SALE ' S BRIGADE IN AFGHANISTAN.

"AT the sea-bathing quarter of Walmer during the autumn of last year," Dlr. Gleig met the officers of the Thirteenth, the European regiment which Sir Robert Sale commanded during the homeward march from Cahill and the defence of Jellalabad. The gallant soldiers, nothing loath, "fought all their battles o'er again" to so critical a judge, submitted to him such manuscript journals as had been kept, and offered for his inspection the orderly-books of the regiment,—which, we suppose, the Duke of Wellington would re- ceive as " truth," or our jealous courts of law as evidence. With such information at command, the Chaplain of the Forces bethought himself of supplying a vacuum in the history of the Afghan war, by writing the story of "Sale's Brigade," so far as that brigade were engaged indepen- dently; and Mr. Murray, with his usual judgment, has included the narrative in his Home and Colonial Library. al good deal more, however, than the achievements of Sale's Brigade is contained in the book ; about one-third of it being devoted to a general view of Afghanistan and its history, our early negotiations and late Russo- phobia, with a narrative of the war. These are topics common to all compilations upon the disastrous story, and numerous original works kave given full particulars of the campaign. Mr. Gleig's account, who- ever, has the merit of being the ablest précis, and it may be recommended as the best succedaneum upon the subject to those who are satisfied with a popular view. The skill of the literary man with the practical know- ledge of the soldier combine to impart character to the narrative. The Principal incidents of the campaign are selected with judgment and de- aribed with massy effect; freshness and interest are given to the story by the rapidity and completeness with which it is told, and the critical spirit that animates the book. Something of the pictorial artist is also dis- played in the brief and graphic sketches of scenery, possibly deduced 4-om the published descriptions of Outram and others, but quite as likely to be acquired from the viva voce information of the Thirteenth. By those who are familiar with the original authorities a good deal of cha- racteristic detail in the larger events will be missed; and the smaller in- cidents are frequently omitted altogether, or their circumstances lost : but this is essential to the scale on which the story is told, and will not he felt by the mass of readers.

On one point skilful inquiry has elicited from living experience a pic- ture in which other accounts are deficient ; and that is, the amusements sad pursuits of the British during their seemingly triumphant occupation of the country. The chapter entitled "Peaceful Occupations at Cabul" contains many traits of Afghan bonhommie and disposition, as well as many indications of manners.

The narrative of the exploits of Sale's Brigade, from the time the gallant veteran and his soldiers left the capital till Pollook advanced from Peshawur to relieve them, is full of interest. To the literary merits of the general history it adds fulness, novelty, and the attraction of sympathy. We are no longer following the incidents of a dishonest war, begun in rashness, pursued in ignorance of the country where it liras to take place, and successful only from a combination of dogged de- termination in the army, fortune in the operations, and a want of means in the enemy to move their forces to a distance, and second nature in the Bolan 'Pass, while even in the midst of the triumph of mediocrity the terrible retribution of the 'future looms before the mind. With Sale' Brigade there is nothing of this no-sympathy. From the moment when Sale exercised an independent command, we follow a story displaying the most cautious judgment united with the most daring courage on the part of the chief; and eliciting similar qualities in his followers when there were opportunities for their exercise, and at all times confidence in their leader as one under whom they were safe. With far less means than the army at Cabul, and greater obstacles to encounter, including the irresistible force of earthquakes, Sir Robert Sale triumphed over them all, as if it were a daily business and a thing of course : the watchful pru- dence win. ch dictated every measure, from the movements of the force to the posting of a sentry, renders the whole campaign a piece of such perfect harmony in all its parts, that it is only by a comparison of results with the threefold numbers and complete appointments of the army at Cabul that the mind realizes the merit of the commander. Had Sale's Brigade been the rear-guard of a general army that had managed to reach Pe- shawur before the passes were closed, while Sale had to winter at Jells- labad, his campaign would have been spoken of as a skilful and gallant

thing; but the merit of the exploit would not have been properly appre- tiated—perhaps it is not thoroughly appretiated even now. We shall attempt no view. of the-march through the passes, the fort- fication and defence of the city, and the defeat of the entire force of &f. ghanistan, so far as Akbar could get it together, on the memorablelth of April, which virtually ended Sale's difficulties : but we cannot talfe leave of the book without offering to our readers a taste of its quality.

STATE OF THE ARMS IN SALE'S BRIGADE AT STARTING.

Old flint and steel muskets had become, through much use, so imperfect, that numbers were in the habit of missing fire continually; and the best and most ser- viceable in the whole brigade was just as likely to carry ita ball wide of the mark as in a straight line towards it. Sir Robert Sale, who knew the importance and value of effective weapons, stated these facts at head-quarters. He reminded the authorities that there were in store four thousand muskets, constructed on the detonating principle, perfectly new, and never likely, at least with the present force, to be sullied by using; and he begged permission to arm his regiment front that heap, and to leave his worn-out firelocks in the room of the weapons with- drawn. But General Elphinstone would not listen to the proposaL What could the Thirteenth want with new muskets, when it was well known that in march- ing out of Cabul they were accomplishing the first stage on their journey to Eng- land? They must carry what they had with them; and they did so.

ARTILLERY PRACTICE AT JELLALABAD.

