On January 13, 1842, Dr. William Brydon arrived at the British garrison in Jallalabad during the First Anglo-Afghan War. This is significant because the expedition began with over 16,000 people, but Brydon was the sole survivor. It's like something out of a movie: Brydon was partially scalped, yet survived because he had a magazine in his hat to keep his head warm, which prevented a more severe injury. Then, his horse collapsed dead right after entering the gates of the city. Brydon's experience was the inspiration for the above painting by Lady Butler. This really is an amazing story, and you can read more about Brydon's experience on Wikipedia.