ll but the outwork. The enemy
were driven in under the walls of the fort in a spirited manner by
parties thrown forward by Major-General Sir Willoughby Cotton, of the
16th and 48th Bengal Native Infantry, and her Majesty's 13th Light
Infantry, under Brigadier Sale. I ordered forward three troops of horse
artillery, the camel battery, and one foot battery, to open upon the
citadel and fortress, by throwing shrapnel shells, which was done in a
masterly style under the direction of Brigadier Stephenson. My object in
this was to make the enemy shew their strength in guns, and in other
respects, which completely succeeded, and our shells must have done
great execution, and occasioned great consternation. Being perfectly
satisfied on the point of their strength in the course of half an hour,
I ordered the fire to cease, and placed the troops in bivouac. A close
reconnoissance of the place all around was then undertaken by Captain
Thomson, the chief engineer, and Captain Peat, of the Bombay Engineers,
accompanied by Major Garden, the Deputy Quartermaster-General of the
Bombay army, supported by a strong party of her Majesty's 16th Lancers,
and one from her Majesty's 18th Light Infantry. On this party a steady
fire was kept up, and some casualties occurred. Captain Thomson's report
was very clear, he found the fortifications equally strong all round;
and, as my own opinion coincided with him, I did not hesitate a moment
as to the manner in which our approach and attack upon the place should
be made. Notwithstanding the march the troops had performed in the
morning, and then having been a considerable time engaged with the
enemy, I ordered the whole to move across the river (which runs close
under the fort wall) in columns, to the right and left of the town, and
they were placed in opposition on the north side on more commanding
ground, and securing the Cabool road. I had information that a night
attack upon the camp was intended from without. Mahomed Ubzul Khan, the
eldest son of Dost Mahomed Khan, had been sent by his father with a
strong body of troops from Cabool to the brother's assistance at Ghuzni,
and was encamped outside the walls, but abandoned his position on our
approach, keeping, however, at the distance of a few miles from us. The
two rebel chiefs of the Ghiljee tribe, men of great influence--viz.,
Abdool Rhuman and Gool Mahomed Khan, had joined him with 1500 horse, and
also a body of about 3000 Ghazees from Zeimat,