The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-03-11 00:00:00

THE SOUDAN.

PROCLAMATION BY GRNBRAL GRAtLiM.
DISPERB tL OF THE ENEMY.

GREAT CAPTURE OF ARMS.

Tat , Monday—Fur hominid women and
children have today arrived from Taw, under the
pnit -talon of our troops.
All day yeeterday parties of the Egyptian garri.on
of Tokar continued to arrive in our camp from the
surrounding villages. They tray that with the excep-
tion of twenty who were killed by the Arabs when the
place eurreirdere.l. and eight gipinera who were
forcibly compelled t fight rot, all .in•vi• Thnse
statements loud be acoei,tel with eauti on, rand it is
prob .b e that many were with the erre•ny in Friday's
battle; certainly there were eome Rzywien. nm .ne
the dee I. The use who had come •n prib ably left
the enemy alter their Meyer. sub.equ-nt to the
battle. They were not in ha I c r., end hail no
appearance of having gone through any particular
hardehip, but they seem complet rly demoralised, and
have I ist all military semblance.
Therm men a:ree In stating that our vict ry ha. had
NI immense effect upon tn.% triheem-i.. We have
iem, two thou.anii on the bell, arol great
number, have dropped opin th-ir line of retreat. The
wouroird prisoner.% in our hatpin • !mit 0.4 they had
nine thouaand men pr neat sod belle.. that *leer so
Dever., a lemon of lighting p olive of the E gti.h those
engaged against us will not again ,rieet nor, b dt'e.
On Tuesday the c eva'rr woo not to I) ibbah, where
the camp of the fro, besieging Tokar were s tasted.
They f ion I there the remains of the loot of Gmeral
Baker's army, arid an immense number of rift*
regularly stacked, apparently es if in token .4 eron,lete
suhrois.ton. They &leo found large quaot'ties of
ammunitioo, • Gatlin: an I • mountain go .. All the
I artrilery taken from Bak-r Podia and from fat in.
ori-ff's force are now r covered A large party of the
enemy evacnatad Dubhah r 1 ily a short time Previous
t the arrival of our tro ipe. One or two of the car.
bine* taken from the cavalry men killed in Fri lay's
action 14016 found at Oubbah, and also • quantity of
grain.
Tokar lea small town, of the ordinary Arab d
Ron, =reminded by a dry ditch and wall, which wall
In many placed have been carried by a rush of deter-
mimic, man. The garrieon never seem t • have been
reduced to very great strait.. The C •monander and
Civil Governor are both coming in, but the chief mare
chant who arranged the ourr-n ler Itas gone into the
mountains with the Arabs. There was plenty of grain
found in the town, and the garrison could vary well
h rve held oat for some time brater. Rep ,rte are orir-
rent that the Commander and o,,vern ,r were all the
time in league with the enemy. N rthing
authentic ha* tran.pitorl to ;Entity this surmise, butt
'tact inquiry will be made, arid the oiratunstaticeo of
the surrender will be thoroughly investigated.
We have over thirty wounded prisoners in our
hands, all of whom were picked up on the field after
the tattle. It is their opinion, at well as that of the
Tokar people, that many of the Sheikhs will now
noose in and tender submission to English rule, hot
all agree that trey will not ever again submit to
I fregyptian domination.
Gemara Digo* shrewdly abstained hinmelf from the
battle, and only sent a contingent of a thousand men
from his army to aid the division besieging Toker to
motet our advance. It is rusidered probable that he
will maintain his own prestige by declaring that the
defeat was wholly doe to the tribes not adhering to
the tactics laid down as imperative by the bdahili—
namely, hr fi;ht with sword and spier alone. The
prieonere all say Osman Digo* will never surrender,
but if foroe it, retire among ths mountains will keep
the rebellion alive there, and will swoop down again
on the wi.h trawal of the British F run. The late
victory cannot but greatly weaken the SI ehdi's canes
throughout Eastern dondae.
The Navy have begun to make preparations for the
re-ernharkation of the teoops, General Boller has
mote down from Tokar for the same porno**. All the
whit °Mows and troops who fell in Gout& Bakers
action have been buried but so far all the efforts to
find the spot where alotcriafk action took place sad
to recover his body hove been unisuccessful.
Up to the present time on orders have been received
front Ragland 64 to the further movements and desti-
nation of the Force.
_

_
G-men's' Graham has issued the following order :
" The objects of the expedition are now achieved.
Tokar has been relieved, and the rebels so thoroughly
humbled that the force bet ore Tok sr may safely
retire. But before the force I. broken up the General
desire. to record his mines of the gallantry and good
discipline dieplayed by all arm.. The cavalry have
shown that dash which has &leer& characierieed that
arm of our military force, and have also rendered In-
valuable service in roc usuais.anoe an I scouting duties.
The action of the infantry generally ha. been chars°.
Urine I by steadiness and firmness in the pfedleaci of the
enemy. The first oderation carried out, that of
moving to • Bank under • heavy fire, twee very trying
to the steadiness of young soldiers, al WWI els i the
great daring shown by the foe in chargin r down I,
al se quarters in the face of an nve-whelming force.
The result of the action chow. the Briti.h tallier that
me long as he keeps steady in formation and cool
In firing, deeporete ros'oes like t .0N ha •le by
these brave blacks only ensure their .I.etructi.on.
Toe Arab. hare 'Ns felt th. terriblo effects of the
fir. of the BritioN int artery, Th. 1-e..on will not
oully be forgo tea ills Gansral thoank. the Naval
Brigade under Comma° lsr Rolfe for their cheerful
eaduranoe during the severe work of dragging the
guns across the difficult c oantry when suffering from
the heat and scarcity of water, for their ready
gallantry and steadiness under fire when serving their
guns, they have contributed materially to the SOCOW
of the action. I cannot too highly exprees my thanks
for their services.
TIN gene of the Royal Artillery were also admit,
ably served, and them, in oonjunction with Ilion of
the Naval Brigade, succeeded N silencing the enemy'e
fire and prepared the way for the advance of the
Infantry. The Staff Officers of all departments also
worked without sparing themselves. The suntdiss
were never stopped, in spite of the dcult country.
The General especially commends the ablenco of all
crime on the part .4 the troops. He I. proud to com-
mand them ; they deserve well of their country."
can myself Notify to the eplendli spirit of our
salon. Thirteen men curie I into Trinkatat on the
day of the battle the wounds I °Soar, Lieutenant
Boyd, who has shunt dial, sod at 011C1 V./Wale/WI to
return to the front, where they rejoined the brigade,
sad helped to dreg the guns to 'Coker next day. This
was a really splendid performance ea marls the mere
qualities of sedaranoe but, Jollied, all ranks dis-
played tint strays bull-dig love of actual fighting
which Is • opooial ohassoNeloillo of As &Mb noo.