Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1882 — THE EGYPTIAN WAR. [ARTICLE]

THE EGYPTIAN WAR.

Gen. Wclsoley Says It Is Practically Over v . Brilliant Victory at Tel-el-Kebir-Arabi Captured. Wednesday, the 13th of September, was a {Treat day for the British army in Egypt. Gen. Wolseley, at day-break, advanced upon Tel-el-Keber, the Egyptians opening fire when the British were one mile distant The place was captured by a charge, the straggle lasting only twenty minutes. The loss of Arabi Pasha is estimated at 2,000 men. beside forty guns and 3,000 prisoners. The number killed on the British side was about 200. Arabi is said to have escaped on horseback to Zagazig, while his men tied toward the desert, hotly pursued by the Indian cavalry on the south and the British cavalry on the north. The Egyptian regiments are’ credited with cowardly behavior, while the Mack troops from the Soudan fought bravely, and the rebel artillery was well served. The Khedive’s band headed a procession at Alexandria which indulged in a jubilee over the victory of the British. Gen. McPherson pushed forward and occupied Zagazig, capturing five railway trains. Dispatches from Tel-el-Keber give the following particulars of the battle: “The rebels discovered our men when about a mile from their works, and opened a heavy rifle fire. Our men paused for a moment on the line of the sand-hills, and then, with a gallant rush, thev were among the rebels. Acting on Gen. Wolseley’s orders, they reserved their fire and went in with the bayonet. The slaughter for a time was very great. The rebels could not stand it, and broke and fled, pursued hotly. The final rush was made over a distance of 200 yards, the men skirmishing and seeking cover until they reached this point. Several thousand Egyptians were taken prisoners. Our own loss up to this time I should compute at 200 killed. The following officers fell: British officers killed—Maj. Colville, of the Seventy-fourth Highlanders; Lieut. Somervell, Seventy-fourth Highlanders. British officers wounded :CoL Hutchinson, of the Forty-sixth regiment; Capt. Kephel, of the Seventy-fourth Highlanders; Capt. Cumberland of the Seventy-fourth Highlanders; Lieut. Midwood, of the Seventyfourth Highlanders; Lieut. Gordon Cary, of the Seventy-fourth Highlanders. Lieut Gordon in the melee killed three Egyptian officers with his claymore. ” The English advance guard reached Cairo on the evening of the 14th inst, by rail, and at once took possession of the city. Arabis were scattered in all directions over the deserts, and were coming forward as fast as possible with offers to surrender. Arabi himself was virtually a prisoner in Cairo, where, on his arrival after the disaster of Tel-el-Kebir, he was greeted with stones bv the same populace that would have hailed him as the deliverer of Egypt and the conquerer of her foes had the tide of battle turned the other way. It was stated that he would be held by the local authorities subject to the demands of the Khedive and his English allies. The Sultan telegraphed Gen. Wolseley his congratulations, at the same time preferring a request that the march of the British any further into the interior of Egypt be stopped. To this cool proposition Geii. Wolseley returned a brief reply referring the Sultan to the British Government in London, but at the same time ordering his forces onward to Cairo. Numerous delegations arrived at Alexandria to express the loyalty and submissiveness of the people to the’ Khedive. The rebel force at Tel-el-Kebir comprised 30,000 regulars, 7,000 Bedouins, and 3,000 volunteers. The British loss was fifty-four killed and 350 wounded. The following account of the battle at Tel-el-Kebir was telegraphed by cable to the New York Herald: “The attack' began on the left Nothing could be imagined finer than the advance of the Highland brigade. The Fourteenth were next the canal Next were the Camdtonians, and the Gordon Highlanders continued the line, with the Black Watch upon their flank. The Forty-sixth and Sixtieth regiments formed a second line. Swiftly and silently the Highlanders moved forward to the attack. No word was spoken, no shot fired, until within 300 yards of the enemy’s earthworks, nor up to that time did any sound in the Egyptian lines betoken that they were aware of the presence of their assailants. Then suddenly a terrific fire flashed along the line of sand-heaps, a

storm of bullets whizzed over the heads of the advancing troops, a wild cheer broke from the Highlanders, and in response the pipes struck shrilly up, bayonets were fixed, and at doublequick time they dashed forward. The first line of intrenchments was carried, the enemy scarcely offering any resistance. But from another line of intrenchments, behind which in the still dim light one could scarcely see, a burst of musketry broke out For a few minutes the Highlanders poured in a heavy fire, but it was probably as innocuous as that of the unseen enemy whose bullets whistled harmlessly overhead. The delay in the advance was but short Then the order was given, and the brigade again went rapidly forward. Soon a portion of the force had passed between tne enemy’s redoubts and opened a flanking fire. This was too much for the Egyptians, who took to their heels and fairly ran, suffering, as the crowded masses rushed across the open desert, very heavily from our fire, being literally mowed down by hundreds. Meanwhile fighting began upon the other flauk. The horse artillery shelled the enemy's extreme left Here the Egyptians were more prepared than on their right For a time they kept up a steady fire. The Royal Irish were sent to turn the enemy’s left. At the word they dashed at the trenches and carried them at the bayonet’s point, so turning the flank of the defenders of the position. Next came the Eighty-eighth regiment, then the Eighty-fourth, the Guards being close up behind in support These regiments advanced by regular rushes. For a short time the enemy cluug to their line of intrenchments, but their fire was singularly ineffective, and the • British troops got fairly into the trenches Then the enemy fought stoutly for a few moments. The combat was a hand-to-hand one. Maj. Hart shot one man as he was trying to wrest a revolver from his hand. This was even after the trench had been turned by our advance on their flank. Then, as the British poured in, the Egyptians fled as rapidly as those on the other side had done before the Highlanders. The fight was now practically over.” Gen. Wolseley telegraphed from Cairo to the British War Office on Sept. 15, as follows: ‘Gen. Lowe has occupied Cairo. Arabi Pasha and Toulba Pasha have surrendered unconditionally. Ten thousand troops at Cairo have laid down their arms. The war is over. Send no more men from England Midshipman Dechair is safe. I have been received nere with open anns by all classes. The soldiers are glad to return to their homei Arabi Pasha and Toulba Pasha are both confined in our guard-rooms. I will now change my base from Ismailia to Alexandria. ” ” A dispatch from Alexandria on Sept. 16 says: “After the engagement at Tel-el-Kebir, Arabi Pasha fled to Cairo and told the Council that the troops had deserted him, upon which the mission was sent to the Khedive with two letters from Arabi Pasha, one expressing his devotion, and the other warning him not to allow the English to enter Cairo, as the same results might follow as happened at Alexandria. The Khedive refused to receive the letters. Arabi Pasha was taken before the Khedive. He presented a loathsome picture of groveling servility. He swore he had not been aware he was fighting, against the Khedive. The Khedive remained standing while Arabi Pasha was in his presence. When Arabi had concluded, the Khedive ordered his removal” It has been ascertained that Arabi was in bed at the time of the attack on Tel-el-Kebir, and, panic-stricken at the sudden and unexpected attack, fled in dismay. All the Egyptian leaders will be tried at Cairo for their rebellion. Canned provisions for 20 - 000 men for a month were captured at Tel-el-Kebir.