Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1885 — A BATTLE IN EGYPT. [ARTICLE]

A BATTLE IN EGYPT.

Gen. Stewart Meets the Mahdi's Host at the Wells of AbuKlea. - ’ A Fierce Battle in the Desert, the Arabs Changing the British. The British, After Heavy Boss, Drive the Mahdi from the Field. THe first battle between the troop* of tbe British General Wolseley and the force* of the Egyptian rebel El Mahdi occurred at the wells of Abu Kira, in the desert, on SainTday, the 17th of Jotinarr. General Stewart, who had moved with a force of 1,500 men from Korti to Gakdnl, ninety mile* on the caravan route to Metemneb and ghendy, left GakduJ on the 14th for Abti Kiea. At (hi* point there is an abnndanf supply of water, and it was proposed to recuperate here for tbe dash on Metemneb. When Stewart left Korti the rebels were in force at Berber and Hhendy, with the fnain army of the Malidi camped to the northwest of Khartoum, near Omdurman, one of Gordon's ontpost strongholds. This position was taken on the theory that Wolseley would advance by way of Debbih, but when it was discovered that Stewart was advancing across tbe desert the rebels at Omdurman nnd Berber were concentrated nt hhendy and thrown forward to meet Stewart before he conld reach the welis at Abu Kiea. This was not unexpected, as Gen. Stewart had moved forward from Gakdal in readiness for an attack. He fought the battle under all tbe disadvantages that it was possible for the opposing forces to impose, nnd the struggle ended in the defeat of the Mahdi's forces. A cable special gives the following account of the engagement: ; Until the 16th the British advanced rapidlv. with a straggling column, bnt evidence of the presence of many Arab scouts near camp the previous night then led to long halts, a more compact form tion, and a regular advance. The British had no idea the enemy was so near. Native rep ris had led them to suppose that only a few rebels left Abu-Klea. On re eipt of Sews of the appearance of the enemy at noon, en. Stewhrt massed the brigade into columns, placing the guards on the right, the heavy cavalry In the center, and tbe artillery ami * engineers in the rear, tbe guards thus forming the right face of the square. Lord Beresford's naval brigade was posted behind, and mounted Infantry and the Sussex Regiment closed the rear. The baggage was placed in tho center. Gen. Stewart then went over to a ridge to reconnoiter. Skirmishers were sent forward to force an attack. At the first shoot from the enemy the fate of the whole Urittsh force trembled in the balance, bnt.fhe 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 waa attacked in the rear. The Egyptians allies fought desperately. The greatest losses fell on the : heavy camel oorps, six of whose officers were killed and two wounded, 'i he rebels brought all their best troops to the attack. The assault on tbe right ot the British square was led by Abusaleb, Emir of Meterancn, and tbe attack on the left was under Mohammed Khalr, Emir of Berlier. The latter was wounded and retired during the early part rl the engagement. Abnsaleh advanced fiercely with a hundred fanatics until shot down in the sqnare. Line after line of the- rebels fell under the fire of our Martini rifles. The naval brigade suffered great loss. Col. Bnrnaby fell while fighting gallantly with his comrades. The enemy’s firing the night before the fight prevented sleep. The rebels came on in good order from right and left front at * o’clock in the morning. Our screw-gun battery checked their advance for some time. Though our position was well protected the rifles of the rebels made accurate fire. At 10 Gen. Stewart determined to make a counter attack and formed a hoi ow square, with tbe guards in front, the mounted Infantry on the left flank, the Sussex Regiment on the right, and a heavy camel corps and the naval brigade In the rear. The souare moved ont under a storm of bnllets. Men dropped right and left, bnt no wounded were left on tbe field. The medical staff, under Snrgeon Ferguson, worked splendidly under the heaviest fire. Stoppages to attend the wounded delayed the advance. An honr before the main body of tbe enemy was sighted tbe British realized that at ieast 7,000 or 8,000 . rebels were opposed to them. Gen. Stewart took a good position on a slope, where the rebels most advance np a hill and across open ground. Norton's battery did great service when the enemy was forming for the charge, their shrapnel cansing otter de sacralization. Gen, Stewart’s orderly was killed by his side. The interior of the sqnare presented Arabs, an i English soldiers. Three hearty cheers were given when tbe sqnare reformed on fresh ground. Numerous Arabs, having pretended to be dead, now rose from the field and rnshed past the square to join tbe 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. whea tbe troops partook of the first food for twenty-four hours. The hussars buried sixty men where the square waa attacked. Tbe rebels had 90u special negro riflemen, all good shota. The country la ragged and rocky, and with scanty vegetation. A special giving additional particulars 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 ttred.fonght witn shortened sabers and with sword-bayonets, wielded at half-arm length. CoL Bnrnaby was killed by a thrust of an Arab’s spear, which -entered his neck and severed the jugular vein. When Gen. Stewart's horse was shot tbe rider fell to the ground and was badly shaken, bat he soon recovered and ohtained another horse. Tbe English soldiers had had neither food nor water since tbe night before the battle. The most deplorable result of the battle in the minJ of the average Englishman, says a cable dispatch, is the death of Lieut. Col. Frederick Burnaby, of tbe Boyal Horse Guards. He was the best known and most popnlar officer in the British military service. His personality made him a striking fi ure, feir he stood six feet and six inches high, barefooted, and measured nearly fifty inches around the chest. Wonderful tiles ar 3 told of his strength and endurance,' and the desperate adventures recounted in his books—"A Bide to Khiva,” “On Horseback Through Asia Minor,” etc.—are implicitly believed by those who knew him. His connection with the present Egyptian conflict was romantic as well as adventurous. Without resigning his commission in the army, he obtained leave of absence and weDt to Egypt last January as a correspondent of the Pont, as he had jformeriy been a correspondent of the ’limrH daring the Carlist war in Spain. When he arrived at Smkin and Baker Pashas expedition was fitting oat to attack Osman Digma, CoL Bnrnaby found it intolerable withou* active military employment, and he was given a position on tbe staff of Baker Pasha. He was with tl.at General iu the disastrous battle at Tokarand the retreat to Trinkitat 1

A YOCKG married woman of New York, who has been addicted to j a nting her lips as well as her cheeks and eyelashes, is now under medical treatment to re<luce the six* of her lips, whic h have become *' horribly enlarged” by chemical poison. Dounq 1881 there were 927 arrests for drunkenness in Glasgow, in a population of 620.000; in Aberdeen 109, in a population of 87,223: City 212. in a population of 228,357; Greenock IM9, in a population of 5\884. . ; There is to be a ladies’ press-room at the inaugural ball. - .. m ... -j