trouble, and whence it was necessary the enemy should
be driven, to facilitate the entrance of Brigadier-General Charles
Gough the next day, for that officer had arrived with his brigade
within about six miles of Sherpur, where I could see his tents, and
gathered from the fact of his pitching them that he meant to halt
there for the night. The villages were found to be occupied by
_ghazis_, who refused to surrender, preferring to remain and perish in
the buildings, which were then blown up. Two gallant Engineer
officers (Captain Dundas, V.C., and Lieutenant C. Nugent) were most
unfortunately killed in carrying out this duty.

The relief I felt when I had gathered my force inside the walls of
Sherpur on the evening of the 14th December was small compared to that
which I experienced on the morning of the 24th, when I realized that
not only had the assault been abandoned, but that the great tribal
combination had dissolved, and that not a man of the many thousands
who had been opposed to us the previous day remained in any of the
villages, or on the surrounding hills. It was difficult to form an
accurate estimate of the numbers opposed to us. As the Contingent from
the more distant districts advanced, they received accessions from
every place they passed, and as they neared Kabul they were joined by
the inhabitants of the numerous villages, and by the disaffected in
the city. It was calculated by those best able to judge that the
combined forces exceeded 100,000, and I myself do not think that an
excessive computation.

[Illustration: PLAN TO ILLUSTRATE THE DEFENCES OF SHERPUR AND
THE OPERATIONS ROUND KABUL IN DECEMBER, 1879]

Our casualties between the 15th and the 23rd were remarkably few: 2
officers, 9 men, and 7 followers killed, and 5 officers, 41 men, and
22 followers wounded; while the enemy lost not less than 3,000.

I think I had great reason to be proud of my force. All night and
every night, the ground covered with snow and the thermometer marking
sixteen degrees of frost, officers and men were at their posts, and
each day every available man had to be hard at work strengthening the
defences. Native and European soldiers alike bore the hardships and
exposure with the utmost cheerfulness, and in perfect confidence that,
when the assault should take place, victory would be ours.

Early on the 24th the fort of Mahomed Sharif was occupied, and a force
moved out to escort Charles Gough's brigade into Sherpu