Siege of Charikar

Siege of Charikar
Part of 1st Afghan War 1839-42
Date:	4-13 November 1841
Location:	Charikar, Parwan Province, Afghanistan
Presidency:	Bengal
Co-ordinates:	35.013059°N 69.16889°E
Result:	British defeat
Combatants
British	Kohistani tribesmen
Commanders
Capt Christopher Codrington, 49th N.I. Lieut John Haughton	Mir Masjidi
Strength
Garrison: 740 men 100 women 40 children 100 followers
Casualties

This was an event during the 1st Afghan War
For context see main article Kabul Uprising

Synopsis

Major Eldred Pottinger was at Lughmani, a fortifed residence 4 km south of Charikar, on 3 November when Kohistan tribesmen murdered Lieut Rattray and attacked the residence. The Afghan levies deserted and joined the rebels. Capt Codrington left reinforcements and supplies at Lughmani and returned to Charikar. The same day the Kohistan Rangers at Kardarrah, half way between Charikar and Kabul, murdered Lieuts Maule & Wheeler and their sergeant-major and quartermaster-sergeant and went over to the rebels. The road for any relief from Kabul was then cut off.

The next day Lieut Haughton with Ensign Salisbury, 200 Gurkhas and a 6-pounder gun attempted to relieve Lughmani but was forced to retreat by 7 or 800 Afghans. Many Gurkhas were killed and Salisbury and QM-Sgt Hanrahan were severely wounded. Later that night Pottinger and his Gurkhas managed to escape from Lughmani and get back to Charikar Fort.

The fort was then under siege with only seven days supply of food and their water supply cut off. Codrington was in chief command and Pottinger, a former artillery officer, commanded the guns. Salisbury was dying and Hanrahan Incapacitated. This left Haughton, Rose and Byrne as the only Europeans to keep the Gurkhas fighting. On 5 November Codringtonwas mortally wounded in the chest and Pottinger received a severe wound in the thigh. On 6 November Sgt-Maj Byrne was mortally wounded and Codrington died. The Gurkha numbers were badly reduced and all suffered from thirst and fatigue.

The enemy had a complete cordon round the fort and the siege continued until on 11 November all water was exhausted and sorties for fresh supplies were unsuccessful. By the 13th the original garrison of 740 had been reduced to less that 400. 100 had been killed (including 12 of the 56 Punjabi gunners), 50 taken prisoner while 200 were wounded and unable to fight. That afternoon the guns ceased firing and Haughton and Ensign Rose went to find out the reason. They were met by an artillery deserter who seemed to be offering terms of surrender. Haughton grabbed the man and was attacked by the Punjabi subadar who inflicted several severe sword cuts severing the muscles of the back of his neck and almost amputating his right hand.The remainder of the Punjabi artillerymen then fed the fort. With Ensign Rose Haughton, his artery spouting blood, managed to find refuge in the roof of the barracks.

The Sepoys were also now out of control and they robbed the treasury and Capt Codrington's quarters. It was then decided to quit the fort. Dr Grant spiked the guns before amputating Haughton's hand. Haughton was set on a horse and with Maj Pottinger led out the the advance group. Dr Grant accompanied the main body and Ensign Rose and the QM-Sgt commanded the rear. Discipline was at an end and the party gradually diminished. Dr Grant disappeared presumed killed and Ensign Rose was also killed. Finally the only survivors to reach Kabul were Maj Pottinger and his munshi Mohan Bir, Lt Haughton and his orderly Man Singh and a native sutler.

Garrison

Lughmani Ghari

• Major Eldred Pottinger (Political Agent)
• Lieut Rattray (Pottinger's assistant)
• Dr Grant
• One company of Gurkhas
• A number of Afghan levies

Charikar Fort

Shah Shuja's 4th Regiment (Gurkhas)

• Capt Codrington (Commandant)
• Lieut Haughton (Adjutant)
• Ensign Salisbury (Quartermaster)
• Ensign Rose (Subaltern)
• Sgt-Maj Byrne
• QM-Sgt Hanrahan

Kardarrah

Kohistan Rangers

• Lieut Maule (Commandant)
• Lieut Wheeler (Adjutant)

Biographies

Entries in the Dictionary of Indian Biography 1906:
John Haughton (1817-1887)
Eldred Pottinger (1811-1843)

Spelling Variants

Modern name:Charikar
Variants: Chareekar

External Links

Charikar Google Books
Biography of Eldred Pottinger Google Books
Biography of John Colpoys Haughton Google Books
Siege of Charikar Google Books
Narrative of Havildar Moteram Singh Google Books

Historical books on-line

The Kabul insurrection of 1841-42 - The Attack on Charikar by Maj-Gen Sir Vincent Eyre 1879 (Archive.org)
A journal of the disasters in Affghanistan, 1841-2 - Lady Sale's Account of Charikar by Lady Florentia Sale 1844 (Google Books)