Lt Col Sir Louis Cavagnari, killed at Kabul in 1879

Lt Col Sir Louis Cavagnari, K.C.B., C.S.I. [1841 – 1879]. A very clean cdv by The London Stereoscopic Company showing the ill fated officer and diplomat bust length wearing a tropical service helmet. Pierre Louis Napoleon Cavagnari was educated in London and at Addiscombe, entering the HEIC’s service in 1858, a year after he had been naturalised. His initial commission was in the 1st Bengal European Fusiliers. He was an Assistant on the Punjab Commission and from 1866-77 in charge of the Kohat District. As District Commissioner at Peshawar he accompanied several expeditions. He was with Chamberlain’s mission to Shere Ali in 1878, later negotiating the Treaty of Gandamak with the Amir Yakub Khan, receiving his knighthood at that point and being appointed Resident at Kabul. When residing at the Bala Hissar he was killed with his staff on September 3^rd 1879 when the Afghan troops attacked the building.     jan1/1

The naming on the card was originally mistakenly printed ranking Cavagnari as General but this has been neatly changed to Major in a contemporary hand. He was in fact a Lieutenant Colonel at the time of  his death.