Retreat from Kabul to Gundamak

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Retreat from Kabul to Gandamak
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This was an event during the 1st Afghan War

Synopsis

Prelude

Sir William Macnaghten the political agent in Kabul was murdered at a conference by Muhammad Akbar Khan the son of Dost Muhammad on 23 December 1841. On 24 December 1841 Major Eldred Pottinger took up negotiations with the Afghans. He agreed to give up most artillery pieces, spare rifles, ammunition, money and six hostages for safe passage to Jalalabad.

The Retreat

In bitter winter weather the retreating army was continually attacked and in a series of rearguard actions the majority of the troops and camp followers perished. Muhammad Akbar took 120 men, women and children hostage. The remnants of the 44th Regiment, 20 officers and 45 European soldiers, made a last stand at Gundamak.

Retreating Army

4,500 fighting men under Brigadier John Shelton
Advance Guard
Brigadier Anquetil commanding

Main Body
Brigadier Shelton commanding

Rearguard
Colonel Chambers commanding

Total 4,500 fighting men and 12,000 followers

Related articles

For further details of events during this period see the following articles

Departure from Kabul 6 January 1842
Action at Boothak 7 January 1842
Battle of Khoord-Kabul Pass 8 January 1842
Hostages taken at Khoord-Kabul 9 January 1842
Battle of Tunghi Tarika 10 January 1842
Action at Jugdulluk 11 January 1842
Retreat from Jugdulluk 12 January 1842
Battle of Gundamak 13 January 1842

Spelling Variants

Modern name: Gandomak
Variants: Gandamak/Gundamak/Gundamuck/Gundumuk

External Links

Retreat from Kabul to Gandamak www.britishbattles.com
Massacre of Elphinstone's Army Wikipedia
Dr Brydon's Account www.khyber.org
Sgt-Maj Lissant's account Google Books
Captain Souter's account Google Books

Historical Books on-line

The Kabul Insurrection of 1841-42 by Maj-Gen Sir Vincent Eyre 1879 The Retreat of the Army and its Annihilation (archive.org)
Battles of the Nineteenth Century Vol II" by Archibald Forbes et al The Utter Destruction of a British Army (archive.org)
The military operations at Cabul: which ended in the retreat and destruction of the British army, January 1842 by Sir Vincent Eyre 2nd edition 1843 The Retreat of the Army (Google Books)
Historical record of the Forty-fourth, or the East Essex regiment of foot by Thomas Carter 1864 The Retreat of the 44th Foot (Google Books)
A Journal of the Disasters in Affghanistan 1841-2 by Lady Florentia Sale 1843 (archive.org)
Memorials of Affghanistan: being state papers, official documents by Joachim Hayward Stocqueler 1843 Narrative of the Events in Cabul between the 2nd of November 1841, and the middle of September 1842 by a Quondan Captive (Google books)