ROBERTS, Frederick Sleigh, 1st Earl (1832-1914). Field Marshal.
Autograph Letter Signed to Lyall [probably Sir Alfred Comyn Lyall (1835-1911, administrator in India)], 2 pages 8vo with blank leaf, Royal Hospital, Dublin, 18 February 1896. Sending uncorrected proofs of the pages of his book dealing with the invasion of Afghanistan and the occupation of Kabul.

'... I am sending you in a registered cover pages 1-160 of the Second. Vol: of my book, and will forward the pages dealing with affairs at Kabul up to the 10th December, as soon as they come from the Printer. I have no more in type, but the portion between the 11th Dec: and 31 Dec: deals almost entirely with the fighting that went on, and enters not little into political work. ...'

Lyall had been foreign secretary at the time to which Roberts is presumably alluding, and he supported the disastrous decision to partition Afghanistan. He was notoriously unable to stand up to the viceroy, Lord Lytton, who had been responsible to some degree for giving Roberts the command which he so ably carried out. It is not surprising, therefore, that Roberts should have wanted him to see what he proposed to publish on the campaign.
[No: 25762]