The Disasters In Afghanistan
we nave been tavored. snys the jLondon Times, with the following interesting lei ter from the ont uncaptured survivor of the Cabul army - Dr. Srydon. It is addressed to his brother, and daed Jelalabad, January 20. My Dear Torn- Here I am at this place, all afe, but not all sound, huving" received three wounds on the head, leit hand and Knee. I have ost every thing I had Ãn the world; bui my life tas been saved in a most won 'erful manner, and am the only European who has escaped from he Cabul army; alihough we have henrd of two aving been taken by the enemy, it is very oubiful ïf ther will be spared. Two natives nly have reached this place, inaking with myelf, three persons out of an army of 13,000. I got on ve--y well till within aboui filty miles, with the excepción of losing all my baggage, &c. then lost the horse on which I was riding. iaving taken one of my servants, who was wounded, up behind me, we feil rather too Ãar in he rear, when he was pulled off rom behind. and I feil with htm. I was instantly felled t the earth, with the blow of a large "knife, which wounded me in the head. I, however, nianaged to avert the eecond blow, by rcceiving my enemy's hand on the edge of my sword. by which his hand was soinewh.it damaged, and he dropped his knife and made off as ast as he could. and I following his good example, nianaged to reach the main body, minus my horse, cap and ehoe, which last I lost in the snow. I was then trudging along holding fast by the tail of another officer's horse, when a na:ive. who was ridinjr close by, said that he could ride no farther, and lold me to take his horse. which I did without delay. I do not know wiio the man was, as it was quite dark at the time, but the saddle must have belonged to an Affghan I now got to the front, where I found a number oofficers, who determined to push on, as the men would obey no orders, and were halting every minute. We travelled on slowly all riieht, fired at occasionally from the sidi-s of the hlls, and found ourselves at d tybreak about 30 mi es from this. jur party consisting of only seven orlicere five european soldiers, and myself; the res: having lost us in the dark, and gone by some other road. At about 10 A. M. we were attacked and surrounded on alt sides by horsemen: three oflicers md five Europoans wero here killed. One ol the officers was Lieutenant Bird, of the Madras iiimy, who feil close by my 6de. I, wiih theiemaining four, got clear of the horsemen, and pushed on, three of our party bemg well mounte-l. left the fourth and myself ar in the reur, when he, after ce.ning on some way, said his horse was done up. and that he would hide until night. tbr which pu-pose he left me about fuur miles fiom this. He was taken and killed. J proceeded slowly lor some time, when I saw a great many people running tuwards me in all directions. I waited until they got pretty close, nnd then pushed my horse into a gallop, and ran the guantlet for about two miles under a sliower of large stones, and a few shots, in which I had my horse shot in the spine close to the tail and my body bruised all over by the stones. I was now atiacked by a horseman, who left a party ol about six. whom I snw leadmg away one of our olficers' horses who had gone on ahead; these three were killed; and hnving nothing to delend myself with. and my horse being quite done up. he wounded me on the knee md hand, wh n seeing me stoop down he galloped away as fns as he could, thinking, Isuppose, that I waB looking for a pistul. I now procnednd unmolcsted, and arrived here about one o'clock, quite done up, ns was my. poor börae, who lost the use of his hind legs the next day and died iwo diiys after without -ver getting up atter his arriváL ]f you receive this. let them know at hume trmt I am alive. as I have nor been rb!e to write sinco October lns', and perhnps we eh.-ill not have the roid open when tlie next overland starts. Since arriving here I have had three ehirts, thiee pair of socks, an and a pair of trousers giveu to me. A very fine stock, you will gay; however it must do unm I can get another outfit. VVrite to me and Iet me know the news from home. Your affeciionate brother,
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Signal of Liberty
Old News