The dying Nicholson advocated the same course with almost his latest breath.

So angry and excited was he when he was told of the General's suggestion to retire, that he exclaimed, 'Thank God I have strength yet to shoot him, if necessary.' There was no resisting such a consensus of responsible and reliable opinion, and Wilson gave up all idea of retreating.
During the afternoon of the 14th, Norman, Johnson, and I, at the General's desire and for his information, visited every position occupied by our troops within the city walls.

In some places there was great confusion--men without their officers, and officers without their men--all without instructions, and not knowing what was going on in their immediate neighbourhood, the inevitable result of the rapid advance.

We did what we could to remedy matters, and were able to report to Wilson that our troops were holding the wall from the Water bastion to the Kabul gate in sufficient strength.

But this was all the comfort we could give him.