William Brydon
Encyclopedia
William Brydon CB
(10 October 1811 – 20 March 1873) was an assistant surgeon in the British East India Company
Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War
and is famous for being the only member of an army of 4,500 men to reach safety in Jalalabad
at the end of the long retreat
from Kabul
.
He was born in London of Scottish descent. He studied medicine at University College London
and at the University of Edinburgh
.
4,500 military personnel under the command of Major-General William George Keith Elphinstone, and 12,000 civilian camp follower
s, including wives and children, set out for Jalalabad on 6 January 1842 with the understanding that they had been offered safe passage. Afghan tribesmen
intercepted them and proceeded to massacre them during the next seven days.
The final stand took place at Gandamak
on the morning of 13 January 1842 in the snow. Twenty officers and forty-five British soldiers, mostly of the 44th Foot, found themselves surrounded on a hillock. The Afghans attempted to persuade the soldiers that they intended them no harm. Then the sniping
began, followed by a series of rushes. Captain Souter wrapped the regimental colours around his body and was dragged into captivity with two or three soldiers. The remainder were shot or cut down. Only six mounted officers escaped. Of these, five were murdered along the road. On the afternoon of 13 January 1842 the British troops in Jalalabad, watching for their comrades of the Kabul garrison, saw a single figure ride up to the town walls. It was Dr Brydon. Part of his skull had been sheared off by an Afghan sword and he survived only because he had stuffed a copy of Blackwood's Magazine
into his hat to fight the intense cold weather. The magazine took most of the blow, saving the doctor's life.
Brydon became widely, if inaccurately, famous for being the only European survivor of the entire contingent to have survived the Afghan attacks. In fact, he was not the only European to survive the retreat; more than 50 others were captured, and nearly all survived to be subsequently released, including Sir Robert Sale's wife, Lady Florentia Sale. Nor was Brydon the only European to survive the trek from Kabul to Jalalabad without spending time in captivity; by Brydon's own account a "Greek merchant", Mr Baness, also made it to Jalalabad, arriving two days after Brydon but surviving for only one day.
The episode was made the subject of a famous painting by the Victorian artist Lady Butler
, who portrayed an exhausted Dr Brydon approaching the gates of the Jalalabad fort perched on his dying horse (which dropped dead upon arrival in the city). The painting is titled Remnants of an Army.
of 1852, when Rangoon was taken.
In 1857, he was a regimental doctor at Lucknow
and, along with his wife and children, survived his second siege, that of the Lucknow residency
(June – November 1857), being badly wounded in the thigh at one stage. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in November 1858. His wife published a memoir of the siege. He died at his home Westfield near Nigg
in Ross-shire
on 20 March 1873. He is buried in Rosemarkie
churchyard alongside his brother-in-law Donald MacIntyre VC
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(10 October 1811 – 20 March 1873) was an assistant surgeon in the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War
First Anglo-Afghan War
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst...
and is famous for being the only member of an army of 4,500 men to reach safety in Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
at the end of the long retreat
Massacre of Elphinstone's Army
The Massacre of Elphinstone's Army was the destruction by Afghan forces, led by Akbar Khan, the son of Dost Mohammad Khan, of a combined British and Indian force of the British East India Company, led by Major General William Elphinstone, in January 1842....
from Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
.
He was born in London of Scottish descent. He studied medicine at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
and at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
.
Massacre
The British Army began its retreat from Kabul in January 1842, following the killing of the two British representatives there. The nearest British garrison was in Jalalabad, 90 miles (144.8 km) away, and the army would need to go through mountain passes with the January snow hindering them.4,500 military personnel under the command of Major-General William George Keith Elphinstone, and 12,000 civilian camp follower
Camp follower
Camp-follower is a term used to identify civilians and their children who follow armies. There are two common types of camp followers; first, the wives and children of soldiers, who follow their spouse or parent's army from place to place; the second type of camp followers have historically been...
s, including wives and children, set out for Jalalabad on 6 January 1842 with the understanding that they had been offered safe passage. Afghan tribesmen
Ghilzai
Ghilzai are the largest Pashtun tribal confederacy found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are also known historically as Ghilji, Khilji, Ghalji, Ghilzye, and possibly Gharzai...
intercepted them and proceeded to massacre them during the next seven days.
