The London Gazette, May 4, 1880
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THE LONDON GAZETTE, MAY 4, 1880. •duct of Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick to have most distinguished themselves, receive * Roberts in the exercise, of his arduous command, his fullest consideration and support. .and also to express the deep sense entertained 6. His Excellency deplores in-common with by the Government of India of the irreparable the whole service the loss of so many gallant \ loss sustained by the Queen and the whole .Em- officers and men, British and Native, among pire in the death of the brave men who have so whom the following appear to have been most nobly perished in the course of these operations. prominent:—Major J. Cook, V.C., 5th Goorkhas; 4. Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Roberts' Captain K J. Spens, 72nd Highlanders; Cap- •despatch, together with this correspondence, will tain .S. G-. Butson, 9th Lancers; Lieutenant St. be published in the Gazette of India at an early John W. Forbes, 92nd Highlanders; Lieutenant date. C. A.; Montanaro, R. A.; Jemadar Jag Bahadur, Corps of ..Guides; Jemadar Jhunda Sing, 5th Trpm Major-General G-. R. Greaves, C.B., Ad- Punjab Cavalry; Troop 'Sergeant-Major Henry jutant-General in India, to Colonel Allen Spittle, 9th Lancers; Colour-Sergeant James Johnson, Secretary to the Government of Drummond,' 92nd Highlanders; Colour-Sergeant India, Military Department (No. 1628 Camp, John Tule, 72nd Highlanders; Kote-Dnffadar Kabul, dated Head Quarters, Fort William, Jiwant Sing, 5th Punjab Cavalry; Havildar the 9th February, 1880). Sham Sing, 5th Punjab Infantry. I AM directed by his Excellency the Com- The deeds of such men remain for ever in the •mander-in-Chief to forward herewith the de- memory of the army, which, while deeply mourn- spatches of Lieutenant-General Sir F. S. Roberts, ing their loss, dwells with pride on the noble K.C.B., C.I.E., V.C., dated 23rd January, 1880, example of devotion they have set. reporting the events at Kabul during the period 7. Turning from the consideration of these between the 8th and 24th December, 1879. gallant acts, I .am to express to you the pain 2. I am at the same time to transmit a copy with which His Excellency feels it to be his duty of a letter which has been sent to Sir F. 'S. to refer to the affair of the.llth December, when Roberts, recording His Excellency's sentiments so many casualties occurred in the endeavour to in regard to the manner in which the operations extricate the guns of F-A, R.H.A., which had have been conducted, and Sir Frederick Haines eventually to be spiked, and left for a time in 'trusts that the G-overnment of India will concur the hands of the enemy. in the views he has expressed. 8. It is perfectly clear 'that, in obedience to your orders, Brigadier-General Massy, who com- <Copy of a letter from the Adjutant-General in manded on this occasion, should have moved India, to Lieutenant-General Sir F. S. Roberts, along the road towards Ghazni and not struck K.C.B., C.I.E., V.C., Commanding Kabul across country, as it must have been evident Field Force, No. 1626 Camp, dated 9th Feb- that the guns should have been kept to the road ruary, 1880. as long as practicable, and he should not have IN acknowledging the receipt of your despatch, become engaged with the enemy until he had ~No. 1027, of the 23rd ultimo, with its enclosures, joined with Brigadier-General Macpherson. I am directed by the Commander-in-Chief to His conduct in commencing an engagement express to you the extreme pleasure with which with the small force under his command, com- .His Excellency has read your reports, conveying posed only of cavalry a'nd guns, without any •as they do, in a most soldierlike and graphic infantry in support, against an enemy so nume- manner, a full and vivid description of the events rous and determined as he reports him to have recorded. been, on grounds such as that described, is, to 2. Sir Frederick Haines desires me to con- His Excellency's mind, quite incomprehensible. gratulate you and the troops under your com- Brigadier-General Massy's subsequent operations mand for the ability and gallantry with which in continually advancing arms of precision and the operations from the llth to the 23rd De- long range, such as the guns of the present day •cember, against overwhelming numbers, have are, and thus losing their fire for the time, and •been carried out from first to last, and I am to in afterwards dismounting 30 lancers with car- request that you mil communicate His Excel- bines to stop the advance of 10,000 men, show dency's sentiments to the officers, non-commis- him to have been quite unable to cope with the .sioned officers, and men of your force. difficulties of the position to which he had com- 3. The condition in which you were placed, mitted himself. -owing to the defective information as to the 9. I am, by the Commander-in-Chief s -orders, •extent of the combination against you, in-having sending you with this, a confidential letter -deal- your force scattered in various directions, was ing with the matter more in detail, and con- most serious, and His Excellency considers that taining His Excellency's instructions thereon. very great credit is due to you for the ability . 10. The Commander-in-Chief is quite satisfied with which you extricated yourself from such a that the conduct of the officers and men under difficult position and concentrated your troops Brigadier-General Massy's orders, on -this unfor- in the cantonment of Sherpur. tunate occasion, was all that could be desired. In this operation you were well and gallantly 11. His Excellency after carefully reading seconded by all ranks. your report of the circumstances connected with . 4. Sir Frederick Haines can quite understand the temporary loss of the 2 guns of No. 2 Moun- .ihe reluctance with which you surrendered the tain .Battery on the conical hill on the 14th .•Bala Hissar and the city of Kabul to the enemy, December, is satisfied that everything -was -done 'but His Excellency is fully satisfied that the which men could do to hold the position, but decision come to by you was, under the circum- that owing to the overwhelming numbers and stances, the right one. The subsequent defence determination of the enemy, it was lost, and of the cantonment arid the'final dispersion of the with it the "guns. venemy were most satisfactory. 12. In conclusion, I am to state that Sir 5. The Commander-in-Chief has read with Frederick Haines quite concurs with you in the ,pride your reports of the acts of valour and de- reasons for which you originally decided on the yotion performed by individuals, and Sir Frede- occupation of the Sherpur cantonments in pre- rick Haines will take care that your recom- ference to the Bala Hissar, and he further agrees inendations, regarding those whom yon believe' that you acted quite rightly under the circum- A 2.