ELDRED

POTTINGER (1811—1843)  , Anglo-Indian soldier and diplomatist, entered the Bombay Artillery in 1827, and after some years of regimental duty was appointed to the political department under Colonel (afterwards Sir Henry) Pottinger . In 1837 he made a journey through Afghanistan in disguise . Arriving at Herat, he found it threatened by a Persian army (with which were some Russian officers) and immediately made himself known to the Afghan commander, offering his services . The attack which soon followed was conducted with the greatest vigour, but the defence, inspired by Pottinger, was invariably successful, and after a year the siege was raised . For this great service Pottinger was thanked by the governor-general, the earl of Auckland, made brevet-major, and also received the C.B . He was also appointed political officer at Herat . In 1841 he was political officer in Kohistan when the revolt against Shah Shuja broke out there . Taking refuge with the Gurkha garrison of Charikar, Major Pottinger stood a siege of fourteen days, and then made an. adventurous retreat to Kabul . Less than a fortnight after his arrival Sir William Macnaghten was murdered, and Pottinger succeeded to his position as envoy to the Afghan court . The apathy of the military leaders made resistance hopeless, and it only remained to negotiate for the withdrawal of the British mission . Pottinger himself was one of the hostages handed over to Akbar Khan, and thus escaped the massacre in the Khyber Pass . Released, after many months' captivity, by Sir George Pollock's army, he returned to India, and a year later died while visiting Hong-Kong .