shing
through the defile, found that the main outlet had not been guarded, and
that the passage was clear. The march was resumed, but the enemy were
not yet weary of the contest. Reappearing in great numbers, they fell
furiously upon the British rearguard, and for a time the men thus
suddenly assailed were in a state of terrible disorder. The energetic
efforts of the officers, however, brought them back to a sense of their
duty. Broadfoot, Backhouse, and Fenwick rallied and reanimated them.
But the British loss was heavy; upwards of 100 were killed and wounded,
and among them fell the gallant Captain Wyndham, of the 35th Native
Infantry. Although lame from a hurt, at the moment of peril he had
dismounted to save the life of a wounded soldier, by bearing him from
the combat on his charger. When the rearguard broke before the onset of
the Ghilzyes, unable to keep pace with the pursued, he turned, fought,
and, overpowered by numbers, fell beneath the swords and knives of an
unsparing foe. The force halted at Gundamuck. The political managers
of affairs in Afghanistan fancied that this would prove the termination
of disturbances in that country. Unhappily the storm which was to break
with such fearful violence was only now gathering.

RETREAT FROM CABUL--6TH JANUARY 1842.

The British army had, as we have seen, advanced on Cabul, the capital of
Afghanistan, in August 1839. Since that period it had been placed in
cantonments outside the city. Major-General Sir V. Cotton had at first
commanded in Afghanistan. He was succeeded by Major-General
Elphinstone, who assumed the command in April 1841. On the morning of
the 2nd of November 1841, the inhabitants of Cabul broke out in
rebellion, and murdered Sir A. Burnes, the political agent, as well as
his brother and Lieutenant Broadfoot, who sold their lives dearly. The
rebellion extended rapidly through the country; supplies were cut off,
and it was resolved to retreat from Cabul.

The amount of the British force was 4500 fighting men: the camp
followers were about 12,000 men, besides women and children. The
retreat commenced at 9 a.m. on the 6th of January 1842. It was as
disastrous as any in the pages of history. A revengeful, active enemy,
bitter cold and driving snow overwhelmed them; and of that great
multitude, only one officer, Dr Brydon, reached Jellalabad in safety.
All the rest had died from cold or the sword of the enemy--except those
who had been del