d comfort to the
wounded, met with my approval.
Major Parsons, the Deputy Commissary-General, in charge of the
department in the field, has been unremitting in his attention to keep
the troops supplied, although much difficulty is experienced, and he is
occasionally thwarted by the nature of the country and its inhabitants.
I have throughout this service received the utmost assistance I could
derive from Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonald, my officiating military
secretary, and Deputy Adjutant-General of her Majesty's Forces, Bombay;
from Captain Powell, my Persian interpreter, and the other officers of
my personal staff. The nature of the country in which we are serving,
prevents the possibility of my sending a single staff-officer to
deliver this to your Lordship, otherwise I should have asked my
aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Keane, to proceed to Simla, to deliver this
despatch into your hands, and to have afforded any further information
that your Lordship could have desired.
The brilliant triumph we have obtained, the cool courage displayed, and
the gallant bearing of the troops I have the honour to command, will
have taught such a lesson to our enemies in the Afghan nation as will
make them hereafter respect the name of a British soldier.
Our loss is wonderfully small considering the occasion, the casualties
in killed and wounded amount to about 200.
The loss of the enemy is immense; we have already buried of their dead
nearly 500, together with an immense number of horses.
I enclose a list of the killed, wounded, and missing. I am happy to say
that, although the wounds of some of the officers are severe, they are
all doing well.
It is my intention, after selecting a garrison for this place, and
establishing a general hospital, to continue my march to Cabool
forthwith--I have, &c.,
(Signed) JOHN KEANE, Lieut.-General.
No. 1.
_List of killed, wounded, and missing, in the army under the command of
Lieutenant-General Sir John Keane, before Ghuzni, on the 21st of July_,
1839:--
2nd Troop Bengal Horse Artillery--3 horses wounded.
3rd Troop Bombay--2 rank and file, 2 horses, wounded.
4th Troop Bombay--1 horse killed.
2nd Regiment Bengal Cavalry--1 horse killed, 1 rank and file wounded.
4th Bengal Local Horse--1 rank and file and 1 horse missing.
Her Majesty's 13th Light Infantry--1 rank and file killed.
16th Bengal Native Infantry--1 captain wounded.
48th Bengal Native Infantry--1 lieutena
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