The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-09 00:00:00

THE RECENT FIGHTING IN THE
SOUDAN.

The Daily News of Wednesday published a letter
from its Special Correspondent with the Soudan Ex-
pedition, giving an account of the first victory of
General Hicks over the followers of the Mandi,—We
make the following extracts therefrom :

General Hicks joined our camp on the 25th inst.,
about 18 miles south of the fort at Kawa, on hearing
that the enemy were .advancing in large numbers
against ns. He had zone up the Nile with a force to-
wslfes Gebel-Ain, and had destroyed a number of rafts
built by the enemy for the purpose of crossing over to
Kordofan. On his arrival, information having been
received that the enemy were close at hand and
determined to attack us at once, it was considered as
well to wait for them, so we did not march on ' the
96th. True enough, about eleven on the morning
of that day a large body of horsemen were seen
approaching from the south-east, abeut two thou-
sand yards distant. There was a mirage at the time
on the horizon, and the effect of these swarthy
cavaliers galloping, as it were, through it gave
them the appearance of phantom army. Every
soldier was in his place in a moment, awaiting
steadily but anxiously the coming of the foe;
for it was impossible to know what number of
men might swoop down on us from the waving
ground. They approached to 1,000 yards, when
rockets and shells were at once discharged at them.
The soldiers—who had formed in a solid square—
threw out "crows' feet," or little iron spikes joined in
three—a device calculated to make the ground Incon-
venient for stepping on to sandal-shod savages or
horses without shoes. The horsemen now raced off,
and were no more seen for the time; but they hung
about us during the day, though no attack was made.
On the 27th tents weee struck at dawn, and the
army continued its march south, leaving woods and
the river 'on the right flank. After about a twelve
miles march we halted for the night. On the 29th '
tents were struck, as usual, at daybreak, and the order
given to march at seven. The great difficulty of
General Hicks'e movements, is the total absence.
of cavalry, and all reconnoitring has to be
done by the officers of his staff. Tigi danger
of this insufficient means of scouting was
shown now. Colonel Farquhar, who has all
along been indefatigable in this duty, accompanied by
Captain Massey and four Bashi-Bazoults, haci not
been far, when they raced in to report the enemy's
advance. So rapid was this that in fifteen minutes
they were on us in a cloud. It was nine, and we had
marched some five tulles. About 1,000 yards to our
front and right was a woc‘d, out of !which spearmen
were seen pouring in their thousands, led by their
chiefs carrying gaily coloured banners. We
had formed a vast square and halted. A tre-
mendous fusillade was opened from our front face, ap•
parently without effect, for they still came on gal,
lantly ,• but at five hundred yards they began to fall
fast. Still, the chiefs lad on their men with all the
reckless and romantic chivalry of the old Saracen
knights. One by one they fell dismounted, two or
three to rise again and dash forward on foot, waving
their standards, only to drop and rise no more.
The rebels were commanded by Amer Makush igi
who, with another leader, the Cheik El Arakee, had
been only recently sent irom Kordofan by Mahomet
Achmet, the so-called Mahal. Calmly, and ap-
parently without the elighest fear, did these Arab
cavaliers ride about from right to left, as if seeking to
pick out a weak point at which to charge and break
into our compact body. Their devotedness was in
vain. One after another they bit the ground,
the first-named chieftain being rolled over by
the Nordenfeldt at our left corner. After half an
hour's continued rattle of 'musketry, seeing their chiefs
fallen, and the banners in the dust, the advancing
horde a waver, and are greeted wit} a tremendous
howl from our troops, who had etood firmly and un-
flinchingly, and I may say as steadily as any troops
conld. Now the enemy move off to their right, among
the long grass, and our front is cleared. Shells are
bursting among them. All are soon out of eight,
except a few who walked about most unconcernedly,
and actually sii gly came up, after the rest had re-
treated, to within a few yards, brandishing their spears
In defiance. One after another these poor fanatics
were knocked over. When the smoke bad rolled away,
it was seen that the ground was strewn with corpses,
most of them within four hundred yards away.
The joy and enthusiasm of the troops at this their
first victory were inteme. Their officers came up and
warmly shook hands with the Englieh officers.
I forgot to mention that the number of the enemy
was 4,000 or 5,000, and that of the killed about 500.
Numbers went away wounded, or, were carried off.
We came across these at we went along. Our loss was
two killed and a few wounded.

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