Connecticut western news., 1876-11-24
AN ARMY EXTERMINATED.
Bsld and Successful Strategy of the Wa
 like KinG Of Abyssinia.

Bsld and Successful Strategy eff the war-
 like Kinx ,ef Abyssinia.. Z
 The story of the war in Abyssinis, in which the Egyptian army was extermi- mated, is told at length by London Times correspondents:
 On the second of November, 1875, King John was informed that bis coun- try was definitely invaded, that the Egyptian army had arrived at Addi- hoala, the last village which precedes the valley of Gondet, and that the van guard had penetrated into that valley. King John then mounted his horse to proceed to 8 camp whither he had con voked the warriors of Abyssinia. Tho khedive had thought that the Nagus was going to call on the princes, his vassals, to supply the contingent due, but as those princes had been secretly hired by the khedive to revolt, John saw they would refuse to obey, and that he would be powerless. He therefore preached the holy war The abouna, the religious chief of Abyssinia, had ordered three days fast, to which the king himself submitted. and had com handed all the warriors of the country, under penalty of exoemmunication, to be present during it, and at it's expira- tion, at the given place, John mounted his horse at the gate of his palace, north of Adowa, at the foot of Mount Chal- floda. Just as he was about to give the signal of departure, and when all the in habitants of Adowa and the invaded provinces were assembled, there was formidable earthquake. Men and beasts were thrown down, the roofs of several houses were displaced, and from the summit of Challoda blocks of stone and torrents of dust were precipitated to the feet of the king. Every one was alarmed. A moment of hesitation on the part of the king, and the terror would have spread all over Abyssinia, and left it to the mercy of the invaders. But John,. jumping from his horses flung himself Ion the ground, and cried enthusiasti- cally: '' I thank God for the signs of protection, which show me that the day has at length come when the ancient land of Ethiopia shall ingulf her invad- ers." A shout of joy welcomed these words, and the king mounted his horse and left Adowa amid the warm and pro longed applause of the multitude. On the eight of November M. de Sarseck, the French consul, proceeded to the king at the camp, where he had called his warriors together, and his astonish- nent may be imagined at seeing tho Negus, who, on the second of the month, had only a bw hundreds of cavalry, in command of an army of 70, ,OOO men. All Abyssinia had re- sponded to his call. A nation essenti- ally feudal, divided into a warlike aris- tocracy and an inferior class, the nobles and the princes are prompt to respond to call to arms, and six days had suffced to collect this formidable army. | John, with his whole army, encamped in the great plain of Mareb, as if he wished to offer battle to the vanguard posted at Kherad Iska, In the night, while his camp fires, carefully kept up, led to the belief that he was posted eight miles from the enemy, 12,O0O horse crossed the Mareb and placed themselves on the flank of the Egyptian van at less than a mile distant. At the moment when the latter, concealed in little woods, were preparing to turn the hill to fall back, there was heard some- thing like long peal of thunder, get ting louder as it approached, and before there was time to give 8 command this living hurricane covered the narrow space on which the little Egyptian troop was massed. The 12,OOO Abyssinian cavalry passed over the unfortunates.
 The next engagement took place on the sixteenth of November, the date of the first, related above, being the if teenth. Arakel Bey, in charge of the main Egyptian army, who had remained in the Gondet valley, awaiting the order to advance, received tidings of the mas sacre. HeJried to strengthen his posi- tion during She three. hours which elaps- ed before his own death. The Abyssin- isns accomplished the distance in two hours and 8 half, and attacked bis i'm provised intrenchments. They were twenty to one. The Egyptians fought like lions during three quarters of an hour, but their efforts were useless. The natural difficulties of the ground prevented the effectiveness of the rocks
 The enemy, slipping through the trees, profting by the slightest accidents, had soon hemmed in the little army, and rendered the use of firearms useless; l for, driven forward by those behind them, they ended by attacking the in trenchments with the bayonet, and in side there was a hand to hand struggle. The Abyssinians had 365 killed and 500 or 600, wounded. Arakel died like 8 hero. Struck by first bullet, he kept on his horse, leaning on two soldiers of Soudan. A second ball made him slip from his horse. At the point of death he perceived the Naib Darkiko, who had drawn Egypt into this expedition, and who, after throwing of his clothes, was trying to creep among the Abyssiniang. Arakel, raising himself by an effort, struck him with two shots of revolver, and died after seeing the Naib fall.
 Tho following is the letter of King John to the French consul, announcing the result:
 From John, by the grace of God, King of the Kings of Ethiopia and of all it's dependencies, to. the conanl oi France, M. de Sarseck. How are you 2 My soldiers and myself, thanks to Heaven and the intercession of the saints and the God of Armies, are safe and sound Good news 1 I have con quered. By the grace of God, have beaten my enemies. Of all the Egyp- tians who invaded my country not one has survived. All are dead. My heart rejoices. Thou, my friend, come now without loss of time. Written at Addi- hoala, Hedarde of the year 1868 (3Oth November, 1875. .z -.