pass and its freezing cold, losing many soldiers. When the survivors of this march arrived at the Darband river, it had a raging torrent, nonetheless, Akram Khan's army still marched through, many more drowning from its icy flowing waters. Akram Khan's remanant forces finally arrived in Kabul in April, however it was no longer a fighting force, as thousands of men had died, and the survivors facing snow blindness, frostbite, and hunger, according to the depictions of Jonathan lee. As well as this, Akram Khan was forced to abandon his artillery, these combined losses severely affected Dost Mohammad's preparations to try and repel the coming British invasion. First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842) The British Expedition (1839) By the time Akram Khan had returned to Kabul, the British force had reached Baluchistan and was preparing to march in Kandahar, ruled by the Dil brothers under the Emirate of Qandahar. This force was commanded by General Willoughby Cotton, with the force consisting of around 9,500 troops of the Bengal and Bombay army, and mostly 7,000 Indian levies recruited by Shah Shuja. The British campaign force was encumbered by an entourage of 30,000 camp followers and a vast baggage train, followed by a divided General staff. This got to the point where Wade wished to resign due to his minimal role given in the war, as he had around 800 men and was stationed in Peshawar. Despite General Fane's attempts to dissuade the attempts of keeping such a large camp following, officers embraced that if they were going to war, they would “do it in style” according to the depictions given by Jonathan lee. The British force traveled through Sindh, while also “pursuading” the Amir of Khairpur to become a British protectorate, furthering their access in the region. The troops finally reached Dadar after a long route taken in Kalat. Dadar was the entrance to the Bolan pass. By the time the British force passed through the Bolan pass and arrived at Quetta, it was no longer an efficient fighting force due to the scorching heat and hard terrain. The British forces also suffered supply issues, with local rulers unable or unwilling to send supplies to the British expedition, the troops were put on half rations, while the camp followers were forced to fend for themselves. There was however good news for the British expedition, as Burnes had convinced Mehrab Khan, the ruler of