The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-09-16

and abetted by enemies of the govern
ment residing at Khartoum. His pres
ence in SO commanding a position on the
Nile soon became obnoxious to the au-
thorities at Khartoum, and an expedition
was organized to dislodge him. A de-
tachment of 120 men of the regnlar army
was sent against him on the island.
These men were badly managed, aud,
although they were armed with the best
make of Remington rifles, while Mo-
hammed Achmet and his band had only
their spears, they were killed, one after
the other as fast as they landed, till not
one of the 120 was left. Not shot was
fired. 1t was a slaughter like the stick
ing of so many pigs. The steamer with
its crew and one or two officers escaped
back to Khartoum with the sad news.
OF course, after this exploit Moham-
med Achmet knew that it would not do
for him with his present forces to remain
where he was. He therefore gathered
together all his following, men, women
and children, cattle and provisions.
crossed the Nile to the west bank, and
fed to wild mountain called Gebil Gedir,
200 miles southwest of the Island of Abb
bas, and about ninety miles northwest of
the penal colony and military station at
Fashoda. Here, in an easily-defended
and almost inaccessible mountain, he
took up his abode. The Baggara Arabs
now began to flock to his standard in
great numbers. This large tribe is noted
for its restless. lawless, unruly spirit
The Baggaras were the former slave
hunters Of the White Nile. and no doubt
dreams of the return of the old times of
murder and bloodshed were not want
ing. The present, at least, was an OPP
portunity that suited them, and they
determined to take advantage of it.
We saw great numbers of them, with
their spears cleaning in the sun, crowd
ing along the banks with their horses
and their cattle to join Mohammed Ach-
met in his mountain fastness. 1t was,
however. the policy of the Government
to let the rebels alone, now that they had
left the river, thinking that they would
soon lose their zeal and dispense for want
of provisions. But new Governor of
Fashoda had been appointed, who con-
sidered it his duty to signalize his loyalty
by organizing another expedition against
the rebels. Contrary to orders from
Khartoum, he gathered the military
forces from Kaka, Fashoda, and the sta
ton at the mouth of the Sobat; in all,
600 soldiers of the regular army. With
these he Joined 200 men of the large ma
tive tribe of the Shillooks, under the King
of the Shillooks-800 men all told. With
these he marched six days across the
desert by forced marches. On the sew
enth day, when the men were all tired
out from the long march, and utterly
unfit for action, they met the enemy.
Mohammed Achmet was again victor
ious The fight was turned into slaugh-
ter. Sixty men were taken prisoners by
the rebels; only seventy escaped by run
ming for it; and all the rest were slain.
The Governor of Fashoda and the King
of the Shillooks were both killed.
Soon after these events we travelled
through the country as far as the Sobat
River. As we passed the Island of Alb
has we saw the spot where the soldiers
landed and where they were slain. We
saw the deserted village, already occu-
pied by colony of chattering monkeys;
the hut where Achmet commenced his
career, and boat which his people had
left half finished. We found Kaka in a
state of siege by the Shillooks, who had
taken the killing of their King in the
Egyptian service as a good pretext for
throwing off the yoke of the Govern
ment that had never wholly subdued
them. When we landed at Fashoda we
found the town in constant fear of an
attack. We saw the wounded and heard
the loud lamentations of those who
mourned their slain. At the Sobat we
found the Shillooks hostile. Twice on
our way back we were waylaid and par
TALLY surrounded by Mohammed Ach-
NETS men, and owed our escape only to
the merciful Providence of God and
our own presence of mind and agil-
ity in ''going away from there" On
our return to the Khartoum we learned
that Raout Pasha had been recalled,
new method of governing the Soudan
from Cairo instituted, and that Giegler
Pasha had been authorized to proceed
with more vigorous measures against
the rebels. While we were there, an
army of some $500 men were gathered
and sent forward under Yousef
Pasha. We saw them drilling,
after fashion, nearly every day.
Some of them received their pay
in our yard. We had good opportuni-
ty to study their makeup. From the
first they had but little hope Of success.
About 100 deserted just before the de-
parture. None of them had the first idea
of discipline, few of them had ever fired
off their guns, and 1900 OF them were
raw recruits, who did not know which
was the dangerous end Of their rifles.
One man was asked how he would fire if
be met the enemy, and he held his gun
out behind his back and said: 80"
Another was asked if he had bullets
enough, and replied that he thought his
gun would hold a few more, The Gov
eminent throughout underestimated the