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From Major-General Sir G. POLLOCK, G.C.B., to the Right Hon. Lord ELLENBOROUGH, Governor-General of India; dated Allahabad, 2 April, 1843.

My Lord, I have had the honour to receive your Lordship's letter, dated 23rd ultimo, intimating that disapprobation had been expressed at the destruction of the bazaar and mosque at Cabul, and of trees: also, that excesses have been imputed to the troops.

It is difficult to grapple with vague and anonymous accusations against the conduct of the troops. Many detailed statements in the newspapers were entirely unfounded, and were got up with the sole object of creating a sensation; but I confess that, if individual and isolated instances of excess had occurred, I should not have been much surprised, composed, as all Indian armies are, of such an heterogeneous mass, comprising all classes and castes, more than twothirds of whom are either public or private servants and adventurers, who, though nominally following some occupation useful to an army, proceed with it for the sole purpose of plundering when a favourable opportunity offers. Some excesses may, unknown to me, have been committed; but I will venture to assert, that no troops ever conducted themselves with more forbearance under such unprecedented aggravations; perhaps no army was ever placed in a more trying situation.

During the whole course of their progress towards the capital, they had ocular proofs of the treachery and brutality of a merciless enemy; but still I am unable to call to mind any wanton, deliberate act of inhumanity on the part of the troops, and cannot but regret that

the instances alluded to have not been specified, as I may possibly be suspected of suppressing facts. This, however, I beg to assure your Lordship I have no wish to do.

The feeling of the Hindoos against the Affghans was very naturally strong, in consequence of the latter having deprived the Hindoos of their caste whenever they came into their power; but no troops could feel otherwise than excited at the sight of the skele tons of their late brethren in arms, which still lie covering the road from Gundamuck to Cabul; and, as if the more to raise a spirit of revenge, the barricade at Jugdulluck was literally covered with skeletons.

What I have stated above will not be considered as justifying excesses on the part of a British army, but it may be admitted in extenuation of individual cases.

A few days previous to the march of a brigade under Brigadier Monteith, an European was murdered by the Affghans at Jellalabad. The destruction of Ali Bughan by some men under Brigadier Monteith's command was caused by one of those sudden bursts of feeling, which, being wholly unexpected, no precautions were deemed necessary; but it was a solitary instance, and occurred nearly as follows:-Some camp followers entered the village, and having found parts of the dress of some of our soldiers who had been massacred on the march from Cabul, a number of men proceeded to the village, which was

eventually burnt, whether accidentally or intentionally is doubtful. So very soon was the mischief perpetrated that the Brigadier was hardly aware of it till the place was in flames. He immediately took measures to prevent a recurrence of such scenes, and I wrote in strong terms on the subject. Subsequent to that event, during the whole time the Brigadier was detached, I heard of no more excesses. In the instance of Ali Bughan, after a most minute inquiry, I have reason to believe that not a man, woman, or child was injured; and I know the greater part of the property was returned to the head man of the village.

In subsequent engagements with the enemy, the Mumoo Khuil, Jugdulluck, and Teezeen, I neither saw or heard of any excesses. A report was circulated that an European was burnt alive at Jugdulluck, and that two Affghans were burnt in like manner by our troops, in revenge; the whole of which was an infamous fabrication.

I know of no instances of cruelty or excess at Istalif; and the feeling of the army could not have been very prone thereto, when about 400 or 500 women and children were protected from insult and injury, and made over to their families after the engagement. If any excess has been committed, which I have not noticed, I can only affirm that I recollect none; and I beg to add, that the praise bestowed on the troops on a late occasion by your Lordship, for their forbearance in victory is, as far as I am able to judge, well merited, and I trust your Lordship will never have cause to alter your good opinion of their conduct.

