opposition, and the fire of the enemy in the lower area, on the fort, being nearly silenced, brigadier Sale turned towards the citadel, from which could now be seen men abandoning the guns, running in all directions, throwing themselves down from immense heights, endeavouring to make their escape; and on reaching the gate with H. M. 17th, under lieutenant-colonel Croker, followed by the 13th, forced it open; at five o'clock in the morning the colours of H. M. 13th and 17th were planted on the citadel of Ghuzni, amidst the cheers of all ranks. Instant protection was granted to the women found in the citadel (among whom were those of Mahomed Hyder, the governor), and sentries placed over the magazines for its security. Brigadier Sale reports having received much assistance from captain Kershaw, of H. M. 13th light infantry, throughout the whole of the service of the storming. Major-general sir Willoughby Cotton executed, in a manner much to my satisfaction, the orders he had received. The major-general followed closely the assaulting party into the fort with the reserve, namely, brigadier Roberts, with the only available regiment of his brigade, the 35th N.I., under lieutenant-colonel Monteath; part of brigadier Sale's brigade, the 16th N.I., under major Maclaren; and 48th N.I., under lieutenantcolonel Wheeler; and they immediately occupied the ramparts, putting down opposition wherever they met any, and making prisoners, until the place was completely in our possession. A desultory fire was kept up in the town, long after the citadel was in our hands, from those who had taken shelter in houses, and in desperation kept firing on all that approached them. In this way several of our men were wounded and some killed; but the aggressors paid dearly for their bad conduct in not surrendering when the place was completely ours. I must not omit to mention that three companies of the 35th N.I., under captain Hay, ordered to the south side of the fort to begin with a false attack, to attract attention to that side, performed that service at the proper time, and greatly to my satisfaction. As we were threatened with an attack for the relief of the garrison, I ordered the 19th Bombay N.I., under the command of lieutenant-colonel Stalker, to guard the Cabul road, and to be in support of the cavalry division. This might have proved an important position to occupy, but, as it was, no enemy appeared. The cavalry division under major-general Thackwell, in addition to watching the approach of an enemy, had directions to surround Ghuzni, and to sweep the plain, preventing the escape of runaways from the garrison. Brigadier Arnold's brigade-the brigadier himself, I deeply regret to say, was labouring under very severe illness, having shortly before burst a blood-vessel internally, which rendered it wholly impossible for him to mount a horse that day consisting of H. M. 16th lancers, under lieutenant-colonel Persse, temporarily commanding the brigade, and major M'Dowell, the junior major of the regiment (the senior major of the 16th lancers, major Cureton, an officer of great merit, being actively engaged in the execution of his duties as assistant-adjutant-general to the cavalry division), the 2nd cavalry, under major Salter, and the 3rd, under lieutenant-colonel Smith, were ordered to watch the south and west sides. Brigadier Scott's brigade were placed on the Cabul road, consisting of H. M. 4th light dragoons, under major Daly, and of the 1st Bombay cavalry, under lieutenant-colonel Sandwith, to watch the north and east sides. This duty was performed in a manner greatly to my satisfaction. After the storming, and that quiet was in some degree restored within, I conducted his majesty Shah Soojah-ool-Moolk, and the British envoy and minister, Mr. Macnaghten, round the citadel and a great part of the fortress. The king was perfectly astonished at our having made ourselves masters of a place, conceived to be impregnable when defended, in the short space of two hours, and in less than forty-eight hours after we came before it. His majesty was, of course, greatly delighted at the result. When I afterwards, in the course of the day, took Mahomed Hyder Khan, the governor, first to the British minister and then to the king, to make his submission, I informed his majesty that I had made a promise that his life should not be touched, and the king in very handsome terms as sented; and informed Mahomed Hyder, in my presence, that although he and his family had been rebels, yet he was willing to forget and forgive all. Prince Mahomed Hyder, the governor of Ghuzni, is a prisoner of war in my camp, and under the surveillance of sir Alexander Burnes, an arrangement very agreeable to the former. From major-general sir W. Cotton, commanding the 1st infantry division of the Bengal army, I have invariably received the strongest support; and, on this occasion, his exertions were manifest in support of the honour of the profession and of our country. I have likewise at all times received able assistance from major. general Willshire, commanding the 2d infantry division of the Bengal army, which it was found expedient on that day to break up, some for the storming party, and some for other duties. The