Page:Letters from India Vol 2.pdf/297

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LETTERS FROM INDIA.
285

that every soldier can carry bread for seven days, and they had only seventy miles to march to Jellalabad; that the season was as much against the enemy as themselves. Altogether it is a horrid history.

Monday.

There are letters from Jellulabad. The army did evacuate Cabul on the 4th, and were attacked by their nominal escort immediately on leaving cantonments. A Doctor is the only man who has arrived in Jellalabad—perhaps the only one that ever will—and he is so confused between fatigue and wounds that Captain says it is difficult to make out any story from him; but he says that, at the end of the third day’s march, the cold and the dangers were so great that the ladies and children were sent back to Cabul under the care of Mahomet Ukbar! Think of poor Lady given over to her husband’s murderer; General and Colonel went into the enemy’s camp and gave themselves up; the troops then held together under Colonel for two marches more, and then he was killed, and they fell into complete disorder; and