The whole country within long range of the walls had been carefully measured by the Artillery officers, and certain marks set up by which the distance couldthe accurately calculated; and the consequence was, that every shot thrown where a group of Afghans presented themselves told: indeed, to such perfection was the gunnery of the place carried, that a man and horse at eight hundred or a thou- sand yards distance ran extreme risk of being cut down by a round shot; and no one occasion, at least, Captain Bsckhouse struck down a cavalier who could not have approached within a mile of the fort.

RUSE DE GUEREE.

'From morning till night, strong working-parties plied their intrenching-tools. They were not permitted to do so unmolested; for clouds of Afghans crept up under cover wherever they could find it, and fired long shots incessantly, though not to much purpose. At length the officers devised a scheme for dr;wing off this fire from the men, which proved for a time eminently successful, and occa- sioned great mirth in the garrison. They dressed up a wooden image, and put cocked hat on its head, painting the face so as to make it resemble when seen from a distance an officer of rank; and, raising it from time to time above the parapet, drew such a storm of fire towards it as left the working-party free. They would cause it to move backwards and forwards likewise, as if the General had been reconnoitering; and occasionally let it fall; whereupon a loud shout from the Afghan skirmishers gave indication that they were amazingly pleased with themselves. It is scarcely necessary to add, that the enemy's shout was responded to by peals of laughter from the garrison: but the trick seemed to be discovered at last, and then the effigy was removed.

MILITARY SPORT.

The musket ammunition within the walls became so scarce, that instructions were given to collect the bullets which the enemy threw, and to run them into moulds for the use of the garrison. Some idea, likewise, may be formed of the nature of the leaden hail under which the garrison lived, when it is stated that one officer collected in a day for his own use not fewer than one hundred and thirty bullets; and as powder was happily, abundant, a supply of cartridges came into store, not before it was needed. And here it may be well .to observe, that among the officers in garrison there were many who had brought rifles and fowl- ing-pieces to the seat of war. These, for the lack of other game, took to prac- tising against the Afghans; and many a capital shot was made, not in wanton- ness, but always when the necessity for it arose. For example, the grass-cotters went forth every morning to collect fodder for the animals. If it was meant that they should penetrate to a spot far removed from the walls, an armed party es- corted them; if there seemed to be forage enough. near at hand, they were per- mitted to go unguarded, the sentinels on the ramparts looking out for them. On these occasions it was that the good aim of one or more amateur riflemen saved

many a valuable life, and see food for the can horses; for it was considered a mere amusement to keep an eye upon the enem s parties, and to knock down the boldest, as often as in the attempt to cut off e foragers they ventured with- in range.

THE LAST MAN OF ELPHINSTONE'S ARMY.

Working-parties busied themselves all day long during the 11th and the 12th in digging a ditch round the bastion on the North-west angle of the town; that being the point on which the acting engineer saw that the place was weakest. They were thus engaged, their arms being piled near them, and the cavalry, with horses saddled, ready to gallop forth to their support, when, a little after noon on the '13th, one of the sentries on that part of the wall which faced Gundamuck and the road from Cabal called aloud that he saw a mounted man in the distance. In a moment glasses were levelled in this direction; and there, sure enough, could be distinguished leaning rather than sitting upon a miserable pony, a European, faint as it seemed from travel, if not sick, or perhaps wounded. It is impossible to describe the sort of thrill which ran through men's veins as they watched the movements of the stranger. Slowly he approached; and, strange as it may ap- pear, it is nevertheless true, that Colonel Dennie foretold the nature of the ti of which he was the bearer: for it is a fact, which every surviving officer of tits Thirteenth will vouch for, that almost from the first Colonel Denim had boded ill of the force left in Cabal; and that subsequently to the receipt of the earliest intelli- gence which told of the warfare in which they were engaged, and of the disastrous results to which it led, he repeatedly declared his conviction, that to a man the army would be destroyed. I3is words were, "You'll see: not a soul will escape from Cabal except one man, and he will come to tell us that the rest are de- stroyed." Under such circumstances it is very little to be wondered at if men's blood curdled while they watched the advance of the solitary horseman; and the snice of Dennie sounded like the response of an oracle when he exclaimed, " Did n mot say so? here comes the messenger." Colonel Dennis spoke the truth. An escort of cavalry being sent out to meet the traveller, he-was brought in bleeding and faint, and covered with wounds; grasping in his right hand the hilt and a small fragment of a sword which had broken in the terrible conflict from which he was come. He proved to be Dr. Brydon ; whose escape from the scene of slaughter had been marvellous, and who at the moment believed himself to be, and was regarded by others, as the sole survivor of General Elphinstone's once magnificent little army.

MARCHING IN.

The 15th of April brought Pollock's column within seven miles of the lately. beleaguered city. There it halted, at a place called Ales &them, and encamped for the night. Many visiters from the city flocked to welcome the new corners; and on the following day the band of the Thirteenth went forth to meet them. There was a hearty cheer on both sides; after which, the musicians facing about, began, according to immemmial usage, to play the strangers in. I do not know whether some touch of waggery might have prompted the choice of the air, yet when the band struck up a Jacobite melody, beautiful in itself, and full of mean- ing, all who heard acknowledged its fitness to the occasion. The relieving force marched the last two or three miles towards Jellalabad to the cadence of " Oh, but ye've been tang o' coming I "