majorgeneral, as directed, was in attendance upon myself. To brigadier Sale I feel myself indebted for the gallant and soldier-like manner in which he conducted the responsible and arduous duty intrusted to him in command of the storming party, and for the arrangements he made in the citadel immediately after taking possession of it. The sabre-wound which he received in the face did not prevent his continuing to direct his column until every thing was secure; and I am happy in the opportunity of bringing to your lordship's notice the excellent conduct of brigadier Sale on this occasion. Brigadier Stevenson, in command of the artillery, was all I could wish; and he reports that brigade-majors Backhouse and Coghlan ably assisted him. His arrangements were good, and the execution done by the arm he commands were such as cannot be forgotten by those of the enemy who have witnessed and survived it. To Briga dier Roberts, to colonel Dennie, who commanded the advance, and to the different officers commanding regiments already mentioned, as well as to the other officers and gallant soldiers under them, who so nobly maintained the honour and reputation of our country, my best acknowledgments are due. To captain Thomson, of the Bengal engineers, the chief of the department with me much of the credit of the success of this brilliant coupde-main is due. A place of the same strength, and by such simple means as this highly-gifted and scientific officer recommended to be tried, has, perhaps, never before been taken; and I feel I cannot do sufficient justice to captain Thomson's merits for his conduct throughout. In the execution he was ably supported by the officers already mentioned ; and so eager were the other officers of the engineers of both presidencies for the honour of carrying the powder-bags, that the point could only be decided by seniority, which shows the fine feeling by which they were animated, I must now inform your lordship, that since I joined the Bengal column in the valley of Shawl, I have continued my march with it in the advance, and it has been my good fortune to have had the assistance of two most efficient staff officers in major Craigie, deputy-adjutant-general, and major Garden, deptuty-quarter - master - general. It is but justice to those officers, that I should state to your lordship the high satisfaction I have derived from the manner in which all their duties have been performed up to this day, and that I look upon them as promising officers to fill the higher ranks. To the other officers of both departments I am also much indebted for the correct performance of all duties appertaining to their situations. To major Keith, the deputy-adjutant-general, and major Campbell, the deputy quarter-master-general of the Bom bay army, and to all the officers of both departments under them, my acknowledgments are also due, for the manner in which their duties have been performed during this campaign. Captain Alexander, commanding the 4th Bengal local horse, and major Cunningham, commanding the Poonah auxiliary horse, with the men under their orders, have been of essential service to the army in this campaign. The arrangements made by superintending surgeons Kennedy and Atkinson, previous to the storming, for affording assistance and comfort to the wounded, met with my approval. Major Parsons, the deputy commissary - general, in charge of the department in the field, has been unremitting in his attention to keep the troops supplied, although much difficulty is experienced, and he is occasionally thwarted by the nature of the country and its inhabitants. have throughout this service received the utmost assistance I could derive from lieutenant-colonel Macdonald, my officiating military secretary, and deputy-adjutantgeneral of H.M. forces, Bombay; from captain Powell, my Persian interpreter, and the other officers of my personal staff. The nature of the country in which we are serving prevents the possibility of my sending a single staff officer to deliver this to your lordship, otherwise I should have asked my aidede-camp, lieutenant Keane, to proceed to Simla, to deliver this despatch into your hands, and to have afforded any further information that your lordship could have desired. I The brilliant triumph we have obtained, the cool courage dis played, and the gallant bearing of the troops I have the honour to command, will have taught such a lesson to our enemies in the Aff ghan nation, as will make them hereafter respect the name of a British soldier. Our loss is wonderfully small, considering the occasion; the casualties in killed and wounded amount to about 200. The loss of the enemy is immense. We have already buried of their dead nearly 500, together with an immense number of horses. I enclose a list of the killed, wounded, and missing. I am happy to say, that although the wounds of some of the officers are severe, they are all doing well. It is my intention, after selecting a garrison for this place, and establishing a general hospital, to continue my march to Cabul forthwith. List of killed, wounded, and missing, in the army under the command of lieutenant-general sir John Keane, G.C.B., and G.C.H., in the assault and capture of the