vember, but they were completely routed and dispersed by a sally of the garrison on the 1st. of December.

On the 9th. of January, 1842, the garrison was summoned to give up the fortress by the leader of the Affghan rebellion, in fulfilment of a convention entered into at Cabool with Major-General Elphinstone, who was taken prisoner at a conference, and died shortly afterwards; but Sir Robert Sale being fully assured of the bad faith of the insurgents, refused; the annihilation of the troops from the capital, in the Ghilzie defiles, by the severity of the climate, and the basest treachery on the part of those in whose promises they had confided, proved the correctness of the major-general's estimate of their character.

Captain Broadfoot, garrison engineer, and Captain Abbott, commissary of ordnance, aided by the indefatigable exertions of the troops, brought the works into a state of defence against any Asiatic enemy not provided with siege-artillery; but the place was kept in a continual state of alarm by the occurrence of one hundred shocks of an earthquake in the course of a month, one of which, on the 19th. of February, occasioned the parapets to fall, injured the bastions, made a breach in the rampart, destroyed the guard-houses, reduced other portions of the works to ruins, and demolished one third of the town. With that unconquerable spirit of perseverance for which the troops had already been distinguished, they instantly turned to the repair of the works. Sirdar Mahomed Akbar Khan, Barukzye, the assassin of the late Envoy, and the treacherous destroyer of the Cabool force, flushed with success, approached with a numerous army to overwhelm the little garrison; he attacked the foraging parties on the 21st. and 22nd. of February; but was astonished at finding the works in a state of defence, whereupon he established a rigorous blockade. From that time to the 7th. of April, the reduced garrison was engaged in a succession of skirmishes, in which the 13th. had opportunities of distinguishing themselves; particularly detachments under Captains Pattisson and Fenwick, Lieutenants George Wade and W. Cox.

Information was received on the 5th. of April, that the force under Major-General, now General Sir George Pollock, G.C.B.,

had experienced reverses in the Khyber, and had retraced its steps towards Peshawur; and on the 6th. a feu-de-joie and salute of artillery were fired by Mahomed Akbar, in honour of the event. It was also reported that the Ghazees had been defeated, and that the Sirdar had retreated into Lughman. Sir Robert Sale resolved to anticipate the last-mentioned event, by a general attack on the Affghan camp, with the hope of relieving Jellalabad from blockade, and facilitating Major-General Pollock's advance. Directions were accordingly given to form three columns of infantry, the central one consisting of the 13th., (mustering five hundred bayonets,) under Colonel Dennie, C.B.; the left comprising a similar number of the 35th. Native Infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Montcath, C.B.; and the right composed of one company of the 13th., one of the 35th. Native Infantry, and the detachment of Sappers, under the command of Lieutenant Orr, (the severity of Captain Broadfoot's wound still rendering him noneffective,) amounting to three hundred and sixty men, was commanded by Captain (afterwards the celebrated Sir Henry) Havelock, of the 13th.; these were to be supported by the fire of the guns of No. 6 field battery under Captain Abbott, the whole of the small cavalry force being under Captain Oldfield and Lieutenant Mayne.

At daylight on the morning of the 7th. of April, the troops issued from the Cabool and Peshawur gates. The Sirdar, Mahomed Akbar Khan, had formed his force of about six thousand men in order of battle for the defence of his camp; its right resting on a fort, and its left on the Cabool river; even the ruined works within eight hundred yards of the place, but recently repaired, were filled with Ghilzie marksmen, who had evidently determined upon a stout resistance. The attack was led by the skirmishers and column under Captain Havelock; this drove the enemy from the extreme left of his advanced line of works, which it pierced at once, and proceeded to advance into the plain; the central column at the same time directed its efforts against a square fort, upon the same base, the defence of which was obstinately maintained. Colonel Dennie, while nobly leading his regiment to the assault, received a shot through his body, which, to the deep regret of officers

F

and men, shortly after proved fatal.*

The rear of the work having been finally gained by passing to its left, orders were given for a combined attack upon the enemy's camp; this was brilliant and successful. The artillery advanced at the gallop, and directed a heavy fire upon the Affghan centre, while two columns of infantry penetrated his line near the same point, and the third forced back his left from its support on the river, into which some of his horse and foot were driven. The Affghans repeatedly attempted to check the advance by a smart fire of musketry-by throwing forward heavy bodies of horse, which twice threatened in force the detachments of infantry under Captain Havelock, and by opening three guns, screened by a garden wall; but in a short time they were dislodged from every point of their positions, their cannon taken, and their camp involved in a general conflagration.

By about seven o'clock in the morning the battle was over, and the enemy in full retreat in the direction of Lughman. Two Affghan cavalry standards were taken, besides four guns which had been lost by the Cabool army and Gundamuck forces. Great quantities of matériel and stores were, together with the enemy's tents, destroyed, and the defeat of Mahomed Akbar, in open field, by the troops he had boasted of blockading, was complete.

In addition to Colonel Dennie, killed, the 13th. had Lieutenant Jennings and Assistant-Surgeon Barnes wounded; eight privates were killed, and thirty-one rank and file wounded.

