Attempt to hold Ali Masjid Fort
| Attempt to hold Ali Masjid Fort | ||
|---|---|---|
| Part of 1st Afghan War 1839-42 | ||
| Date: | 15-23 January 1842 | |
| Location: | Ali Masjid, Khyber Pass, NWF | |
| Presidency: | Bengal | |
| Co-ordinates: | 34.028338°N 71.262046°E | |
| Result: | British occupation and retreat | |
| Combatants | ||
| British, Indian sepoys & Sikhs | Afridi tribesmen | |
| Commanders | ||
| Brigadier Wild Colonel Moseley |
||
| Strength | ||
| Casualties | ||
Synopsis
Brigadier Wild was in command at Peshawar awaiting the arrival of General Pollock. General Sale was besieged in Jalalabad and it was seen as important to hold the fort of Ali Masjid to protect the line of advance through the Khyber Pass. The fort was occupied by a small detachment of Afghan levies whose loyalty seemed uncertain. Colonel Moseley was therefore sent out with the two sepoy regiments. He reached the fort without incident but found that 300 of 350 supply-bullocks had been left behind. This meant that the force could not hold the fort for long.
Brigadier Wild decided to relieve the garrison and determined to set out from Jamrud on 19 January. The Sikh auxiliaries however mutinied and returned to Peshawar. The sepoys were young soldiers who had been told of the horrors of the Khyber Pass by the Sikhs. Nevertheless Wild advanced with two regiments and the Sikh guns. At the entrance to the pass they encountered fire from the Afridi tribesmen and refused to go forward. The Sikh guns broke down and Brigadier Wild, wounded in the face, was forced to withdraw to Jamrud.
The troops at the fort were on half rations and without bedding and tents. Morale began to deteriorate and Col Moseley decided to withdraw. Both Capt Burt and Capt Thomas of the 64th BNI both volunteered to remain but neither the sepoys nor the Afghan levies could not be persuaded. On 23 January the garrison left and Wild's force advanced to assist the retreat. This they accomplished under sustained attack by the Afridis and the fort fell once again to the enemy.
Moseley's Force
Wild's Force
External Links
1st Afghan War Wikipedia
Afghan Wars Heritage History
1st Afghan War Somerset Record Office
View of fort panoramio.com
Historical books on-line
History of the War in Afghanistan Vol III (1841-1842) - Attempt on Ali Masjid Fort by John William Kaye Revised Edition (1858)