The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-09-05 00:00:00

A NIGIIT ATTACK BY REBELS.

BRILLIANT CAVALRY CHARGE.

REPULSE Ok' THE ENEMY.

MANSAIIIIN STATION, Monday.
This hag been a homy day for the troops at the front,
the C 'entry eapecially, under General Drury Lowe.
having had a heavy time of it.
At seven this morning guns were heard in the
dinction ofSautaasin Ltkk, which is four miles to
our front. The tr,opa were called under arms, the
Catairl, conviating of the 11,114.36041 Cavalry and 7th
Drag ton Guards, ariddletl up, and the Infantry fell in
in readiness to march to the assistance of the force
thera under General Graham.
At eleven o'clock the flags of the signallers at
Kaesawin were in motion, and the news came that the
enemy were approaching. The Cavalry again turned
out, :apt rode off to Kawassio. As the enemy
approached, General Graham opened fire with his two
guns, ant the Eryptian artillery replied. The
Cavalry remained out all day, and the Infantry here
were kept in readiness to march at a moment's notice,
butes the enemy made no movement in advance, they
were not called forward to the front.

'meatus, Tuesday.

Scarcely had the Cavalry unsaddled, and horses and
men begun to ...it, when the sound of artillery was
heard again.g Kusavoin, and by the heavy and cone
t‘-itions rosr it was evident that this time the attack
was in earn•st. Again the wesaied men saddled their
no less weary horses and prepared to advance. The
sun was still heating down fiercely even at that late
hour, and the hot withering wind was raising the sand
clouds so high that it WaX impoelble to see what vu
going on. hut throuzh the dust and hare the numerous
jet Ism •ke from the runs warn

The cannonade incfeann I in vi. lence, and the cavalry
moved away to the ri.:ht, the floree Artillery follow-
ing them, and ',reseed round towards the flank of the
enemy's infantly. With the movement of such tuaa.wis
1 wen ",1 homes the dust rose over the whole Wend
thicker than ever, and It was impossible to obtsin
more than a general idea of What WAS going on; while
Qs NM .it in a rod glare over the lamb' Pia& The

cavalry push wl still further to the right until hidden
from the ei.emy by some low sand hills, and then
loaded their weary horses into as fast • trot as the
heavy sand and their weary condition would permit.
it was evident that it was the General's intention
to repeat the tactics of the previous fight, end that he
meant to get round the enemy's rear. It was • striking
proof of his coo &levee u his troops that, wi th tired horses
an.l night approaching, he should attempt this men-
oeuvre against an enemy of unknown strength and with
fresh horses. Against any other enemy it would have
been rub, but the result proved that General Drury
Lowe did not overestimatd the fighting powers of hie
men.

Soon the red angry glare showing where the
sun had sunk grew dim, and darkness mine down
rapidly upon us. The rattle and roar of the combat
on our left never ceased, ad it wee evident that the
two thousand infantry at Kassassin Lock were hard
preened. Presently the moonlight streamed palely
over the grey sand, but the clouds of dust obscured
the advancing horsemen, who sometimes trotted,
sometimes walked.
By about seven o'clock we had got in the rear of the
firing, and wheeled in that dbection, advancing very
slowly to allow the artillery to come up.
We slowly drew nearer to the scene of conflict It
was almost dark, but, unfortunately, we showed up a
blsck mar egaiLit the bright moonlight sky and
ground, and tto sudden rush of shell through the Ur,
followed by an mplosion fu in our rear, showed that
the enemy had at last discerned us. They were about
fifteen hundred yards away, and we saw nine [daddies,
One after an ther, at short interest's, spurt out, no
longer like sheet lightning, but in angry jets of flame.
Almost simulteneoualy the sky above us *aimed to be
torn to pieces a. by a mi.rlity hurricane. Shells
screamed and burst, and shrapnel bullets tore up the
sand on either side of us. . .

