At daylight on the 22nd I reconnoitered Ghuzni, in company with the chief engineer and the brigadier commanding the artillery, with the adjutant and quartermaster-general of the Bengal army, for the purpose of making all arrangements for carrying the place by storm, and these were completed in the course of the day.  Instead of the tedious process of breaching, (for which we were ill prepared,) Captain Thomson undertook, with the assistance of Captain Peat, of the Bombay Engineers, Lieutenants Durand and Macleod, of the Bengal Engineers, and other officers under him, (Captain Thomson,) to blow in the Cabool gate, the weakest point, with gunpowder; and so much faith did I place on the success of this operation that my plans for the assault were immediately laid down and the orders given.

The different troops of horse artillery, the camel and foot batteries, moved off their ground at twelve o’clock that night, without the slightest noise, as had been directed, and in the most correct manner took up the position assigned them, about 250 yards from the walls.  In like manner, and with the same silence, the infantry soon after moved from their ground, and all were at their post at the proper time.  A few minutes before three o’clock in the morning the explosion took place, and proved completely successful.  Captain Peat, of the Bombay Engineers, was thrown down and stunned by it, but shortly after recovered his senses and feeling.  On hearing the advance sounded by the bugle, (being the signal for the gate having been blown in,) the artillery, under the able directions of Brigadier Stevenson, consisting of Captain Grant’s troop of Bengal Horse Artillery, the camel battery, under Captain Abbott, both superintended by Major Pew, Captains Martin and Cotgrave’s troops of Bombay Horse Artillery, and Captain Lloyd’s battery of Bombay Foot Artillery, all opened a terrific fire upon the citadel and ramparts of the fort, and, in a certain degree, paralysed the enemy.

Under the guidance of Captain Thomson, of The Bengal Engineers, the chief of the department, Colonel Dennie of her Majesty’s 13th Light Infantry, commanding the advance, consisting of the light companies of her Majesty’s 2nd and 17th regiments of Foot, and of the Bengal European regiment, with one company, of her Majesty’s 13th Light Infantry, proceeded to the gate, and with great difficulty, from the rubbish thrown down, and determined opposition offered by the enemy, effected an entrance, and established themselves within the gateway closely followed by the main column, led in a spirit of great gallantry by Brigadier Sale, to whom I had entrusted the important post of commanding the storming party, consisting (with the advance above-mentioned) of her Majesty’s 2nd Foot, under Major Carruthers; the Bengal European regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Orchard, followed by her Majesty’s 13th Light Infantry, under Major Thomson; and her Majesty’s 17th regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Croker.