SECOND ANGLO-AFGHAN WAR 1878-1881
Papers of Lieutenant Colonel Hardin Burnley-Campbell (1843-1920) of the 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers), relating to his service in India during the second Afghan Campaign of 1878-1881, comprising:

i) Two army regimental order books for 'Troop B', written in ink in several hands, volume one detailing daily orders from 17 September to 28 November 1879, volume two continuing until 23 March 1880, mostly covering the minutiae of camp life such as the daily timetable ('...Reveille 6.30, Stables 7...'), parades and inspections, court martials, lists of men and support staff ('...grass cutters... native farriers... cooks...'), the care and exercising of horses ('...Horses heels will be thoroughly dried with rubbers...'), uniform ('...the kharki jacket to be worn over the patrol jacket... 2 pairs of cloth pantaloons if possible...'), equipment ('...owing to the destruction of saddlery &c by white ants in future the saddles will be placed on a portion of the hoop grass in piles of 6...'), ammunition ('...any man losing it will be severely delt with...'), welfare of the men ('...All men off duty will... be marched to the left bank of the Cabul River for bathing...'), preparations to move camp ('...not more than 3 horses length distance to be between each troop...'), the troops ready for action ('...After orders by Capt. Burnley. Every Man will sleep tonight with his cloak Belts & Arms on ready to turn out at a moments notice...'), including mention of their involvement at the Battle of Gara Heights at Dakka on 15 January 1880 ('...The Commanding Officer begs to thank most heartily the Officers and men... for their steady and soldier like bearing when exposed to the fire of the enemy this day... the patrol and scouting duties (the later especially) were entirely carried out to his satisfaction, likewise the dismounted skirmishing...'), final entries reversed, c.470pp, some pages excised, 'Bengal Form 358' notebooks, original calf with printed paper labels ('Order Book'), brass clasps (broken), worn with some ink stains, oblong 4to (120 x 180mm.), Umballa, Camp Basawal, Camp Jellalabad, September 1879 to March 1880

ii) Group of six autograph letters signed ('Hardin Burnley') to his father ('My dear Father'), the first commenting on bad news from the Cape ('...if we do not learn a lesson now... Afghanistan may furnish us with a like tale...') and that they must not underestimate the natives' fighting capabilities, with envelope; the second in pencil describing escorting the deposed Emir, Mohammad Yaqub Khan into exile in December 1879 ('...with my squadron 80 men & 4 officers... he only halted 20 minutes... sitting on a chair with his attendants on the road side – I got aides to ride on his right hand side all the way... this I did for 2 days – He was most communicative and chatted on all topics freely... no attack was made on us – all well... most shocking dust storm... carrying away some tents & nearly suffocating everyone...'); the next reporting on '...serious fighting Kabul way...', that they will soon have to relieve the 9th Lancers, skirmishes with locals ('...met with no resistance... otherwise the guns were in position... & would have shelled the village at once...'), believing they will be 'in this inhospitable' country for the long haul, talking of disease and casualties ('...considering this is but Guerrilla warfare.. it is grand training...'), and asking if he received the tiger and panther skins; one written 6 August 1880 on the eve of joining General Gough as his ADC on the Kandahar march ('...I leave here tomorrow... If the Afghans get hold of me I wish you to send to my servant... £50... I have given him this letter to give to you if anything should happen to me...'); another expressing pleasure at receiving two medals and clasps, talking of parties, shooting and other entertainments, with envelope; the last on social engagements in London, 41 pages, 8vo (180 x 114mm.), Umballa, Basawal, Cabul, Naval & Military Club, Piccadilly, 13 February 1879 to [23 May 1881]

iii) Three autograph letters from General Sir Hugh Gough signed ('Hugh Gough'), reminiscing '...I hope you have not forgotten our old days on the Kabul Kandahar March. I look back to them with much pleasure and can never forget the best ADC I ever had – I wish I could have more of my old soldiering days over again...'; one thanking him for the grouse; each with envelope, 8 pages, 8vo (150 x 95mm.), Canterbury, August [18]93; one other earlier letter, undated

iv) Other papers, including pocket almanack for 1878 containing troop and staff rolls, with pencilled notes on orders, rates of pay, bets with other officers, notable skirmishes ('...the attack on village near Peswar took place early morning of 6th July. Rpt 2 squadrons got up too late...'), rations ('...1 lb Bread & Biscuit/ 1 dram of rum...') etc., c.60 pages, some pages roughly excised, calf with broken brass clasp and integral pencil, small 8vo; official request from Burnley to Lieut. Col. John Fryer, commanding the Carabiniers at Simla that he should be '...employed on active service with any expeditionary force that may be deployed to the Frontier...', one page, folio (332 x 208mm.), Umballa, 25 September 1878; portrait cabinet photograph of a young Burnley in civilian dress; various loose notes, incoming correspondence, etc. including a typed biography annotated 'Some incidents of my life'

v) The Khandahar Pantomime Ayoub Khan. Written and composed by Mr F. C. Keyser and now printed by special request, original blue mottled paper wrappers, 8vo (180 x 105mm.), Poona, Printed at the Orphanage Press, 1884; two folding maps printed on linen: 'Afghan'... Enlarged at the Survey Office in Dehra Dun October 1878, 870 x 655mm., annotated in ink by Burnley; and 'Istan' by Col. J. T. Walker, Surveyor General of India, 890 x 655mm., with routes marked in red crayon
Footnotes:
Lieutenant Colonel Hardin Burnley-Campbell (1843-1920) was gazetted Cornet in the 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) in 1865. After several years in Ireland, he was posted to the Umballa station in India in 1878 where duties consisted of escort and transport tasks along the Khyber lines of communication. Whilst commanding a squadron at Basowal, following the murder of the political agent Cavagnari and the failure of the Treaty of Gandamak, he was charged with accompanying the deposed Emir Yaqub Khan into exile in India. He was present at the affair at Dakka on 15 January 1880, as mentioned in our notebook, before rejoining the Headquarters of the Regiment at Jellalabad. In August 1880 he was appointed Orderly Officer to the Cavalry Brigadier, General Sir Hugh Gough and with the Cavalry Brigade accompanied Lt. General Sir Frederick Roberts on his famous, impressively fast, march from Kabul to Kandahar, and was present at the battle of Kandahar on 1st September. He was the only member of the regiment to receive a bronze star for this epic journey and was mentioned in despatches.

After the Afghan campaign, Major Burnley saw service in the first Boer campaign (see lot 13) and retired in 1882, receiving the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in consideration of his distinguished service during the Afghan War. In June 1907 he became a real-life Phileas Fogg by circumnavigating the globe in 40 days, 19 hours and 30 minutes, breaking the previous record of 54 days, a record which he held for four years. His papers have been in the possession of his family until now.

Order Books (item i) bindings quite dry and worn; joints cracking or cracked, and one upper cover working quite loose. Some ink staining internally in one, and a couple of gatherings working loose in the other.

Item ii: one letter with remains of mounting on verso, and splitting at folds.

Item iii: envelopes lightly toned. Folded.

Item iv: condition varies, but commensurate with age and format.

Item v: textile maps lightly stained and discoloured. Pantomime lightly toned and wrappers with a few small chips.