Gandamak
-Description:The village is located between Kabul and Peshawar, from Jalalabad on the old road to Kabul. On the retreat from Kabul of General Elphinstone's army in 1842, a hill near Gandamak was the scene of the Battle of Gandamak, the massacre of the last survivors of the force: twenty officers...
on the morning of 13 January 1842 in the snow. Twenty officers and forty-five British soldiers, mostly of the 44th Foot, found themselves surrounded on a hillock. The Afghans attempted to persuade the soldiers that they intended them no harm. Then the sniping
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
began, followed by a series of rushes. Captain Souter wrapped the regimental colours around his body and was dragged into captivity with two or three soldiers. The remainder were shot or cut down. Only six mounted officers escaped. Of these, five were murdered along the road. On the afternoon of 13 January 1842 the British troops in Jalalabad, watching for their comrades of the Kabul garrison, saw a single figure ride up to the town walls. It was Dr Brydon. Part of his skull had been sheared off by an Afghan sword and he survived only because he had stuffed a copy of Blackwood's Magazine
Blackwood's Magazine
Blackwood's Magazine was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine. The first number appeared in April 1817 under the editorship of Thomas Pringle and James Cleghorn...
into his hat to fight the intense cold weather. The magazine took most of the blow, saving the doctor's life.
Brydon became widely, if inaccurately, famous for being the only European survivor of the entire contingent to have survived the Afghan attacks. In fact, he was not the only European to survive the retreat; more than 50 others were captured, and nearly all survived to be subsequently released, including Sir Robert Sale's wife, Lady Florentia Sale. Nor was Brydon the only European to survive the trek from Kabul to Jalalabad without spending time in captivity; by Brydon's own account a "Greek merchant", Mr Baness, also made it to Jalalabad, arriving two days after Brydon but surviving for only one day.
The episode was made the subject of a famous painting by the Victorian artist Lady Butler
Elizabeth Thompson
Elizabeth Southerden Thompson, Lady Butler was a British painter, one of the few female painters to achieve fame for history paintings, especially military battle scenes, at the end of that tradition...
, who portrayed an exhausted Dr Brydon approaching the gates of the Jalalabad fort perched on his dying horse (which dropped dead upon arrival in the city). The painting is titled Remnants of an Army.
After the massacre
He fought in the Second Anglo-Burmese WarSecond Anglo-Burmese War
The Second Anglo-Burmese War was the second of the three wars fought between the Burmese and the British Empire during the 19th century, with the outcome of the gradual extinction of Burmese sovereignty and independence....
of 1852, when Rangoon was taken.
In 1857, he was a regimental doctor at Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
and, along with his wife and children, survived his second siege, that of the Lucknow residency
Siege of Lucknow
The Siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defense of the Residency within the city of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief attempts had reached the city, the defenders and civilians were evacuated from the Residency, which was abandoned.Lucknow was the capital of...
(June – November 1857), being badly wounded in the thigh at one stage. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in November 1858. His wife published a memoir of the siege. He died at his home Westfield near Nigg
Nigg, Highland
Nigg is a village and parish on the north east shore of Nigg Bay in north east Ross-shire and is in the Scottish council area of Highland...
in Ross-shire
Ross-shire
Ross-shire is an area in the Highland Council Area in Scotland. The name is now used as a geographic or cultural term, equivalent to Ross. Until 1889 the term denoted a county of Scotland, also known as the County of Ross...
on 20 March 1873. He is buried in Rosemarkie
Rosemarkie
Rosemarkie is a village on the south coast of the Black Isle peninsula in northern Scotland.-Geography:Rosemarkie lies a quarter of a mile east of the town of Fortrose...
churchyard alongside his brother-in-law Donald MacIntyre VC
Donald MacIntyre
This page is about the Victoria Cross recipient. For others of similar name see Donald MacIntyreMajor General Donald Macintyre VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and...
Sources
- Claire E. J. Herrick, "Brydon, William (1811–1873)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 26 Aug 2006