Captivity of the Hostages
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Timeline
1841
On 21 December Captains Conolly and Airey were given as hostages for compliance with the treaty agreed with Mohammed Akbar Khan for the withdrawal of British forces from Afghanistan.
On 29 December it was agreed that Captains Drummond, Walsh, Warburton and Webb would be hostages as the Afghan demand for four married hostages and their families was not acceptable to the British.
1842
On 8 January 1842 Mohammed Akbar Khan agreed to protect Elphinstone's army on a promise of 15,000 rupees. He also demanded Major Pottinger, Captain Lawrence and Captain Mackenzie as hostages to guarantee that General Sale would evacuate Jalalabad. This was agreed.
On 9 January 1842 Mohammed Akbar Khan persuaded General Elphinstone to hand over the women, children and wounded officers hostages in return for supplies and a safe escort for his army. Though none of Akbar Khan's promises had been kept previously, it was seen as the only way to protect the women and children from further suffering on the march. Four officers, ten women and twenty-two children were escorted to Khoord-Kabul fort where they joined the three officers taken the day before.
On 10 January Lieut. Melville was severely wounded trying to defend his regimental colours. An Afghan rescued him and he was taken prisoner by Akbar Khan. Mr Magrath, surgeon of the 37th Native Infantry was also wounded and taken prisoner. Six men of 44th Foot were also taken prisoner. Captain Anderson was ordered by the General to join the married men and families.
On 11 January General Elphinstone, Brigadier Shelton and Captain Johnson were called to a conference by Akbar Khan and detained as hostages.
On 12 January after the massacre on the retreat from Jugdulluk Captain Bygrave took to the mountains and was eventually captured. He joined the others at Badiabad on 23 February
On 13 January Major Griffiths and Mr Blewitt were detained when they tried to negotiate a truce. Captain James Souter and several private were captured after the last stand of the 44th Regiment.
On 14 January Sergeant-Major Lisson, 37th Native Infantry and five other Europeans were captured between Gundamak and Jalalabad. They joined the other hostages at Badiabad Fort on 12 February.
All those made over to Akbar Khan on the march were taken by stages to Badiabad Fort in the Lughman District which they reached on 17 January. They were joined at intervals by others who had been captured. During this time there was correspondence between Lady Sale and her husband who was besieged at Jalalabad.
At the approach of the Army of Retribution through the Khyber Pass the hostages were moved east on 11 April. They reached Tezeen on 19 April where General Elphinstone died four days later. They were then moved to a fort about 12 miles away where they stayed for a month. Moved again on 23 May they passed through the Khoord-Kabul pass and came to the fort of Ali Mohammed Khan at Sewrekkee six miles from Kabul where they remained for two months while various Afghan factions vied for control and there were negotiations with the advancing British. On 23 August the nine hostages from Kabul joined them.
General Pollock started to advance from Jalalabad on 20 August and this caused the hostages (except those too sick to travel) to be moved on 25 August further east to Bamian which was reached on 3 September. They were able to bribe/persuade their captors to assist their escape and on 16 September they made their way west and south to the Kalu Pass where they were met by Sir Richmond Shakespear and 600 cavalry. They were finally safe when Sale's brigade reached Kowt e Ashrow and escorted them to Kabul. They had been hostages nearly nine months.
Dates and Hostages Taken
21 December
- Captain John Conolly - died of typhus & dysentery 7 August 1842
- Captain James Airey
29 December
- Captain Drummond
- Captain Walsh
- Captain Robert Warburton
- Captain Webb
- Lieutenant John Haughton
- A portion of the sick and wounded
30 December
- Lieutenant Evans, 44th Foot
- Dr Campbell, 54th Native Infantry
- Dr Berwick
- Remainder of the sick
8 January
- Major Eldred Pottinger
- Captain George Lawrence
- Captain Colin Mackenzie
9 January
- Capt. Troup, Brigade-major Shah's Force
- Lieut. G. Mein, 13th Light Infantry
- Lieut. Waller, Mrs Waller and child
- Lieut. Vincent Eyre, Mrs Eyre and child
- Lady Macnaghten
- Lady Florentia Sale
- Mrs Sturt (Lady Sale's daughter)
- Mrs Trevor and seven children
- Mrs Smith
- Mrs Burnes
- Two soldiers' wives
- Seymour Stoker (rescued from kidnap)
- 12 other children
10 January
- Lieut. Melville, 54th Native Infantry
- Mr Magrath, Surgeon of 37th Native Infantry
- Six men of 44th Foot
- Capt. Anderson
11 January
- General William Elphinstone- died of dysentery at Tezin 23 April 1842
- Brigadier Robert Shelton
- Captain Hugh Johnson
12 January
- Capt. Bygrave escaped the slaughter but was later captured.
13 January
- Major Griffiths, 44th Foot
- Mr Blewitt
- Capt. James Souter, 44th Foot
- Sgt. Fair, mess sergeant 44th Foot
- Seven privates, 44th Foot
14 January
- Sgt-Maj. Lisson, 37th Native Infantry
- Five other Europeans
23 August
Prisoners from Ghazni
- Col Palmer
- Capt. Burnett (54th)
- Lieut. Crawford
- Lieut John NIcholson
- Harris
- Poett
- Alston
- Williams
- Dr Thomas Thomson
23 August
Prisoners from Kabul
- Lieut Haughton
- Lieut Evans
- 40 European soldiers
Release of Hostages
16 September
Sick left behind at Sewrekkee
- Mrs Trevor with eight children
- Capt. & Mrs Anderson and three children
- Capt. Troup
- Dr Campbell
Biographies
Entries in the Dictionary of Indian Biography 1906:
James Airey (1812-1898)
Mahommed Akbar Khan (1813?-1849)
William Brydon (1811-1873)
William Elphinstone (1782-1842)
Vincent Eyre (1811-1881)
John Haughton (1817-1887)
George Lawrence (1804-1884)
Colin Mackenzie (1806-1881)
William Macnaghten (1793-1841)
Eldred Pottinger (1811-1843)
Robert Sale (1782-1845)
Richmond Shakespear (18122-1861)
External Links
1st Afghan War Wikipedia
Somerset Record Office - 1st Afghan War Wikipedia
History of the War in Afghanistan Google Books
Afghan Uprising Wikipedia
The Battle of Kabul and the Retreat to Gandamak BritishBattles.com
Lady Sale's Account Google Books
Eyre's portraits of the hostages national-army-museum.ac.uk
Robert Warburton on son's web page Wikipedia
George Lawrence Wikipedia
Historical Books on-line
The Kabul Insurrection of 1841-42 - Captivity of the Hostages by Maj-Gen Sir Vincent Eyre 1879 (archive.org)
Memorials of Affghanistan - Release of the Hostages by J H Stocqueler 1863 (Google Books)