Timeline January 1842

Events in January 1842 2

• 1842 British retreat from Kabul Elphinstone's army destroyed in the Afghan passes About 16,000 British, Indian troops and camp followers left Kabul under General Elphinstone and were attacked by Afghan forces as they marched through the winter passes. The column was wiped out, with a last stand at Gandamak on 13 January. Assistant surgeon William Brydon was the only European to reach Jalalabad.
• 1842 Charles Dickens tours America The novelist's first visit to the United States Charles Dickens arrived in Boston to great acclaim and toured the eastern states and the Midwest for about five months. He campaigned for international copyright and criticised slavery. His travel book American Notes, published that autumn, offended many Americans.