_ —..---- -- --
The Stipule cow moved to the right to disouncert
their aim, ,ssid the nee. eelvo of 'bells missed us. We
moved quickly forward, end the gunners again eaw
and the Isbell. buret over am! around. Tot, strangely,
but few were hit, though it seemed as if ths storm
would mow moo and horses down by squadrons.
Now tiny flashes, with the sharp pang of bullets,
told that the enemy's inlautry were alai at work, and
a horse here and a limo there dropped in the ranks.
The buttery having by this time come up, the cavalry
moved to the right, in order to allow them to come
into action, and, in a few seconds alter taking up their
ground, our guise spoke out their answer to the enemy'.
his.

—The Cavalry now advanced in echelon from the
left, lb. 7th Dragoons leadb g. Under curer of these
the Life Guards formed for a charge, awl by word of
command the Draguous opened Hint and lett to allow
them to past. Already Herbed Stewart, Drury
Lowe's Brigs le Major, had panned down the line the
word, " The Cavalry are to charge the 0p.." Sir
Baker Russell was in front, and shouted, " Now we
have them. Charge."
Away weal the long line, disappearing almost in-
stantly in the dean ea and titut, and away behind
them went the 7th Dragoons, keeping on either flank
oil. Guards.

We remainiug in rear had the fa benefit of the
storm of shot and shell which greeted the advanc.-ig
horsemen, of whom, from themoinent, we saw no more
till the battle was over, and we then learned what they
had done.

Led by Baker Russell, they charged straight at
the guns., sabreing the gunners as they passed, and
dashing ant, and cutting down the flying Infantry
beyond them. Russell's horse was shot under hint,
but he seized another and kept with his men.
The battle was ended at • stroke. and • scene of wild
cinfu.iou ensued; sonic guns were still firing, bodies
of 1, anti), still kept up • fusillade, and numerous
bodies of horses and men dotted the moonlit
pb.1.11: . . .

---
being now separated altogether from the Cavalry,
with the enemy intervening between us, myself and
two c mpanies endeavoured to tind our way round to
Kasvassin. It well an adventurous ride and several
shells buret near us, but before we readied the camp
the conflict was at an end.

The lufanti7 there had indeed had a hot time of it.
Hundreds of shells bad burst in the confuted space,
and the shelter trenches afforded but an insufficent
protection. Oa the left of the position, next to the
Canal, were the Marine Artillery, then came the 46. h,
and next to them the 64th, the slight earthworks
sweeping round again in a circle almost to the Canal.
Ihe Mounted Lialautry were in front under Captain
l'ig,ott, who ham at last received • wound having
been shut through the thigh.
The Egyptian. came on with great bravery, and, in
spite of the heavy lire of our men, were rapidly gain-
ing ground, and would soon have rushed the entrench
ments, when the mu of our guns on their left rear,
followed by the rush of our ceerlry proved too much
Fr them, aud from tht moment they thought only of
flight.
. . .

'bur casualties are surprisingly small considering the
fire to which our men were exposed. Lieut. Edwards,
of the Mounted Infantry, was shot in the arm.
Surgeoti-llsjor Shaw, of the 46th, waa killed, and
stoe ten or a dozen men, hut, fortunately, the
Remington bullet wounds rather than kills, and the
hospital wee etowded with wounded men.
About ten o'clock the Cavalry came in in high spirits
over their brilliant achievement. Many, of course,
were missing in the darkness but will no doubt turn
up in the morning. Upon their return from the pur-
suit they were unable to find the guns over which they
had charged, but theta will. douhtleta, be discovered
at sunrise. Alter learning from them the event, of the
charge, I st4lllod CO rile here to get off toy despatches,
. distance of tweuty-four wilts over the heavy sand.
This sclitary journey over the dismal desert by Moon-
light war not the least exciting part of an exciting
day.
the enemy's force engaged was estimated at thirteen
thousand. The ggyptians fought well until or
Cavalry and guns took loom in rear, and, had it not
been for the gallantry of the defenders of gammon:4
would have carrie I the p salon before our reinforce-
ments came upon the scene.

Al the tune I If the losses were unknown, but
were suppo•ed to be about twenty killed and • hundred
wounded.