William Elphinstone’s Retreat From Kabul (1842)

Cahir River, Kyber Pass. In spate. This is the...

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The British retreat from Kabul commenced on January 6, 1842. Snow had been falling steadily for nearly 3 weeks. The 4,500 British troops and 12,000 camp followers set off through horrid conditions on what they thought would be an unopposed passage to Jalalabad ninety miles away in British India. Most knew from the outset that traversing the Afghan mountain passes in winter with little food would be deadly… More>>

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