The Dark Defile (45 page)

  78   “
Our … water”:
S. Ram,
From Sepoy to Subedar
, p. 88.

  78   “
could never … nation”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 1, p. 425.

  79   “
not … seen,”
Letter of General Nott, quoted in Stocqueler,
Life of Sir William Nott
, p. 111.

  80   “
in … putrefaction”:
Holdsworth,
The Campaign of the Indus
, p. 68.

  80   “
to wrap … kebabs in”:
Ibid., p. 52.

  80   “
if … Ocean”:
Bengal Hurkaru and Chronicle, January 1834, quoted in P. Macrory and G. Pottinger,
The Ten-Rupee Jezail
, p. 192.

  80   “
as long as I live”:
Nott’s letter of 9 April 1839, quoted in Stocqueler,
Life of Sir William Nott
, p. 121.

  82   “
commenced … do so”:
Major J. Outram,
Rough Notes of the Campaign in Sind and Affghanistan
, p. 122.

  82   “
no … cattle”:
W. Hough,
March and Operations of the Army of the Indus
, p. 90.

  83   “
without … expect”:
Sir G. Lawrence,
Forty-Three Years in India
, p. 11.

  83   “
The truth … ruler … he … laws”:
Quoted in Ram,
From Sepoy to Subedar
, p. 90.

  83   “
horrible”:
Letter of 8 June 1839, quoted in Holdsworth,
The Campaign of the Indus
, pp. 74–76.

  83   “
First … Mind”:
Undated memo, BROU 36470, folios 19–21.

  84   “
dug … latter … the sheet-anchors … historians”:
Kaye,
History
, vol. 1., pp. 203–4.

  84   “
All my … set up!”:
Quoted in Sir John Kaye,
Lives of Indian Officers
, vol. 2, p. 65.

  84   “
the garbled”:
Kaye,
History,
vol. 1, pp. 202–4 for his views on the “garbled” official correspondence relating to the reasons for going to war.

  84   “
mutilated” and “eviscerated”:
H. Lushington,
A Great Country’s Little Wars in Afghanistan and Scinde
, p. 62.

CHAPTER SIX

  86   “
You … king?”:
Quoted in Sir G. Lawrence,
Forty-Three Years in India
, pp. 12–13.

  88   “
Were huddled … beheaded”:
M. Lal,
Life of the Amir Dost Mohammed
, p. 104.

  89   “
There … over”:
T. W. E. Holdsworth,
The Campaign of the Indus
, p. 22.

  89   “
when the morning … horizon”:
Sir H. M. Durand,
The First Afghan War and Its Causes
, pp. 177–78.

  90   “
The fire … bullets”:
Holdsworth,
The Campaign of the Indus
, p. 92.

  90   “
stunned … concussion … Don’t … failure!”:
Quoted in Colonel W. Dennie,
Personal Narrative of the Campaigns in Afghanistan,
p. 77.

  90   “
literally
… pieces”:
Lieutenant Stock, quoted in G. Bruce,
Retreat from Kabul
, p. 66.

  91   “
pretty … interesting … inexpressibles”:
Quoted in H. E. Fane,
Five Years in India
, p. 172.

  91   “
one … globe”:
Quoted in W. Hough,
March and Operations of the Army of the Indus
, p. 203.

  91   “
the smell … gone”:
Quoted in J. Atkinson,
The Expedition into Afghanistan
, p. 220.

  92   “
If you … here”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 232.

  93   “
peaches … England”:
Fane,
Five Years in India
, p. 183.

  93   “
We may … over”:
19 September 1839, quoted in G. Pottinger,
The Afghan Connection
, p. 95.

CHAPTER SEVEN

  94   
On the
… dimensions”: All quotes in this paragraph are from H. Havelock,
Narrative of the War in Afghanistan
, pp. 114–15.

  96   “
hemmed … River … men … buy”:
J. Atkinson,
The Expedition into Afghanistan
, p. 270.

  96   “
owing … Kabul … on … placed”:
W. Hough,
March and Operations of the Army of the Indus
, p. 252.

  98   “
either the grossest”:
Major J. Outram,
Rough Notes of the Campaign in Sind and Afghanistan
, p. 120.

  98   “
he had … force!”:
Quoted in Sir G. Lawrence,
Forty-Three Years in India
, p. 24.

