On this day in 1842, Dr. William Brydon arrived at the British garrison in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, the sole survivor of the British army retreating from Kabul. In January 1842, following the killing of the two British representatives there, it was decided to withdraw the British force in Kabul. The nearest British garrison was in Jalalabad, 90 miles (140 km) away, and the army would need to go through mountain passes with the January snow hindering them.
Under the command of Major-General William George Keith Elphinstone, the British army set out for Jalalabad on 6 January 1842, on the understanding that they had been offered safe passage. Afghan tribesmen intercepted them and proceeded to attack 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.
Surgeon Brydon was one of twelve mounted officers who had become separated from the remnants of the main column before the final stand at Gandamak. This small group had ridden to Futtehabad, but half had been killed there while six escaped. All but Brydon were killed, one by one, further along the road as their horses became exhausted. 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 Brydon. Part of his skull had been sheared off by an Afghan sword, and he survived the blow 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.
‘Remnants of an Army’ by Elizabeth Butler portraying William Brydon arriving at the gates of Jalalabad as the only survivor of a 16,500 strong evacuation from Kabul in January 1842.
Best Job! Penguin Waterer
Umm…
Bada BING!!!
Owner to car salesman: “I can’t explain it. All I know is I can’t drive more than 10 miles without needing to pull over to use the restroom”. Soon after it was introduced, the Lincoln Incontinental was recalled.
She told me she’s stripping to feed her kids but gets pissed when I put seven cans of green beans on the stage.
Why do men snore when they lie in their backs? It’s because their balls fall over their asshole which causes a vapor lock.
That feeling of anger you get when your girlfriend is kissing another dude but you can’t say anything because he’s her husband.
Remember, having sex on a regular basis keeps helps your memory alive. I wish you all a great 2016.
Apparently stress balls are not supposed to be thrown at people that are stressing you out.
Q: What did 2025 teach you that you will remember for the rest of your life? A: Don’t take your side piece to a Cold Play concert.
MAGA: I didn’t vote for THIS! Me: Yes you DID!
Really starting to doubt the credibility of the FIFA Peace Prize. Just Sayin’.
Most people are assholes. Don’t believe me? Next time you see a group of people, yell out, “Hey asshole!” They’ll all turn around and look.
If you need the threat of hell to be a good person, then you’re just a bad person on a leash.
If we are serious about saving the planet, we should stop printing calendars. They’re the reason our days are numbered.
I don’t always read something mind-numbingly stupid, but when I do it’s always from a tRUMP supporter.
It’s ironic that hyphenated is not hyphenated but non-hyphenated is hyphenated.
The cruelest self-help joke is being told to “leave your comfort zone.” Sir, I haven’t even found the comfort zone yet. I’ve been living in the ‘Mild-to-Severe Anxiety Zone’ my whole life. Can you give me the coordinates?
I’ll never apollogize for my puns about Greek gods.
HELP! I’ve fallen and I can’t think of a reason to get up!
My nephew asked me where Walla Walla was located. I told him somewhere between ting tang and bing bang.
Shout out to everyone who got through the day without taking a nap. Pulled an all-dayer today. Pretty rough.
Remember when the FIFA peace prize used to mean something?
The only thing Greenland has that America desperately needs is free Universal Healthcare.
Thank you for the free 10-day trial of 2026. I’d like to unsubscribe from whatever the hell this is.
I went to Costco today to buy eggs. We usually get brown eggs, but today all they had were white ones. I guess ICE got there first.
It’s astonishing how many people seem to think that public execution is a reasonable outcome for someone driving away from an ICE agent.
Octopus with gun in each hand looking at a cat… Cat: You’re one short buddy.
‘Morgue Employee Cremated By Mistake While Taking A Nap’ I guess two people got fired that day.
Let’s see if I have this correct… If I get out of my car I get taken to a concentration camp regardless of my citizenship, but if I don’t get out of my car I get shot in the head, right?
It’s weird how you never hear about the Proud Boys anymore. It’s almost like they all got jobs.
Picture at an exhibition…
Today is the birthday, in 1964, of David McClusky, from Scottish indie rock band The Bluebells who had the 1993 UK No.1 single with the re-issued Young At Heart after it was used in a Volkswagen television advertisement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7n53nIBb3g
