He was the sole European survivor of the British Army's retreat (appromimately 4,500 soldiers and allied combatants) from Kabul, Afghanistan in January 1842 during the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842). Guaranteed safe passage back to India, the soldiers and civilians were instead massacred. Suffering a wound to the head, Brydon safely reached the British fort at Jalalabad with his mortally-wounded horse who died soon after bringing its rider to safety. The tragic incident, and Brydon's survival, were the subject of the painting by Lady Butler [a.k.a. Elizabeth Southerden (Thompson) Butler] titled "Remnants of an Army."
Brydon was also a veteran of the Second Burmese War (1852), and a veteran of the Indian Rebellion (1857) during which he and his family were present at the second siege of Lucknow where he was again wounded in action.
In 1858, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).
He was the sole European survivor of the British Army's retreat (appromimately 4,500 soldiers and allied combatants) from Kabul, Afghanistan in January 1842 during the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842). Guaranteed safe passage back to India, the soldiers and civilians were instead massacred. Suffering a wound to the head, Brydon safely reached the British fort at Jalalabad with his mortally-wounded horse who died soon after bringing its rider to safety. The tragic incident, and Brydon's survival, were the subject of the painting by Lady Butler [a.k.a. Elizabeth Southerden (Thompson) Butler] titled "Remnants of an Army."
Brydon was also a veteran of the Second Burmese War (1852), and a veteran of the Indian Rebellion (1857) during which he and his family were present at the second siege of Lucknow where he was again wounded in action.
In 1858, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).
Inscription
In
Memory of
William Brydon, C.B.
Born 9th October 1811,
Died 20th March 1873.
"The things which are not seen are eternal."
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