The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-02-19 00:00:00

THE ITALIAN DEFEAT AT
MASSOWAH.

The Italian Minister of War received from General
Gene a full account of the fighting at Saitti. The
details are given in reports furnished by the officers
who commanded the troops engaged. Major Boretti,
who was in command of the garrison of Saati, reports
that on the 25th of January, at 11 o'clock in the
morning, he saw that the heights around the fort were
occupied by several thousand Abyssinians. He imme-
diately ordered his gunners to open fire with shells,
which had at first no effect. Later, however, the
Abyssinians disappeared. Major Boretti there-
upon despatched a reconnoitring party under the
command of Lieutenant Come, who surprised and
engaged the enemy. The Abyssinians made a
vigorous resistance. Scarcely had a few musket
shots been fired, when enormous masSes
of Ras Alula's troops gathered on all sides, and ad-
vanced with the greatest intrepidity and dash to
within 300 yards of the Italian positions. The fighting
which ensued was of the most desperate character,
but at half-past four the Abyssinians were finally
beaten back and took to flight. Major Boretti states
that he fired 5600 cartridges, 37 shells, and 17
shrapnels. As soon as the battle was over he sent to
Monkullo an urgent request for a supply of ammuni-
tion and provisions. Accordingly General Gene gave
orders for three companies and some detachments of
troops to escort the desired supplies to Saati. The
column left Monkullo at 20 minutes past five on the
morning of the 26th, some difficulty in collecting
camels having delayed its departure. Between 10.45
and 11 o'clock the same morning the Commandan tat
Monkullo received two notes from Col. Decristoforis,
commanding the column. In the first be reported
that he had arrived close to Dongoli and bad met
the enemy in large numbers, and he added that his
mitrailleuses would not work. In his second letter
Colonel Decristoforis stated that without more
men and machine guns it was impossible for the
column to move. In this strait the officer command-
ing at Monkullo sent one company out of the two
forming the garrison to Colonel Decristoforis' assist-
ance. The remainder of the story is told by Captain
Tanturi, who commanded this company. He says
that he left Monkullo at half-past eleven o'clock.
Near Achet he met a wounded soldier, who informed
him that the Abyssinians had attacked. Shortly
afterwards the interpreter who was with Captain
Tanturi learned from two peasants that the Italians
bad been massacred. Captain Tanturi sent forward
a patrol party, who only saw the enemy retiring. The
column then moved on and fell in with another wounded
man, who said that all tht Italians were dead. Cap-
tain Tanturi adds :—" I did not believe this state-
ment, and advanced. On the other side of the Maine-
ion I saw the bodies of all our men lying in order,
as if they were in line." In the opinion of
the captain the Abyssinian force numbered nearly
20,000 men. The evening papers at Rome publish a
number of letters received from officers and soldiers
at Massowah. One of these letters, which appears
in the Tribuna, says that the troops under Colonel
Decristoforis were formed into a square, and defended
themselves to the last cartridge and the last man.
Many of the bodies were mutilated by the Abyssinians.
The latter were armed withaemingtons and Martinis,
Almost all the Bashi-Bizoukii fled. The letter says
in conclusion: "The spirit of our soldiers at Masao-
wah is excellent. They only ask to avenge their
comrades."

• _
FIGHTING IN THE BOITDAN-N
A
A Reuter's despatch from Wady Haifa, published
on Wednesday says: Sheikh Saleh, of the Kabbabish
tribe, has sent a message to the military authorities
here), announcing that he has attacked and captured,
at a place situated one day's journey south of Debbeh,
a large convoy on its way from Khartoum to Don-
gat. •
The entire Dervish escort was killed, and several
hundred camels were captured, together with their

110 local levies which were called out by Wady el
Nejoumi, Emir of Dongola, have returned to their
Villages.