On the subject of trees being destroyed, I am unable to call to recollection what occurred in Brigadier Monteith's detachment ;and the only instance of their destruction which came under my personal observation was at Mamookhuil, when the ground was such that I was obliged to encamp the different regiments in the gardens surrounding the fort. Without this precaution, I should have subjected the troops to constant annoyance, as the enemy would certainly have occupied them; the destruction of the vines and other small plants was almost a necessary consequence of our occupying Mamookhuil.

With regard to the destruction of the Cabul bazaar and mosque, it may possibly be supposed that with them was destroyed other property; but this was not the

case.

The insult offered to the remains of the late envoy was notorious to the whole of the chiefs and inhabitants of the city; they admitted that the mutilated body was dragged through the bazaar, and treated by the populace with every indignity, and eventually hung there, that every Affghan in the city might witness the treatment of the remains of the representative of the British Government. The intended measure was communicated to the chiefs, who, not only admitted the propriety of destroying a place where such scenes had transpired, but offered to, and did accompany the party sent for its destruction. who resided at and near the bazaar, had two days' previous notice to remove their property (which they did), and I am not aware of any instances of violence having occurred: it was not pos

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sible entirely to prevent plundering, but during the time the engineer was employed in the destruction of the bazaar, and mosque attached, both cavalry and

infantry were on duty in the city to prevent any outrage.

(signed)

I have, &c.,

G. POLLOCK.

From Major-General Sir GEORGE POLLOCK, G.C.B., to the Right Honourable Lord ELLEN BOROUGH, Governor-General of India i dated Ghazeepore, 10th April, 1843.

My Lord, Since I had the honour to address your Lordship on the 2nd instant, in reply to your Lordship's letter dated 23rd ultimo, it has occurred to me that I could not produce better proof of the forbearance of the troops under my command than by a reference to their conduct on the morning of the 16th September last. I have already officially detailed the number of troops which accompanied me on the occasion of planting the colours on the Bala Hissar; it was deemed advisable on that occasion to go through a part of the city, and although the troops had arrived only the day before from a march which was abundantly calculated to irritate and exasperate them, they so fully and literally obeyed the orders I had previously given, that not a house or an individual was injured either in going to, or returning from the Bala Hissar.

The destruction of the residence of Khoda Buksh, the chief of Teezeen, may perhaps have been considered an excess. I will therefore explain, that during the time the army remained in advance of Teezeen, the chief of that place was the cause of our communication being cut off; he was repeatedly warned what the consequences would be when an opportunity offered, if he persisted in such a course; but I beg to add, that the injury sustained by the chief in the destruction of his residence entailed no loss on others that I am aware of, as the injury done, was confined almost entirely to the fortified dwelling; forage was found there, and brought into camp, but not an individual was injured.

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From his Excellency Major-General Sir W. NOTT, G.C.B. to MajorGeneral J. R. LUMLEY, Adjutant-General of the Army; dated Lucknow, 4 April 1843.

Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 817, of the 29th ultimo, calling upon me, by directions of the Right Hon. the Governor-Ge

neral of India, to report upon certain excesses said to have been committed by the British troops on retiring from Affghanistan.

I will confine my remarks to

that veteran, gallant, and highly disciplined army which I had the honour to command for so long a period; and I will leave it to my gallant comrade, Sir George Pollock, G.C.B., to defend the honour of the troops he commanded.

First, I am called upon to state, "Upon what private property, and upon what private buildings, injury was inflicted, by my orders or under my toleration, at Ghuznee?" I answer, upon none.

Secondly, I am directed to state, "Whether unresisting individuals, were destroyed in cold blood for mere vengeance, and whether women were either violated or murdered for their ornaments?" I will endeavour to suppress my scorn and indignation while I shortly reply to this charge, or suspicion, or whatever it may be called by the persons from whom it emanated. And this is the return made by the people of England (or rather, I would believe, by a few individuals,) to the gallant Candahar army! that army which was for so long a time neglected, but which nevertheless nobly upheld our national honour, and during a period of four years acted with the greatest forbearance and humanity to the people of Affghanistan.

