Lady Florentia Sale, A
Journal of the Disasters in Afghanistan 1841 – 42 (New York: Harper &
Brothers, 1843).
Sale by Richard
Thomas Bott, 1844.
This reproduction of the painting of Florentia Sale by
Richard Thomas Bott is from Wikipedia, according to which the painting and the
reproduction are in the public domain.
Nonfiction
Reviewed by Wilda Morris
The first time I read Herman Melville’s novel, Moby Dick or the Great Whale I was
surprised to find mention of a “bloody battle in Afghanistan.” I decided to
look into the history of Afghanistan to see what battle Melville might have had
in mind. As a result, I learned a bit about the First Anglo-Afghan War, which
took place in 1838-42. Reading about the war, I came across the story—and
eventually—the diary of Lady Florentia Sale.
The British attacked Afghanistan in 1838, using Indian as
well as British forces. Their aim was to add the Afghan tribes to their growing
empire (on which, for a time, “the sun never set.”). The majority of troops
which contributed to the British victory were soon recalled to India.
Lady Sale had the misfortune to be in Kabul (spelled Cabul
in the book) when British occupation forces were under poor leadership. Their
supply center was outside the city walls in a virtually indefensible position. Conflict
between Afghan tribes and leaders was followed, in time, by an Afghan uprising
against the British.
When a senior British officer was murdered in November 1841,
the British did not take action. They continued to show weakness and
indecisiveness. Part of the problem was that General William Elphinstone, who
had served well in the Napoleonic War, was pressured to take command in Kabul
against his wishes. He was nearing 60 years of age, and in poor health. It
appears that his mental capabilities had also declined. He was weak,
indecisive, and evidently subject to changing his mind to agree with the last
suggestion he received.
Lady Sales stood on the ramparts of Kabul and watched the
army’s supply depot burn on November 9, 1841. By the time the British marched
out of Kabul on January 6, the British and Indian troops and civilians were
practically starved. They had no feed for their cattle and horses, which had resorted
to chewing on the bark of trees. The snow was a foot high and the temperatures
were bitterly cold.
In the chaos of the withdrawal and ensuing days, Lady Sale
managed to keep a diary. She says others were keeping diaries, too, but it
appears that hers was the only one that survived. She was given some special
privileges by the British and subsequently by the Afghans, presumably because
of her status. As the wife of Sir Robert Henry Sale, she had the title of Lady.
Furthermore, her husband was a Brigadier General. The special treatment she
received helps explain both her survival and her ability to keep a diary. Here
resourcefulness and courage also contributed.
The British officers assured the 4,500 troops and 12,000
civilians (wives, children, and servants of troops; cooks; carpenters; etc.)
that they had negotiated with Akbar Khan to ensure safe passage for everyone
from Kabul to Jalalabad. Lady Sale seems to have been suspicious of this deal
from the start. As it turned out, Akbar Khan seems to have been one of the
leaders gathering Afghans to harass the British and the Afghanis leaving Kabul
with them as they tried to make it through mountain passes in the worst of
winter weather. Virtually all the supplies with which the exodus began were
captured or abandoned, so that few people had the luxury of sleeping in tents
or under blankets. Food was scarce to non-existent. The trails were
increasingly lined with corpses, often naked and mutilated. Lady Sale’s
son-in-law as mortally wounded and she was shot in the wrist during the
dangerous trek.
Eventually, most of the remaining women and children were
taken hostage, handed over by the British officers because it seemed almost
certain that they would not otherwise survive. They were force-marched through
the mountains from one place to another. It is possible that they would have
been kept in one place for most of their time in captivity had it not been for
a series of earthquakes which resulted in much destruction. Lady Sale
eventually bribed an Afghan officer to help her escape back to India.
This is just a small summary of a horrific experience that
would make a good movie. I recommend this journal as required reading for all
Western leaders who consider getting their nations involved in the internal
affairs of Afghanistan or other nations in that region of the world. I also
recommend it to those who are interested in adventure stories, books dealing
with history, and women’s history.
You can read the book on-line or as a PDF by going to https://openlibrary.org/books/OL23378515M/A_journal_of_the_disasters_in_Affghanistan_1841-2.
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