'Charge of the Cavalry of the rear Guard at the Battle of Tezeen, 1842'

Ink wash over pencil sketch by George Alfred Croly, 1843.

During the final phase of the 1st Afghan War (1839-1842) Major-General Sir George Pollock's Army of Retribution reached Tezeen on 11 September 1842. Akbar Khan had hoped to strike a deal with the British but when he realised that they intended to march on Kabul he led his army through the Khoord-Kabul Pass to the Tezeen Valley. The Afghans occupied the heights around the valley but a series of sorties on 12 and 13 September drove them back in disarray. This victory left the way clear for the advance to the Afghan capital.