band, who refused tribute, and boasted that no conqueror had ever entered their valley. They suffered so severely on this occasion, that their chief immediately afterwards intimated his willingness to pay the revenue.
At length, on the 15th of August, 1842, General Nott left Candahar, and put himself in motion for Ghuznee, with the entire conviction that "one thousand Sepoys, properly managed, will always beat ten thousand Affghans." He was at the head of about 7,000 men. Akbar Khan declared, with an expression of savage determination in his countenance, that so surely as our army advanced he would take all his English prisoners into Turkistan, and make presents of the ladies to different chiefs of that wild country. Sultan Jan started to meet Nott before he should reach Ghuznee: he fancied he was going to certain victory, but he sustained a complete and bloody defeat. After an "illustrious march," General Nott reached Ghuznee; but found that place deserted. There was neither man, woman, nor child in it, the Affghans having all fled from the town, after fighting among themselves, and unroofing and destroying the houses for the sake of the timber. "I ordered the fortifications and citadel of Ghuznee to be destroyed," said General Nott. "It had been the scene of treachery, mutilation, torture, starvation, and cruel murder to our unresisting countrymen."[1]
On the 20th of August, General Pollock moved from Jellalabad; and was at Gundamuk on the 23rd, the enemy occupying in force the village and fort of Mammoo Khail, only two miles distant. To dislodge them, he marched on the 24th, and found them stationed in an orchard with some inclosures, having their front covered by field-works of loose stones. From these positions they were driven into the village, where they made a show of resistance, but retired as the British troops advanced, and the latter entered the village. The fort and another village in the vicinity were speedily occupied by British
- ↑ Letter to Major-General Lumley, Adjutant-General of the Army, dated Lucknow, April 4th , 1843.