Ghuznee-Colonel Palmer, at the head of a brave garrison, surrendered Ghuznee to various tribes of Affghans; the city was occupied by these people for months; it was vacated by the enemy on the arrival of the army under my command. On its being entered by the British troops, it was found that not a single person was in the city, neither man, nor woman, nor child; there was no property, and I do not believe there was a house left (completely standing) in the

town; the whole had been un. roofed and destroyed by the contending Affghans, for the sake of the timber, &c.

I have said there were no inhabitants; and therefore unresisting individuals could not have been destroyed in cold blood, women could not have been violated and murdered for their ornaments. These, I boldly say, are gross and villainous falsehoods, whoever they emanate from.

I ordered the fortifications and citadel of Ghuznee to be destroyed; it had been the scene of treachery, mutilation, torture, starvation, and cruel murder to our unresisting and imprisoned countrymen. Look at the contrast; see the conduct of the noble British soldier; and is caluminy to rob him of the honour? it shall not, as long as I have life to defend his fame.

Rosa. The extensive village or town of Rosa is situated about two miles from Ghuznee, and it is lovely to behold. When this city was taken by the force under my command, Rosa was full of inhabitants, men, women, and children; my troops were encamped close to its walls. Its gardens and houses were full of property; its barns and farmyards were well stored; its orchards were loaded with fruit; its vineyards bent beneath a rich and ripe vintage; the property taken from our murdered and mutilated soldiers of the Ghuznee garrison was seen piled in its dwellings. Were not these tempting objects to the soldier who had undergone four years of fatigue and privation? Some of these soldiers had seen, and all had heard of the treacherous murder of their relations and comrades by these very people :-but why should I enlarge? Four days the victorious

Candahar army remained encamped close to this village, with all these temptations before it and at its mercy, but not a particle of anything was taken from the Aff ghans; the fruit brought for sale was paid for at a rate far above its value; no man, no living thing was injured. Much more I could say; but so much for the noble British soldier, for Ghuznee, and for the beautiful, rich, and tempting town of Rosa.

I did not command at Cabul; I did not interfere in its concerns; I never was in its bazaars. My division was encamped at a distance, with the exception of one regiment, against which corps I never received a complaint. My division was not in Cabul after Sir George Pollock left; General Pollock's army and my troops marched the same day.

No man under my command was ever detected in plundering, with out being immediately punished.

How am I to have patience to reply to, "whether Affghans were permitted to be wantonly treated and murdered?" Is this a proper question to put to a British general officer who has ever had the honour of his country uppermost in his mind and deeply impressed upon his heart? "Permitted," indeed! is it supposed that I am void of religion, that I am ignorant of what is due to that God whom I have worshipped from my childhood; am I thus to have my feelings outraged because a few people in India and in England have sent forth gross falsehoods to the world?

I have confined my reply for the present as much as possible to the questions in your letter. I will only further say, that never did an army march through a country with less marauding and less violence than that which I commanded in Affghanistan.

In Lower Affghanistan, or the Candahar districts, I put down rebellion, quelled all resistance to the British power, in spite of the weakness and fears of my superiors. By mild persuasive measures I induced the whole population to return to the cultivation of their lands, and to live in peace. I left them as friends, and on friendly terms. On my leaving Candahar no man was injured or molested, no man was deprived of his property, and my soldiers and the citizens were seen embracing. It is on record that I informed the Indian government that I could hold the country for any time; it is on record that I informed Lord Auckland, as far back as December 1841, that I could, with permission, re-occupy Cabul with the force under my command; there was nothing to prevent it but the unaccountable panic which prevailed at the seat of government : and now I am rewarded by a certain set of people in England taxing me with that which would be disgraceful to me as a religious man, as an honourable gentleman, and as a British officer. I am, &c.

W. NOTT,

Major-General.

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