Massacre of Elphinstone's Army

Massacre of Elphinstone's army
Part of the First Anglo-Afghan War, 1839–1842
An 1898 depiction of the last stand of survivors of Her Majesty's 44th Foot at Gandamak
Date 6–13 January 1842 Location Kabul–Jalalabad Road, near Gandamak, Afghanistan Result Decisive Afghan victory nearly the entire British/Indian army either perished or captured.
Belligerents
Emirate of Afghanistan	British Empire British East India Company
Commanders and leaders
Wazir Akbar Khan	William Elphinstone  (POW)
Strength
Unknown but a British source claims possibly around 30,000	4,500 regular troops (including 690 British) and 12,000 civilians (workers, family members and camp followers)
Casualties and losses
Unknown	~16,499 killed or captured 1 wounded

 British Empire

The 1842 Kabul Retreat (or Massacre of Elphinstone's army) took place during the First Anglo-Afghan War. Following an uprising in Kabul, Major General Sir William Elphinstone negotiated an agreement with Wazir Akbar Khan, one of the sons of the Afghan Emir Dost Mohammad Barakzai, by which his army was to withdraw to the British garrison at Jalalabad, more than 90 miles (140 km) away. As the army and its numerous dependents and camp-followers began its march, it came under attack from Afghan tribesmen. Many of the column died of exposure, frostbite or starvation or were killed during the fighting.

The Afghans launched numerous attacks against the column as it made slow progress through the winter snows of the Hindu Kush. In total the British army lost 4,500 troops, along with about 12,000 civilians: the latter comprising both the families of Indian and British soldiers, plus workmen, servants and other Indian camp-followers. The final stand was made just outside a village called Gandamak on 13 January.

Out of more than 16,000 people from the column commanded by Elphinstone, only one European (Assistant Surgeon William Brydon) and a few Indian sepoys reached Jalalabad. Over one hundred British prisoners and civilian hostages were later released. Around 2,000 of the Indians, many of whom were maimed by frostbite, survived and returned to Kabul to exist by begging or to be sold into slavery. Some at least returned to India after another British invasion of Kabul several months later, but others remained behind in Afghanistan.

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