15. Dashing Hopes For a Smooth Escape
It is unclear whether the reinstalled Afghan ruler deliberately betrayed the British, or whether he simply lacked the influence to control the tribesmen. Either way, things went sour for the British and their hopes for exiting Afghanistan with dignity.
On January 6th, 1842, a British column of 16,5000 soldiers and civilians set out from Kabul amid falling snow. They had barely made it a mile beyond the city, before they began to take sniper fire from the surrounding hills. By day’s end, emboldened Afghan tribesmen were dashing in and out of the column to loot the supply train and butcher whoever they could lay their hands on. On the first night of the retreat, many froze to death when the column halted and set up camp in the open without tents.