January 13th: Today in 1842 Dr. William Brydon rode into Jalalabad in Afghanistan and was thought to be the sole survivor of an army of over sixteen thousand that set out from Kabul seven days earlier. The Army had been promised safe passage but was cut to pieces as it retreated through the many mountain passes towards Jalalabad. Eventually other non-European survivors were recovered as well as some hostages that had been taken during the march, but Brydon riding into Jalalabad on his dying horse as the sole survivor is one of the most potent memories for the British of their first Afghan War. His account of the disaster can be found here.

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