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CHAPTER XIV
March to May 1879
THE AFGHAN WAR (continued)
Excavations at Ali Musjid
Major Ball-Acton returned to Ali Musjid, and once more took up his old occupations, and busied himself more than ever with temperance and Bible meetings, visits to the hospitals, etc. He also visited some interesting excavations, where the workers were 'developing a square building of excellent Buddhist masonry, large stones and slate-stones forming a chequer.' These excavations are mentioned more than once in his diary, and evidently interested him much.
Apparently some of his home letters had contained a remonstrance on the use of vigorous measures with the natives in the villages round Ali Musjid, for he writes as follows :
'Ali Musjid,
'1st March, '79.
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Why burn villages?
'Burning the villages is a very wholesome treatment for these tribes, but unless by mistake we don't so treat "poor innocent villagers." Indeed, I believe such do not exist. Robbery and murder are their habits always. Possibly, if you found your sals and grasscutter cut to pieces one day, for no other reason than being defenceless, you might think the villagers less innocent. It is not their fault, poor creatures, as they are born and bred to it; but the proper system of education for such is not gentle rebuke, but powder and lead, bayonet and fire. They respect and understand such treatment and no other.'
But his home letters did much to brighten his life, and again and again in his diary he refers to receiving them, and it is evident that they helped him much in this troublesome campaign.
'Ali Musjid,
4th March, '79.
The total abstinence front
'The teetotallers will always diminish on a march on service, and, indeed, on anything out of the usual thing that puts a strain, or is supposed to, on mind or body. Very few believe so thoroughly in the entire absence of good in alcohol as to go without it when all habits and teaching for ages past say it will do them good. Prejudice reigns strongly, not only with the ignorant, but even with doctors. The hope of teetotalism is the young, both for its practice and theory, for the rising generation of doctors will have very much improved ideas on the subject to the present, though the latter are greatly in advance of their predecessors. However, we have not lost one of the lot we began the campaign with, and have added a few, and at Subathu there are a good many. Sergeant Ogly, Sergeant-Instructor of Musketry Mr. Green, Bugle-Major Jones are first-rate teetotallers.'
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Orders to march to Jellalabad
'Peshawur, Sunday, 9th. — Here I am again. Came for ten days, but have to go back to-morrow. On Friday night (1st) General Appleyard dined with me. After he was gone Farwell came to tell us of a telegram just come:
"51st go as escort to a mule battery; probable destination Jellalabad."
Going on at last. All very pleased.
'Next day it appears it is the elephant battery (40-pounders) we are to escort. The idea prevails that there will be no more fighting, but now that the Amir is dead (?) the idea is to impress Yakub Khan, and make him come to terms sharp by sending up troops.
It will be seen by him thus: The burra Lord General Sahib goes to Jellalabad. Immediately troops collect there, while the Commander-in-Chief goes up the Kurrum Valley and troops begin moving .there, he will think we must be in earnest, and give in.'
A drowning tragedy kills 47 troops
The above letter gives the reason for his quitting Ali Musjid, which he did soon after he had received the orders above quoted. A catastrophe which occurred to the 10th Hussars on the night of March 1st affected him much. In his diary he says:
'Crossing the ford last night, forty-six men and one officer were drowned! Captain Napier rescued at the last gasp. Grenville and Spottiswoode also saved. As far as I can learn, the Bengal Lancers crossed first, then the baggage mules. The officer commanding the troops coming next, told the men to follow the mules. These went down stream, and so got off the ford. Not perceiving this, the troopers followed on and on in half sections. How dreadful! May God bless and comfort their relations! . . . Nearly every one in the place attended the funeral. Nineteen bodies sewn in sacking are laid side by side in a wide grave. Rev. Male (Wesleyan) read Church of England Burial Service.'
There were hopes of a speedy end to the war, as may be seen from the following letter, but these hopes were not yet to be realized:
Jellalabad
'Jellalabad,
'21st April, '79.
