The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-21
AMERICAN OFFICERS IN EGYPT.
INTERESTING CONVERSATION WITH GENERAL
coIsToN, OF VIRGINIA AN Ex-oFFIcER or
THE EGYPTIAN ARMY

INTERESTING CONVERSATION WITH GENERAL
coIsToN, OF VIRGINIA AN Ex-oFFIcER or
THE EGYPTIAN ARMY.
During the past ten years q number Of American
officers have been engaged in the service of the
hhedive OF Egypt. where they have held various
positions on the STAFF and the sOth of last June
their services were dispensed WITH as the Khediye
came to the conclusion that it was necessary to
trench the general expenditure of the government
ana commenced operations by an immediate reduc-
ton or the army. The first batch of officers
from the United States went to Egypt in 1869,
and since then they arrived in thar country by twos
and threes until at one time the Khedve had about
fifty American officers in his service General r. L.
Colston of Virginia. who served with Lee Jackson
and Beauregard during the rebellion, Joined the
Kbedives service in 1873. and has recently returned
to this city after five six years active service in
Egypt. reporter Of the HERALD called yesterday
upon the General at his hotel and had talk over tho
present condition of affairs in Egypt as follows:-
.How do you account. General for the action N
the Khelive in reducing the armyY
1T WIS mainly owing to financial difficulties tha
eutaied u certain amount OF retrenchment in expen
ditures and the army was considered the most avail
able branch of the government service in which to
what does the present standing army amount top
about six or seven thousand men. Quite sufficient
Tor household and garrison duty do not see any
necessity for Egypt maintaining an army as they
themselves so feeble that all they could really do
woud amount to nothing without the assistance Of
How would it be i they to get in another
war with Abyssinia 2"
''They have had great many men that have served
IN the army, and il necessary they could call out
thirty or forty thousand men from the that
they could arm at very short notice; They are well
supplied with Remington rifles and have number OF
krupp batteries in excellent working order"
DUTIES OF THE AMERICANS.
what were the duties OF American officers in the
Khedive's service"'
They were almost all staff duty. There have
been about fifty American officers on the staff since
1868. was like most of the Others. colonel on the
general staff My services generally devoted to
explorations "a Ma started in May 1879 up the ess.
Sea. through the Arabian desert of Egypt.
4 went there in search OF the ancient
started in December, 1874. We went up the Nile
about two thousand miles to place called Debbe.
then used cames for the balance OF the journey to
Debbe. At the latter place We got fresh supply Of
camels and started IN southw st direction to IL
Oberyad, the capital OF Kordofan, point about four
hundred miles from Debbe. then received severe
sunstroke and was very ILL., and was carried back
a camels litter l. 200 miles through the desert to
Suakin, the Red Sea. where found steamer watt
ing. which the Khedive had sent from Cairo
''About one hundred soldiers and the necessary
amount Of camel drivers cooks and camp follow.
ers"
the Khedive ut present?"
General stone still retains the nominal position Of
1
sition, as there is ut present no staff"
"How did you manage to give your orders to the
troopsg'
"Beng on staff duty we gave our orders to tina
Arabian officers graduates OF the Military College.
These orders were given in French
''Were the lives Of many of the American officers
lost during the campaign!
IA few died from natural causes think the
death roll contains the of General Reynolds,
Colonel Reynolds, Major Hunt. Major Campbell.
Major Paris. Major Lawson. Captain Irguins and
Major Losche, who died at Suakin about eight
mi ths AGO. fer NJ
Khedves SERVICE died in Baltimore shortly after hs
return to this country, and Colonel Rhett of South
in Paris"
General Colston has had an experience Of about
five years with the Bedouin tribes OF the desert AMI
is also thoroughly familiar with desert life and
travelling. During his service in Egypt he has
travelled some Ave or six thousand miles on camcls.
He has brought back number Of interesting
sketches and photographs, and intends to give .
series of lectures through the country, illustrating
the that he has visited with the improved
apparatls.