Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1885 — A BATTLE IN EGYPT. [ARTICLE]

A BATTLE IN EGYPT.

Gen. Stewart Meets the Mahdi’s Host at the Wells of Abu Klee. A Fierce Battle in the Desert, the Arabs Charging tfcfe British. The British, After Heavy Loss, Drive the Mahdi from the Field. The first battle between the tmeps of theBritish General Wolseley and the forces of the.Egvptian rebel El Mahdi oocrftred at. the wells of Abu Elea, in the desert, on Saturday, the 17th of January. General, Stewart, who had moved with a 500 men from Korti to Gokdul, ninety miles, on the caravan ronte to Metemneh and*' Shendy, left Gakdnl on the 14th for Abu Klea. At this point there is an abundant: supply of water, and it was proposed to recuperate here for the dash on Metetnneh. When Stewart left Korti the rebels were im force at Berber and Shendy, with the maim army of the Mahdi camped to the northwest of Khartoum, near Omdurman, one of Gordon’s ontpost strongholds. This position was taken on the theory that Wolseley wopld advance by way of Debbeh, but when u was discovered that Stewart was advancing across the desert tberebels at Omdurman and Berber were concentrated at Shendy and thrown forward tomeet Stewart before he could reach the wells at Abu Klea. This was not unexpected, as Gen. Stewart had moved forward! from Gakdul in readiness for an attack. Hefought the battle under all the disadvantages that it was possible for the opposing; forces to impose, and the struggle ended in the defeat of the Mahdi’s forces. A cable special gives the following account of theengagement: Until the 16th the British advanoecLrapidly, with a straggling column, but evidence of thepresence of many Arab scouts near camp the previous night then led to long halts, a morecompact form tion, and a regular advance. The British had no idea the enemy was«so near. Native reports had led them to suppose that, only a few rebels left Abu-Klea. On receipt of: news of the appearance of the enemy at noon, Gen. Stewart massed the brigade into columns,, placing the guards on the right, the heavy cavalry in the center, and the artillery and engineers in the rear, the guards thus forming the right face of the square. Lord Boresford’s naval brigade was posted behind, and* mounted infantry and the Sussex Regiment closed the rear. The baggage was placed in thecenter. Gen. Stewart then went over to a ridge to reconnoiter. Skirmishers were sent forward; to force an attack. At the first shoe*; from theenemy the fate of the whole British force trembled in the balance, but the steadiness of the guards, the marine corps, and the mounted! infantry prevailed, and the rebels retired, leaving the ground strewn with dead and wounded, warriors and arms and banners. The Sussex Regiment was attacked in the rear. The Egyptians allies fought desperately. The greatest, losses fell on the heavy camel corps, six of whose officers were killed, and two wounded. 'J he rebels Brought, all their best troops to the attack. Theat sault on the right of the British square wasled by Abusaleh, Emir of Metemneh, and the attack on the left was under Mohammed Kbair, Emir of Berber. The latter was wounded and, retired during the early part ot the engagement. Abusaleh advanced fiercely with a hundred fanatics until shot down in the square. Line after line of the rebels fell under the fire of onr Martini rifles. The naval, brigade suffered great loss. Col. Burnaby fell while fighting gallantly with his comrades. The enemy's firing the night before the fight prevented sleep. The rebels eameon In good order from right and left front at 8 o’clock in the morning. Onr screw-gun. battery checked their advance for some time. Though our position was well protected the, rifies of the rebels made accurate fire. At 18Gen. Stewart determined to make a counter attack and formed a hol.ow square, with the guards in front, the mounted infantry on theleft'ii&nk, the Sussex Regiment on the right, \ and a heavy camel corps and the naval brigade in the rear. The sauare moved oat under a. storm of bnUets. Men dropped right and left, ‘ but no wounded were left on the field. The ' medical staff, under Surgeon Ferguson, worked splendidly under the heaviest nre. Stoppages to attend the wounded delayed the advance. An hour before the main Body of the enemy was sighted the British realized that at least 7,000 or 8,000 rebels were opposed tothem. Gen. Stewart took a good position on a. slope, where the rebels most advance up a hill and across open ground. Norton’s battery did great service when the enemy was forming for the charge, their shrapnel causing utter de moralization. Gen. Stewart’s orderly yyas killed! by his side. The interior of the square presented, to view amass of falling camels, and Struggling Arabs, and English soldiers. Three hearty cheers were given when the square reformed on, fresh ground. Numerous Arabs, havinggpretended to be dead, now rose from the field and l rushed past the square to join the retreating: enemy. The rebels consisted of forces from Khartoum, Kordofan, and Berber. During the. night Gen. Stewart sent a portion of the guards, back to bring everything from the intrenched post in the rear. They returned in safety the, morning of the 18th, when the troops partook ' of the first food for twenty-fonr hours. The. hussars buried sixty men where the square wasattacked. The rebels had 900 special negro riflemen, all good shots. ’I he-country is rugged and rocky, and with scanty vegetation. A special giving additional partieulais of the battle says: The battle was a fearful hand-to-hand fight. Most of the Arabs were armed with spears and protected by spiked shields ot ox-hide. They rushed to close quarters and swarmed over the, bodies of their dead and wounded comrades. The English troops, after the first few rounds, had been fired, fought •- with shortened sabers and with sword-bayonets, wielded at half-arm-length. Col. Burnaby was killed by a thrust of an Arab’s spear, which entered his neck and severed the jugular vein. When Gen. Stewart’shorse was shot the rider fell to the gronnd and was badly shaken, but he soon recovered andobtained another horse. The English soldiershad had neither food nor water since the night: before the battle.

The most deplorable result of the battle* in the mind of the average Englishman, says a cable dispatch, is the death of Lieut. Col. Frederick Burnaby, of the Royal HorseGuards. He was the best known and moßt popular officer in the British military service. His personality made him a< striking figure,' for he stood six feet and six. inches high barefooted, and measured! nearly fifty inches aronnd the chest. Wonderful tales are told of his strength and endurance, and the desperate adventures recounted in his books— “A Ride to Khiva,” “On Horseback Through Asia Minor,” etc.—are implicitly believedi by those who knew him. His connection with the ptosent Egyptian conflict was romantic as well as adventurous. Without resigning his commission in the army, he obtained leave of absenceand went to Egypt last January as a correspondent of the Post, as he had formerlybeen a correspondent of the Times during, the < 'artist war in Spain. When he arrived at Buskin ana Baker PaOTra 8 expedition, was fitting out to attadkiOfrmim Digma, 001. Burnaby found it intolerable to be without’ active military employment, and Be was; given a position off the staff of Baker Pasha. He avis, vrith thot General in the* disastrous battle at TokaTand the retreat toTrinkitat* 1 ’ ’ , A young married Woman of New York, who has been addicted’to painting her lipsas well as her cheeks and eyelashes, is now under medical treatment to reduce lhemze of her lips, whlfeh have becofi^jj^^jjjß^ly Dubing 1884 there were 927 amete fordrunkenness in Glasgow, tma pomlation population of 228,357; Greenock !if9, in a population of 55,884. Thebe is to be a ladies’ press-room ah the inaugural ball.