'Just now we have it nice and cool, but four days ago it was awfully hot — 104° F. in tents — and one night we could hardly sleep. If so in middle of April, what will it be in June ? I don't think any European troops will be left here. We hear Cavag-nari and 300 guides are going on to Kabul on Thursday, and that Yakub Khan is to give in. The Civil and Military Gazette (Lahore paper) says that Yakub Khan is collecting troops to oppose us from all quarters, and stirring up the tribes on both sides of the river from Kabul to Muhiu, and is amusing us by pretending to stand out for this and that term ; that when he gets our ist and 2nd Division engaged at Jugdulluck to Tezeen, where a great part of our troops was destroyed in '42, he will have the tribes close in all along the route from Jumrood, and attack stations and convoys as may appear most profitable. No doubt this is all possible if only the tribes would answer to his call, and it would be very hot for us; but I doubt much if the Government have any adequate reserves in case of need, and I believe carriage is quite exhausted.'
On to Kabul
From Jellalabad the regiment marched to Safaid Sang, in Kabul, where Major Ball-Acton remained for some weeks, and where he speaks of visiting some beautiful gardens, said to have been planned by Shah Jehan.
'The usual plan, raised walk with (mostly) tanks down the middle (now dry). Alternate chunars and cypress (one I measured about 12 feet round at 5 feet above ground). In the rectangular spaces pomegranates, now in flower, beneath them white iris; a few fig trees and one apricot tree is all the variety I see.'
A letter from Safaid Sang, written immediately after his arrival, gives his expectations as to the future of the war :
'Safaid Sang, near Gandamak,
'Sunday, i*ith April, '79.
'Here we arrived to-day. The most warlike rumours are about. Indeed, more than rumours, for an ultimatum went, I believe, yesterday, and orders are out that if we go on, it will be without tents, one servant to three officers and one servant for each charger, and 80 Ibs. to each officer. A medical inspection is to take place to decide what men shall go on with best prospects of not knocking up with fever, etc. The natives are friendly, and bring snow, among other things. One of them is reported to have said he could not bring snow to-morrow, as he was summoned to Jugdulluck to fight us there. Yakub Khan is said to have offered to let these people off two-thirds revenue if they will fight us.
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'It is, of course, uncertain where and when I'll leave my bones, but at present, thank God! I am very well, and find myself better than at Jellalabad.
'To-day 51st R.B., lyth R.A., and R.H.A. paraded together for Divine service ; Rev. Swinnerton officiated. Rev. Male had the Presbyterians and Wesleyans, a much nicer service; our own Liturgy read quite plainly. The other intoned, and in a manner that contrasts badly with the rough surroundings in the open, and prevents outsiders joining in the responses. I never look in my bed or boots for snakes, scorpions, or centipedes. When in England I know one often thinks one will do so, but practically one does not. Why should one? I have seen but one of each since I've been in Kabul, and none in India.'
At Safaid Sang, as at every place where he stayed, Major Ball-Acton interested himself in the religious life of the regiment, and was always glad to take any opportunity that he could of speaking faithful words, or helping any who needed help in their efforts after a better life.
A villainous-looking man
In May, the Amir visited the camp at Safaid Sang. The following letter gives an account of his reception.
'Safaid Sang, 4 P.V.F.F., 10th May, '79.
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'Yakub Khan really came on Thursday 8th. All the troops went out and lined the road for him, as we did at Delhi for the Prince of Wales. We did about two miles of road, cavalry nearest his camp, then artillery, then infantry by seniority of regiments. We paraded — the men in tunics, the officers in serge — at 6.15 a.m., marched about two miles, and when in our places the mess dhooli, with breakfast ready, was close by; before we had half done, we heard the first band playing " God save the Queen," and 80 hurried off to our places. Yakub Khan and all his sirdars wear those cone-shaped caps — black — and he and most of them wore brown chogas. I thought him a villainous-looking man, but, as people say, very melancholy-looking. He certainly has had a troubled life, and the future is not promising. We, of course, do all we can to strengthen him and give him a royal salute and all this honour with that view, though many people think it not right in sight of the bones of our countrymen so cruelly slaughtered in '42. He brought his own tent, and we supply about ten European privates' tents for his following.'
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