  99   “
the plans … monarch:”
General Orders, 18 November 1839, given in full in Havelock,
Narrative of the War in Afghanistan
, pp. 317–23.

100   “
days … Delhi”:
Quoted in Sir J. W. Kaye,
History of the War in Afghanistan
, vol. 2, p. 28.

100   “
I wished … catastrophe!”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 23.

100   “
Shah … subjects”:
Letter of 14 October 1839, quoted in
Journal of Indian History
, vol. 12, no. 2, 1933, pp. 263–68.

103   “
In Persia … is!”:
Quoted in M. Lal,
Life of the Amir Dost Mohammed
, p. 140.

104   “
with … cat”:
Brigadier Shelton, quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 2, p. 208.

106   “
rending … honour”:
C. Noelle,
State and Tribe in Nineteenth-Century Afghanistan
, p. 48.

106   “
A beautiful … swim … A woman … love”:
L. Dupree,
Afghanistan
, p. 3.

107   “
I have … spoken to … Be silent … ourselves”:
Quoted in Sir J. W. Kaye,
Lives of Indian Officers
, vol. 2. pp. 47–49.

CHAPTER EIGHT

109   “
Much good … everywhere”:
C. de Grunwald,
Tsar Nicholas I
, p. 194.

110   “
it would … sea [the British]”:
J. A. Norris,
The First Afghan War
, p. 19.

110   “
Why is … lost”:
Colvin to Burnes, 17 January 1839, AUCK 37695, folio 34.

111   “
There is … force”:
Wade to Auckland, 31 January 1839, BROU 36473, folios 431–33.

111   “
extremely … footing”:
Auckland to Hobhouse, 25 May 1839, BROU 36474, folios 7–12.

111   “
I only … support”:
Auckland to Macnaghten, 7 December 1839, AUCK 37697, folio 12.

111   “
should you … proceedings”:
29 February 1840, quoted in Norris,
The First Afghan War
, p. 310.

112   “
we must … aggression”:
15 April 1840, quoted in ibid., p. 313.

112   “
If … us”:
Hobhouse to Auckland, 4 May 1840, AUCK 37700, folios 74–75.

112   
The truth … plentiful)”:
All unattributed quotes in this paragraph are from C. Noelle,
State and Tribe in Nineteenth-Century Afghanistan
, pp. 19–21.

113   “
Our … perch”:
Letter of 27 November 1839, quoted in
Journal of Indian History
, Vol. 13, no. 3, 1933, pp. 405–22.

113   B. Woodward, in
Obama’s Wars
, discusses government corruption today in Afghanistan, pp. 65–67 and 208.

114   “
bad … Shuja”:
Sir J. W. Kaye,
History of the War in Afghanistan
, vol. 2, p. 18.

114   “
the apple … British”:
C. Noelle,
State and Tribe in Nineteenth-Century Afghanistan
, p. 47.

115   “
the Afghans … match”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 2, p. 83.

CHAPTER NINE

117   “
his head … feet”:
H. Mackenzie,
Storms and Sunshine of a Soldier’s Life
, p. 116.

117   “
Herat … behaviour”:
Letter of 20 August 1840, quoted in
Journal of Indian History
, vol. 13, no. 3, 1933, pp. 417–18.

117   
At this
… income”: All quotes in these two paragraphs are from G. Buist,
Outline of the Operations of the British Troops in Scinde and Affghanistan
, pp. 288–91.

119   “
so much … mind”:
Sir J. W. Kaye,
History of the War in Afghanistan
, vol. 2, p. 83.

119   “
For God’s … fight?”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 84.

119   “
this brilliant … effect”:
Quoted in J. A. Norris,
The First Afghan War
, p. 334.

119   “
You may … hurt”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 2, p. 86.

120   “
Sheets of … anything”:
Quoted in Sir J. W. Kaye,
Lives of Indian Officers
, vol. 2, p. 47.

121   “
Front! Draw swords”:
Quoted in Sir G. Lawrence,
Forty-Three Years in India
, p. 45.

123   “
no mercy … country”:
Quoted in H. R. Gupta,
Punjab, Central Asia and the First Afghan War
, p. 142,

123   “
a wonderful fellow”:
Quoted in P. Macrory,
Kabul Catastrophe
, p. 116.

123   “
with liberality … had … victim”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 2, p. 98.

