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INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.

AT the request of numerous friends who have taken a lively interest in my welfare, and as I cannot but appreciate their kindness, I will endeavor to give a few of the very many ups and downs in a Soldier's Life, and, as far as my humble talent will admit, demonstrate the characteristic features thereof, with a view to stimulate the soldier's feelings, in pointing out to him how clearly British honor and courage are developed, and how much more honorable a position it is to serve in an army than is generally conceived by those unacquainted with it; to illustrate, by simple description, the precarious situations the soldier is prone to; the praiseworthy fortitude with which he combats them; and the unremitting vigour so universally displayed amongst our troops, in all ranks, owing to the nobility of our discipline, and the much-admired steadiness and bravery consequent thereon.

The various climes in which a soldier, during his career, is obliged to serve, if he be a thinking man, give him an opportunity of contrasting and improving his earlier instructions; travel teaches him to study men and manners, and is calculated in itself to convey much practical knowledge, not otherwise

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to be obtained. The offices he may have to perform, the difficulties he has to contend with, the glories held out to him, the self-denial, the toils of the field, and the pleasures of peace, coupled with the ultimate bright prospect now before the deserving soldier, are all stimulants calculated to raise our army to a pitch that will outvie the world for its ability and respectability; and the soldier will be looked up to and acknowledged as the instrument by which the glory and protection of our country is so gallantly upheld. It is with this view, to point out the vicissitudes consequent upon the safe keeping of Britain's honor, that I am induced to develope the trials and privations suffered by these instruments.

Having been a participator in most of those disas trous events, so fresh in the memory of my readers, as those of Scinde, Beeloochistan, and Affghanistan, during 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, and 1843, and during the whole time kept a daily journal, composed of many thrilling circumstances, considered, perhaps, by many, as too trivial for the public mind, but being connected with the murders, assassinations, treacheries, &c. &c., of individuals whose near and dear friends, no doubt, are to this day unacquainted with the particulars of them-and as there must be many thousands of such friends, they will, perhaps, prove doubly interesting to them, as also to the reader gene ally; and if the brief and simple statement of these facts, from per

sonal observation, will thus tend to aid the same, and at the same time give any satisfaction to my friends, I am willing to do my utmost; trusting never to be considered as unworthy of their kindfeeling, I shall, in a few chapters, arrange so as to give a plain narration of the principal and most interesting events; and give in them some incidents that will, no doubt, induce the memory to reflect on their miseries and results-not forgetting the murder of Captain Hand, the burning to death of three British Officers, description of the Indus, Hydrabad, Sukher, Dadur, the much-talked-of Passes, the Bolun, Gundavie, Mysore, Kojuk, Tezeen, Jugdulluk, Gundamuck, Jellalabad, Khiva, Peshawa, the Punjaub; also, the battles at Dadur, Kunda, Candahar, Baba Walla, Killa Shuk, Killat I Gilzie, Gowine, Ghuznee, Midan, Cabool, Istaliff, Jellalabad, Ali Musjid, Meeanee, and Hydrabad; the principal operations of Generals Brooks, Keane, Wiltshire, Sale, Nott, Pollock, McCaskill, England, and C. Napier; the army under Lord Ellenborough; the massacre of the Cabool Army, Sir W. McNaughton, Sir A. Burns; the prisoners under Shooms ood Dien Khan, and his cousin, Akbar Khan; Ladies Sale and McNaughton; the King of Cabool, and the Ameers of Scinde.

It is not my intention to enter into any lengthened history of the country, further than will be necessary for the introduction of matters so ma

terially connected with this narrative as to require such detail, because, were I to do so, it would take, instead of a duodecimo of 300 pages, an oetavo of 1000-but my sole object is to give my kind readers a soldier's simple story, and in such a manner as will enable them to see their way clearly-and if they will but weigh well such circumstances, they will at once discover my object. I would also beg to remind my reader, that in hurrying over the details of 1839, with Sir John Keane, is simply because the campaign under him has already undergone such a series of description, and would therefore be a mere superfluous story; and would hinder the introduction of other incidents which have before never appeared in print. We find Lieutenant Eyre's-Dr. Atkinson's-Lady Sale's, and others, giving a very clear account of that campaign; but as I was connected with that army, and a great portion of my primary occurrences are belonging thereto, I shall have often to revert to them. For instance, Lieutenant Eyre gives a description of the recapture of Ghuznee, by Shooms ood Dien Khan, and of the prisoners at that place as well as at Cabool; and annexes Lieutenant Crawford's own description. Now when we again captured Ghuznee in 1842, amongst other researches I discovered in the prisoners' room, letters written on the wall by the Prisoners, which I copied, and in themselves go far to shew their feelings, while thus confined; and in fact nearly every circumstance

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