Item: Anglo-Afghan War 1842 Massacre of Elphinstone’s Army Karnal India Afghanistan
Sold For: $1,030.00
Bids: 20
Date: May 20, 2012
Auction: Ebay
Seller: lemarechaldesaxe
Description and Image By: lemarechaldesaxe
First anglo-afghan war – the massacre of elphinstone’s army 1842 – garrett (ganett?), f. A. (?). Wife of an officer named charles g. Letter addressed to hezekiel clarke esquire, medical service, general post office calcutta, but in fact written to his wife. Kurnaul [= karnal, haryana, india], january 25th [1842]. 3 pp. In-4. (but in fact 5 pp. In-4 written). Several postmarks and post office notes. Note “to await his arrival”. Extraordinary text, very scarce historical letter. Transkription: Kurnaul, january 25th My dearest mrs clark, Very very many thanks to you and dear mr. Clark for your kind letter written from bombay,which we received some days ago but have delayed answering till about the time when we thought you would be on the point of arriving in calcutta in hopes of giving you the latest accounts of cabul [kabul, afghanistan], before i enter upon detailing the melancholy events that have happened there i must tell you how very glad we were to receive your nice joint letter & to hear you had once more arrived safely in india. Ah yes we care and do feel for you in the sad trial you had to bear in parting with your dear boy, but you have the unspeakable consolation of knowing he will never forget you and what a happiness to feel that you have seen him striving to walk in the straight and .. Path and have we not the blessed promise that he who begins a good work in us will also finish. Today we had the joy of hearing most delightful accounts of our precious bay from dear jane. We can never be too grateful to her for the care she has taken of our darling and the way she is hanging up on too thankful to our heavenly father for raising up such a friend for him she has indeed been a mother to him. She tells us, he can count up to 100, and read words of three letters and repeat the .., besides same port.. Of mrs pany’s catechism. Dear jane seems to be most judicious, in everything regarding him, our dear father too was as well as usual and so were all at anglesey. …having received a nice letter since your departure from your dear bay. I have been so interrupted all the morning from visitors, and other causes that i feel half inclined to destroy this letter and write another one, but i know you will make many allowances for me – the accounts from cabul the last fortnight have been very fearful. I dare say you will have heard of the treacherous murder of the british envoy sir w(illia)m macnaghten [sir william hay macnaghten, 1st baronet, 1793-1841] byackbor khan [amir akbar khan, 1816-1845, afgan prince, general, tribal leader and emir] the dost’s son. He was murdered in open durbar and poor captain trevor of the 3rd l. C. In attempting to seize the murderers was actually hewed in pieces, two other officers capt. Lawrence of the 2ndl. C. & capt. Conolly, were taken prisoners. The head of sir w(illia)m macnagthen was stuck on a spear and carried round the walls of the town for two days. This news reached us about a week ago. Yesterday we heard the melancholy tidings of the massacres of the troops between cabul & jellalabad [= jalalabad] at a place called jugdulluk. It seems that finding they had but 8 days provision & from the severity of the winter no troops could come to their aid colonel pottinger [eldred pottinger, 1811-1843, an anglo-indian soldier and diplomat] concluded the treaty which was pending when sir w(illia)m macnaghten was murdered, that all the troops in the bala hissar [a fortress in the city of kabul] should leave for jellalabad in a certain number of days giving six officers as hostages & leaving behind all the treasure commissariat stores of grain etc. With all their guns & amunition, six of the senior officers signed this convention and all the troops marched from cabul on the 7th…(?) Trusting to the faith of the affghans, the first march though unmolested by the enemy they foundtheir difficulties so great that the ladies, children, sick & wounded were sent back again going through the khoord cabul pass they <were> a little harrassed. The next march they got over safely but when the force had to go through the jugdulluk pass, they found themselves attacked in front by affghans in the rear by ackbor khan while the heights were covered with men. Can you imagine any situation more fearful than that of our poor troops beset on all sides benumbed with the intense cold no grains no amunition and only their small arms. But the worst is to be told. We hear the 44th queen’s refused to fight. The full extent of the massacre is not yet known, only two[!!!] Officers, dr. Harper of the 5th l. C. And a mr briden [william brydon, 1811-1873 – he became widely famous for being “the only european survivor”] an assistant surgeon of the shah’s regiments, with a trooper have reached jellalabad, to tell this sad tale, the former so severely wounded that he cannot give a collected account of this awful scene. He says he does not know how he forced his way through the enemy or how he got to jellalabad. I hope that many many more may be saved. The state of anxiety of all at this place you can better imagine than i attempt to describe. I will mention the corps that formed the force. The 5th l. Cavalry, captain nichols’s troop of horse artillery, 44th queen’s, 54 n. I. [= bengal native infantry], 37th n. I. And the 5th n. I. Colonel wild’s brigade has left peshawar [pakistan] & retaken ali musjed [ali masjid, the narrowest point of the khyber pass, pakistan – there was a fort. Colonel charles wild was soon forced to evacuate it and to fall back to jamrud] with little loss. Can you imagine such infatuations as sir jasper’s in countermanding the troop of horse artillery that was to have accompanied it at peshawar. The 50 r. I. Mutinied bluing to not getting the extra batta [anglo-indian military term meaning a special allowance of pay made to officers, soldiers or other public servants in the field]. The admirably firm conduct of colonel wild soon restored orders –two more brigades have since then crossed the sulliq. The 10th l. C. Accompanied the last, the 1st were ordered to ferozepore to replace them and i must fear before many weeks are over the 9th will have to go to ferozepore [firozpur, punjab] in their stead. We will not anticipate but from our trust in him who over ruleth all things the 55th n. I.& 6th n. I. March from this tomorrow moving for ferozepore the dragoons on friday. The 9th have been ordered to prepare the necessary carriage for a move. I need hardly tell you how i dread the thoughts of dear charlie having to go to that dreadful country. This is my comfort, that the same gracious god who has hitherto protected us, will continue still to do so for he alone is able to guard & shield my dear husband in & from danger – how very miserable must those be who have not this refuge to fly to. I cannot think how they can bear up under it. Mr kirby arrived from nusserabad [nasirabad, rajastan] with his company of artillery about ten days ago and is staying with us till he can get a house. He is looking very well and is just the same as you recollect him. The mayett’s are quite well so are their two children but doubtless he will write to you and tell you about themselves. I wrote the greater part of this yesterday. Today there is report that the account of the fearful massacre of the troops is not correct. I hope not with all my heart but i fear as it came from the chief’s camp it is too true. Would that you … Dear mr clark to conduct our meeting this evening. Oh they are so different to what they used to be. I have addressed this as you directed to the general post office & i hope it will reach you safely, we shall be delighted to hear from you .. A few lines more we will not expect for we know how much your time will be occupied on first arriving in calcutta. My dear charlie writes with me in kindest love to you so does dear martha Believe me dear mrs clarke Y(ou)r very affect. & grateful friend F. A. Garrett Deligthed as we shall be to see you yet i hope dear mr clark will be posted to some corps not likely to come to this part of the country.