CHAPTER TEN

125   “
For God’s … away”:
Quoted in W. Broadfoot,
The Career of Major George Broadfoot
, p. 28.

125   “
We have … administration”:
Quoted in Sir J. W. Kaye,
History of the War in Afghanistan
, vol. 2, p. 100.

126   “
hardly … state … perpetually … resources”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 130.

126   “
perfect children … should … consequence”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 127.

127   “
must … Afghanistan”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 116.

127   
The terms
… expressions: All quotes in this paragraph are from ibid., pp. 118, 123 and 125.

128   “
The country … Beersheba”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 130.

128   “
All … basis”:
Quoted in P. Macrory,
Kabul Catastrophe
, p. 132.

128   “
most … situations”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 2, p. 137.

128   “
a highly paid … them out”:
Quoted in Sir J. W. Kaye,
Lives of Indian Officers
, vol. 2, p. 57.

128   “
smoked … jellies … if rotundity … them”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 58.

128   “
I am … bayonet”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 2. p. 119.

128   “
when he … credit”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 68.

129   “
pure trickery”:
Letter to Burnes’s brother-in-law, quoted in G. J. Alder,
Historical Journal
, vol. 15, no. 2, June 1972, p. 237.

129   “
and thus furnish … worms”:
Burnes’s preface to his posthumously published account of his Kabul mission, ibid., p. 238.

129   “
the best … send you”:
Colvin to Macnaghten, 13 December 1840, AUCK 37703, folio 23.

129   “
a very … regiment … feeble … Kabul”:
Quoted in J. Lunt,
Scarlet Lancer
, pp. 197–98.

130   “
remarkably … manners”:
Auckland to Macnaghten, 28 November 1840, AUCK 37702, folios 128–30.

130   “
The part … war … the duty … operations … as its … dependence”:
Auckland to Elphinstone, 18 December 1840, AUCK 37703, folio 33.

130   “
You will … peace”:
Quoted in Sir G. Lawrence,
Forty-Three Years in India
, p. 53.

130   “
more … murdered”:
H. Palmer,
Indian Life and Sketches
, p. 23.

131   “
The colours … impression”:
Quoted in H. Mackenzie,
Storms and Sunshine of a Soldier’s Life,
p. 272.

132   “
to maintain … without … to attempt … policy”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 2, p. 146.

133   “
We cannot … alarming”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 149.

133   “
a distinguished … officer … accompanied.… O’Groats”:
Quoted in G. Buist,
Outline of the Operations in Sinde and Afghanistan
, p. 293.

133   “
an awful outlay”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 2, p. 151.

133   “
part of … withdrawn”:
Quoted in Lady Sale,
A Journal of the Disasters in Afghanistan, 1841–2
, p. 23.

134   “
Can there … Budget?”:
Quoted in N. McCord,
British History, 1815–1906
, p. 154.

134   
However … Poles”:
All quotes in this paragraph are from C. de Grunwald,
Tsar Nicholas I
, p. 196.

135   “
from financial … difficulties”:
21 August 1841, AUCK 37706, folios 55–56.

135   “
the necessities … alternative”:
Quoted in V. Eyre,
The Military Operations at Kabul
, p. xiv.

136   “
useless … distressing”:
Letter of 26 July 1841, quoted in Mackenzie,
Storms and Sunshine
, p. 216.

136   “
coming tempest”:
Quoted in C. Noelle,
State and Tribe in Nineteenth-Century Afghanistan
, p. 50.

138   “
Wade … it”:
Quoted in Mackenzie,
Storms and Sunshine
, p. 189.

139   “
a number … purposes”:
Quoted in Lady Sale,
A Journal of the Disaster in Afghanistan
, p. 439.

139   “
so early … wont”:
Ibid., p. 20.

139   “
The storm … subside … there … helm”:
Quoted in Sir H. M. Durand,
The First Afghan War and Its Causes
, p. 338.

140   “
Ay!… Macnaghten”:
Quoted in P. Macrory and G. Pottinger,
The Ten-Rupee Jezail
, pp. 57–58.

140   “
there was … injure him”:
Quoted in J. H. Stocqueler,
Memorials of Affghanistan
[
sic
], appendix 12, “Narrative of the Murder of Sir Alexander Burnes by His Servant Bowh Sing,” p. cxl.