Armourer Sergeant Henry Ulyett, of the 13th., captured Mahomed Akbar's standard, which he took from a cavalry soldier, whom he killed. The standard is of scarlet cloth, with a green border, and crimson and yellow fringe. It is trian

Captain Wilkinson, of the 13th., on whom the charge of one of the infantry columns devolved on the lamented fall of Colonel Dennie, and Captain Hamlet Wade, (Brigade-Major,) were highly commended in MajorGeneral Sir Robert Sale's despatch; Lieutenant and Adjutant Wood made a dash at one of the enemy, and in cutting him down, his charger was so severely injured as to have been afterwards destroyed. Lieutenant Cox was the first of the party which captured two of the enemy's cannon. The conduct of these two officers, both of the 13th., was specially noticed. Major Wade presented to the United Service Museum an Affghan steel helmet, with chain-mail defence for the neck and eyes, and a nasal or bar to be raised or lowered for the defence of the nose. This was worn by one of the Affghan cavalry, and taken in the above action.

gular in shape and swallow-tailed. About the centre a patch of light blue cloth is introduced, on which are neatly sewn some characters in yellow cloth, being an extract from the Koran, signifying "The Omnipotent God! In the name of God, the clement and the merciful! With God as a helper, victory is nigh." This and two other flags, captured by the 13th. on the same day, were deposited in Chelsea Hospital.

In this successful enterprise the force employed amounted to about eighteen hundred men of all arms. The safety of the fortress was entrusted, during the action, to the ordinary guards of its gates, and one provisional battalion of followers of every description armed with pikes and other weapons, who manned the curtains, and made a respectable show of defence. Captain Pattisson, of the 13th., was left in command of this diminished garrison; towards the conclusion of the engagement a sally was made from the Cabool gate by Lieutenant George Wade, of the same regiment, into the fort before which Colonel Dennie had fallen, when it was observed that the enemy were abandoning the place; all it contained was set on fire, and some of the defenders were bayoneted.

The enemy's loss was very severe; the field of battle was strewed with the bodies of men and horses, and the richness of the trappings of some of the latter denoted that chiefs of rank (several being present and taking part in the action) had fallen.

In February following, the thanks of Parliament were accorded to the Governor-General of India, and to the officers and troops employed in Affghanistan, the resolutions being moved in the House of Lords by the Duke of Wellington, and in the House of Commons by Sir Robert Peel, who, after eulogizing the gallant conduct of Sir Robert Sale and the garrison of Jellalabad, (appropriately designated "ILLUSTRIOUS,") specially deplored the death of Colonel Dennie, justly described as "one of the most noble and gallant spirits, whose actions have ever added brilliance to their country's military renown."

*

The following interesting circumstance was related by Lord Fitzgerald and Vesey in the House of Lords, in his speech on the 20th. of February, 1843, regarding the vote of thanks for the operations in Affghanistan. The Adjutant-General of the Army in India, acting by the command of Lord

On the 26th. of August, 1842, it was officially announced in the "London Gazette," that "In consideration of the distinguished gallantry displayed by the 13th. Light Infantry, during the campaigns in the Burmese empire and in Affghanistan, Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to approve of that regiment assuming the title of the 13th., or Prince Albert's Regiment of Light Infantry;' and of its facings being changed from yellow to blue.

"Her Majesty has also been pleased to authorize the 13th. Regiment of Light Infantry to bear on its colours and appointments a 'Mural Crown,' superscribed 'Jellalabad,' as a memorial of the fortitude, perseverance, and enterprise, evinced by that regiment, and the several corps which served during the blockade of Jellalabad."

THE JELLALABAD MEDALS.

A silver medal was distributed by the Governor-General of India to every officer, non-commissioned officer, and private, European and Native, who belonged to the garrison of Jellalabad on the 7th. of April, 1842; on one side was a Mural Crown superscribed JELLALABAD, and on the other VII APRIL, 1842. Her Majesty's permission for the 13th. Light Infantry to wear this medal was dated 26th. of August, 1842. The ribbon, intended to represent the rays of the rising sun, was made expressly for the above medal, and is generally known as the rainbow pattern.*

Subsequently a silver medal, designed by William Wyon,

Ellenborough, transmitted to the aged mother of Colonel Dennie that medal which her son would have worn, had he happily survived. In replying to the letter which accompanied this token, Mrs. Dennie beautifully said, that "she accepted it with pleasure and with pride, for she had a right to feel a pride in her son's life, and in his death." Lord Fitzgerald added, "that it was impossible to read that passage without honouring the lady, and even more deeply lamenting the fate of the son of whom she had so justly and truly written." Since 1842 it has been the invariable practice with regard to medals granted for service in India, to present them to the legal representatives of the deceased officers and soldiers.

This medal, which was struck in India by order of Lord Ellenborough, is now very scarce. The accompanying engraving has been made from a specimen kindly lent to me by Captain A. C. Tupper, one of the Council of the Royal United Service Institution, from whom I have received several valuable hints during the progress of this work.