one evil-disposed person. You write: ‘If this could be effected, a great object would be obtained.’ Eminent in rank! You write truly. But in a religious war, a father cannot trust his son—a son, his father.”
[266] In consequence of this act, Aga Mahomed became a marked man. His father was assassinated, and he and his brother cut down by order of Akbar. Being ruined, he found his way to Hindostan, and became the guest of an English officer, who obtained from the Government a pension of twelve rupees a month for him. He served on the late expedition to Bushire, and died leaving a helpless widow, like himself, a convert to Christianity.