fortress and citadel of Ghuzni, on the 23rd of July, 1839. Total killed-3 serjeants or havildars, 14 rank and file. Tota! wounded-1 colonel, 1 lieutenantcolonel, 2 majors, 4 captains, 8 lieutenants, 2 ensigns, 7 sergeants or havildars, 140 rank and file, 8 horses. Total missing-1 rank and file. Grand total on the 21st and 23rd of July, killed, wounded and mission 91 officers and men, and 16 horses. MEMORANDUM OF THE ENGINEERS' OPERATIONS BEFORE GHUZNI, IN JULY, 1839. The accounts of the fortress of Ghuzni, received from those who had seen it, were such as to induce his excellency the commander-inchief to leave in Kandahar the very small battering train then with the army, there being a scarcity of transport cattle. The place was described as very weak, and completely commanded from a range of hills to the north. When we came before it on the morning of the 21st July, we were very much surprised to find a high rampart in good repair, built on a scarped mound, about thirty-five feet high, flanked by numerous towers, and surrounded by a faussebraie, and a wet ditch. The ir regular figure of the enceinte gave a good flanking fire, whilst the height of the citadel covered the interior from the commanding fire of the hills to the north, rendering it nugatory. In addition to this the towers at the angles had been enlarged, screen walls had been built before the gates, the ditch cleared out, and filled with water (stated to be unfordable), and an outwork built on the right bank of the river, so as to command the bed of it. The garrison was variously stated from three to four thousand strong, including 500 cavalry; from subsequent information we found that it had not been overrated. On the approach of the army a fire of artillery was opened from the body of the place, and of musketry, from the neighbouring gardens. A detachment of infantry cleared the latter, and the former was silenced for a short time by shrapnels from the horse artillery. But the fire from the new outwork on the bank of the The result of this reconnoissance was a report to his excellency the commander-in-chief, that if he decided upon the immediate attack of Ghuzni, the only feasible mode of procceding, and the only one which held out a prospect of success, was a dash at the Cabul gateway, blowing the gate open by bags of gunpowder. river was in no way checked. A a reinforcement from Cabul being nearer view of the works was how- expected. ever obtained from the gardens which had been cleared. This was not at all satisfactory-the works were evidently much stronger than we had been led to anticipate, and such as our army could not venture to attack in a regular manner with the means at our disposal. We had no battering train, and to besiege Ghuzni in form, a much larger train would be required than the army ever possessed. The great height of the parapet above the plain (sixty to seventy feet) with the wet ditch, were insurmountable obstacles to an attack merely by mining or escalading. It therefore became requisite to examine closely the whole contour of the place, to discover if any other mode of attack could be adopted. The engineers, with an escort, went round the works, approaching as near as they could find cover; the garrison were on the alert, and kept up a hot and well-directed fire upon the officers, whenever they were obliged to show themselves. However, by keeping the infantry beyond musket range, and the cavalry at a still greater distance, only one man was killed, and one wounded, the former being hit by men sent out of the place to drive off the reconnoitring party. The fortifications were found equally strong all round, the only tangible point observed was the Cabul gateway, which offered the following advantages for a coupde-main-the road up to the gate was clear, the bridge over the ditch was unbroken, there were good positions for the artillery within 350 yards of the walls on both sides of the road, and we had information that the gateway was not built up, His excellency decided on the attempt, the camp was moved that evening to the Cabul road, and next morning (the 22nd) Sir John Keane in person reconnoitered the proposed point of attack; he approved of the plan, and gave orders for its execution. Preparations were made accordingly, positions for the artillery were carefully examined, which excited the jealousy of the garrison, who opened a smart fire on the party. It was arranged that an explosion party, consisting of three officers of engineers (captain Peat, lieutenants Durand and Macleod,) three serjeants, and eighteen men of the sappers, in working dresses, carrying 300lbs. of powder in twelve sand-bags, with a hose seventy-two feet long, should be ready to move down to the gateway at daybreak. At midnight the first battery left camp, followed by the other four at intervals of half an hour. Those to the right of the road were conducted to their positions by lieutenant Sturt, of the engineers; those to the left, by lieutenant Anderson. The ground for the guns was prepared by the sappers and pioneers, taking advantage of the inequalities of the ground on the right, and some old garden walls on the left. The artillery was all in position and ready by three, A.M., of the 23rd, |