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516 "The Lieutenant-Colonel now concludes with saying that he never wishes to lead braver men into the field, for braver men could not be found."

The opening of the year 1841 commenced less auspiciously. The Kojuks, a rude tribe, having refused to pay tribute to Shah Sujah, a force under Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson, of the 3rd Bombay Cavalry, was despatched against them in February; but, for want of adequate siege matériel, the attack on Sebee, the chief place in the Kojuk country, failed. Colonel Wilson was mortally wounded on the occasion; and Lieutenant Falconer, of the 2nd Grenadiers, and Lieutenant Creed, of the Artillery, killed. It was soon after deemed necessary to coerce a tribe in the Nazeem valley, who had refused obedience to Shah Sujah, and a considerable force was despatched thither under Brigadier Shelton. It was composed of her Majesty's 44th regiment, the 27th Bengal Native Infantry, a troop of Horse Artillery, a detachment of Sappers and Miners, and a considerable body of the Shah's force of various descriptions. The valley was studded with eighty-four small forts, which were attacked and carried in succession, but with the loss of two valuable officers – Captain Douglas, Assistant Adjutant-General, a volunteer, and Lieutenant Pigou, of the Engineers, who was blown away by the premature explosion of a bag of powder applied to the gate of one of the forts.

But the difficulty of maintaining Shah Sujah on his throne required the incessant efforts of our troops, and kept them in a constant state of field-service. Early in May a fort near Khelat-i-Ghiljie became an object of contention, and was taken by the English after some resistance, the gate being blown open with bags of powder. On the 29th of the same month a detachment under Lieutenant-Colonel Wymar, marching from Candahar, was attacked by a body of five thousand Ghiljies, whom he defeated, but could not pursue, owing to the paucity of his troops, and the magnitude of the convoy under his